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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
Kurdish Forces Launch Attack Against ISIS; The Race for President; Unarmed Man Dies in Police Custody: New Lawsuit; No End in Sight to Europe's Migrant Crisis. Aired 4:30-5a ET
Aired November 12, 2015 - 04:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[04:30:01] CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking news this morning: a new U.S. backed operation to cut a key ISIS supply line. We are live.
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Mission Marco Rubio. All the Republican candidates now looking at that man, looking for ways to battle against the rising Republican candidate.
ROMANS: Shackled, tased, and denied medical treatment. One family is suing over the police involved death of their loved ones.
Welcome back to EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans.
BERMAN: I'm John Berman. Thirty minutes past the hour.
Breaking news this morning: a major development in the battle against ISIS, a new military offensive launched against the terror group. Kurdish Peshmerga forces aimed to recapture the Iraqi town of Sinjar from ISIS, with the help of U.S.-led air support. It is being called Operation Free Sinjar.
The town, you can see it right there, at the foot of Mt. Sinjar is a key link between two halves of the ISIS caliphate, the city of Mosul in Iraq and the lands that ISIS holds inside Syria.
Our senior international correspondent Nick Paton Walsh, he is with the Peshmerga forces outside Sinjar. He joins us now live.
Nick, this is a major offensive of the thousands of these Peshmerga forces. Give us the very latest.
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Seven and a half thousand Peshmerga they say. They say it began last night at 9:00 in the evening local time. We heard the intensity throughout the night, lighting up the sky of coalition airstrikes. That has continued during the day.
The skyline behind me and I can't give you our exact location, on the rules we agree with the Peshmerga to be here, has been lit up with black smoke, gray smoke from the strikes. As this stands right now, this column of Peshmerga armor and troops are moving further down towards in the distance to what you barely see is the main road that seems at the heart of the offensive.
Yes, there is a symbolic victory that the coalition wants to take Sinjar from ISIS after the brutality afflicted to the Yazidis that lived there. They fled to the mountain, the terrifying pictures of them being rescued from so close, to ISIS. But also strategically, Sinjar is vitally important, through it runs Route 47. That as you said, earlier, the artery between Mosul in Iraq and Raqqa in Syria.
They can cut that off, as some Kurdish officials are suggesting they're close to doing right now, that could significantly damage, even the Pentagon admits, ISIS's ability to make money from the black market oil trade that runs down that road. They can sell it all round the region from Iraq.
Now, here, further away from me, there's been some pretty heavy fighting. We heard small arms, mortars growing intense. Clearly, ISIS don't want to give up this vital road at all or the areas around it. But there are Peshmerga here in such number that we possibly think they may have a chance to prevail on this major highway here, but they hope it takes a matter of hours, days some said optimistically at dawn.
Now, we are hearing talk about how the mines and booby traps are slowing them down. We're hearing in the distance, we're seeing the coalition planes inflicting damage. It isn't over yet at all, John.
BERMAN: Nick, we've gotten a sense that over the last several weeks, there has been a great deal of movement in terms of equipment and intelligence with the coalition, including the U.S., planes, equipment, you know, capabilities and supplies heading into Syria and Iraq.
Was it geared toward this offensive and what's the level of coordination between the Peshmerga forces on the ground and the United States?
WALSH: Well, we obviously don't have a transparent view of who is really running the show here. But we do know American Special Forces are said to be in this area. Of course, they will have a role in harnessing the U.S. aircraft that are in the skies above us. We hear drones as well.
We have seen one Peshmerga looking at coordinates on her Samsung tablet and GPS, just to make sure I'm sure that they know where they are and the Americans know where they are. It has been a key moment, I think, to get the sense of momentum to cut that highway off.
If you sever Iraq from Mosul, they potentially hobble ISIS significantly. They can't keep their Iraqi fighters there in Mosul in touch with their Syrian fighters in the capital of Raqqa. That will be a phenomenal blow if they can hold that road in distance behind me over here. It looks like a tough fight, though, John.
BERMAN: Nick Paton Walsh, remarkable to have you at this battle, the battle for the town of Sinjar inside Iraq. Thanks so much, Nick. ROMANS: All right. This morning, the fight for conservative votes is
heating up. Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio are campaigning in the primary states today. Cruz in New Hampshire and Rubio in South Carolina, each is trying to carve out a distinct appeal.
Cruz going after Rubio on trade, on agriculture subsidies, but mainly on immigration. Cruz has been highlighting Rubio's one time support of immigration reform helping author a bill in the Senate advocating what some calling amnesty before ultimately backing off.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If Republicans nominate for president a candidate who supports amnesty, we will have given up one of the major distinctions with Hillary Clinton and we will lose the general election.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[05:05:09] ROMANS: Rubio avoided being drawn into the immigration discussion in the debate Tuesday night. The moderators let him off the hook.
