Return to Transcripts main page
Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
Healing After Ferguson; New ISIS Threat; Reuters: Wife & Son of ISIS Leader in Custody; Janice Dickinson Speaks Out
Aired December 02, 2014 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: The White House trying to mend police- community relations in the wake of the Ferguson protests as a new controversy happens overnight with the St. Louis Rams and police over that hands up gesture on the field.
A stark warning this morning for members of the U.S. military. ISIS may be using their social media accounts to launch attacks. We have new startling details about this threat.
Stepping down. New fallout this morning for Bill Cosby as he parts ways with a major organization. This as model Janice Dickinson sits down with CNN to speak out about the night she alleges the comedian sexually assaulted her.
Good morning. Welcome to EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans. It's Tuesday, December 2nd. It is 4:00 a.m. in the East. John Berman has the morning off.
Exactly one week after the streets of Ferguson, Missouri, erupted in rage and violence, the nation is still struggling to cope with issues of race and justice behind that unrest. Attorney General Eric Holder begun a planned series of public conversation on the subject with a speech at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. Holder said he plans to announce rigorous new standards for federal law enforcement to, quote, "help end racial profiling once and for all."
Holder's remarks were interrupted by protesters chanting "no justice, no peace."
Meanwhile, the "hands up, don't shoot" gesture made by some St. Louis Rams players that offended the local police officers association sparking controversy overnight. St. Louis County police officials characterize a call from the Rams chief operating officer as an apology. But the team said it was not.
In a statement late Monday night, the Rams said, "We express our respect for their concerns surrounding yesterday's game," adding. "together, we are beginning a healing process that will require time, energy and honest dialogue."
With more on Monday's Ferguson aftermath, we have CNN's George Howell from Ferguson this morning.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GEORGE HOWELL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: There was a call from walk outs from protesters here in Ferguson, Missouri. And fans are saying we saw that play out. In New York City, we saw people take to the streets in protesting for Mike Brown. In Washington, D.C., we saw the same. People surrounding the Justice Department, even blocking the streets at times.
Here in Ferguson, Missouri, it's fair to say that it was a relatively quiet day, but there were still very serious conversations that were had by many in this community. People frustrated with the quality of life, frustrated with how they are treated by police officers and the quality of education and lack of economic opportunity.
They basically got to sound off at a meeting that was commissioned by the governor of Missouri, a meeting designed to start finding solutions to these deep-seated issues in this community.
But fair to say, Christine, there is still a great deal of outrage and frustration and when you go into the meetings, when you walk through this community and when you see the protests around the country, you get a sense that, you know, that it is still there but people are trying to work through it -- Christine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROMANS: Definitely trying to work through it. Thanks for that.
You know, President Obama spending almost all of Monday on Ferguson. The president holding a series of meetings on the relationship between police and the communities they serve. After speaking with cabinet members, law enforcement officials, young activists and others, the president vowed that in his remaining two years, he'll make sure there is follow-through.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: What I try to describe to people is why this time will be different, and part of the reason this time will be different is because the president of the United States is deeply invested in making sure that this time, it's different.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: The president also laid out a new plan calling for tighter controls on the militarization of police, a 21st century police task force, and $75 million for police officer body cameras.
And today, the president is heading to Maryland to tell the progress of a promising new Ebola vaccine. Well, at the National Institutes of Health, Obama is expected to call on Congress to pass an emergency funding bill. He requested $6.2 billion last month in the battle against the disease. More than 17,000 cases of Ebola have been reported, globally. Nearly all of them in West Africa. Breaking overnight: there are reports that one of the wives and sons
of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al Baghdadi have been detained by the Lebanese army. "Reuters" reporting they were detained at the border trying to cross from Syria into Lebanon. It's not clear what their names or nationalities are. We're going to bring you details as they become available.
The FBI issuing its strongest warning yet that American service members maybe targeted in the U.S. by ISIS. They are urging military personnel to review their social media activity to avoid attracting extremist attention. The big concern here is that ISIS members overseas may be tracking personal information about specific U.S. soldiers like addresses based on their social media posts.
CNN law enforcement analyst Tom Fuentes explained the danger.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOM FUENTES, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: People at home take pictures during their smartphones or modern cameras, which record GPS coordinates into the picture. And so, if they post that on social media and say, here we are, welcoming our father home from Afghanistan and they're taking pictures in the home, it's telling the bad guys where they live.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Wow. The concern is that ISIS is gathering information overseas and then identifying homegrown lone wolf extremists in the U.S. who then could carry out attacks.
The FBI is warning U.S. businesses to be wary of hackers using malicious thoughts where they can wipe out entirely computer systems. It's the same software used in a devastating breach at Sony Pictures last week. Because of that breach, some movies have become available online before their release. Investigators believe North Korea may be involved.
University of Virginia President Teresa Sullivan on Monday confronting what she admits a problem of sexual assault on her campus. UVA has been in an uproar since "Rolling Stone" reported two weeks ago that seven men raped a woman in a fraternity party -- in a fraternity, rather, in 2012.
