Return to Transcripts main page

Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Department of Homeland Security Warns Of Increased Danger From Domestic Terrorism; Biden To Reopen ACA For Americans Needing Health Coverage; Pakistan Court Orders Release Of Men Convicted In Daniel Pearl Murder. Aired 5:30-6a ET

Aired January 28, 2021 - 05:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:30:29]

LAURA JARRETT, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, this is EARLY START. I'm Laura Jarrett.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you. I'm Christine Romans. It is 30 minutes past the hour.

It's a warning usually reserved for threats overseas, but Homeland Security now warns that homegrown groups pose a serious and ongoing threat. A rare bulletin from DHS says domestic terrorists are emboldened by what you see there -- the Capitol attack -- and they are fueled by misinformation.

Quote, "...some ideologically-motivated violent extremists with objections to the exercise of governmental authority and the presidential transition, as well as other perceived grievances fueled by false narratives, could continue to mobilize to incite or commit violence."

JARRETT: False narratives -- putting it mildly there.

CNN has also learned that federal agents are scrambling for leads on whoever placed bombs outside Democratic and Republican headquarters in Washington, D.C., worried that they'll strike again. Meantime in California, a Trump supporter who has been charged with possession of pipe bombs discussed attacking Democrats.

CNN's Marshall Cohen is live in Washington this morning. Marshall, so great to see you.

You've been digging through all the documents, as usual -- the latest indictments in the deadly attack on the Capitol -- and they sort of give context to these concerns that are outlined in this bulletin by Homeland Security. What are you finding?

MARSHALL COHEN, CNN REPORTER: Laura, the concerns are real. The concerns are real and it's putting some meat on the bones of those bulletins. The latest indictment that came through yesterday, three people -- three veterans that are affiliated with this militia group, the Oath Keepers, that want to commit violence against the U.S. government. These three folks, two from Ohio and one from Virginia -- the Feds say that they conspired together. They planned for weeks to recruit members, come to Washington, and stir up trouble.

One of the new details that came out yesterday that was particularly shocking, allegations of training camps in Ohio and North Carolina. One of the defendants allegedly said that she wanted to recruit people to get in fighting shape for the inauguration -- or before the inauguration, which is why she was running these training camps. It just puts more meat on the bones of these details -- of these threats -- of these threat bulletins.

But it's not just that one group. There's also the Proud Boys. Those are the white nationalist groups that infamously got the shout-out from President Trump. According to my latest count, at least seven leaders or supporters of the Proud Boys are among the 150 defendants that are facing charges so far.

JARRETT: Yes, and you've obviously been doing some great reporting on the 'blame Trump' defense that some of these folks are trying to use in court in the way that sort of dovetails with what we're seeing on the impeachment angle of all this.

I also want to talk to you about the human toll of what happened on that day. I think it's something we really cannot overlook.

We've now learned that two police officers died by suicide after responding to the attack. One each from the Capitol Police and one from the Metro Police. And now, lawmakers are more concerned about their own security. What are you learning on that front?

COHEN: Yes, it's the human side of this. And we reported that these lawmakers -- it's one thing when you're in Washington; it's another thing when you're back home in your home district. There's not all the magnetometers, there's not the security -- it's different. And lawmakers -- some of them have told us that they're afraid for their lives. Security is being stepped up, apparently for some of the people that are facing specific threats who have got local cops posted outside of their homes.

JARRETT: And --

COHEN: And just in the last week, charges have been unsealed against two men that separately were accused of death threats. One against Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez; another against Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, one of the top black lawmakers in the House.

It's some really ugly stuff. According to the court filings, one of them was texting a family member, saying we know where you are, we know where your family is. So it's getting worse, Laura. It's getting worse. JARRETT: Yes, there's no question it seems that lawmakers are obviously taking this threat very seriously. They really do seem shaken up by this in a different way.

Marshall, thanks so much for getting up with us this morning. It's so nice to see you.

COHEN: You, too.

