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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
Soon: Barr to Testify Before Senate Judiciary Committee; Guaido Renews Call for Uprising Against Venezuelan President Maduro; 2 Dead After Shooting at University of NC At Charlotte; Rockets and Warriors Face Injury Woes. Aired 5-5:30a ET
Aired May 01, 2019 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[05:00:00] CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Facebook is getting a new look and features to help move past some old issues. CEO Mark Zuckerberg unveiled the new look during a developer conference which revolved desire to make Facebook privacy-centric.
Zuckerberg's skepticism around the company saying this --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK ZUCKERBERG, FACEBOOK CEO: I know that we don't exactly have the strongest reputation on privacy right now to put it lightly. But, I'm committed to doing this well.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: A new design and approach to privacy will usher in real change for the company, which is plagued by scandal.
DAVE BRIGGS, CNN ANCHOR: All right. EARLY START continues right now with big news out of the nation's capital.
(MUSIC)
BRIGGS: Special counsel, himself, disagreed with how his report was characterized by the attorney general. Bill Barr facing tough questions this morning on Capitol Hill.
ROMANS: Both sides claim the upper hand in Venezuela. The opposition trying to wrestle power from Nicolas Maduro. The U.S. says he was close to leaving, but the Russians stopped him.
BRIGGS: And two people are dead and four hurt after shooting on the campus of University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Good morning, everyone. Welcome to EARLY START. I'm Dave Briggs.
ROMANS: Good morning. I'm Christine Romans. It is Wednesday. It is the first day of May. It is 5:00 a.m. in the East. Good morning, everyone.
This is a question everyone is asking after Attorney General Bill Barr released his summary of the Mueller report. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN (D-MD): Would Bob Mueller support your conclusion?
WILLIAM BARR, ATTORNEY GENERAL: I don't know whether Bob Mueller supported my conclusion.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Well, now we know. Special counsel Mueller expressed concern the four-page letter did not fully capture the findings of the 448- page report. Critically, when Barr said he didn't know whether Mueller supported his conclusion, that was two weeks after the special counsel expressed his concerns to Barr.
BRIGGS: Those concerns echo the sentiments of Mueller's team. They also vented frustration about the way the findings were summarized. These disagreements sure to come up when Barr testifies on Capitol Hill this morning.
Here's Shimon Prokupecz in Washington.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN CRIME & JUSTICE REPORTER: Dave and Christine, special counsel Robert Mueller expressed concerns in a letter to William Barr that Barr's four-page letter to Congress summarizing the principal conclusions of Mueller's findings didn't fully capture his report.
Now, we're told that later, Barr and Mueller did speak by phone, and while Mueller didn't think Barr's letter was inaccurate, his initial letter to Congress, to special counsel believed his report was more nuanced on the obstruction of justice issue, according to Justice Department officials. Now, we're told that Mueller was frustrated. He was frustrated by media coverage and wanted more of the report to come out, these officials tell us.
Then, justice officials keep in mind, Dave and Christine, the have been puzzled, they've been puzzled all along why Mueller did not reach a conclusion on the obstruction issue. And we're told, as a result, that Barr felt he needed to provide finality on the matter as the attorney general overseeing the investigation.
Now, Democrats have erupted ahead of Barr's testimony. Barr is supposed to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee today, highly anticipated and certainly more to come on this issue, certainly with the Democrats on the committee -- Dave and Christine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROMANS: All right, Shimon. Thank you for that.
Attorney General Barr will defend his handling of the Mueller report in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee today at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time.
Sitting on that committee, three Democratic candidates for president. Among them, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota.
She tells CNN's Anderson Cooper Barr's motives are suspect.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR (D-MN), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE (via telephone): I think it's just one more example of how this four-page letter that he sent out was political. And this is not about politics. It's about protecting our democracy. And this is someone who just pointed out, you know, tried out for the job with a 19-page memo, that was executive summary of what he thought should be about a broad, broad interpretation of executive power. He then gets into the job and no surprise, he is political.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Right now, House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler is in a stand off with Barr over the second scheduled testimony this week. That's on Thursday. Nadler is demanding a copy of Mueller's letter and says the special counsel must be allowed to testify.
BRIGGS: We already know how Barr plans to testify from prepared remarks. He's going to tell lawmakers, quote: After the special counsel submitted the confidential report on March 22nd, I determined that it was in the public interest for the department to announce the investigation's bottom line conclusions.
[05:05:03] That is the determination whether a provable crime has been committed or not. I did so in my March 24th letter. I did not believe it was in the public interest to release additional portions of the report in piecemeal fashion, leading to public debate over incomplete information.
Special coverage of the hearing begins at 8:30 this morning, right here on CNN.
ROMANS: All right. Another intense and potentially explosive day ahead for the people of Venezuela after opposition leader, Juan Guaido, made his boldest attempt yet to seize power from President Nicolas Maduro. Guaido called for an uprising alongside a group of soldiers in Caracas on Tuesday, leading to these violent clashes in the streets.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo telling CNN, Maduro was on the verge of leaving Venezuela.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE POMPEO, SECRETARY OF STATE: He had an airplane on the tarmac. He was ready leave this morning, as we understand it. The Russians indicated he should stay. We think the situation remains incredibly fluid. We know that there were senior leaders inside the Maduro government that were prepared to leave. WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST, "THE SITUATION ROOM": So, you blame Russia
for the violence right now?
