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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

European Union Leaders Agree On Belarus Sanctions After Journalist's Arrest; Police Say Senior Officer Did Not Report Bodycam In Deadly Arrest; Top WHO Official Says Mounting Evidence Pandemic Caused By Accidental Leak. Aired 5:30-6a ET

Aired May 25, 2021 - 05:30   ET

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

[05:30:00]

LAURA JARRETT, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, a notable balance there.

All right, thank you so much, Hadas. Appreciate you being there.

EARLY START continues right now.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: All right, good morning, everyone. This is EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans.

JARRETT: And I'm Laura Jarrett. Almost 30 minutes past the hour here in New York.

New this morning, the E.U. slapping sanctions on Belarus after the state-sponsored hijacking of a flight from Athens to the Lithuanian capital and the arrest of a Belarusian opposition journalist.

Passengers on that flight speaking for the first time about what they saw.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARTHUR, FRENCH PASSENGER (through translator): I even asked the flight crew if this is the first time they've seen something like that. The pilot didn't even know what was going on.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was nervous at first but later, when he understood he couldn't change anything, he calmed down and accepted it.

MONIKA SIMKIENE, LITHUANIAN PASSENGER (through translator): He said nothing. He just turned to people and said he was facing the death penalty.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: The arrested journalist now appearing from a detention center in a new pro-government video on social media. Opposition members say that video there looks to them like it was a forced -- under duress on camera here for him.

His father spoke to CNN, concerned about what will happen to him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DMITRY PROTASEVICH, FATHER OF ROMAN PROTASEVICH (through translator): We are very worried as we expect torture and physical abuse, although we hope that won't happen. But knowing the KGB methods, we hope that he will be strong enough and have enough willpower to endure all that awaits him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: All right, CNN's Nick Paton Walsh is live in London with more for us. And Nick, we know that the international community is trying to isolate Belarus -- trying to show its opposition to this sort of behavior -- strongman behavior. Do these sanctions have teeth here?

NICK PATON WALSH, INTERNATIONAL SECURITY EDITOR: At this point, it does seem that there is a lot more the E.U. could do to make its message felt.

What they have certainly done is the only thing a body of that size could immediately do when it sees a plane flying between two E.U. capitals, essentially forced out of the sky by a non-E.U. member's military jets -- startling and you have to just think about quite the impact of that -- purely so they could detain a political dissident -- a 26-year-old.

So yes, we are seeing today as the E.U. is recommending E.U. planes avoiding Belarusian airspace. And there is, it seems, also going to be a quite swift -- if not already in place -- ban on Belarusian planes going into E.U. airspace as well.

The impact of that will be substantial on Belavia, which is a key part of Belarusian's state money-making enterprise. They've already said they're canceling flights to London and Paris. That will hit the regime's pocket, certainly. But as you know, over time, these things can begin to relax. Flying around Belarus is costly for many countries as well.

So we are perhaps looking for further measures from the E.U., perhaps today, to target the specific individuals, they say, who they will sanction because of President Alexander Lukashenko's actions here. It depends really how tough this is.

But then we have to look of course, at the broader question of what this does to Belarus' position or certainly, for Belarusians opposing President Lukashenko. They're significantly more isolated from the air than they were 24-48 hours ago.

Land borders are already tough to cross so, of course, the one major open border for them is towards Russia, their overbearing eastward neighbor supporting the dictator -- -- people call Alexander Lukashenko -- with cash and, it seems, military expertise, too.

And then you have to ask the broader question, too, about President Lukashenko himself. Why did he do this? At the time which it occurred people were not necessarily putting Belarus on the top of the international agenda. Now it's there. Now his main opponent, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, is getting a phone call from the U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan.

This could possibly have backfired simply by reintroducing to the global arena the massive problem of Belarus at the heart of Europe and the need for some kind of policy. There really wasn't one apart from hoping it would go away, to be honest. And now, people are having to formulate sanctions as fast as they can.

Back to you.

