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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Trump's Trial For Inciting Capitol Riots Starts Today; President Biden Keeps Focus On COVID Relief During Impeachment Trial; U.N. Says North Korea Is Fueling Illegal Weapons Through Cyber-Crime. Aired 5:30-6a ET

Aired February 09, 2021 - 05:30   ET

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

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[05:30:12]

LAURA JARRETT, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Welcome back to EARLY START. I'm Laura Jarrett.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Christine Romans. It's just about 30 minutes past the hour this Tuesday morning.

In just a few hours, the historic second impeachment trial of former President Trump begins in the U.S. Senate, and this time the jurors are also the victims and the trial is at the scene of the crime. One hundred senators will confront the deadly January sixth riot on their workplace and decide whether Trump must answer for inciting that mob.

JARRETT: The senators finally have a deal on the timeline of the trial but they still disagree on whether they should even hold it at all. So the first vote of the day will be on the constitutionality of trying a former president, something many Republicans have used as a crutch to avoid this trial altogether. Then there will be up to 16 hours of questioning per side, so this whole thing could stretch into early next week.

Here is the Senate majority leader.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): Following the despicable attack on January the sixth, there must -- there must be truth and accountability if we are going to move forward, heal, and bring our country together once again. Sweeping something as momentous as this under the rug brings no healing whatsoever.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JARRETT: Now, a handful of Republicans do agree with that, including Congressman Adam Kinzinger. He voted to impeach President Trump in the House and he's urging his Senate colleagues to hold him accountable as well.

He writes this in "The Washington Post." Quote, "This isn't a waste of time. It's a matter of accountability. If the GOP doesn't take a stand, the chaos of the past few months and the past four years could quickly return. The future of our party and our country depends on confronting what happened so it doesn't happen again."

ROMANS: Now, the president's legal team says the trial is political theater. They argue when he told that crowd to fight about 20 times, he was talking in the figurative sense, even though video from the rally clearly shows people taking cues directly from the former president.

Overnight, a sobering reminder of just who Trump is accused of inciting. We learned a Virginia man, a member of a right-wing extremist group who already faces conspiracy charges, claims in a court filing he worked for the FBI and held a top-secret security clearance for decades.

Security at the Capitol extra tight for this trial. The price tag for protecting the Capitol after the riot through the middle of March, $483 million taxpayer dollars.

JARRETT: President Biden says he's leaving impeachment to the Senate and he wants to keep the focus on recovering from this pandemic.

CNN's Jasmine Wright is live for us at the White House this morning. Jasmine, we got some new details late yesterday about two big components of the president's plan, the stimulus checks and a child tax credit. It could be huge for families. Tell us more.

JASMINE WRIGHT, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: That's right. As the Senate turns to the impeachment trial of former President Trump, House Democrats are moving to mark up President Biden's $1.9 trillion coronavirus bill.

So, House Democrats on the stimulus check -- they rejected a Republican proposal to narrow who qualifies for that $1,400 payment. In their proposal unveiled last night, it would still be that couple -- I mean, excuse me, singles who make $75,000 and couples who make $150,000 would still get that full $1,400 payment. And that would begin to phase out capping at singles who make $100,000 and couples who make $200,000.

On that child tax credit, as you mentioned Laura, Dems would give millions of families a child tax credit for one year starting in July, and that would be $3,600 per child under six and $3,000 for a child from six to seven. That, again, starts -- single parents who make $75,000 would get that full payment and it would begin to phase out by then.

But again, Laura, I just want to really be clear that these are just proposals and it is a long way until these things are passed -- if they are even passed.

JARRETT: Fair enough.

Jasmine, questions have also been raised about whether the former president should be given a privilege that other presidents have -- intelligence briefings.

Now, the security concern, of course, is that president -- former President Trump might say something or eventually tweet something -- if he ever gets back Twitter -- that he shouldn't. There's been some back and forth about this. What's the White House saying now?

WRIGHT: Well, if President Trump were not able to receive those intelligence briefings that, of course, would be a break from tradition. As we know, it is a courtesy afforded to former presidents once they leave office.

[05:35:00]

President Biden said in an interview on Sunday on CBS that he didn't think that Trump should continue receiving it. Well, the White House is walking that back a little bit, with White House press secretary Jen Psaki saying that decision ultimately is going to be left with those intelligence officials.

JARRETT: That's interesting they feel the need to walk this back, as we saw.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEN PSAKI, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: He was expressing his concern about former President Trump receiving access to sensitive intelligence. But he also has deep trust in his intelligence -- own intelligence team to make a determination about how to provide intelligence information if at any point the former president requests a briefing. So that's not currently applicable, but if he should request a briefing, he leaves it to them to make a determination.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WRIGHT: Now, asked by my colleague Kaitlan Collins if former President Trump has, in fact, requested a briefing, Jen Psaki said not that she knows of -- Laura.