POMPEO: He was headed for Havana.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Maduro appeared on Venezuelan state TV late Tuesday, denying Pompeo's claim.
We want to warn you, some of the video you may see here is disturbing.
Stefano Pozzebon reporting for CNN joins us live in Caracas.
And what's the state of play right now, Stefano?
STEFANO POZZEBON, JOURNALIST: Right now, Christine, is that Caracas is still waking up to a new day, a new, crucial day at hand as you said, Christine. May 1st, International Workers Day, a crucial day for many socialist governments around the world and the government of embattled President Nicolas Maduro who declares himself a socialist. There's definitely no exceptions.
Since about 10 days ago, mid April, both leaders, Guaido and Maduro, have called for their supporters to take to the streets today and the event from yesterday all but precipitated it to the streets of Caracas. Very volatile situation, very fluid situation.
Maduro, on television, seemed to portray the image or tried to portray the image of the firm leader with a clear grasp on the situation. Iron fisted control. But at the same time, those images that we have been seeing yesterday and we are watching again today with an armored vehicle, for example, driving through the opposition protesters, aimed at central highway in the middle of the Venezuelan capital seem to suggest that they are not as in control as the authoritarian leader would like to portray.
So, Dave and Christine, a crucial day at hand. Crucial hours ahead here for Venezuela. Hours that the international community will monitor very, very closely -- Christine, Dave. Dave?
ROMANS: And we know you are there monitoring for us as well here at CNN. Thank you so much for that, Stefano Pozzebon.
BRIGGS: All right. Two people are dead following a shooting on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Four injured, three critically.
Video posted to Twitter shows people running from a campus library as police sprint toward the area. An officer quickly went to the room where the suspect fired and disarmed him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHIEF JEFFREY BAKER, UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHARLOTTE POLICE & PUBLIC SAFETY: Our officers are highly trained and we train for this type of incident. And we were able to get to the building. And our officers immediately -- one officer immediately went to the suspect to take him down.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRIGGS: The suspect, identified as 22-year-old Trystan Andrew Terrell has been charged with murder. Tuesday was the last day of classes with exams beginning tomorrow.
ROMANS: Three more stops in Iowa today for Joe Biden. In his first visit since declaring his run, he told supporters, rebuilding the middle class is his, quote, North Star. And he's not backing away from one of the most polarizing elements of the Obama-Biden legacy, Obamacare.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We made historic progress. The fact of the matter, it extended health care to 22 million people who didn't have it before. We covered pre-existing conditions. I can go on with the list, you know it.
Health care is about piece of mind. How many people go to bed at night staring at the ceiling thinking, my God, if something happens to me, we're going to lose everything?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRIGGS: Also, Tuesday, Bernie Sanders defending his controversial stats that prisoners should be allowed to vote, even domestic terrorists. A new op-ed in "USA Today" says the right to vote applies to all citizens 18 years and older, period.
That did not set well fellow senator and presidential candidate, Cory Booker.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[05:10:01] SEN. CORY BOOKER (D-NJ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We locked up more people for marijuana in 2017 than all the violent crimes combined. And so, here, we have a nation that takes away people's liberty and their right to vote for doing things to the last three presidents admitted to doing. So, if Bernie Sanders want to get involved in a conversation about whether Dylann Roof and the marathon bomber should have a right to vote, my focus is liberating black and brown people and low income people from prison.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Senator and 2020 hopeful Kamala Harris joined teachers at a round table in South Carolina. Thousands of educators are set to walk out of classrooms today protesting their stagnant wages. Harris' first big policy proposal is a raise for teachers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SEN. KAMALA HARRIS (D-CA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Ten thousand dollars a year represents a years worth of grocery bills. Ten thousand dollars a year represents putting a significant dent in student loan debt, which is one of the greatest barriers to teachers staying in the profession because they've got that heavy student loan debt.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: The latest CNN poll shows Biden well ahead of the Democratic field after jumping into the race last week.
BRIGGS: The Food and Drug Administration strengthening warnings about some popular sleep aids. Sleeping pills marketed under these names will require new black box warnings for potentially dangerous side effects. There have been reports of rare, but serious injuries, even death results from sleepwalking, sleep driving and other complex behaviors by people who took the drugs.
According to CDC, some 4 percent of adults have used prescription sleep aids in the past month.
ROMANS: All right. Corporate tax cuts are adding to the debt in a booming economy. But Acting Chief of Staff Nick Mulvaney is not worried about debt. The fiscal conservative is not worried about debt. That's right after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[05:16:04] ROMANS: All right. President Trump wants the Fed to cut rates. He wants it in the economy like a financial crisis, which it is not. Trump attacked the Fed again on Twitter Tuesday, saying the Fed should slash interest rates by, get this, a full percentage point to boost American growth.
