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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Pope Dives into U.S. Politics; 220 Killed, Over 400 Injured in Mecca Stampede; Trump Talks Trash Against Rivals; Yogi Berra's Legacy Remembered. Aired 5-5:30a ET

Aired September 24, 2015 - 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: The stock has been decimated by the emission scandal, a widening scandal, losing a third of its value.

[05:00:04] JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Yes. This will not stop here. Other companies will be looked at. Other countries will be involved. Just the beginning.

EARLY START continues now.

(MUSIC)

BERMAN: History in the nation's capitol. Pope Francis set to speak before Congress in a few hours. No pope has ever done this before. What is he going to say?

ROMANS: Breaking news this morning. 220 people killed. More than 400 injured in a stampede near Mecca. We're live with new details.

Good morning. Welcome to EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans.

BERMAN: Nice to see you today. I'm John Berman. Thursday, September 24th, 5:00 a.m. in the East.

And what a day for Pope Francis in his first visit to the United States. Today, he becomes the first pope to address Congress at the capitol. He's already spoken at the White House in English to 11,000 people gathering on the South Lawn. He also met privately with the president at the Oval Office.

Now, the remarks at the White House including mentions that would delight and concern both liberals and conservatives. Within opening moments of his White House speech, the pope brought up immigration and climate change and income inequity, religious liberty. Later, it was abortion.

Let's get the latest on the trip from CNN's Rosa Flores.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John and Christine, Pope Francis not holding back on his first day in the United States, tackling immigration, climate change, religious freedom, even canonizing the first Hispanic-American saint at the basilica that you see behind me.

Today, he has another action-packed day. He starts off with a much- anticipated speech before Congress. They, of course, are wondering how Democrats and Republicans are going to react to what he says, especially after he has made some critical comments about capitalism, saying it is the dung of the devil.

Now, we know that Francis is not very comfortable in stuffing situation. He prefers to be with the regular man. What is he going to do? In very much Francis fashion, right after that, he meets with the homeless at Catholic Charities and he heads over to New York where he's going to speak before the United Nations, another much anticipated speech. He has been very critical of Christians, and so, we are expecting that perhaps he's going to make some comments there that could put countries in the hot seat asking them to do more to help the refugees in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan.

Now, of course, we don't know, of course, what Pope Francis is going to say. No one really knows. That is exactly who he is.

But we do know that he speaks off the cuff, he could have these countries experience a coming to Jesus moment -- John, Christine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: Rosa Flores, along the route for us this morning.

After the pope's meeting with the president Wednesday, he spoke to 300 bishops at St. Matthew's cathedral. He praised what he called their courage as they bring healing to victims of sexual abuse by priests. Those words drew outrage from advocates for clergy sex abuse victims. They say bishops have shown, quote, "cowardice and callousness, not courage."

Last night, the pope was met by adoring crowds at the basilica on the campus of Catholic University in Washington.

He was there to canonize a new American saint, Father Junipero Serra. who established California's mission in the late 1700s. That canonization is another source of controversy. Some Native Americans see Serra as a symbol of mission of the oppression of their ancestors, while the pope praised the new saint from trying to protect the Native Americans and defend their dignity.

From there, the pope made an unscheduled visit clearly designed to make a statement with nuns from the Little Sisters of the Poor. The group has been fighting a provision of Obamacare that requires contraceptive coverage in the health plans. Vatican officials say the pope did not bring up the lawsuit, but focused instead on their ministry, to the elderly, poor.

The sisters' spokesperson said in a statement, 'The Holy Father spoke to each of us individually from the youngest postulant to our centenarian. And then he spoke to all of us about the importance of our ministry to the elderly. We were deeply moved by his encouraging words." BERMAN: Later today, after the pope speaks to Congress, he will fly to New York where he will be welcomed to JFK Airport by Mayor de Blasio and Cardinal Timothy Dolan. This evening, he rides to St. Patrick's for an evening prayer service. The streets around there will be closed. It will be quite a traffic snarl.

The security for the visit, a top concern for the police. The department says there are no known threats to the pope, but a threat assessment does list several groups that have expressed support for an attack on the pope, including ISIS-inspired lone wolves, right wing extremists, the mafia.

CNN's Don Lemon asked New York Police Commissioner Bill Bratton about these threats.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILLIAM BRATTON, NEW YORK CITY POLICE COMMISSIONER: It's a long list of nut jobs basically, crazy people. And the concern is some of them have the ability to carry out a threat.