ROMANS: Just fascinating. All right, Nick Paton Walsh, thank you so much for that in London -- Laura.

JARRETT: All right.

An American journalist working in Myanmar has been detained by local authorities there. Family members say 37-year-old Danny Fenster was stopped at the Yangon airport as he tried to board a flight. Fenster is a U.S. citizen from Detroit working for the news site Frontier Myanmar.

His brother says he was flying to the U.S. to surprise his parents and his family is now working with officials in Michigan and the State Department to get him released.

ROMANS: New evidence of an attempted cover-up in the police killing of Ronald Greene in Louisiana. CNN has now learned Lt. John Clary, the ranking state trooper at the scene of Greene's arrest in 2019, initially failed to report his own body camera footage. Clary arrived after troopers had been in a high-speed car chase with Greene and then later punched, kicked, and tased him.

[05:35:02]

On footage from Clary's body camera you can hear troopers still holding Greene to the ground when Clary shows up.

JARRETT: You'll recall this is the same case where Greene's family says they were originally told that he died in a car crash.

All this video from Lt. Clary was released Friday night, along with footage from other troopers there. Video from one of them suddenly cuts off.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE 1: This guy was drunk and I think he was wet.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE 2: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE 1: And I beat the ever living (bleep) out of him -- choked him and everything else, trying to get him under control. And we finally got him in handcuffs when a third man got there and the son of a (bleep) was still fighting and we were still wrestling with him trying to hold him down because he was spitting blood everywhere.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE 2: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE 1: And then all of a sudden he just went limp.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE 2: Damn.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE 1: Yes, I thought he was dead. We set him up real quick. He's on the ambulance en route to Glenwood and I'm hauling ass trying to catch up to them.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE 2: You think he -- you all got it on bodycam?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JARRETT: Again, what happens when the cameras are off.

CNN has been unable to reach Lt. Clary and an attorney did not respond to our request for comment.

Well, today, the U.S. marks one year since former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd. The killing was followed by demands for change, but what has changed? How do you effectively police the police?

Cases of police misconduct against Black Americans emerge nearly every week it seems. There is some optimism around a national reform bill that has been stalled in Congress, but even that only goes so far.

ROMANS: A lot of attention last year focused on calls to redirect money spent on police to mental health and social services, shorthanded as defund the police. But those efforts are being complicated by a spike in crime rates.

There were a dozen mass shootings this weekend alone. Just overnight, two people in Detroit were shot and killed while playing basketball. And at least three people were found dead inside an apartment in Ohio with others found outside.

Deaths from gun violence in the U.S. up 23 percent this year.

JARRETT: Now cities like Los Angeles and Minneapolis, which cut back on their police budgets, are now searching for ways to put officers back on the streets.

But the cause of violent crime is never simple. Experts point to a perfect storm of factors, including so many people out of work this past year and so much anxiety over the pandemic.

The issues also reach beyond the U.S. shores. In Britain, a Black Lives Matter activist was shot in the head over the weekend. Her supporters worry she was targeted as a result of her activism.

CNN's Salma Abdelaziz reports now for us from London.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) AIMA, ANTI-RACISM ACTIVIST: This is what democracy looks like.

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN REPORTER (voice-over): Aima is one of Britain's most prominent anti-racism activists, but this is the only way she feels safe to demonstrate, with two white allies by her side that she says deflect attention from the authorities, plus minders to watch her back.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You are in absolutely safe hands. All of us are going to be following you behind, right?

ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): We followed the 19-year-old student during a protest in London. She says she's never felt more afraid as a Black woman in Britain.

AIMA: I'm getting quite a lot of threats online -- not just me, other Black activists -- and it is quite terrifying. I don't feel safe anymore.

ABDELAZIZ (on camera): Why don't you feel safe anymore?

AIMA: If you're constantly getting people telling you that they want to kill you and that they want you dead, you don't feel safe at all.

ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): After George Floyd's murder, Aima co- organized protests in the U.K. Campaigners were first met with curiosity and sympathy but that quickly turned into resistance and outright denial from Britain's ruling class.

