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Pope Francis Arrives in the U.S.; The Race for President; New York Yankees Legend Yogi Berra Dies at 90. Aired 4-4:30a ET
Aired September 23, 2015 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[04:00:14] CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Pope Francis waking up in the United States for the very first time, meeting one on one with President Obama in just hours. It's just the beginning of a historic six-day visit.
BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: The race for president intensifying this morning. Donald Trump and Ben Carson defending their controversial comments about Muslims, as Hillary Clinton faces new questions about her State Department e-mail investigation.
ROMANS: The loss of a legend. Overnight, Yankee's Hall of Fame catcher Yogi Berra dies at 90 years old.
SANCHEZ: Good morning and welcome to EARLY START. I'm Boris Sanchez.
ROMANS: So nice to see you this morning. Thanks for being here.
I'm Christine Romans. It is Wednesday, September 23rd, 4:00 a.m. in the East.
Let's begin with this: a historic moment outside Washington as Pope Francis arrives for a six-day visit.
Greeted in person by the president, the vice president and their families. After a raucous welcome at Joint Base Andrews, the pontiff privately with the president. And in a symbol of the humility that has marked his papacy, the pope climbed into not the usual limousine, but instead a Fiat for the drive to Washington.
Today, Pope Francis will be formally welcomed on his first ever visit to the U.S. at a White House ceremony, and also hold another private one on one meeting with the president.
With the very latest on what's ahead for the Holy Father today, senior White House correspondent Jim Acosta.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Christine and Boris, it was one of the biggest symbolic moments of the Obama presidency, with the president and first family, plus the nation's first Catholic vice president and Dr. Jill Biden altogether greeting the pope. It made for an unprecedented welcome for the United States at Andrews Air Force Base.
Day two of the pope's visit later on this morning, it will be a sight to behold. For starters, 15,000 visitors are expected to cram on to the White House South Lawn to witness the pope's official arrival ceremony. After the president greets the pope, the two leaders will speak to the world and then hold a one-on-one meeting with only translators in the room. That is all before Pope Francis addresses Congress on Thursday. The Vice President Joe Biden will be in attendance for that.
And even though the president and pope are allies on issues ranging from climate change to income inequality to Cuba, the White House has been very secretive about what these two men will discuss during their meeting in the Oval Office. Perhaps that's because this pope can be full of surprises. I can tell you, after their last meeting in Rome last year, we asked the president whether any hot button social issues were raised, the president said the pope unexpectedly brought up immigration reform, and the White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett is telling CNN these two leaders may have more business to tackle in the coming months as the president winds up his time in office -- Boris and Christine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: The pope certainly not shy to bring up those controversial topics. Jim, thank you.
Also on the pope's schedule today, the canonization of a new American saint. Father Junipero Serra established the Spanish missions in California more than 200 years ago. But his canonization is controversial. Many Native Americans and Latinos hold him responsible for the enslavement of California Indians and their forced conversion to Christianity. Others see Father Serra's canonization as an opportunity to begin healing very old wounds.
And on Thursday, more opportunity for controversy as the pope addresses a joint session of Congress. The mystery there: will he bring up climate change, economic inequality and other hot button issues?
CNN's Rosa Flores has the latest from Washington.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Christine and Boris, Pope Francis waking up in the United States for the very first time. This is his first trip to America.
And he's got an action packed day. He starts off at the White House with a welcome ceremony. And then he meets the bishops, and then he comes to the basilica you see behind me for the canonization ceremony of Junipero Serra. And he's the first Hispanic-American to be canonized.
Now, I've been flying with the pope on the papal plane. There was a papal plane press conference on the way from Cuba to the United States where we were asking the pope about, you know, what is he going to say on his speech before Congress, the much anticipated speech before Congress. And he said that the embargo will not be mentioned.
But he did say that what happens he might speak about bilateral and multi-lateral relations agreements and how they are a sign of progress and co-existence. As for what he is actually going to say? Well, we're going to have to wait until Thursday to find out -- Christine, Boris.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROMANS: All right. Thanks for that, Rosa.
The pope's U.S. tour, including Washington, New York and Philadelphia has triggered one of the largest mobile security operations in American history. Jointly run by the Secret Service and FBI, the security operation will involve federal, state and city law enforcement officer.
