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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
Trump Junior Subpoenaed by GOP-Led Senate; Jerry Nadler Threatens to Subpoena Robert Mueller; Vigil Takes Place to Remember Kendrick Castillo; North Korea Launches Unidentified Projectile. Aired 4-4:30a ET
Aired May 09, 2019 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[04:00:24] DAVE BRIGGS, CNN ANCHOR: A subpoena for Donald Trump, Jr. The Republican-led Senate wants to bring him in, but why?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NYKI GIASOLLI. MOTHER OF STUDENT: If it had not been for him, I wouldn't have my baby today.
NATE HOLLEY, STUDENT: I was going to go down fighting if I was going to go down.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Shock and grief in Colorado as a community mourns a hero who took down a school shooter.
BRIGGS: Are the GOP attacks on Obamacare taking a toll? The rate of uninsured adults ticking up for the first time under the law.
ROMANS: And more than a thousand weapons seized by the feds, guns and ammo tracked down at a home in Los Angeles.
Good morning, everyone, and welcome to EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans.
BRIGGS: There's an army. Good morning, I'm Dave Briggs. It's almost Friday. It's Thursday, May 9th.
ROMANS: Don't tease me like that.
BRIGGS: Almost. Almost. That's how we like to see it. It's 4:00 a.m. in the East.
We start in the nation's capital where it's not case closed. The Senate Intelligence Committee wants another round with Donald Trump, Jr. but will the president's son comply? The subpoena for Don, Jr. comes from a committee led by Republicans. Discussions over his testimony began before the release of special counsel's report. Don, Jr.'s team resisted in part, they say, because Mueller's findings were still secret.
ROMANS: The subpoena is a sign the committee is escalating its probe into Russian election interference. It raises two major questions. Why do senators want to speak with Don, Jr. and will he show up?
CNN's Phil Mattingly has more from Capitol Hill.
PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Christine and Dave, case closed was the message from Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. It appears, at least in the Senate, including the Republican-led Senate, the Republican-led Intelligence Committee, the case is not quite yet closed.
Why do we know that? Well, we have now discovered, according to sources, that a number of weeks ago the Republican-led committee issued a subpoena to Donald Trump, Jr. As far as we know this is the first subpoena issued by anybody on Capitol Hill related to any of the president's children.
Now the issues here, while still not totally clear, appear to really run through two different tracks. And these were comments that Donald Trump, Jr. made related to a June 2016 Trump Tower meeting with Russian individuals who were claiming they had dirt on Hillary Clinton, as well as discussions he may or may not have had with Michael Cohen related to a potential Trump Tower in Moscow.
Now both of those issues were issues that Donald Trump, Jr. testified about previously. He's testified in front of three committees for dozens of hours. And we know right now that will the committee has subpoenaed Donald Trump, Jr. there is currently a standoff. Donald Trump, Jr. is not planning on coming to Capitol Hill. The considerations were either pleading the Fifth or not showing up at all.
And based on the statements that sources close to Donald Trump, Jr. have released attacking the Republican chairman of the committee, Richard Burr, making clear that in their eyes this was a PR stunt. It doesn't look like this standstill is going to change anytime soon. Basically things aren't actually over. The case not quite closed -- guys.
BRIGGS: All right, Phil Mattingly, thank you.
The next subpoena could have Bob Mueller's name on it. Democrats are determined to hear from the special counsel but President Trump is trying to block his testimony by invoking executive privilege over the entire Mueller report and its underlying evidence. A dramatic step considering the president recently suggested he didn't mind the report being released at all.
House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler dismissing the administration's stonewalling.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JERRY NADLER (D-NY): I certainly hope that we will hear from Mueller. And eventually -- by the way, yes. Eventually we will hear from Mueller because we will -- if we have to -- we will subpoena him if we have to. And the nonsense claim of executive privilege will be pierced by the court and he'll be ordered to testify. (END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: The full House will now take up whether -- will now take up whether to hold Attorney General Barr in contempt for refusing to hand over the unredacted Mueller report. The Judiciary Committee voted along party lines to advance the measure. But the matter appears headed for a courtroom showdown between House Democrats and the Justice Department.