CNN's Joe Johns has more from Washington.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Christine, though the president of the University of Virginia had been scheduled to speak to the National Press Club, she opted to give an address to the university community about the situation on campus. She posed a series of questions that she and UVA are attempting to address. More than anything, it is a summary of the discussions that have been going on since the story broke, questions like, does the university do everything possible to protect every student and whether they've done enough to support survivors and encourage reporting? And what's the rule of alcohol in fraternity and sorority organizations?
Sullivan also announced what sounds like the outline of an action plan and the first mostly modest steps she's taking to try to address the issue, including finding ways to reduce underage drinking and rooting out date rape drugs on campus, forcing fraternities to provide greater safety for guest as part of their agreement to operate on campus, hiring an additional trauma counselor for the women's center and putting a local police substation on campus.
Also going forward with a previously planned bi-standard training program for sexual assault. And anonymous survey in the spring to determine how often students experience sexual abuse on campus.
The university's only explanation for cancelling Sullivan's appearance at the National Press Club was that her energies were best spent focusing on the UVA community, though it was clear with the police investigation into the alleged gang rape still going on, a free wheeling exchange with the national media could come back to haunt the university and its lawyers -- Christine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROMANS: All right. Joe Johns in Washington --thank you for that, Joe.
So, will he or won't he? Jeb Bush says he's thinking about running for president and will make a decision on 2016 in short order. The former Florida governor making those comments Monday, and in a preview of a possible campaign theme, Bush is calling for a more active foreign policy. Bush says his decision will hinge on whether he can, quote, "lift people's spirits and not get sucked into the vortex." And even more important, whether the sacrifice for his family is tolerable.
House Republicans meet this morning to talk about the budget and a possibility of another government shutdown. Funding for the government officially runs dry on December 11th. And many Republicans want to use the spending bill to fight the president on immigration.
House Speaker John Boehner is pushing a plan to fund most government agencies with only short-term money for Homeland Security. That way, Republicans can use their majority in January, to restrict the Homeland Security Department's immigration enforcement activities.
All right. Time for an early start on money. U.S. stock futures up right now, reversing course from yesterday's losses. The Dow yesterday lost 51, and the S&P and NASDAQ closed lower as well.
Now, that freefall in oil prices I was telling you about seems to be over at least for now. The price of a barrel of crude climbed more than 5 percent in the last day and they can have some, some of the steep losses since OPEC decided not to cut output last week. Crude oil, though, still down 35 percent from the summer peak.
Look, you may be thinking rising oil prices sounds like a bad thing. Low fuel costs are very good for consumers. But plunging oil is a bad sign for the global economy because so many countries depend on oil revenue. Low prices could create major instability worldwide. So, very closely watching this bounce this morning in the oil market.
Nine minutes past the hour.
A fresh round of protests in Hong Kong and now, the stakes are higher. Protests leader now urging demonstrators with a new message.
And Janice Dickinson speaking out to CNN about the night she says she was sexually assaulted by Bill Cosby. That's ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROMANS: Welcome back.
Breaking overnight: al Shabaab militants claiming responsibility for killing at least 36 people in Kenya. The victims bodies found in a quarry in a village of Kormey, bordering Somalia. A CNN affiliate tells us at least 20 men targeted a group of workers at that site. We're told the Red Cross is now working to secure the area and help any victims they can find.
In Hong Kong this morning, teenager protest leader Joshua Wong began a hunger strike. He is demanding talks with the government over the future of democracy there. Even Wong admits it is a desperate measure after two months camping out in the streets. Pro-democracy protesters grow weary and in-fighting has begun to fray the movement.
Senior international correspondent Ivan Watson live for us this morning in Hong Kong. He's got the latest.
Ivan, does it seem the protesters are looking for a graceful way out here? I mean, they have really run up against authorities and must be frustrated.
IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I think, Christine, the rank-and-file protesters don't show any sign of losing their enthusiasm. You can see this is one of the study sections of this tent city that has sprung up for more than two months in downtown Hong Kong. The news within the last couple of hours is that the founders of the occupy central protest movement, they have come out and made an appeal to the students to please retreat, to please go home and to start using other forms of political activities to put pressure on the government.
We just spoke with 18-year-old Joshua Wong. He's student leader of the movement, one of the faces of the protest movement, who has just announced he is going on hunger strike with two other teenager activists, women, girls, and he says he is going to continue with his potentially debilitating hunger strike.
Take a listen to an excerpt from our conversation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOSHUA WONG, PROTEST LEADER: The only way to get the government to speak with us. We hope to solve the problem and to raise general awareness on the issue.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATSON: So, we have divisions within the protest movement. The government refusing to negotiate, that young man has gone 17 hours without solid food. He's going to only drink water. The drama continues here, but it does seem that the tide of public opinion has swung against the protest movement here in Hong Kong -- Christine.
