Return to Transcripts main page
Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
33rd School Shooting This Academic Year; NYT: Trump Lost $1.17 Billion Over 10 Years; Trade Tensions Sink Markets; Epic Rain Strands Hundreds of Students. Aired 4-4:30a ET
Aired May 08, 2019 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[04:00:19] SEANAN RILEY, STUDENT, STEM SCHOOL HIGHLANDS RANCH: We thought it was a drill until we saw the officer with the patrol rifle.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not knowing if we would make it out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: One student dead, eight others injured after two students opened fire on their classmates just miles from Columbine.
DAVE BRIGGS, CNN ANCHOR: More than $1 billion in losses over 10 years. Staggering numbers for Donald Trump, according to tax documents obtained by "The New York Times."
ROMANS: Wall Street could not sustain another day of trade uncertainty. The Dow plummets. What's in store today?
BRIGGS: And epic flooding in the South. Hundreds of students stranded overnight in Texas and the weather threat is far from over.
Good morning, everyone, and welcome to EARLY START. I'm Dave Briggs.
ROMANS: And I'm Christine Romans. It is Wednesday, May 8th. Good morning, everyone. It is 4:00 a.m. in the East.
Let's begin here. Breaking overnight, one student is dead, eight others injured in a school shooting near Denver.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
POLICE DISPATCHER: Attention all units. Getting information on a shooting at STEM school. All units, we have a shooter in room 107, 107.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Two p.m. Tuesday, the moment the STEM School Highland Ranch went into lockdown -- the students forced to evacuate. An all too familiar scene, the kids lining the sidewalk with their hands in the air. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RILEY: We heard that there was a lockdown and we thought it was a drill until we saw the officer with the patrol rifle and tens of other police cars just coming our way.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As soon as the lights go out everyone was scared for their lives. People were quiet. I felt like I was out in the open and I didn't like it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRIGGS: Police apprehended two students after the shooting. One of them is a teen, the other is a juvenile. Police believe they both attend the school.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TONY SPURLOCK, SHERIFF, DOUGLAS COUNTY, COLORADO: Two individuals walked into the STEM school and got deep inside the school and engaged students in two separate locations.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE).
POLICE OFFICER: They're all going to Northridge.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRIGGS: Police were left in a delicate spot, informing crying parents their children were being bused to other locations.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Where are you located right now?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Northridge Rec Center.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's where they're taking you? Are they taking you on a bus? How are you getting transported there?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know how they're taking us, mom. I don't know.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How many kids were shot?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think probably -- I don't know, mom.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRIGGS: When students eventually reunited with their families, the relief was palpable.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Very comforting because not knowing if we would make it out or what since we didn't know how many there were or anything.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRIGGS: The father of one student tells "The New York Times" his son and two friends tried to tackle one of the gunmen, and one of the boys was shot in the chest.
ROMANS: People in the area just marked the 20th anniversary of the deadly shooting at Columbine High School. That's just about seven miles away from Highland Ranch.
No motive is known for Tuesday's shooting. It happened just weeks after area schools were closed while authorities scrambled to find an armed Florida teen seemed said to be infatuated with the Columbine massacre.
Several of the injured students from Tuesday's incident were told they're in critical condition. This is the 33rd school shooting this academic year since August.
CNN's Nick Watt explains how changes could have produced a far worse outcome.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICK WATT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Christine and Dave, we are told by the local sheriff that this also could have been much worse. Luckily, there is a sheriff substation just on the next block from the school. So, deputies were on scene within a couple minutes of shots being rang out.
Lives could have been saved because of the protocols that changed after the horrific Columbine school shooting just over 20 years ago which took place seven or eight miles away from the shooting.
Now, at Columbine and before, law enforcement set up a perimeter around the situation like this. After Columbine, it changed and law enforcement goes in and tries to engage the shooter. The sheriff here is saying that that speed of response could have saved many lives. Of course, one student has tragically died -- Christine and Dave.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRIGGS: Nick Watt in Denver, thank you.
The Justice Department is warning House Democrats the Trump administration is prepared to invoke executive privilege over the entire Mueller report if they move forward with today's vote to hold Attorney General Bill Barr in contempt.