[05:05:01] ISIS has shown remarkable ability to inspire people, to engage in action, lone wolf-type of action.

So, we treat all of this very seriously. We watch it. We monitor it. And all of our security is to prevent certainly prepare to respond if you would have an incident.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: This visit is absolutely thrilling to see. Stay with CNN all day for continuing coverage. We will cover the pope's speech to Congress live and his arrival in New York as well.

ROMANS: All right. We have some disturbing breaking news now. Officials in Saudi Arabia say the death toll in the stampede at the Hajj pilgrimage near Mecca now up to at least 220 people, 450 injured.

For the latest on this horrible accident, I want to bring in CNN's Becky Anderson. She's live from Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. Just a tragedy there.

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right. This is the latest we are getting in to CNN now, hearing from the Saudi civil defense that the number of dead is indeed 250 and as many as 450 wounded.

Now, Saudi authorities telling us the stampede happened in the city of Mina, that is a huge settlement, of more than 100,000 tents, which is the temporary accommodation for visiting pilgrims. And just a reminder of the enormous numbers of people involved in this pilgrimage. At least 2 million people were expected to attend this year. That doubles the population of Mecca.

Now, in the past, hajj has been blighted by stampedes and crushes, the worst in 1990 when almost 1,500 people died in a crush in a tunnel leading to Mina. This particular day of the Hajj too has seen several tragedies in the past. Today's ritual is the stoning of the devil, where people throw pebbles at a wall symbolizing their rejection of evil. In 1994 and 1998 and in 2004, hundreds of pilgrims were killed in two stampedes during and after this event.

And the crush in 2004 did prompt Saudi authorities to install safety barriers to try and prevent such accidents in the future. The most recent Hajj stampede was almost a decade ago, 350 people were killed on a bridge notorious for bottlenecks. That was in 2006. That, too, from today's security update, really such incident lay bear the massive logistical and safety concerns that Saudi authorities deal with every year as these millions descend on Mecca.

And do remember, already casting a grim shadow over this year's Hajj, another deadly accident just earlier on this month. A construction crane crashed through the roof of the grand mosque there killing 107 and injuring nearly 400 weeks ago.

To reiterate, the latest, we are hearing from Saudi civil defense at this point is 220 people dead and 450 wounded -- Christine.

ROMANS: Certainly just a tragedy there in Mecca.

Thank you so much for that, Becky Anderson.

BERMAN: We have breaking news out of Yemen as well. At least 29 people dead in a bomb attack in a mosque. This happened as worshippers were attending a morning prayer service. Dozens also injured. Officials say the death toll there could rise. At this point, no group has come forward claiming responsibility, but we got a number of attacks on mosques there in recent months.

ROMANS: The Defense Department is denying reports that dozens of U.S. trained rebels in Syria have now defected to al Qaeda. Earlier this week, 71 rebels returned to Syria after completing an American training course in Turkey. But one of the rebel commanders distanced himself from the Pentagon claiming the group will fight as an independent faction. Now, an al Qaeda affiliate is posting photos online, claiming those rebels have surrendered their Pentagon-issued weapons and has joined up with al Qaeda.

BERMAN: Hackers who stole security files from millions of Pentagon and government employees, they got away with 5.6 million fingerprint records.

ROMANS: Outrageous.

BERMAN: That is 4.5 million more than originally reported. That is coming before the state visit to Washington by Chinese President Xi Jinping. CNN has learned that U.S. officials privately believe China, although it's not so privately anymore, they believe China is responsible for the data breach, but they are not going public with those suspicions other than to leak them to the press.

ROMANS: All right. Time for an early start on your money. Stocks mostly lower in Asia. China stocks the exception, Shanghai up 1 percent, closing up 1 percent. Take a look there, European shares, U.S. stock futures up a bit.

It was a down day for the Dow yesterday, down 51 points. Today, we hear from Fed Chief Janet Yellen at University of Massachusetts- Amherst. What will she say about when the Fed will raise interest rates.

There's plenty of debate about what the Fed should do. You know, the PIMCO founder, a guy known as the bond king, Bill Gross, he says the Fed should do it now. He says the Fed should have moved. Gross says near zero rates are hurting pension funds, savers, and economic growth.

This is what he said.

