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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Florida Bracing for Hurricane Michael; NY Gov: Limo Failed Inspection; Trump: Kavanaugh "Caught in a Hoax"; Kavanaugh Midterm Wave?; Red Sox Hand Yankees Worst Postseason Loss. Aired 5-5:30a ET

Aired October 09, 2018 - 05:00   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. RICK SCOTT (R), FLORIDA: This storm will be life threatening and extremely dangerous.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JOE JOHNS, CNN ANCHOR: Forecasters say Hurricane Michael is gaining strength as it heads for the Florida panhandle.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: The New York governor says the stretch limo that crashed killing 20 people should never have been on the road.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I want you to apologize to Brett and the entire Kavanaugh family.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[05:00:02] JOHNS: President Trump apologizes to Justice Brett Kavanaugh for what the president now calls a political hoax.

ROMANS: Justice Kavanaugh joins the Supreme Court today, as Republicans hope for a Kavanaugh wave with the midterms now four weeks away.

Good morning, everyone. Welcome to EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans.

JOHNS: And I'm Joe Johns, in for Dave Briggs. It's Tuesday, October 9th, 5:00 a.m. in the East.

We begin with breaking news. The Florida panhandle bracing for Hurricane Michael this morning, currently a category one. Hurricane Michael is expected to strengthen to a category three by the time it hits the panhandle midday Wednesday. States of emergency have been declared in both Florida and Alabama and emergency officials have ordered evacuations in at least ten counties. Some mandatory, others voluntary.

Florida Governor Rick Scott strongly urging people to heed all warnings. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCOTT: Every family must be prepared. Every family. Remember, we can rebuild your house, but we cannot rebuild your life. Take this seriously and keep your family safe.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JOHNS: Meteorologist Chad Myers standing by live in the CNN weather center.

So, have we gotten an update on this, Chad?

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Absolutely. The 5:00 update is right here.

It's a 90-mile-per-hour storm. Still expected to get to category three before it finally makes landfall very close to either Port St. Joe or Panama City, somewhere in the Florida peninsula range, the panhandle range out there. A peninsula that sticks out there near St. Marks, near St. Joe. We expect significant flooding in the area because of the storm surge.

Now, we do have a hurricane warning all the way to Albany, Georgia, because this storm is not going to lose power as it makes landfall. It's going to still have hurricane-force winds right through Tallahassee and right through southwestern parts of Georgia proper.

The big threat, though, I think here is the wind. Yes, there'll be surge and people can get away from that, but the wind will be 120 miles per hour sustained tomorrow afternoon. Now, we are prep time down to 30 hours or less than that, probably just until dark tonight and you need to stop prepping and get away from it, make sure your windows are closed and boards are up.

But there is the category three making landfall at 120 miles an hour Wednesday in the early afternoon. It is a very intense storm. Things haven't changed from the 5:00 advisory significantly from your 11:00 advisory. So, if you went to bed last night, things have not changed.

A 12-foot surge, and that includes St. Marks, up towards Cedar Key. That's all that area, it's very lowland. There are not many homes there, but it's a very lowland area that's going to push the surge right up to the groves, right up into the homes that are there and certainly up in Apalachicola proper.

This will be a big storm for the Gulf Coast because it has happened so very fast. This thing was nothing two days ago. Now all of a sudden landfall at cat three, also a very heavy rainfall in places which have seen rain.

This is North Carolina, 4 to 6 inches of rainfall expected there. More down to where the landfall is. We'll keep watching it for you. There is an airplane in it right now. They have not given us data yet. As soon as that data comes in, they send it back electronically, I will be here to tell you all about it. JOHNS: And we'll be checking right back in with you in about 25 or 30

minutes. Thanks so much for that, Chad.

ROMANS: All right. The president, President Trump, apologizing to new Supreme Court justice Brett Kavanaugh during the ceremonial swearing-in event at the White House. Every sitting member of the Supreme Court member was there in attendance, along with top Senate Republicans.

The president painting Kavanaugh as the victim of a political hoax.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: On behalf of our nation, I want to apologize to Brett and the entire Kavanaugh family for the terrible pain and suffering you have been forced to endure. Those who stepped forward to serve our country deserve a fair and dignified evaluation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: The president also falsely claiming the allegations against Kavanaugh have been decisively disproved.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Our country, a man or a woman, must always be presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. And with that, I must state that you, sir, under historic scrutiny, were proven innocent.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: The president trying to use the confirmation of Judge Kavanaugh as a campaign asset, attacking Democrats as evil people for the disgraceful treatment of his nominee.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: A man that did nothing wrong. A man that was caught up in a hoax that was set up by the Democrats, using the Democrats' lawyers. And now, they want to impeach him. I heard this from many people.

