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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Trump Administration Rolls Out Gun Proposal; Deadly Chopper Crash In NYC's East River; 2006 O.J. Simpson Interview Unearthed; Warren Says Banking Bill Increases Risk Of Another Bailout. Aired 5- 5:30a ET

Aired March 12, 2018 - 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: Two percent on Friday, Mattel plunged seven percent.

DAVE BRIGGS, CNN ANCHOR: Where will you shop for toys? I guess, Target, Walmart still left --

ROMANS: And Amazon?

BRIGGS: Right. That is in terms of actual brick-and-mortar stores.

All right. EARLY START continues, starts right now with the latest gun proposal from the White House arming teachers, the White House laying out proposals for reducing gun violence in schools, include arming teachers but leave out two big commitments from the president.

ROMANS: Tragedy in New York City. Five people are dead after their chopper plunges into the East River.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Almost like you, Ron and Nicole, were physically dead and they almost killed me. Who I was, was attacked and murdered.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRIGGS: After 12 years under wraps, the jaw-dropping interview from O.J. Simpson. Is the hypothetical story found as a concession?

Good morning, everybody. Welcome to EARLY START on a Monday. I'm Dave Briggs.

ROMANS: I'm Christine Romans. It is March 12th, 5:00 a.m. exactly in the East. Last night, the Trump administration put forward its proposal to give some school personnel what it calls rigorous firearms training. That is the centerpiece the plan to combat gun violence in and out of schools.

The plan President Trump promised after the Parkland shooting. The proposal has other elements but not among them are two things this president said he last month he would prioritize.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: In addition to everything else and in addition to what we are going to do about background checks, we are going to go strong in age, that's age of purchase.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRIGGS: The White House's new plan does not expand background checks or raise the minimum age of purchase. The plan does call for a new commission just a day after the president said all commissions do is talk.

For more, let's turn to Boris Sanchez at the White House.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Dave and Christine, it is a multi- prong effort that the White House is including in their proposal to try to stop school shootings in light of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School last month.

First, the White House is pushing for the creation of a new task force headed by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos that would examine the problem of school violence and then recommend possible policies solutions and funding solutions that would limit school violence.

Secondly, the White House is going to push Congress to pass two bills. First, the Fix NICS bill that would incentivize local municipalities to report information to the national background check system and then secondly the stop school violence act which provides funding for schools to try to beef up their defenses essentially.

Beyond that, the most controversial part of this is what the White House is advocating that the states should put into effect. First, one policy that would require states to train personnel within schools to be armed. That is the hardening of schools, something that President Trump has pushed for, for a very long time dating back to the 2016 campaign.

Also, very controversial is the idea of risk protection orders, something that the White House is advocating states should do, allowing law enforcement to temporarily take firearms away from individuals that have been deemed at risk and prevent them from buying more weapons for a certain amount of time.

Dave and Christine?

ROMANS: All right. Boris at the White House, thank you. No reaction yet from the NRA. One Republican congressman tells CNN the proposal is a missed opportunity. That congressman has a top NRA rating and did not want to go public with his criticism of the president's plan.

BRIGGS: Unnamed sources. Joining us this morning, CNN political analyst, Julian Zelizer, a historian and professor at Princeton. Good to see you, sir.

ROMANS: Good morning. JULIAN ZELIZER, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Hi. How are you?

BRIGGS: Good to see you on Monday. This was interesting. Late Sunday night releasing gun proposal and certainly a big retreat from the things we heard the president say in the open freewheeling meeting in front of Republican and Democratic lawmakers.

Here is the outline of the gun proposal from the White House. Does not include a plan to increase the age limit. We mentioned the study that we will get into in a moment. But when you look at overall what you are seeing here, it flies in the face of what he said to Republican and Democratic lawmakers in that meeting in particular about challenging the NRA.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRESIDENT TRUMP: It doesn't make sense that I have to wait until I'm 21 to get a handgun, but I can get this weapon at 18. I don't know. I'm curious as to what you did in your bill?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We didn't address it, Mr. President.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: You know why? Because you're afraid of the NRA.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRIGGS: Directly challenging Pat Toomey, a prominent Republican senator. That position was reemphasized again and again from Sarah Sanders. So, what happened?

ZELIZER: Well, we moved from controlling guns to arming teachers. That says it all. The NRA is winning. The momentum from the students is fading a bit right now. President Trump was not serious in that moment. It is a little bit like immigration. We have televised moments where is he says I will reform things. When things settle, he goes status quo where policy has been for the GOP.

[05:05:12] ROMANS: He is not a details guy. It seems he is involved in the big issues, but when he leaves the details, it goes back to the NRA talking points.

ZELIZER: Almost always. The only exception is the tax cuts where he got into the details he cared, and he made sure he got what he wanted. But in this case, that is true. That gives an interest group like the NRA a lot of room to shape the legislation.

BRIGGS: Look, arming teachers has various levels of success across the country, 110 districts, I think in Texas do it. Ohio, Colorado -- various districts have tried that.

