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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
White House Stonewalls House Investigations; Second Round of Attacks was Planned in Sri Lanka; Bodycam of Controversial Shooting; Blazers' Buzzer Beater Eliminates Thunder. Aired 5-5:30a ET
Aired April 24, 2019 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MICHELLE KOSINSKI, CNN ANCHOR: -- 14 games.
[05:00:01] DAVE BRIGGS, CNN ANCHOR: That's a tricky name to get out. We need him and Jennings head-to-head, pay-per-view, Jeopardy style, all in.
KOSINSKI: I think that's a brilliant idea, but it might take years to reach the end of it, right? It could just go on forever.
BRIGGS: I'd watch that.
EARLY START continues right now. I'd watch this, too.
(MUSIC)
KOSINSKI: The president, himself, says he doesn't want White House aides testifying to Congress. Democrats are stonewalled as they pursue oversight.
BRIGGS: Breaking news from Sri Lanka. Terrorists planning a second wave of attacks. ISIS suspects gave warning of the Easter bombings.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
POLICE OFFICER: Shots fired on Argyle Street with the car, with the car.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOSINSKI: Police body cam shows the frantic moment an officer opens fire on a driver and passenger near Yale. Why did he shoot? And what the driver's family says?
Good morning. Welcome to EARLY START. I'm Michelle Kosinski.
BRIGGS: Good morning, Michelle. Good morning to all of you.
I'm Dave Briggs. Wednesday, hump day, April 24th, 5:00 a.m. in the East.
We start in the nation's capital where the White House stone walling a congressional investigation coming straight from the top. President Trump telling "The Washington Post's" Bob Costa does not want current or former White House aides testifying to committees in the Democratic-led House. He says it's unnecessary since the White House fully cooperated with the Mueller investigation.
Quote: There is no reason to go any further, especially in Congress where it's very partisan, obviously very partisan.
KOSINSKI: Already, Trump and the White House moved to block cooperation with House committees several times, telling a former White House official not to comply with a subpoena and testify about security clearances. The House Oversight Committee may hold that aide, Carl Kline in contempt.
The Trump Organization also filed a suit to block a House subpoena for financial records, and the Treasury Department has repeatedly missed deadlines to hand over the president's tax returns. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin says he will make a final decision on the returns by May 6th.
BRIGGS: And now, we've learned the White House plans to fight a House subpoena for Don McGahn. He is the former White House council who the Mueller report says refused the president's orders to fire Robert Mueller.
Here is CNN's Kaitlan Collins at the White House.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Michelle and Dave, the White House is ramping up its fights to push back on these congressional subpoenas as they are trying to conduct oversight. And the White House is saying that it's overreach.
CNN has learned that the White House may seek to prevent Don McGahn, the former White House counsel, from complying with that subpoena that he recently got from House Democrats to come and testify in their probe into potential obstruction of justice.
Now, behind the scenes, there is no final decision yet on what's going to happen, but as these discussions are moving forward we're told that the White House is weighing whether or not they should assert executive privilege over conversations that McGahn has had with the president or if other measures should be taken.
Now, the House Judiciary chairman Jerry Nadler does not seem very pleased by reports that the White House may seek to prevent McGahn from testifying, saying in a statement tonight, in part -- and I'm quoting him now -- The moment for the White House to assert some privilege to prevent this testimony from being heard has long since passed.
Now, of course, we know that behind the scenes, Don McGahn's attorney has been in discussion with the House Judiciary Committee but they have not heard a final say yet on whether or not he's going to sit down with them -- Dave and Michelle.
(END VIDEOTAPE) KOSINSKI: Thanks.
Nancy Pelosi slamming the Trump administration as an existential threat to our democracy. House speaker attacking the White House for its fight with House Democrats over the release of the unredacted Mueller report. She says the administration engaged in behavior beneath the dignity of the office.
On impeachment, though, she is taking a wait and see approach.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): I believe that impeachment is one of the most divisive paths we could go down in our country. If it's the facts, the path fact-finding takes us there, we have no choice. But we're not there, yet.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOSINSKI: Pelosi says Attorney General William Barr's offer to show a select few members of Congress a less redacted version of the Mueller report was a ruse, adding they want to obstruct subpoenas.
BRIGGS: All right, 05:04.
A check on CNN Business. A record-breaking day on Wall Street. The stocks climbed past their all-time highs.
The S&P 500 reached 2,933 points, breaking its September high. The Nasdaq hit 8,120 beating the all-time best close it hit in August. The Dow finishing the day 145 points higher.
First quarter earnings were the catalyst with the rally of health care, technology and consumer stocks all climbing higher. Hasbro, Twitter and Quest Diagnostics among the best for the day.
[05:05:00] Last year, the S&P 500 and the Dow recorded worst Christmas Eve trading day. Ever since though, stocks have been rising steadily. The S&P 500 is up 17 percent this year. The Nasdaq and Dow have climbed 22 and 14 percent respectively.
KOSINSKI: Breaking news now from Sri Lanka. Terrorists were planning a second wave of attacks across the country. That's according to intelligence operations since Sunday's attacks.