BRIGGS: Overnight, a vigil to honor an 18-year-old student killed in a gun attack at a high school in suburban Denver. At least 2,000 people packed the gym at STEM School Highlands Ranch to pay tribute to Kendrick Castillo who tried to stop one of the suspects from firing.
CNN spoke to his father who as you can imagine is heartbroken.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN CASTILLO, FATHER OF VICTIM: One of the kids told me that like a flash he jumped up.
[04:05:02] She said, you know, he's a hero. He saved me. He said he jumped up and he ran. Said you couldn't even see how fast he was running, you know, out the door and after this person. There's another part of you that wishes he would have just turned and ran, retreated, hid, you know, did something to put himself out of harm's way if that was possible.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: The kids have to even make the choice between fight or flight is just unacceptable. Other students and families are remembering Kendrick Castillo as they come to terms with their own grief.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TUSCANY "NUI" GIASOLLI, STUDENT: Kendrick lunged at him to try and subdue him. As soon he said, "Don't you move," Kendrick lunged, giving all of us enough time to hide under our desks.
N. GIASOLLI: If it had not been for him I wouldn't have my baby today, and I can't imagine that I will never able to thank him.
HOLLEY: I was hiding in the corner and they were right outside the door. I had my hand on a metal baseball bat just in case because I was going to go down fighting if I was going to go down.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Again, that this is even a conversation in daily American life. Kendrick is part of a tragic new trend in American schools, looking out for a shooter then sacrificing yourself to save your classmates. Last week Riley Howell was killed as he tackled a shooter at the University of North Carolina Charlotte. Here's what his parents told CNN last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NATALIE HENRY-HOWELL, MOTHER OF RILEY HOWELL: It's just terrible that more families and communities are going through this. And while I'm angry and I feel embattled, I think at the same time we have to instead of just lionize, we have to galvanize. There just has to be some dialogue from people all around so that we can never ever, ever let a community have to go through this again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRIGGS: Boy, we hope that's the case.
CNN has obtained cell phone audio capturing the moments police moved on to the shooters in Colorado.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Lock down.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They found him.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Lock down.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRIGGS: Authorities have identified both shooters, one an 18-year-old male, the other a 16-year-old. Police initially said the second suspect was a girl, but he identifies as male. Both are due back in court to be formally charged Friday.
ROMANS: The vigil last night actually turned into a demonstration. Some people walked out after Senator Michael Bennet and Congressman Jason Crow spoke.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTERS: Mental health. Mental health.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Mental health, I think they're chanting, are they?
BRIGGS: OK, mental health.
ROMANS: They said they didn't want politics and the media taking advantage of the shooting. Pushing an agenda. They started chanting for a focus on mental health.
If you'd like to help the Castillo family, a donation account has been set up with Wells Fargo. You can go at any branch and ask to donate to the Kendrick Castillo Memorial Fund.
All right, the gains in coverage from the Affordable Care Act are beginning to erode. According to a brand new report from the CDC the uninsured rate for Americans age 45 to 64 jumped to 10.3 percent last year, up a full percentage point from a year earlier. It marks the first time a government study has shown an increase.
BRIGGS: The uninsured rate serves as a gauge for President Trump's impact on health care coverage. His administration is seeking to dismantle every aspect of Obamacare in the courts. The landmark health care law is credited with extending coverage of millions of Americans. The uninsured rate did remain stable for younger adults.
ROMANS: Breaking moments ago, North Korea launches an unidentified projectile, the second launch in a week.
Let's go straight to CNN's Paula Hancocks. She is live in Seoul.
We've been watching some of these indications that something was happening here. What do we know?
