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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
Hunt for Woman Suspected in Colorado School Threats; Trump Sees Vindication, Aides Worried About Redacted Mueller Report; President Macron Promises Five Years to Rebuild Notre Dame; Prosecutors Send Out Target Letters in College Admission Scam. Aired 5-5:30a ET
Aired April 17, 2019 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[05:00:00] STEPHEN COLBERT, HOST, "LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT": Answer like, Claus, the cathedral is on fire. We must check Donald Trump's Twitter feed, what is going on. No. No. He says he must act quickly. Get the hoses, get water. Why didn't I think of water? We've been using -- we've been using cheese. Delicious cheese.
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CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: It's surprising, earlier in the day, the president tweeted how Boeing should rebrand and fix its MAX crisis. So there's cringing in corporate America in the morning, and then the afternoon, the firefighter world was like --
BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Yes. What many of us in dire times turn to the president's Twitter feed for advice.
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SANCHEZ: EARLY START continues right now.
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DEAN PHILLIPS, SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE, FBI: She has expressed an infatuation with Columbine. Because of that, we were concerned.
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ROMANS: Armed, dangerous and infatuated with Columbine. Police in Colorado looking for the woman whose threats have shut down hundreds of schools today.
SANCHEZ: And it's the final countdown. Just one day from the redacted Mueller report. The president sees it as vindication. But some aides are concerned it could paint an unflattering picture of the White House.
ROMANS: The long road to recovery begins for Notre Dame Cathedral. Officials looking into what sparked the inferno as stories of heroism emerge. SANCHEZ: And it appears Felicity Huffman will go to jail for her role
in the college admissions scandal. Now prosecutors have begun alerting others they could be next to face charges.
Good morning, and welcome to EARLY START. I'm Boris Sanchez in for Dave Briggs.
ROMANS: Nice to have you here this Wednesday morning. I'm Christine Romans. It is April 17th, it is 5:00 a.m. in the East.
And happening now in Colorado, authorities are urgently searching for this woman. They say is infatuated with Columbine High School. Threats led to lockouts Tuesday at Denver area schools including Columbine where of course a mass shooting occurred in 1999.
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PHILLIPS: She has made some concerning comments in the past. She has expressed an infatuation with Columbine and the events -- the shooting there that happened. She was last seen out towards the Foothills and we have been trying to find her ever since.
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SANCHEZ: To put things in context, the timing of this is important. The 20-year anniversary of that shooting in 1999 lands on Saturday. So hundreds of schools in about 20 districts in and around Denver are now closed today.
We get more from CNN's Scott McLean.
SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Christine, Boris, police in suburban Denver are searching for an 18-year-old woman they say is armed and dangerous, who has made credible but non-specific threats against schools in Jefferson County.
Her name is Sol Pais. According to the "Be on the Lookout" alert that the FBI sent to local law enforcement, Pais was infatuated with Columbine. According to the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, she came to Colorado only on Monday.
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PHILLIPS: She departed the airport and went to a store where she did procure a weapon. She obtained a pump-action shotgun and ammunition. We have no specific information about any specific threat to any particular school. We don't have that sort of credible information but we do consider her to be a credible threat to the community.
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MCLEAN: Some area schools, including Columbine High School and others went into lockout on Tuesday, which means it is business as usual on the inside but no one can come or go from the building.
Now when the schools were let out, it was with extra police officers and security.
Now this is not the first time there have been threats against Columbine but this is an especially sensitive time given that Saturday will mark 20 years since 13 people were killed there in a school shooting -- Christine, Boris.
ROMANS: All right. Scott, thank you for that.
In just 24 hours, the Justice Department releases the redacted version of the Mueller report. President Trump is ready, already putting his spin on it, tweeting, "No collusion, no obstruction." But some current and former White House officials are not so sure the report will be flattering, while few are predicting bombshells, there's plenty of apprehension.
