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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
Bigger Protests Seeking Police Reform; Potential 2016 Candidates on Garner And Brown; Orion Spacecraft Launching; Arrest in UAE Stabbing Of American Teacher; Stocks Up Around The World
Aired December 05, 2014 - 05:30 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 when dealing with minority community, demonstrators shutting down roadways, bridges, tunnels. We'll bring it all to you this morning.
Welcome back to EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans. John Berman has the morning off. It is Friday, 28 minutes past the hour.
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 Staten Island's ferry terminal. Staten Island the scene of Garner's arrest. That is when an officer's use of a chokehold to subdue him led to his death. The crowds of demonstrators calling for reform of police tactics, policy and training. The crowd also noticeably diverse last night -- black, white, young and old together.
Huge protests again in Manhattan, bigger than those in recent memories with protesters seemingly better organized, blocking traffic and roads, bridges and tunnels, once again tying midtown up in knots. Police, it seems, though, even better organized, moving those crowds through Times Square.
Alexandra Field standing by live this morning in Times Square with the very latest for us.
Good morning.
ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, there. Good morning, Christine.
No question about it, these protests gained momentum in their second night and garnered more attention. That has to do with where they're happening. Right here in Times Square, where I'm standing, along the West Side Highway, where traffic was being stopped on the Brooklyn Bridge, where traffic was also being stopped. These protests happening in at least three boroughs overnight from Manhattan to Brooklyn where there was a so-called die-in which was staged and in Staten Island where different scuffles erupted. Down in Lower Manhattan arrests were made.
We know the protesters were down there chanting sitting down holding hands singing and sometimes being arrested by police officers who felt most concerned that they were blocking traffic.
No word yet on the arrest totals overnight. We are waiting for those numbers from the NYPD. All of this tough really touching in many ways, Eric Garner's family, the decision not to indict the officer involved in his death last July in Staten Island has sparked this rash of protests across the country.
On "CNN TONIGHT," Eric Garner's daughter spoke about what these demonstrations and the people doing them have meant to her.
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ERICA GARNER, ERIC GARNER'S DAUGHTER: This is not a black-and-white issue. This is a national crisis. Like, I believe that this is a crisis. For white people to come out and show how deeply they were hurt and like Asians and 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 appreciate it. It's like, a sense of I'm not the only one that feels this thing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FIELD: Powerful words from Garner's daughter calling this a national crisis. We're talking about demonstrations in this city and a number of other cities. Yes, this does have to do with the case of Eric Garner certainly.
It has to do with Michael Brown, of course, in Ferguson, but it has to do with much broader questions that a lot of people are asking right now about how communities are policed and when the use of force is appropriate -- Christine.
ROMANS: All right, Alexandra Field for us this morning in Times Square, thank you. In Washington, a few hundred protesters outside the Department of Justice 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 right 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 of the protesters inside.
After about 5 minutes, Walmart security let the protesters leave. Demonstrators also marched in Florida. That was the scene in downtown Orlando. Hundreds of protesters blocked major roads chanting "we want justice" and "I can't breathe." Those were Eric Garner's last words. No reports of any arrests in Florida.
In Texas, several protesters were detained. Hundreds marched to Dallas police headquarters. The group began to disperse around 11:30 last night. We're told they're planning another round of protests tonight.
Two of the possible candidates for president in 2016 speaking out on the grand jury decisions in both the Michael Brown and Eric Garner cases, Hillary Clinton and Rand Paul weighed in on race and criminal justice in remarks Thursday.
Our senior political correspondent, Brianna Keilar has more this morning from Washington.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Christine. With the exception of Republican Senator Rand Paul potential 2016 candidates haven't waded into the debate on the grand jury decisions in both Ferguson and Staten Island not to indict officers in these 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.
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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 faraway place. They didn't happen to some other people. These are our streets, our children, our fellow Americans and our grief.
SEN. RAND PUAL (R), KENTUCKY: I think she needs to have 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 and my guess is that her notion of sort of the busy body nature of government is the that she wouldn't support reducing taxes.
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KEILAR: Rand Paul weighing in on "THE SITUATION ROOM" with Wolf Blitzer referencing that Eric Garner died as a police officer 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 see eye to eye on some areas of criminal justice reform, but this contrast is a likely preview of more to come as we enter the presidential campaign season -- Christine.
ROMANS: Yes, more to come. Brianna Keilar, thanks for that. A second attempt for a test launch for the Orion spacecraft is set to happen 90 minutes from now. Yesterday's launch was postponed because of high winds and some technical issues. If all goes as planned today, the unmanned Orion spacecraft will blast off from Cape Canaveral just after 7:00 a.m. Eastern atop a Delta 4 rocket.