[04:05:02] By invoking executive privilege, the Trump administration could be trying to prevent House committees from interviewing key figures in the Mueller report. The challenge for Democrats, how hard to push the president on oversight.
Here's Manu Raju Hill. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Christine and Dave.
Now, House Democrats are planning to still hold the Attorney General Bill Barr in contempt and later this morning after he has not provided full Mueller report and the underlying evidence as Democrats have demanded.
Now, for much of the day yesterday there had been discussions to try to reach a deal to head off this contempt vote, but Democrats are pushing forward. This could be the first time holding a senior member of the Trump administration in contempt after the administration has refused a whole range of requests, this being one that they issued a subpoena for and the administration said no.
Another subpoena that the committee issued was for Don McGahn's records and testimony. The former White House counsel -- the Democrats hoped would cooperate as part of their investigation into potential obstruction of justice, but the Justice Department has said that -- the White House said that he should not comply because it could breach his confidential discussions that occurred when he was working at the White House.
But nevertheless, these are all wrapped up in the larger fights that could end up in court and could take months to play out -- Christine and Dave.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRIGGS: Manu, thanks.
President Trump has made a career about bragging about his immense wealth. But last night, "The New York Times" reported his tax documents show that Trump businesses lost more than a billion dollars over the course of a decade. "The Times" says IRS transcripts show his businesses lost $1.17 billion between 1985 and 1994, so much that he did not pay income taxes for eight of the 10 years.
"The Times" writes, in fact, year after year, Mr. Trump appears to have lost more money than nearly any other individual American taxpayer. His core business losses in 1990 and 1991, more than $250 million each year were more than double those the nearest taxpayer in the IRS information for those years.
ROMANS: Here are a couple of his biggest losses. In 1989, he bought Eastern Airlines and lost $182 million.
In 1990, he opened the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City. He saddled the company with $800 million in debt and he lost $517 million over the next two years.
BRIGGS: Of course, he ran for president branding himself as a self- made billionaire. But he steadfastly refused to release his tax returns. A lawyer for the president told "The Times" the tax information required was, quote, demonstrably false, and he called IRS transcripts notoriously inaccurate. Mr. Trump's attorney did not cite any specific errors.
ROMANS: Or release the tax returns.
BRIGGS: Still no returns.
Breaking overnight, Iran's president announcing a partial withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal it signed with the United States and other world powers. The decision comes from one year after President Trump abandoned the agreement. The move comes one day after Mike Pompeo's mystery tour turned out to be a four-hour stop in Baghdad. The secretary of state meeting with Iraqi leaders about rising tensions with Iran.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE POMPEO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: We talked to them about the importance of Iraq ensuring that it's able to adequately protect Americans in their country. They both provided assurances that they understood that was their responsibility.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRIGGS: Nic Robertson joining us from 10 Downing Street in London where Secretary Pompeo meets with British Prime Minister Theresa May today. He was supposed to meet with Angela Merkel the other day.
Good morning, Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN: Yes, good morning, Dave. Well, Secretary Pompeo who seems to be on track, he did land here about 3:00 in the morning local time today. So, he is in country, which is more than he got to do in Germany.
Undoubtedly, Iran is going to be front and center, one of the topics that he'll discuss with the prime minister today. Why? Because Iran is saying that because of the United States pulling out of that multinational Iran deal a year ago, they are not going to comply.
What are they going to do? They're going to increase they say that amounts of lightly enriched uranium and heavy water. What does this actually mean? This means they reduce the pathway to making a bomb. That was the whole point of getting them into the agreement in the first place.
So, the difficulty when Secretary Pompeo meets with Prime Minister Theresa May, is that they have a big difference over how to handle Iran right now. And, Iran, by doing this move is trying to, if you will, put pressure on those European countries that still support it. Germany, France, the U.K. and the European Union to back its position and have the United States allow it, at least to do some oil trade and business around the world, which the United States is trying to shut down.
Meanwhile, you know, as we just heard there, Secretary Pompeo in his way back from Iraq was telling the Iraqis what -- a little more detail about the threat and also their obligation to protect U.S. forces inside of Iraq.
