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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
The Race for President: Candidates Shift Strategies; CNN Exclusive: Ivanka Trump; Airport Computers Crash. Aired 4-4:30a ET
Aired October 15, 2015 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[04:00:12] CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: The race for president intensifying. Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders campaigning late into the night. This week's debate causing a shift now in strategy.
ALISON KOSIK, CNN ANCHOR: Is Donald Trump sexist? His daughter Ivanka answers that question in a CNN exclusive.
ROMANS: Breaking overnight: computers crash at airports across the country. What causes delays for thousands and what it means for your plans to fly today.
Good morning, and welcome to EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans.
KOSIK: Good morning. I'm Alison Kosik. It's Thursday, October 15th. It's 4:00 a.m. in the East.
And we begin with Hillary Clinton capitalizing on momentum from her debate performance with a series of events beginning in Las Vegas. Last night at her first large rally in months, Clinton basked in debate afterglow.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I am thrilled that people finally got a chance to compare the Democrats to the Republicans. And I think we came out of that pretty well.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOSIK: More on the resurgent Clinton campaign, senior political correspondent Brianna Keilar.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Alison and Christine.
Hillary Clinton making some post-debate campaign stops in Nevada and courting some key constituencies in the swing state, union members and Hispanic voters. She stopped by a trade union training facility and picked up an endorsement of a key trade union and she also made a stop at a local chain, La Flor de Michoacan, which specializes in Mexican ice creams and other sweet treats. She spoke about Joe Biden as he contemplates a run for the White House
as the first debate is over.
CLINTON: I'm going to continue to run my campaign and make my case for my candidacy. And everyone else, whether they are in or not in, will have to make whatever judgment is best for them.
And I will repeat what I have said to you many times -- I have the greatest respect and affection for the vice president. He and I are friends. We were former colleagues in the Senate. I just think he needs to decide what is best for him and his family.
KEILAR: Hillary Clinton's next stops will be today in San Antonio, Texas. She will go on then to New Hampshire on Friday and Alabama on Saturday as she tries to gin up some enthusiasm after her debate performance in Las Vegas -- Christine and Alison.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROMANS: All right, Brianna. Thank you for that.
Now, Bernie Sanders also riding his momentum from the debate this morning. You know, his campaign now a shift in focus, trying to pivot from a focus on building excitement with huge rallies. Now, the campaign is adding smaller events aimed at persuading voters that Sanders can win. He can make it all the way to the White House.
CNN's Sunlen Serfaty is with the Sanders campaign. She is in Los Angeles. She has this shift in strategy for us.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Christine and Alison.
Well, for the moment, Bernie Sanders is really trying to capitalize on its debate performance through momentum and money. He is building off that $2 million that his campaign has been out touting that they raised since the debate performance, and here in Los Angeles, held a pair of fund-raisers with $160,000 for the campaign.
And it was here speaking out for the very first time about that performance where he specifically went out of his way to reference all this money they raised and specifically that memorable moment where he spoke about Hillary Clinton's e-mails. That got a big reaction from this crowd.
SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I am tired of Hillary's e-mails. Let's talk about real issues.
(APPLAUSE)
SERFATY: Today, Bernie Sanders will make an attempt to show his softer side. We got a look at his interview with Ellen today where, yes, he does dance. He says his favorite song is "Staying Alive" and he says he thinks he has the best hair of all candidates. This is an area where has challenged him, really showing a little bit of color, a little bit of softer image while on the campaign trail.
Now, the campaign will have a small shift in strategy in a few events coming up. We will see Bernie Sanders in addition to all of those big booming rallies that really have defined the early start of this campaign, will now see him in more small, intimate settings. And that shift starts with this weekend in a two-day swing through Iowa -- Christine and Alison.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KOSIK: OK, Sunlen. Thanks very much for that.
Donald Trump stirring new controversy on Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 and whether Russia is to blame for the jetliner being shot down over Ukraine. Dutch investigators say with confidence that pro-Russian separatists downed an airliner using a Russian-made rocket, killing all aboard.
[04:05:01] Trump says that's not enough evidence and it's time to move on.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REPORTER: On Russia, you said today that there is no way to know if Russia is behind shooting down MH-17. That's not what the intelligence so far shows. Why -- what would make you say that?