ROMANS: All right. Today, the Biden White House will focus on the pandemic even more than usual. It's health care day at the White House and a series of actions on that theme is planned.

[05:35:00]

The president will reopen enrollment into the federal Affordable Care Act as more Americans could be facing the loss of coverage because of the pandemic-driven economic downturn. President Biden will also sign measures aimed at strengthening Medicaid and to rescind the Mexico City policy which prohibits federal dollars from going to organizations that provide abortions.

JARRETT: Executive actions will undoubtedly face legal fights -- fights playing out in courts stacked with conservative judges over the last four years -- vacancies Mitch McConnell didn't fill under President Obama, but then did under President Trump. Now those judges across the country will pose a big test for President Biden's policies.

As for health care and the pandemic, federal officials are trying to expand not just the vaccine doses available but also who can administer them.

CNN has reporters covering the pandemic coast-to-coast.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): I'm Elizabeth Cohen.

The White House COVID-19 Response Team says they are trying to bring in more people to administer COVID-19 vaccines. For example, they said if a doctor or nurse has retired and their license is no longer active that they could come back to give the vaccines. Or, for example, if somebody's licensed to give a vaccine in one state, that they could do it in another state.

Also, separately, pharmacies are trying to train more pharmacy techs so that they can also give vaccinations, all in an effort to get up the vaccine numbers which are not as high in the United States as anyone would like.

ERICA HILL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): I'm Erica Hill.

The University of Michigan issuing a new stay-in-place recommendation on campus. Fourteen of the 175 cases reported since the winter term began are that variant first identified in the U.K., which is more transmissible and may be more deadly.

Students can leave their residences for food or medical care and for classes or lab work that can't be done remotely, and also for COVID testing. That new order is in place through February seventh.

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (on camera): I'm Oren Liebermann in the Pentagon where officials here are waiting for a request from FEMA for assistance in fighting the coronavirus pandemic that could see up to 10,000 troops deployed as part of the administration's efforts to get the pandemic under control. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has said that is his top priority as he comes into his new role.

Meanwhile, the military has shifted 80 military personnel from the Army, the Air Force, and the Navy to Texas as part of the ongoing effort to help hospitals that are overwhelmed.

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): I'm Stephanie Elam in Los Angeles.

The state of Oklahoma is trying to return its $2 million stockpile of hydroxychloroquine to the medical distributor. The drug was initially touted by former President Donald Trump. But over the summer the Food and Drug Administration reversed its emergency use authorization for hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19 after a series of studies showed that the drug not only did not help coronavirus patients but might also be harmful.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): I'm Alison Kosik in New York.

Walmart says 5,000 Walmart stores and Sam's Clubs locations are ready to administer COVID vaccines in Maryland, Texas, Delaware, Indiana, and the District of Columbia to those who are eligible. Walmart says it's been preparing for a year for a vaccine rollout and it says with 150 million people passing through its stores each week it's in a unique position to reach people where they already shop.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JARRETT: Thanks to our correspondents for all those updates on the virus.

We turn now to some breaking news. Pakistan's highest court ruling that four men convicted in the kidnapping and murder of journalist Daniel Pearl can go free.

CNN's Ivan Watson live in Hong Kong. Ivan, you covered the kidnapping from Afghanistan and Pakistan when that news broke. Bring our viewers up to speed on what happened overnight.

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I'd say it's a pretty remarkable development because I remember 18 years ago when these four men were convicted -- the leader sentenced to death and the other three sentenced to life in prison for the abduction and grizzly murder of "Wall Street Journal" reporter Daniel Pearl. And you have to remember, in the months after the September 11th attacks, Pearl was in Pakistan researching al Qaeda. He was lured to a meeting with this men -- these men at a restaurant in the Pakistani city of Karachi. He got into their car, according to an eyewitness, and then disappeared and wasn't seen until weeks later when a video emerged showing him being beheaded.

