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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
Climate Change Deal Brings U.S. and China Closer; Israel Accused of Launching "Religious War"; Michael Brown Shooting: Preparing for Protests; New College Football Ranking Released
Aired November 12, 2014 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, 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 this new agreement and what this means for U.S./China relations moving forward.
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now -- tensions rising in the Middle East. The Palestinian president accusing Israel of igniting a religious war as violence escalates near holy sites. We're live in Jerusalem with the latest this morning.
ROMANS: Ferguson preparing for huge protests as the grand jury gets closer to revealing whether the officer who killed unarmed teenager Michael Brown will be charged. Missouri's governor releasing his plans as Michael Brown's parents weigh in. We're live with what they're expecting.
Good morning. Welcome to EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans.
BERMAN: Great to see you today. I'm John Berman. It is Wednesday, November 12th. It is 5:00 a.m. in the East.
We do begin with breaking news this morning. President Obama and China's President Xi Jinping announcing a major climate change agreement. It promises to cut the country's greenhouse emissions combined by one-third over the next 10 years.
Our David McKenzie is live in Beijing this morning. David, tell us more about this deal.
DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, John, the deal is very significant, and both leaders saying that it's a sign of major cooperation between the U.S. and China. Essentially, the U.S. government through President Obama saying they will drop that climate emissions, the CO2 emissions by more than a quarter in the next few years to below 2005 level. The Chinese government saying they'll hit a peak of their CO2 emissions by 2030. That may seem a ways away, but certainly very significant that the Chinese are putting a cap on it at all.
Let's listen to President Obama.
(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, certainly, Xi Jinping, the president of China, he says something, they will do it. The President Obama has a different system to deal with.
Back home, one senior administration official already telling CNN that they might face some pushback in Congress -- John.
BERMAN: I'm not sure there are very high expectations going into this very short series of meetings in Beijing. But there have been tangible results out of it. There was a visa agreement. There was talk about technology tariffs and now, this deal on climate change. So, the president leaves Beijing perhaps some results here.
MCKENZIE: Well, certainly, and this would have been a long time in the making. The U.S. officials telling us for several days, that what they wanted to do with China, try to take those openings where they could see common ground. So, issues like trade, climate change, certainly, both China and the U.S. see eye to eye. Other issues like human rights, maybe not so much. But certainly, it's a sign of progress between these two countries which have had very frosty relations in the last years -- John.
BERMAN: Indeed. Many announcements are just a few day period.
David McKenzie live for us in Beijing -- thanks so much, David.
ROMANS: All right. The steep reductions in the climate change deal set up a potential battle between the president and Congress controlled Republicans starting next year. Just hours from now, Congress begins its lame duck session. Among the issues on the Senate agenda, the keystone oil pipeline long on the Republican wish list may have some more bipartisan support. The president waiting for full regulatory review before he weighs on.
BERMAN: Growing concerns over a surge in fighting in rival factions in Yemen. The violence is so intense now that the U.S. military is updating plans to potentially evacuate U.S. embassy personnel. U.S. ambassador to Yemen, Matthew Tueller, has been targeted by terrorists before. And 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)
BERMAN: Any military involvement in an evacuation would happen only after the U.S. ambassador asks for it. And that has not happened yet.
ROMANS: Tensions rise in Jerusalem as a war of worlds breaks out on the 10th anniversary of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's death. The Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas is accusing Israel's prime minister of starting a religious war. At the same time, Palestinian factions fight amongst themselves for control. Hope for unity among Palestinians and peace with Israel seems more remote than ever, following recent bloody attacks on Israelis by Palestinians near holy sites in East Jerusalem.
Senior international correspondent Nic Robertson live with more from Jerusalem this morning.
Good morning, Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Christine. That's very strong language from the Palestinian authority leader Mahmoud Abbas. That Israel is trying to incite a religious war by changing access conditions and rules at religious sites in Jerusalem, that with stiff opposition rebuttal from the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
He said that Mahmoud Abbas was lying, that he was an unsuitable partner for peace, and that Israel is not going to change any of the rules and regulations governing access to these religious sites.
But this is very, very strong language expressed by both of these leaders. And within hours of that last night, an ancient synagogue was fire-bombed. And on the West Bank, a Palestinian mosque was set on fire, very heavily damaged by the fire there. And in the sort of smoldering remains you can see burnt Korans, that is something that is a very incendiary image this time.
So, the tensions at the moment are very, very high here. Just yesterday, a young Palestinian youths who family said he was merely out as part of a protest and celebration on the tenth anniversary of the death of Yasser Arafat was shot dead by the Israeli defense force.
They say that the young man was on the roof of his house when he aimed a homemade gun at Israeli soldiers there. That's why he was shot. So, all of this, with everything we've had in the past few days, a very tense situation. So, strong language during the day and over the night.
Again, incendiary actions on the grounds. The fire bombings. The real concerns now what happens next and how damaging and destabilizing could that be, Christine.