Now he says he would allow undocumented immigrants who have been in the U.S. longer than 10 years to get a work permit if they learn English and pay a fine.
CNN's Sunlen Serfaty is with Rubio in South Carolina with the latest.
SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John and Christine.
Well, Marco Rubio trying to keep the momentum going after the debate, hitting two key states, Iowa and South Carolina. And here in Columbia, he opened his first office in this first in the South primary state and talked about the importance of this state in his road ahead.
SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R-FL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We plan to be here often, maybe not in the office every day, but in the state, because we want to do very well here. We want to be successful. Because this election could be decided, at least the nomination could be decided in the state.
SERFATY: In the poll out in South Carolina this week shows that Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz are running neck and neck for third place here in South Carolina. That's behind frontrunners Donald Trump and Ben Carson.
Now, Ted Cruz recently told CNN that it is a plausible outcome. He thinks it could come down to just him and Marco Rubio. And certainly, he's been telegraphing a few lines of attack that he is ready to wage against Marco Rubio in that debate on Tuesday night.
So, certainly, this potentially sets up a big battle between the two ahead -- John and Christine. (END VIDEOTAPE)
BERMAN: All right. Sunlen, thanks so much.
Jeb Bush is also taking on Marco Rubio as he campaigns in Iowa. Bush renewed his earlier criticism of Rubio's attendance record in the Senate. And Bush questioned Rubio's electability against Hillary Clinton. He called himself a better bet than the first term Florida senator.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEB BUSH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Are we going to nominate someone who has a proven conservative record? Thirty-two years in business, eight years as governor? Against someone who does who's been experienced in government for sure, but not a proven record?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BERMAN: A big chunk of the Republican field in Iowa campaigning today. Donald Trump, Carly Fiorina, Chris Christie and Rand Paul have events there.
ROMANS: All right. A crucial day in court over the death of a man more than two years ago in Virginia. Forty-six-year-old Linwood Lambert died in custody after tasered repeatedly just steps from the emergency room, hospital emergency room. Now, Lambert never got medical help on the morning he died. Now, dramatic video of his arrest have surfaced for the very first time as Lambert's family heads to court today. They're seeking a $25 million judgment against the police in the town of South Boston, Virginia.
We get more this morning from CNN justice correspondent Pamela Brown.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAMELA BROWN, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This police video shows three officers in South Boston, Virginia, tasing a man right outside of the hospital emergency room.
Shortly after, that man, 46-year-old Linwood Lambert died in police custody.
The video begins with officers picking Lambert at a motel early one morning in May of 2013, after several 911 calls were made about noise.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've got you. I've got you.
BROWN: In court records, police say because of the way Lambert was acting, they decided to take him to the hospital for a mental health evaluation. They say he made comments about murdering two people and hiding their bodies in the ceiling.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're going to take you to the emergency room and we're going to make sure you're good to go. BROWN: Inside the patrol car, police say, he kicked out the window.
Then, the video shows Lambert running straight into the hospital doors while handcuffed.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get on your belly.
BROWN: He falls to the ground and the officers repeatedly ask him to roll over on to his stomach while threatening to tase him.
Lambert admits that he was on drugs.
LINWOOD LAMBERT: I just did cocaine, man.
BROWN: But instead of taking him inside the emergency room, the officers take him to the police station.
OFFICER: You're under arrest. Stand up.
BROWN: The officers tased Lambert multiple times. He's bleeding apparently from breaking the squad car window.
By the time they reach the police station, Lambert appears unconscious in the back seat. He was later pronounced dead at the hospital after going into cardiac arrest, according to the medical examiner's report.
The report ruled the cause of death as acute cocaine intoxication, but the family blames the police and they filed a $25 million wrongful death lawsuit alleging, quote, "The officers' callous disregard for Linwood Lambert in tasering him multiple times and depriving him of the desperate medical care he needed violated his constitutional rights to be free from cruel and unusual punishment."
Police have denied the allegations, saying Lambert's erratic action required the use of force.
[04:40:00] Pamela Brown, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROMANS: The South Boston police department released a statement saying, quote, "We are vigorously defending the case. Our position is affirmed by the reports of two independent well-qualified experts in the field."
CNN has reached out to South Boston police and Virginia state police who picked the investigation of Lambert's death. We have not heard back from either department. The medical examiner's report said cocaine was the cause of death, there were three puncture wounds that appeared to come from a taser. CNN has not been able to verify how many times Lambert was tasered.
Forty minutes past the hour. Time for an early start on your money.
Perhaps a bounce. U.S. stock futures pointing a bit higher this morning.
