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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Bigger Protests Seeking Police Reform; Potential 2016 Candidates on Garner and Brown; American Held Hostage by al Qaeda; Arrest in UAE Stabbing of American Teacher

Aired December 05, 2014 - 04:30   ET

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

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CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Thousands of protesters in cities across America for a second night, expressing outrage with police tactics and dealing with the communities. Demonstrators shutting down roadways, bridges and tunnels. We'll bring it all to you this morning.

Welcome back to EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans. John Berman is off this Friday morning. It is 30 minutes past the hour.

Breaking overnight: even bigger protests in the wake of a decision not to indict a police officer in the death of Eric Garner. Demonstrations once again nationwide from San Francisco and Oakland to Denver and Chicago to Staten Island's ferry terminal, that was the scene of Garner's death following an officer's use of a chokehold to subdue and arrest him.

The crowds of demonstrators calling for reform of police tactics, they want new policies, new training. The crowd also notably diverse, black, white, young and old together, a fact that pleased Eric Garner's daughter, Erica.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ERICA GARNER, ERIC GARNER'S DAUGHTER: This is not a black and white issue. This is a national crisis. I believe this is a crisis. I mean, for white people to come out and show how deeply they was hurt and like Asians and, you know, different people from different nations and different parts of the world to come out and show that they felt the same way I felt on that video, I greatly appreciated it. It's like a sense of I'm not the only one that feels this way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Huge protests again in Manhattan Thursday night, bigger than those in recent memory. Protesters seemingly better organized blocking traffic on roads, bridges and tunnels and once again tying midtown in knots. Police even better organized.

Our Deborah Feyerick was in the thick of these protests. She has this report for us this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The police seem to be much more aggressive on Thursday night than they were the night before. You can see the people behind me here. A row of police officers, what you may not be able to see, is that they have actually arrested a number of protesters. Now, those protesters were basically peaceful. They had walked from the West Side Highway up against the flow of traffic, up Seventh Avenue.

But this, night police are making sure that they corralled people, that they divided the crowd in order to break up the numbers. They started with several hundred. By the time they reached Times Square, they -- it appears they actually brought in ambulances so that the crowds would get on to the sidewalks, and then police formed barricades, that blocked the protesters and divided the groups up. So, nobody knew where to go.

This particular group of protesters began walking back down towards Seventh Avenue. They were promptly arrested. They were told that they were in the street and they were told that they were supposed to be on the sidewalk so they are now arrested. We are waiting for a head count, but the police showing no patience tonight on this second night of protests -- Christine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: All right. Deborah Feyerick, thanks for that.

Protests stays peaceful but became more tense later in the night. CNN anchor Brooke Baldwin was live in China when a group of people who stopped traffic were arrested. She believed at least 20 people were put in handcuffs and several demonstrators were singing "I can't breathe", Eric Garner's last phrase.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(CROWD CHANTING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Brooke also noticed several lawyers and legal adviser z on the scene who she believed were preparing to help the arrested protesters.

In Washington, a few hundred protesters outside the Department of Justice grew to thousands, weaving their way through the capital, passing just a block from the White House Christmas tree lighting, blocking traffic as they marched past the 14th Street Bridge and through downtown. At one point, a group of protesters entered a downtown Walmart chanting, "No justice, no peace." Store security locked the doors to prevent more protesters from entering -- trapping some protesters inside.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PROTESTERS: Let them out! Let them out! Let them out! Let them out!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: After about five minutes, Walmart security let the protesters leave.

In Chicago protesters blocked traffic on Lakeshore Drive, a main north-south artery.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(CROWD CHANTING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Authorities reopened Lakeshore Drive after about 15 minutes. There were no reported arrests there.

Marchers also blocked traffic on the Magnificent Mile, delivering their message of social justice.

Demonstrators also marching in Florida. This is the scene in downtown Orlando. Hundreds of protesters blocked major roads. They were chanting, "We want justice" and "I can't breathe". No reports of any arrests there.

In Texas, several protesters were detained. Hundreds marched to Dallas police headquarters. The group begun to disperse around 11:30 Thursday night. We're told they are planning another round of protest tonight.

