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Face-to-Face Talks Since Pandemic Begin Soon; Biden, Johnson Reaffirm U.S.-U.K. "Special Relationship"; President Biden and Prime Minister Johnson Sign New Atlantic Charter; Arkansas Woman Suing Police for PIT Maneuver; Jill Biden to Meet with Duchess of Cambridge; International Sports Fans in for Busy Weekend. Aired 4:30-5a ET
Aired June 11, 2021 - 04:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[04:30:00]
BIANCA NOBILO, CNN ANCHOR: The leaders of the world's seven largest economies will soon meet in person for the first time since before the pandemic. The G7 is happening here in Cornwall because the U.K. holds the group's rotating presidency for this year. The big focus of today's sessions the global economy.
Members will talk about making it more fair and inclusive. Also on the agenda, the global tax rate and aid for countries in need. Leaders are scheduled to visit a Bio-Dome Rainforest Project and attend a reception with members of the British royal family. Ahead of the summit U.S. President Joe Biden sat down with G7 host Boris Johnson to discuss issues of mutual concern. We get more now from CNN's Kaitlan Collins.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A British prime minister's legacy is often defined by their relationship with the U.S. president.
BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: It is wonderful to listen to the Biden administration and to Joe Biden. It's fantastic. It's a breath of fresh air.
COLLINS (voice-over): So the world was watching British Prime Minister Boris Johnson sat down with President Biden.
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: We reaffirmed the special relationship -- and it's not said lightly -- the special relationship between our people.
COLLINS (voice-over): It was Biden's first trip to the U.K. since taking office.
BIDEN: We've talked many times, but this is the first time as president of the United States.
COLLINS (voice-over): And it was also his first time meeting Johnson and his new wife. BIDEN: I told the prime minister we have something in common. We both married way above station.
JOHNSON: I'm not going to descend from that one. I wouldn't disagree with the president on that or indeed on anything else.
COLLINS (voice-over): The two leaders have certainly disagreed in the past. Biden once referred to Johnson as Donald Trump's clone and was critical of Brexit, which Johnson not only campaigned on but negotiated.
BIDEN: You saw what happened in England with Brexit. It was about immigration. It was about losing identity. Those moments of instability that present opportunities for the most malign forces in any of our countries and around the world to be able to gain power.
[04:35:00]
COLLINS (voice-over): Biden and Johnson look ahead to the future, renewing the Atlantic Charter to emphasize their alliance.
BIDEN: Today, we built on that commitment.
COLLINS (voice-over): Biden and Johnson also agreeing to work on restoring travel between the two nations shut down by the COVID-19 pandemic.
But one of the biggest points of tension between the two leaders is the status of Northern Ireland, where Brexit fueled tensions have broken out, and in the past, Biden has insisted on maintaining the Good Friday Agreement.
BIDEN: We do not want a guarded border.
COLLINS (voice-over): Johnson denied reports Biden pressured him to keep the agreement in place.
JOHNSON: It is a complete harmony on the need to keep going, find solutions, and make sure we uphold the Belfast Good Friday Agreement.
COLLINS (voice-over): Biden will meet with several world leaders while abroad, including a high-stake showdown with Russian President Vladimir Putin. And first lady Jill Biden says he has been studying for weeks.
JILL BIDEN, FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: Oh, I think he is so well prepared. I mean, he is -- you know, he has been studying for weeks, you know, working up to today. Of course, he knows most of the leaders that'll be here and Joe loves foreign policy. This is his forte. Oh, my gosh, he's overprepared.
COLLINS (voice-over): Kaitlan Collins, CNN, traveling with the president, in Cornwall.
(END VIDEO TAPE) NOBILO: With me now in Cornwall, England, is David Herszenhorn. The
chief Brussels correspondent for "Politico." David, great to have you with us.
DAVID HERSZENHORN, CHIEF BRUSSELS CORRESPONDENT FOR POLITICO: Great to see you.
NOBILO: This almost fine morning. Things are improving weatherwise.