ROMANS: For us this morning in Jerusalem -- thank you, Nic. BERMAN: A two-month-old cease-fire in Eastern Ukraine seems to be
coming undone as the fighting rages again. Pentagon officials say that Russia has amassed some 8,000 troops along the Ukraine border and has stepped up shipments of heavy weapons to separatists in the recent days. U.S. and Ukraine officials also say that a convoy that Russia claims was humanitarian did not go through an independent inspection.
An Obama administration officials concedes that U.S.-led sanctions are hurting Russia economically. Christine Romans has seen evidence of that. But these sanctions have not deterred Russia when it comes to Ukraine.
ROMANS: All right. Seven minutes past the hour. Time for early start on your money this morning.
U.S. stock futures are lower, pointing lower here. But, you know, stocks -- this is the highest they've ever been, record territory here yesterday, even a one-point gain for the Dow and the S&P 500 put those blue chip averages right up there. The highest in history. The S&P 500 is up more than 10 percent this year. You'll see that in your 401(k).
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, they're accused of trying to manipulate foreign exchange rates to benefit their own trading positions. Barclays, that bank, backed out of the settlement and still is being investigated.
All right. Missouri's governor revealing new plans for protests if the grand jury doesn't indict the police officer who killed Michael Brown. This as Brown's parents open up about how they want the community to react. We're live with what they said, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BERMAN: Missouri Governor Jay Nixon said he is prepared to call out the National Guard. The governor is worried the violence might erupt after a grand jury announces whether it will indict Officer Darren Wilson in a shooting death of teenager Michael Brown. That decision is expected this month. It could come any day.
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)
BERMAN: Now, Michael Brown's parents were in Geneva, in Switzerland, on Tuesday, speaking to a United Nations human rights panel. CNN's Erin McLaughlin joins us now live from Geneva.
And, Erin, what was the message that they were sending?
ERIN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, John.
Well, I had a chance to talk to Michael Brown's parents yesterday, and they explained to me this is a very emotional trip. And they talked to me about why they felt it was so important for them to travel thousands of miles all the way from Ferguson, Missouri, to Geneva, to address the U.N.
Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LESLEY MCSPADDEN, MICHAEL BROWN'S MOTHER: We need 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: They told me they hoped the grand jury will indict Darren Wilson, the police officer that shot and killed their son. If that doesn't happen, Michael Brown, Sr. saying that he plans to take to the streets to protest, albeit a peaceful protest he said.
Now, in terms of what's happening at the United Nations, the U.S. delegation addressing the U.N. Committee Against Torture. Michael Brown's parents saying they plan to be here throughout this process. They're going to be giving a press conference here later today and they're really emphasizing how they want to take the tragic death of their son and turn into a springboard for change -- John.
BERMAN: All right. Erin McLaughlin, live for us in Geneva this morning, thanks so much.
ROMANS: Cheers of applause greeting the nation's last Ebola patient, Dr. Craig Spencer, as he left a New York City hospital. Spencer was diagnosed with Ebola last month after returning from Guinea. He spent 19 days in a hospital isolation unit. Speaking publicly for the first time since being cured, Spencer said the focus must be on the West African nations where Ebola is killing thousands.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. CRAIG SPENCER, LEAVES HOSPITAL FREE OF EBOLA: I cried as I hugged children who were not strong enough to survive the virus. But I also had immense joy where patients I treated were cured and invited into their family as a brother upon discharge. Within a week of my diagnosis, many of these same patients called my personal cell phone from Guinea to wish me well and asked if there was any way they could contribute to my care.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Spencer returned to the New York apartment he shares with his fiancee. She just had her quarantined lifted. So, United States is Ebola-free.
BERMAN: Overseas, just as Ebola quarantines in Mali were ending for more than 100 people, there is word of a second Ebola case there. And government announcing the new case in the country's capital, saying it is not related to the first case for the 2-year-old girl from Guinea who died. Officials say a clinic in the capital has now been quarantined.
ROMANS: A week after the election, the Alaska governor's race still too close to call. Officials say independent candidate Bill Walker has widened his slim lead over Republican incumbent Shawn Parnell as workers begin counting more than 53,000 absentee and questioned ballots. Alaska's Senate race also remains undecided. Republican challenger Dan Sullivan led Democratic Mark Begich by about 8,000 votes on election night.
BERMAN: Up to 2 feet snow slamming into eight Midwestern Plain states in the first major storm of the season. Temperatures in some areas plunging 50 degrees -- 50 degrees!
ROMANS: Oh, no!
BERMAN: Places like Marquette, in Michigan, hit with 22 inches of snow, wow.
ROMANS: They're digging out winter gear and the equipment in Wisconsin where there is snow about -- just about everywhere. Winter's earlier arrival is an inconvenience for many, but the people staffing mountain ski resorts, they are as happy as can be.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Natural snow is absolutely fantastic, and we love it and we'll take it anytime we can get it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BERMAN: In Nebraska, snow, sleet and bitterly cold temperatures turned roads in Omaha into sheets of ice.