Charles Barkley sparked controversy this week for comments he made about the unrest in Ferguson. His TNT colleague Kenny Smith took issue with those comments and the two hashed it out on last night's broadcast of "Inside the NBA."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHARLES BARKLEY, RETIRED BASKETBALL PLAYER: We, as black people, we need the cops in our community. They are not there just to, quote- unquote, "kill black men". They are there to protect us. And we, we, as black people, we've got to develop a relationship with them.

KENNY SMITH, RETIRED BASKETBALL PLAYER: We have to acknowledge, first, that there is a disparagement between poor people and African- American people in the law, there is a disparagement. At first, it was on purpose, and then the civil rights has come, which is only 50 years or so behind. It's not like my parents were part of that.

So, you have to understand it's still fresh in the African-American household.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: The day after the Ferguson decision, Barkley defended police officers and used a derogatory term for those who rioted in the wake of that decision.

Two of the possible candidates for president in 2016 speaking out on the grand jury decisions in the Michael Brown and Eric Garner cases. Both Hillary Clinton and Rand Paul weighed in on race and criminal justice in remarks on Thursday.

Senior political correspondent Brianna Keilar has more for us this morning from Washington.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Christine.

With the exception of Rand Paul, potential 2016 candidates haven't really weighed into the debate on the grand jury decisions in both Ferguson and Staten Island not to indict officers in the deaths of African-American men.

But Hillary Clinton changing that, speaking out at a women's event in Boston saying she supports federal reviews in the police-involved killings of Michael Brown and Eric Garner and criticizing the state of relations between police and the black community.

HILLARY CLINTON, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: We have allowed our criminal justice system to get out of balance. And I personally hope that these tragedies give us the opportunity to come together as a nation to find our balance again. These tragedies did not happen in some far away place. They didn't happen to some other people. These are our streets, our children, our fellow Americans and our grief.

SEN. RAND PAUL (R), KENTUCKY: I think she needs to have a little more concrete proposals. We have quite a few. We think the war on drugs has gone too far. We think that many of these things could be addressed as misdemeanors, not felonies.

The question specifically to her, is, would she try to make the sale of cigarettes not such a burdensome thing that it drives people into the black market. My guess is her notion of sort of the business body nature of government is that she wouldn't support reducing taxes.

KEILAR: Rand Paul weighing in there on "THE SITUATION ROOM" with Wolf Blitzer, referencing that Eric Garner died as a police office put him in a chokehold, trying to arrest him for selling cigarettes tax-free. Paul blames New York City's high cigarette tax, more than $5 a pack in that case.

And Paul and Clinton, they may actually they see eye to eye on some areas of criminal justice reform, but this contrast that you're seeing is a likely preview of more to come as we enter the presidential campaign season -- Christine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: All right. Brianna Keilar, thanks for that in Washington. In Phoenix, there's anger over another deadly police shooting.

Protesters are marching over the shooting death of an unarmed black man. Rumain Brisbon was shot and killed by a white police officer who mistook a pill bottle for a gun. The officer responded to reports of a burglary and possible drug deal when he and Brisbon got into a struggle. The officer reportedly thought Brisbon was grabbing a gun when he shot him.

Witnesses accused the officer of using excessive force. Investigation to the shooting is underway, and the Maricopa County attorney's office will decide whether the officer will face criminal charges.

All right. Continuing coverage of the protests last night ahead and what we're learning about this man, the American hostage being held by al Qaeda. His family is now speaking. We have a live report, next.

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ROMANS: Welcome back.

A second night of protests nationwide. Thousands of people take to the streets angry at a grand jury's decision to not indict a white NYPD officer in the death of a black man. Demonstrations blocking traffic from San Francisco to Chicago to New York.

One protester describes the scene when things got a bit heated in Times Square.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We all made a big circle here in the intersection and then the cops started pushing and some fights broke out and started making arrests. And then it was pretty much them pushing as back and fighting people and making arrests as they could. I saw a guy getting his jacket ripped.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Almost all the protests peaceful but passionate.