[04:05:06] Their tasks complicated by the fact that, you know, this pope wants to be able to spontaneously reach out and interact with the huge crowds he always draws and by the variety of locations he'll visit.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOSEPH CLANCY, DIRECTOR, U.S. SECRET SERVICE: Each venue presents different challenges, an outdoor event as opposed to an indoor event. With an outdoor event such as we see here on the Ben Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia, it creates enormous challenges, but we have to adapt to that. We have. We have to have structure. If you don't have structure, you have mayhem. And you have to have routes available so if there is an incident, we can certainly get the Holy Father out of the city.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Stay with CNN for live coverage of the pope's visit all day long. Quite a lot going on here today. We're going to bring you those events as they happen.
SANCHEZ: Another visitor from another country, China's president today touring Washington state with tensions between the U.S. and China as high as they have been in years over industrial espionage, human rights, Chinese encroachment in the South China Sea, and a host of other issues, Xi Jinping will be meeting with U.S. and Chinese business leaders to give a policy speech. He's also expected to visit Boeing's factor, take part in tech demos at Microsoft, and visit a high school in Tacoma, a high school he visited almost 20 years. On Tuesday, he gave a speech in Seattle, pledging to work with America to stop cyber crimes.
ROMANS: Turning now on the latest battle against ISIS and Syria. U.S. officials tell CNN American commanders are proposing to provide arms and ammunition to a coalition of up to 5,000 anti-ISIS Syrian rebels. Now, the group loosely known as the Syrian Arab coalition has had recent battlefield success against ISIS, at the same time, a Pentagon effort to equip and train other moderate Syrian rebels has been faltering.
The Syrian government confirming it has now received advanced fighter and recon aircraft from Russia. The Assad regime says the new planes and drones are enhancing its ability to target ISIS fighters. This as a top former general goes before a Senate panel criticizing what he calls America's failure to stabilize the situation there in Syria. General David Petraeus arguing chaos in Syria is creating an opening for Russia to reestablish its empire.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID PETRAEUS, RETIRED U.S. ARMY GENERAL: Like a nuclear disaster, the fallout from the meltdown of Syria threatens to be with us for decade, and the longer it is permitted to continue, the more severe the damage will be.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Meantime, ISIS cranking up its propaganda machine in apparent reaction to the Syrian crisis. Nearly a dozen ISIS videos released in recent weeks denounce those refugees, parading the abomination of living among unbelievers, while begging them to return to the ISIS caliphate.
SANCHEZ: The Senate now working to avoid a government shutdown before the October 1st deadline. Senate leaders say a stopgap funding bill to withstand the current federal budget for another 10 weeks is now gaining traction. In the meantime, the White House Budget Office has already started working with government agencies on shutdown plans just in case there is a lapse.
ROMANS: All right. Seven minutes, almost eight minutes past the hour. Time for an early start on your money.
Asian stocks closed lower this morning. You know, China's manufacturing activity hit a six-year low. That number rocking the world.
European stocks look a little more upbeat. But watch the auto sector, because Volkswagen are still falling right now. VW has lost more than a third of its value this week as the emission scandals grow there.
The drug that saw 5,000 percent price tag overnight now coming back down. Turing Pharmaceutical CEO Martin Shkreli was the focus of public outrage. Some people call him the most hated man in America after his company hiked the price of Daraprim from $13 a pill to $750 a pill. Now, he is backtracking, he agreed to cut the price, although he hasn't said by how much or when. He said he is not being greedy as he is being accused.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARTIN SHKRELI, CEO, TURING PHARMACEUTICALS: I think they have a fundamental misunderstanding of the way pharmaceutical companies operate. At this price, Daraprim is not a substantially profitable drug.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: He said he plans to use the profit in part to -- research improvements to that drug.
And, of course, that 5,000 percent hike in the cost of that drug is something that Hillary Clinton on the campaign trail yesterday said was price gouging, and part of her plan to rein in sky high drug costs. You know, some have complained that specialty drug companies can buy a drug, raise the price, say that they're using it to fund research and development, but there's really no way to track it.
SANCHEZ: It's something he may have appeared to have done before as well.
Well, it ain't over until it's over. And sadly this morning, we have to report that it's over. Baseball legend Yogi Berra has passed away. Born Lawrence Peter Berra, the Hall of Fame catcher played 17 seasons for the New York Yankees, helping the team win ten World Series championships.
Berra was known as much for his often humorous quotes, as his on-field achievements. The two most famous probably are, it ain't over until it's over, and it's deja vu all over again.
Yogi Berra was 90 years old, a 15-time all star, great ambassador for the game, really the heart of baseball.
[04:10:05] ROMANS: Yes. A legend and a renowned family man, too.
