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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

'Us' Crosses $100 Million at the Box Office; Biden Responds to Flores' Accusation; Democratic 2020 Hopefuls Respond to Biden Kiss Accusation; Trump Administration Ramps Up Border Threats; Number of Migrants Released in Brownsville, Texas, Soars; Kellyanne Conway: GOP Working on a Plan to Replace Obamacare; Suspect Arrested in Death of South Carolina College Student; Rapper Nipsey Hussle Shot and Killed; Wall Street Stages First Quarter Rally; U.K. Parliament Rejects Prime Minister May's Plan for a Third Time; U.K. Lawmakers Set for New Round of Voting; Michigan State Upsets Duke to Reach Final Four; Duke's Zion Williamson Says there's a High Chance He Enters NBA Draft; Injured Star Fuels Auburn's First Final Four Berth; Auburn Stuns Kentucky to Reach First Final Four. Aired 5-5:30a ET

Aired April 01, 2019 - 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, CO-HOST, EARLY START: Remakes of its animated classics this Summer, "Aladin" and "Lion King".

DAVE BRIGGS, CO-HOST, EARLY START: "Hakuna Matata" is the --

ROMANS: Yes --

BRIGGS: Film. EARLY START continues right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LUCY FLORES, 2014 NOMINEE FOR LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR OF NEVADA: I'm glad that he's clarifying his intentions. Frankly, my point was never about his intention.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRIGGS: Joe Biden's team in damage control mode after a Nevada politician accuses him of inappropriate behavior.

ROMANS: Police say a murdered college student in South Carolina mistook her killer's car for her Uber.

BRIGGS: And fans are mourning Grammy-nominated rapper, Nipsey Hussle outside a store where he was gunned down just hours earlier.

ROMANS: Down goes Duke in the NCAA tournament, leaving just one top seed left standing in the final four. Good morning, and welcome to EARLY START everybody, I'm Christine Romans.

BRIGGS: I'm Dave Briggs. They played with fire far too many times in this tournament. It is Monday, April 1st, April Fool's Day, be wary of all the practical jokes, folks. None for me though --

ROMANS: No, I'm very good at that --

BRIGGS: You're not a practical joker -- for me neither, 5:00 a.m. in the East. We start with former Vice President Joe Biden responding for the first time to allegations he made a Nevada politician uncomfortable when he kissed the back of her head.

Biden saying it was not his intention to act inappropriately, but one- time Democratic nominee for lieutenant Governor Lucy Flores says the kiss left her feeling uneasy, gross and confused.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FLORES: Very unexpectedly and out of nowhere. I feel Joe Biden put his hands on my shoulders, get up very close to me from behind, lean in, smell my hair, and then plant a slow kiss on the top of my head. And that in and of itself might not sound like it's a very serious thing.

That in and of itself might sound like it was innocent and well intentioned. But in the context of it, as a person that had absolutely no relationship with him afterwards, as a candidate who was preparing to make my case for why I should be elected the second in command of that state, to have the vice president of the United States do that to me so unexpectedly, and just kind of out of nowhere, it was just shocking.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRIGGS: Other Democrats eyeing the White House in 2020 also weighing in on the accusation. CNN's Rebecca Buck has more from Washington.

REBECCA BUCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Christine and Dave. Well, multiple 2020 candidates are responding to these allegations against the former vice president, saying Lucy Flores should be believed, but those same Democrats are also stopping short of saying this disqualifies Joe Biden from running for president, leaving that judgment to the voters.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She says she's coming forth now because she thinks it's disqualifying for Joe Biden. Do you think it's disqualifying?

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (D), VERMONT & DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE FOR 2020: Well, I think that's a decision for the vice president to make. I'm not sure that one incident alone disqualifies anybody, but her point is absolutely right. This is an issue not just the Democrats or Republicans, the entire country has got to take seriously.

SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR (D), MINNESOTA & DEMOCRATICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE FOR 2020: I have no reason not to believe her, Jonathan. And I think we know from campaigns and from politics that people raise issues and they have to address them, and that's what he will have to do with the voters if he gets into the race. JOHN HICKENLOOPER, DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE FOR 2020: I

think that's why we have an election. That's that process, but --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK --

HICKENLOOPER: Certainly, it's very just disconcerting, and I think that, again, women have to be heard, and we should really -- we should start by believing them.

SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D), MASSACHUSETTS & DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE FOR 2020: I believe Lucy Flores, and Joe Biden needs to give an answer.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Should he not run as a result?

WARREN: That's for Joe Biden to decide.

