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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
NYT: Photos of Missiles on Boats Sparked Iran Escalation; Alabama Governor Signs Near-Total Ban of Abortions; Huawei Barred from U.S.; Downplaying the Dangers of Vaping?; All Eyes on Tiger Woods at PGA Championship. Aired 5-5:30a ET
Aired May 16, 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: Really stunning.
DAVE BRIGGS, CNN ANCHOR: Vaping is a huge problem in this country.
Good morning, everyone. It is 5:00 a.m. in the East on a Thursday.
Breaking news overnight: pictures of missiles in the Persian Gulf are what spurred the White House to escalate warnings about Iran. We have not seen said photos but that's according to "The New York Times".
The missiles on small boats and fully assembled, raising fears they could be fired at U.S. naval ships. CNN already reported Iran moving short range missiles is one of the reasons the U.S. decided to move an aircraft carrier strike group to the region.
ROMANS: And now, after aggressive posturing toward Iran, President Trump wants to lower the temperature by speaking to the Iranians.
The president will meet today with the president of the Swiss Federation. Last week, CNN reported that the White House passed along a phone number to the Swiss in case Iranian leaders wanted to call the president. A source tells us today's meeting with the Swiss is an effort to move that along.
All right. CNN's Frederik Pleitgen is live for us. He is in Tehran.
Fred, what's the latest from the leadership?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Christine.
Well, the Iranian leadership in the form of Iran supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said very frankly that there are not going to be any sort of negotiations with the United States and especially not with the Trump White House. He came out not so long ago and said, look, he believes that negotiations with the U.S. would be poison, and that the negotiations with the Trump White House specifically would be double poison because of the strategy of the Trump administration of maximum pressure on Iran, of course, those crippling sanctions Iran has been facing for quite a while now since the U.S. has left the nuclear agreement, the Iranians saying they are simply not going to negotiate under those circumstances.
It was quite interesting because Iran's president, Hassan Rouhani, he also came out late last night and said, look, we have all the phone numbers that we need in the United States. Negotiations under these circumstances simply are not going to happen. Then, the head of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, he came out late last night and he said that he believes that Iran is at the height of the conflict with the United States. He said that the U.S. is doing everything it can to undermine Iran, and he says this was a key moment in the Islamic Revolution.
Now, of course all of this coming as apparently President Trump is unhappy that some of his senior advisers on all of this, feeling that they are moving too fast and too forcefully towards what could be an armed conflict with the Iranians, of course, President Trump ran on a ticket of wanting to get out and stopping costly wars in the Middle East. Now, of course it seems as though he believes that maybe the U.S. might be headed toward one.
All this also coming as there's a bit of issues between the United States and its allies. The Brits standing by one of their general's comments who said, at this point in time, the coalition against ISIS is not seeing increased evidence of Iranian posturing at least in Iraq and in Syria. CNN learning from a senior source in the State Department that apparently that is not true, that the Brits are wrong, and that internally, they know that this general misspoke though they don't believe there was any sort of malicious intent behind it, Christine.
ROMANS: All right. Fred Pleitgen for us in Tehran -- thanks, Fred.
BRIGGS: One day after 25 men voted in favor of the nation's most restrictive abortion ban, the female governor of Alabama signed it into law. Republican Kay Ivey says the measure is a powerful testament to the belief that every life is precious. There are only exceptions in cases where the mother's life is threatened and no exception for rape or incest. Any doctor who performs an abortion faces up to 99 years in prison.
ROMANS: Even some conservatives say the law is too extreme. Here's what televangelist Pat Robertson said on the Christian Broadcasting Network.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAT ROBERTSON, TELEVANGELIST: I think Alabama has gone too far. There's no exception for rape or incest. It's an extreme law and they want to challenge Roe versus Wade. But my humble view is that this is not the case we want to bring to the Supreme Court because I think this one will lose.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: The law won't go in the books for six months. The ACLU and Planned Parenthood are planning to file a lawsuit to block it. Alabama is one of 16 states to introduce or pass restrictive abortion bills this year.
Missouri's governor says he will sign the bill now in the state senate that would ban abortions after eight weeks of pregnancy.
All right. A delay in tariffs against the European Union as the trade war with China leads to fallout for farmers. President Trump was facing a Saturday deadline to decide whether to hike tariffs on cars coming in from Europe to 25 percent. That would have alienated European allies and devastated global supply chains.
Now, the president plans to delay his decision by six months in order to negotiate with the E.U. and Japan. That's according to a person familiar with the situation. Now, delaying those auto tariffs is key, and it shows how sensitive the markets are to trade risks.
But Trump trade hawks have been consistent for months. When you break down the U.S. trade deficit by country, half the overall goods deficit is with one country, China, right? When you break down by category, half the overall trade deficit is one category, it's autos.
[05:05:00] That's where this administration is focused. But as the president delays one tariff, the tit for tat with China is hurting American farmers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTOPHER GIBBS, OHIO FARMER: We're in a freefall out here in agriculture. We have seen 30 percent decrease in prices of soybeans. The geopolitical turmoil that the president has thrown into the mix over the last year, the markets just don't have anywhere to go.