[05:10:00] Ordinary Americans with 401(k)s are, quote, "on a revolving spit, being slowly cooked alive while central bankers focus on the models and non-existent inflation."

On a revolving spit, that's how I feel kind of, oh, no, on my job.

(CROSSTALK)

BERMAN: EARLY START.

Donald Trump on top in a new poll, launching new attacks on candidates. I mean like all of the other candidates. Wait until you hear what he said. I'm choking on all of these attacks.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROMANS: Another day, another target for Donald Trump. Last night, many targets for Donald Trump. At the event in South Carolina, Trump went after most of his presidential rivals. He speculated Carly Fiorina is broke. He called Hillary Clinton shrill and he remarked on Chris Christie sweating during the CNN debate.

Despite or maybe because of all of those insults, Trump remains on top in the latest FOX News poll, at 26 percent. Eight points behind him, Ben Carson is second place behind him and everyone else stuck in single digits.

With the latest on Trump's remarks in South Carolina, CNN's Sara Murray.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SARA MURRAY, CNN POLITICS REPORTER: Good morning, John and Christine.

Donald Trump rallying voters as he fielded questions in a more serious forum here in Columbia, South Carolina, last night, getting a hint at what middle class families can expect from him in his tax policies.

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'll be putting a tax plan in next week, that will be a long on policy and will be a great plan with a major reduction in taxes for the middle class. You watch. That's what we have to do.

MURRAY: An aide to the Trump campaign tells me we can expect that tax policy early next week.

Now, here in South Carolina, Trump seemed like he was trying to get his groove back after a shaky debate performance.

[05:15:04] And he did that by coming out swinging against nearly all of his GOP rivals.

But the newest target: Florida Senator Marco Rubio. Trump called the senator a lightweight and took issue with the senator questioning whether Trump was ready to be commander in chief.

TRUMP: Marco Rubio, who by the way has the worst attendance rate record in the United States, he's got the number one worst attendance record, and they want him to be president, right?

MURRAY: Now, there were some old feuds reignited as well. Donald Trump is saying that he is now boycotting FOX News after they, quote, "treated him very unfairly".

Back to you, John and Christine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: All right. Thanks for that, Sara.

Donald Trump will join us here on CNN in just a few hours, during the 7:00 hour of NEW DAY.

BERMAN: So, Hillary Clinton insists there is no way that she started the birther movement. She took a shot at Donald Trump during an interview with Don Lemon. She called all rumors about the President Obama citizenship untrue, and she brushed off allegations that she is the one responsible for starting these rumors. She denied she ever had a confrontation with President Obama on the issue.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE (via telephone): No, that is so ludicrous, Don. You know, honestly, I just believe that first of all, it's totally untrue. Secondly, you know, the president and I have never had any kind of confrontation like that. You know, this is such a bad example of what's wrong with instantaneous reactions and Americans getting all worked up and people feeding prejudice and paranoia like Donald Trump.

And, obviously, all of us have to stand against it, and, you know, I have been blamed for nearly everything. That was a new one to me, but you know.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: What happened was there was a "60 Minutes" interview in 2008. She was asked if President Obama was a Muslim. She said there's nothing to base that off of, as far as I know. When she said as far as I know, a lot of people thought she was trying to raise the possibility that he was a Muslim. Also, aides at that point behind the scenes, circulated some memos questioning the upbringing of the president. That is where all that comes from.

All right. But look at this brand FOX News poll. Voters asked regardless of how you plan to vote, who will be the next president? Hillary Clinton on top at 28 percent and Donald Trump second at 20 percent, Bernie Sanders at 5 percent. This is actually a pretty accurate measurement typically of who will win, who people think will win.

ROMANS: All right. Another legal defeat for Kentucky clerk Kim Davis, who went to jail for refusing to issue marriage licenses to gay couples. A judge Wednesday rejected her latest appeal to postpone his order that she license all couples. Davis argued that issuing licenses would cause her irreparable harm to her religious beliefs.

She defended her actions in a FOX News interview, saying she is willing to suffer the consequences again.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KIM DAVIS, ROWAN COUNTY, KENTUCKY CLERK: So, you have millions of Christians who object this whole same-sex marriage issue. Are their rights invalid? Are there are rights not worth anything? I mean, it's a valid point. It's a fight that's worth fighting for.

MEGYN KELLY, FOX NEWS: Are you prepared to go back to jail if that's what it takes?