JULIAN CASTRO, DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE FOR 2020: I believe Lucy Flores. We need to live in a nation where people can hear her truth.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BUCK: Vice President Biden responded to the allegations with a statement, Sunday, saying in part, "in my many years on the campaign trail and in public life, I have offered countless handshakes, hugs, expressions of affections, support and comfort. And, not once, never, did I believe I acted inappropriately. If it is suggested I did so, I will listen respectfully, but it was never my intention."

According to our reporting, Biden is expected to announce his decision on the 2020 campaign in the coming weeks. It's not clear how this will impact that rollout or his candidacy more broadly, but certainly Christine and Dave, this cannot be the focus Biden wants as he prepares to jump into the race.

ROMANS: All right, Rebecca Buck, thank you so much for that. The Trump administration doubling down on threats to close the southern border and cut aid to three Central American countries. The president blaming congressional Democrats for the border crisis.

In a tweet, Sunday, "the Democrats are allowing a ridiculous asylum system and major loopholes to remain as a main stay of our immigration system. Mexico is likewise doing nothing, a very bad combination for our country."

[05:05:00] Adding, "homeland security is being so very nice, but not for long."

BRIGGS: Unclear whether that means new restrictions on asylum seekers or if it's a reference to his threat from Friday to possibly close the border, a move the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said it would be a quote, "unmitigated economic debacle". The president also announcing Friday, the U.S. will cut off aid to El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras."

ROMANS: Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney explaining the move on "STATE OF THE UNION".

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICK MULVANEY, ACTING WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF: Mexico could help us do it, they need to do a little bit more. Honduras could do more, Nicaragua could do more, El Salvador could do more. And if we're going to give these countries hundreds of millions of dollars, we would like them to do more.

That, Jake, I would respectfully submit to you is not an unreasonable position. We could prevent a lot of what's happening on the southern border by preventing people from moving into Mexico in the first place.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Mulvaney dismissing the government's own experts who say the aid money helps curb migration by making the countries more stable.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MULVANEY: If it's working so well, why are the people still coming? Why are these historic numbers. Again, a hundred thousand people will cross the border this month alone. That is a crisis. It's a humanitarian crisis, it's a security crisis.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRIGGS: Meantime, the number of migrants released by federal authorities due to overcrowded facilities in the Brownsville, Texas, area, is soaring. Border officials say as of Friday, 2,000 migrants have been released from three facilities, initially Brownsville city managers says about 50 people per day were dropped off.

More recently, the numbers climbed to around 300. But a letter obtained by CNN says Customs and Border Patrol told city officials in the Real Grande Valley, the number is actually much higher. Brownsville's mayor says for now, the city has been able to manage the influx.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR MARTINEZ, BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS: Right now, they're bringing them here, we're feeding them, sheltering them, clothing them, whatever they need at the time. Any health issues that they shouldn't have when they get here, but if they do, and we have, you know, we have asked some of our local doctors and friends in the medical profession to come give us an assistance and that's what we're doing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRIGGS: Custom spokesperson says about 1,000 migrants are being apprehended each day in the Real Grande Valley sector. CNN contacted the agency to get comment on how many people will be released in the coming days, but officials declined to comment. ROMANS: The White House insists Republicans are working on a plan to

replace Obamacare just days after President Trump stunned lawmakers on both sides of the aisle by declaring the GOP will soon be known as the party of healthcare.

White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney and presidential adviser Kellyanne Conway, meeting with skepticism on the Sunday morning talk shows.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS WALLACE, FOX NEWS: How?

KELLYANNE CONWAY, COUNSELOR TO DONALD TRUMP: There is a plan, we've been working on a plan for a long time, and we hope that Congress --

WALLACE: Right, not in the years --

CONWAY: Will come along --

WALLACE: But you've never -- you've never actually come up --

CONWAY: Well, with Donald Trump --

WALLACE: With a top plan --

CONWAY: So he's been president for two years. So give us a chance, and we'll have a --

WALLACE: OK --

CONWAY: We're working on a plan at the White House.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can you guarantee that if you succeed in court, that all of those tens of millions of people who have health coverage guaranteed because of Obamacare will not lose their coverage?

MULVANEY: Yes, and here's why? The debate about pre-existing conditions is over. Both parties support them, and anyone telling you anything differently is lying to you for political gain.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: All right, Republican Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming, who's a physician, says the Republican plan will be about healthcare choices, he says people will be able to buy what works for them.