EVAN HULTINE, BUREAU COUNTY FARM BUREAU PRESIDENT: Our fourth generation farm going to still be feasible, you know, two years from now, five years from now if the president doesn't wrap up these trade wars with a win. And so, there's all of these pressures weighing in on us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: You know, one of my trade sources in western Illinois was saying that usually you see hundreds of planters in the field this time of year, you're seeing one or two. We're on track for the worst conditions for farmers since the 1980s farm crisis.
BRIGGS: On the same day he delayed the auto tariffs, President Trump signed an executive order banning American companies from using telecom equipment deemed to be a national security threat. The White House initially declined to identify China and Huawei as the intended target but shortly after the order was issued, the Commerce Department formally added Huawei to the list of affected companies.
Huawei says it is prepared to work with the United States on product security but the company warns if it's restricted from doing business here, the U.S. will be left behind in the 5G technology race.
ROMANS: Later today, the White House plans to release a broad outline of its new immigration reforms spearheaded by Jared Kushner. It will address securing point of entry, increasing border barriers and a merit points system. It's a shift from a majority of individuals coming into the U.S. based on family ties. It will not deal with DACA, which Democrats insist they want resolved as part of the deal.
The administration wants to give preference to skilled and educated immigrants. The plan is short on concrete details and so far many key Republicans are not publicly on board. In fact, we keep hearing is that they are underwhelmed with this proposal.
BRIGGS: They're basically was a meh response.
The message from the White House is clear: no do-overs and no documents. The Trump administration rejecting all requests by the House Judiciary Committee in it sweeping investigation of possible obstruction by the president. The White House counsel Pat Cipollone accusing the committee of trying to conduct its own version of special counsel investigation in order to harass the president. It adds another layer to the escalating feud between the White House and House Democrats.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JERRY NADLER (D-NY): The implication of what they're doing would make the president a tyrant in the sense of not being accountable to the American people, not being answerable to Congress, and no one could hold him accountable and that is simply un-American, and we cannot abide it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: The president has made it clear he intends to fight all House subpoenas. Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler, and other House Democratic leaders are now raising the prospect of holding multiple administration officials in contempt. That serves as a backdrop at a telling attempt at humor between Attorney General Barr and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
They crossed paths at an event at the Capitol on Wednesday. Barr asked the speaker if she brought her handcuffs, Pelosi responded by indicating the House sergeant at arms was present should an arrest be necessary. Barr chuckled and walked away.
BRIGGS: That's some uncomfortable humor.
The maker of the popular e-cigarette Juul is accused of deceptive advertising aimed at teens, ads said to lie about the dangers of nicotine. North Carolina's attorney general filing a lawsuit Wednesday against Juul Labs, claiming thousands of kids in the state are at risk of addiction to nicotine.
A.G. Joshua Stein says Juul, quote, must be stopped from spreading that addiction any further. It's the first time the state has taken legal action over the company's alleged marketing toward teens. The suit claims that Juul's 75 percent market on e-cigarettes is primarily driven by use among middle and high school students. I mentioned the 78 percent rise among high school students in the year, also a 48 percent rise among middle school students.
ROMANS: I mean, if you have a 6th grader and you think this is not relevant. It is.
BRIGGS: It's everywhere.
ROMANS: It's unbelievable. That's the fastest growing age group.
All right. Could a Joe Biden/Kamala Harris ticket be the best move for Democrats in 2020? She's on board but only if she's on the top of the ticket.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. KAMALA HARRIS (D-CA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think that Joe Biden would be a great running mate. As vice president, he's proven that he knows how to do the job.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[05:14:03] BRIGGS: All right. The field of 2020 Democratic presidential hopefuls expands to 23 this morning with New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio entering the race. Senior Iowa Democrat with knowledge of the plans confirming it to CNN. He'll head out on the trail almost immediately, making stops in Iowa and South Carolina.
ROMANS: Interesting remarks from presidential candidate Kamala Harris. She turned the tables asking if she would join the Biden ticket as his V.P.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: I think Joe Biden would be a great running mate. As vice president, he's proven that he knows how to do the job.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Harris also says she disagrees with comments her hypothetical V.P. made about the 1994 crime bill Biden pushed as a senator. It included billions in funding for states for new prisons, trained police officers and mandated life sentences for people convicted of three violent felonies.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Ninety-two out of every 100 prisoners that are behind bars are in a state prison, not a federal prison.
[05:15:01] This idea that the crime bill generated mass incarceration, it did not generate mass incarceration.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Harris, a former prosecutor, told CNN that the crime bill did contribute to mass incarceration, invoking a federal three strikes law. Experts tell CNN it's difficult to assess exactly how the '94 bill contributed to mass incarceration because rates had been rising steadily since the early 1970s.
BRIGGS: Meantime, a new Quinnipiac poll from the critical shows Trump in trouble against several possible opponents. Biden leads him by double digits. Sanders, though, also ahead. The poll shows Trump within the margin against several other top candidates.