With our wonderfully low inflation, we could be setting major records, at the same time make our national debt start to look small. In the same move in a real financial crisis a decade ago, sparked the ire of Republicans and Trump, at the time and, by the way, the economy is strong. Trump's comments come days after the comment the economy grew by 3.2 percent in the first quarter, and before the Fed meets for a second today on interest rates.
At the same time, fiscal conservative and acting chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, said this about the country's $22 trillion debt load during a conference in Los Angeles.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICK MULVANEY, WHITE HOUSE ACTING CHIEF OF STAFF: I'll be the first to admit, I have been complaining about the debt since I ran in 2009. It doesn't seem to be holding us back from an economic standpoint.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Meanwhile corporate tax cuts and unpaid for new government spending are swelling the deficit and adding to the debt in a booming economy.
BRIGGS: Potentially adding to that deficit, actual progress toward a big infrastructure bill. No cameras and a more civil tone as Democratic leaders met with the president to discuss money for roads, bridges, transit and broadband. The two sides reached an agreement on the price tag, $2 trillion. No guarantee they'll close the deal, but this was a rare moment of bipartisanship.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): It's clear that both the White House and all of us want to get something done on infrastructure in a big and bold way. We agreed that infrastructure is crucial to the future of America. We agree it creates jobs. We agree it keeps us competitive.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRIGGS: Democratic leaders agreed to another meeting to discuss how to pay for the plan. That is the key.
ROMANS: Sure is.
All right. Severe storms and tornadoes roared across the Southern Plains Tuesday. The national weather service reporting 25 tornadoes in five states, Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas. Heavy rain in Davenport, Iowa, led to a breach of the levee, flooding part of the downtown area. The Mississippi River is expected to crest at more than 22 feet in Davenport today. The threat remains from Texas to Missouri with the possibility of flash flooding.
BRIGGS: We'll talk a little sports ahead. The Yankees' CC Sabathia joining an elite K club. Andy Scholes has more on the "Bleacher Report", next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[05:23:16] BRIGGS: After all the talk of referees in game one of the Rockets/Warriors series, that was the last thing on anyone's mind after a wave of injuries last night.
Former Rockets ball boy Andy Scholes has more in the "Bleacher Report".
Good morning, my friend.
ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, a sad morning to be a former Rocket ball boy down 0-2, Dave. But, hey, still a long way to go in this series.
Now, like I said, all eyes, they were on the officials after the missed calls in game one in the series. Now, on top of those missed calls, the rockets least favorite official, Scott Foster, who they've had run-ins in the past was on the court with this one.
But, you know, in the end, the officials not the story. It was the injuries. First quarter, Steph Curry looking at his finger. And when you zoom in, it's not supposed to bend that way.
Curry would go to the locker room. X-ray is negative. He returned a little later in the game with a dislocated finger, looked okay. Knocking down a three there.
James harden also getting hurt. Wrapped across the eyes by Draymond Green there. He has to go to the locker room, but he would return as well. He did a three in the fourth to pull the Rockets within three. That's as close as they would get.
The warriors win, 115-109, to take a lead in the series.
After the game, Curry and Harden talked about trying to fight through these injuries.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEPH CURRY, WARRIORS GUARD: It hurts, but it will be all right. I didn't break anything. Just fortunate. Just got to deal with pain and, hopefully before Saturday, that goes away. Be fine.
JAMES HARDEN, ROCKETS GUARD: Now, I can barely see, but just trying to go out there and do what I can to help my teammates.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHOLES: All right. The Bucks meanwhile dominating the Celtics in game two to even the series at a game apiece. Milwaukee outscoring Boston by 21 points in the third quarter.
[05:25:02] They led by as many as 31. Giannis Antetokounmpo just dominant in this one, he scored 29. Final 123-102. Game three would be Friday in Boston.
Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia joining an elite club last night, becoming the 17th pitcher and only the third lefty to reach the 3,000 strikeout mark. Sabathia celebrated the feat with his teammates and also his family, who traveled to Arizona to see it.
The other two lefties to get to 3,000, Randy Johnson and Steve Carlson. Sabathia got his first strikeout back in April of 2001. Eighteen years later, he gets the three.
All right. Finally, NASCAR series champion Joey Logano was honored at the White House yesterday. Logano and team owner Roger Penske and others had a short ceremony on the South Lawn. Logano joked about wanting to do a burnout in his car, but said the Secret Service shut that down.
Logano was able to give President Trump a helmet from his championship winning season.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOEY LOGANO, NASCAR SERIES CHAMPION: He did not try the helmet on. He might later on, who knows? Now, we don't want to screw up the hair, so, he had to make sure -- you don't want helmet hair, I know the feeling.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHOLES: Dave, I would love to see President Trump put that helmet on. He's actually going to have a special place in the Oval Office for that.
BRIGGS: We've seen what the wind does to the president's hair. He saw that moment coming.
Congratulations to Joey and Team Penske.
All right, Andy. Thank you, my friend.
Romans, what's coming up?
ROMANS: All right, Dave, in just a few hours, critical testimony from the attorney general. The stakes raised significantly now that we know Robert Mueller disagreed with the way Bill Barr characterized Mueller's findings.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