ROMANS: Certainly a new phase. Ivan Watson, thank you for that for us this morning from Hong Kong.
Sixteen minutes past the hour.
NATO foreign ministers are meeting in Brussels this morning. Russia's aggression in Ukraine and deteriorating relationship with the West, that's expected to top the agenda. Advance of ISIS in Iraq and Syria, that will be discussed. NATO's 28 leaders are trying to put together a rapid response force to react quickly to any crisis, with Germany and Netherlands willing to contribute troops.
A U.S. couple trying to leave Qatar now at odds with the State Department. Grace and Matthew Huang are trying to return to the U.S. after a murder charge against them in the death of their daughter. The State Department says additional paperwork needs to be filled out before the Huangs can leave. But an attorney for the couple says that's already been done, insisting the State Department's claims are not truthful. They are still stuck in Qatar this morning.
A manhunt in West Virginia is over. Police discovering the body of 39-year-old Jody Lee Hunt in a wooded area last night. They say he died from a self inflicted gunshot wound. It is believed Hunt shot and killed four people on Monday morning. Authorities are not releasing a possible motive, but one of the victims, 39-year-old Sharon Berkshire, filed a domestic violence case against Hunt last month.
Car seat maker Graco is under federal investigation. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration trying to determine whether this company broke the law by failing to announce a defect involving their child car seats. A problem with the harness buckles ultimately triggered the largest recall in U.S. history. NHTSA officials say they had to apply continued pressure before Graco finally agreed to recall 6 million car seats earlier this year.
Two long time NFL rivals facing each other on Monday night football. The Miami Dolphins trail the New York Jets most of the game. But a late field goal gave the Dolphins their first lead and the victory. The Jets rushed for nearly 300 years but made just enough mistakes to lose. They are now 2-10 on the season. Miami stays in the AFC playoff hunt with the win at 7-5.
In her own words. Janice Dickinson opens up to CNN about the night she says Bill Cosby raped her. A gripping interview. We've got it for you, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROMANS: Another casualty of the scandal engulfing Bill Cosby is his long relationship with Temple University. The comedian has resigned from Temple's board of trustees. That's a position he held for 32 years.
One of Cosby's accusers meantime, former supermodel Janice Dickinson, she sat down with CNN's Fredricka Whitfield and she took on the accusations by Cosby's lawyer that she is a liar. Martin Singer telling CNN in a statement that, quote, "documentary proof and Ms. Dickinson's own words show that her new story about something she now claims happened back in 1982 is a fabricated lie." Dickinson tells Fredricka Whitfield that in 1982, she was too frightened to come forward.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Christine, former supermodel Janice Dickinson says hearing the other accounts from other women about alleged sexual assaults by TV mogul Bill Cosby was empowering and encouraging. Thirty years ago, she says she was too afraid to press charges. Now afraid no more, especially after hearing Cosby's attorney Martin Singer call her story a fabricated lie.
JANICE DICKINSON, FORMER SUPERMODEL: That slander right there. These attorneys weren't with me at the time. I have proof from Polaroids and I have proof from what I wrote down. And I can -- I can back this up 100 percent, you know, on the hands of my children's heads, I'm not lying.
WHITFIELD: How do you prove that? How do you prove that when it's your word against his?
DICKINSON: I should have gone to the police. Once again, I was embarrassed and disgusted. I was afraid for my career. So, I moved out. How do I prove it? Put me on a lie detector test, OK? Put me on a government lie detector test. Someone's going to be in big trouble for calling me a liar.
Bill Cosby, you know the truth. Bill Cosby, you were there.
Bill Cosby -- put a lie detector test on Bill Cosby. I do not know. This has affected me in my house.
(CRYING)
It has really affected these women. I'm strong and I'm going to stand on my own two feet and I'm going to tell me side of the story. And it's not going to end here.
FEYERICK: Dickinson tells me it is too late to press criminal charges against Bill Cosby, she is exploring other legal options -- Christine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROMANS: You can see the full interview with Janice Dickinson on CNN.com.
Fredricka Whitfield, thank you for that.
Federal regulators are ordering Japanese auto supplier Takata to declare its air bags defective by today. That would initiate a nationwide recall, instead of the regular recall now in place. Dozens of air bags made by Takata have split open and exploded during deployment, spraying drivers with shrapnel. The airbags are being linked to five deaths, four in the U.S. More than 14 million vehicles equipped with Takata airbags have already been recalled worldwide.
Federal safety investigators say failures by the FAA and Boeing and its Japanese manufacturer of lithium ion batteries are contributed to the fire that led to the grounding of the 787 Dreamliner fleet. The NTSB report doesn't identify a definitive cause of the short circuit that trigger a battery fire onboard a Japanese Airline -- Japan Airline 787 at Boston's Logan Airport last year, but says design, manufacturing and regulatory deficiencies were all factors.
President Obama and Attorney General Holder taking steps to prevent racial profiling in the aftermath of the Ferguson outrage and protests. What they are proposing, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