President George W. Bush weighed in on the conversation about race relations in America. In an interview with CNN's Candy Crowley, he commented on the grand jury's decision not to indict the police officer at Eric Garner's death and the protests that had followed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, FORMER PRESIDENT: It's sad that race continues such a -- kind of emotional, divisive part of life. I remember back when I was a kid in the '70s and there was racial riots with cities being burned, and I do think we've improved. I had dinner with Condi the other night and we talked about this subject, and she just said, you just got to understand that there are a lot of -- you know, black folks around that are just incredible more and more distrusting of law enforcement, which is a shame because law enforcement's job is to protect everybody. (END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: The full interview with President George W. Bush airs Sunday, 9:00 a.m. Eastern, on "STATE OF THE UNION WITH CANDY CROWLEY."

We have new information this morning about the American hostage being held by terrorists in Yemen. Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula posted a video this week of Luke Somers pleading for his life. We are learning more about Somers and also a thwarted attempt to rescue him by the U.S. military.

CNN's Nima Elbagir is standing by live for us this morning in London with the very latest.

Nima, tell us more about Somers and the circumstances of his captivity.

NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Christine, Yemeni defense officials say this attempt, this rescue attempt was carried out after they received intelligence that the hostages were being moved. They saw an opportunity, they got line of sight on hostages being moved with blankets over their head and the Yemeni Special Forces with U.S. Special Forces moved in.

When they arrived, they realized that this perhaps could have been a decoy. That separately, Luke Somers and other hostages were being held in another location and now, Luke Somers family is speaking out, pleading with the hostage takers to not allow Luke to bare the brunt for this failed attempt.

Take a listen to this, Christine.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JORDAN SOMERS, BROTHER OF AMERICAN HOSTAGE: Luke is only a photojournalist and he is not responsible for the actions the U.S. government has taken. Please understand that we had no prior knowledge for the rescue attempt for Luke, and we mean no harm to anyone.

PAULA SOMERS, MOTHER OF AMERICAN HOSTAGE: We're glad that you have taken good care of Luke and he appears healthy. We thank you for that. Please show mercy and give us an opportunity to see our Luke again. He is all that we have.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ELBAGIR: Al Qaeda posted the video threatening to behead Luke Somers on Wednesday, Christine. And they gave a three-day deadline for the U.S. government to acquiesce on stated demands. That deadline is, of course, taking down and it must be a difficult time for those waiting to see how this will play out -- Christine.

ROMANS: I can't imagine. It must be terrifying for those families, trying to figure out how to communicate to the people who are threatening to kill your loved one. Thank you so much for that, Nima. We hope for the best there.

We'll have more on the enormous protests over Eric Garner's death.

And we're learning more this morning about the person accused of stabbing an American teacher to death. Was this a lone wolf attack? Or was this part of a bigger plot?

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ROMANS: Breaking overnight: protests against police abuse stretch into a second day coast to coast. Thousands march in Los Angeles, Denver, D.C and especially here in New York. That's where a grand jury decided not to indict a white officer whose use of a chokehold on Eric Garner caused Garner's death.

"NEW DAY" host Chris Cuomo walked with protesters on New York's West Side Highway last night. Here's what he told CNN's Don Lemon.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR, "NEW DAY": This is very different than last night in numbers, also in intensity. But numbers alone, I mean, you have 10 times what you had last night, thousands and thousands of people. And it's a very diverse crowd.

You've got young people. You have lifetime New Yorkers here. You have African-Americans. You have people of all different colors. You have a lot of white people.

You have a lot of white kids expressing a lot of anger and hostility towards whites. And we asked them about that, and they said, you don't have to be a minority to feel the injustice that happens with minorities.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: All right. Police in Abu Dhabi have arrested a woman in the fatal stabbing of an American teacher there. The victim, Ibolya Ryan, was killed in the women's restroom of a high end mall on Monday. Her attacker veiled head to toe.

With more on the attacker and her victim, we turn now to CNN's John Defterios. He's live for us this morning in Abu Dhabi.

Good morning, John.

What can you tell us? So mysterious. She goes into a women's restroom at a very high end mall and is murdered. And very few clues about who the woman -- who -- or the person who stabbed her was. What do we know now?

