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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Protests Turn Deadly In Wisconsin; Hurricane Laura Barrels Toward The Gulf; President Trump Uses Incumbency To Aid Campaign. Aired 5:30-6a ET

Aired August 26, 2020 - 05:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:30:54]

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking overnight, protests turn deadly in Wisconsin after the police shooting of a black man. What Jacob Blake's family has to say.

LAURA JARRETT, CNN ANCHOR: Hurricane Laura intensifying rapidly, now expected to reach category four as it barrels towards the Gulf. CNN is live on the ground in Texas.

ROMANS: And on night two of the Republican convention, the party and the president blur the line between government and politics.

Good morning, this is EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans.

JARRETT: And I'm Laura Jarrett, about half past the hour here in New York.

We begin with breaking news overnight. Protests against the police shooting of Jacob Blake taking a violent turn in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

"The New York Times" reports three people were shot and one killed near a gas station. The shooter remains at large.

The Kenosha County sheriff tells the "Times" authorities are investigating whether this was a conflict between a group of demonstrators and a group with weapons who say they were protecting businesses.

Despite a county-imposed curfew, there were tense clashes all night between protesters and police there. Bottles and fireworks thrown at officers who responded with tear gas and flashbangs.

The unrest in one of the most critical swing states quickly testing the power of casting these protests through a lens of violence and crime that's been coming from the Republican National Convention this week, some 600 miles away in Washington.

ROMANS: We have some new video this morning. We want to warn you it is disturbing. This is grainy footage. It's emerged showing some of what led up to the moment of the shooting. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mom, get back. Mom, mom, mom -- you have to get back.

(Gunshots)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: It's still not clear what prompted the confrontation. So far, there's been a surprising lack of information on what exactly happened. The department does not yet have body cameras.

The family attorneys say Jacob Blake is paralyzed and his family is hoping for a miracle.

CNN's Omar Jimenez is on the ground for us in Kenosha.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Christine and Laura.

A third night in a row of demonstrations and in some cases, violent confrontations with Kenosha police, now three nights since Jacob Blake was shot in the back seven times by Kenosha police.

Now, you notice these barricades over my shoulder here. That's new and that's part of a renewed effort to prevent some of the destruction that we saw in the previous two nights from happening a third night in a row.

Now, in regards to Jacob Blake, over the course of Tuesday, we also got an update on how he's been doing. He's been in surgery for a good part of Tuesday.

And we also learned the extent of how badly he was injured. It wasn't just his vertebrae -- being shot in the back -- but also, he had holes in his stomach. At one point, his -- nearly his entire colon and small intestine had to be removed. He also was shot in the arm as well. His lawyers say it's a miracle he's even alive.

But at the center of this all, you have to remember this is a family that is still grieving over the potential loss of one of their own.

JACOB BLAKE SR., JACOB BLAKE'S FATHER: They shot my son seven times -- seven times -- like he didn't matter, but my son matters. He's a human being and he matters.

JULIA JACKSON, JACOB BLAKE'S MOTHER: Do Jacob justice on this level and examine your hearts. As I pray for my son's healing physically, emotionally, and spiritually, I also have been praying, even before this, for the healing of our country.

JIMENEZ: And the mother of Jacob Blake was also calling for peace when it came to any future demonstrations in Jacob Blake's name. [05:35:02]

Now, as far as the investigation goes, that is playing out on multiple fronts -- in one part led by the Kenosha County district attorney and another led by the Wisconsin Department of Justice. And as we now understand as well, the U.S. Department of Justice is reviewing facts in regards to this case as well -- Laura, Christine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JARRETT: Omar, thank you so much.

We have now confirmed that actually, two people were killed in Kenosha as part of that unrest last night.

And some of the largest protests today over the killing of another black American demanding justice for Breonna Taylor.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PROTESTERS: No justice, no peace. No justice, no peace. No justice, no peace.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JARRETT: Patience is running thin. It's been more than 160 days since Breonna Taylor was killed in her own home when three plainclothes Louisville police officers executing a no-knock warrant shot her to death.

Louisville has become a powder keg as residents wait for a decision by prosecutors there. Sixty-eight people have been arrested in protests.

ROMANS: All right, 35 minutes past the hour.

At this hour, Hurricane Laura is rapidly gaining strength over the Gulf of Mexico. It is now already a category two, nearing category three, forecast to make landfall as a category four storm later today. At least 300,000 people are now under evacuation orders in Louisiana and Texas.