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, you know what? That's a horrible thing that happened. It's disgusting and disgraceful. But Putin and Russia said they didn't do it. The other side said they did. Nobody really knows who did it. Putin probably knows who did it. Possibly it was Russia, but they are totally denying it.
REPORTER: I think some people might be worried you are defending Russia when you say there's no way --
TRUMP: No, I'm not defending Russia. No. I think it's despicable. It's horrible.
But they deny it totally. And they don't even say what was it, where it came from -- nobody really knows. And I'm sure reports are going to be done. Maybe some day, we'll find out.
But right now, Russia is totally denying it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Trump's daughter Ivanka is taking on one of the biggest controversies hanging over her father's campaign in an exclusive interview with CNN's Poppy Harlow. Ivanka Trump is dismissive the tempest around her father's comment about women and their looks. She says that controversy, that furor, in her words, has been orchestrated largely by the media.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) IVANKA TRUMP, DONALD TRUMP'S DAUGHTER: Look, my father is very blunt. He is very direct. He is non-gender specific in his criticism of people and people that he doesn't particularly like, or people that he does like, but thinks they're wrong on a particular issue. S, you know, I don't think that he is gender-targeted at all.
Like I said, I wouldn't be the person I am today, I wouldn't be a high level executive within his organization if he felt that way. So, he's always supported and encouraged women. And truthfully, he has proven that over decades through his employment practices, through his hiring practices.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOSIK: Jeb Bush is about to become the first presidential candidate to release the names of fund-raisers who are bundling contributions to his campaign. But the former Florida governor is defining bundlers as donors who raised at least $17,600. That's a much lower threshold than Hillary Clinton is using. She is defining bundlers as donors who raised a minimum $100,000. Bush critics point out his lower threshold makes it impossible to identify the campaign's biggest bundlers.
ROMANS: Carly Fiorina trying to reignite her campaign with a three- day visit to Iowa today. She'll be hosting a series of town halls and a chili cook-off. Her strong performance in the last debate helping raised $6.8 million in the third quarter, outpacing rivals like Rand Paul and Marco Rubio.
KOSIK: And speaking of Rubio, he is hoping to profit off the departure off of Scott Walker's departure from the race. The Florida senator meeting with a dozen of Walker's former top fund-raisers on Wednesday. Winning over those donors could make or break Rubio's chances. He was only able to raise $6 million last quarter.
ROMANS: Ben Carson will be taking a break from campaigning for the next two weeks. He'll be busy promoting his new book "A More Perfect Union", making stops in Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa.
There are also several fundraising events on his schedule. The next time he'll appear publicly as a candidate again, October 28th. That's the date of the next GOP debate.
KOSIK: So, it looks like President Obama is rethinking his plan for pulling all of the U.S. forces in Afghanistan out of there by the end of next year. Currently, there are 10,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan. The president's original plan called for whittling that number down to 1,000 by the time he leaves office. Well, now, the administration is expected to keep about 5,500 troops there after 2016.
U.S. military advisers say that's because of a resurgent Taliban and growing threats from ISIS and al Qaeda.
ROMANS: Just last month, the Taliban overran the city of Kunduz. Now, Afghan officials are concerned more key cities could fall. They say insurgents are targeting urban areas in the south, including the city of Ghazni. That's about 75 miles from Kabul. Officials say a Taliban offensive came within three miles of the city limits there before being pushed back by Afghan troops.
KOSIK: OK, here is a case of bringing your Aleve with you. Those long lines and flight delays from millions from millions of air travelers on Wednesday, caused by a glitch in the Homeland Security's computer system. U.S. Customs and Border Protections says the program that cross matches passenger names with terror watch lists was down for about 90 minutes. The malfunction is now considered malicious, but it did create enormous back ups at airports in New York, Atlanta and Boston.
ROMANS: What a mess. And there were delays earlier this week for Southwest. Just a tough week to be flying.
All right. Time for an early start on your money this morning. A good start to stocks around the world. Asian stocks higher. Shanghai up 2 percent. European stocks, U.S. futures also pointing up.
But a bad day on Wall Street yesterday. The Dow plunged 157 points. That's almost 1 percent. The S&P 500 and the NASDAQ also lower for the day.
