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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Protests Turn Deadly in Wisconsin; Hurricane Laura Barrels Toward the Gulf; Trump Uses Incumbency to Aid Campaign. Aired 5-5:30a ET

Aired August 26, 2020 - 05:00   ET

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

[05:00:08]

LAURA JARRETT, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking overnight, protests turn deadly in Wisconsin after the police shooting of a black man. What Jacob Blake's family has to say now.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Hurricane Laura is intensifying rapidly as it barrels toward the gulf, a new update just in from the National Hurricane Center.

JARRETT: And on night two of the Republican Convention, the party and the president blur the line between government and politics.

Welcome to our viewers in the United States and around the world. This is EARLY START. I'm Laura Jarrett.

ROMANS: And I'm Christine Romans. It is Wednesday, August 26th. It is exactly 5:00 a.m. in New York and 69 days now to the election.

We begin overnight with breaking news. Protests against the police shooting of Jacob Blake turned violent in Kenosha, Wisconsin. "The New York Times" reported three people were shot, one killed near a gas station.

The shooter remains at large. The Kenosha County sheriff tells "The Times" authorities are investigating whether this was a conflict between a grouch demonstrators and another group with weapons who said they were there protecting businesses.

Now, despite a county-imposed curfew, there were tense clashes all night between protesters and police. Battles and fireworks thrown at officers, they responded with tear gas and flash bangs.

JARRETT: The unrest in one of the most critical swing states, violence and crime that's coming from the Republican National Convention some 600 miles away in Washington. Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers had already declared a state of emergency. Now he's walking a fine political line saying, quote: We cannot allow the cycle of systemic racism and injustice to continue. We also cannot continue to go down this path of damage and destruction.

We also have new video this morning and we need to warn you it's disturbing. This grainy new footage emerged showing some of what led up to the shooting of Jacob Blake.

(VIDEO CLIP PLAYS)

JARRETT: OK. So it's still not clear what prompted the confrontation. So far, there's been surprising lack of information on what exactly happened there. The department does not yet have body cameras.

Family attorneys say Jacob Blake is paralyzed now from the waist down. His family is hoping for a miracle.

CNN's Omar Jimenez is on the ground for us in Kenosha.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Christine and Laura.

A third night in a row of demonstrations and in some cases violent confrontation with Kenosha police. Now three nights since Jacob Blake was shot in the back seven times by Kenosha police.

And you notice these barricades over my shoulder here that's new and that's part of a renewed effort to prevent some of the destruction we saw on the previous two nights from happening in a third night in a row. Now, in regards to Jacob Blake we also got an update on how he's been doing. He's been in surgery for a good part of Tuesday.

We also learned the extent of how badly he was injured. It wasn't just his vertebrae being shot in the back but he had holes in his stomach. At one point, nearly his entire colon and small intestine had to be removed and was shot teenager. His lawyers say it's a miracle he's alive.

But at the center of all this all, this is a family that's still grieving over the potential loss of one of their own.

JACOB BLAKE SR., JACOB BLAKE'S FATHER: Shot my son. Seven times. Seven times, like he didn't matter. But my son matters. He's a human being. And he matters.

JULIA JACKSON, JACOB BLAKE'S MOTHER: Do Jacob justice on this level and examine your hearts. As I pray for my son's healing, physically, emotionally and spiritually, I also have been praying even before this for the healing of our country.

JIMENEZ: And the mother of Jacob Blake was also calling for peace when it came to any future demonstrations in Jacob Blake' name.

Now, as far as the investigation goes, that is playing out on multiple fronts. In one part, led by the Kenosha County district attorney and in another, led by the Wisconsin Department of Justice. And as we now understand as well, the U.S. Department of Justice is reviewing facts in regards to this case as well -- Laura, Christine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[05:05:00]

ROMANS: All right. Omar, thank you for that, in Kenosha.

This hour, Hurricane Laura is rapidly gaining strength over the Gulf of Mexico. It's now a category two hurricane. At least 300,000 people are under evacuation orders now in Louisiana and Texas.

Storm surge, a big threat here to a lot of people through the end of the week, especially in areas hard-hit by coronavirus where crowded shelters could be a problem. Take a look at Laura from space as the storm bears down on the Gulf Coast.

Pedram Javaheri is tracking the system.

And I know that the National Hurricane Center should be giving us an update at any moment now what to expect.

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Absolutely, they have. And update now, this is going to be a category 4 hurricane within the next six to eight hours. So, everything we suspected with this storm system as far as having this potential to rapidly intensify, unfortunately, forecast take place in the coming hours, of course, as it approaches land.