Donald Trump and Ben Carson refusing to back down about controversial comments about Muslims. New developments in the race for president, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: The State Department and Hillary Clinton at odds over how the investigation into her private e-mail server got started in the first place. The Democratic front runner claiming she was initially asked to turn over e-mails as part of a benign recordkeeping procedure. But "The Washington Post" reports the State Department initiated the investigation as soon as it discovered Clinton was exclusively using a private server in her home. The former secretary of state says she cannot explain that discrepancy.
Clinton also breaking her silence on the Keystone Pipeline, finally taking a position against the controversial project.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think it is imperative that we look at the Keystone Pipeline as what I believe it is, a distraction from the important work we have to do to combat climate change and unfortunately from my perspective, one that interferes with our ability to move forward to deal with all the other issues, therefore, I oppose it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Clinton says she'll be releasing a clean energy agreement between the U.S., Mexico and Canada in the next few days. This plan she says will create jobs.
ROMANS: All right. Donald Trump refusing to back down. The Republican front runner still taking heat for not correcting an anti- Muslim comment made by a supporter at a town hall meeting. Trump says it's not up for him to defend the president, insisting he will not be apologizing in this interview with CBS's Scott Pelley.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCOTT PELLEY, CBS NEWS: It was a testing moment for a man running for president.
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I don't think so.
PELLEY: You never know when they're coming.
TRUMP: I don't think so.
PELLEY: But here you had a bigot.
TRUMP: That wasn't a testing. Well, you don't know that.
PELLEY: You could have slapped down.
TRUMP: You don't know that. I mean, he asked a question. You don't know that he was a bigot. But, look, look, he said --
[04:15:00] PELLEY: A problem in this country is Muslims?
TRUMP: Well, let me ask you this, you said, there is a problem in this country, and it's Muslims, all right? I love the Muslims. I have many, many, friends, people living in this building, Muslims. They're phenomenal people. But like everything else, you have people where there are problems.
Now, we can say there are no problems with the Muslims. There's no problem. There's no terrorism. There's no crime. There is no anything. They didn't knock down the World Trade Center.
To the best of my knowledge, the people that knocked down the World Trade Center, you know where they -- they didn't fly back to Sweden.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Trump also making an appearance last night on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert". Stephen Colbert, who long lamented that he was off the air for much of the ascendancy of this political campaign.
It sure sounds like he's hit the wall when it comes to questions about Barack Obama.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEPHEN COLBERT, COMEDIAN: This is the last time you ever have to address the question if you hit the ball. OK?
TRUMP: Go ahead.
COLBERT: OK. Like salt all over my hand, so big. OK.
TRUMP: I want to hear this.
COLBERT: Barack Obama born in the United States?
TRUMP: Let me just --
COLBERT: Was he? It's a meatball.
TRUMP: I know.
COLBERT: It's hanging out there. Right there. Come on.
(APPLAUSE)
TRUMP: And you want to know, I don't talk about it anymore.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Meanwhile, Trump is turning up the attacks on Marco Rubio, tweeting, "Senator Marco 'amnesty' Rubio who has the worst voting record in Senate, just hit me on national security, but I said don't go into Iraq. Vision."
Trump will be campaigning today in South Carolina. He'll be speaking to the African-American Chamber of Commerce in North Charleston.
SANCHEZ: Ben Carson trying to calm the uproar over his comments about Muslims. Carson initially said he did not believe a Muslim should be in the White House. After getting slammed by Democrats and fellow Republicans, he seems to be softening his position.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BEN CARSON (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I don't care what a person's religious beliefs are or what their religious heritage is. If they embrace American culture, if they embrace our Constitution and are willing to place that above their religious beliefs, I have no problem with them.
(END VIDEO CLIP) SANCHEZ: Now, Carson insists he has not changed his position on Muslims. In a Facebook post, he claims he could support a Muslim candidate for president if that candidate renounces Sharia law.
ROMANS: All right. Also on the trail, Carly Fiorina hitting the trail in South Carolina, trying to build on a strong performance in the CNN debate. The former Hewlett Packard CEO now second in the polls fighting back against attacks from front runner Donald Trump.
We get more from CNN national correspondent Sunlen Serfaty. She's in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Boris and Christine.
While as Carly Fiorina rises in the poll, Donald Trump is really ramping up his line of attacks, going after her business record, saying that she sounds like a robot, even saying that her voice gives him a headache.
Now, on the campaign trail in South Carolina, Carly Fiorina says she believes this is one small sign she is starting to make Donald Trump sweat now that she's in the second spot.
Here's what she said Tuesday in Myrtle Beach.
