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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Myanmar Releases Jailed Journalists; White House Stonewalls, Again; Trump Not Bluffing on Tariff Threat; It's a Boy!!!; Tiger Woods Receives Medal of Freedom. Aired 5-5:30a ET

Aired May 07, 2019 - 05:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WA LONE, REUTERS JOURNALIST: I'm very happy and excited to see my family and my colleagues. And I can't wait to go to my newsroom.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[05:00:03] DAVE BRIGGS, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking overnight, two "Reuters" journalists jailed more than 500 days despite worldwide outrage finally freed by Myanmar.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: The president's taxes, the Mueller report, congressional subpoenas, the White House defying Congress on all three, again, showing disdain for basic checks and balances.

BRIGGS: He's not bluffing, trade officials say the president's threat to hike tariffs on Chinese goods is real. Critical trade talks resume tomorrow.

Good morning, everyone, and welcome to EARLY START. I'm Dave Briggs.

ROMANS: Good morning, folks. I'm Christine Romans. It's Tuesday, May 7th. It's 5:00 a.m. in the East.

And the breaking news overnight, two "Reuters" journalists jailed in Myanmar are free this morning. They are free after more than 500 days in prison. Wa Lone, and Kyaw Soe Oo had been sentenced under Myanmar's Official Secrets Act for reporting on a massacre of Rohingya civilians.

Their convictions sparked an outcry from diplomats and human rights advocates. And now, they have been released just weeks after their final appeal was denied. The pair earned this year's Pulitzer Prize for international reporting for the story that got them jailed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LONE: Inside in a prison and also around the world, people who are wishing to release us, so, I would like to say thank you. I'm very happy. I'm excited to see my family and my colleagues. And I can't wait to go to my newsroom.

(APPLAUSE) (END VIDEO CLIP)

BRIGGS: "Reuters" newsroom as you can see there in Singapore erupting. Cheers as journalists watched their colleagues leaving prison, and now here's some new footage of the two journalists being reunited with the families just a short time ago. Imagine that reunion.

The president of Myanmar has pardoned thousands of other prisoners in mass amnesties, customary around the traditional new year. "Reuters" editor in chief Steven Adler described the men as, quote, courageous reporters and the symbols of the importance of press freedom around the world.

ROMANS: His daughter was born while he was in prison, simply for telling the truth.

All right. Major showdowns between House Democrats and the Trump administration looming on three fronts, first, the president's tax returns. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin saying he will not hand them over despite the risk of a subpoena. It's latest move by administration officials to shield the president and aides from a wide range of inquiries from the tax returns to a demand for testimony about the census and immigration.

BRIGGS: The second front of possible contempt of Congress citation for the attorney general. House Judiciary chairman has confirmed committee staff and justice officials will meet today to try and reach a deal on congressional access to the Mueller report, and if they can't, a vote to hold Bill Barr in contempt is planned tomorrow. The committee's top Republican calls the vote illogical and disingenuous.

ROMANS: And third, it is deadline day for Don McGahn. By 10:00 a.m., the former White House counsel has to comply with House Judiciary subpoena for documents. Sources tell us if he doesn't, he could face the contempt of Congress citation as well. The White House has signaled it might try to invoke executive privilege to keep McGahn quiet.

BRIGGS: Hundreds of former federal prosecutors say President Trump would have been indicted if he were not president. The bipartisan group of more than 450 signed on to a statement saying special counsel Robert Mueller's findings would have produced obstruction charges against citizen Trump. The statement offers a rebuttal of sorts to the attorney general's evidence uncovered in the Mueller report was, quote, not sufficient.

ROMANS: The ex-prosecutors say: We emphasize these are not close judgment but to look at these facts saying a prosecutor would not sustain a conviction for obstruction of justice runs counter to logic and experience. Those signing letter did not explicitly address what, if anything, they hope might happen next.

President Trump's trade officials say Trump's tariff threat is real. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer told reporters Monday the administration would be moving forward on the president's threat to hike tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods up to 25 percent on Friday. Lighthizer said China went back on previous agreements during the latest round of trade talks, derailing months of progress toward ending a damaging trade war.

Lighthizer said this: We tried to accommodate changes in the text but these are substantial and substantive changes. The news comes as the Chinese delegation is scheduled to travel to Washington and new this morning, China's commerce ministry said Vice Premier Liu He will be in D.C. on Thursday for the 11th round of talks. China responding to the president's tariffs threat saying raising tariffs wouldn't resolve any issue.

Markets around the world reacting to the president's threat. The Dow fell as many as 471 points but then stocks made a major recovery off the lows, the Dow down just 66 points. Global markets are mixed digesting all of this. And on Wall Street, futures are slightly lower.

