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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Tornado Directly Hits Missouri Capital; Interview with Jefferson County Mayor Carrie Tergin; Trump Demands End to Investigations; "American Taliban" to be Released from Prison. Aired 4-4:30a ET

Aired May 23, 2019 - 04:00   ET

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

[04:00:26] DAVE BRIGGS, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking overnight, a deadly tornado outbreak rattles Missouri. Three people are dead. Major damage in the capital of Jefferson City.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): The move that the president of the United States is engaged in a cover-up.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I don't do cover-ups.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Government at a standstill, the president refusing to work with Democrat if they continue their multiple investigations.

BRIGGS: A baby girl in Florida has died after her daycare left her alone for hours in a sweltering van.

ROMANS: And he joined the Taliban to fight the U.S. Now John Walker Lindh is set to go free on American soil 17 years.

BRIGGS: Yes.

ROMANS: He served.

Good morning and welcome to EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans.

BRIGGS: A lot of outrage about that one. I'm Dave Briggs, Thursday, May 23rd, 4:00 a.m. in the East, 3:00 a.m. in Missouri, and that's where we begin this morning with breaking news overnight. A tornado outbreak turning deadly in Missouri.

A tornado emergency for Missouri's capital of Jefferson City. The National Weather Service confirms the city took a direct hit from a twister. The damage is extensive. Roofs ripped off of homes, debris everywhere, at least 10,000 customers are without power. People on the ground tell CNN they were sheltering wherever they could as flashes lit up the sky. Officials are asking people to remain indoors.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LT. DAVID WILLIAMS, JEFFERSON CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT: We do not need citizens coming out, helping us by driving around identifying problems. We've got enough calls coming in from affected citizens to where we don't need people driving around telling us that there's a tree in the roadway. We have personnel out doing that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Some very, very good advice this morning. Three people in Missouri are confirmed dead. Debris reached as high as 13,000 feet in some places. Several injuries reported in the Carl Junction area of Jasper County. A possible tornado also downed trees and power lines in Joplin eight years to the day after a catastrophic storm there killed 158 people.

In Oklahoma a pair of runaway barges broke free on the flooded Arkansas River. Authorities are concerned they may hit the interstate bridge and a nearby dam. Officials calling for evacuations along the river in Muskogee and Weber Falls. Residents have been told if they are staying write your name on your arm in permanent marker.

BRIGGS: How about that, the flooding from earlier storms literally sinking that home along the Cimarron River in Logan County. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol raising to rescue this woman. She had to climb out of a window in her home to get to safety. The Oklahoma National Guard deploying 120 personnel to help with evacuation efforts. The threat in the region is far from over.

CNN's Pedram Javaheri live in the Weather Center this morning in Atlanta.

Pedram, good morning. What's still to come and what came through Missouri?

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes. At least a few more hours.

Good morning, Dave. Good seeing you. You know, when you're looking at these thunderstorms, especially seeing them into the overnight hours, we have a screen grab here of the lightning strike here illuminating what appears to be a wedge tornado. This of course crosses right over Jefferson City, the capital of Missouri there. Just before midnight. And I think you can see nocturnal tornadoes. Overnight, about twice as deadly as ones that occurred during the daytime hours for obvious reasons.

The last thing you want to see, at least talked about this for so many days now, the feverish activity in recent days across the area. In fact I just tabulated nearly 170 tornado reports in an area that spans over seven or eight states since last Friday. In fact last May, 2018, the busiest time of year, take the entire month of May, we had 169 tornadoes for the entire month. So it really speaks to how intense it's been over the last several days.

But here's what's going on at this hour. Look at this line of thunderstorms. Stretches about 800 miles from areas just north of Oklahoma City all the way toward Chicago. Polygons across this region, those tornado watches in effect until 5:00 to 6:00 a.m. local time across this region of the plains in the Midwest and even a tornado warning at this hour, meaning some rotation within this thunderstorm. Tornado imminent or occurring across this region, which would be around the short bend area of Missouri just outside of Edgar Springs. This is just northwest of course of Jefferson, Missouri.

[04:05:03] And you look at the thunderstorms themselves, the one that spawned that large tornado that works well away toward Jefferson, Missouri. I believe I heard Christine talking about the 13,000 foot high debris that was loft into the atmosphere. This is that same thunderstorm. You look at the vertical profile of this and slice it open, 40,000 feet high. So an incredible thunderstorm across this region. Still watching this again into the early morning hours to produce additional thunderstorms, additional tornadoes possible, at least the next couple of hours. So we'll stay here with you for that -- guys.

BRIGGS: All right. Pedram, thank you, my friend. We'll check back with you next half hour.

Joining us now by the phone is the mayor of Jefferson City, Missouri, Carrie Tergin.

Mayor, thank you so much for being with us at this early morning hour. Probably difficult to assess until the sun comes up in a few hours but what can you tell us about the extent of the damage?