CARLY FIORINA (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It might seem that Donald Trump is getting a little nervous. Maybe I'm getting under his skin a little bit. I am happy to run on the facts of my record and Mr. Trump is going to have to run on the facts of his record.
As I said during the debate, all of us will be revealed over time and under pressure. And I think it's that's fair for the voters to see.
SERFATY: And the Fiorina campaign has been trying to capitalize on this moment, this momentum that they see after the debate. But Carly Fiorina herself admitted, she says that she is keenly aware that it's not just about doing well in the debates, that she has to bring something more to make that momentum stick.
So, she is in the middle of a three-day swing throughout South Carolina. She will hit three cities today. The campaign says that they are eager to show her in setting that show off her substance. She had a national security conversation for over an hour yesterday, but they also want to highlight her style and her personality.
A campaign aide telling me that they are eager to show she is a real person -- Boris and Christine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: And she has seen quite a surge since that CNN debate. Sunlen, thank you.
President Obama declaring a major disaster for the areas affected by the Valley Fire in California. The move allows the federal government to help with home repairs, temporary housing and other programs affected by the fire. Firefighters gained an upper hand on the state's massive wildfires Tuesday. Three people have died in the flames which erupted earlier this month. More than 1,600 homes there have been destroyed. ROMANS: Yes, unbelievable devastation. Los Angeles is taking drastic
action to address this homeless problem, declaring a public emergency, the first city in the nation to do so.
The major and city council preparing to spend at least $100 million next year on housing and other services. They plan among other things to increase the link of time shelters are open and provide more represent subsidies to the homeless on the streets and those in shelters.
All right. About 20 minutes past the hour. Europe -- Europe with a new plan to deal with those thousands of refugees and migrants flooding European borders.
[04:20:03] Will it be enough?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROMANS: European Union leaders finally meeting on the refugee crisis agreeing to resettle 120,000 migrants. But not all countries are onboard.
Senior international correspondent Nic Robertson live for us in Brussels, Belgium, this morning -- Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, hey, Christine.
That's right. I mean, normally, the European Union tries to act through consensus, getting everyone to agree. What they've done is forced through a vote yesterday, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, all said that they don't want to vote for the assessment to bringing in these 120,000. And on top of that, the fact that European Union rather than sort of creating unity, which is what they wanted the plan do, is sowing the seeds for deeper division in the future.
Add on top of that, 120,000 refugees, guess what, the U.N. says in this past year and this year so far close to half a million refugees and migrants will be coming into Europe. The pace is picking up a quarter of a million of those came in, in July and August this area.
So, this is a partial fix that doesn't address the scale and scope of the problem in its entirety and on top of that, undermines and underscores some of the divisions that exist in Europe about how to deal with this. The European leaders were patting themselves on the back that they made this agreement within three weeks, remembering that it had taken them four months earlier this year to bring in 40,000 refugees.
[04:25:03] But the reality is they're trying to push this through to show that they are united and credible as a European Union.
What they're doing is sowing the seeds for division in the future.
ROMANS: Deep, deep divisions, Nic. It's very clear. I mean, these countries, these leaders have very different ideas on how to solve this.
Let me ask you this, what are the E.U. leaders preparing to do right now, these individual leaders? Because you've got a resettlement system that has to be put together. You've got, you know, like facilities that have to be built and organized, and they need to address the root cause, the violence and instability at the heart of this in the countries that these people are leaving.
ROBERTSON: Sure. We are going to have today the leaders coming in, you have the justice ministers and interior ministers. The leaders are going to focus on the biggest scale and scope of the issue here.
You got British leaders like David Cameron who met last night with the French President Hollande that are saying, look, we've got to deal with the problems in Syria. We've got have to find a political situation there. We've got to put more money into the refugee camps around Syria so the refugees don't leave there.
Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, has been criticized. This is one of the divisions in Europe. She was criticized for essentially what was viewed as throwing opened the doors of Europe, saying we will take the refugee. Of course, Germany now is struggling with the numbers that are arriving, but the sense was with other European leaders, that this was drawing and attracting people out of those refugee camps where they have sort of already got some sanctuary and drawing them towards Europe.
So, the way they're going to try to address this in a bigger way is to, you know, address the political situation inside Syria, but also try to beef up and give those refugee camps in countries like Turkey more money to help keep the refugees, essentially keep away from Europe, Christine.
ROMANS: Interesting.
All right. Nic Robertson, thank you for that, Nic.
SANCHEZ: Pope Francis waking up in the United States for the first time, beginning a historic trip that takes him to the White House this morning. We'll break it down for you, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
