Return to Transcripts main page

Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

U.S. Troops Pulling Out; House's Impeachment Inquiry; 28 Year- Old Black Woman Atatiana Jefferson Fatally Shot Inside Texas Home; Baseball Walk-Off Thriller; Biden Pledges Squeaky Clean White House; UAW Increases Strike Benefits For GM Workers; Search Resumes For Missing Worker; 110 Ton Crane Stabilizing Collapsed Hotel; California Wildfires; Simone Biles Now Most Decorated Gymnast In The World; Stock Rally As Investors Cheer Trade Progress; Fortnite Gone. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired October 14, 2019 - 04:30   ET

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


[04:30:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JULIA CHATTERLEY, CNN ANCHOR: The remaining U.S. troops in northern Syria, pulling out, as our allies, the Kurds, look to cut a deal with Assad and Russia.

DAVE BRIGGS, CNN ANCHOR: A former White House official expected to testify behind closed doors just hours from now, in the Trump impeachment inquiry.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What the officer observed and why he did not announce police, will be addressed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHATTERLEY: Fort Worth, Texas, police speak out after an officer shot a woman to death in her own home.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Talking to the umpire Cory Blaser. This game is over.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRIGGS: And the series is tied. A walk off thriller in Houston as the Astros beat the Yankees in game two. And a lot of parents around the world Julia Chatterley, were wondering why their kids were staring at a black hole on a video screen. We are going to tell you about the Fortnite story later. Welcome back to Early Start, I'm Dave Briggs.

CHATTERLEY: And I'm Julia Chatterley. We are half past the hour here in New York. Let's get to our top stories. The remaining U.S. forces in northern Syria, now preparing to withdraw under fresh orders from President Trump. Defense Secretary Mark Esper, says the president and his national security team are concerned American troops could get caught in the crossfire.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK ESPER, U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY: Now what we're facing is, U.S. forces in a trap between a Syrian Russian army moving north, to take on the Turkish army that is moving south. It puts us in a terrible position. And the protection and safety of our service members comes first to me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHATTERLEY: Esper says with the president ordering U.S. forces to pull out, America's main ally in the fight against ISIS, the Kurds, are now trying to save themselves from Turkish troops. He says, they're trying to cut a deal with the Syrian regime and its Russian backers. Following this fast moving developments for us, CNN's Jomana Karadsheh, is in Istanbul. Jomana, Talks us through what kind of deal we are potentially looking at here between the Syrian Kurds and the Syrian regime? And will it give Turkey pause for thought here, perhaps?

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Those are the questions this morning, Julia. We're waiting to find out more about this agreement that was really no surprise, announced by the Kurdish authorities in north and eastern Syria. In a statement they posted on their Facebook page late last night, saying, that basically they were left with no choice here, but to cut a deal with the Syrian regime.

They say that they've asked the Syrian military to deploy along the border with Turkey, to help them face this Turkish military aggression, as they describe it. They say it is the duty of the Syrian regime, to protect the borders and maintain the country's sovereignty.

Now we've not had details of this agreement. What kind of deployment is it going to be? Are they going to be entering different cities? This is really unclear, and we've not had confirmation from the Syrian regime any sort of announcement other than hearing through their state media, also around that that same time late last night saying that the Syrian military was moving north to help, basically, confront what they also describe as the Turkish invasion and the Turkish aggression.

And the question that you bring up, everyone is waiting to see what Turkey's reaction is going to be, because they have said that they will carry out this operation, but now, with the Syrian military coming in, with the Russian backing, and we know that there is open channels of communication through the Russians with this Syrian regime, is there going to be any sort of an agreement? Or are we going to be seeing a whole different level of confrontation in this war? It is all yet to be seen, Julia, in the next few hours and days.

[04:35:01]

CHATTERLEY: We'll continue to watch. Jomana, thank you so much for that update there. BRIGGS: It's a federal holiday, but still it is the first day of a

busy week for lawmakers, with numerous depositions scheduled and subpoenas coming due in the Trump impeachment inquiry. The fast phase impart dictated by the pressure on House Democrats to vote on impeachment as soon as Thanksgiving, they are hoping to get it over with before the heat of the primary season begins next year. Republicans meantime, now trying various ways to fight back. Here's Jeremy Diamond from the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Good morning, Dave and Julia. A busy week on Capitol Hill, indeed. And it all begins today, as Democrats continue to move forward with their House impeachment inquiry. They will be bringing forward Fiona Hill for a deposition behind closed doors on Capitol Hill. Fiona Hill was the top adviser to the president on Russia and European affairs for much of the president's tenure.

