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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
Alabama Senate Passes Near-Total Abortion Ban; U.S. State Department Orders Most Personnel Out Of Iraq; Audio Reveals Pilots Confronting Boeing. Aired 5:30-6a ET
Aired May 15, 2019 - 05:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[05:31:53] (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VIVIAN DAVIS FIGURES (D), ALABAMA STATE SENATE: Do you -- do you know what's it like to be raped?
LINDA COLEMAN-MADISON (D), ALABAMA STATE SENATE: Maybe we need to come up with a castration bill. I mean, you guys come up with some crazy bills.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: The most restrictive abortion law in the country passing in Alabama. It sets up what could be the toughest challenge to Roe versus Wade yet.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Also breaking, the State Department ordering non-emergency personnel out of Iraq. The latest regional trouble as the U.S. deals with threats from Iran.
SANCHEZ: Plus, the president says we're winning the trade war, but is there a real strategy to help American farmers who are growing desperate?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PILOT: We flat-out deserve to know what is on our airplanes.
BOEING OFFICIAL: I don't disagree.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Pilots have big concerns for a Boeing executive after the first crash of a 737 MAX. Why weren't changes made sooner? Here, the newly-uncovered audio.
Welcome back to EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans.
SANCHEZ: Always a pleasure to be here with you, Christine.
ROMANS: Nice to have you.
SANCHEZ: I'm Boris Sanchez in for Dave Briggs. We are 32 minutes past the hour.
And we start with breaking news overnight. A near-total ban on abortion now on the verge of becoming law in Alabama.
The State Senate passing a bill setting up what may be the Supreme Court battle that tests Roe versus Wade. The bill, heading to the governor's desk, would punish doctors who perform abortions with life in prison. Now there are exceptions for serious health risks to the mother, but no exceptions for rape or incest.
Lawmakers and supporters of the bill have not made any secret of their larger goal.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is this bill designed in any way to go to the Supreme Court or how is it designed?
TERRI COLLINS (R), ALABAMA STATE SENATE: It's designed in every way to do just that.
ERIC JOHNSTON, PRESIDENT, ALABAMA PRO-LIFE COALITION, BILL DRAFTER: It's the first time in 46 years that the makeup on the Supreme Court has changed where there's possibly enough conservatives on there who would believe Roe v. Wade is incorrectly decided.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Republican Gov. Kay Ivey has six days to sign the measure. She has not publicly taken a stance on it but has aligned herself with anti-abortion forces in the past.
Last night's vote condemned by Alabama Democrats.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COLEMAN-MADISON: Republicans, you all -- you guys used to say we want the government out of our life. We want them out of our business. We want them out of our bedroom.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We never said that.
COLEMAN-MADISON: You all -- yes, you did. You said I want them out of my bedroom.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE).
COLEMAN-MADISON: Now, you're in my womb. I want you out.
BOBBY SINGLETON (D), ALABAMA STATE SENATE: I apologize to the women of Alabama for this archaic law that we passed -- a state that would allow them to be raped and the fact that they'd have to carry that child.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: The ACLU and Planned Parenthood say they will challenge the measure in court if it becomes law.
Nine states have passed laws that impose significant abortion restrictions. Similar measures are pending in seven other states, including Alabama, where the Senate debate had some emotionally- charged moments. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FIGURES: Do you -- do you know what it's like to be raped?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, ma'am, I don't.
FIGURES: Do you know what it's like to have a relative commit incest on you?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On me? No, ma'am.
FIGURE: Yes, on you.
COLEMAN-MADISON: Maybe we need to come up with a castration bill. I mean, you guys come up with some crazy bills. I'd like to be able to just open up your minds and just see what's inside.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[05:35:05] ROMANS: Democratic presidential candidates quick to denounce last night's vote. Elizabeth Warren calling the ban dangerous and exceptionally cruel. Kirsten Gillibrand tweeted, "For politicians who claim to care so much about humanity, they don't have much of it."
SANCHEZ: We're following breaking news at this hour.
The U.S. State Department urging American citizens not to travel to Iraq due to terrorism, kidnapping, and armed conflict. Officials also ordering non-emergency U.S. government employees to leave that region. This comes amid mounting tensions with Iran.
Let's go live to Tehran and bring in Frederik Pleitgen.
Fred, we know that some of the recent escalation of rhetoric by the United States has to do with Iranian-backed militias in Iraq. So how are they responding to this news on the ground in Tehran about the State Department warning American citizens not to go near there?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Boris.
Yes, the Iranians have been continuing to say they don't want an escalation with the United States in this conflict that really is heating up. But on the other hand, they also said that if there is an escalation that obviously, their armed forces, as they put it, would also respond.
