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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Biden Blasts Belarus Over Forced Diversion of Jetliner; E.U. to Impose Sanctions on Belarus Over Jet's Forced Grounding; L.A. Public Schools Reopening for In-Person Learning in Fall; U.S. Citizens Warned Not to Travel to Japan. Aired 5-5:30a ET

Aired May 25, 2021 - 05:00   ET

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

[05:00:25]

LAURA JARRETT, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to our viewers in the United States and all around the world. We are live this morning in Jerusalem, Berlin, London, Beijing, Washington and Tokyo. This is EARLY START. I'm Laura Jarrett.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: All around the world today. I'm Christine Romans. It is Tuesday, May 25th. It is 5:00 a.m. exactly in New York.

And happening now, Secretary of State Tony Blinken in Jerusalem meeting with the Israeli prime minister. They are set to speak any moment.

You can see the podiums ready to go. Our cameras are there. We'll bring you updates on that soon.

Meantime, condemnation and retaliation around the world after that brazen move by Belarus forcing a jetliner to land, to arrest a dissident journalist on board that flight. President Biden calling the flight's diversion escorted by a fighter jet, quote, a direct affront to international norms. The European Union agrees imposing new sanctions overnight.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

URSULA VON DER LEYEN, EUROPEAN COMMISSION ON PRESIDENT: This is an attack on democracy, this is an attack on freedom of expression and this is an attack on European sovereignty. And this outrageous behavior needs a strong answer.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Senior international correspondent Fred Pleitgen is live for us in Berlin.

Fred, we see these new sanctions and we're getting our first look at the journalist since his arrest making a statement, his supporters say possibly under duress, what more are you learning?

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Laura, I mean, his supporters saying they believe it was definitely under duress. This happened on a social media channel, a pro-regime social media channel in Belarus where Roman Protasevich is seen sitting at a table, he's essentially being saying that he is a he treated well, he's essentially saying that he's working together with the authorities and confessing to some of the things that they are holding against him.

The opposition is essentially saying that this is a hostage video is what they call it and the president of the United States, President Biden, he also said that he believes that this video looks like it was made under duress.

Now, at the same time, you're also seeing new sanctions put in place by the European union as you mentioned also they're banning the Belarusian carrier Belavia from flying into European air space so a lot of things that the Europeans have been doing, a lot of sanctions put in place have actually also been looking at the flights over Belarus, the flights to Belarus there isn't very much going there. A lot of European carriers already electing not to fly to that country, guys.

JARRETT: Yeah, just such a brazen move there. Just incredible. Glad no one was hurt. Fred, thank you so much. Appreciate it.

Today marks exactly one year since former Police Officer Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd in Minneapolis. His killing triggered widespread protests, calls to defend the police. We so often spoke of a reckoning, but a year later what's really changed? Floyd's family will be at the White House this afternoon for a private meeting with the president and the vice president.

CNN's Jasmine Wright is live for us in Washington.

Jasmine, there is a lot of debate about police reform and whether reform is even the right answer, but Floyd's family has been making these -- this big push for a bill in his name to pass on Capitol Hill and now some signs of optimism they might actually reach a deal?

JASMINE WRIGHT, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: That's right, Laura. There are signs of optimism but it is not likely that they reach a deal today. Negotiators told reporters. Yesterday they do not plan to announce a deal but still optimism. Lead Republican negotiator Senator Tim Scott said, we see an end at the tunnel. Lead Democratic negotiator Cory Booker said it's fair to say they have some sort of agreement of a framework of a deal.

That is a new turn after this weekend. They say they spent working on this issue. So the question really is what comes next? When will something be available as they are set to miss this deadline today? We ask ourselves what has changed in this year, almost a year from when we had that national reckoning when folks took to the streets to say that things need to change, what has really changed?

Those calls to defund that were so prevalent in the summer and the end of last year. We don't really hear them as much. Obviously we have seen this spike in crime going on around the nation. So, as lawmakers really reflect, we know that the Floyd family will be meeting with Biden.

Before they meet with Biden they will also meet with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and lead Democratic negotiator on the House side, Karen Bass, today, we will really be reflecting and lawmakers was specifically be asked to reflect on what has changed, what has contributed and really where this bill is and when the American people can expect that they do reach a framework and get it out of the door -- Laura.

JARRETT: Jasmine, because of that, it seems that the president is facing more and more pressure to simply go it alone and, you know, just do it without Republican support. Infrastructure now being another prime example. We have new reporting from CNN this morning.

What can you tell us about that?

WRIGHT: That's exactly right. And we know that President Biden has really self-imposed multiple deadlines on police reform and also on infrastructure, want to go see something done on Memorial Day. But we know that Republicans are not happy about this counterproposal that they offered reducing it from 2.25 to 1.75 trillion. CNN is reporting this reporting this morning that Republicans feel like there is a massive gap and don't know if they can bridge that gap.