But she did leave the administration just a few days before the president's call with the Ukrainian President Zelensky back in July. But Fiona Hill would just be the beginning of Democrats move this week. Later in the week on Thursday, they will be bringing forward Gordon Sondland. The U.S. ambassador to the European Union.

Of course, last week, he was barred by the White House and by the State Department from testifying on Capitol Hill. But now, under subpoena pressure he will be testifying. And according to the Washington Post, Sondland, despite denying that there was any quid pro quo in those text messages with key U.S. diplomats involved in Ukraine policy.

According to the Washington Post, he will say that the president told him that there was no quid pro quo, but that he doesn't necessarily know if that statement was indeed truthful. Now, while Democrats have spent much of this weekend preparing for that busy week on the Hill, the president, meanwhile, is spending time defending his personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: He was a fantastic prosecutor. I know nothing about him being under investigation. Somebody said, I heard a report today. I can't imagine it. He is a man who looks for corruption. And whatever he does, I really believe he is a totally -- I mean, I know, he's an honorable man.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DIAMOND: A source familiar with the matter confirming that the president did indeed had lunch with his personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani at his golf course on Saturday. And the president's defense and his decision to have lunch with his personal attorney, all this coming after the New York Times reported that Giuliani is under federal investigation, law enforcement officials are probing whether he violated foreign lobbying laws. Dave, Julia? (END VIDEOTAPE)

CHATTERLEY: Jeremy Diamond there. In the meantime, former Vice President Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, announcing he will resign from the board of a Chinese company at the end of the month. And he says, he will not work for any foreign-owned firms if his father is elected. Again this weekend, President Trump lashed out at the Bidens in the face of the Democrats impeachment inquiry. And at a campaign event in Iowa, Sunday, Joe Biden said his would be a White House free of conflicts.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, 2020 U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I can tell you now, if I am your president, next president, I'm going to build on the squeaky clean transparent environment that we had in the Obama/Biden White House. And no one in my family or associated to me will be involve in any foreign operation whatsoever. Period. End of story.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHATTERLEY: Biden adding that no family member would have an office in the West Wing or sit in on meetings, as if they were a cabinet member, a clear shot, it seems at the Trump White House.

BRIGGS: A disturbing meme video of a fake President Trump, shooting, assaulting and stabbing members of the media and his critics were shown at a pro-Trump conference last week. The New York Times first reported the on the video shown at the three day conference of the group American Priority, held at Mr. Trump's Miami resort.

CHATTERLEY: CNN cannot independently verify the video and has chosen not to show it, so as not to further amplify it. One part of the ultraviolent video, though shows a fake Trump's head edited on to the body of a man opening fire on what is labeled the church of fake news.

BRIGGS: CNN has release a statement saying, sadly, this is not the first time that supporters of the president have promoted violence against the media, in a video they apparently find entertaining, but it is by far in a way, the worst. The images depicted are vile, horrific and the president and his family, the White House and the Trump campaign need to denounce it immediately in the strongest possible terms.

Anything less equates to a tacit endorsement of violence and should not be tolerated by anyone. The spokesman for the Trump campaign told the Times the campaign did not produce the video and does not condone violence. The American Priorities says the content came from third parties and that the conference did not endorsed it.

CHATTERLEY: OK, let's move on. The family of a black Texas woman who was fatally shot inside her Fort Worth, Texas, home by a white police officer is calling for an outside agency to investigate. An attorney for the family of 28 year-old Atatiana Jefferson says, she was playing video games with her 8-year-old nephew early Saturday morning when an officer shot her through a window.

[04:40:09]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The officer observed a person through a rear window in the residence and fired a shot at that person. The officer did not announce that he was a police officer prior to shooting. What the officer observed and why he did not announce police, will be addressed as the investigation continues.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHATTERLEY: The officer who fired the fatal shot is scheduled to be interviewed later today by the major cases unit of the Fort Worth Police Department. Polo Sandoval, has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We went from a welfare check to a woman being killed by the cops.

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Outrage is building over the action of a Fort Worth, Texas police officer. Saturday morning, just before 2:30 a.m., police were called to the home of 28-year-old, Atatiana Jefferson after neighbors noticed her front door was open. Heavily edited body camera video released by Fort Worth police picks up what happens next. After police peer through the front door, they walk the perimeter of the property, when suddenly, police say, an officer spots someone standing near a window.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Put your hands up. Show me your hands.