ROMANS: A pregnant Chicago woman found dead weeks after going missing, police say Marlin Ochoa who was nine months pregnant went to meet a woman offering free baby clothing on Facebook. A police source says Ochoa was strangled, the baby removed from her body, cut from her body. According to family members, the baby is currently in critical condition at advocate Christ Medical Center. Detectives are questioning four people in custody in connection with Ochoa's disappearance.
Another pregnant woman, Kierra Cole, went missing in Chicago last year, and has not been found.
BRIGGS: Georgetown University plans to rescind the admission of two students for their involvement in the college admissions scandal. The announcement coming just hours after one of the students filed a lawsuit against the school aiming to stop his dismissal. That student, Adam Semprevivo, wants to keep the credit he says he earned so he can transfer to a new college.
His father, Stephen Semprevivo, pleaded guilty last week to a federal conspiracy charge. He admits he paid $400,000 to get his son into Georgetown under the pretense he was a tennis recruit.
ROMANS: An arrest in the case of a 75-year-old pushed off a bus in Las Vegas who later died from his injuries. Police say Serge Fournier got into an argument with 25-year-old Cadesha Bishop last March and she pushed him off the bus as he tried to walk down the steps. He went to the hospital that night and died over a month later from the blunt force.
The death was ruled a homicide and Bishop is being held on a charge of murder of an elderly vulnerable person.
BRIGGS: Well, for anyone with a fear of heights, this just might be your worst nightmare. Window washers trapped in a lift basket swinging wildly out of control, crashing into the side of one of the tallest buildings in Oklahoma City. About 50 stories up.
The impact was hard enough to break windows at the top of the Devin Tower. It took 45 minutes for emergency crews to secure and lift to get the two workers to safety.
ROMANS: There he is, Mick Jagger back on his feet. The leader of the Rolling Stones posting the video on social media showcasing his signature dance moves a little more than a month after undergoing heart valve surgery. The procedure forced the Stones to postpone their No Filter Tour of North America.
BRIGGS: Start me up.
ROMANS: Welcome back.
BRIGGS: All right, 75 years old.
Can Tiger Woods make it two Majors in a row?
Andy Scholes live at the PGA championship at Bethpage. We've got the "Bleacher Report", next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[05:23:12] BRIGGS: All right. Tiger Woods getting set to go back-to- back Majors, maybe. PGA Championship tees off in just over an hour.
Andy Scholes live at Bethpage Black in New York with the "Bleacher Report".
Good morning, my friend.
Why not, right? Looks like he's back all the way.
ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, good morning, Dave. It should be a really exciting weekend here in New York as Tiger tries to win back-to-back Majors.
You know, Tiger hasn't played a round of competitive golf since he walked off that 18th green in Augusta. So, he may be a little rusty when he takes the course at the PGA championship later this morning. But Tiger said he is rested and ready.
He said earlier this week, he doesn't know if winning the Masters means he's going to be dominant again. That's to be determined. But Tiger has won here at Bethpage Black before, 2002 U.S. Open. And Tiger says he's excited to play in a major in front of these New York fans once again.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TIGER WOODS, 15-TIME MAJOR CHAMPION: This week is going to be a lot of fun with the crowds, the excitement that we have had here in the last, what, three events that we have played here, the pairing that I'm involved in. It's going to be just a boat load of fun for all of us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHOLES: Eastern Conference finals tipping off in Milwaukee. The game was closed in the fourth quarter when the Bucks' Brook Lopez just took this one over. He scored 13 of his career playoff 29 points in the fourth quarter. The Raptors, they were ice cold in the fourth in this one. The Bucks ended on a 10-0 run to take game one, 108-100. The owners of Maximum Security have field a federal lawsuit over the
disqualification of their horse in the Kentucky Derby. Gary and Mary West are suing the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, it members, staff and stewards, and they want the disqualification overturned and Maximum Security declared the winner once again.
[05:25:7] In the suit, they called the disqualification process bizarre and unconstitutional. The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission has not commented on the suit.
All right. Phillies and Brewers last night, Bruce Willis was on hand acting like a ballplayer. He took batting practice with the Phillies and threw out the first pitch. He bounced in the first pitch, which actually drew boos from the Philly crowd but that's not really that surprising considering they booed Santa Claus, so no reason to think they wouldn't boo John McClain.
Meanwhile, here in New York, Dave, Tiger is going to be part of an all star trio when he tees off later this morning at 8:24 Eastern. He's going off with Brooks Koepka, Francesco Molinari, the last three major winners at 8:34 Eastern again this morning. And you can watch all the action this afternoon on our sister station TNT. It should be computing.
BRIGGS: And I will. And I should be there with you, my friend.
I'm not sure the Phillies fans weren't saying Bruce. Everybody loves Bruce Willis, I thought -- maybe not in Philly though.
Andy, thanks, buddy. Have fun.
ROMANS: The ceremonial pitch is a lot of pressure, you know?
BRIGGS: It is, man. I have seen a lot of good pitchers bomb that.
ROMANS: All right. Twenty-six minutes past the hour. Photos of missiles in the Persian Gulf spurred U.S. tensions against Iran. Now, the president is looking for a back door to speak with Iranians.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