[05:05:01] I would call Monday's losses shallow here and that might say a couple of things. Either the market doesn't believe the president would scuttle trade talks or investors believe his tough talk might get significant concessions from the Chinese.

BRIGGS: Specific and credible threats from Iran led to the deployment of a U.S. carrier strike group in the Strait of Hormuz, according to two U.S. officials. Intelligence indicates Iranian forces and proxies are targeting American forces in Syria, Iraq and at sea.

Nic Robertson monitoring this live from London.

Nic, good morning.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, good morning.

Serious and credible but we don't know what the serious and credible are this time. I think if we listen to what Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said when he was in Finland this Arctic Council Summit, it's instructive if you listen to his words here. We have continued to see activity, continued past tense, and believe an escalation may be taking place. May be taking place.

He goes on to say he wants the United States to have the right range of options for the president should a situation arise where action needs to be taken, so this needs to be in part a degree of uncertainty, the mays and past tense and being prepared for what the president may want.

Nevertheless, the message to Iran is very clear. He was asked whether or not the U.S. troops in Iraq were in danger, and he implied the possibility of U.S. forces anywhere in the Middle East could be in danger. All of this is about, he said, trying to get Iran to behave like a normal country.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) MIKE POMPEO, SECRETARY OF STATE: We have been trying to do is to get Iran to behave like a normal nation, things like not conducting assassination campaigns around the world, not sponsoring terror organizations. Our objective is to get the Islamic Republic of Iran to behave like a normal nation. When they do, we will welcome them back.

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ROBERTSON: So, all of this, you know, potentially again strains the relationship between the United States and its European allies. Just over the weekend, the United States withdrew its waivers. President Trump announces we're withdrawing waivers for countries buying oil from Iran.

Britain, France, Germany, and the European foreign union all put their foreign ministers together, sent a letter to the United States noting their concern about it. They will also be concerned to see the carrier group moving into the region. They know the potential for what that could mean and perhaps they're also not sure about what this credible threat really is.

BRIGGS: All right. Some reports suggest President Rouhani might address a broadcast of the U.S. withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal. So, stay tuned to this situation.

Nic Robertson live for us this morning, thank you.

ROMANS: All right. To politics here, Pete Buttigieg campaigning in South Carolina, confronting his lack of American support head on. The racial makeup of the crowds in places like New Hampshire or Iowa, might not be note worthy, but here was Buttigieg in mostly black, central South Carolina, appearing in a room filled with mostly white people.

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PETE BUTTIGIEG (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I need help. So the black voters who know me best, the people of South Bend helped return me to office by an overwhelming margin. Out here people are just getting to know me, and trust in part is a function of quantity time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: The Buttigieg campaign touted the trip to South Carolina as a chance for the Indiana mayor to highlight his policies for black voters to black voters, policies that include a focus on criminal justice reform, education, and black entrepreneurship.

BRIGGS: Summer is coming and a new FDA study is raising concern about the safety of sunscreen. The study shows several common ingredients in sunscreen are absorbed into the bloodstream, after just one day of use. Researchers found the concentration of three ingredients kept rising with daily use, and stayed in the body for 24 hours afterward. The FDA says more testing is feed to determine the possible cancer risk. So should you stop using sunscreen? Well, experts say absolutely not. That definitely poses a cancer risk. But certainly concerning to think that that's absorbed.

ROMANS: There are cities trying to wean people off of using sunscreen because it hurts the coral reefs. Wear a rash guard, cover up however you can.

BRIGGS: All right. Ahead, she's a minority female, and that's why the new NRA president thinks one House member was elected from Georgia.

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[05:14:14] ROMANS: The new president of NRA said recently elected Georgia Congresswoman Lucy McBath only won because she is a, quote, a minority feel. McBath is a freshman Democrat whose 17-year-old son was fatally shot in 2012. She's a fierce advocate for gun safety and against gun violence.

But NRA President Carolyn Meadows tells the "Murrieta Daily Journal" saying it is wrong to say it was her antigun stance. That didn't have anything to with it, it had to do with being minority female.

BRIGGS: On Monday, the congresswoman responded with this tweet: My work on gun violence, health care, and many other issues is just starting, and, yes, as a woman of color, I'm proud to be part of the most diverse class in American history. My experiences drive the work I'm doing for my constituents and nobody can take that away from me.