Alina Machado is at the Kennedy Space Center where the Orion is sitting on a launch pad and everyone is biting their nails.
ALINA MACHADO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Christine. Everybody is definitely hopeful today is the day that Orion lifts off into space. It's set to take off at 7:05 a.m. Eastern. The same time as yesterday and preparations have been under way for several hours, in fact.
They started fueling the rocket's three core boosters a couple of hours ago. Right now, though, weather seems to be the biggest concern. You can see it's a little bit windy and if the launch were to take place right this very moment, we're told that it would be a no-go according to NASA because of rain and cloud cover over the launch site.
Now NASA has said that there is a 40 percent chance of favorable weather conditions at some point during the launch window. That window lasts about 2:39. Again, it starts at 7:05 a.m. yesterday's launch was put on hold several times, mostly because of windy conditions.
And it was eventually subbed because they discovered a problem with the rocket's valves. That issue seems to have been resolved. Now, if today's launch does not take place before 9:44 a.m. Eastern, the next window opens tomorrow morning at 7:10 Eastern -- Christine.
ROMANS: All right, Alina Machado at Cape Canaveral, thank you so much for that.
We're going to have more on the enormous protests over Eric Garner's death last night and we're learning more about the person accused of stabbing an American teacher in Abu Dhabi. Was this a lone wolf attack or part of a bigger threat against Americans?
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ROMANS: 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 is veiled head to toe. With more on this case, the attacker and her victim, I want to turn to CNN's John Delterios live in Abu Dhabi. John, what can you tell us about this mysterious attack and then this very high profile arrest now?
JOHN DELTERIOS, CNN ANCHOR: First and foremost, it that has whole country still talking about it. More information is coming out about the suspect. We know that she indeed is an Emirate national here from the UAE but of Yemeni origin. The police will tell us that she's in her late 30s, but won't release her name despite reports to the contrary. What we don't know, Christine, four days after this event transpired what were her motivations and whether she was a lone wolf?
Why did she stab the 47-year-old mother of three kids and leave a bomb outside an Egyptian American's home in downtown Abu Dhabi? Now we have an updated video released by Abu Dhabi police through their so- called security media division.
It does show the suspect leaving the nail bomb right near downtown Abu Dhabi and we see an edit of the raid on her villa. She didn't show any resistance here.
Again, the police are not providing broader details of what they found in the villa just yet. This is interesting on a country that prides itself on being the safe haven of the UAE.
Let's show you one headline from the most read newspaper, "Mall murder suspect in police custody." It shows the deputy prime minister and the minister of interior, Saif Nayam. It's very unusual for the member of the family to conduct a press conference.
It shows you the severity of the case. Many are questioning the high- profile role the UAE took in the bombing attacks against ISIS and lining up with the United States.
The two things we do know right now, this was a Hungarian American. The suspect here is in custody right now, but also the strain to the Egyptian American doctor as well.
Is this a backlash to that and that's going to probably unfold as police release more information from the interviews they are conducting with the suspect.
ROMANS: All right, John Delterios in Abu Dhabi for us this morning. Thank you, John.
Now let's look at what's coming up on "NEW DAY." Chris Cuomo joins us now. You had a late night last night, my friend and now you're here still talking about how those protests are unfolding.
CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR, "NEW DAY": You know what, though, the protests demand the coverage. Last night was a very different night, Christine, I haven't seen a city like this since the occupy movement a few years ago.
It wasn't just the number of crowds that we'll tell you about this morning, it was the diversity. However, for all the different types of people and ages and places they came from, many from Ferguson, Missouri, by the way, the message was one, they want change.
Obviously the flash point you now know these last two cases of unarmed black men being killed by white police officers, grand juries failing to indict, but there's something about the Eric Garner case here in Staten Island that wasn't just familiar this city. But it was familiar to people all over the country who are demanding better out of the justice system. So we'll take you through the protests last night. A lot of it got fiery and we'll show you why and how that resolved.
Also, the Cosby situation is not going away. There's another accuser coming forward, very, very dark story about being raped and drugged. She says she met the comedian at the Playboy mansion decades ago and she insists it's not just her story that she can tell you about, but many other women who worked there.
She says she has the inside scoop on. It's an interview you won't want to miss -- Christine.
ROMANS: All right, thanks for that, Chris. We'll talk to you very soon.
Also this morning watching a major storm expected to slam into the Philippines this weekend. The island nation is still trying to recover from a super typhoon that caused major destruction last year. We have that for you next.