Remember, that last proposal from Republicans came around $600 million, a little bit under, this proposal from President Biden comes in $1.7 million, Republicans tell CNN they feel maybe they can come in around -- under $1 trillion, but still that is going to be a far difference from what President Biden wants them to pay and we don't even know if they are actually going to come up with that number.

So a lot of things in terms of infrastructure are in the air. We know that Cedric Richmond told CNN on Sunday that, you know, President Biden feels that these negotiation right side fruitful and that they are made in faith but he will change course when he has to. The question is, when is that deadline going to be? Laura?

JARRETT: Yeah, when is that moment?

All right. Jasmine, thanks so much.

BURNETT: All right. It's Florida versus Silicon Valley. Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill Monday targeting how big -- how big tech moderates its content.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. RON DESANTIS (R), FLORIDA: So it's time to step up and ensure that we the people, especially our every day Floridians, are guaranteed protection against the Silicon Valley power grab with the reform we will sign in today, we'll be the first state to hold big tech accountable so that every day people who use their platforms have an ability to fight back.

(END VIDEO CLIP) ROMANS: The law prohibits platforms from suspending or banning the accounts of political candidates in the state. A direct response to Facebook and Twitter banning former president Trump in January after the attacks on the Capitol. The bill also allows Florida residents who are deplatformed as it's called to sue those companies.

Florida's law comes as U.S. lawmakers propose changes to a section of the Communications Act of 1934 that gives tech platforms the ability to curate their sites without being sued.

Critics of Florida's new law, well, they say it's simply unconstitutional, that it violates the company's First Amendment rights to decide how they handle content on their websites. Similar bills are being considered in Arkansas, Kentucky, Oklahoma, and Utah.

JARRETT: Yeah, I think that's going to get challenged in court right away.

All right. Staying in Florida, it's now the latest state to cut off the federal boost to unemployment benefits. Nearly two dozen states, all Republican led, have ended the $300 upgrade citing labor shortages.

But economics and our Christine Romans will tell you many people cannot go back to work because they don't have reliable child care or for other reasons. In total, 4 million people and counting are losing out on more than $23 billion in benefits. That's according to a recent analysis.

ROMANS: Yeah. And the real shame here is that you have a lot of gig workers, pandemic gig workers who that was the only unemployment benefit they were getting. They didn't qualify for state benefits. Congress wanted to make sure they had a few hundred dollars in their pocket every week and that money has just vanished. Even though the economy is not quite back to where it was before this pandemic began.

All right. The nation's two largest public school systems will return to in-person classes. What does that mean for other districts across the country?

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[05:12:49]

JARRETT: Los Angeles public schools are set to fully reopen this fall and New York planning to eliminate the virtual option.

EARLY START has the pandemic covered coast to coast.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Alexandra Field in New York City.

The nation's largest school district will be back fully for in-person learning in September with no remote option. That's the announcement made by the mayor who says the decrease in cases and the increase in vaccinations are making that possible. New York City schools chancellor says schools will still observe social distancing guidelines and will require masks when they do fully reopen.

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: I'm Oren Liebermann at the Pentagon where the Navy has become the first branch of the military to offer what is effectively a service-wide incentive for vaccination against COVID-19. The Navy says its sailors who have been vaccinated don't have to sequester for two weeks before deploying and during a deployment, they will be given much more freedom at different ports, while sailors who have not been vaccinated will have to sequester pre-deployment and won't have the same freedoms.

The Navy like other branches has made this an issue of military readiness saying the Navy is better able to do their job when more sailors have been vaccinated against COVID-19.

ADRIENNE BROADDUS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Adrienne Broaddus and Michigan is getting back to normal. Governor Gretchen Whitmer says the state is dropping its stay at home rule. Workers who are fully vaccinated will not be required to wear masks or maintain a social distance in the workplace. That's effective immediately.

The governor also apologized on Monday for breaking the straight's public health protocols after a picture of her sitting at a table with more than six people inside a restaurant surfaced.

CHLOE MELAS, CNN ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER: I'm Chloe Melas in New York.

The countdown to Broadway reopening its doors is happening even sooner than expected. Producers announced Monday that the musical "Hadestown" will welcome back audiences on September 2nd. As we've previously reported "Lion King," "Hamilton" and "Wicked" will reopen at 100 percent capacity on September 14th.

Now, New York's Governor Andrew Cuomo has said theaters will be able to decide their own entry requirements like whether audience members will have to prove they've been vaccinated.

[05:15:06]

But not all shows are ready to come back. Both "Frozen" and "Mean Girls" the musical have opted not to return to the Great White Way.

RICHARD QUEST, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: I'm Richard Quest in New York.

Passengers on United Airlines could win a year's worth of free travel if they get a COVID vaccine. United is offering frequent flier members who upload their vaccination records to the United website or app the chance to be entered into a prize draw. The top prize being a year's worth of free travel. United wants to encourage vaccination and says vaccinated customers will save time at the airport.