SANCHEZ: And look, advisers believe the full report will provide the most credible account so far of chaos inside the West Wing. And the report is not going to be based on any of the anonymous sources that the president routinely likes to attack. Instead this account will be attributed to former and current officials, and allies, witnesses who could face felony charges if they lied to investigators.
CNN's Kaitlan Collins has more from the White House.
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Christine and Boris, sources tell CNN that the president is eager for that Mueller report to come out on Thursday. He thinks it's going to back up his claim that he's been exonerated. But people surrounding the president are not so sure. Instead they're worried that even though the report is going to be redacted by the Attorney General Bill Barr, they think that while it may not reveal sensitive information it could still reveal embarrassing information.
[05:05:11] There are tons of people inside the White House who used to be at the White House and allies of the president who sat down with the special counsel and his team for hours upon hours, some of them dozens of hours, revealing information about not only central events related to his investigation, but also details about the president, his temper, his work habits, that they fear could embarrass the president. And then in the aftermath of the report coming out on Thursday, they're going to have to deal with that.
Now the president is not expected to read this report page-by-page, line-by-line when it comes out. Instead, we've been told by one White House official that the president's legal team is going to read it and then brief him upon the key findings of it, what's notable in it, even though sources say that most White House officials have said they will do -- will want to read this report. Maybe they'll wait until they get home from work but they are curious about what could be inside the report.
However, the question is going to be what it is going to reveal? Is it going to reveal this massive level of detail that these current and former White House officials fear, and whether or not it's going to be embarrassing for the president because, as one source told us today, they think that the best case scenario, it's going to paint a pretty unflattering portrait of what's been going on inside the walls of the West Wing throughout Robert Mueller's investigation -- Christine and Boris.
ROMANS: All right. Kaitlan Collins at the White House, thank you for that.
A federal district judge is questioning the redactions Attorney General Barr is making to that report. Judge Reggie Walton is hearing a Freedom of Information request by BuzzFeed seeking to have the Justice Department release the entire Mueller report.
SANCHEZ: And at a hearing on Tuesday, Walton said, quote, "Obviously there is a concern as to whether there is full transparency. The attorney general has created an environment that's cause the significant part of the American public to be concerned." Judge Walton told the court he could ask to review the Mueller report in full confidentiality and then ultimately give it to organizations requesting it under the Freedom of Information Act request.
ROMANS: All right, to Paris now. Monday's fire at Notre Dame Cathedral was an accident. Officials say the catastrophic inferno it appears was not set deliberately. Specialists are now inside the 850- year-old French gothic church, securing the structure. They suspect it will take 48 hours before Notre Dame will be safe enough to allow firefighters and preservationists to recover remaining artworks. The French president Emmanuel Macron also setting a timeline, an impressive timeline, on efforts to rebuild.
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EMMANUEL MACRON, FRENCH PRESIDENT (through translator): I tell you tonight with strength, we are a nation of builders. We have so much to construct. So, yes, we will rebuild Notre Dame even more beautiful, and I want that to be done in the next five years. We can do it.
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SANCHEZ: Experts are not quite as optimistic. They're saying it could take much longer, possibly 10 to 15 years. Look at these before and after looks. Incredible. The effort to rebuild already drawing help from around the world. Donations by French philanthropists and businesses topping $700 million. The cathedral's American namesake Notre Dame University pledging $100,000.
Back in Paris, hundreds took to the streets last night in song and prayer. For the latest, let's bring in CNN's Jim Bittermann live in Paris.
Jim, Macron saying five years, experts saying 10 to 15. His demand or his outlook is optimistic, ambitious to say the least.
JIM BITTERMANN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Boris. In fact, he is kind of rallying his own cabinet around him this morning. There's a normal Wednesday cabinet meeting here in France, the government ministers all gathered together. And he's -- this morning, he's decided that he's going to consecrate the entire meeting to the reconstruction of Notre Dame.