American investment banker, Matt Linsey, lost two children in the attacks. His 15-year-old daughter Amelie and his 19-year-old son Daniel. He describes the moment he heard the initial explosion.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MATT LINSEY, SRI LANKA SURVIVOR: When the bomb went off, you know, it's hard to describe. It's like a wave coming through. Another bomb went off.
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Instinct was to get out?
LINSEY: Yes, as soon as possible.
WALSH: To move them with you.
LINSEY: Yes, maybe I should have stayed and covered them with my body.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOSINSKI: The death toll on the Easter Sunday bombings has climbed to 359 now.
Senior international correspondent Ivan Watson is live from Negombo, Sri Lanka, with the latest development.
And, Ivan, I don't know what is more disturbing, the fact there could be more attacks, that they don't know fully the extent of the network , or that Sri Lanka now was warned multiple times. I mean, there's reporting this morning that India warned them three times of pending attacks.
IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: There's a lot to unpack here. But let's start with this.
The funerals are under way for so many innocent people who were killed on Easter Sunday. But those funerals, just imagine the loss of people who lost children, spouses -- children, spouses, a head mistress of a Catholic school says eight of her students were killed by one of these Easter suicide bomb attacks.
And they are taking place in a real climate of fear. Security forces are out, I would say on almost a larger scale than we witnessed yesterday. There are soldiers and police all around the compound of this church, around the cemetery where we witnessed people being buried, searching mourners as they go in.
And as soon as they have completed services, as soon as they have buried a loved one, the priest, the Catholic priest then urges the mourners to please disperse because they are afraid the large crowds could become a target. The government warned they feel a second wave of attacks was being planned.
We have heard in the last couple hours, controlled detonations going off in this area as the security forces blow suspicious objects up to try to ensure that nobody can be hurt.
And we are learning more about the warnings that were missed. Three warnings from Indian officials. And one of them coming an hour before the first bomb blew up on Easter Sunday. The government here apologizing for this fatal security lapse -- Michelle and Dave.
KOSINSKI: Thanks, Ivan.
BRIGGS: A Phoenix teenager in police custody for allegedly saying he wanted to blow up a Muslim church. Several pounds of potassium nitrate were found in 15-year-old possession at school. Potassium nitrate can be mixed with other chemicals to create an explosive. Arizona police officials are searching the teen's social media to determine a motive and how serious he actually was about carrying out the threat.
KOSINSKI: Breaking overnight, a driver slamming into pedestrians on a sidewalk in sunny veil, California. Eight people were hurt, including a 13-year-old. The unidentified male driver is now in custody. All eight victims are at a local hospital. Police believe it was an intentional act. Witnesses told police there were no signs this driver attempted to slow down.
And authorities don't yet know if there's any relationship between that driver and the victims.
BRIGGS: Body cam surveillance and footage now released showing the police shooting near Yale University that led to a protest. Police officer from Yale and nearby Hamden, Connecticut, stopped the car just after 4:00 a.m. on April 16th. They received a call, the driver, African-American man, was involved in an armed robbery. They show him approaching from behind. He runs to the right side of the car and fires, shattering the window.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
POLICE OFFICER: Twenty shots fired.
POLICE OFFICER: Twenty shots fired on Argyle Street with the car -- with the car.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOSINSKI: The passenger, Stephanie Washington, was shot and wounded. The driver, Paul Witherspoon was not.
His uncle commends state police for their investigation but he wants action.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RODNEY WILLIAMS, PAUL WITHERSPOON'S UNCLE: I just feel like based on the amount of information of the puzzle, they've got 100 pieces and 98 pieces are out, you know -- two pieces that we was looking for.
[05:10:05] They didn't really do nothing to change it and these officers need to be fired.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOSINSKI: There is no audio in the first part of the body cam footage, and it is unfair from the video why Eaton started shooting. No gun was found at the scene. Both officers are on administrative leave.
BRIGGS: The long, national wait is almost over. Joe Biden is set to launch his 2020 campaign tomorrow with an online video. Former vice president's team has been laying the groundwork for months.
Sources telling CNN saying Biden plans to hold the first campaign event in Pittsburgh on Monday. He will visit Iowa, South Carolina and New Hampshire. Biden will be the 20th Democrat to ender to 2020 fray.
One lingering question, of course, his ability to fund raise, particularly on the small dollar grassroots level is becoming increasingly important. He must like that number, 20 in 2020. You think that's it? Is that the last entry?
KOSINSKI: I don't know. But also, it feels like he's been laying this groundwork for years. It seems like a continuation from the conversation we're having in 2016. Is he going to run? Should he run? No. After all that he is actually doing it.
BRIGGS: With an online video.
Ahead, 3 years old, crying, alone and wandering near the border. The lost child found by border agents, the devastating reminder of the ongoing crisis.
(COMMERCAL BREAK)
KOSINSKI: A Coast Guard officer accused of planning a terror attack also searched the Internet for addresses of Supreme Court judges and the best gun to use to kill black people.