Why? A disappointing start to earnings season, folks. Wal-Mart says the strong dollar and wage increases are hurting its profits.
[04:10:05] The stock plunged -- Wal-Mart shares down 10 percent. Wal- Mart shares at a three-year low on this news. It's the worst percentage loss since 1988.
Walmart says profit cost drop 6 percent to 12 percent next year. The retail giant has been under pressure to raise employees' minimum wages. And as it has been raising those wages earlier this year, it raised wages in 9 bucks an hour. It will go up to $10 for most, that's eating at profits.
Wal-Mart's bad news follows a weak sales report yesterday. Shares of Target, Kohl's, Sears all sank as well. So, the whole retail sector was down yesterday. But Wal-Mart news, Wal-Mart really the big trigger there.
KOSIK: And not a good sign before we get to the important holiday shopping season. Certainly, news Wal-Mart didn't need.
All right. New information on Lamar Odom's condition. Khloe Kardashian's ex-husband hospitalized. What drugs police say were in his system as we hear from the brothel where he collapsed.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KOSIK: Lamar Odom is fighting for his life this morning in a Las Vegas hospital. The former NBA and reality TV star was found unconscious in a Nevada brothel. The owner says Odom had been staying there for several days.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DENNIS HOF, OWNER, THE LOVE RANCH: Well, everything was fine until Tuesday morning. They last saw him at 6:00 in the morning when they went to d some things and he was going to sleep, or been sleeping. And my staff took food in to him about noon, which he was sleeping then. The girls came back at 3:15. He was unconscious, foaming from the mouth.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOSIK: Workers at the Love Ranch say Odom was using cocaine and taking drugs to enhance sexual performance, something police later confirmed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHARON WEHRLY, NYE COUNTY SHERIFF: The reporting parties informed the Nye County sheriff's office dispatch the male had been using cocaine. They confirmed his usage on Saturday, but was unsure if it had continued to the weekend. They also informed dispatch that he'd used up to 10 tabs of sexual performance supplements over the last three- day period.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[04:15:11] KOSIK: Odom is said to be still unconscious and on life support. His estranged wife Khloe Kardashian is at his bedside and sources she is making medical decisions for him.
Meantime, Odom's NBA family is praying for him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DEREK FISHER, NY KNICKS COACH/LAMAR ODOM'S FORMER TEAMMATE: Lamar Odom is one of the greatest people I've ever known. And so, that's the way I see him when I view him through the prism of the choices he's made through the heart and soul of the person he really is. So, I'm hoping that he can pull through this and that in some fortunate way that this becomes the beginning of a different ending.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOSIK: Another former teammate, Laker star Kobe Bryant, reportedly visited Odom in the hospital.
ROMANS: Investigators processing a church in Upstate New York as a crime scene this morning. Police say a teenager was beaten to death by his parents and four other members of the World of Life Church during a so-called counseling session Sunday night. The victim's younger brother also beaten and also hospitalized. Authorities say this session was designed to get the teens to confess their sins.
Neighbors tell us they always had their suspicions about the church.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MCHAEL MINARD, CHURCH NEIGHBOR: They don't make noise. They don't really -- you don't see them. We know there's people living in there, but you don't know what's going on in there. You don't know their names or talk to you or anything. They are really systematic about how they come and go. There's one person standing at the door of the church. There's one person standing at the gate and there's one person driving the car and they all gets locked at once.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: The victims' parents, Bruce and Debra Leonard (ph) of Clayville, New York, arrested, charged with manslaughter. Four other church members are in custody facing assault charges.
KOSIK: Occupied Baltimore. Dozens of protesters taking over city hall Wednesday night to oppose the permanent appointment of interim police commissioner Kevin Davis. About 30 members of the city's Uprising Coalition still there calling for supporters to show up at 8:00 this morning. They issued a list of demands to the mayor and commissioner that include a change in police tactics following Freddie Gray's death. The full city council is scheduled to vote on Davis' appointment on Monday.
ROMANS: The FBI is now investigating the daily fantasy sports web sites Draft Kings and Fan Duel. Players and lawmakers alleging company employees are using insider information and predatory tactics with customers. There are also accusations against Draft Kings, claiming the firm is encouraging and accepting deposits from players in states where the contests are banned. The FBI is not commenting.