SANDOVAL: The medical examiner identified the woman who the officer shot is Jefferson. She died at the scene. James Smith says, he's the concerned caller who first alerted police.

JAMSE SMITH, CALLED POLICE: I feel guilty, because had I not called the Fort Police Department, my neighbor would still be alive today.

SANDOVAL: In a statement, Fort Worth police said their officer drew his weapon and fired a single shot after, quote, perceiving a threat. In addition to the body camera footage, investigators released this still photo, showing a firearm inside the house. CNN legal analyst and criminal defense attorney, Joey Jackson cautions not to jump to any conclusions.

JOEY JACKSON, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: You're going to release the fact that she has a gun in the home, as perhaps what? To suggest she had a gun and that we were, perhaps, fearful for our life. There's no indication where that gun was. There's no indication she had that gun. There's no indication that she should not have a gun.

SANDOVAL: CNN has requested the unedited body camera footage. The police spokesperson said, nothing addition that will be released at this time and the department quote, shares the deep concerns of the public and is committed to completing an extremely thorough investigation. Police have not named the officer who joined the department in April of last year. Polo Sandoval, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHATTERLEY: The United Auto Workers strike against General Motors is entering its fifth week and the Union is raising the level of financial support for nearly 50,000 workers. Members will now get $275 a week in strike benefits. The union had been paying workers $250 a week. The strike began one month ago with GM workers walking off the job over pay, profit sharing, job security and GM's use of temporary workers.

On Friday, the union said it sent a new offer to GM. The two sides continued negotiating over the weekend. But here was no word of a deal on Sunday. The Union also starts a strike against Mack trucks on Sunday, 3,600 workers at six plants walked off the job. The Union said many issues including wages, job security, pensions and health benefits remain unresolved.

BRIGGS: To baseball. The American league championship series all tied one game apiece, after the Houston Astros' dramatic 3-2 win in 11 innings over the New York Yankees.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Talking to the home plate umpire Cory Blaser. The fly ball to right. Back at the wall. This game is over.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRIGGS: That was early this morning. The score tied to two, Houston (inaudible), Carlos Correa hit the first pitch in the 11 innings into the right field, seeds off Jay A up to the walk-off game winner. Best of seven series now shifts through New York for game three on Tuesday night.

CHATTERLEY: So, how much did you get if you actually watch it?

BRIGGS: I don't know if I actually slept. Maybe a couple of hours, somewhere there. You see the eyes. I'm struggling a little bit.

CHATTERLEY: You're a machine. All right, we're going to take a break. But take a look at this, moments of panic caught on camera as a speeding SUV closes in.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whoa, he is coming. He is coming. He is coming. He is coming.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHATTERLEY: He's coming. See what happens next after this.

[04:45:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRIGGS: Rescuers are still trying to find a worker trapped in the rubble of a deadly construction collapse in New Orleans. Two people were killed Saturday morning and at least 30 others injured. The search for victims had to be suspended for part of the weekend, because of the building's instability, but crews began entering the site again on Sunday. More, now, from CNN's Rosa Flores.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Dave and Julia, this weekend was a race against time, as first responders and search and rescue teams rush to the scene to try to save lives. And families rush to the scene, hoping and praying that their loved ones had made it out alive.

Take a look over my shoulder at the black crane. It weighs 110 tons. And it was brought in on Sunday to stabilize the structure to allow the search and rescue teams to further their search. The body of at least one deceased was recovered on Sunday.

Now the dramatic moments of the collapse were caught on camera, showing the floors of the building flatten. A cloud of dust plume as workers run for their lives. Now the cause of the collapse has not been determined yet, but OSHA is on-scene and ready to investigate. Dave and Julia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHATTERLEY: All right. Fire crews in southern California, finally getting a handle on the huge saddle ridge fire that's consumed nearly 8,000 acres. It's the largest active wildfire in the state. Officials say it's now 42 percent contained. That is more than double the containment on Saturday. Some 40 structures have been damaged or destroyed in the saddle ridge fire. All of the evacuation orders in Los Angeles have now been lifted.

[04:50:09]

BRIGGS: All right, ahead, Fortnite players around the world, millions of them wondering what happened? Why is their game, their oxygen, gone? We'll explain, next.