ABDELAZIZ (on camera): Activists here tell us there's a backlash -- a defensiveness against BLM and the U.K. -- and it starts at the top. A recent government report found no evidence of institutional racism in the U.K. The United Nations condemned the report and says it rationalizes white supremacist thought.

ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): The prime minister's office rejected the U.N.'s criticism and said the commission's findings were misrepresented.

M.P. David Lammy, from the opposition Labour Party, told us there are widespread attempts to silence the cries for racial equality.

DAVID LAMMY, M.P., LABOUR PARTY: If you want to understand what's happening in the U.K., then simply dial back a year or so to the United States under Donald Trump.

ABDELAZIZ (on camera): Is Britain taking steps backwards?

LAMMY: I'm afraid Britain is taking a massive step backwards because it's dialing up the populist rhetoric. It's dialing down the progressive need for change.

ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): Aima has a word for what's happening -- gaslighting.

ABDELAZIZ (on camera): What happens next with this movement? AIMA: Well, I think right now, just keep coming on the streets. Keep fighting actively against the government. The government refuses to listen to us so we'll make them listen to us.

ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): For those seeking institutional change it starts with acknowledging Britain has a problem.

Salma Abdelaziz, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: All right, time to get a check on CNN Business this Tuesday morning.

[05:40:00]

Taking a look at stock markets around the world, Asian shares closed higher. Europe has opened narrowly mixed here. And stock index futures in the U.S. right now, after a strong performance in tech stocks in the U.S. yesterday, are also moving higher.

It was an up day Monday in the U.S. after a rough week of inflation concerns. The Dow closed up 186. The S&P and the Nasdaq also finished higher.

Fresh data on the economy, we'll see today. We're going to get new home sales for April and consumer confidence for May.

Investors will also have earnings from AutoZone, Intuit, Nordstrom, and Urban Outfitters. We'll just get a good sense of how well this recovery -- excuse me -- is going.

Meantime, up to our ears in hand sanitizer. A year ago people stockpiled it; now retailers can't get rid of the stuff. Sales are down 80 percent from last year. Prices have crashed 40 percent.

During the worst of the pandemic, even distilleries starting making sanitizer to keep up with demand. Today, grocery stores are rushing to sell it to make room for other stuff that people are actually buying.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:45:19]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMIE METZL, MEMBER, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE: Then I believe what most likely happened is there was an accidental leak followed by a criminal cover-up.

Whatever the origin of the pandemic, that first month when China was spending all of its energy trying to cover things up rather than fix the problem, that was what allowed the stove fire to become a kitchen fire, to become a house fire, to become a world fire. (END VIDEO CLIP)

JARRETT: A top adviser to the World Health Organization adding his voice to the controversial theory that the pandemic started with a leak from a lab in Wuhan, China.

Steven Jiang is live for us in Beijing. Steven, this advisor says the leak may have been accidental but, of course, the cover-up was far worse.

STEVEN JIANG, CNN SENIOR PRODUCER: That's right, Laura. You know, a growing number of experts and scientists are now saying based on the evidence they have seen so far, they simply cannot rule out a lab leak theory because that institute in Wuhan did conduct research on coronavirus collected from bats and there have been questions about some of its past research.

Now remember, a World Health Organization team did visit the lab early this year and concluded it was extremely unlikely the virus was leaked from there. But their finding was actually based on conversations with the staff there, not from a direct access to raw original Chinese data.

That's why that conclusion has not been very convincing to many outside experts and government officials who are now increasingly calling on Beijing to provide unfettered access to this data to independent experts. They say transparency is really the best way to address many of these questions, as well as suspicion about the lab.

But that's something the Beijing government seems determined not to let it happen. And instead, they are lashing out at anyone who suggests any further investigations in China.

That now includes Dr. Anthony Fauci who, for a long time, was portrayed as a hero here because of his opposition to Donald Trump's claims and policies on COVID-19. But now, almost overnight, state media has described him as somebody who has betrayed science under political pressure.