BRIGGS: A suspect in custody this morning in South Carolina charged in the death of a missing college student. Police say 21-year-old Samantha Josephson became separated from her roommates during a night out so she called Uber for a ride home.

Surveillance cameras captured this shot of her talking on her phone, the last time she was seen alive early Friday. Surveillance cameras also captured this black car. Police say Josephson got into that car, thinking it was her Uber. Police say it was actually the suspect's car.

Her body was found 14 hours later in a field some 90 miles away. Twenty four-year-old Nathaniel Rowland charged with murder and kidnapping. Police say Josephson's blood was found in the car, they also are questioning a woman who was in Rowland's car when he was arrested.

This morning, rap fans are mourning the death of performer Nipsey Hussle who was shot and killed in broad daylight, Sunday afternoon outside his South L.A. clothing store.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRIGGS: Police say the Grammy-nominated rapper was hit multiple times in a burst of gunfire that left two other people wounded. It happened in front of the rapper's Marathon Clothing store, one of several businesses he owned on the block where he was shot.

Hundreds of mourners gathered near the crime scene to pay tribute to Hussle. He is known to give jobs to local residents who were struggling to get by or even homeless.

[05:10:00] Hussle was scheduled to meet later today with the L.A. police chief and commissioner. They were said to discuss ways to stop gang violence. Tributes to Hussle pouring in meanwhile. Rihanna tweeting "this doesn't make any sense. My spirit is shaken by this." From NBA star LeBron James, "so sad man, damn man, this hurt."

And singer Pharrell Williams tweeting "you were about something positive and for your community and every chance you had to speak, and because of that, you inspired millions, millions who uphold your legacy forever. Rest amongst the stars."

The suspect in the shooting is still at large. Nipsey Hussle was just 33 years old, and leaves behind two children.

ROMANS: Ten minutes past the hour amid all those concerns about slowing U.S. growth and a recession indicator flashing red. Wall Street enjoyed a huge rally in the first quarter. The S&P 500 finished up 13.1 percent, that's the best quarter since 2009, the best first quarter since 1998.

So a good quarter for your 401Ks, folks. The Dow rose 11.2 percent, the best quarterly gains since 2013. Nasdaq rose 16.5 percent, best showing since 2012. Now, the week ended with progress on ending that U.S.-China trade war. The Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin called talks in Beijing constructive Friday.

A Chinese delegation travels to Washington this week. Now, there's a ton of data this week that could help either confirm what the bond market has been telling us that the U.S. economy is set to slow or it could tell us the bond rally is overdone and the bond market is wrong. Retail sales for February come out at 8:30 a.m. today, the big

question is the consumer faltering? And then we've got the jobs report that comes out on Friday. February was a pretty weak number, so was that a hiccup or the beginning of a trend?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Up ahead, Winston, no one near him, and he's going to come out with it and Michigan State is headed to Minneapolis.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRIGGS: March Madness, the tournament's top seed, Duke not going to the final four. Michigan State pulls off the upset, Sunday, beating the Blue Devils 68-67 to punch their ticket. Tough loss there, you can see for Trey Jones. In the other regional Sunday, Auburn beat Kentucky 77-71 in overtime to earn their first ever berth in the final four.

Spartans and Tigers will join Texas Tech and Virginia in Minneapolis next weekend. The Cavaliers, the only top seed still standing. So your final four matchups all set, Michigan State gets Texas Tech in one national semi-finals, Saturday, Auburn, Virginia in the other.

Winners in the national championship game one week from tonight, a final four nobody saw coming.

ROMANS: All right, 12 minutes past the hour, political upheaval in the U.K., lawmakers shooting down the Prime Minister's Brexit plan for the third time, upping the odds for two possible scenarios no one wants. A live report from Downing Street.

[05:15:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROMANS: Chaos in the U.K. this morning after lawmakers rejected Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit deal for the third time. Now, that likely killed off her plan permanently, and it increases the odds of two troubling alternatives. A lengthy Brexit delay or Britain crashing out of the EU without a deal on April 12th.

Let's go live to London, bring in CNN's Nic Robertson. Running out of options, running out of time here. I mean, this -- we're here. This is -- this is when the U.K. is supposed to be out.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: It is. I mean, that was supposed to be Friday last week. Where we're at today, there's expected to be what -- again, what they call indicative votes in parliament where the MPs are controlling the order of businesses, again is supposed to provide the Prime Minister with an indication where she might find the majority inside parliament.