And about 300 miles southeast of Galveston, at this hour, you notice the hurricane warnings now prompted from Galveston Bay points eastward, in fact, areas around Lake Charles, as far north as Alexandria, sitting as a strong category two. In fact, one mile per hour shy of being a major category three.

But the hurricane center said the organization, the structure, essentially the set up of this particular storm system over very warm waters absolutely conducive to strengthening and skipping category 3 all together and going to category 4 within the next six to eight hours and that's the concern.

Right before landfall, we see this storm system strengthen and then potentially make landfall as a category 4 there late Wednesday night, early Thursday morning and then beyond this kind of the perspective laid out here what a category 4 typically depicts as far as damage on the ground designated as catastrophic when it comes to historic storms of this magnitude.

And, in fact, look at Hurricane Rita. This is back in 2005, almost identical track, really an eerie set up. Rita left 4 million evacuations across this region of Louisiana and Texas and about $18 billion in losses. Here's the forecast of the storm surge as high as 13 feet across some of these areas of southwestern Louisiana and for some scale here notice when you're talking about 10, 11, 12 feet of storm surge, typically that will push homes off their foundation.

Of course, water if a home is to survive will typically reach the second story, Christine. So, this is a very serious situation across this region of the gulf.

ROMANS: And you have the coronavirus. I mean, remembering riding out Hurricane Gustav inland, at a big shelter there in Louisiana several years. And, you know, it was a crowded space with lots of people. This could be a real issue, right, in a pandemic?

JAVAHERI: Absolutely. We never, of course, dwelt a storm of this magnitude during a pandemic. So, all of this is brand-new and the strength of the storm system a densely-populated area.

ROMANS: All right. Keep us up to date on any changes. Thanks, Pedram.

Laura?

JARRETT: All right, to politics now. In search of a second term, President Trump is using hours of incumbency to make his case. The president announced Tuesday a pardon of Jon Ponder. He's a former convicted bank robber who now works for prison reform. The president oversaw a naturalization ceremony for five U.S. new citizens and received high praise from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

That speech delivered from Jerusalem has drawn a fair amount of scrutiny from breaking decades of diplomatic decorum and potentially violating federal law. That's now triggered an investigation by the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

ROMANS: Meanwhile, First Lady Melania Trump used the Rose Garden for her speech in a break from a lot of dark rhetoric. She delivered call for unity and understanding. And the convention largely devoid of the mention of the human toll of coronavirus, it was the first lady who offered some acknowledgement.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MELANIA TRUMP, FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: I want to acknowledge the fact that since March, our lives have changed drastically. The invisible enemy COVID-19 swept across our beautiful country and impacted all of us.

My deepest sympathy goes out to everyone who has lost a loved one and my prayers are with those who are ill or suffering. I know many people are anxious and some feel helpless. I want you to know, you are not alone.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: An acknowledgement from the first lady the pandemic that killed 178,000 Americans.

Economic adviser Larry Kudlow referred to the pandemic in the past tense as if it's in the past. But attendees of the first lady's speech were not required to be tested for COVID. There were some screening questions on the RSVP form, but you can see there no tests or temperature checks for the White House. Most did not wear masks.

JARRETT: The night did, however, feature a lot of shots at Joe Biden. The most compelling may have been from Daniel Cameron, a 34-year-old African-American attorney general from Kentucky.

He's leading an investigation into the killing of Breonna Taylor and seized on controversial remarks from the Democratic nominee.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DANIEL CAMERON, KENTUCKY ATTORNEY GENERAL: I also think about Joe Biden who says if you aren't voting for me, you ain't black, who argued that Republicans will put us back in chains, who says there's no diversity of thought in the black community.

[05:10:12]

Mr. Vice President, look at me. I am black. We're not all the same, sir. I am not in chains. My mind is my own. And you can't tell me how to vote because of the color of my skin.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JARRETT: Looking ahead to tonight, a Trump campaign official says to look for Vice President Mike Pence to take some lumber to Biden. He doesn't seem himself as the attack dog but the vice president knows he has a job to do.

So, why would the CDC ease guidelines on coronavirus testing just as cases start to come down?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:15:05]

ROMANS: Welcome back. About 15 minutes past the hour.

So, new coronavirus case numbers in the U.S. are down, about 20 percent in the last week. So something is working. So, why dial back requirements on testing?

New guidelines no longer recommend testing for most people without symptoms even if they've been in close contact with someone known have the virus. Remember the CDC estimates 40 percent of infections are asymptomatic and 50 percent of transmission happens before someone shows symptoms.