So yesterday we had quite a lot of optics from Prime Minister Boris Johnson and President Joe Biden. What do you think both leaders are hoping to get out this relationship and what do you make of their personal chemistry?
HERSZENHORN: Well, you know, that special relationship, you know, has been a little bit iffy because of Brexit. And so, there's a lot of concern that Boris Johnson has -- he's happy that there is a chance for kind of a new start, a little bit more predictable than with Donald Trump. But obviously Biden making his first trip and in the back of their minds is this U.S. support for Ireland, for making sure that the terms of the Brexit deal are upheld so there is underlying tension.
For Johnson, he is the host here at this G7. This is the big coming out party for global Britain. So he's got pressure to just sort of put on a good show, for Biden his first trip abroad as president. So these are both guys with things to prove to their home audiences. Seems like they got along well. They were on good behavior yesterday, nobody talked about Brexit too much. They were supposed to meet in this dramatic island castle but there was too much rain -- what they call missal here -- and the helicopters couldn't fly so they redirected. But it is a good moment to see where this special relationship goes now that Britain is not in the EU and the U.S. has to be careful about picking and choosing among its friends.
NOBILO: Well exactly. And previously when that special relationship has been strong the U.K. has often acted as a channel for the U.S. to Europe. So now that that isn't the case, what do you think Biden sees as his main sort of real politic advantages of a very close relationship with the U.K.?
HERSZENHORN: Well, it also has worked the other way which is the U.K. has been how the U.S. often interprets Europe because they read the British press in English and they sort of understand or we did used to understand Europe that way and now they realize they can't do that.
But Biden is perhaps the most experienced U.S. president in modern times on foreign policy. He knows all of these leaders. They've all had pictures taken with him before. So whether it's Angela Merkel or Emmanuel Macron, Mario Draghi -- who'll be here for his first Summit as the Italian Prime Minister former president of the European Central Bank. These are familiar faces and he knows how to interact with all of them. And keep in mind, obviously, that things are a little bit tense especially between them and the U.K. But also sometimes between the U.S. and Brussels as we saw Biden making a dramatic announcement, donating 500 million doses of vaccine. The EU's been applauding that but they are also a little annoyed because for more than a year they've been exporting, exporting, exporting vaccine dose waiting for the U.S. to lift the various obstacles in place and suddenly Biden is the vaccine hero. It's something that keeps reminding all of us. We've been exporting all the way along. So in each of these relationships you will find a bit of tension.
NOBILO: And what's the sense in Europe approaching this summit because obviously there's still -- well, I get the sense that there is still an element of trepidation when it comes to the leadership of the U.S.A., even though it seems like we've returned to pretty much the status quo. There's now a figure head who completely complies with democratic norms in President Biden. But there's still a concern that maybe the U.S.A. might not be the most reliable partner going forward. Do you think that Biden can reassure them this week?
HERSZENHORN: Biden will do his best to reassure them. But you're asking a central question on their minds about how durable the things they talk about and the agreements they make will be. And I think they're trying to build in some resilience that before Trump they didn't necessarily feel was so essential.
[04:40:00]
If we do a little bit of recent G7 history, remember in Quebec Trump had signed on to the final communique, gets on his plane, is headed off to Asia and suddenly rejects it and turns around and blows the whole thing up. And because of that when Macron was the host of the G7 he decided not to do formal communique -- doesn't exist, you can't blow it up. The problem there was that when the G7 go into a meeting and come out without a written description of what they've talked about you get eight different versions of what was said and what was agreed on.
Last year there was not each a G7, they refused, they literally rebuffed Trump's invitation, the U.S. was supposed to host this. Merkel refused to go. The pandemic was a bit of an excuse but really they were worried about being used as a prop in the U.S. presidential election. And so, the G7 effectively went dark. And so all of that history what we call typhoon Trump when this happened in "Politico" and his happened in Quebec, is on their minds when they look to talk about climate change, about the pandemic and can they end this health crisis by next year. When they talk about really could be a landmark agreement on global tax, on a minimum global tax.
