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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
President Spends Monday on Ferguson; New ISIS Threat; Reuters: Wife & Son of ISIS Leader in Custody; Janice Dickinson Speaks Out; NATO Foreign Ministers Talk Russia
Aired December 02, 2014 - 04:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: President Obama taking steps to help communities mend relationships with law enforcement after Ferguson. This as a new controversy develops overnight with the St. Louis Rams and police. It is all over the word apology.
Breaking overnight. Reports that the wife of the leader of ISIS is in custody, details ahead.
And the University of Virginia preparing to take action after shocking allegations of sexual assault on the UVA campus. What the school is doing to keep students safe, next.
Welcome back to EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans. John Berman has the morning off. It is 29 minutes past the hour.
It has been one week since the streets of Ferguson, Missouri, erupted in rage and violence and the nation is still coming to grips with issues of race and justice behind that unrest.
Attorney General Eric Holder begun a planned series of public conversations on the subject with the speech at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. Holder said he plans to announce rigorous standards for federal law enforcement to, quote, "help end racial profiling once and for all". Holder's speech was interrupted by a chant of "no justice, no peace".
Now, all across the country on Monday, students and workers responded to activists call for a walkout at noon Central Time. From New York to Los Angeles, thousands of people took to the streets with the message of social justice.
Meanwhile, the "hands up, don't shoot" gesture by a few St. Louis Rams players before Sunday's game, a gesture that offended the local police officers association, it sparked further controversy overnight. St. Louis County police officials characterized a call from the Rams chief operating officer as an apology. But then, the team said it was not an apology.
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." President Obama focused intently on Ferguson and its aftermath on
Monday. The president putting off a decision on whether to visit Ferguson and instead holding a series of meetings on the relationship between police and the communities these serve.
White House correspondent Michelle Kosinski has more for that -- with that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MICHELLE KOSINSKI, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Christine.
Yes, it's interesting, because on the one hand, you have deep involvement by this administration in Ferguson. The multiple investigations and statements, thousands, thousands of phone calls and meetings since this started. But at the same time, the president doesn't have plans to go there.
It is obvious the White House sees this all as a delicate balance. But they want to keep the focus on the issue. So, what they did was a series of meetings that lasted all day yesterday. The president met with his cabinet members, with young civil rights leaders, community and faith leaders, as well as law enforcement. And they put out a plan of action.
Here's some of what the president said.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There have been commissions before, there have been task forces, there have been conversations and nothing happens. What I try to describe to people is why this time will be different. Part of the reason this time will be different is because the president of the United States is deeply invested in making sure this time is different.
KOSINSKI: So, what the president wants to do is, yes, a task force looking at policing in America, what is working and what isn't, funding for police departments for training and some 50,000 body cameras for police officers. Also, the White House commissioned a broad study. The federal government's providing local departments with money and military equipment.
And we are talking some big numbers. More than 5,000 Humvees over the last five years and 10,000 small arms and ammunition, other types of military vehicles and aircraft, that some think contribute to the militarization of local police departments. What the White House found that there was also a glaring lack of consistency in the programs and training that police have to use this equipment as well as community input.
So, the White House says it wants to tackle what it feels is at the heart of many of these issues. Distrust between local police and local communities and the White House is calling for a sustained effort to break that down -- Christine.
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ROMANS: All right. Michelle Kosinski at the White House for this morning.
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" says they were detained at the border trying to cross from Syria into Lebanon. It's not clear what their names are, what their nationalities are, but we're going to bring you more details as we get them.
The FBI issuing it's strongest warning yet that American service members may be 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 is that ISIS members overseas may be tracking personal information about specific U.S. soldiers like addresses based on what their postings on social media.
CNN enforcement analyst Tom Fuentes explains 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.
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ROMANS: The concern is that ISIS is gathering information overseas and then identifying homegrown lone wolf extremists here in the U.S. who then could carry out attacks.
The FBI is warning U.S. businesses to be wary of hackers using malicious software, software that can wipe out entire 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. Now, investigators suspect North Korea could be involved.
Will he or won't he? Jeb Bush is talking about his plans for 2016.
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JEB BUSH (R), FORMER FLORIDA GOVERNOR: I'm thinking about running for president and I'll make up my mind in short order. You know, not that far out into the future. I don't know the exact timeline.