So it's at a point where he can rally his cabinet members and also rally perhaps the French people afterwards. The prime minister is expected to come out and explain what exactly is the president has been saying. But it is ambitious. Five years, though, is 2024. And that would be the date of the Olympic Games in Paris. So it's obvious, I think, that the administration wants to get Notre Dame up and running before the Olympic Games, before the millions of tourists come here for the Olympic Games -- Boris.
SANCHEZ: Yes. Jim Bittermann reporting from Paris. Thank you so much.
ROMANS: All right. President Trump vetoes a bipartisan bill that would end U.S. military support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen. It is the second veto of his presidency. Mr. Trump saying in a statement the resolution is, quote, "an unnecessary, dangerous attempt to weaken my constitutional authorities."
SANCHEZ: Trump sees the Yemen vote as a rebuke of his administration especially in response to the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The veto means the U.S. will continue its involvement in Saudi Arabia's offensive against Yemen's Houthi rebels.
[05:10:05] The rebels are seen as essentially a puppet of Iran. The bombing campaign being waged with an eye to preventing Iran's expansion in that part of the world.
A guilty plea and an apology may not be enough to keep Felicity Huffman out of jail. A source telling us prosecutors plan to seek a four to 10-month sentence for Huffman's role in the college admission scandal. The "Desperate Housewives" star and a dozen other parents last week agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud.
ROMANS: Ultimately Huffman's sentence will be up to a federal judge. She's due back in court in May 21st. CNN has reported more arrests -- more arrests are expected in this scandal. And now prosecutors have started sending so-called target letters to the suspects they have in their sights.
CNN's Brynn Gingras explains.
BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Boris and Christine, these so- called target letters have been going out since mid-March according to a law enforcement official. Students have received them, graduates, other adults allegedly connected to this case. And the letters essentially tell the recipient that they are part of an ongoing criminal probe. They don't necessarily mean charges will be coming down the line for those who received them, but this is really just the next step we've seen taken by the government.
The letters are standard really in white-collar cases and are used when prosecutors don't have all the evidence they need to charge someone or they're not ready to make an arrest. And they also essentially could be used as a bargaining chip for the government. So get those charged to the negotiating table. In this case, prosecutors may be using them to get someone to take a plea deal to avoid arresting a young adult.
Boris and Christine, back to you.
ROMANS: All right. Brynn, thank you so much for that.
SANCHEZ: The story that keeps on giving.
ROMANS: Yes.
SANCHEZ: Well, if you've already stocked up your freezer for the summer, you may want to reopen it and take a look. A big ice cream recall that you should know about. Next.
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[05:16:09] ROMANS: Welcome back this Wednesday morning. The White House is standing by President Trump's controversial picks to the Fed board. Trump plans to nominate Herman Cain and Stephen Moore to the Fed's important interest rate-setting committee, reshaping the board to his liking. Both men have drawn widespread criticism. Cain's bid appears to be dead on arrival. He just doesn't have enough Republican senators supporting him.
Meanwhile, Moore has been criticized for reversing his opposition during the Obama administration to low interest rates. Both are currently undergoing a background check. Larry Kudlow, the president's chief economic adviser, says both these men still have the president's support.
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LARRY KUDLOW, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL ECONOMIC COUNCIL: Stephen Moore is in the process, we support him. We support Herman Cain. We'll just let things play out in the vetting.
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ROMANS: Here's what Kudlow said when asked if the White House is interviewing other candidates.
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KUDLOW: We are talking to a number of candidates, we always do.
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ROMANS: White House advisers have said Trump wants to nominate people who share his economic views. Cain and Moore have world views outside the mainstream and many believe they do not have the qualifications to fine tune monetary policy.
SANCHEZ: An attempt to get the perfect selfie has ended in tragedy, again. The 21-year-old Andrea Norton was with other students from Briar Cliff University in Sioux City, Iowa, who traveled to Hawksbill Crag. That's a popular hiking destination in Arkansas' Ozark National Forest. According to witnesses she positioned herself for a photo at the edge of a cliff and she slipped, plummeted 100 feet.
