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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

U.S. and China Announce Historic Climate Deal; Israel Accused of Launching "Religious War:"; Michael Brown Shooting: Preparing for Protests

Aired November 12, 2014 - 04:00   ET

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

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking news this morning: the U.S. and China unveiling a groundbreaking new partnership to stop climate change, dropping greenhouse emissions to historic lows over time. We're live with a new surprising agreement and what this means for U.S./China relations going forward.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now, tensions rising in the Middle East for Palestinian president accusing Israel of igniting a religious war as violence escalate near holy sites. We are live in Jerusalem with the very latest this morning.

BERMAN: Ferguson on edge as the grand jury gets ever close to revealing whether the police officer who killed unarmed teenager Michael Brown will be charged. Missouri's governor releasing his plans to deal with possible protests as Michael Brown's parents weigh in.

Good morning, everyone. Welcome to EARLY START. I'm John Berman.

ROMANS: And I'm Christine Romans. It is Wednesday, November 12th. It is 4:00 a.m. in the East. Nice to see you. Thank you for joining us.

We begin this morning with breaking news: President Obama and Chinese President Xi announcing a major historic climate change agreement. It promises to cut both countries' greenhouse gas emissions by 1/3 over the next 20 years. In the U.S., the agreement calls for 80 percent reduction greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

CNN's David McKenzie joining us live from Beijing.

David, tell us more about this climate deal?

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's a big deal and it's been put through after months of secret negotiations between the U.S. and Chinese. President Obama calling it an historic deal to reduce greenhouse emissions by both the U.S. and China.

Let's take a listen to the president.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This is an ambitious goal but it is an achievable goal. It will double the pace at which we're reducing carbon pollution in the United States. It puts us on a path to achieving the deep emissions reductions by advanced economies that the scientific community says is necessary to prevent the most catastrophic effects of climate change.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCKENZIE: Well, the U.S. says it's going to drop the CO2 emissions up to 26 percent, to below pre-2005 levels, below pre-2005 levels. China says it's going to peak its emissions levels in 2030. That might seem a long time away, but it's the first time that the Chinese have said they're going to cut any kind of emissions at all -- Christine.

ROMANS: The deal puts the U.S. and China closer but it could distance between China and Russia potentially?

MCKENZIE: Well, it could. Certainly, China and Russia looking pretty close recently. They've recently made progress on gas deal between the two countries. But it certainly seems on the greenhouse emissions the U.S. and China is in lockstep. They are saying they want to be the two countries which honestly create about a third of the global emissions to really show the way forward for other countries as important negotiations happen next year in Paris, for longer lasting CO2 emissions cuts -- Christine.

ROMANS: Yes. As they say, the two biggest economies, the two biggest emitters of greenhouse gases. Thanks so much for that David McKenzie for us this morning.

BERMAN: The president doesn't have to deal with China. It has to do with Congress with the steep reduction in this climate change agreement set up a potential area of tension between the president and Congress, which will be controlled by Republicans starting next year.

Just hours from now, the Congress begins its lame duck session. And among the issues on the Senate's agenda, the keystone oil pipeline, which has long been on the Republican wish list now may have some more bipartisan support. The president says he's waiting for a full regulatory review before he weighs in.

ROMANS: All right. An al Qaeda leader in Yemen who was top priority leader for the U.S. has been killed in a strike there. A Yemeni official and two U.S. officials telling CNN that Shawki al-Badani was killed. This happening during a surge in fighting in rival factions in the Arab nation. The fighting is so intense now that the U.S. military is updating plans to potentially evacuate U.S. personnel. U.S. ambassador to Yemen, Matthew Tueller, has been targeted by terrorists before. One of his friends told us he's worried for Tueller's safety.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AMBASSADOR EDWARD W. "SKIP" GNEHM, FORMER U.S. DIPLOMAT IN YEMEN: I'd say he's in a great deal of danger, just because you have all of these factions, fighting around the country. At least a couple of them would like to take out the embassy and him because of the role -- positive role that we play and he plays in trying to pull together these very factions into a coalition government.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Any military involvement and evacuation would happen only after the U.S. ambassador asks for it. So far, that has not happened.

BERMAN: New this morning, tensions on the rise in Jerusalem. The Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas is accusing Israel's prime minister of starting a religious war. This going on at the same time that Palestinian factions are fighting amongst themselves for control. Hope for unity among Palestinians at peace with Israel seemingly more remote than ever following recent bloody attacks on Israelis by Palestinians near holy sites in East Jerusalem, and a retaliation simply a violent combustible combination of events on the ground there.