JOHN DEFTERIOS, CNN ANCHOR: We're starting to put more pieces of the puzzle together, Christine. That's fair to say. And more information is coming out about the suspect. We do know that she is an Emirati national but Yemeni origin, that she's in her late 30s. Now, we have spoken to police in the last hour and they still are not

releasing her name. We also don't know, four days after the incident what were her motivations to stab and kill the 47-year-old mother of three, and to also leave a bomb outside the home of a doctor who is Egyptian-American.

Now, we know the security media division of Abu Dhabi police has released an updated video. It shows a couple things as the story starts to unfold. First and foremost, that she left this nail bomb right near the waterfront of downtown Abu Dhabi, outside the Egyptian- American doctor's villa there. And then we see the raid by Abu Dhabi police.

Now, this has captured completely captured the attention here of the UAE community here, both nationals and expats. Just to give you a sense, both in the Arabic and English newspapers, let's look at the widely read English newspaper, this "The Gulf News" based in Dubai. You see the headline, "Mall murder suspect in police custody."

I also wanted to point out, this is Sheik Zayed al-Nahayan. He's a member of the royal family, the minister of the interior and also a deputy prime minister. It's highly unusual, Christine, to see a member of the royal family hold or conduct a press conference. It's not normal practice.

It gives you the severity of the case and also brings to question, if I may, the whole role of the UAE as a safe haven of the broader Middle East, when the neighborhood of Yemen, Iraq, we know the problems in Syria. We have seen thousands of Egyptians, and Tunisians and Libyans move into the UAE.

And now, many are looking over their shoulders and questioning the security apparatus but very happy that after the incident the police moved very quickly about the investigation as well -- Christine.

ROMANS: It will be critical to find out if this was a lone wolf situation or this is a concerted attack or attempt against Americans in the Middle East.

DEFTERIOS: Yes.

ROMANS: Especially there in Abu Dhabi, which is seen as quite safe for Americans.

Thank you so much for that, John.

All right. Today, President Obama will announce his pick for secretary of defense. The president is said to have selected Ashton Carter, former second in command at the Pentagon. Carter is a former chief weapons buyer. He helped accelerate the production and shipment and armored vehicles to protect American troops from roadside bombs during wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

A second attempt at a test launch for the Orion spacecraft is set for less than three hours from now. Thursday's launch was postponed, high winds and technical issues there. But if all goes as planned today, the unmanned Orion spacecraft will blast off Cape Canaveral just after 7:00 a.m., atop a Delta IV rocket.

The capsule is designed to eventually take astronauts to an asteroid or perhaps even Mars. How soon could that be? Well, it could take maybe seven years before an astronaut flies in Orion. They have to do this test flight, though, first.

People in the Philippines evacuating ahead of a typhoon there. Hundreds of soldiers and police are patrolling the streets of Tacloban. They're helping folks get out before the storm strikes. The category four storm, a dangerous storm, expected to slam the Central Philippines Saturday. It's expected to bring torrential rain and storm surges as high as 13 feet.

A lawsuit claims Apple deleted music from iPods. Did it delete tunes from your player? 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 this morning.

Looks like a good Friday for your stocks. Asian and European stocks higher this morning, so are U.S. stock futures.

It could be another record day easily if the November jobs report is strong. That report comes out at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time. Economists polled by CNN, they expect 228,000 jobs added, and the jobless rate to stay steady at 5.8 percent.

If those numbers are accurate, November will be the tenth month in a row with more than 200,000 jobs added making this on track for the best year of job growth since 1999.

What isn't growing -- wages. We're going to be watching for any sign that wages are starting to pick up inside that report, again at 8:30 Eastern Time.

All right. Ever feel like a song disappeared from your iPod? Well, it might be because Apple deleted it. According to a class action trial going on right now, Apple forced customers to reset their iPods after downloading music in an iTunes rival. When the iPod was restored, the music from the competition was gone.

The attorney representing the plaintiffs say Apple used its power to force out competition. Apple says the measures were taken to protect contracts with record labels.

All right. This is why I call my kids cost centers, because college is expensive, but in most states, child care is more expensive than in-state college tuition. Child care is more expensive than college. A new report from Child Care Aware finds child care costs eat deeply into family budgets. For example, families at the poverty line can spend 85 percent of their income on child care. Parents in Massachusetts pay the most, more than $16,000 a year for infant care. Wow.

It's right at the top hour. EARLY START continues right now.

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