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the latest we have here is from the Joint Chiefs of Staff. They have confirmed that there have been a number of unidentified projectiles fired from North Korea. Now this particular time it's been fired from the northwest of the country we believe heading in the east direction so towards the water, and then onto Japan, but that's pretty much all we have at this point.
At 4:30 p.m. local time is when we're being told that this was fired, these projectiles. That's just over half an hour ago now, and it does come just a number of days after North Korea fired one believed to be short-range ballistic missile and rockets at multiple launch -- rocket launches on Saturday morning local time as well, so clearly North Korea is signaling something once again, potentially signaling frustration at the lack of talks or at least the lack of the talks going the way they want to at this point.
[04:10:08] Now we did hear from North Korea when it's -- about the Saturday launches and they effectively said that was part of a military drill. It was defensive in nature, so it will be interesting to see what they say about today's drill, if that, in fact, is what it was.
It is interesting, though, the fact that both the U.S. and South Korea have been trying to down play what has been happening in North Korea at this point. Certainly after the Saturday launch there was an effort by both sides to point out that this wasn't necessarily as provocative as one might think. That is what we heard from the intelligence agencies here in South Korea who briefed lawmakers saying that it wasn't as provocative as before and even pedaling the North Korean line that they are defensive and that this was part of a military drill. It'll be interesting to see what these projectiles were.
ROMANS: Sure. After that Saturday launch, the president said -- tweeted, "I'm with you," to Kim Jong-un, so we'll see. We'll see what happens later today, what the U.S. response is.
Thank you so much for that, Paula, in Seoul.
All right. I see your threat of new tariffs and I raise you. President Trump plans to hike tariffs on Chinese goods tomorrow. The Chinese are threatening to retaliate. China's Commerce Ministry said late Wednesday Beijing will impose tariffs of its own if the U.S. jacks up tariffs to 25 percent on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods, adding an escalation in bilateral trade frictions is not in the interest of both peoples or that of the whole world. All this as the 11th round of negotiations begin today.
On Wednesday the president suggested the Chinese were trying to run out the clock on his administration saying they want to negotiate with Joe Biden or another weak Democrat. The president said he's happy with tariffs filling American coffers calling them great for the U.S., not good for China.
All right, remember, China does not pay for tariffs. The bill is paid by Americans who import it at the port of entry. That means you too eventually.
Hours before China's warning. Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said this to reporters.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SARAH SANDERS, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Look, we've got indication that they want to make a deal. Our teams are in continued negotiations.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: The White House declined to comment again after China's threat of retaliatory tariffs.
You know, the thing is, though, we import so much more from China that the Americans have the leverage on the tariffs.
BRIGGS: Right.
ROMANS: They don't really import enough from us. The danger there is it's soybeans and it's Ag products and it's just more pain for -- more pain for farmers who have seen their soybeans actually, you know, in storage and rotting in floods since the Chinese retaliated on those. I'm worried about the heartland.
BRIGGS: It's a surprise the market has not lost more than 1.3 trillion.
ROMANS: Yes.
BRIGGS: Given the cliff that we're on the very edge of.
Ahead, a 3-year-old with leukemia wants his parents -- don't want chemo. His doctors they do. What does the judge say?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[04:17:39] BRIGGS: Authorities seizing a cache of more than a thousand weapons from a home in upscale Los Angeles neighborhood of Holmby Hills. Federal agents and the LAPD served a search warrant early Wednesday while investigating the suspected manufacture and sale of illegal firearms.
Look at this. Stacks of hundreds of rifles and handguns along with thousands of rounds of ammunition could be seen laid out across the driveway of the large home. One man has been arrested on weapons charges.