And it was really -- kind of ushered in a decade of real violence like this during the U.S.-led war on terror.

Now, the leader of the man who got the death sentence was a man named Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, born in Britain. A dropout from the London School of Economics who had been in jail in India for his alleged role in kidnapping foreign tourists there. He only was released after a plane was hijacked by terrorists and a subsequent prisoner swap.

[05:40:07]

I remember when he was convicted and sentenced to death he was completely unrepentant, talking about a war between Muslims and non- Muslims. And now, according to this Supreme Court ruling, he should be allowed to walk free.

The family of Daniel Pearl has called and said they're in complete shock, calling this a travesty of justice that puts journalists in danger everywhere -- Laura.

JARRETT: Wow, walk free. All right, Ivan. Thanks for staying on top of this story for us.

ROMANS: All right, 40 minutes past the hour.

An online flash mob is beating professional investors at their own game. Shares of GameStop and AMC have skyrocketed, propelled by amateur investors on Twitter and a WallStreetBets Reddit chatroom. While the overall stock market fell, GameStop more than doubled, finishing up 134 percent. AMC up 300 percent in one day.

Now, these Internet traders have declared war on the short-sellers in GameStop and AMC. Short-sellers are these sophisticated investors who place bets that a stock will fall. The more GameStop and AMC rise, the more money the short-sellers lose, and they are losing billions.

The action so wild TD Ameritrade and Robinhood restricted trading of Game stock -- GameStop and AMC. Wells Fargo is banning its investors -- advisers, rather, from telling clients to buy or sell GameStop and AMC.

It's like the marriage of a get-rich-quick scheme and this new Internet populism in an era of no brokerage fee trading. It shows just how frothy the overall market is.

Here is David Kelly, chief global strategist at J.P. Morgan.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DAVID KELLY, CHIEF GLOBAL STRATEGIST, J.P. MORGAN ASSET MANAGEMENT: I'm afraid there is not much sanity in terms of a lot of people buying these stocks and trying to beat up on the short-sellers. Yes, it's fun, but this should not be done with serious money. It's being fueled by very easy liquidity. And again, this is why the Federal Reserve really ought to try to -- you know, yes, it's got to support this recovery but it needs to try to get back to normal once this economy is secure.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Just showing how frothy the overall market is.

The Reddit message board that sparked the frenzy was briefly made private by its moderators Wednesday.

For many, seeing fancy hedge funds lose billions of dollars was rich -- just desserts for blood-thirsty short-sellers.

And Elizabeth Warren, a longtime critic of Wall Street, has no sympathy for hedge funders who are crying foul that the little guy is taking them down.

She says, "For years, the same hedge funds, private equity firms, and wealthy investors dismayed by the GameStop trades have treated the stock market like their own personal casino while everyone else pays the price."

The Securities and Exchange Commission and the White House both say they are watching the situation -- a situation that, frankly, looks more like an episode of the T.V. show "BILLIONS" or a Michael Lewis novel.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:46:02]

ANTONY BLINKEN, SECRETARY OF STATE: It's not a secret that the relationship between the United States and China is arguably the most important relationship that we have in the world going forward. That relationship has some adversarial aspects to it, it has competitive ones, and it also still has cooperative ones.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JARRETT: President Biden's new Secretary of State knows the U.S.- China relationship is critical. Tony Blinken says climate change is one area where cooperation could benefit both countries, but with all the talk of mutual interests, there are clear signs the Biden administration will maintain President Trump's hardline stance on China.

CNN's Steven Jiang is live in Beijing for us this morning. Steven, President Xi warned recently against a new cold war, he said, but the new White House doesn't seem to be backing down here much.

STEVEN JIANG, CNN SENIOR PRODUCER: That's right, Laura. You just heard Tony Blinken, it's a more nuanced assessment but the fundamental position in China remains largely unchanged.