DAVIS: Whatever the cost.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: When asked if she would issue a same sex marriage license to her own children, she said she would stick to her beliefs.

BERMAN: All right. Remembering Yogi Berra. The baseball world pays tribute to the legendary Yankee who became an American icon. What a life.

Andy Scholes has the details in the bleacher report, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:22:10] BERMAN: The tributes are pouring in for Yogi Berra. Teams all around baseball taking moment last night to remember the Yankee great.

ROMANS: Andy Scholes has more in this morning's bleacher report. Hey, Andy.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Hey, good morning, guys.

Yogi Berra, he was a legend. He not was one of the greatest players ever to play the game. He had all the yogi-isms and all these major laughs. My personal favorite was when he said, no one ever goes their anymore, it's too crowded.

The Empire State Building was loaded up with pin stripes to honor Yogi. The Yankees wearing a special number 8 patch on their jerseys, and the team watched as the tribute to Yogi was played on the JumboTron before their games in Toronto.

Now, this was a big game for the Yankees. They continue to try to catch the Blue Jays in the AL East. And they would get shut out in this one, 4-0. They are now 3 1/2 games back of the Jays with 11 games to go.

A high school coach in Texas has admitted to ordering his players to blind side a ref during a game earlier this month. ESPN is reporting that John Jay High School assistant coach Mack Breed told his principal that he ordered the hit out of anger, claiming the official used racist language. The governing body of Texas high school athletics is meeting today to determine the punishment for Breed and the rest of the program. The two players involved were ordered to spend 75 days in an alternative school. They will be eligible to return to John Jay High School next semester.

A golf season will come to an end this season with the tour championship in Atlanta. $10 million is on the line. The favorite to win it is Jason Day. He had a very unique way of describing his game when meeting with the media yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JASON DAY, 205 PGA CHAMPIONSHIP WINNER: It's like Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy had a baby and I was it, because I've got Rory's length and I'm hoping that I've got Jordan's touch.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: Day is one of five guys who could win the $10 million by just winning the tournament this weekend. The others are Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler, Henrik Stenson and Bubba Watson.

Christine, you know, I was thinking if Walter Cronkite and Tom Brady had a baby, the result would be John Berman.

(LAUGHTER)

BERMAN: That is outstanding. I like that. Thank you very much, Andy. I appreciate that. Tom Brady, Jr. I would take Tom's name.

ROMANS: That just took my breath away.

BERMAN: I know.

ROMANS: I'm speechless. Thank you, Andy, for that.

All right. Twenty-four minutes past the hour. Pope Francis hours away from speaking before Congress. The first time

the pope has ever done this. What will he tell America's lawmakers? Next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:28:09] ROMANS: In just hours, the pope will speak before U.S. lawmakers. The first time a pope has ever addressed Congress. What will he say?

BERMAN: We have breaking news this morning. Hundreds killed in a stampede near Mecca. Tragedy at the Hajj. We are live with new details.

Welcome back to EARLY START. I'm John Berman.

ROMANS: I'm Christine Romans. Twenty-eight minutes past the hour.

Nice to see you all this Thursday morning.

What a day for Pope Francis and his first ever visit to the United States, and today becomes the first hope to address the U.S. Congress at the Capitol. Now, he has already spoken at the White House in English to 11,000 people gathered on the South Lawn. Not one of his first three or four languages, but he did well, I think. And then he met privately with the president in the oval office.

His remarks included mentions that would delight and concern both liberals and conservatives. Within the opening moments of his White House address, the pope brought up immigration and then discussed climate change, income inequality and religious liberty.

Later, it was abortion. Let's get the very latest on this historic from our Rosa Flores.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John and Christine, Pope Francis not holding back on his first day in the United States, tackling immigration, climate change, religious freedom, even canonizing the first Hispanic-American saint at the basilica that you see behind me.

Today, he has another action-packed day. He starts off with a much- anticipated speech before Congress. They, of course, are wondering how Democrats and Republicans are going to react to what he says, especially after he has made some critical comments about capitalism, saying it is the dung of the devil.

Now, we know that Francis is not very comfortable in stuffing situation. He prefers to be with the regular man. What is he going to do? In very much Francis fashion, right after that, he meets with the homeless at Catholic Charities and he heads over to New York where he's going to speak before the United Nations, another much anticipated speech. He has been very critical of Christians.