What type of Brexit the MPs can agree on. The reality is last time, there wasn't a majority for any of these votes, and the possibility could be the same again. Now, she might have -- she might be forced legally to follow whichever outcome is predicted or indicated today. At the same time as well, we understand the Prime Minister might even

be convincing another vote on her deal. But that possibilities of those outcomes, as you say, and a long extinction or a no deal is splitting her cabinet. She has some of her ministers saying, go for no deal, and we'll quit and others saying go for the softer option, we'll quit, too, and even the possibility of calling a general election, advice against that and for it also.

ROMANS: Oh, all right, Nic, I'm so glad you're there to go through the twists and turns, but I feel like we never get where we're trying to go. We just keep twisting and turning. Nic Robertson, thank you --

ROBERTSON: No problem --

ROMANS: Thank you so much for that in 10 Downing Street.

BRIGGS: It's a mess --

ROMANS: I didn't mean to laugh, I mean, I'm laughing, it's --

BRIGGS: No --

ROMANS: A gallous humor is why I'm laughing.

BRIGGS: Some mess like our brackets. Speaking of Auburn, going to the first ever final four. And Tiger fans had just the place to celebrate, Coy Wire has the story in the "BLEACHER REPORT".

[05:20:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRIGGS: OK, the final four is all set and two of the teams left standing have never been this far before. Cory Wire has the story of a thrilling weekend in college hoops in the BLEACHER REPORT. Good morning buddy.

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS REPORTER: Good morning Dave, it was thrilling, indeed, such fun. We have some new faces along with a couple of perennial power houses. Texas Tech and Auburn have never been to the final four. But the shocker is who is not going -- Duke.

Common as those Michigan State taking down Mike Krzyzewski number one overall seed, Duke, in dramatic fashion. The Blue Devils young future NBA stars like Zion Williams in the sparks are going blow for blow. But it was the former walk on fifth-year senior Kenny Goins landing a knock-out punch.

His clutched 3-pointer to a 39 seconds ago gave Spartans the lead that they would give up. Michigan State punching their ticket in a thriller 68-67, Izzo heading to the national semi-finals for the 8th time. He's a legend and so are his dance moves.

He's going to break it down in the locker room. Look at him go, getting jiggy with it, Izzo. All right, Duke's loss also means it's likely the end of the line for freshman phenom, Zion, in college. After the game, he told reporters there was a high chance that he would enter this year's NBA draft, but he did not make his decision final. Zion is projected to be the number one pick in June.

[05:25:00] Auburn is a team that's playing with great purpose right now. They lost their star player Chuma Okeke to injury in their upset win over North Carolina on Friday. So this was their mindset going into the game with Kentucky.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We got to do it for Chuma, we've got to do it for him, this was bigger than winning a national title now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WIRE: Their motto, do it for Chuma Okeke was supposed to watch the game from a hotel, but he showed up at the game and his teammates noticed, so did the fans. And what an ending in this one, tied with 15 seconds to go, Kentucky has a chance to go ahead, but McLemor blocks it, so Auburn's Horace Spencer has a chance for the win, but he misses.

So it goes to overtime, and that's where the Tigers would pull away. That purpose, that passion, Jared Harper had 26 points in the game, Anfernee McLemor was clutched, number five seed Auburn were men on a mission against Kentucky. They're going to the final four for the first time in school history.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRYCE BROWN, GUARD, AUBURN: We came out and battled this -- the whole entire 40 minutes, and I know he's happy, and I know he's proud of us.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That right now was for Chuma Okeke!

(CHEERS)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WIRE: Now, check out this scene back in Downtown, Auburn, fans making a mad dash to famous Toomer's Corner, when the final buzzer sounds. Keeping in tradition, they're throwing toilet paper all over the trees, the place was packed in a matter of seconds.

Usually, we only see this after big football wins while Auburn just may be a bit of a basketball school now. This next Saturday, it will be the Tigers taking on number one seed Virginia in the first game of the double header. That is Michigan State and Texas Tech.

The winners face off one week for today for the national title. Dave, it's like kind of sad there for Duke fans in general, but basketball fans as well. Duke -- I mean, Zion Williamson no longer going to be --

BRIGGS: Yes --

WIRE: At college most likely. BRIGGS: They played with fire, they could have been out two games

prior, .02 percent of the bracket challenge entrants got this final four, it was improbable. Coy Wire, good to see you my friend.

WIRE: Good to see you, guys --

BRIGGS: Romans, what's coming up?

ROMANS: All right, thanks, guys. Well, Joe Biden's team trying to get ahead of a potential Me Too crisis before his 2020 race has even begun. Full details next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

END