[04:10:04] And this comes is at a time when intelligence -- U.S. intelligence is aware that the Iranians are moving short range ballistic missiles by sea in the region. The danger, concern, tensions going up.
BRIGGS: All right. Nic Robertson live for us at 10 Downing, just past 9:00 a.m. there. Thank you, Nic.
ROMANS: All right. On Wall Street, uncertainty. Stocks held their ground Monday amid President Trump's trade threats. But investors freaked out Tuesday when his top trade negotiators confirmed he is not bluffing on hiking tariffs and that China reneged on earlier progress.
The Dow fell about 473 points, the worst one-day decline since January 3rd. The S&P 500 close down 1.6 percent. The Nasdaq fell 2 percent, it's now below 8,000 for the first time since last month.
Look, Tuesday's selling spread into Asia markets overnight. So, you've got losses for some of these markets on Wednesday.
And on Wall Street, right now, looking at futures, they are up slightly, about 19 points. So, I would call this directionless. But at least it's not continued selling.
Look, China's top trade negotiator arrives in D.C. for a shortened round of talks tomorrow. Now, talks were supposed to start today with a huge Chinese delegation. They were delayed after U.S. trade officials confirmed President Trump is serious. He wants to raise tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods, all the way up to 25 percent on Friday.
Now, if the two sides can't work out a deal, economic growth could take a hit. Consulting firm The Trade Partnership estimates the entire cost of these tariffs, the 25 percent tariff that goes into effect on Friday, the existing taxes on high tech imports from China, all together, would cost 934,000 jobs and raise expenses for the typical family of four by about $767 a year. That's costs on everything from seafood to bicycle helmets to furniture to clothing.
Remember, China would not pay for tariffs. It does not pay for tariffs. Tariffs are paid at the port of entry by American companies who can either eat the higher cost or pass it along to consumers.
BRIGGS: All right. Uber and Lyft users in more than a dozen major cities, including New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco will have to find another way to work this morning. Ride-hailing drivers are planning to strike today, just days ahead of Uber's highly anticipated offering on Wall Street. They are demanding regulated fares, higher pay and job security. Strikes are also expected in parts of United Kingdom, Australia and South America. It is expected to be the biggest internationally coordinated effort against the ride-hailing company to date. ROMANS: All right. Her death in the jail cell sparked outrage. Now,
four years later, video emerges of Sandra Bland recorded during her own arrest.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
POLICE OFFICER: Get out, now.
SANDRA BLAND: Wow.
POLICE OFFICER: Get out of the car!
BLAND: For failure to signal.
POLICE OFFICER: Get over there.
BLAND: Right, yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[04:17:33] BRIGGS: Four-seventeen Eastern Time.
Epic amounts of rain fell on Texas Tuesday. Drivers braved the flooded streets in Houston. At least 14 inches of rain reported near the city. The Houston Fire Department says it received at least 250 calls for higher water rescues. It says hundreds of homes are being affected by the flooding. Fort Bend County issued a disaster declaration for flash flooding with a threat of a nearby river spilling over its banks.
ROMANS: Hundreds of students in three counties are left stranded. They're being housed overnight since school districts were not able to get buses to them.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LANCE MEYER, NEW CANEY HIGH SCHOOL JUNIOR: Started getting higher and higher outside. They started locking us in. We have been in since 3:00.
LANCE MEYER'S MOTHER, SON ATTENDED NEW CANEY HIGH SCHOOL: Down the road, the water was so high, I turned around and realized him calling me, I had no choice.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: The Cleveland Independent School District posted pictures of superintendent Chris Trotter in school with the kids. Severe storms pounded the Southern Plains since Monday. Now, more than 60 million people are at risk of severe storms from Texas all the way to the Great Lakes. Tornadoes, also a possible threat.
BRIGGS: Nearly four years after Sandra Bland's controversial traffic stop, her point was finally emerging. Bland recorded video of her arrest from inside the car. Until now, we've only seen police dash cam video. Here now is Bland's video, all 39 seconds.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
POLICE OFFICER: Get out of the car, now.