Testing is how positive cases are identified and isolated to prevent the spread of the disease. The CDC did not explain the change.

JARRETT: Also, the CDC has now dropped advice to self-quarantine for 14 days after travel overseas or to areas with a high number of COVID case.

So, here's a prime example of why this matters. Cases are up in ten states including South Dakota, which held a motorcycle rally earlier this month in Sturgis. Well, now, at least 78 cases across several states have been linked to that rally. That news comes just as officials are expressing concern about case spikes in the country's heartland.

And you may remember that conference in. Boston very early in the pandemic which spread 90 cases that we know of directly? Well, now, researchers say 20,000 cases may be linked to that one conference alone.

ROMANS: The CDC is also warning stores and their employees against arguing with anti-maskers. The hope is that that will reduce violence aimed at these workers who are just trying to enforce COVID rules.

Several retail employees have been injured including a teenager punched in the face for enforcing the maverick rule at Sesame Place in Pennsylvania. At least 26 states are reporting coronavirus case at colleges and universities. Six states add yesterday that doesn't even include K through 12.

The South especially hit hard. In Mississippi, almost 4,000 students and nearly 600 teachers have been quarantined. In Georgia, a mom captured a heartbreaking photo of his son. He was so frustrated by the remote back to school experience put his head down and cried.

JARRETT: Gosh.

ROMANS: And it's something we're all dealing with here. I mean, we start school in a couple of weeks and just trying to get everything organized but it will all be at home for us.

JARRETT: Yeah, you have that scene times three.

ROMANS: Yeah.

JARRETT: Well, still ahead for you, a well-known NBA coach has got a powerful message for the president on his rhetoric on race in America.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DOC RIVERS, HEAD COACH, LOS ANGELES CLIPPER: All you hear is Donald Trump and all of them talking about fear. We're the ones getting killed. We're the ones getting shot.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:22:07]

ROMANS: Clippers coach Doc Rivers gives an emotional statement on what it means to be black in America and calls out President Trump in the promise.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, good morning, Christine.

So, Doc Rivers tearing up last night when he was asked about Jacob Blake. River said, you don't need to be black to be outraged by that video. Every American should be outraged. And Rivers also said, how dare Republicans and Donald Trump talk about fear when it's black people who are the ones that should be scared.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) RIVERS: Just watching the Republican convention, and this feeling, this fear, like all you hear is Donald Trump and all of them talking about fear. We're the ones getting killed. We're the ones getting shot.

We're the ones that were denied to live in certain communities. We've been hung. We've been shot.

And all you do is keep hearing about fear. It's amazing. Why we keep loving this country and this country does not love us back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: Rivers went on to say that training has to change for police. They need to protect black people like they protect everyone else.

Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown meanwhile also shared his thoughts on the shooting of Jacob Blake saying he's never going look at his jersey the same.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAYLEN BROWN, BOSTON CELTICS FORWARD: People post my jersey all the time, number one, and every time I look at my jersey now, what I see is, you know, a black man being shot seven times. All America sees is his background or his background report. It's easier to see that than it is to see the truth.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: Now, NBA had made a point to keep attention on social justice issues like police brutality and racism during the restart here in the bubble. But some players don't think that's enough. Celtics guard Marcus Smart says they have had talks about possibly staging a boycott to make their voices heard.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARCUS SMART, BOSTON CELTICS GUARD: We tried to protest. We tried to couldn't here and, you know, get-together and play this game and, you know, try to get out what it's cost. It's not working. Something has to be done.

Right now, our focus shouldn't be on basketball. I understand it's the playoffs but we have a big underlying issue that's just going on and the things that we try. So, we definitely need to take a different approach.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[05:25:02]

SCHOLES: Now, NFL and the Detroit Lions schedule practice yesterday so they can shine the spotlight on racial injustice. The players gathering outside the team's facility with the messages "the world can't go on and we won't be silent" written on a white board.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TREY FLOWERS, DETROIT LIONS DEFENSIVE END: We can't stay silent. It cannot be what's going on with our regular day so today we stand here and we came up with this, these words, these slogans, and we're here to spread the message, spread the word.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: The Lion as a team met for hours discussing that Jacob Blake video, Laura, and they said they are all determined to continue to fight for change.

JARRETT: Yeah, so many players using their voices, using their platform to shine a light on this. It's interesting to see how many of their teammates coming together to back them up on that these days, Andy.

Nice to see you. Thank you so much.

SCHOLES: All right.

JARRETT: All right. Breaking overnight, protests over the police shooting of Jacob Blake turning deadly just hours after a plea for peace from his family.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

END