Now, it's quite interesting because just late last night I actually spoke to a former commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, the elite wing of their military. And he said look, one of the things that the Americans need to keep in mind is that if there is an escalation here in this region that Iran does control militias in almost all of the neighboring countries. And he said that next to almost every American military base there is one of these militias and that those could get very, very dangerous for American interests.
So clearly, a specter being raised there over the U.S. presence in the Middle Eastern region. That, of course, involving Iraq as well.
Meanwhile, Iran's supreme leader sort of putting the brakes on things between the U.S. and Iran. He's saying categorically, there will be no war with the United States. He's saying that Iran will continue to resist the U.S. He believes that America will retreat from a conflict with Iran.
But he also says there will be no negotiations with the Trump administration, Boris.
SANCHEZ: All right, Fred. We know President Trump is not shy about meeting with controversial leaders and sources have indicated he would be willing to talk to the Iranians. We'll have to wait and see what happens.
Fred Pleitgen in Tehran. Thank you.
ROMANS: All right.
The trade war with China is keeping investors on their toes. Stocks Tuesday rebounding from Monday's steep sell-off.
The Dow closed up 207 points. The S&P 500 just shy of one percent higher. The Nasdaq finished up 1.1 percent.
President Trump claims the U.S. is winning the trade war, but sources close to the White House say there's no strategy or path forward here. It's a stark difference from the image the president is crafting.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: We're having a little squabble with China. I think it's going to turn out extremely well. Yes, we're winning.
You know what? You want to know something? You want to know something? We always win.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: On Tuesday, Trump traveled to Louisiana to speak at a liquefied natural gas export facility. It's coming on line this week, built partly in response to increased demand from China. But one of the retaliatory steps Beijing took Monday was to increase tariffs on LNG to 25 percent, which experts warn could slow demand.
At the same time, exporters are trying to figure out what tariffs mean for their businesses. Soybean farmers are being badly hurt. Prices are now at a 10-year low. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARRY BEAN, FARMER: It's like when you leave a restaurant because you got bad service. Well, maybe they fixed the problem but you found a new restaurant that you like. And so it's really hard to get that business back once we lose it.
BILL GORDON, VICE PRESIDENT, AMERICAN SOYBEAN ASSOCIATION: In the rural communities we're starting to feel it in our schools and down on Main Street where farmers are not making money. It's definitely starting to get dire out here in rural America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Planting season for corn and soybean farmers, the pork producers. Cherry-pick -- I mean, just all kinds of ag groups are concerned here.
New this morning, Chinese President Xi Jinping at a conference in Beijing said this. "No civilian is superior over others." And he added this. "The inclination to remold or replace other civilizations are just stupid."
Maybe a warning for the United States.
SANCHEZ: A clear shot at the Trump administration.
ROMANS: Yes.
Let's bring in "CNN POLITICS" digital director Zach Wolf, live in Washington.
And, Zach, what really strikes me -- among the many things that are so interesting about this -- the Chinese have been bad actors in trade for 30 or 40 years, right? You can understand that China is the bad guy here but also disagree with tariffs as the tool to get them to the table, right?
The White House has crafted -- set up this sort of contrast for 2020 as the Democrats are the socialists. But you have a Republican administration that is redistributing wealth from consumers to farmers, talking about taxpayer-funded bailouts for the farm industry. Picking winners or losers in the biggest capitalist market in the world.
I mean, isn't that an absolute contradiction?
ZACHARY WOLF, DIGITAL DIRECTOR, CNN POLITICS: Well, they did that already. When the tariffs were first implemented they used -- Republican in Congress helped them -- you know, a multibillion-dollar bailout essentially for farmers.
[05:40:03] But because of this new tax -- and we call them tariffs but really, they're taxes on consumers -- are also hurting American producers. So you have this weird cycle here. I do think it will be interesting to see if they can get another multibillion-dollar bailout for farmers with this Democratic- controlled House of Representatives. Are Democrats going to stand in the way of that if it comes to that? That will be a really interesting thing.
But you're right. On the point of it, handing out, on one hand, to farmers a multibillion-dollar bailout while at the same time railing on Democrats for being socialists is a -- is a -- is a weird intellectual place to be.
ROMANS: You're hearing from the right-wing media who are sort of supporting the president in this --
SANCHEZ: Yes.
ROMANS: -- that to criticize the president on trade is to be in bed with the communist Chinese. So they're starting to craft it that way.
I think there's no question that the U.S. has got to get tough with China. The question is do you do it this way.
SANCHEZ: Right, right. It's also fascinating that he's essentially subsidizing farmers as he's trying to get China to change the way that it subsidizes so many of its own industries.
ROMANS: That's a good point, too.
SANCHEZ: Zach, we have to talk about Donald Trump, Jr. He reached an agreement with the Senate Intelligence Committee, according to sources, to testify in mid-June behind closed doors.