BERMAN: A bit, 0.01 percent.
ROMANS: Hey, come on. I'm --
BERMAN: Boom times.
ROMANS: I'm an optimist.
Angie's List is soaring. ANGI is that ticker symbol. A billionaire Barry Diller launched a hostile bid to buy that site. Angie's List, of course, collects local reviews about plumbers, handy man, doctors. Diller owns its rival Home Adviser. So, the deal could combine those two sites. Watch the stocks today.
Fascinating new information about millennials this morning. Get this, a record share of young women, a record share, are living at home. According to a new study from Pew, 36.4 percent of women 18 to 34 lived with their families last year. That tops the previous peak set in 1940.
Young men are also living at home longer. The cultural shift of marrying later, staying in school longer, has people living at home longer, is an economic fact, high levels of student debt. Another reason why people are staying.
I advise this in my book actually, I said, if you have a lot of debt --
BERMAN: You don't want your kids to ever move out. You want to keep them around as long as possible. So, you wrote a whole book giving economic advice.
ROMANS: No, I don't think it is a bad thing that so many people are living at home. I really don't. When they start to move out, wow, they're going to be good for the housing market. Why are you looking at me?
BERMAN: A lot of kids playing Xbox in the basement. That's all I'm saying.
ROMANS: No, no, no.
BERMAN: All right. Racial tensions rising at college campuses across the country. New protests breaking out as police apprehend two men for making online threats. We'll break it all down, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROMANS: Police in Missouri have apprehended two people for allegedly making threats on social media against African-American students. One suspect Hunter Park (ph) was charged with make terrorists threats against University of Missouri students on the anonymous app, Yik Yak.
Racial tensions are still simmering on the Columbia, Missouri campus following the forced resignation of the president and chancellor. The other student, a freshman at Northwest Missouri State, has not been charged. BERMAN: The racial turmoil at the University sparking protests over
race and discrimination on campuses across the country now. One of them, Ithaca College in Upstate New York. Students held a solidarity walk Wednesday, calling for the school's president to resign. Some 600 people, students and faculty took part in the protest.
The students were expressing anger over the response by the administration to incidents of racism. The event was organized by the group People of Color at Ithaca College.
ROMANS: All right. Forty-seven minutes past the hour.
Severe storms just hammering the Midwest. Trees down and homes damaged all over Des Moines, Iowa, after a confirmed tornado sighting. Ten tornadoes in Iowa. Customers at Walmart caught with no place to hide when part of the roof caved in.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MORGAN LAWSON, WITNESS: They made us go to the back. The water was pouring from the ceiling in Walmart, and lights and everything were on the ground. They had us go to the back. They found out there was a gas leak. So, they had us get out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BERMAN: All right. Will there be more severe storms today? Let's get to meteorologist Derek Van Dam.
DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, John and Christine.
The severe weather threat is diminishing quickly. Almost nonexistent when compared to yesterday at this time. Bt if we go back 24 hours, just look at this compact, very intense, late season storm system that developed, it overspread roughly 100 severe weather reports across the Midwest, all the way through the plains.
Four reports of hail damage, as well as upwards of 95 reports of wind damage. There were also 10 tornadoes as well.
Again, the severe weather threat diminishing as we speak. But behind it, we will start focusing on the cool weather and windy conditions. We are anticipating from this particular storm. In fact, upwards of 55 million Americans from the Dakotas to Lake Erie and Lake Ontario under a wind advisory or warning. Gusts could exceed 60 miles per hour near Des Moines, as well as Grand Rapids, Michigan, into Detroit.
Take a look at some of these values going in time today. Hold on to your hat, a very windy. Quite a temperature change. The three-day forecast for the Big Apple, cool weather settling in for the rest of the workweek.
Back to you.
ROMANS: All right. Derek, thanks so much. A leaked Russian plan to end the crisis in Syria is not gaining
traction. The proposal calls for an 18-month constitutional reform period, followed by early presidential elections. It does not roll out the possibility of Syrian President Bashar al Assad running for re-election. This is sparking criticism from some Arab nations, also western nations.
Later today, Secretary of State John Kerry will speak in Washington. Kerry will meet with Russian counterparts and other world leaders in Vienna this weekend about the crisis.
CNN senior international correspondent Frederik Pleitgen monitoring the latest developments for us from London.
Good morning, Fred.
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John.
The Russian plan is something people are talking about ahead of the key meeting in Vienna. And look, at this point in time, this is probably the most serious diplomatic foray that we have seen since beginning of the Syrian crisis, those Vienna talks. And that Russian plan is something that's really throwing off for instance the Syrian opposition. They've come out and said, listen, if Bashar al Assad is going to be able to stand in any elections, we don't want to be part of any such process.
