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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Surfside Crews Transition From Search & Rescue to Recovery; Biden Pitches Infrastructure, Safety Net Agenda in Illinois; Haitian Police Kill 4, Detain 2 Related to Moise Assassination; Tampa Bay Lighting Repeat as Stanley Cup Champions. Aired 5-5:30a ET

Aired July 08, 2021 - 05:00   ET

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

[05:00:24]

LAURA JARRETT, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone. Welcome to our viewers in the United States and all around the world. This is EARLY START. I'm Laura Jarrett.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Christine Romans. It is Thursday, July 8th. It is 5:00 a.m. exactly here in New York.

To Florida, what started as a desperate search and rescue mission now a recovery effort. The transition officially taking place at midnight.

This footage from just a short time ago. It's been two brutal squeaks since the Champlain Tower South collapsed in the middle of the night. Survivors and family members visited the site Wednesday and were briefed by officials.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR CHARLES BURKETT, SURFSIDE, FLORIDA: In the end, God is still in charge. And while there seems to be no chance of finding life in the rubble, a miracle is still possible. Today is a heartbreaking day. But I've not lost hope that there could yet be a miracle.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JARRETT: With the condo now demolished crews recovered ten more bodies on Wednesday bringing the total confirmed dead to 54 with quick people still unaccounted for.

CNN's Rosa Flores has more from Surfside.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Laura, Christine, search and rescue efforts here in Surfside transitioned into the recovery phase overnight. Officials here saying they looked at the facts. The sound equipment that they were using is not producing any more signs. The K9 are not detecting signs of life.

They also look at the physical limits of the human body, just the amount of time that a human can survive without food, water and air. Then they looked at the type of collapse. This is a pancake collapse.

And it really looks what it sounds like. Imagine the layers of flooring collapsing through very few feet. That's how officials described with very voids. Voids were what they were looking for. That's where life where survivor could have been.

The transition happened at midnight. But before that, it started with a moment of silence.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- for a moment of silence. Thank you.

FLORES: Officials say that while the terms do change from search and rescue to recovery, the aggressiveness of the work, the pace is not going to change. Officials say that they will use every resource, whether it's brave men and women, or equipment, large and small, they will continue working here 24 hours a day, until every victim is identified -- Laura, Christine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JARRETT: Rosa, thank you. So hard for the families and exhausting for all of those workers.

Meanwhile, President Biden out stumping Wednesday for his economic agenda. He's focused on his bipartisan infrastructure deal with funding for roads, bridges and airports and much more. And there's also the separate proposal, the human side of infrastructure if you will to fund child care and health care and other social safety net programs.

The president acting as salesman in chief during a trip to Illinois saying he'll be making the case until the job is done.

More now from CNN's Phil Mattingly from the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Christine and Laura, President Biden has one element of his agenda, deal in hand bipartisan agreement, when it relates to infrastructure, $1.2 trillion. He has the second piece of his plan currently in the mix of negotiations, Democrats only, a significant portion of his overall $4 trillion agenda.

He knows they're working. He knows behind the scenes lawmakers are having discussion, his legislative team, his role as he sees it as his aides see it right now, sell it all publicly, try to assure that areas that are popular stay popular, try to ensure areas 50/50 get more popular.

This is how he framed what he's trying to do at a stop at Crystal Lake, Illinois. Take a list.

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There's a lot to finish the job. We're going to get it done, and reimagine what our future and economy can be. And show the world, most importantly, show ourselves that democracy, democracy can deliver.

MATTINGLY: Now, guys, this really is a critical moment for the president's agenda, no question about it. He has a bipartisan agreement but that needs to be drafted into a legislative language, and then they actually need to find 60 votes for it in the United States. And it has to move on parallel with that Democrat-only effort.

Democratic leaders making clear that they won't accept just the bipartisan deal. They want that second piece of the pie. And they know that most of the progressive priorities that they have, whether it's paid family leave or whether it's an extension of the child tax credit, any number of different issues are in that second piece.

[05:05:10]

The president, he's not setting a timetable on anything, Democratic leaders, senator Chuck Schumer in the Senate, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi have said they want movement by the end of July. Obviously, it's already July, guys. Things are moving fast, expect to continue his public push as lawmakers work behind the scenes -- guys.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: All right. Phil, thank you for that.

You know, President Biden pushing for that generational investment in human infrastructure as he called it with his American families plan.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: My plan is going to provide access to affordable squat child care with more child care centers in community campuses with new and updated child care facilities all across the country. My plan will also provide for 12 weeks of paid family leave from medical care. No one should have to choose between a job and a paycheck and taking care of someone you love, a parent, a spouse, a child.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: It's a plan with big investments in working families and it could reshape the American economy. The American Families Plan would make the child tax credit permanent, critical for addressing income inequality and child poverty. There are also investments in education including two years of free community college and two years of free universal pre-K. The president is pushing to make enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits permanent and expanded home care for older and disabled Americans.

JARRETT: Obstruct, rinse and repeat. Texas Congressman Chip Roy giving voice to what appears to be the strategy for Republicans. Block the Biden legislative agenda at every turn so the GOP can win the 2022 midterm elections. Roy not shying away from comments he made late last month, explaining the state of play on Capitol Hill.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) REP. CHIP ROY (R-TX): Honestly, right now, for the next 18 month, our job is to do everything we can to slow all of that down to get to the summer of 2022. And then get into it. I actually say thank you, Lord, 18 more months of chaos and the inability to get stuff done. That's what we want.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: That's what we want.