Storm surge a big problem -- life-threatening, the National Hurricane Center said, through the end of the week. Take a look at Laura from space as the storm bears down on the Gulf Coast.

Pedram Javaheri is tracking this system for us. We just got an update about a half an hour ago. What can we expect?

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, you know, this storm system exactly -- unfortunately, everything that we expected with the rapid intensification has been taking place.

In fact, this time yesterday, Christine, when I was speaking to you, this was a tropical storm. And within just 24 hours it has strengthened 45 miles per hour in intensity. That would put it just one mile per hour shy of being a major hurricane. So, again, within the next six to eight hours, the National Hurricane Center forecast now takes this up from a strong category two to a category four.

You notice a very conducive area here -- very low shear, very warm waters across the Gulf of Mexico -- and not just at the surface but more in a depth, which really fuels these storms when it comes to major hurricanes.

And notice from San Luis Pass all the way eastward towards the Intracoastal City region, this is the area where we have the hurricane warnings in place -- even as far north as Alexandria.

The system sits about 300 miles southeast of Galveston at this hour. The eye now really becoming well-organized. And, of course, this is why we think this has everything it takes to become a very dangerous category four just within a few hours from right now.

And the concern is as it approaches land, we think sometime late tonight into early tomorrow morning, this will be a category four possibly making landfall either as a strong category three or a category four right here on the immediate coast. We know the shear will increase as it approaches land.

But really, an eerie setup when you kind of look at other storms in recent memory. Hurricane Rita, nearly an identical track, made landfall in the same general region of southwestern Louisiana and southeastern Texas. With that storm, storm surges were up to 15 feet. With this storm, guess what -- they're back up to 15 feet again right there on this region of southwestern Louisiana.

And, of course, when you're talking about winds of this magnitude, Lake Charles, Port Arthur, you're going to be looking at these major hurricane-force winds. Even Houston could see these tropical-storm- force winds into the overnight hours, Christine. And, of course, a very dangerous scenario developing across this region of the Gulf.

ROMANS: Absolutely. I know you'll keep following it for us and so will we here. Thank you so much.

JAVAHERI: Thank you.

JARRETT: All right. Crowded shelters could be a real problem because of the pandemic. Of course, communities in the path of the storm making final preparations this morning.

CNN's Derek Van Dam is live for us in Beaumont, Texas, directly in the path of the storm. And, Derek, what else is being done to prepare?

DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, Laura, it is a completely different storm that people are waking up to this morning. Here in Jefferson County, in Beaumont, Texas, the city is on edge. They have recent memories of Hurricane Harvey, Rita, as well as Ike that left so much devastation and flooding in and around southeast Texas.

But, of course, the preparations for Hurricane Laura are completely different because it's set against the backdrop of a global pandemic. This is complicating people's decisions whether or not to evacuate or to shelter in place. Just take a listen to this gentleman and how he's handling his

preparations ahead of this hurricane.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RUDY LASSIANIT, PREPARING FOR HURRICANE LAURA: I'm trying to be safe and be prepared for the storm and do whatever necessary things that need to be done. I'm trying to stay covered up. You know, I have medicine if I need some -- whatever that nature.

And I'd just like for everybody to be safe out there. Stay to yourselves, social distance, and all of that so you won't catch COVID- 19.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAN DAM: We heard from the Texas governor, Greg Abbott, that just because there is a hurricane approaching southeast Texas doesn't mean that COVID is leaving the state. We know that Texas is still a hotspot for COVID but there's been a downward trend over the past 14 days, which is good news -- but, of course, complicating some of their evacuation strategies that they have in place here.

[05:40:05]

Now, the threats for Beaumont, Texas, in particular, storm surge as the water flows inland from the Gulf of Mexico up the rivers and ravines. The inland flooding and the potential for winds in excess of -- get this, Laura -- 110 miles per hour. The potential here exists for extreme damage across this area.

Back to you.

JARRETT: Yes, this is -- this is -- this is going to be very, very serious. All right, thank you, Derek, for being there for us in Texas.

ROMANS: All right, to politics now.

In search of a second term, President Trump is using powers of incumbency to make his case.

The president announced the pardon of Jon Ponder Tuesday. He's a convicted bank robber who now works for prison reform.

President Trump also oversaw a naturalization ceremony for five new U.S. citizens and received high praise from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. That speech delivered from Jerusalem, it's drawing a fair amount of scrutiny for breaking with decades of diplomatic decorum and potentially, violating federal law.