Let's put up some of the parameters of his testimony. Pretty light parameters. He can say only two to four hours of testimony, only five or six topics to discuss.
What do you think the Republican chairman of this committee, Richard Burr -- what do you think he wants to ask Donald Trump, Jr.? Why is he doing this again?
WOLF: I think, clearly, he wants to ask him about what he said previously. The reason you have somebody come back after testifying for 20 hours is that maybe you question some of the things that they said before about the Trump Tower meeting, et cetera. -- potentially, because of what Michael Cohen said.
So this is really interesting. It's most interesting to me as an example of Burr, the Republican chairman, sort of forcing the Republican president's son back in. This is the first kind of cracking we've seen of a Republican who was -- who was sort not buying the no collusion -- there's nothing going on -- nothing to see here argument -- publicly, at least, and that's key.
SANCHEZ: Burr, of course, not up for reelection.
ROMANS: Right. SANCHEZ: And we should point out that a source close to Don, Jr. has said that he would point to his earlier testimony if he was asked questions that he was previously asked.
ROMANS: Let's talk about Alabama here and just looking at what's in this abortion bill that goes to the governor's desk. She has six days to sign it.
It was designed -- I mean, the people who crafted this bill say it was specifically designed to get to the Supreme Court with the new makeup of the court, and this is their best chance yet of overturning Roe v. Wade.
WOLF: Yes, and you see -- you had the graphic earlier -- that Alabama's not the only state. This is the most restrictive one. The restrictions in this bill are essentially outlining abortion. So you can imagine this one getting to the Supreme Court.
There are also the fetal heartbeat bills that we've seen in a number of states like Georgia. There's been a lot of backlash there.
But all of these bills are with the express intent of challenging Roe v. Wade now that Brett Kavanaugh is on the court and challenging exactly what precedent means to these Supreme Court justices. It probably won't happen, I think, for a couple of years, but this is going to be an overriding debate.
And if you are a Democrat and you didn't think that abortion was in danger, this should be your serious wakeup call that this issue is clearly going to drive elections from now until we figure out what happens.
SANCHEZ: All right, Zachary Wolf, the digital director --
ROMANS: Nice to see you.
SANCHEZ: -- of "CNN POLITICS." Thanks so much for getting up early for us.
ROMANS: Thanks, Zach.
WOLF: Thanks.
SANCHEZ: This story really just makes me angry. She went to the hospital after she was raped. But now, a woman says that hospital leaked her personal information to her rapist who attacked her again. Details ahead.
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[05:48:10] SANCHEZ: New audio confirms American Airlines pilots angrily confronted Boeing officials about new features on the 737 MAX fleet last November. That was less than a month after a Lion Air jet crashed off Indonesia and four months before a second deadly 737 MAX crashed in Ethiopia.
"CBS NEWS" obtained the audio and its existence was first reported by the "Dallas Morning News."
ROMANS: On the recording, a Boeing official tells the pilots software changes are coming, perhaps in as little as six weeks, insisting the company did not want to hurry this process.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PILOT: We flat-out deserve to know what is on our airplanes.
BOEING OFFICIAL: I don't disagree.
PILOT: These guys didn't even know the damn system was on the airplane nor did anybody else.
BOEING OFFICIAL: I don't know that understanding this system would've changed the outcome of this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: The problem is the Boeing official is right. The pilots on Ethiopian Airlines flight 302 repeatedly performed all of the manufacturer's procedures but still could not control the Boeing 737 MAX 8 before it crashed.
All right.
He has driven for Lyft, he's driven for Uber, and he's accused of war crimes. Yusuf Abdi Ali has been shuttling passengers for more than 18 months in suburban Virginia.
The former Somali military commander has not been convicted of a crime but a basic Google search turns up many documents and new stories allegedly he committed atrocities while a military commander during Somali's civil war in the 1980s.
SANCHEZ: His rideshare work raises new questions about just how thoroughly Uber and Lyft are screening their drivers.
He was confronted with questions but he didn't say much.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you feel you deserve to live here, sir?
YUSUF ABDI ALI, EX-SOMALI COLONEL: (Silence).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you feel you deserve to live here, sir?
ALI: No comment.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[05:50:00] SANCHEZ: Now, CNN has previously reported that Uber and Lyft have approved thousands of people whose criminal records should have disqualified them. Uber says it has suspended Ali as it reviews the matter. Lyft says it has permanently banned him from its platform.
ROMANS: All right, let's get a check now on "CNN Business" this Wednesday morning.
Asian markets closed higher after earlier losses this week. European markets are open now and they are trading lower.
And on Wall Street, some indecision -- I'd say a mixed open, we're looking for here right now. You know, stocks finished higher Tuesday, rebounding from Monday's deep sell-off. The Dow closed up 207 points. That's less than one percent. The trade war is making things volatile, really, for investor's right here.