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ROMANS: The former Florida governor making comments on Monday in the preview of the campaign theme. Bush is calling for a more active foreign policy. Bush says his decision will hinge on whether he can lift people's spirits and not get sucked into the vortex. Even more important, whether the sacrifice for his family is, quote, "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. 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 department's immigration activities.
Thirty-six minutes past the hour. Time for an early start on your money this morning.
Stocks looking good around the world. Asian stocks ended their day higher. The benchmark Shanghai Composite rose 3.1 percent on hopes there of more government stimulus in China. European stocks also higher, so are U.S. futures.
Looks like stocks could make up some of the ground they lost yesterday. Dow closed down 51. The S&P 500 and NASDAQ closed lower as well.
Apple shares led the decline. The stock fell 3.3 percent yesterday. When you are talking about a company worth $700 billion, in one day, that's a $22 billion loss in value. Staggering.
But the stock has been on fire. Look at that. It's up almost 50 percent this year. Yesterday, cooling off just a bit.
All right. The University of Virginia taking action after a shocking allegation of rape on campus. What the school is going to do to keep students safe. That's next.
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ROMANS: About 41 minutes past the hour.
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 also expected to call on Congress to pass an emergency funding bill. He requested $6.2 billion last month in the battle against Ebola. More than 17,000 cases of Ebola have been reported, globally, nearly all of them in West Africa.
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 at a fraternity in 2012.
CNN's Joe Johns has more this morning from Washington.
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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, thanks for that this morning, from Washington.
A U.S. couple trying to leave Qatar now at odds with the State Department. Grace and Matthew Huang were trying to return to the U.S. after a court overturned a murder charge against them in the death of their daughter. Now, the State Department says additional paperwork needs to be filled out before the couple can leave. But an attorney for the Huangs says that's already been done, insisting the State Department's claims are not truthful. Bottom line: the couple still stuck in Qatar.
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.
Nearly 200 nations meeting in Peru to hammer out a global agreement on climate change. The goal is to get each country to agree to new limit on greenhouse gas emissions. U.S., the E.U., and China have already committed to reductions. But India, Russia, Japan and Australia still not on board. The overall mission of the U.N. talks is to have a deal in place one year from now when climate change talks reconvene in Paris. Just days before Louisiana's Senate runoff, a final faceoff between Democratic incumbent Mary Landrieu and the Republican challenger Congressman Bill Cassidy. The bitterness that has marked the campaign was evident again in Monday's debate. Both candidates in attack mode, trading allegations of personal misconduct. Cassidy also tied Landrieu to the president and Obamacare.
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REP. BILL CASSIDY (R-LA), U.S. SENATE CANDIDATE: I learned working in the public hospital system when the patient has the power, the system lines up to serve the patient. When the politician has the power, it lines up to serve the bureaucrat or the politician.
SEN. MARY LANDRIEU (D), LOUISIANA: So, what I've said is, I voted for the Affordable Care Act. It should be improved.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Both Cassidy and Landrieu promoted their work to pass the Keystone XL pipeline. That's the critical issue for people in Louisiana. The runoff takes place on Saturday.
NATO leaders gathering this morning to tackle the Ukraine crisis, but with relations weakening between Moscow and the West, what can get done?
And Prince Harry reveals a secret to the world online. We will tell you Prince Harry's secret, next.
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ROMANS: Russian aggression in Ukraine expected to lead the agenda as NATO foreign ministers meet in Brussels starting this morning. Secretary of State John Kerry is there as the NATO alliance plots its response to a far more combative Vladimir Putin.
Senior international correspondent Nic Robertson is live in London with more on this NATO meeting.
Good morning, Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, good morning, Christine. And it's all about Russia. There will be a small element on Afghanistan. But the vast majority of what will be discussed will be the threat and accusation that NATO says that Russia is still contributing weapons, tanks and other weapon systems to separatists inside Ukraine and is stopping international monitors as part of the peace agreement, monitoring the border between Russia and Ukraine.
And to that end, we are expecting a statement later today from the NATO foreign ministers saying that they will have a permanent presence of NATO forces in the eastern NATO countries, that they will have a spearhead force. This will be in place as early as 2016. There will be an interim force prior to that. This is troops on the ground with equipment stationed in those eastern most countries.