Our CNN international correspondent Nic Robertson is live this morning from Jerusalem.

What's the latest, Nic?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: John, the fiery rhetoric and current tensions are literally and figuratively as well igniting the sort of tinderbox situation on the ground. Overnight last night, an ancient synagogue was fire-bombed and a Palestinian mosque torched. It is a community of about 200 people. It's been essentially burned beyond use is how we understand the situation at the moment.

What you had last night and yesterday, the Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas accused Israel of trying to foment and set a religious war over access to religious sites in Jerusalem. Within hours of that, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Prime Minister Abbas is lying, that he is an unreasonable partner for peace at the moment. That he is not helping the situation that he's inflaming the situation.

So, you have this very strong language by both leaders, and the tensions on the ground, because of the recent killings, now resulting, it appears at least, on face value and certainly that's the read everyone has here, that these religious sites, mosque and synagogue, both fire-bombed last night. And that comes hard on the heels yesterday of a young Palestinian man shot dead it appears, by the Israeli defense force soldiers there, say that a young man was aiming a homemade gun at them when they shot at him. And he later died in the hospital, John.

BERMAN: Nic, as we said, that's just an awful combination of factors right there. Any sense that there is anyone in an official position on either side trying to de-escalate the tensions right now?

ROBERTSON: The understanding on both sides here appears to be that neither -- neither the political leadership here in Israel wants to see this situation escalate. The prime minister's put more troops out on the ground in the West Bank that absolutely wants the situation to de-escalate and keep the temperature of this down. And there's a fundamental understanding as well that the Palestinian

Authority President Mahmoud Abbas also doesn't want to see the situation ignited. But you have these more radical Palestinian groups and factions who are actually calling and inciting people on the sidelines of this, towards violence, praising the two people involve in the fatal stabbings, the two people responsible to the fatal stabbings on Monday this week. That was Islamic jihad that did that.

So, there is a sense that at a leadership level, no one wants this. But the situation on the ground is at a level that they potentially cannot control. It is one major incident short, people believe, politicians here believe, of igniting something that will potentially get out of hand, John.

BERMAN: All right. Nic Robertson for us in Jerusalem this morning, watching the situation. We'll check back in with you in a little bit.

ROMANS: Right. A nuclear deal inked between Russia and Iran now prompting major concerns in the West. Russian officials say they're building up to eight new reactors for, quote, "peaceful use of atomic energy in Iran." Both countries are under sanctions by the West, but the announcement suggests Moscow is demonstrating it has no plans to slow down its nuclear operation. The move comes less than two weeks before Iran's negotiations with Western powers over its nuclear activities are set to expire.

BERMAN: The two-month-old cease-fire in Eastern Ukrainian coming undone as the fighting rages again today. Pentagon officials say Russia has amassed some 8,000 troops along the Ukraine border and it has also stepped shipments of heavy weapons to separatists in the recent days.

U.S. and Ukrainian officials also say a convoy that Russia claims was humanitarian did not go through an independent inspection. An Obama administration official conceived U.S.-led sanctions are hurting Russia economically, but have not deterred Russia when it comes to Ukraine.

ROMANS: All right. Nine minutes past the hour.

Time for an early start on your money.

U.S. stocks pointing slightly lower this morning. But stocks are the highest they've ever been, right up here in record territory. Yesterday, stocks barely budged but it was enough to have a record. The Dow and S&P both climbed 1 point. The record high closes, S&P 500 40th record close this year. It's up 10 percent for the year. That's the important number here, up 10 percent for the year in the S&P 500.

Breaking news overnight, five banks have agreed to pay $3.3 billion in fines to U.S., British and Swiss regulators. That includes Citibank, HSBC, JPMorgan Chase, RBS and UBS. Now, these banks accused of trying to manipulate foreign exchange rates to benefit their own trading positions. Barclays backed out of the settlement and still is being investigated. So, watch those things today.

BERMAN: Ten minutes after the hour.

Missouri's governor revealing new plans of a possible protest at the grand jury -- whatever the grand jury decides, whether to charge police officer Darren Wilson who shot and killed unarmed Michael Brown. This as Brown's parents opened up about how they want the community to react. We're live with what they have to say, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROMANS: Missouri's Governor Jay Nixon says he's prepared to call out the National Guard. The worried governor -- he's worried that violence could erupt after a grand jury announces whether it will indict Officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of unarmed teenager Michael brown. Now, that decision is expected this month. The grand jury has been working for weeks now.