ROMANS: In some places, though, insurance companies have said we can't insure your workman's comp, teacher or school because, you know, that's beyond our purview.

ZELIZER: Well, hopefully, a lot of study goes into this, but speaking of study, that was one thing the president specifically hit on at this rally on Saturday night. How much they don't get done. Listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRESIDENT TRUMP: We fill up these councils. They all want to be on councils. They call them blue ribbon councils. We can't just keep setting up blue ribbon committees with your wife and your wife and your husband and they meet, and they have a meal and they talk, talk, talk, talk. Two hours later, they write a report. Look. That's what I got in Washington. I got all these blue ribbon committees.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRIGGS: How do you square that with another study exactly like he is talking about, $15 million to study school violence.

ZELIZER: There are different parts of Trump presidency. He says one thing and he does another thing. We have to now accept that is what we have in the next few years. It's funny because some people would say that's what expertise is about. You want people to figure out the problems. You want good solutions, but that doesn't interest him. I don't know if he is involved in setting up another committee or someone in his administration is moving on that.

ROMANS: So, the Education Secretary Betsy Devos will be in charge of this commission on arming teachers and hardening up schools and the like. She was on "60 Minutes" with Lesley Stahl and seemed to not really understand the condition of -- this woman is in charge of America's public schools.

Her history and reputation expertise is in public money going to other than public schools. She did not seem to really understand the public school situation in her state. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Have the public schools in Michigan gotten better?

BETSY DEVOS, SECRETARY OF EDUCATION: I don't know. Overall, I can't say overall that they have all gotten better.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The whole state is not doing well.

DEVOS: Well, there are certainly lots of pockets where the students are doing well --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Have you seen the really bad schools? Maybe tried to figure out what they're doing?

DEVOS: I have not -- I've not intentionally visited schools that are underperforming.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Maybe you should?

DEVOS: Maybe I should, yes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: That was a tough interview. That is a tough job. Public schools in America, there are some that need help. She hasn't visited any and now she is in charge of the commission to oversee arming teachers.

ZELIZER: It is kind of remarkable. And this is a story where many cabinet officials don't really have much expertise or sometimes much interest in what they are responsible for. In some ways, that is just not acceptable at this point. You want her as tough as the job is to know what is going on in the states, to visited schools. You will not have an effective commission if you don't even know the basics. So, I think, there is repair that needs to be done after that.

BRIGGS: All right. Julian Zelizer, we want to ask you to come back in 30 minutes that the red meat the president really threw out at this Pennsylvania rally. The 20/20 is under way. See you in a bit.

ROMANS: A deadly helicopter crash in New York City's East River caught on video last night. All five passengers on board were killed. The pilot was the only survivor. Here is his mayday call.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

PILOT: Lima Hotel, mayday, mayday, mayday.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Lima Hotel, everybody OK?

PILOT: East River, engine failure.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm sorry, say again?

PILOT: East River, engine failure.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're a little broken up say one more time?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He had an engine failure over the East River, Lima Hotel.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Requiring assistance?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was a mayday call, LaGuardia.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRIGGS: Lima Hotel is code for Liberty helicopters which operated this flight. The pilot was able to free himself from the wreckage and was rescued.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DANIEL NIGRO, FDNY COMMISSIONER: One of the difficult parts of the operation were told was the five people besides the pilot were all tightly harnessed. So these harnesses had to be cut and removed in order to get these folks off of this helicopter which was upside down at the time and completely submerged. (END VIDEO CLIP)

BRIGGS: In that water which is below 40 degrees. The chopper was in the air for a private photo shoot. The National Transportation Safety Board will arrive this morning to investigate.

ROMANS: All right. O.J. Simpson in his own hypothetical words.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[05:10:08] O.J. SIMPSON, ACQUITTED OF MURDER: We go over (inaudible) --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Let's go back to the details. Where did you park?

SIMPSON: In the hypothetical, in the alley.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: The interview unearthed after 12 years. Does that sound like a confession? You decide next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRIGGS: A never before seen 2006 interview with O.J. Simpson broadcasts for the first time. The former football star and actor spelling out how he would have killed his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman in 1994. The interview aired on Fox last night.

ROMANS: It was conducted by a publisher, Judith Reagan, for the book Simpson wrote with her, "If I Did It," which was never released. Simpson offering what he claimed was a hypothetical explanation for the murders.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[05:15:02] UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So, Ron Goldman comes in the back end.

SIMPSON: Yes, a guy I did not recognize. I may have seen him around, but I really did not recognize him. As things got heated, I just remember Nicole fell and hurt herself and this guy got into a karate thing. I said, you think you can kick my ass and I grabbed a knife. I do remember that portion taking the knife from Charlie. After that, to be honest, I don't remember except I was standing there and all kind of stuff around --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What kind of stuff?

SIMPSON: Blood and stuff around.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Judith Reagan will be on "NEW DAY" to talk about the O.J. interview later this morning.