You know, very tough problems that this shrinking club and it's an aging shrinking club of G7 very rich countries really can't solve on their own. So can this be a springboard to other agreements in the G20? They've a bit of luck in that Draghi and Italy have the chair of the G20. So for the fall there'll be another Summit like this, and they might be able to build on that agenda. But even from there you then have to go into the U.N. as these problems are now global. They're just not limited to the elite seven.
NOBILO: And when it comes to Emmanuel Macron, you know, I've read in your publication and others that he was obviously committed to the idea of strategic autonomy. So is there a sense that even though there's palpable relief that President Biden is a reliable partner, is there a tiny bit of a different emotion where upon may Emmanuel Macron quite liked being a powerful adult in the room and now that's not really the case when you look at the dynamics.
HERSZENHORN: There's no question that Emmanuel Macron likes to be the powerful adult in the room. And there was an aspect of Trump that catapulted a lot of these leaders more to the center. For a while people were talk being Angela Merkel as the leader of the free world.
NOBILO: And it's her last summit.
HERSZENHORN: It is her last summit. This dramatic picture -- if you remember from Quebec -- where Trump is there with his arms crossed and she's leaning across the table and the gangs all behind her. But we do have this sense -- my colleague (INAUDIBLE) has reported this out of Paris -- that, you know, France does miss Trump's unpredictability in that it lets France come in and play, you know, the responsible grown up, especially on security matters. He's still pressing Macron for strategic autonomy. It will be really interesting to see how Biden positions himself. Of course from here, we go back to Brussels to a NATO summit and that will be front and center. How much the U.S. is willing -- is it willing now to encourage EU military cooperation or do they still want everybody to pay in but let the U.S. handle the hard stuff.
NOBILO: Well, we will be keeping an eye on that. David Herszenhorn, thank you so much for coming on with us today.
Kim, back to you in Atlanta.
BRUNHUBER: All right. Thanks so much.
Coming up on "CNN NEWSROOM" --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you the only one in the vehicle?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm pregnant.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, ma'am, you have to pull over when we stop.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I had my flashers on.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It doesn't matter, ma'am.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: An Arkansas woman is looking for justice after a traffic stop went horribly wrong. That's ahead. Stay with us.
[04:45:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BRUNHUBER: Five families have been awarded nearly $15 million for the loss of their frozen embryos. A crucial storage tank in a San Francisco fertility clinic malfunctioned three years ago destroying the embryos. A jury ruled the equipment manufacturer and the Pacific Fertility Center were negligent. The verdict is the first of its kind to award damages to victims who have lost their chance to have biological children due to freezer tank malfunction.
An Arkansas woman is suing a state trooper saying the way he pulled her over on the highway was dangerous and reckless. He's alleged to have used what's called a pursuit intervention technique known as a pit maneuver and she says it put both her and her unborn baby in harm's way. Amara Walker explains what happened.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
AMARA WALKER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A traffic stop in Arkansas turning dangerous in minutes. The driver, Janice Harper, was allegedly speeding in a 70-mile-per-hour zone on Highway 67 in Pulaski County when state trooper Rodney Dunn activated his emergency lights.
You can see from his dash cam video, Harper turning on her blinkers, slowing down, and then moving into the right travel lane. Then, Dunn appears to bump her SUV, causing her to lose control. Harper's car flipped over. You can hear the distress in Harper's voice, telling the trooper she's pregnant.
JANICE HARPER, PREGNANT WOMAN WHOSE CAR FLIPPED AT TRAFFIC STOP: I'm pregnant!
RODNEY DUNN, STATE TROOPER: Well, ma'am, you've got to pull over when we stop.
HARPER: I had my flashes on.
DUNN: It doesn't matter, ma'am.
WALKER (voice-over): Last month, Harper, who was two months pregnant at the time of the wreck, sued the Arkansas state trooper, his supervisor, and the director of the Arkansas State Police, calling Dunn's PIT maneuver a reckless attempt to engage in conduct that created substantial risk of physical injury to her.