JARRETT: Meanwhile, first lady Melania Trump used the Rose Garden for her speech in a break from a lot of the dark rhetoric of the past week. She delivered a call for unity and understanding. And at a convention largely devoid of any mention of the human toll of coronavirus, the first lady offered this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MELANIA TRUMP, FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: I want to acknowledge the fact that since March, our lives have changed drastically. The invisible enemy, COVID-19, swept across our beautiful country and impacted all of us.

My deepest sympathy goes out to everyone who has lost a loved one. And my prayers are with those who are ill or suffering.

I know many people are anxious and some feel helpless. I want you to know you are not alone.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JARRETT: That was just about the extent of the sympathy anyone showed for a pandemic that's killed roughly 178,000 Americans.

But attendees at the first lady's speech were not required to be tested for COVID ahead of time. No tests or temperature checks at the White House. And as you can see on the video there, most did not wear masks.

ROMANS: The night did, however, feature an awful lot of shots at Joe Biden.

The most compelling may have been from Daniel Cameron, the 34-year-old attorney general from Kentucky. He's leading the investigation into the killing of Breonna Taylor and seized on controversial remarks from the Democratic nominee.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DANIEL CAMERON, KENTUCKY ATTORNEY GENERAL: I also think about Joe Biden, who says if you aren't voting for me, you ain't black. Who argued that Republicans will put us back in chains. Who says there is no diversity of thought in the black community.

Mr. Vice President, look at me. I am black. We are not all the same, sir. I am not in chains. My mind is my own and you can't tell me how to vote because of the color of my skin.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Looking ahead to tonight, a Trump campaign official says Vice President Mike Pence typically sees himself as the attack dog but knows he has a job to do.

Vice President Pence formally accepts his nomination tonight at the RNC. Speakers include South Dakota Gov. Kristie Noem, Senators Marsha Blackburn, and Joni Ernst, from Iowa. Special coverage continues tonight at 7:00 eastern, live on CNN.

JARRETT: Well, one scheduled speaker at last night's Republican convention never made it to the podium. Mary Ann Mendoza was abruptly removed from the program after she retweeted a thread promoting an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory with ties to QAnon. She later deleted it and apologized, claiming she hadn't read every post within the thread.

ROMANS: All right.

Looking to refinance your mortgage at these record-low mortgage rates? Get ready for a new fee. That's right -- Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are planning a new adverse market fee on refinanced mortgages.

Starting December first, the fee amounts to 0.5 percent of the total loan amount. That works out to about $1,400 on an average mortgage.

Fannie and Freddie, of course, guarantee roughly half the country's mortgages. This fee is meant to protect against losses and keep struggling families in their homes during the pandemic. It was supposed to go into effect next week. It was pushed back after CNN reported on this new fee.

The Federal Housing Agency says loans with balances under $125,000 -- they will not have to pay that fee.

We'll be right back.

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[05:48:41]

JARRETT: Welcome back.

New coronavirus case numbers in the U.S. are down about 20 percent in the last week, so why dial back testing right now? New CDC guidelines no longer recommend testing for most people without symptoms, even if they've been in close contact with someone known to have the virus.

Remember, the CDC estimates 40 percent of infections are asymptomatic and roughly 50 percent of transmission happens before someone shows symptoms. So testing is how positive cases are identified and isolated, in the first place, to prevent the spread of the disease.

ROMANS: Here's an example of why all this matters. Cases are up in 10 states, including South Dakota. That's where they held the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally earlier this month. Well, now, at least 78 cases several states have been linked directly to Sturgis.

At least 26 states are reporting coronavirus cases at colleges and universities, and that doesn't even include K through 12.

JARRETT: A mom captured this heartbreaking photo of her son. She says he was so frustrated by the remote back-to-school experience he put his head down and cried.

More than 1,200 Americans lost their lives to COVID-19 yesterday. We can't become numb to numbers like that, even as numbers fall very slowly -- albeit slowly.

Even the world's fastest man can't outrun this virus. Usain Bolt has confirmed his diagnosis. He recently held a party for his 34th birthday. [05:50:06]

ROMANS: The United States is finally weighing in now on the possible -- the poisoning of a top Russian opposition leader.

Phil Black live in Berlin where Alexei Navalny is being treated. The White House had been mum on this for some time.

PHIL BLACK, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right, Christine. But now, finally, western powers are united in condemning the likely poisoning of Alexei Navalny.

It took a few more days, but the U.S. has now swung behind European allies in expressing its deep concern. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says there must now be a comprehensive investigation to work out what happened. He says Navalny's family and the Russian people deserve transparency and accountability.