And we will also hear that there will be a continued political and other support commitment to the Ukrainian government that there will be support for cyber defense and support for financial for command and control systems for the military.
So, this is what we're going to hear. The NATO chiefs are saying, look, we've already, because of the Russian threat increased our NATO flight sort of surveillance plans and actions have been increased. We have five times the number of aircraft over the eastern NATO allies, that there are now exercises, NATO exercises every two days in those countries.
So, it's going to be a very strong statement following up on the conference they had here in Wales three months ago -- Christine.
ROMANS: Yes, it's all about Russia. The economy minister in Russia this morning, Nic, saying that the economy is not going to grow as much as they thought. That the oil prices they are now assuming $80 oil for next year, all very tough situations economically for Russia. But that has not moved Vladimir Putin yet.
Nic Robertson, thank you for that.
Fifty-one minutes past the hour.
Car seat maker Graco is under federal investigation. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration trying to determine whether Graco broke the law by failing to announce a defect involving its car seats, 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.
Prince Harry revealing a secret to mark World AIDS Day. The royal released a video online to help fight the stigma of living with HIV and AIDS. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRINCE HARRY: My secret is believe it or not, I get incredibly nervous before public speaking no matter how big the crowd or the audience. And despite the fact I laugh and joke all the time, I get incredibly nervous, if not anxious actually before going into rooms full of people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Several other celebs have joined Harry in revealing a secret. And they encouraged others to do so to show solidarity with people affected by the disease and use the #feelnoshame.
All right. Fifty-two minutes past the hour.
Chad Myers has an early look this morning at our weather.
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CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Hi, guys. Early good morning to you.
A messy day in the Northeast today. Now, from Williamsport and the Poconos, you're going to see snow and sleet. New York City, 37 and 38, some kind of mix in New York city and D.C. it is not going to be a pretty afternoon, especially after about 3:00 there in the city with the showers moving on up from the southwest into cooler air.
Heavy, heavy rainfall for southern California. Some spots could pick up 3 inches of rain today. That sounds like flooding, yes, but they've had a tremendous drought. They will take the rain as long as the flooding isn't too bad.
There you go for D.C. to 40, 39 in New York. But when it really starts to sleet and snow, kind of mix around, temperatures are going to be closer to 37, only sticking on the grasses. If you come to the west of the water gap or even up into the higher elevations of parts of New Jersey, you could certainly see some slick conditions right around sunset for later on today.
So, keep that in mind. And enjoy your day. I'll be back right here tomorrow.
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ROMANS: All right. Chad Myers, thanks.
OK, oil prices have been plunging. That means gas prices have been plunging. All right. What's the catch? We'll get an early start on your money, next.
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ROMANS: All right. Let's get an early start on your money.
A good day for stocks so far around the world. Asian stocks ended their day higher. The Shanghai Composite rose 3.1 percent. Hopes of more government stimulus in China is the cause. European stocks are also higher, so are U.S. futures. Yesterday, the Dow closed down 51 points, the S&P 500 and NASDAQ closed lower as well.
All right. The biggest story in business. Oil prices and they are coming up for air after tumbling for days. Crude oil is about $69 a barrel right now. That's up more than 5 percent in the last 24 hours, making up for just some of the steep losses since OPEC decided not to scale back production last week.
Crude oil is still down 35 percent from the summer peak. And, of course, you are seeing that at the pump. The national average is $2.76 a gallon. Look at that. That's down about a dollar from the super peak.
It is good news for consumers. It's like a tax cut. It is extra money in your pocket. But low prices creating a lot of uncertainty for the oil-producing countries and oil companies. Apparently, even those cute dancing penguins -- look at those guys --
they can't save DreamWorks Animation. The stock down 6 percent yesterday following the terrible weekend at the box office for "Penguins of Madagascar". The film made $36 million over the holiday weekend. $36 million is about half of what it is expected to make. That means DreamWorks could end up taking a loss on the film and it's highlight in the studios over the trouble recreating the blockbuster success of its "Shrek" franchise. The stock is down 37 percent this year.
All right. EARLY START continues right now.