In the interest of full disclosure I have, of course, signed up.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: Vaccinations are the gateway to reopening and a normal economy.

Meantime, do not travel. The State Department is warning about Japan and what it means for American athletes headed to the Olympics. CNN live in Tokyo.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:20:31]

ROMANS: Welcome back.

Another hurdle for the Summer Olympics. U.S. citizens warned by the State Department do not travel to Japan because of a sharp rise in COVID cases.

Selina Wang is live for us in Tokyo today.

Selina, less than two months from the Games, what does this warning mean for tourists and for athletes?

SELINA WANG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Christine, this is a major blow to Olympic organizers, even though foreign travelers have mostly been banned from Japan since last year but, again, it's the optics and timing here. The U.S. State Department issuing a level 4 do not travel advisory this is the highest cautionary level and the CDC is saying that even fully vaccinated travelers run the risk of contracting and spreading COVID-19 variants in Japan.

You have the U.S. Olympic committee playing down the concerns saying they're confident that U.S. athletes can still safely compete. Japanese officials are saying that this does not impact U.S. support for the Tokyo Olympics.

But the contrast between what Olympic officials are saying and the situation here on the ground is only growing. Japan large swaths of the country including here in Tokyo are under a state of emergency. Just 2 percent of the population has been fully vaccinated and the medical system is under strain. You have Osaka, doctors are warning of a system collapse and hospitals running out of bed space and ventilators.

But meanwhile, Olympic officials continue to insist and portray only utmost confidence that these games will go ahead safely. In fact, I recently spoke to the longest serving member of the IOC Dick Pound who tells me he has already booked his tickets to Japan and he is confident about these Olympics. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WANG: Is a cancellation still a possibility?

DICK POUND, MEMBER, IOC: None of the folks involved in the planning and the execution of the games is considering cancellation. That's essentially off the table.

WANG: So how can the IOC guarantee that this is going to be a completely safe bubble?

POUND: Well, nobody can guarantee anything. I mean, that's -- let's be reasonable on that. But all of the indications, the fact-based indications, are that the bubble can be created and maintained.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WANG: But juxtapose that comment and optimism to the growing calls for cancellation from the public, from the medical community, here on the ground, who say these games need to be canceled to save people's lives -- Christine.

ROMANS: All right. Selena for us in Tokyo -- thank you so much.

JARRETT: All right. It was the richest black neighborhood in America ripped apart by a violent white mob. Uncover the hidden story, you don't want to miss this, the CNN film "Dreamland: The Burning of Black Wall Street" premiers Monday at 9:00 p.m. Eastern, only on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:27:37]

JARRETT: Back now to the Middle East. Secretary of State Tony Blinken landing in Israel overnight to start a tour of the region still reeling from 11 days of conflict between Israel and Hamas.

CNN's Hadas Gold joins us live from Jerusalem where Blinken and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu just spoke.

Hadas, what did Netanyahu say about U.S. support on all of this.

HADAS GOLD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Benjamin Netanyahu thanked the secretary of state and Joe Biden for what he said is their steadfast support of the Israeli right to defend itself and thanking them for what he said was a commitment to replenish the Iron Dome missile defense system that helps intercept rockets that are fired into Israel. But I think, though, the biggest headline from all of this is Blinken announcing that later today, the U.S. will be announcing a significant contribution to help Gaza rebuild itself, tried to rebuild the building and give aid to the people there who suffered during this violence.

He also spoke about making sure that this aid that they are hoping to rally the international community around to help donate this aid to Gaza will not fall into the hands of Hamas militants and the U.S. officials did say earlier they hope the U.N. will lead this effort and that they are trying to work on a framework that will work with the Palestinian Authority who does not have much control in Gaza to try and ensure that Hamas does not gain control of these funds and use them for other purposes beyond humanitarian aid.

I also think what's interesting was Benjamin Netanyahu mentioning Iran, saying that they did talk with Blinken about Israel's opposition to returning to the Iran deal and Blinken spoke about the need to continue this ceasefire, to ensure that it stands. U.S. officials were briefing reporters that that is the main goal of these visits. Blinken starting this visit in Jerusalem.

Well, later today meet with the Israeli foreign minister, the defense minister and then will head to Ramallah to meet with the Palestinian Authority president as well as the Palestinian Authority prime minister to continue these discussions about maintaining this ceasefire.

But one thing that we are not hearing from the Americans right now is any sort of talk about starting a more intensive peace process or starting a intensive process towards a two-state solution. Although the Biden administration says that is their goal, this visit they say is much more about maintaining the ceasefire and trying to help start the process of rebuilding Gaza -- Laura.

JARRETT: All right. A notable balance there. Thank you so much, Hadas.

EARLY START continues right now.

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