I think it's an insult to the American public. And I think you're going to see a lot of things happen on November 6th that would not have happened before.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[05:05:03] JOHNS: So, now, the time has come in a matter of hours that Brett Kavanaugh will take a seat on the Supreme Court for the first time. He said the grueling and often ugly confirmation process tested, but did not change him. Insisting he will be an independent and impartial judge from day one.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRETT KAVANAUGH, U.S. SUPREME COURT JUSTICE: The Senate confirmation process was contentious and emotional. That process is over. My focus now is to be the best justice I can be. I take this office with gratitude and no bitterness.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JOHNS: Kavanaugh went on to say he hopes to become a force for stability and unity on the Supreme Court.

ROMANS: All right. With exactly four weeks to go before the midterms, Republicans are hoping to get a boost from the Kavanaugh confirmation. But a majority of Americans oppose it, questioning his truthfulness and temperament to serve on the Supreme Court.

Take a look at the new CNN poll. 51 percent of Americans say Kavanaugh should not have been confirmed. That is up 12 points since last month. When asked about the sexual assault allegations against him, 52 percent say they believe the women, while 48 percent believe him.

Now, as for President Trump, his approval rating now stands at 41 percent. That is up five points from September.

JOHNS: Turkey's president says it is up to Saudi Arabia to prove its claim that the missing Saudi journalist actually left the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, the last place he was seen. Jamal Khashoggi is a writer for "The Washington Post." The one time Saudi royal insider is now a critic of the government.

Turkish officials believe Khashoggi was killed inside the consulate. A claim that the Saudis vehemently deny.

CNN's Jomana Karadsheh is standing by live at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

Jomana, what's the latest?

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Joe, the latest is we're getting this he image that CNN has obtained surveillance video showing Jamal Khashoggi at 13:14 local time on Tuesday as he entered the consulate. And, you know, this is something that really was one thing that everyone agreed on is that he did enter the building.

The thing that is obviously in question is whether he left. You got Turkey which has maintained he never left the building. The Saudis insisted he was there for a short time and then he left. So, we heard President Erdogan here coming out and saying it is on Saudi Arabia to prove these claims that Khashoggi left the building, saying they should release proof. We are seeing multiple security cameras around the consulate. Why not release the images of him walking out if he did indeed leave the consulate.

Reportedly, the Saudi officials are saying the cameras were not recording that day. Something that is not very convincing for Turkish officials who say that they've not really received any satisfactory answer so far from Saudi officials. While this is all going on, we know an investigation is under way.

Criminal investigation into the disappearance led by Turkish authorities and they're looking at everything. They're looking at video from the area.

They are looking at entries and exits into the consulate. Who came in? Who left? Who arrived in the country?

And we know that they're really scrutinizing a visit by 15 Saudis, a group of officials that arrived in Istanbul that day, in the consulate at same time as Khashoggi was in there. And they left the country that same day.

So, while the investigation is going on, Turkey really, Joe, putting the ball in Saudi's court to prove their narrative.

JOHNS: Absolutely. We can only hope whenever they get the investigation finished, we will find out the results. Thanks so much for that, Jomana.

ROMANS: All right. President Trump weighing in on for the first time on this disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I'm concerned about it. I don't like hearing about it. And hopefully, that will sort itself out. Right now, nobody knows anything about it. But it's a pretty bad stories going around. I do not like it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Vice President Pence also spoke out on the disappearance and alleged murder in a tweet, saying if true, this is a tragic day and calling violence against journalists a threat to freedom of the press and human rights.

JOHNS: The White House-Fox News revolving door taking another turn this morning. Hope Hicks at one time one of President Trump's closest aides has been hired as one of the top executives at Fox News Channel parent company. The former communications director joins Fox as executive vice president and chief communications officer.

That means she is sort of trading places with the current White House communications director Bill Shine. Shine was the co-president of Fox News before joining the West Wing.

ROMANS: All right. The glitch that Google didn't want you to know about is finally exposed. Google has shut down Google Plus, its failed social network. The timing is interesting. The announcement came moments after "The Wall Street Journal" reported Google did not publicly disclose a security bug affecting 500,000 users.

[05:10:02] Google discovered and patched the bug in March. It says it did not tell users because there was no evidence any data was exposed. But "The Journal" says Google stayed quiet to avoid scrutiny. Its legal and policy team warns senior execs disclosure could lead to imminent regulatory interests like with Facebook.

Remember, Facebook's own big data breach revealed that same month, prompting lawmakers to call for stricter regulation and CEO Mark Zuckerberg's testimony before Congress. Google's CEO Sundar Pichai will also head to Capitol Hill this year. He'll testify talk about bias on tech companies and asked about the decision to conceal this breach for months.

Google Plus launched as a rival to Facebook in 2011, but Google admits it failed to achieve broad consumer or developer adoption.

JOHNS: Troubling new details about the accident that claimed 20 lives in Upstate New York. What officials now say about the limo that crashed.

ROMANS: And the daring escape caught on video. Watch two guys get out of jail in garbage cans.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:15:16] ROMANS: The limousine involved in the deadliest U.S. transportation accident in almost a decade should not have been on the road. According to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, the modified vehicle was inspected by the state last month and failed. And its driver was not properly licensed.