Instead, the government here says they have done everything they could to help with the WHO and now it's time to investigate other countries, especially pointing a finger at the U.S. without any concrete evidence -- Laura.

JARRETT: And, of course, all Fauci said is that he wasn't willing to rule it out. He didn't say one way or another what happened. He said we need to keep looking at this, which we do.

All right, Steven, thank you.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

Clip from "James Bond" movie.

(END VIDEO CLIP) ROMANS: Bezos -- Jeff Bezos -- well, actually the company he founded, Amazon, closing in on the next big media deal to acquire iconic MGM, home to that, of course, "James Bond" franchise. Also, the "Rocky" franchise. A catalog including "Pink Panther" and "Singing in the Rain."

"The Wall Street Journal" reports Amazon close to buying the Hollywood giant for almost $9 billion, including debt -- a deal the "Journal" says could be announced today. Amazon would also pick up popular shows, including "THE HANDMAID'S TALE" AND "FARGO" which have exploded on streaming services.

MGM has been looking for a buyer for years. The talks with Amazon highlight Amazon's push to be able to compete in those streaming wars. MGM's library would help in that competition.

The deal would be Amazon's second-biggest deal after, remember, it bought Whole Foods back in 2017.

JARRETT: A big catalog there.

ROMANS: Yes.

JARRETT: All right.

It's getting harder to vote and easier to shoot in the Lone Star State. The Texas House and Senate giving final approval to a bill that would allow holstered handguns to be carried without a permit. Governor Greg Abbott has said he will sign the measure. It would make Texas the 19th state to allow permit-less carrying of handguns.

All right. Remarkable new surveillance video shows the moment a Maryland man who apparently called the police station threatening to kill an officer attempted to run over several of them by driving his car through the station's lobby. Look at that -- geez. And it didn't stop there. Police claim he then got out of the car and tried to attack the police.

The building was damaged, as you can see, but no officers were injured.

ROMANS: A fisherman in Oregon who disappeared earlier this month has been found alive. He spent 17 nights in the wilderness. Sixty-nine- year-old Harry Burleigh was reported missing after he failed to return from a camping trip. He was airlifted to a hospital for evaluation and is now back with his family.

JARRETT: The NFL is reportedly investigating racist comments made to a former player and coach, Eugene Chung. Chung says while interviewing for a coaching position this off-season, an NFL team told him he wasn't, quote, "the right minority for the job."

Chung, who is Korean, didn't name the team or the person who interviewed him. The NFL says it is reviewing the matter and the comment to Chung was, quote, "completely inappropriate."

ROMANS: Yes, to say the least.

All right, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers finally speaking out about why he wants to be traded.

Andy Scholes has more in this morning's Bleacher Report. Good morning, Andy.

[05:50:01]

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

So this is the first we've heard from Aaron Rodgers since the news broke that he wants out of Green Bay. Rodgers says him leaving the Packers was actually set in motion last year but him winning MVP and playing so well kind of threw a wrench into it.

While speaking with ESPN's Kenny Mayne on his final "SPORTSCENTER," Rodgers said he doesn't want to be traded because the team drafted quarterback Jordan Love in the first round a year ago. He wants out because of philosophical differences with management.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AARON RODGERS, 3-TIME NFL MVP: It's never been about the draft pick -- you know, picking Jordan. I love Jordan. He's a great kid and a lot of fun to work together.

I love the coaching staff. I love my teammates. You know, I love the fan base in Green Bay. An incredible 16 years.

It's just kind of about the philosophy, you know, and I may be forgetting that it is about the people that make the thing go. It's about -- it's about character. It's about culture. It's about doing things the right way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: Yes, Rodgers unhappy with the Packers but likely very happy with his Milwaukee Bucks. Rodgers, a minority owner of the team.

Giannis Antetokounmpo and company just destroying the Heat last night. They led 46 to 20 after the first quarter. They had 78 points by halftime. Bucks just crushing Miami 132-98 to take a 2-0 lead in that series.