JARRETT: Yes, this may never even come up. If President Trump doesn't even want the briefing they may not have to deal with this. But, you know, some people who even were in his own administration have cast doubt on whether he should receive those briefings. So I guess we will have to wait and see.

Jasmine, thank you.

ROMANS: All right, 35 minutes past the hour.

Stocks hit record highs again Monday. Wall Street, of course -- that was not Main Street.

But there is one sign average Americans and the places they bank are starting to benefit. Regional bank shares are soaring. The banks' everyday consumers are more likely to work with. They make money from deposits, mortgages, small business loans -- different from Wall Street banks -- big Wall Street banks, which do significant business in stock and bond trading.

A hot housing market boosting many regional banks here. Banks are lending more but they're also taking more money in from deposits from savings. The personal savings rate was nearly 14 percent in December. It was just 7.6 percent at the start of 2020 right before the pandemic hit.

For many consumers, the security of a federally insured bank account despite low interest rates is more appealing than rolling the dice in the stock market.

JARRETT: As soon as today, the Biden Justice Department is expected to ask federal prosecutors across the country that were appointed by former President Trump to resign.

Now, this changeover is typical when administrations switch, but two key Trump-era U.S. attorneys are not included in this bunch. One in Delaware, overseeing the tax investigation into the president's son, Hunter Biden; and also John Durham, who was appointed as special counsel by former attorney general Bill Barr to look into the origins of the Russia probe.

ROMANS: Alabama Sen. Richard Shelby announcing he will not run for reelection in 2022 after 42 years in Congress. The 86-year-old Republican joins several other high-profile GOP senators who have said they won't run again in 2022, including Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania and Rob Portman of Ohio. Though it's unlikely Democrats will be able to capture Shelby's seat in deep-red Alabama, his departure could add to a chain reaction among other wavering Republican lawmakers.

JARRETT: To the pandemic now with new signs more kids in big cities could be back in school soon. New York City middle school students who have opted for in-person learning will return to their classrooms on February 25th.

In California, Gov. Gavin Newsom says a deal to reopen schools is expected to be announced very shortly. The governor also clarified that teachers have already been prioritized to receive the coronavirus vaccine.

And for the first time in 11 months, students in Chicago could be on the verge of heading back to class.

CNN has reporters covering the latest from coast-to-coast.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ADRIENNE BROADDUS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): I'm Adrienne Broaddus in Chicago.

On Monday, the Chicago Teachers Union House of Delegates voted to send a proposed agreement to its general membership for a union-wide vote. This comes one day after the city's mayor announced a tentative agreement that would pave the way for some students to start returning to the classroom over the next few weeks.

PETE MUNTEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): I'm Pete Muntean in Washington.

Delta Airlines just said it will keep middle seats on its flights empty through the end of April. That's an extension of a pandemic policy that was set to expire at the end of next month.

It is also a policy that other airlines have done away with. JetBlue, Southwest, American, and United are no longer capping capacity on their flights. Delta insists that more space gives customers more peace of mind when traveling.

NATASHA CHEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): I'm Natasha Chen.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced an expansion of a program to vaccinate seniors in their homes as some are of an age and health status that makes it difficult for them to travel to vaccination sites. The governor launched the pilot program last week with the vaccination of Holocaust survivors. On Monday, three veterans of the 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion received their COVID-19 vaccine.

DeSantis said the goal is to vaccinate 200 seniors a day, seven days a week, reaching those in areas where fewer people may have been inoculated.

ERICA HILL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): I'm Erica Hill in New York where indoor dining will return two days earlier than planned. Gov. Cuomo announcing restaurants asked to open before Valentine's Day in order to prepare for the holiday. So now, they'll open Friday instead of Sunday at 25 percent capacity.

[05:40:15]

DIANNE GALLAGHER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): I'm Dianne Gallagher in North Carolina.

The tobacco road rivalry, Duke versus UNC, always brings out the fans. Unfortunately, this year was no exception as fans of the Tar Heels flooded Franklin Street in Chapel Hill after their victory on Saturday night.

The chancellor of the University of North Carolina sending a letter to students saying that he was disappointed and he'd already received hundreds of complaints to the Student Affairs Department about people who were in violation of the COVID-19 community standards -- not wearing masks, not social distancing. He stated that if anybody is found in violation they could face disciplinary action.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: All right.