So if Xi or the Beijing leadership is expecting the Biden White House to abandon many of Mr. Trump's toughest China policy measures anytime soon, they may be in for a big disappointment. Because remember, Mr. Biden himself, during the campaign, has said there is a need to get tough on China and that sentiment is now being echoed by his cabinet secretaries -- not just Blinken, but also Treasury Sec. Yellen and Defense Sec. Austin.

So there is this consensus or continuity really emerging from Washington in terms of how to deal with an increasingly powerful and aggressive China under a strongman leadership of Xi Jinping.

And so what Tony Blinken also said during his confirmation hearing is he actually agreed with Trump's tough on China principle but what he rejected was the approach. So what we are likely to see is Tony Blinken and other senior officials to really continue implementing some if not all of Trump's policies but with finesse -- with more nuance.

They are also going to rally U.S. partners and allies around the world to form this united front against China on trade and technology, but also on a whole wide range of issues from Xinjiang to Hong Kong to Taiwan and the South China Sea. So this multilateral approach is really going to be the biggest change in this administration's China policy instead of going it alone like Mr. Trump preferred, Laura.

JARRETT: Such an interesting, delicate dance there. All right, Steven, thanks so much.

ROMANS: In just a few minutes, the Russian court will hear an appeal of Kremlin opposition leader Alexey Navalny's 30-day detention. Police raided Navalny's home and offices Wednesday. A concern is now growing for his safety.

CNN's Matthew Chance is live in Moscow this morning for us. And, Matthew, what do we expect in court today?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Christine, expectations are really low. There is no sign at all that we've detected that the Russian authorities easing their pressure on Alexey Navalny.

This, in the next few minutes -- there's that court hearing that's going to start, the first opportunity that Navalny's lawyers have had to overturn his detention. He was, of course, placed under arrest when he returned from Germany earlier this month, having recovered in a Berlin clinic from suspected nerve agent Novichok poisoning.

That arrest sparked wide protests across the country in more than 100 cities around Russia. Tens of thousands of people turning out onto the streets calling for Alexey Navalny to be set free. That hasn't happened.

And, in fact, to say the Russian authorities have been raiding his apartment, raiding the offices from which he operates. Arresting people who are close to him politically -- his political allies -- in the past 24 hours. So they seem like they're really ratcheting up the pressure on Alexey Navalny now as he goes to this -- into this first hearing to work out whether that detention will be overturned.

Earlier, we spoke to somebody else who has endured this kind of pressure from the Kremlin, but some time ago. Mikhail Khodorkovsky was Russia's richest man back in the early 2000s -- an oligarch of a massive oil company. He fell out with Vladimir Putin. He spent 10 years in a Russian jail. He was, you know, only to be released 10 years -- 10 years later.

[05:50:09]

And he's spoken to us about how Putin hates to be challenged. And he called on the Biden administration to impose personal sanctions on the people around Vladimir Putin so they can really feel the pain and feel the consequences of the actions they're taking when it comes to this leading opposition figure, Alexey Navalny in Russia -- Christine.

ROMANS: All right, Matthew Chance. Keep us posted on any developments from court today. Thank you.

JARRETT: Well, a teen's tragic murder during Jim Crow inspired a movement for change and now, an honor. Emmett Till's home on the South Side of Chicago has just gained landmark status.

Till moved into the Woodlawn home when he was 10 years old. Four years later, in 1955, Till was lynched while visiting relatives in Mississippi for allegedly whistling at a white woman. The picture of his body at the funeral becoming one of the iconic images of the time.

The men who killed him were acquitted on murder charges and years later, the white woman who accused Till admitted she lied.

ROMANS: Legendary comedic actor Cloris Leachman has died. In a career that spanned seven decades, she won an Oscar for the 1971 film "The Last Picture Show." She went on to win eight Primetime Emmys.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLORIS LEACHMAN, ACTRESS, "THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW": I have my master's degree.

MARY TYLER MOORE, ACTRESS, "THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW": Yes.