MAYOR CARRIE TERGIN, JEFFERSON CITY, MISSOURI: Yes, well, I'm actually out walking the streets right now, assessing damage. We have our public safety officials are working very hard throughout the night to do what they can to keep our community safe, to ensure that they are assisting those that need it the most, and taking care of things. So we're seeing a lot of partnerships and people coming together within our police and fire and all of our surrounding communities, all of our public safety officials are working together.

ROMANS: Mayor, what's your biggest concern right now? It's just been a few hours since this -- it looks like a wedge tornado hit your town, even affecting right there downtown. What's your biggest concern right now?

TERGIN: The biggest concern is that we are hoping that everybody's OK. Buildings and things can be replaced. We just are hoping that everybody is all right. So that's our biggest concern and we are doing our best to respond and take care of the citizens and take care of everybody but that's definitely our biggest concern.

BRIGGS: We're reading reports of, quote, "catastrophic damage." Is that what you're seeing? We've also read reports of people still trapped at this hour.

TERGIN: What we're seeing is a lot of just what you would expect, damage to buildings and debris, and there's been some of course extensive power outages and in the dark it's hard to assess. But we do know that certain areas we're determining the path and how it came through, and there were some businesses that were certainly hit, and some, you know, walls that collapsed and buildings, and certain areas that they're working on, but as you would expect from a major destructive tornado, it's the destruction that you would see along with that.

ROMANS: What are your emergency managers telling you now? I mean, what are you telling folks who might be listening and people who are still obviously still awake in your town tonight, this morning? You want them to stay indoors? You want -- what are you telling them to do?

TERGIN: Well, the best thing is to stay safe and check on your neighbors. What I have noticed is everybody is taking care of each other, checking in on each other. Calling around, making sure everybody is all right and we are just going to continue to do that and our public safety personnel are on it. It's all hands on deck. They're doing a fantastic job getting out there and really being present and being out and around, and assisting.

The response has been incredible and really the best advice is not to call unless it's indeed an emergency. You know, we know if there's a tree down and different things, we understand that. But we are asking that they only call when it really is a true emergency so that they can respond to the most dire situations, but at the same time, we are noticing a lot of neighbors are checking on neighbors.

When you said who's sleeping in Jefferson City right now, I don't think anyone is. I think everybody that I have seen has been checking on each other and making sure that we're OK.

BRIGGS: So a couple of things, one, have you spoken with hospitals? What are they telling you? And before you can even really begin to clean up from this tornado, it appears that the threat of flooding could pose even a bigger danger later in the week. What can you tell us about that and preparations?

TERGIN: Yes, we've already been prepping for the flooding. That's something that we already had an emergency declaration just today evacuating portions around the river in the northern part of Jefferson City. So we are already anticipating the flooding that's coming along with this. We just didn't of course anticipate this kind of damage from a tornado.

You asked if I've talked to the hospitals. I have not. I'm working closely with our emergency personnel. I can tell you that the command center in our police station is -- they are on everything, and they are working -- they are working together and working on all of this because we know where the damage was and, you know, there's a hospital in close proximity. But it's my understanding that that, you know, was -- that it did not actually affect the hospital itself.

[04:10:04] ROMANS: Can I ask you how much warning you had? I mean, I know you posted a picture at a softball game at, you know, 10:00 p.m. your time, and just a couple of hours later you had this wedge tornado plowing through there. What -- I mean, what was it like? What did it sound like? Tell me your reaction. TERGIN: Well, it seemed to come fast, but we had good coverage and a

lot of good -- you know, the local media was all completely focused on it and giving us great instruction. The local warning sirens, the outdoor warning sirens went off.

ROMANS: Good.

TERGIN: All the media was telling everyone but we know there's been severe weather today, yesterday, over the last week or two, which is why, you know, there's a lot of significant river flooding. And because there's just been a lot of rain and storms, so did not anticipate that it would be this severe that we would end up with a tornado, but we knew that severe weather was possible and they've been talking about it for days, but then, you know, when the actual storm comes through, it does seem to come in a hurry.

BRIGGS: Well, Mayor Tergin, we really appreciate you joining us at this early morning hour. We are praying for you and your town. If you could keep us up to date with whatever you see and hear in the next couple of hours. We appreciate your time. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.

ROMANS: Busy, busy few hours for her and her team.

BRIGGS: Indeed.

All right. We turn to politics now, and President Trump proving there's more than one way to shut down the federal government. Until all investigations by the House are done, Mr. Trump says no business will be conducted with Democrats. That means no progress on infrastructure, immigration, health care or disaster aid. Even the budget appears to be on hold for now.