[04:50:03] The Syrian government media, interestingly enough, did not talk about this Russian proposal at all, only to say that the Russians shot down any notion that they've even put forward a proposal. So, certainly, it looks like that may be doomed in its tracks.
However, we do have to keep in mind that many things that appear to be in that Russian proposal are also things that have been discussed that diplomatic meetings as well that are known to be Russian positions. They said for a long time we want there to be elections in Syria. We don't necessarily want to exclude Bashar al Assad from that process. And that's something that pitted them and Iranians against the U.S. and its allies, mostly notably, of course, Turkey and Saudi Arabia.
As they say, they believe, if there is going to be any peace in Syria, Bashar al Assad has to go. Very much looking forward to the talks in Vienna as Secretary of State Kerry certainly is going to have persuading to do with his allies, but also with the Russians and the Iranians. It's going to be very difficult, John.
BERMAN: Yes, indeed. Divergent interest, to say the least.
Frederik Pleitgen for us in London, thanks so much, Fred.
ROMANS: Oh, joy. More controversy over your holiday coffee cup. First, it was Starbucks, now Dunkin' Donuts finds itself in the fray.
That's next.
(CROSSTALK)
BERMAN: Shame, shame!
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[04:55:41] BERMAN: No end in sight to Europe's spiraling migrant crisis. Every day, new refugees reaching the shores, of Greece from Turkey. Just yesterday, 18 migrants drown, making the journey, seven children among the casualties. Life jackets and inner tubes are lining the shores of Greece, a reminder of the toll this is taking.
I want to bring in CNN international correspondent Arwa Damon live from the island of Lesbos in Greece.
Wow. Stunning pictures behind you, Arwa. Those life jackets just piled up there.
ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESONDENT: Yes, and this is just a fraction of what actually exists along the shoreline. It really is quite jarring to see it for yourself.
We just had a couple of landings happening here along this particular shoreline. There are numerous different points these migrants and refugees are coming in and set up along, you have similar scenes to what we have here with volunteer groups. In this case, it's a Greek lifeguard volunteer group that are here aiding these refugees and migrants as they arrive because they don't know how to captain the ships. In most cases, they are in rubber dinghies that are barely even see where the landing is very difficult.
And because the smugglers cramped so many of them into these rubber dinghies, often by the time they have gotten here, they have sunk into the water and barely making it. You see children being wrapped up quickly, they are feet warmed up. It can get pretty cold and windy as you are out there.
There was a thinking or logic with the winter months coming, the numbers trying to reach Europe would decrease, but, in fact, it has been quite the opposite.
Just to give you an idea, John, according to the first ten months of this year in 2015, there were 540,000 people that tried to make it from Turkey to Greece. That is 13 times the number that tried to make this journey in the same time period last year. Those who do finally make it here are so relieved, and so happy to have crossed what is the most dangerous part of the journey, this is just the beginning of what is a very difficult and long trek to try to reach their final destination.
No matter what it is, the various European leaders, African leaders are discussing during the conference in Malta, the core issue is really trying to find a solution for the various different things. Whether it's warfare or oppression that are driving these people from their homes to make this treacherous journey. That is the responsibility lying with the international community, trying to solve those core issues to stop people from dying in the waters. BERMAN: A vivid look at the crisis facing not just Europe, but
acutely, those families, the people making that dangerous journey.
Arwa Damon, thanks so much.
ROMANS: All right. Let's get an early start on your money this morning. Stock futures pointing higher right now, renewed drop in oil prices yesterday pulled stocks lowered then. Really had a lot of energy stocks falling yesterday.
Brand new this morning, look at this -- a jump in foreclosures last month. U.S. foreclosure starts climbed 12 percent. It's the biggest increase since 2011. The top states for foreclosures, Maryland, New Jersey, Florida, Nevada and Illinois. Keep in mind, we have seen growing strength in the housing market. But an interesting uptick there in foreclosure rates.
All right. The no tipping movement is picking up. Joe's Crab Shack ditching tips. No tips at 18 locations and could soon expand that policy nationwide. Servers will make $12 to $14 an hour instead of below the minimum wage relying on tips to make up the difference.
Menu prices will increase between 12 percent to 15 percent. You pay for the tip in the menu price. Diners will pay less. Joe's expects higher wages to increase worker retention and eventually reduce labor cost because people will stay around longer.
The holiday coffee cup controversy brews. That's right. First, uproar over Starbucks plain red cups. Accusations that coffee giant was Grinching Christmas.
Now, Dunkin' Donuts in the fray. There's the Starbucks cup. Dunkin' unveiled this, its holiday cup. It has a word "joy" featured. Guess what? This is the same as it always is, every year it's like this.