Families who have lost loved ones to the virus but can't afford a proper funeral now have a place to turn. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez introducing $2 billion in special FEMA funds for these families. The New York Democrats announced reimbursements up to $7,000 for funeral expenses. Eligibility starts from January 20th of last year to December 31st.

Schumer says he and the congresswoman are working to keep the program running through the rest of the pandemic.

JARRETT: In Florida, the FBI, the Secret Service, and the local sheriff are all investigating after they say someone tried to poison the water treatment system in the city of Oldsmar just west of Tampa. Officials say a hacker gained access to the computer system last Friday and they adjusted the level of sodium hydroxide, commonly known as lye, to a dangerously high level.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERIFF BOB GUALTIERI, PINELLAS COUNTY, FLORIDA: Somebody hacked into the system not just once but twice and controlled the system -- took control of the mouse, moved it around, opened the program, and changes the levels 100 to 11,100 parts per million with a caustic substance.

This type of hacking of critical infrastructure is not necessarily limited to just water supply systems. It could be anything. It can be sewer systems. It could be a whole variety of things that could really be problematic.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JARRETT: Now, thankfully, the system operator noticed the intrusion and immediately restored the sodium hydroxide to its normal level. Authorities say there was no significant adverse effect to the city's water supply and the public was never in danger.

We'll be right back.

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[05:46:40]

ROMANS: Welcome back, 46 minutes past the hour.

Hundreds of millions of dollars in stolen money to operate a rogue nuclear program. A U.N. report says North Korea is still developing its ballistic and nuclear missile systems despite years of pressure from outside and from within.

Will Ripley joins us from Hong Kong. You know, Will, you've reported extensively here for us from North Korea. What does all of this mean?

WILL RIPLEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the bottom line, Christine, is that the COVID-19 pandemic probably has had more impact on North Korea's economy than 15 years of U.S. sanctions since 2006 because North Korea has found very creative ways and illegal ways to get around the sanctions according to this new U.N. report.

They say that North Korea's cyber army is alive and well, stealing $316 million through online hacking operations, stealing from financial institutions. Stealing Bitcoin, the kind of currency that's untraceable. A lot of that cash going to develop new kinds of intercontinental ballistic missiles, medium-range missiles, short- range missiles, and submarine-launched ballistic missiles.

And this report says that North Korea likely has the capability to put miniaturized nuclear warheads on many of those missiles. What is unclear is whether they have the ability to launch an ICBM up into space and have it remain intact -- with the warhead intact upon reentry, something that would be critical for a hypothetical and often repeated threat from North Korea during times of tension to potentially strike the mainland U.S.

What this means is that the incoming Biden administration could face a huge diplomatic challenge if Kim Jong Un decides to go ahead and test one of these weapons.

And they're now getting some help, according to this U.N. report, from an old partner. Iran and North Korea teaming up, according to the U.N., basically sharing not only information but also supply each other with critical missile components, Christine.

ROMANS: All right, Will Ripley for us this morning. Thank you so much for that report, Will.

JARRETT: All right.

Back here in the U.S., a tragic freak accident at a baby shower in Michigan. A small cannon fired off to celebrate the baby's impending arrival exploded into the crowd instead, spraying shrapnel everywhere. Police say 26-year-old Evan Thomas Silva, a friend of the family, was struck in the chest and later died at the hospital. Michigan State Police are investigating.

ROMANS: New overnight, another death from an avalanche in the U.S. A veteran Washington State trooper was killed Monday in the avalanche about an hour from Seattle. One person was able to dig himself out.

Just last week, at least 14 people died in avalanches in the U.S., the deadliest week on record. Avalanches have become more common worldwide. Scientists say the reason is climate change.

JARRETT: A school in Utah facing some backlash here for allowing parents to opt out of celebrating Black History Month. The Maria Montessori Academy of North Ogden says it offered the opt-out because parents requested it. The school has since removed the option and says it will handle future parental concerns on an individual basis.

A driver in Wisconsin is lucky to be alive this morning after his truck careened off a bridge, plunging about 70 feet to the road below. Look at that -- geez. Authorities found the truck upright in the distress lane. Authorities say the driver did not show any signs of impairment.

[05:50:01]

ROMANS: Unbelievable.

All right, let's look at markets around the world this Tuesday morning. You can see Asian shares closed higher. The Shanghai Composite up two percent, but Europe has opened just narrowly lower here.

In the U.S., U.S. stock index futures, after a record high day yesterday, are giving back a little bit this morning. In that ongoing Main Street-Wall Street disconnect, record highs for all three major averages to start the week.