ROMANS: All right. A judge has ordered chemotherapy treatments to resume for a 3-year-old Florida boy with leukemia over the objection of his parents. Noah McAdams was diagnosed on April 4th. He receive two rounds of chemo before his parents informed doctors they wanted to seek alternative treatments. But a judge ruled Noah must complete the first phase of chemo. He's also allowing the boy's parents to explore options like medical cannabis.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TAYLOR BLAND BALL, NOAH'S MOTHER: We are disappointed with the fact that they're moving forward with chemotherapy considering all the side effects.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: The judge will evaluate the little boy's condition before ruling on the next two phases of chemotherapy for Noah.
BRIGGS: Police in South Carolina say a child found $40,000 worth of methamphetamine hidden inside a Lego box. They say three women bought the Lego set at a thrift store in Charleston and took it home to Georgia. They gave the Legos to a child who opened the box and then discovered the meth. Drug enforcement officials say the box could have been purchased in a storage auction before making its way to the consignment shop without anyone questioning its contents. No charges have been filed.
ROMANS: Well, that's terrifying.
All right, a nurse was denied a world record because she wore scrubs instead of a skirt. Now the Guinness Book of Records is changing its tune as they should. I don't think anybody thought that was a good idea.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[04:24:28] ROMANS: All right. The quick thinking and cat-like reflexes of a school bus driver may have saved a teenager's life. Watch as driver Samantha Cole stops to let the student off. But she pulls him back as he's exiting just as a car zooms past the school bus door.
I've got to watch this again. Oh my gosh. She's been called a hero. The New York School District says she did an outstanding job. They say their drivers had to go to training to prepare them for situations just like this. I also call that the mom arm. You know, it's like the -- BRIGGS: You know, not enough people stop for those stop signs that
come out from the -- that is a serious problem in this country.
[04:25:04] ROMANS: You know, you're right. And we have seen -- we have seen fatalities. People don't know that when they're --
BRIGGS: Yes. Man.
ROMANS: You cannot pass a school bus, people. You cannot pass a school bus.
BRIGGS: We shouldn't have to remind you.
ROMANS: Right.
BRIGGS: All right. A royal welcome to Archie Harrison Mountbatten- Windsor. Quite a mouthful for someone weighing in at 7 pound, 3 ounces. The world getting its first look at Harry and Meghan's son. After he met the Queen, they revealed his name. Now the British royal family likes to honor those who came before, but we're told the Duke and Duchess of Sussex just liked the name Archie, and the second name Harrison, well, it means "son of Harry."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MEGHAN MARKLE, DUCHESS OF SUSSEX: It's magic. It's pretty amazing, and I mean, I have the two best guys in the world so I'm really happy. He has the sweetest temperament. He's really calm and --
He gets that from me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Temperament at 2 days old is like they sleep 20 hours a day.
(LAUGHTER)
BRIGGS: Proud parents nonetheless. They've chosen not to use any title for their son. However, when Prince Charles becomes king, Prince Harry's son will automatically become his Royal Highness Prince Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.
ROMANS: Welcome to them. Get some sleep.
All right. A British nurse who ran the London marathon in scrubs and pants, she will get her place in the record books after all. Guinness World Records has scrubbed its decision -- get it -- to deny Jessica Anderson the title for fastest marathon wearing a nurse's uniform.
BRIGGS: Yes.
ROMANS: Now she had been told initially that her attempt didn't count because she was not wearing a skirt. Guinness, though, now admits its guidelines were, quote, "outdated, incorrect, and reflected a stereotype." Yeah, from the 1950s. Anderson's new record time, three hours, eight minutes and 22 seconds. I mean, that's what nurses wear. They don't wear the little hat --
(LAUGHTER)
BRIGGS: Yes.
ROMANS: And the skirt and the orthopedic shoes.
BRIGGS: Yes. Monday was National Nurse's Day.
ROMANS: Yes.
BRIGGS: This is National Nurse's Week. Honor the work they do.
ROMANS: Absolutely.
All right. Donald Trump -- Donald Trump, Jr., easy for me to say, subpoenaed by the Senate Intel Committee. Why does the Republican-led committee want to talk to him?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[04:30:00]