BLAND: Why am I being apprehended? You are trying to give me a ticket for a failure --
POLICE OFFICER I said, get out of the car.
BLAND: Why am I being apprehended? You just opened my car door, you just opened my car door, so you going to drag me out of my own car.
POLICE OFFICER: Get out of the car! I will lock you up! Get out, now! Get out of the car!
BLAND: Wow, wow. All of this for failure to signal.
POLICE OFFICER: Get over there.
BLAND: Right, yes, let's take this to court. Let's do it. For a failure to signal, on my school. I'm not on the phone. I have a right to record. This is my property.
POLICE OFFICER: Put your phone down.
BLAND: Sir?
POLICE OFFICER: Put your phone down, right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRIGGS: The video was published Monday by Dallas TV station WFAA in partnership with a nonprofit news organization, the Investigative Network. Three days after her arrest, Bland was found hanging in a jail cell.
ROMANS: Her death was ruled a suicide but her family argued she should never have been arrested in the first place.
[05:20:01] And they question of why the new footage had not come to light earlier.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CANNON LAMBERT, ATTORNEY FOR SANDRA BLAND'S FAMILY: Special prosecutors, if they had this video and had the opportunity to prosecute, they should have.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: The Texas Department of Public Safety tells WFAA the premise that the video was not produced as a part of the discovery process is wrong. State Trooper Brian Encinia initially stated he feared for his safety during that stop right there. But in 2016, a grand jury rejected that claim. He was indicted for
perjury. He was fired. But the charge was dismissed in 2017, after he agreed never to work in law enforcement again.
BRIGGS: To your point, did he fear for his safety there? It's hard to imagine someone armed with a cell phone.
ROMANS: I mean, she was going for a job, you know?
BRIGGS: Yes.
ROMANS: She was jailed for failing to signal a lane change. Imagine how she must have felt then, locked up for the weekend in jail when she was supposed to be starting a job. It must have been just terrifying for her.
BRIGGS: Thankfully, this video has been unearthed.
Ahead, ready for your first look at a look at royal, Harry and Meghan, ready to reveal their son this morning. Will we finally know the name?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[04:26:07] ROMANS: All right. In just a few hours, the world gets a look at the royal baby. Buckingham Palace has already announced the wait of Meghan and Harry's bundle of joy. I think seven pounds, three ounces, if I'm not mistaken. We still don't know the name of the little guy.
Max Foster is live from Windsor where the anticipation is building.
Good morning, Max.
MAX FOSTER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Christine.
And I think, you know, the plan was to have this photo call today outside. I think that will have to change to inside. I'm sure Meghan is used to the British weather by now.
So, around lunchtime, U.K. time, around just after 7:00 your time, we are going to get the first images of the bouncing baby boy for the first time. We are going to hear from Meghan we think as well. She might say a few words to the camera. So, much anticipation here to see the new addition to the royal family.
And I think pretty much all the European television networks are planning to carry those pictures live. People will be gathered around their TV sets in the rain at the moment in British and American history, Christine.
ROMANS: Max, what about the name? I mean, what is your sense? Do you have any sense of what direction they will go with the name?
FOSTER: Well, they said they are going to announce. They were undecided. So, I think there might be arguing over it. I think there might be some discussion.
So, we're just left speculation. All sorts of people laying bets on Alexander as the favorite name. The other one people keep going to is Spencer because it reminds them of Diana, of course. Diane Spencer, her original name.
ROMANS: Absolutely. All right. Max Foster, we know you will bring it to us when you got it. Thank you, sir.
BRIGGS: Now, we are not, you know, part of the monarchy, but doesn't everyone name the child before it's born? Do you think could they be deliberating it at this point?
ROMANS: Well, I mean, if -- look, for my second kid, it was almost two days before I knew. I just kept looking at him and I didn't know what to call. Also, I had three boys and every time I went in, I was like, wow, I had a boy. I ran out of boy names at some point.
BRIGGS: All right. We'll stay on that.
Ahead, there have now been 33 school shootings this academic year. The latest, two gunmen shoot nine of their classmates, killing one in Colorado near Columbine.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