On the U.S. economic calendar we have retail sales scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Eastern time today. So we'll get a good sense of how the -- how the -- how the consumer's holding up here.
Disney's takeover of Hulu is just about complete. On Tuesday, Comcast agreed to sell its ownership stake in Hulu to Disney. Now, the sale won't happen for at least another five years but Disney will take full operational control of Hulu right now. The deal effectively makes Hulu a Disney product.
Disney has made it clear Hulu, which has more adult programming like "THE HANDMAID'S TALE" -- it will be a critical part of the Disney streaming strategy. Disney executives have talked about potentially bundling its services together for a discounted price.
We'll be right back.
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[05:55:42] ROMANS: All right.
New this morning, CNN has learned the TSA is deploying hundreds of officials, including federal air marshals, to bolster security at the U.S.-Mexico border. According to an internal e-mail obtained by CNN, senior TSA official Gary Renfrow said there is now immediate need for more help from TSA at the southwest border.
The deployments involve up to 175 law enforcement officials and as many as 400 people from security ops.
SANCHEZ: A college student claims he mistook his mom for an intruder and now he's facing second-degree murder charges after beating her to death. The incident happened back in March.
Prosecutors filed criminal charges against 21-year-old Thomas Summerwill this week. They say his story about thinking that it was an intruder wasn't reasonable since he had been drinking.
According to his defense attorney, Summerwill has the full support of his family members who call the incident a horrible accident.
ROMANS: Big questions for a Kansas hospital after a woman claims the hospital leaked her personal information to her alleged rapist, who then attacked her again. The unidentified woman received treatment at the Atchison Hospital.
In a new lawsuit, she alleges the hospital betrayed her trust by sharing intimate details about her evaluation with the man who raped her. According to the suit, that same man then harassed her and sexually assaulted her again.
The hospital CEO reportedly wrote a letter to the patient apologizing for any concern or difficulty the incident caused her.
SANCHEZ: He will have to write more than a letter.
A North Carolina lawmaker, meantime, who gained national attention sponsoring the state's anti-transgender bathroom bill, has won the Republican primary in a special congressional election. The Ninth District House seat has been open since November's results were thrown out over allegations of election fraud.
State Sen. Dan Bishop was projected to receive more than the necessary 30 percent of the vote to avoid a runoff. He's now going to meet Democrat Dan McCready in the September 10th special election.
ROMANS: San Francisco is now the first U.S. city to ban police and other city offices from using facial recognition. The technology has popped up everywhere from places like law enforcement to concerts, homes, stores, schools.
The new rule carves out an exception for federally-controlled facilities at San Francisco International Airport and the Port of San Francisco. It also does not prevent private businesses or residents from using facial recognition or surveillance technology.
SANCHEZ: Visions of Zion were dancing in their heads, but Knicks fans got a dose of cold and harsh reality instead.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK TATUM, DEPUTY COMMISSIONER AND CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION: The third pick goes to the New York Knicks.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: And despite having the worst record in the regular season last year, the Knicks winding up with the third pick in the NBA draft. Watch how their fans reacted. The sweet tears of unfathomable sadness.
The Memphis Grizzlies got the second pick. The Zion Williamson sweepstakes went to the New Orleans Pelicans. They picked up the number one overall pick.
Now, one Knicks fan may have been a bit premature getting a Zion tattoo that looks a lot like the Knicks logo. I do have to admit it looks a little bit like my "Bermanator" John Berman-themed tattoo -- kidding.
Silver lining for Knicks fans. Remember, Michael Jordan was picked third overall, so there is still hope. The draft is just a craps. You don't know how they're careers are going to turn out.
ROMANS: John Berman and tattoo in the same sentence. They don't really go together, you know?
SANCHEZ: Have you seen his back piece? It's huge. It's huge.
ROMANS: Thanks for joining us. I'm Christine Romans.
SANCHEZ: And I'm Boris Sanchez. "NEW DAY" starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: A near-total ban on abortion now on the verge of becoming law in Alabama.
COLLINS: We'll never get a heartbeat bill until Roe versus Wade is reversed.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is a court that's ready to overturn a decision that was made more than 40 years ago.
TRUMP: We're having a little squabble with China. We've been treated very unfairly.
SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Farmers in the Midwest have been hurt very hard. I am not in agreement on that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's willing to take these risks. Nobody wants tariffs. Sometimes it's a necessary resort.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANNOUNCER: This is NEW DAY with Alisyn Camerota and John Berman.
ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: We want to welcome our viewers in the United States and around the world. This is NEW DAY. It is Wednesday, May 15th, 6:00 here in New York.
And we begin with the nation's most restrictive abortion bill. It just passed in Alabama. The Alabama Legislature.
END