LEACHMAN: And you left college after two years and I'm your assistant. That's huge.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Two of her statues came for playing Mary Tyler Moore's crafty landlady, Phyllis Lindstrom. In the early 2000s, she earned new acclaim as cranky grandmother Ida on "MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE." She was inducted into the T.V. Academy Hall of Fame in 2011.

Cloris Leachman, a real legend, was 94.

All right, taking a look at markets around the world this Thursday morning, you can see Asian shares have fallen and European shares have opened lower as well, continuing the trend that we saw on Wall Street yesterday.

Looking at futures here in the U.S. right now, down just a little bit, but I would call that not too much for the Dow. The Nasdaq down one percent. Stocks fell yesterday after the Federal Reserve kept interest rates low and warned the economy has slowed because of the pandemic. The Dow fell 633 points, the biggest drop since October.

Today, investors will have another look at first-time unemployment claims. Economists expect claims dipped slightly last week but they are still very, very high as the pandemic drags on.

It was a record day for big tech corporate earnings. Apple had the best quarter in history thanks to sales of the iPhone 12. Revenue, $111 billion with iPhone sales growing more than 17 percent year-over- year. You've never seen a $100 billion quarter before on revenue.

And Tesla capped off its year with revenue up nearly 50 percent from a year earlier despite coronavirus restrictions temporarily shutting its factory in California.

And Facebook profit jumped more than 50 percent even as it faces growing scrutiny for the role it may have played in spreading misinformation about the 2020 election.

JARRETT: Well, the 76ers remember Kobe Bryant in his hometown of Philadelphia before playing the Lakers.

Andy Scholes has this morning's Bleacher Report. Hey, Andy.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT (via Cisco Webex): Yes, good morning, Laura.

You know, Kobe, he was born in Philadelphia. You know, he went over to Italy to grow up and he came back to the city to go to high school.

And Tuesday was the one-year anniversary of Kobe's tragic death. And the Sixers and Lakers didn't play that night; they played last night. So before the game they held a moment of silence for Kobe.

76ers star Joel Embiid wearing custom shoes with Kobe and his daughter Gigi and their numbers on them. And check out Steph Curry's shoes as well that we wore last night. One shoe had Kobe and Gigi on it and the other one of Curry's shoes had him and his two daughters on them.

As for the Lakers-Sixers game, it was a thriller. Lakers going on a 13-0 run near the end. LeBron and Anthony Davis -- that gives them a one-point lead with under 12 seconds to go. Philadelphia answers Tobias Harris -- the jumper here. Lakers no timeouts and the Sixers, they went on to win that one 107-106. Baseball legend Hank Aaron has been laid to rest. He went by where old Fulton County Stadium used to be one last time. That parking lot still has a marker for where his iconic 715th home run landed.

Now, former president Bill Clinton speaking at Aaron's service saying the two became close friends after Aaron endorsed him during the 1992 presidential campaign.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And for the rest of his life he never let me forget who was responsible for winning. Hank Aaron never bragged about anything except carrying Georgia in 1992, and he probably did.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: All right. Hammering Hank -- he passed away on Friday at the age of 86.

And finally, Amanda Gorman, the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history, is going to recite an original poem during the Super Bowl pregame show. The 22-year-old -- yes, she stole the show on Inauguration Day. Her Super Bowl poem is going to highlight three people named honorary captains by the NFL for their work in their communities during the coronavirus pandemic.

[05:55:08]

And Christine and Laura, you know, everyone was so impressed with her on Inauguration Day. I'm sure she'll have something special come Super Bowl.

JARRETT: So awesome. Always here for more Amanda content. Thanks so much, Andy -- appreciate it.

SCHOLES: All right.

ROMANS: Yes, and she definitely deserves that big, wide global audience. She's really something.

All right, thanks for joining us. I'm Christine Romans.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is very, very serious. January sixth was just the beginning.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: An ominous warning from the Department of Homeland Security anti-government, violent extremist groups could continue to mobilize to incite or commit violence.