Elsewhere, the Nuggets trying to even their series with the Blazers last night. Damian Lillard just on fire early in this one, making a playoff record-tying eight threes in the first half. The Nuggets, though, were able to slow him down in the second half. Nikola Jokic leading Denver to a 128-109 win to even that series at a game apiece.

You've got three more playoff games coming up later tonight. Celtics and Nets going to get things started at 7:30 eastern on our sister network TNT.

All right, the WNBA -- Connecticut son and head coach and G.M. Curt Miller has been suspended for tonight's game and fined $10,000 after making comments about an opposing player's weight.

Miller allegedly tried to get a call against Liz Cambage of the Las Vegas Aces during Sunday's game and according to Cambage, Miller said come on, she's 300 pounds. Now, Cambage blasted Miller on Instagram for those comments.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LIZ CAMBAGE, CENTER, LAS VEGAS ACES: Don't ever try to disrespect me or another woman in the league. I don't know if that's how, like, coaches run but you just disrespect -- you try to disrespect women like that from the sideline. And next time you try to disrespect me, remember, I'm 235. It might seem like 300 pounds to your little (bleep) but I'm 235, baby.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: And Miller has apologized, calling his comments inappropriate and offensive.

All right. Finally, the head of the PGA of America is apologizing to Phil Mickelson and Brooks Keopka for the wild scene on the 18th fairway on Sunday. CEO Seth Waugh said in a statement that the fans briefly overwhelmed security in, quote, "a moment of high elation and pent-up emotion."

Keopka was unhappy about it, saying his surgically repaired knee got dinged by the fans. While Phil, he called it unnerving.

Laura, you know, a few years ago we saw the fans chasing Tiger up 18 in Atlanta as he won the Tour Championship. Now it happened to Phil. I'm sure golf doesn't want this to become like a college sports thing where fans just always rush the field, rush the court when they're going to have a big win by somebody. So I'm sure they're trying to nip that in the bud before that becomes a thing.

JARRETT: Yes. Golf is much more buttoned-up -- I know.

All right, Andy. Thanks so much.

SCHOLES: All right.

JARRETT: All right, big news in late-night. After a year of doing shows in his bathtub or home office or regular office, Stephen Colbert will be back in front of a live studio audience in just a few weeks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEPHEN COLBERT, HOST, CBS "THE LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT": I've got great news for you and even better news for me because on June 14th, "THE LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT" will return to the Ed Sullivan Theater -- hell, yes. I cannot wait to say things that are that happy and then hear people cheer or boo or belch. I do not give a (bleep) at this point.

(END VIDEO CLIP) JARRETT: Everyone in the audience has to be vaccinated, importantly.

Jimmy Fallon's "TONIGHT SHOW" also plans to bring back a full audience to 30 Rock next month. He's been in front of a limited studio audience (INAUDIBLE).

All right, Christine, we're vaccinated. What do you say? I think they tape in the afternoon.

ROMANS: Let's go.

JARRETT: We could go.

ROMANS: Let's go -- I'm in. Look, and I won't boo or belch. I'll be just very happy to be with other people seeing a living performance.

JARRETT: You need the audience feedback. You can't have the silence anymore.

ROMANS: Totally, unlike us. We're just in our little -- our little camera rooms.

Thanks for joining us. I'm Christine Romans.

JARRETT: I'm Laura Jarrett. "NEW DAY" is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:59:27]

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, I'm Brianna Keilar alongside John Berman on this new day.

As the clock ticks on their power, the drumbeat grows louder among Democrats to go it alone without Republicans, but will they take the leap?

Plus, it is Tuesday morning and Kevin McCarthy is still making like Simon and Garfunkel with the sound of silence over his conspiracy theory colleague's offensive remarks about Jews.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: New video just in of the activist taken from a commercial plane by a strongman's regime as the world mounts pressure over the brazen state-sponsored hijacking.

And a surprising development overnight. The Biden Justice Department pushing back against a judge's order to release the secret memo cited in the decision not to charge Donald Trump with obstruction. Hear why.