Investors are also looking at global oil prices. Global oil prices fully recovered, hitting their highest level since January 2020 (INAUDIBLE) comments from President Biden that the U.S. will not lift sanctions on Iran to get the country back to the negotiating table. But prices have been on the upswing for months thanks to optimism around the coronavirus vaccine.

Chevron is synonymous with the oil and gas industry. Looking ahead, Chevron's CEO says it plans to focus on renewable natural gas, carbon capture, and hydrogen. By the year 2040, the CEO says it may not be an oil-first company.

American oil companies, of course, have been more reluctant than European rivals to shift away from fossil fuels. Big oil facing big pressure from Washington, climate activists, and Wall Street to evolve.

Already betting on clean energy, Tesla now betting big on Bitcoin and says customers may be able to use it to buy a car. Tesla invested $1.5 billion in the cryptocurrency as part of an effort to invest some of its cash in alternative assets. Bitcoin soared to record highs after the announcement.

Tesla would be the first automaker to accept Bitcoin for payment. CEO Elon Musk says -- has a history, of course, in the alternative payment industry. He's one of the co-founders of PayPal.

But his recent activity on Twitter is raising questions. Musk, who has faced SEC scrutiny for his tweets in the past, has encouraged people to invest in cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin, on his platform.

JARRETT: Well, Tampa Bay Bucs star Rob Gronkowski says his team's Super Bowl win on Sunday was one of the greatest accomplishments in sports history.

Andy Scholes is here. Andy, you got to speak with Gronk yesterday.

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

JARRETT: I'm sure he was still basking in the glory of that win.

SCHOLES: Oh, he sure was, Laura. He told me he only slept a few hours before he headed over to Disney World to celebrate that Super Bowl title.

And I asked Rob how long he and Brady are going to go at this down in Tampa. He said he's year-to-year, but Brady -- he thinks Brady may play forever.

Now, this was Gronk's fourth Super Bowl title and he says the way it all come together with him coming out of retirement to reunite with Brady and them winning it all again, one of the greatest sports stories ever.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROB GRONKOWSKI, FOUR-TIME SUPER BOWL CHAMPION: Buccaneers -- they haven't been to the playoffs since 2007. They haven't even won a playoff game since 2002. They just had a lot of talent on their team and Tom Brady just being with one team and going down to Tampa, and myself coming out of retirement to join the Buccaneers -- it was just an unbelievable story. It was epic, man.

And now I'm here at Walt Disney World as Super Bowl LV champion and it feels great. It feels great.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: All right.

Gronk, Brady, and the rest of the Buccaneers defense won a trip to the White House at some point in the future. White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters yesterday the team will receive an invite from President Biden when it's COVID-safe.

She said the NBA champion Lakers will also be invited to meet with the president. No NBA team visited the White House during the Trump administration and some weren't invited at all.

All right, LeBron and the Lakers in action against the Thunder last night. Oklahoma City was up by 11 in the fourth, but the Lakers came storming back with an 8-0 run in the closing seconds to force overtime. LeBron finishing with 28 points -- a triple-double -- as the Lakers win their fifth in a row 119 to 112.

All right. Finally, an incredible to the South Carolina-UConn game as number one versus number two. In the final seconds of overtime, star freshman Paige Bueckers -- a fadeaway three as the shot clock expires. The ball hits the rim, goes way up, and then you see it bounced in.

Bueckers scored 30 points -- her third-straight game. That was something no other Huskie player had ever done in the program's storied history. UConn won that one 63-59.

And you know, guys, football season now officially over, so that means we're getting closer and closer to March Madness. I can't wait.

JARRETT: I love that a freshman was able to do that, you know? That's just so great for her.

ROMANS: Absolutely.

All right, Andy. Thanks to much for joining us.

SCHOLES: All right.

ROMANS: So nice to see you this morning. March Madness right around the corner -- woo-hoo.

Thanks for joining us, everybody. I'm Christine Romans.

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

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[05:54:21]

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: House Democrats making their final preparations in a case expected to vividly detail the deadly insurrection at the Capitol last month.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it's beyond the Senate's constitutional authority to have an impeachment proceeding.

SCHUMER: There must be truth and accountability if we are going to move forward, heal, and bring our country together once again.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: President Biden focused primarily on one thing, COVID relief.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Things are better -- but baby, it ain't over yet. Not by a longshot.

DR. ROCHELLE WALENSKY, DIRECTOR, CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION: The continued proliferation of variants remains of great concern.

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT): We have enormous crises and we have got to pass that legislation as soon as we possibly can.

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ANNOUNCER: This is NEW DAY with Alisyn Camerota and John Berman.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: We want to welcome our viewers in the United States and all around the world. This is NEW DAY. It is Tuesday, February ninth, 6:00.