Selfie injuries are a growing epidemic. Just this weekend a senior at Fordham in the Bronx fell from the university clock tower after going up there with friends to take photos.
ROMANS: Ben and Jerry's Chunky Monkey ice cream facing a limited recall. There may be tree nuts in this that are not mentioned in the ingredient or allergy risks. The affected Chunky Monkey pints have a best buy date of August 28th, August 29th and August 30th in 2020.
Also recalled Ben and Jerry's Coconut Seven Layer Bar. It's usually sold in retail stores in a tub containing 2.4 gallons. The company said it has received no reports of illnesses associated with that recall.
SANCHEZ: Well, if you don't know what to do with the ice cream, just send it to me.
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SANCHEZ: The favorites to win the Stanley Cup are going home. Coy Wire has more in this morning's "Bleacher Report," next.
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[05:23:02] SANCHEZ: The Ohio State Buckeyes should move over. There's another team in Columbus making a run at a championship.
ROMANS: That's right. Cory Wire has more in this morning's "Bleacher Report."
Hey, Coy.
SANCHEZ: Good morning.
COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Christine and Boris. The Tampa Bay Lightning entered the playoffs as the favorite to win the Stanley Cup. An all-star team, they tied the NHL record, 62 wins in the regular season. But the Blue Jackets they showed that relentless hard work top talent any day.
Columbus, they seemed to have never won any playoff series, pulling off one of the most shocking upsets in sports history, sweeping the Lightning in four games. They did it with substance over skill. Yet Columbus Nick Foligno, the heart and soul of the team, he had to leave this team twice this year. His 5-year-old daughter was born with a congenital heart defect, had to have another surgery. His 2-year-old son got pneumonia and his lungs collapsed. After all that, these types of adversity galvanized the group of great character. Nick and his teammates are embracing this moment.
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NICK FOLIGNO, BLUE JACKETS CAPTAIN: We believe in ourselves. The adversity we went through. The things that have gone on this year, we just knew we were coming together as a team at the right time. And just believe that if we could get one and just keep chipping away, we could be a dangerous team (INAUDIBLE).
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WIRE: Another surprising sweep, the New York Islanders dominating the Pittsburgh Penguins. Islanders coach (INAUDIBLE) has Pittsburgh's number. He's beaten them for the second straight year with two different teams. Last season, he coached the Capitals who went on to raise the Stanley Cup. Next up for Isles, the winner between his former team, the Capitals, and the Hurricanes Washington lead that series two games to one.
The Yankees and Red Sox has played more than 2,000 games. And something happened last night that's never happened before. James Paxton is the first Yankees pitcher to strike out 12 Sox batters and give up two or fewer hits in a game. These teams have been playing since 1901 and that's never happened. The Bronx finally crushing their bitter rival, 8-0.
[05:25:02] You have to see this re-enactment of the most iconic scene from the movie "The Matrix" in the Astros-A's game. Look out, here's the pitcher Collin McHugh dodging near disaster with this body bending maneuver to avoid a line-drive baseball the way Neo was dodging those bullets. Even the umpire couldn't believe that he contorted that way. It came right here, right past his chin. The hottest team in baseball rocks the Auckland 9-1 to win their 10th straight.
I don't know. That's a pretty contortionist with Major League Baseball pitcher.
SANCHEZ: Yes.
WIRE: That's impressive.
ROMANS: That's something.
SANCHEZ: And if baseball doesn't work out, there's always limbo.
ROMANS: Yes.
SANCHEZ: Coy Wire, thank you so much.
ROMANS: He came to avoid that ball.
SANCHEZ: Hundreds of Colorado schools are closed today as authorities hunt for a woman they say is armed and infatuated with Columbine High School.
ROMANS: And the president viewed the Mueller findings as vindication. But could the full redacted paint a less flattering picture inside the Oval Office? We find out tomorrow.
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