But at the moment, none of that looks likely to happen based upon Russia's response to the work carried out by German doctors here behind me at the Charite Hospital.

What they have determined, they say, is that through repeated tests there is evidence that Navalny was poisoned by a substance from a group of chemicals that is used in a wide range of products -- everything from pesticides to nerve agents -- chemical weapons. But what they haven't done so far is identify the specific substance.

And so, the Kremlin spokesperson says it seems that the doctors here in Germany are rushing to claim that Navalny was poisoned. The Kremlin's position is that there can be no investigation until poisoning is determined definitively and a specific poison is identified.

But we don't know if that's going to be possible because remember, Navalny's family and supporters believe that his delay from Russia to Germany to receive independent medical care was a deliberate tactic by Russian officials to ensure whatever poison was in his system would diminish to the point where it was no longer detectable, Christine.

ROMANS: All right, Phil Black for us. Thank you so much for that, Phil -- Laura.

JARRETT: All right, more health news this morning.

Polio has been eradicated from Africa. The World Health Organization calls it a historic public health success. Governments and non-profits have been working since 1996 to reach the goal with almost nine billion doses of vaccine delivered.

Much of the effort came from the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, which was launched back in 1988 and led, in part, by the CDC, the WHO, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

ROMANS: All right, let's take a look at stock markets around the world. Taking a look at Asian shares, closed narrowly mixed. And, Europe also opening just mixed there.

You're looking at futures in the United States on this Wednesday. Futures also mixed here.

The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq hit record highs again yesterday, something the White House and the campaign point to as a sign of the president's stewardship of the economy. Of course, it was a main argument of last night's RNC speeches.

The Dow closed down about 60 points but still now above 28,000.

A big reminder here. The stock market is not the economy. Brand-new data shows consumer confidence fell in August to its lowest level in six years. Millions of people are out of work, emergency stimulus has expired, disposable income for unemployed workers has shrunk, and that's a risk for the recovery.

Two-thirds of the economy depends on consumer spending. And, Goldman Sachs called President Trump's $300 unemployment benefits extra too little, too late to help consumer spending in August.

Harpoon Brewery and Dunkin' are spicing up their annual collaboration with, get this, donut-infused beer. Starting next month, shoppers will be able to pick up a pumpkin Spiced Latte Ale, Coffee Porter, Boston Kreme Stout, or a Jelly Donut IPA.

The two brands have teamed up before. This is the first time Harpoon's beers have been brewed with actual donuts.

That is a combination I'm -- wow.

JARRETT: Why can't you just enjoy them separately? Why do we have to combine everything?

ROMANS: A beer and a donut -- I never considered a beer and a donut at the same time, though, either.

JARRETT: I know.

All right, here's one. It looks like astronaut Jeanette Epps will become the first black astronaut to join the crew of the International Space Station. NASA had unexpectedly pulled Epps from a mission two years ago, providing little justification for the change at the time.

Epps new mission, the Starliner-1, will be the first fully-operational flight of a new spacecraft. Boeing still needs to conduct tests of the vehicle before Epps and her team will be able to launch.

ROMANS: All right.

The cast of a classic political drama is reuniting to get out the vote this November.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSH WHITFORD, ACTOR, "THE WEST WING": How about if I go down there and vote for the president, right now?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: As a matter of fact, that would be nice.

WHITFORD: No problem. But do you happen to know if I need to be, I don't know, preregistered or something?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Actors from "THE WEST WING" will stage a theatrical presentation of an episode from the show's third season. The reunion is happening to support Michelle Obama's voter participation organization, "When We All Vote." It will air on the streaming service HBO Max, owned by CNN's parent company.

JARRETT: It's hard to believe it's been decades since that show was on.

ROMANS: I know. Oh, the writing is so good.

[05:55:00]

All right, EARLY START tomorrow, guys, is on at 4:00 a.m. eastern for full coverage of Hurricane Laura. Both of us will be back for that.

Thanks for joining us. I'm Christine Romans.

JARRETT: And I'm Laura Jarrett. "NEW DAY" is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to our viewers in the United States and all around the world. This is NEW DAY. It is Wednesday, August 26th, 6:00 here in New York.

We do begin with breaking news.

Pandemonium on the streets of Kenosha, Wisconsin overnight. Police are searching for a man with a long gun who apparently opened fire on protesters and agitators. Police say two people are dead this morning and one injured after a group of heavily-armed vigilantes took it upon themselves to police the streets.

END