Heartbreaks for hundreds of couples hoping to have children. A well- known fertility clinic in San Francisco suffering a liquid nitrogen failure in the storage tank holding thousands of frozen eggs and embryos.

The March 4th incident at the Pacific Fertility Clinic could jeopardize the sustainability of the stored tissue. The breakdown followed a similar incident the same weekend at an unrelated clinic in Cleveland.

Too little liquid nitrogen causes the temperature in the storage tanks to rise risking a damage to tissue. The cause of the failures is under investigation.

An exclusive analysis conducted by CNN and Harvard researchers shows doctors making big money from opioid manufacturers. The more opioids those physicians prescribe, the more money they make. In 2014 and 2015, pharmaceutical firms that make opioids paid hundreds of doctors across the country six-figure sums for speaking engagements, consulting, and other services.

BRIGGS: Public health experts not involved in our reporting say this is the first time they have seen this kind of association. There is a real possibility paying doctors leads to inappropriate prescribing. Researchers say it is not clear whether the payments encourage doctors to overprescribe or whether pharmaceutical companies seek doctors who are already high prescribers.

BRIGGS: This week marks 10 years since the collapse of Bear Sterns sparking the financial crisis a decade. But Senator Elizabeth Warren warns a new banking bill increases the chance of another one.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SENATOR ELIZABETH WARREN (D), MASSACHUSETTS: It puts us at greater risk. There will be another taxpayer bailout. There will be another crash and another taxpayer bailout.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: The Senate wraps up formal debate of this bill this week. Democrats sharply divided. This bill rolls back parts of Dodd-Frank. The law enacted after the financial crisis. It made progressives like Warren oppose easing banking regulations.

They point to a Congressional Budget Office report. It found the bill increases the likelihood of big financial institution could collapse. But many moderate Democrats argue that Dodd-Frank's tough rules hurts smaller and mid-size banks in their states particularly their ability to lend.

The bill raises the threshold for financial oversight from $50 billion, the size of the financial institution all the way up to $250 billion. That shields two dozen midsize banks and some pretty banks actually. Warren also was asked if she was considering a 2020 presidential run. She told CNN that she is not.

BRIGGS: Interesting. Everyone thought she would run for sure.

All right. Break out the brackets, the field is set for the NCAA college basketball tournament. Andy Scholes with more in the "Bleacher Report" next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:22:51]

BRIGGS: All right. Get the brackets printed. NCAA tournament field all set. You have yours?

ROMANS: I need some help. Andy Scholes has more in the "Bleacher Report." Hey, Andy.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I have some advice. I like to print mine out too and fill out old school style and make my picks online. Experts say this could be the craziest year yet with so much parody in college basketball. Teams all over the country rejoicing while watching the selection show on TBS last night finding out that they were in fact in the big dance.

Somehow despite going 2-8, Oklahoma made it to the tournament. They were pumped about it. Others, including all the analysts, were pretty shocked that they made it to the tournament. Virginia is the top overall seed this year.

The other one seeds are Villanova, Kansas and Xavier. Vegas has Nova as the favorite to win it all. Here are some basic tips to filling out the brackets. Never pick a one or two seed to lose in the first round. Then find a 12 seed you like.

Pick them to win a couple of 12 seeds have won at least one game 26 of the last 29 years. Once you get to the sweet 16, don't pick a seed 12 or higher. They have less than a 2 percent chance of making it to the elite eight.

When it comes to the final four, one or two one seeds in final four. Don't have two one seeds playing for the championship game. One was last year when North Carolina played Gonzaga. Use that advice and I hope you wrote it down. Go to fill out your brackets by Thursday morning.

It is official. Tiger Woods is back. Tiger was two shots back at the Valspar championship with two holes to play when he sank the putt from 45 feet out. The gallery and internet going crazy at this point. Then on 18, Tiger had the 40-footer to tie, but he leaves it short. Tiger placed second. His best finish since 2013.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[05:25:09] TIGER WOODS, AMERICAN PROFESSIONAL GOLFER: I had a chance today. Unfortunately, I just didn't feel as sharp with my irons. I told you yesterday, I have been here before a few times. It felt comfortable. My game was fight solid this week. As a whole, I felt very good about what I did this week.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: Masters is three weeks away. Tiger has the third best odds of winning behind Dustin Johnson and Justin Thomas, which is pretty incredible considering Tiger hasn't won a tournament in five years.

BRIGGS: It was really that putt that made people feel like he was back. The Valspar Championship, it felt like the U.S. Open, galleries and emotion of it, and I'm guessing the ratings when we them later today. Thanks, Andy.

ROMANS: The president suggested he would like to raise the minimum age to buy a gun.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Why didn't you do that in the bill?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We didn't address it, Mr. President.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: You know why? Because you're afraid of the NRA.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: That was then. This is now, White House gun proposals, do nothing to address the age requirements, but they would allow teachers to have guns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)