ROMANS: Look at that.
BERMAN: Wow. And, of course, it made it difficult for cars to travel even the shortest distances. Omaha is expecting more snow this weekend.
ROMANS: I mean, it feels so insulting but in the Midwest, you get these winter storms early and often, you know? That's why people are sturdy in the Midwest -- don't you think they're sturdy.
BERMAN: There are good people there because the snow is on them in the beginning of November.
ROMANS: Sturdy, patient Midwesterners.
So, how long will the icy weather last? Jennifer Gray has an early start on your forecast. Hi there.
JENNIFER GRAY, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Hi, guys.
Yes, fortunately, the snow, the ice on the ground not going anywhere anytime soon because in some places temperatures are going to stay below freezing for over a week. And so, this is going to stick around.
We're seeing very cold temperatures this morning. Single digits in Denver, three degrees your actual temperature. Zero in Billings, and seven below in Cheyenne.
What it feels like outside -- it feels like 14 degrees below zero in Denver, 26 below in Cheyenne. Kansas City, it feels like 8 degrees in Chicago, feeling like 21 for you. Look at these temperature departures.
Denver, your high temperature today, 5 degrees. That's 15 degrees below normal. Minneapolis, you will be at 19 degrees below normal.
We start to moderate just a little bit, but still very, very cold. Seventeen in Denver tomorrow, but the cold air will continue to push down to the south and eventually spill into our eastern cities as we go to the end of the week.
New York City will be at 45 on Friday. That's 11 degrees below normal. And St. Louis will be in the mid-30.
All that we're looking at as far as snowfall, lake-effect five to nine inches, though. In places, isolated amounts even higher.
So, look at these three-day temperatures. Rapid City will be 11 degrees today, 13 tomorrow. Not getting above freezing before the weekend and on into next week. Minneapolis, you're staying well below freezing as well. Chicago, you're barely going to hit freezing the next couple of days.
Guys, it is going to be very cold across much of the country on to the next week.
ROMANS: All right. You said it. We're ready. Thanks, Jennifer Gray.
BERMAN: All right. Eighteen minutes after the hour right now.
The college football playoff picture -- oh, my goodness, it is coming into focus. Big news on who ranks where. Andy Scholes and the details next in the "Bleacher Report." (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BERMAN: All right. The Vikings could sure use them. But despite a push by the NFL Players Association, it does not look like Vikings running back Adrian Peterson will be on the field this weekend.
ROMANS: Andy Scholes has more on this with this morning's "Bleacher Report."
Hey, Andy.
ANDY SCHOLES, BLEACHER REPORT: Hey, good morning, guys.
Once Adrian Peterson resolved his childhood charges, the NFLPA insisted he be taken off the list and returned to the Vikings, but it's yet to happen. According to multiple reports, a grievance hearing has been set for Monday to determine his status. That means Peterson not going to play this week in Chicago. Last week, Peterson pled to a lesser charge of misdemeanor reckless assault. The NFL said it's reviewing his case under the personal conduct policy.
All right. For the third time this season, the new college football committee released their playoff rankings, and for the third time, we have a different top four. The latest has Mississippi State at number one. Oregon up to number two, Florida State at three. And then TCU in at number four.
Now, Alabama, Las Vegas' pick to win it all, right now sitting on the outside looking in at number five. But they can bump into the top four as early as next week. The Tide is going to host Mississippi State this weekend in Tuscaloosa. That's going to be a big one.
All right. Kobe Bryant set a record last night as the Lakers took on the Grizzlies. But it's not of those records you really want to have. Bryant became the NBA's all-time leader in missed field goals with his 14th missed shot last night, Kobe passed the great John Havlicek. He now has 13,421 misses.
That's a lot, but if you look at the names right behind, it's not all that bad. You got guys like Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone. It's more about being good for a long time and taking a lot of shots.
And remember this video from Sunday, the Seahawks mascot Taima went rogue, flew into the stand and landed on a fan's head. The Seahawks office must have a talk with Taima, because the bridge tweeted out this tweet yesterday, "I apologize to my family, fellow birds everywhere, the Seahawks organization and fans. I'm embarrassed by the pregame incident and the poor judgment I showed. Please understand my actions were not consistent with the type of bird I hope to become."
I don't know about you guys, not really buying that apology. It seems little force to me.
ROMANS: I don't know, there have been so many bad apologies. BERMAN: I know, I know.
ROMANS: I don't want to make light of the other apologies that have been for very bad things.
All right. Thanks so much, Andy Scholes.
BERMAN: TCU at number four. The scandalous ranking of TCU. We'll get back to that.
ROMANS: I may not get over it all day, I'm going to think about that all day.
ROMANS: All right. Breaking news this morning: groundbreaking deal in climate change with the U.S. and China. We're breaking down the deal and what this means for U.S./China relations moving forward. That's live after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