Governor Nixon said on Tuesday that violence will not be tolerated.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. JAY NIXON (D), MISSOURI: The National Guard has been and will continue to be part of our contingency plan. The guard will be available when we determine it is necessary to support local law enforcement. Quite simply, we must and will be fully prepared.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Michael Brown's parents in Geneva on Tuesday, speaking to a United Nations human rights panel.

CNN's Erin McLaughlin joins us live from Geneva.

Good morning, Erin.

What message did Michael Brown's parents want to send to the U.N.?

ERIN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Christine. Well, this has been an emotional trip. Michael Brown's mother actually broke down during her testimony during the U.N. committee yesterday. I had a chance to chat with them yesterday. They explained why it's so important for them to be here in Geneva.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LESLEY MCSPADDEN, MICHAEL BROWN'S MOTHER: We want the world to know what's going on in Ferguson. And we need justice, we need answers and we need action. And we had to bring it to the U.N. so that they could expose it to the rest of the world what's going on in small town Ferguson.

MICHAEL BROWN SR., MICHAEL BROWN'S FATHER: We're trying to ask for justice for our son. We need Darren Wilson -- we need him to be accountable for his actions on what happened in Ferguson, August 9th, 2014.

(END VIDEO CLIP) MCLAUGHLIN: Well, they told me they homed the grand jury will indict Darren Wilson, the police officer who shot and killed their son. But if that doesn't happen, Michael Brown, Sr., saying he plans to take to the streets to protest albeit peacefully.

Now, a team of legal experts has submitted a brief at the United Nations on their behalf that details the circumstances surrounding Michael Brown's death as well as the police response to the protests that follow it. And it alleges that human rights violations happen, something that authorities in Ferguson have denied in the past.

Now, in terms of what's happening today at the United Nations, the U.S. delegation is giving a statement to the U.N. Committee Against Torture. This is part of an ongoing review looking at the united compliance with that one of three human rights treaties that the U.S. has actually ratified. We do expect the parents to give a press conference later today -- Christine.

ROMANS: Erin McLaughlin for us this morning in Geneva -- thank you, Erin.

The story that has resonated from the streets all the way to U.N. panel in Geneva, Switzerland.

Sixteen minutes past the hour.

Major snow blanketing the Midwest and Plain States, temperatures in some areas, they plunged 50 degrees. Places like Marquette, Michigan, blanketed with two feet of snow. Oh, my!

BERMAN: Wow, they're digging out the winter gear and equipment in Wisconsin where there's snow just about everywhere. Look at this. The weather's earlier arrival an inconvenience for many, but people staffing mountain ski resorts, they couldn't be happier.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Natural snow is absolutely fantastic, and we love it and we'll take it anytime we can get it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: In Nebraska, snow, sleet and bitterly cold temperatures turn roads in Omaha in sheets of ice. Look at that. Be careful out there, folks. It made it difficult for cars difficult to travel even the shortest of distances. Omaha is expecting more snow this weekend.

BERMAN: How long will all of this icy weather last. Let's get an early look with Chad Myers -- Chad.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Hey, good morning, everybody.

A pretty decent day across the Northeast today. Well above normal. Now, I can't say that about everybody west of the Mississippi because it is very cold out there. Temperatures this morning in Montana, 20 to 30 below zero. The wind's not blowing much so not much of a windchill factor but does it mean anything when it's already 20 below anyway.

Now, another shot of cold air comes in for next week, although tomorrow for you, we go from the mid-60s to around 50 for a high. So, yes, the Northeast cools down but it doesn't get frigid. It doesn't get frigid like Denver.

Today, Denver gets to 6. Tomorrow, Denver gets to 17. Those are the high temperatures for the day, not the morning low temperatures.

So, yes, still some cold air out there in the West. Another shot of cold air coming for next week. In fact, we're probably 10 to 12 days right now below normal before we actually warm up above normal. That's almost two weeks of cold air.

Guys, back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BERMAN: We're far, far from normal here, Chad. But our thanks to you.

ROMANS: I've never called you normal.

BERMAN: No, never been accused of that. No pressure. But Bush 41 and 43 believe that Jeb Bush could make it a presidential hat trick as Bush 45. The two former presidents appeared in the official launch of George W. Bush's book, "A Portrait of My Father."

Speaking for his father, George W. Bush said they both agree that Jeb would make a great president. The book, autobiography of his father, also deeply affectionate, he shares personal stories about growing up in the Bush family.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, FORMER PRESIDENT: There's a time mother says to me, your dad and I would like to take you to dinner. I'm 18 years old at the time. That didn't really happen that much. So, I'm saying to myself, OK, let's see, sure, let's go. We get there and she could barely contain herself. And she said, I discovered an ashtray under your bed, you smoke.