The lawsuit also points out what the dash cam video appears to show. There were no exits or shoulder for Harper to safely exit the highway before defendant Dunn negligently executed a PIT maneuver on plaintiff's vehicle two minutes and second seconds after defendant Dunn initiated his overhead lights.
DUNN: Why didn't you stop?
HARPER: Because I didn't feel like it was safe.
DUNN: Well, this is where you ended up. WALKER (voice-over): And it appears Harper acted in accordance with the Arkansas driver license guide. It instructs drivers to activate their turn signal or emergency flashers when being stopped by police to indicate they're seeking a safe place to stop and pull over to the right side of the road.
Arkansas State Police declined to comment on the case to CNN because of the pending lawsuit.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
BRUNHUBER: And that was CNN's Amara Walker reporting. CNN reached out to Trooper Dunn and haven't heard back yet. The river of the car explained to our Chris Cuomo, why she didn't pull over that night. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARPER: I never would have thought the police would hurt me. And --
CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: So, you didn't pull over just because you thought that it wasn't easy enough to do on that road.
HARPER: Right. I didn't feel like there was an adequate amount of space, on the side of the road, for my car, and the officer, to be standing beside it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: Now Harper didn't suffer injuries that night but delivered a healthy baby in February. She's seeking at least $100,000 in damages.
All right, just ahead on CNN NEWSROOM, a special get together on the sidelines of the G7. The U.S. first lady and the U.K.'s Duchess of Cambridge will meet for the first time. We'll bring you what we can expect next.
[04:50:00]
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NOBILO: The U.S. first lady has a busy schedule in England as the Bidens go on their first international trip since the election. In a few hours she'll meet with the Duchess of Cambridge for the first time. The White House says the two women will join a round table about early childhood education and tour a school in Cornwall.
On Sunday, the first lady and his husband President Joe Biden will meet with the Queen at Windsor Castle. Jill Biden has already been making a splash. She turned heads with this jacket emblazoned with the word love on the back. She says it highlights the summit's theme.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can you explain the message on the back of your jacket, ma'am? If you are willing?
JILL BIDEN, FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: Oh, the love?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
J. BIDEN: Well, I think that we're bringing love from America. I think that this is a global conference and we are trying to bring unity across the globe and I think that's important right now, that people have -- feel a sense of unity for all the countries and feel a sense of hope after this year of the pandemic.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NOBILO: We should emblazon more things on the back of our blazers, Kim.
[04:55:00]
Back to you in Atlanta.
BRUNHUBER: All right, pleasure having you on again. We will see you again tomorrow. Thanks so much.
Well, it's a bonanza for soccer fans, a final for two first timers at the French Open and an underdog's fight in the NBA playoffs. Don Riddell has our minute in sports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: Two major international football tournaments are about to kick off this weekend but the Copa America was in jeopardy until the supreme court in Brazil voted to let it to proceed. The tournament was supposed have been played in Colombia and Argentina. The first game will be played on Saturday. The European football championships will get underway later this Friday in Rome. Italy will host the opening game against Turkey. Both these tournaments had been delayed by a year because of the coronavirus.
We're all set for an unexpected women's final at French Open in Paris. The Czech Republic Barbora Krejcikova saved the match point before beating Maria Sakkari in the semis. While Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova beat Tamara Zidansek in straight sets. Both women are into their first grand slam singles finals, they will play each other for the first time on Saturday.
And in the NBA playoffs a big night for Milwaukee Bucks who just edged the mega star Brooklyn Nets in game three. The Nets still lead the series 2-1. Game four will also be in Milwaukee. Back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: Well if you were in the right place at the right time you may have seen a ring of fire in the sky. A solar eclipse appeared in the northern hemisphere as the moon crossed between the sun and earth partially blocking the sun's rays creating a bright glow around the edges that you see there. People in Greenland, northern Russia and Canada got the best views. Although sky gazers in the U.S., parts of Europe and Asia were able to see a partial eclipse. And this incredible image comes courtesy of NASA.
That wraps this hour of CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Kim Brunhuber. "EARLY START" is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
