Return to Transcripts main page
Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
Thousands Protests Across the Nation; Potential 2016 Candidates on Garner and Brown; American Held Hostage by al Qaeda; LeBron: "You Pray for the Families"
Aired December 05, 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 overnight: a second night of protests in New York and across the country over a lack of indictment in the chokehold death of Eric Garner. This time, they're bigger, with tense moments coast to coast. We'll bring it all to you.
Good morning and welcome to EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans. John Berman has the morning off. It is Friday. It is December 5th, 5:00 a.m. exactly in the East.
Breaking overnight, even bigger protests in the wake of a grand jury 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 the Staten Island ferry terminal. Staten Island, the scene of Garner's arrest. That is when an officer's use of a chokehold to subdue -- to subdue Eric Garner helped contribute to his death.
The crowds of demonstrators calling for reform of police tactics, training and policy. The crowd also notably diverse, black, white, young, old together.
Huge protests again in Manhattan Thursday night, bigger than those in recent memory, with protesters seemingly better organized. This time protesters blocking traffic on roads, bridges and tunnels, and once again tying midtown in knots. Police even better organized.
Alexandra Field is standing by live now in Times Square with the latest for us this morning.
Good morning.
ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Christine.
These protests only drawing traction in their second night. We're talking about the city's most iconic landmarks, Times Square, where I'm standing right now, the Brooklyn Bridge flooded with protesters, along with the West Side Highway for a second night in a row.
We're talking about demonstrations in Staten Island, here in Manhattan and in Brooklyn as well, one of the most poignant demonstrations, what protesters called a die-in. You saw them laying down next to coffins that they had made over in Brooklyn. In Lower Manhattan, arrests were made as police tried to keep people
away from traffic. In some cases people were sitting down holding hands singing, in other cases they were chanting. All of them rallying and railing against what they believe is the injustice of a failure to indict the officer involved in the death of Eric Garner. Eric Garner's daughter spoke to CNN, talking about what these demonstrations mean to her.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ERICA GARNER, ERIC GARNER'S DAUGHTER: This is not a black and white issue. This is a national crisis, like 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)
FIELD: Eric Garner's daughter saying this is not a black or white issue. And that is reflective of what we've seen over the past two nights around New York City. Very diverse and eclectic groups of demonstrators and protesters, all of them here in the wake of the lack of an indictment in the Eric Garner case, but also trying to draw attention and shine a spotlight on a mission to reduce the use of force and generate a larger conversation on police practices -- Christine.
ROMANS: All right. In Times Square this morning for us, Alexandra Field. Thank you for that.
In Washington, a few hundred protesters outside the Department of Justice, a few hundred grew to thousands weaving their way peacefully 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 the Walmart, 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 in Lakeshore Drive and on the Magnificent Mile, major Chicago arteries. Demonstrators frustrating drivers while delivering their message of social justice. CNN's Kyung Lah walked alongside those protesters and she has this
report for us.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Here in Chicago, it has been a night of trying to shut down the major thoroughfares. We're standing at a major intersection here. This is Michigan and Randolph. In between chanting, you're seeing people line down the streets, trying to make sure that the city of Chicago hears that they want a message to get through.
What you're seeing behind are the bicycle police officers who are trying to prevent them from spilling on the major roads. At one point, they did spill on to the highway.
They did spill on to Lakeshore Drive, a major thoroughfare here in the city of Chicago.
But overall, a largely peaceful protest trying to get the national voice to hear them here in Chicago as well.
Kyung Lah, CNN, Chicago.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROMANS: All right. Demonstrators also marched in Florida. That was the scene in downtown Orlando. Hundreds of protesters blocked major roads while chanting, "We want justice" and "I can't breathe". Those were Eric Garner's last words. No report 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.
Two of the possible candidates for president in 2016 making their opinions on the grand jury decision in the Michael Brown and Eric Garner cases. Both Hillary Clinton and Rand Paul weighing in on race and criminal justice in remarks on Thursday.
Senior political correspondent Brianna Keilar has that for us 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: Brianna, thanks for that.
A scathing report criticizes the Cleveland police department has surfaced following the fatal shooting of a 12-year-old boy. The Justice Department says it found alarming examples of officers using unnecessary and unreasonable force at a significant rate. Federal investigators say some officers employed dangerous tactics that put the community at risk.
This after personnel records show Officer Timothy Loehmann had been on the verge of being fired from another police department because he was, quote, "distracted and weepy" and showed, quote, "a lack of maturity." The report detailed his problems with the following instructions.
Loehmann killed Tamir Rice after the 12-year-old pulled out a toy gun in a park.
Much more on the massive protests over Eric Garner's chokehold death and we'll show what President George W. Bush says about racial tension in America.
Plus, what we're learning about the American being held hostage by al Qaeda. His family is now speaking. A live report, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROMANS: A second night of protests nationwide. Thousands of people take to the streets angry at a grand jury's decision not to 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 in 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 now Somers and also a thwarted attempt to rescue him by the U.S. military.
I want to bring in CNN's Nima Elbagir. She is standing by live for us this morning in London with the latest on this case.
Good morning, Nima.
What can you tell us about this hostage and the recent rescue attempt to get him? NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning,
Christine.
Well, Yemeni officials tell us they received intelligence that Luke Somers and other hostages were going to be moved to a different location and they and U.S. Special Forces felt that this was both an opportunity to act and potentially one that they might regret not taking.
Of course, we now in know that rescue attempt was thwarted and when they and the U.S. Special Forces, they found that Luke Somers had been moved to a different location.