Twenty people died in that disaster, seventeen of them birthday party guests. The town most of them called home reeling from the shock.

Miguel Marquez has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Christine and Joe, this is an accident that has just punched a hole through the heart of the community in Upstate New York. This is a small town. The people who died -- a nurse, a teacher, a coach, people who worked with the intellectually and developmentally disabled.

Overnight, there was a vigil. A massive thousands of people showing up to this.

One of the people who spoke was a congressman who represents this area.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have always known it to be a loving community. As I gather with you this evening, I see it manifested in a very powerful expression. Look at the bridge filled with people. The walkways filled with people. To the family members, know your loved ones are loved by their community.

MARQUEZ: The investigation into this horrific accident is ongoing and it is an intense investigation, specifically looking at the 2001 Ford Excursion. It was modified, chopped in half and stretched out. It had gone through inspection just about a month ago and it did not pass that inspection say officials. The driver was supposed to have a commercial driver's license. He

didn't have that either.

They have been in contact with the owner in Pakistan at the moment, the company is cooperating with investigators. They have seized several of the vehicles from the company. They also issued a cease- and-desist order so that the company will not be operating, pending this investigation. But right now, this little town of Amsterdam, New York, is just really trying to come to terms with this grief that they are experiencing right now. It has shattered this community -- Joe, Christine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JOHNS: A town of just 1,800 people. Thank so much for that, Miguel Marquez.

Two inmates who escaped over the weekend from a Kentucky jail are back in custody. Take a look at this. Surveillance video of Justin Stumbler (ph) and Jeremy Hunt (ph) escaping Saturday night by hiding in garbage cans that fellow inmates rolled outside for pick up. You can see the two men popping out. There you go.

Stumbler was apprehended Monday morning, thanks to a police tip. Hunt was caught by authorities a few hours later, after a pursuit.

ROMANS: All right. The Bronx, the Boston Red Sox one win away from knocking out the Yankees after the lopsided win in game three. Andy Scholes has more in this morning's "Bleacher Report", next.

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[05:22:45] JOHNS: OK. Let's talk sports. Quarterback Drew Brees breaking the passing record in the NFL with the Saints win on Monday night.

Andy Scholes has more in this morning's "Bleacher Report".

Why did it have to be against the Redskins?

(LAUGHTER)

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Sorry, Joe, it had to be against somebody. And Redskins just happened to be the next game on the schedule. You know, Drew Brees is going to go down as one of the greatest to play in the NFL. He owns many passing records.

Now, he is the league all-time passing record, breaking the record on the 62-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter. After that, they stopped the game to celebrate the accomplishment.

You know, Brees has had many doubters in his career. People said he is too short to play quarterback and doesn't have a strong enough arm. Brees proved them all wrong. He had a special message for his boys after breaking the record.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DREW BREES, NFL PLAYER: Come on.

I love you guys so much. You can accomplish anything in life you work for, right? I love you, boys.

(EEND VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: Brees has thrown for more than 72,000 yards in his career. Peyton Manning was the previous record holder. Peyton had a special message for Brees after he broke his record.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PEYTON MANNING, FORMER NFL PASSING YARDS LEADER: Drew, for 1,000 days I've held the record for all-time passing yards in the NFL. I got to tell you, it has been the greatest 1,000 days of my life. And thanks to you, that's over now. You've ruined that for me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: All right. To baseball, Red Sox and Yankees in game three in the Bronx. This was an old fashion beat down. Boston scoring 7 runs in the four inning to blow this game wide open. Yankees fans just stunned as they watched the worst post-season lost in team history. Boston ended up winning the game 16-1. Red Sox can close out the series tonight. First pitch game four set or 8:00 on TBS.

All right. Defending champion Houston Astros meanwhile will sit back and wait for the winner of that series. Astros completing the sweep of the Indians yesterday. World Series MVP George Springer continuing to come through in the clutch.

[20:25:04] He hit two home runs in this game. He now has hit seven home runs in his last seven post-season games. Just incredible.

The Astros looking to become the first team to defend their World Series title since the Yankees won three in a row from 1998 to 2000.

All right. In the National League Championship series is set. The Dodgers are going to be taking on the Brewers. L.A. eliminating the Braves last night. Manny Machado coming through with the big three- run home run to give the Dodgers a 4-run lead. They won the game 6-2 to take the series 3-1. The dodgers are heading to the NLCS for the third straight season.

You know, guys, I'm hoping for everyone's sake in New York that the Yankees can play better and win tonight, because if not, a lot of grumpy people walking around for a while.

ROMANS: There are already are. They're already here.

JOHNS: First thing I heard this morning.

ROMANS: All right. Andy, thank you. Nice to see you.

SCHOLES: All right.

ROMANS: All right. The Florida panhandle bracing for hurricane Michael. The latest forecast next.

JOHNS: And new Justice Brett Kavanaugh speaking publicly for the first time since his contentious Supreme Court nomination hearing.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)