KOSIK: Fall is in the air. A big chill coming this weekend as cold air comes on the Midwest and East.
Let's bring in the meteorologist Pedram Javaheri.
PEDRAM JAVAHERI, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Alison. Good morning, Christine.
Look at the cold front coming in, the first shot of two punches here of cold air that will eventually pushed in towards the Northeast. It will drop the temperatures off on order of 15 to 20 degrees in places. Starting off in the low 40s in the northern portions of New England, that double nickel out of New York City will make it up to about 50 degrees. That is the temperature at this hour across portions of Boston, about 10 to 13 degrees below what it was this time yesterday. So, the cooling trend in place.
Look at this, cold air really settles in place as we head from Saturday into Sunday. In fact, some high elevation snowfall possible, on the lighter end. But some areas of northern New England could get in on a couple inches of snowfall associated with us from Saturday through Sunday.
So, it will call for scattered showers today. The vast majority of the country back behind us remain on the dry side of the large area of high pressure try to establish itself, or call for near normal temperatures into the 60s, which is what we expect for this time of year. And then you take the high temperatures and mid-90s in Little Rock, while temps again into the '60s around the Northeast, significant cooling ahead of us here in the coming couple of days.
ROMANS: I'll say. All right. Pedram, thank you for that.
KOSIK: New attacks in Israel. The country bolstering security. How the U.S. is getting now getting involved. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[04:22:49] ROMANS: The White House stepping in to try to stop a wave of deadly violence between the Palestinians and Israelis. The Secretary of State John Kerry will travel to the region, no date has been set. But Kerry will head to the region. He plans to visit separately with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Meanwhile, thousands of Israeli soldiers, border police, they're panning out across the country. This is in response to escalating attacks against Israeli citizens. And in Jerusalem, troops are building checkpoints to close off Arab neighborhoods.
I want to go live to Jerusalem now. I want to bring in CNN's Erin McLaughlin who has been following all of this over a very tense past few days.
Tell us about the heightened security, Erin.
ERIN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Christine.
Well, there's no new violence as of today, but there's plenty of apprehension and plenty of fear. There was an incident on board a train in Haifa, a false alarm that really illustrates the level of anxiety people are feeling. Israeli police a group of soldiers were on board the train. They say they noticed someone they thought was suspicious.
Onboard the train, they screamed out the word "terrorist" and a police officer opened fire. Now, when the train rolled up to the train station, everyone got off and they searched the train and did not find anything. They were saying it was a false alarm.
The police officer who fired the gun is under investigation. No one injured in that incident. It just goes to show you just how people here are on edge.
Now, yesterday, there were two separate stabbing incidents. One near the Damascus gate of the old city and one near the central bus station in Jerusalem. In both cases, the attackers were shot and killed by Israeli security forces. Three civilians wounded in those attacks.
Those attacks happened in the face of really heightened security presence. More police out on the streets, more security guards guarding the public transportation systems. Yet, this violence persists.
So, at this point, it really is unclear what U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is expected to visit the region soon, as well as Palestinian officials can do to stop these so-called lone wolf attackers who are operating without warning and very difficult to predict.
[04:25:17] ROMANS: Indeed. All right. Such a tense situation. Thank you so much for that, Erin.
KOSIK: Iran's stepping up involvement in Syria. Hundreds of troops reportedly poised to join Hezbollah fighters in a broad offensive to take back territory from Syrian rebels. Some 1,500 Iranian revolutionary guard troops are said to number Syria now. Activists say they begun arriving shortly after Syrian air strikes and have accelerated in recent days.
ROMANS: New concern about Ebola this morning. Ten months after a Scottish nurse declared Ebola free, she is back in the hospital in critical condition. Pauline Cafferkey was initially infected volunteering in Sierra Leone. She suffered a relapse last week. Now, doctors say there is a growing Ebola survivors can suffer mental and physical problems that last for years even after the virus is out of the bloodstream. They are learning so much about that virus. So scary and still learning so much.
KOSIK: They are.
All right. Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders campaigning late into the night. Tuesday's debate causing some candidates to shift their strategies. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KOSIK: Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders both campaigning late into the night. What they are saying about Tuesday's debate and why it's causing some candidates to change their strategy.