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ROMANS: Protests against police abuse stretched into a second day coast to coast, thousands of demonstrators 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 described the scene when things got a little bit heated in Times Square.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We all made a big circle in the intersection and then the cops started pushing and fights broke out. They started making arrests and then it was pretty much them pushing us back and fighting people and making arrests as they could. I saw a guy get his jacket ripped.
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ROMANS: Almost all the protests peaceful but passionate. President George W. Bush wading into the conversation about race relations, 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. He commented on the protests that have followed.
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FORMER PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH: It's sad that race continues to play such an emotional divisive part of life. I remember back when I was a kid in the '70s and there were race 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 have to understand that there are a lot of black folks around that are just incredibly more and more distrusting of law enforcement, which is a shame because law enforcement's job is to protect everybody.
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ROMANS: The full interview with President George W. Bush airs Sunday 9:00 a.m. Eastern on "STATE OF THE UNION" with Candy Crowley.
Today President Obama will announce his pick for defense secretary. The president is said to have selected Ashton Carter, the 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 the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
A potential showdown brewing today at the oval office, President Obama plans to meet with seven newly elected governors, one of whom is suing him. Republican Greg Abbot is leading a 17-state lawsuit against the president's executive action on immigration. The meeting comes as part of Obama's outreach efforts after Democrats were trounced in November's midterm elections.
All right, people in the Philippines evacuating ahead of a monster 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 will bring torrential rain and storm surges are expected as high as 13 feet.
The forecast here is calling for a turn for the worse in the northeast. Indra Petersons has all of your early start on your weekend weather. Hi, there.
INDRA PETERSONS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It's a weekend. Why does it have to be the weekend? But yes, we are already starting to see some changes out there. You can see changes toward the mid-Atlantic, light showers, even a threat for freezing rain moving in through Cleveland today.
But really the major system still kind of behind it, we're really kind of watching this expecting to make its way into the Ohio Valley and bring more heavy rain into the mid-Atlantic and northeast as we head through this weekend.
So conditions deteriorating, first you will see some snow so places like New England, maybe kind of slush and eventually some freezing rain we talked about in through Cleveland this morning.
But all this will transition over to rain. We'll watch that warm front make its way through. So in the overnight hours the time you'll talk about that wintery mix. There conditions only improve as far as warmer temperatures and more rainfall through Saturday. Sunday looks best of all. The system moves out of there and calmer conditions and a beautiful Sunday behind that storm so at least part of your weekend does look nice.
Nonetheless, here we go with today's forecast around Louisville, Nashville, and Memphis. You can see you're talking about rain from New England even back in through Texas. By tomorrow it pushes farther to the east. Intensify ago little bit so about an inch of rain.
Not a huge system in Boston, New York City, even out towards D.C. kind of seeing that bull's-eye there. Again, this is just the overnight hours you're talking about the snow.
Just a heads up, though, out west they're still talking about another threat for rain today, but most likely staying in through Northern California either way, a lot of rain heading their way.
ROMANS: All right, rain, rain go away. Thanks, Indra. The nation's capital is in full Christmas swing. President Obama and the first family lit the national Christmas tree during the 92nd annual holiday event. Tom Hanks and his wife, Rita Wilson served as hosts and performers from Heidi Lobell to Nico Events.
Job growth has been solid, but what about your wages? They are not rising. We're kind of looking at your economy recovery next.
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ROMANS: All right, happy Friday. Let's get an EARLY START on your money. It looks like a happy Friday for stocks. Asian and European stocks are higher this morning so are U.S. stock futures. It could be another record day especially if the November jobs report is strong. That report comes out at 8:30 Eastern Time.
Economists poll bid CNN money expect 228,000 net new jobs added and unemployment rate to stay steady at 5.8 percent. If those numbers are accurate, November will be the 10th month in a row with 200,000 jobs added on track for the best year of job growth since 1999.
What isn't growing, wages, wage growth stuck in low gear around the world. Average wages grew just 2 percent last year according to the International Labor Office. A lot of that growth came from China. Look at that, 7 percent wage growth in China.
Take China out of the picture, the rest of the world saw wages grow just 1.1 percent. Workers here in the U.S. saw real wage growth look at that, 0.3 percent. I'll get a new reading on wages at 8:30 a.m., watching very closely for any sign pay may be picking up.
College is certainly expensive, but in most states did you know child care is more expensive than in-state college tuition? A new report from child care aware finds child care costs eat deeply into family budgets. Families at the poverty line can spend 85% of their income on child care. Parents in Massachusetts pay the most. Look at that, more than $16,000 a year to care for an infant. A lot of news to cover this morning, including thousands of people taking to the streets across the United States, they are demanding police reforms. "NEW DAY" has that and a whole lot more starting right now.