(LAUGHTER)

And dad looked at her and said, so do you.

(LAUGHTER)

And that was the end of the conversation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: Barbara Bush only sort of laughing there. ROMANS: She grounded him after that.

BERMAN: Exactly.

Over the weekend, George W. Bush said he thought was a 50/50 chance his brother Jeb would run for president.

ROMANS: The most interesting thing about why he wrote that book. He wrote that book because he wanted his father to read it. He wanted to write a history about his father while his father could read that book and know how he felt about him and know. I thought that was really interesting.

BERMAN: It's a wonderful thing, the love between those two men.

ROMANS: It's such a rare thing that one president and another president are related.

BERMAN: Exactly. John Quincy did not write a book about his father.

ROMANS: All right. Two U.S. senators on a mission to free a detained in Cuba for years. The progress they're hoping to make, ahead.

BERMAN: And a daring historic move by a spacecraft this morning.

ROMANS: This is cool.

BERMAN: All they're doing. They're trying to land on a comet, a comet that is moving about 41,000 miles per hour, and they could very well pull it off, Fred Pleitgen will explain is going to explain how it's going to happen. That's coming up, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: An American jailed in Cuba may be closer to returning home. Senators Jeff Flake and Tom Udall met with Alan Gross, an American government contractor who's been detained in Cuba since December 2009. Gross is serving a 15-year sentence for illegally providing Internet service to Cuban Jewish groups. Flake is optimistic that Gross could be released soon.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JEFF FLAKE (R), ARIZONA: I do feel we're closer there, one because what Alan Gross has said himself. This is going to end, one way or another. And, you know, we've gone on five years. And I think any benefit that the Cuban government may have seen is -- has to have evaporated by now in that regard.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: Gross' family has said he's threatened to commit suicide if he's not released by his birthday next month.

ROMANS: Happening right now -- for the first time ever, spacecraft attempting to make a soft landing on a comet. The European Space Agency attempting to transfer a research craft, the size of a washing machine from its Rosetta Orbiter to a comet called 67P.

Joining us now, the latest from the European Space Agency's mission control in Darmstadt, Germany, CNN's Frederik Pleitgen.

This is cool, Frederick. Is this going to work?

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's cool and it's hand on, so I've rolled up my sleeves for some hands on science here, Christine.

I have a model of a comet that they're trying to land on. And what's going on right now is the Rosetta spacecraft is hovering about 27 kilometers off the coast of that comet. It's dropped that lander that you just said is about a size of a washing machine. Now, it's going to take seven hours for that lander to fall right about here on that comet.

This like throwing a bomb off a World War I aircraft. There's no GPS. There's nothing that's going to steer this thing down there. They just hope their calculations are correct.

Now, because we're in space, it doesn't just fall down there. It goes very, very slow. It's going to take seven hours until they actually know whether it's successfully landed on the comet.

It's already successfully separated from the spacecraft. We already know that. The confirmation came a couple minutes ago. And then once will it land, the big question is, will it land on its feet? Because the surface here is very, very rough. So, it's going to be a very difficult landing.

But if it does land, it should give us scientific data we've never had before. Comets come from the earliest time of our solar system. They're remnants for when our solar system started, and they're essentially big blocks of ice with metal in them that could tell us what life on earth came from, because many believe that water, for instance, which is, of course, the main component for ice, was brought to Earth by comets that landed there. They might find that out.

So, in about seven hours we'll know whether or not the spacecraft has landed. We'll probably get pictures of the comet from the landing craft before then. And then it will slowly start doing those research experiments if everything goes correctly. A lot of calculation went into this. It's a very difficult mission.

But I can tell you, the folks here at the European Space Administration are very hopeful and indeed confident that they're going to pull this off, Christine.

ROMANS: Yes. So, we're hopeful, I don't know, lobbing it out of the Rosetta and hoping it hits the spot. I'm sure it's more technical than that.

But thanks so much, Fred Pleitgen.

PLEITGEN: Yes.

ROMANS: That is really cool.

BERMAN: Fred Pleitgen with toys this morning.

ROMANS: Yes, I know. With props.

BERMAN: That's cool.

ROMANS: Fred Pleitgen with props. We like that.

BERMAN: All right. Breaking news this morning: a groundbreaking deal on climate change between the United States and China. We're breaking down the surprising deal and what it means for relations this morning, moving forward. That's live right after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)