The Trump tantrum, if you will, erupting Wednesday morning after this comment from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PELOSI: We do believe that it's important to follow the facts. We believe that no one is above the law, including the president of the United States, and we believe that the president of the United States is engaged in a cover-up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: All right. We're told that is the trigger for the president. He did meet with Democrats to discuss infrastructure but it turned into a five-minute lecture, and the president's disdain spilled over into the Rose Garden.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Instead of walking in happily into a meeting, I walk into -- look at people that had just said I was doing a cover-up. I don't do cover-ups. This whole thing was a takedown attempt.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: All right. Fact, the president was actually an unnamed co- conspirator in a hush money case that sent Michael Cohen to prison for three years. The president brought a poster to the Rose Garden, pre- made, ready to go, slamming the Mueller report. But Pelosi continued her tough talk later in the day, even invoking the I word.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PELOSI: In plain sight, in the public domain, this president is obstructing justice, and he's engaged in a cover-up, and that could be an impeachable offense.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRIGGS: Appearing on the late show, 2020 Democratic hopeful Kamala Harris defended the speaker.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. KAMALA HARRIS (D-CA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: So he's going to hold America's infrastructure hostage.

STEPHEN COLBERT, HOST, "THE LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT": Yes.

HARRIS: Right?

COLBERT: Yes.

HARRIS: Over the issue of the investigation. This is a false choice. We cannot abandon our democracy for the sake of appeasing somebody who is completely focused on his interests only.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRIGGS: To some wild applause there. In a letter to her Democratic colleagues, Pelosi says Trump, quote, "had a temper tantrum for us all to see." The president as you might imagine didn't see it that way, tweeting late last night. "This is not true. I was purposely very polite and calm, much as I was minutes later with the press in the Rose Garden."

All right. Ahead, a perfectly healthy dog euthanized. Why the dog was put down after its owner died.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:18:51] ROMANS: An infant girl just a few months old has died after being left in a daycare van in Florida. Police responded to a call about an unresponsive baby at the Ewing's Love and Hope Preschool and Academy Wednesday afternoon and they found the baby in a car seat.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRIAN KEE, JACKSONVILLE SHERIFF'S ASSISTANT CHIEF: So the kid was there from about 8:00 a.m. to about a little after 1:00 p.m. so almost five hours.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Temperatures in the area reached as high as 92 degrees. Daryl Ewing, a co-owner of the daycare facility, was arrested for child neglect.

BRIGGS: The first U.S. born detainee on the war on terror walks out of prison a free man today. John Walker Lindh, also known as the American Taliban, was captured in Afghanistan after the 9/11 attacks. He served 17 years of his 20-year sentence, his case raising questions about radicals reentering society. A small but growing number of Americans convicted on terror related charges are completing prison sentences in the coming years. There are calls for an investigation into Lindh's time in prison. Two U.S. government reports say he made pro-ISIS statements that could land him back in detention.

ROMANS: All right. Pet owners know how deep the bond with an animal can be.

[04:20:04] Well, a woman in Virginia was so attached to her dog she took her dog to the grave with her. Emma, a healthy Shih Tzu mix, was euthanized recently so she could be buried with her owner who left explicit instructions in her will. Volunteers at a Virginia shelter were heartbroken when their pleas to save Emma were ignored.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CARRIE JONES, CHESTERFIELD ANIMAL SERVICES MANAGER: We did suggest to them that they could sign the dog over on numerous occasions, you know, because it's a dog that we could easily find a home for.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Emma was euthanized and taken to a pet cremation center. Her ashes were placed in an urn and returned to the woman's estate.

BRIGGS: Wow. All right. Ahead, what is so controversial about putting Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill? The Treasury secretary pushes back once again.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:25:50] ROMANS: So the Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin punting again when pressed on whether to put Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Do you support Harriet Tubman being on the $20 bill?

STEVEN MNUCHIN, TREASURY SECRETARY: I have made no decision as it relates to that, and the currency timeline will be most likely 2026, which even the most optimistic scenarios is probably beyond my term.

(END VIDEO CLIP) ROMANS: Ha. OK, so Mnuchin's predecessor, the Treasury Secretary Jack Lew announced in 2016 the U.S. would swap out President Andrew Jackson who owned slaves, trail of tears, you know, Andrew Jackson, for Tubman, an escaped slave who would become the first black woman featured on official U.S. currency. President Trump previously slammed that move. He said that was pure political correctness.

BRIGGS: We should have a better idea soon when Boeing 737 MAX jets will be back in service. The FAA along with eight other countries in the EU will decide if the planes are clear to fly after reviewing the certification of the 737 MAX's automated flight control system. They won't get to see Boeing's fix because it's not ready, according to the FAA. Meantime, Boeing is getting much needed support from airline executives. American Airlines CEO tells NBC News that his company is committed to the plane once it's fixed and United's CEO says he'll be on the first flight once the 737 MAX is back in service.

Ahead, breaking news overnight, devastation in the Midwest, tornadoes ripped through the Missouri capital. Three are dead in Missouri and the threat not over.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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