[04:55:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRIGGS: Tomorrow, 12 Democratic presidential candidates face off in the next primary debate. The Trump/Ukraine scandal has put former Vice President Joe Biden at the center of the news cycle over the past month. Can he turn that to his advantage tomorrow night or will someone else break out. Well, CNN's Jeff Zeleny has a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Dave and Julia. Democratic candidates heading here to Ohio for their fourth presidential debate. It is going to be on the campus of Otterbein University in the suburb of Westerville, Ohio. Of course, all eyes will be on Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren, as well as on Bernie Sanders, who is recovering from that heart attack, but other candidates as well.

Now several candidates were speaking Sunday night at an Ohio Democratic Party dinner, rallying the Party faithful, but there's also questions that Joe Biden is bringing into this debate about his son, Hunter Biden. On Sunday, his son Hunter Biden said if his father was elected, he would not serve on any foreign boards or work with any foreign governments, clearly trying to move beyond the controversy that President Trump has been stirring up largely without evidence. Clearly this is a defining moment for these Democratic candidates who will be sharing the stage, 12 of them in total on Tuesday night, here in the pivotal battleground state of Ohio. Dave and Julia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHATTERLEY: Jeff Zeleny there, and you can see this CNN/New York Times Democratic presidential debate live from the battlegrounds state of Ohio, tomorrow night, 8:00 p.m. Eastern, right here on CNN.

BRIGGS: American gymnast Simone Biles is now the world's most decorated gymnast. The 22 year-old won her 25th career medal Sunday at the World Championships in Germany. Biles now has 19 gold medals. The four-time Olympic champ preparing to compete in the 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo. She says that will be her last Olympics, sadly. We could watch her forever.

CHATTERLEY: What a talent. Retiring at 22. Not bad.

BRIGGS: Remarkable.

CHATTERLEY: All right. Let's get a check on CNN Business this morning too at the look at the global markets. Nice session for Asia, as you can see for the Tokyo and Hong Kong markets, taking off, I think, taking relief from U.S. markets book on Friday. Where we did manage to see gains. The Japanese markets were closed for the holiday, as well. On Wall Street, pretty much unchanged right now, consolidating, as I mentioned, the gains that we saw on Friday, as investors cheered progress on the U.S./China trade talks. The DOW closed up some 319 points. The S&P 500 and the NASDAQ closed higher, as well.

Investors meanwhile preparing for a flood of earnings from America's biggest banks this week and they may not be all that pretty. Investors will hear from the likes of, Citi group, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo. On Tuesday, earnings (inaudible) brought down by lower interest rates. The Federal Reserve cut rates in July and September, making it harder to eke out returns on loans. They can't charge as much for them.

Stocks, though, holding up pretty reasonably well this year, despite the trade war and the slowing global economy, but weak corporate results could give investors a reason to pull back here. So, worth watching what happens here. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you kidding me?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHATTERLEY: Millions of kids are staring at this. A special event to end the 10th season of Fortnite seems to have ended the game altogether. On Sunday, players logged on to participate in the end, as the game prepares to launch it next (inaudible). But around 2:00 p.m., a rocket blew up the landscape and dragged players into a black hole. That's what you're watching now on your screen. Hours after the game went down, around 19,000 people are still watching a live stream of the black hole.

BRIGGS: This.

CHATTERLEY: You can see there on YouTube. Now, there's no official word on when the game's update will go live or how long this downtime will last.

BRIGGS: So, welcome to the world, children. You get your kids back for maybe a day? Maybe two days?

CHATTERLEY: Wait, four hours after the game have gone down, 50,000 people were still actively watching on the live stream on YouTube, 100,000 are watching on Twitch, that's four hours of your life you won't get back.

BRIGGS: Staring at a black screen. It's remarkable.

CHATTERLEY: It's amazing.

BRIGGS: Now, you parents understand the power of this game. It's made $3 billion. It's free. But I'm just curious to see how kids handle life today.

CHATTERLEY: Four hours later -- still watching.

BRIGGS: Thanks to our international viewers for joining us.

CHATTERLEY: Wow.

BRIGGS: Have a great rest of your day. For our U.S. viewers, Early Start continues right now.

CHATTERLEY: The remaining U.S. troops in northern Syria, pulling out, as our allies, the Kurds, look to cut a deal with Assad and Russia.

BRIGGS: A former White House official --

END