[05:15:02] ROMANS: All right. Flooding has gone from bad to worse in the Midwest, and the plains in Missouri, two levees in St. Charles failed and at least one breach is growing, forcing evacuations. The Mississippi River remains closed to all boat traffic near St. Louis due to extremely high water levels. In Davenport, Iowa, people applying for unemployment after 30 businesses have closed. Some records at record levels and more rain expected to aggravate the problem in the coming days.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I tell you, if I was running for office, I would ask for the death penalty for double blockers. If this is allowed to go on, this is not a society. This is anarchy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRIGGS: He's not running for office, but George Costanza better known as Jason Alexander is weighing in on the 2020 presidential race. You see, it all started in January when Colorado Senator Michael Bennet now a candidate railed against Texas Senator Ted Cruz.

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SEN. MICHAEL BENNET (D), COLORADO: When the senator from Texas shut this government down, in 2013, my state was flooded. It was underwater.

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BRIGGS: Well, last week, Cruz welcomed Bennet to the race by tweeting his campaign, quote, is a Seinfeld campaign about nothing that typifies the left's empty rage in 2020. Now, Alexander is weighing in.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, the jerk store called, they're running out of you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's the difference? You're their all time best seller.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRIGGS: In a tweet playing off that episode, Alexander took a swipe at Cruz saying, I've met Bennet. He is a great man and real choice for POTUS. As for Cruz, yes, the jerk store called and they're running out of you, I say the faster the better.

ROMANS: All right. Kentucky's Horse Racing Commission denying the appeal filed on behalf of Gary West, the owner of Maximum Security. The horse was disqualified for interference after finishing first in the Kentucky Derby. Racing officials say the steward's decision is not subject to appeal. West plans to sue to overturn that decision.

The official online wagering site at Churchill Downs of the Kentucky Derby is refunding win bets on maximum security up to $10. Some $9 million was lost when the derby finish was overturned.

BRIGGS: Unfortunately it's the sport that really takes the blow over all. A sport that's already struggling with a couple of controversies.

All right, ahead, a major league swarm of bees put baseball on hold in Cincinnati. Andy Scholes with more in the "Bleacher Report".

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[05:22:36] BRIGGS: Tiger Woods adding in another honor to his legendary career, the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Andy Scholes has more on this in the "Bleacher Report".

Good morning, my friend. It's interesting because so many athletes have had to basically disassociate themselves with the president because of public pressure. Lexi Thompson, the female golfer, bully off social media, but Tiger fully embraces the president and really takes no heat.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Apparently, you know, these two guys go back a long way. They've been out there before, Dave. But, you know, President Trump, he awarded Tiger Woods with the highest civilian honor yesterday, and he actually declared Tiger Woods back on top after winning the Masters.

Now, the Presidential Medal of Freedom is awarded at the president's discretion to individuals who have made significant and a significant impact to the country. Tiger had his mom, kids, and girlfriend with him at the White House ceremony, and president Trump calls Tiger one of a kind.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We are in the presence of a true legend, extraordinary athlete who has transformed golf and achieved new levels of dominance.

TIGER WOODS, 5-TIME MASTERS CHAMPION: You have seen the good and the bad, the highs and the lows, and I would not be in this position without all your help. In '97, yes, I won the Masters and I was there to -- I ended up hug my dad and my mom. My dad's no longer here but my mom is here. I love you, mom. Thank you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: And Tiger is going to go for two majors in a row at the PGA Championship next week.

The NBA playoffs last night, Houston Rockets even with the Golden State Warriors in their series. James Harden leading the way for Houston with 38 points. Now, the Warriors made a late comeback in this, and they were down only 3 in the closing seconds. Kevin Durant ends up wide open on this play. His three is no good. Steph curry gets a shot, and he also misses a three. Rockets survive 112-108 to tie the series. Game five tomorrow night.

Bucks meanwhile taking a commanding 3-1 lead in their series with the Celtics. Giannis Antetokounmpo just dominant in this one. He scored 39 points, 16 rebounds and under a minute to go, watch through the lane, throw it down the exclamation point and getting a foul.

[05:25:05] Bucks could close out the series tomorrow night game five in Milwaukee.

Finally, Reds and Giants yesterday in Cincinnati, it was delayed for 18 minutes because of a swarm of bees. It happened right before the game was supposed to start.

And if you were wondering how this happened, experts say there must be a hive somewhere at the ballpark in a wall or something. It gets overcrowded, then the bees create a new queen and the old queen leaves with half of the bees.

So there you go. A little animal planet knowledge for you here on EARLY START.

BRIGGS: Very educational segment there from Andy Scholes. Well done, my friend.

All right. Romans, what's coming up? ROMANS: There can only be one queen bee, Dave, never forget it.

That's me.

All right. Thanks so much.

The White House shows its contempt for Congress once again. The president's taxes and Mueller report remain cloaked in secrecy.

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