Luke Somers' family are speaking out with a heartbreaking plea to al Qaeda to not punish Luke for this thwarted rescue attempt. Take a listen to this.
(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: The al Qaeda video threatening to execute Luke Somers was posted Wednesday and they've give an three day deadline for the U.S. to acquiesce to some unspecified demands.
ROMANS: It must be terrifying for those families trying to figure out exactly how to communicate, what to say and how to say it when so many much in the balance.
Nima, thank you so much for that.
Fifteen minutes past the hour.
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 of weapons 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 two hours from now. Thursday's launch was postponed because of high winds and technical issues. 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. Now, the capsule is designed to eventually take astronauts to an
asteroid or perhaps even Mars.
People in the Philippines evacuating ahead of a dangerous typhoon. Hundreds of soldiers and police are patrolling the streets of Tacloban, helping folks get out before the storm strikes. The category four storm expected to slam the Central Philippines Saturday. It's expected to bring torrential rain and storm surges as high as 13 feet.
All right. The forecast here is calling for a turn for the worst in the Northeast.
Indra Petersons has an early start on your weather.
Happy Friday.
INDRA PETERSONS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Friday, why do you have such bad news, Christine, right?
Yes, we definitely saw a gorgeous day yesterday, a high pressure was in place. But we knew by the time we got closer to the weekend, we would be talking about a change. You can see a few scattered showers ahead of the system in through the mid-Atlantic right now. Really, all this moisture is ahead of a low that's starting to develop and kind of push its way through first into the Ohio Valley and then in through Northeast.
You actually can see before we see the warm front push through, we're going to be talking about snow, sleet, and even freezing rain back in through Cleveland this morning. That's while this cold air is still in place.
The one piece of good news that we have is that warm front will push through. So eventually, that cold air will shift over that snow or sleet back to over to rain. So, the bulk of what you'll look at through Saturday should be more in the form of rain and not doing as much damage out there.
And behind it, by the way, the second half of your weekend looks perfect. High pressure builds back in and it's going to look better. So, day by day, you can actually see the hot spots, really kind of around Louisville, Nashville and Memphis today, but that rain already spreading into the Northeast.
By tomorrow, I think that's soggiest day into the Northeast, and again, the snow you're looking at is through the overnight hours, the coldest time of the day. But that's which is over (INAUDIBLE). But not a huge mess but enough that's a soggy week end.
ROMANS: I guess it is a movie weekend.
PETERSONS: I'll take it.
ROMANS: It is a movie weekend.
Indra Petersons, thank you for that.
All right. Time for an early start on your money. It looks like a good day -- a good Friday for stocks. Asian and European stocks higher this morning, and so are U.S. stock futures. Yesterday's stocks pulled back a little bit but.
Remember, stocks still very close to all time highs. That means it could be another record day today, especially that November jobs report turns out to be strong. It's out at 8:30 a.m. eastern time. Economists polled by CNN money expect 228,000 jobs added and a jobless rate to stay steady at 5.8 percent. If those numbers are accurate, November will be the 10th month in a row are more than 200,000 jobs added each month. We are on track for the best year of job growth since 1989.
Sounds great, white? But what isn't growing? Wages. So, we'll be watching for any signs of strength there.
All right. The King holding court. LeBron James speaking out on race relations in America and how to get this country back on track.
Andy Scholes has the details in the Friday edition of the "Bleacher Report". That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROMANS: As protests take place around the country, sports biggest star LeBron James weighed in on the recent events.
Andy Scholes has more on this morning's "Bleacher Report".
Hey, Andy.
ANDY SCHOLES, BLEACHER REPORT: Hey. Good morning, Christine.
Yes, LeBron has never shied away from speaking his mind, no matter what the topic. He said what happened in Ferguson really hit home for him and yesterday after practice in New York, LeBron gave his thoughts about what's been happening throughout the country.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEBRON JAMES, NBA STAR: Violence is not the answer, retaliation isn't the solution. And as a society, we just have to do better. I pray for the families of the lost ones, we keep having these incidents happen. Innocent victims or whatever the case may be, families are losing loved ones, and I'm not pointing the blame at anybody that's making it happen. I think it's society. We've come a long way but it goes to show how much further we have to go.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHOLES: LeBron and the Cavs taking on the Knicks last night at The Garden. Fourth quarter, Kyrie Irving gets the steal and throws ahead of LeBron who through throws it down. And in the closing seconds, Irving with the running layup, this one sealed for the Cavs. They beat the Knicks, 90-87. The Knicks are 4-16 this season. That's bad.
All right. Dallas Cowboys have guaranteed that for the first time in three years, they won't finish with a record of 8-8. Tony Romo and company having no problem with the Bears last night. Romo throwing for three touchdowns in the game as Dallas beat Chicago 41-28 to improve to 9-4. The cowboys are a perfect 6-0 on the road this season. It's the only team in the NFL that have not lost a game on the road.
All right. Finally, the Pacers/Blazers game in Portland last night. A giant car blimp that usually floats around over the crowd crashed into the stands. Now, no one was hurt but as you can see some fans ended up with an obstructed view seat for much of the first quarter. They did eventually cram the blimp through that tunnel right there.
Christine, no word on when or if that blimp will fly again this season.
ROMANS: Oh, man. All right. Andy Scholes, thanks for that this Friday morning.
SCHOLES: All right.
ROMANS: Twenty-four minutes past the hour.
Thousands of protesters swarming cities coast to coast last night demanding police reforms. We'll hear from the daughter of the man whose chokehold death sparked the massive demonstrations.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