Christopher Hasson pleaded not guilty last month to weapon and drug charges. He allegedly planned to murder Democrats and media figures.
BRIGGS: According to newly-released court documents he conducted an Internet search asking, "Are Supreme Court justices protected?" about two weeks before searching for the home addresses of two unnamed justices.
In 2017, Hasson allegedly searched "white homeland," "when are the whites going to wake up". Months later, prosecutors say, he searched, "Please, God, let there be a race war."
KOSINSKI: A helpless young child putting a human face on the crisis at the border. A 3-year-old was found by himself in the middle of the cornfield at the Texas border. Border patrol agents said the child was crying and had his name and phone numbers written on shoes. U.S. Customs and Border Protections are still trying to reach the child's family. They say the boy may have been with a larger group that took of when it encountered.
Authorities say this is not the first time it has happened. Unfortunately, it is unlikely to be the last.
BRIGGS: Pacific Gas and Electric wants to pass the buck to customers. The bankrupt California utility requesting a rate hike to offset billions in fines and liabilities from devastating wildfires. PG&E says it's probable the equipment started the 2018 campfire, California's deadliest and most destructive. Now, the company is asking state legislatures to increase rates by an
average of $22 a month. They are already an average of $167 a month. Despite all that, a federal judge approved plans for PG&E to pay $235 million in employee bonuses this year.
KOSINSKI: Seventeen parents, including Lori Loughlin demanding to see the evidence against them in the college admissions scandal. Until that happens, they want the court to suspend further motion in the case. Prosecutors say the "Full House" actress and her husband Mossimo Giannulli paid $500,000 to a fake charity to get their daughters into USC as crew recruits. They pleaded not guilty. But in a potential blow to their case, the coach who helped her daughter Olivia get in to USC has agreed to plead guilty.
BRIGGS: All right. Some great sports video ahead. The Portland Trailblazers moving on to the next round of the NBA playoffs. One of the great buzzer beaters you will ever see at any level in basketball.
Coy Wire has that story in the "Bleacher Report", next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[05:22:52] BRIGGS: All right. The Oklahoma City Thunder season is over. Excruciating.
Coy Wire has more on this thriller in Portland in the "Bleacher Report".
Good morning, my friend. This is one coaches probably think no, no, then they celebrate with the assassin.
COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: That's right. The player who took that shot knew all along playoffs are exciting in any sport. But the Trailblazers took it to a whole new level last night. Damian Lillard dropping 50 points on the Thunder, none bigger than the last three.
This is the shot Dave is talking about. He lets the clock tick down, rises, fires, buzzer beater. Lillard said that he practices that shot all the time. He didn't feel pressure because if he misses, they go to OT. Make it, they move on.
Lillard waves bye, bye to Russell Westbrook and the Thunder who have been sent home in the first round for the third straight season. Ice water in his veins in 118-115 win, Lillard is just cold-blooded after the game. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAMIAN LILLARD, PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS GUARD: The series was over. That was it. I was just waving good-bye to them. There's been a lot of back and forth, a lot of talk and all this stuff. That was the last word. I was having the last word.
(END VIDEO CLIP) WIRE: Also in the NBA, the Raptors and Sixers taking care of business, each winning their first round match ups in five games. They will face-off in the postseason for the first time in 18 years.
Game 7, win or go home in Stanley Cup playoff action in the shark tank, Sharks down 3-0 with 11 minutes to play when this happened. Cody gets called a controversial major penalty. Hurt badly, leaves the game. The Sharks score four goals in the next four minutes in the power play to take the lead. With 47 seconds to go, Jonathan ties it up.
In overtime, the game-winning goal goes to Barclay Goodrow beating Marc-Andre Fleury. With that, San Jose advances to face Colorado. Vegas absolutely crushed after a controversial call and a flurry of goals ends their season.
[05:25:04] The city of Boston, they were fired up for game seven against Toronto. That's Patriots Super Bowl champ Julian Edelman sending the crowd into the frenzy. The Bruins sent them on the ice. Toronto is going to have to wait until next year for it. Boston fans, let's say they are a little bit fired up.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I only got two words for you. I got nothing else. Game seven. You are the best in the shower, in the stands to make your cereal, down the street to get your coffee, on to the train.
The red, orange, blue, green line. (EXPLETIVE DELETED) miserable, you are an idiot and you got a chance (EXPLETIVE DELETED). I tell you one thing, it's going to be tonight-- whew!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WIRE: Everyone needs a hype man like that guy, David. If that doesn't help get your hump day started off, I don't know what will.
BRIGGS: I'm ready kill, man. That guy needs to give the locker room speech. It's good for Boston fans. They haven't won much the last decade.
It's really been tough. So, good for them. Thank you, Coy.
All right, Michelle. What's coming up?
KOSINSKI: That reminds me of you right before the show.
BRIGGS: A lot. That's what I do here every day.
KOSINSKI: Good practice.
BRIGGS: Yes.
KOSINSKI: Democrats stone walled as they look for information from the president and aides. Now, we know the president himself is telling those aides not to cooperate. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