Not unrelated to the bipartisan infrastructure deal that President Biden was pitching yesterday is facing an uphill battle in Congress.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said it's not just good policy, it's good politics, even if Republicans don't see it that way.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETE BUTTIGIEG, TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY: We know we got to do more. And if we have to do that part without Republican votes so be it. I still haven't given up on the idea, though, that at least some Senate Republicans might decide to deal with the American people, including by the way a large majority of American Republicans. Maybe not here on Capitol Hill, but out here in the country who said they, too, believe they need to invest more and the care economy in this country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: He says, Bottom line, Americans want elected officials to deliver on their promise of better roads and better bridges.

You know, people -- a lot of families are just going this month for the first time get the child tax credits right in their bank account. So there still is more support that we haven't felt quite yet heading for the American economy. So, we'll see if Republicans --

JARRETT: Change into the equation.

ROMANS: Yeah, how they can take that away.

All right. Coming up, the latest into the investigation of the assassination of the Haitian President Jovenel Moise.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:12:36]

ROMANS: All right. Breaking overnight, police in Haiti have detained two suspects and killed four areas in connection with the assassination of President Jovenel Moise. Haiti's ambassador to the U.S. says all of the suspects who are arrested and killed were foreigners. But the vehicle used to get to get to the presidential residence suggests they may have had help from Haitian nationals.

JARRETT: You're looking at new video of security officers outside of presidential palace immediately after the assassination. In another clip, you can hear a person shouting "DEA operation" during the attack.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: DEA operations, everybody back up, stand down. DEA operations, everybody back up, stand down.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

JARRETT: It's hard to hear there, but CNN cannot independently confirm the authenticity of these videos. And the State Department has denied that the DEA, the Drug Enforcement Agency, is involved here. Nevertheless, President Biden says he is concerned.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: We need a lot more information for this. That's very worrisome about the state of Haiti.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JARRETT: Melissa Bell is live in Paris tracking this.

OK. Melissa, bring us up to speed. What is the latest? Really a disturbing situation here.

An extraordinary investigation here.

MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Just extraordinary footage from those events purportedly overnight, and I think it's important to know, Laura, you mentioned a moment ago, the U.S. State Department pushing back on the suggestions of involvement by American agents. But the working hypothesis of the Haitian government, and this is what we've also heard from the Haitian ambassador to the United States is also that these were foreign mercenaries posing as DEA agents and they were in fact not.

So, I think that's important to make that from the start. A lot will depend now on the investigation. Of course, there's two suspects now in custody. In order to try to figure out exactly where the people involved in the assassination of the president were from.

That will be one of the big things we'll be looking for this morning as Haiti wakes up. The acting prime minister has promised to keep people abreast of the investigation, because of this determination, he said to try and bring those responsible for this heinous crime to justice as swiftly as possible.

But I think its' important also to note Laura, that even as this important investigation continues and we await to learn about the identity and nationality of these suspects there's a further complication possibly rearing its head. And that is that Claude Joseph, the acting prime minster who clearly made claim that he had taken the reins of power, yesterday, by announcing the state of siege for the country for the next two weeks is only the acting prime minister. [05:15:08]

That is, he had in fact been sacked by the president just a few days. Another man named in his place, Ariel Henry. And so, there is a country essentially that is waking up without a president, but potentially two prime ministers, which could add to a constitutional crisis to country that is already facing so many difficulties and so many questions over these very shocking assassination that took place in the early hours of Wednesday morning, Laura.

JARRETT: Yeah. Certainly a level that's difficult to the citizens there.

Take us back to the investigation, for just one second, while we have you. I understand the government detained two suspects? Are they looking for? What's going on?

BELL: Well, what we know for time being is that four people were killed in this gunfire -- in this gun battle that took place once the authorities have established where they believe the suspects were two people taken into custody but we do also know from the Haitian ambassador here, Laura, that they believe Haitian nationals may have been involved because the cars that drove that convoy towards the house where the president was killed would have been -- would lead them to believe that had been the case.

So, a lot of questions about whether others may have been involved, whether they were Haitian nationals and whether other suspects may yet be on the run, Laura.

JARRETT: All right. Melissa, thank you for staying on top of this one for us.

ROMANS: The troubled Tokyo Olympics could be held without fans in the stands. Japanese officials are considering a ban on spectators from the general public. And now, just moments ago, the host city was placed under its fourth state of emergency due to a spike in coronavirus cases.

Let's bring in CNN's Will Ripley. He is live for us in Tokyo.

Hi, Will. You know, Japan's prime minister previously said if an emergency was declare during the games, the public wouldn't come to events. What are they saying now?

WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, they haven't said specifically what the plan is on local spectators because they had already banned foreign spectators ages ago. They're going to make an announcement on that earlier this week, probably as soon as tomorrow.

But what local media is reporting, now that Tokyo is in its fourth state of emergency since the pandemic with case numbers surging over the last 2 1/2 weeks and the new -- the highly contagious delta variant really threatening to explode not only here but in countries around the world, and they just feel that it's too dangerous to have people assembling in groups. That's why they're going to ban restaurants serving alcohol, a rule that had been in effect and had been lifted in recent weeks but now they're going to put all of those restrictions back in place.

So, in other words, the country that had spent billions of dollars building Olympic venues, hoping for a tourism boon for visitors around the world, but now they won't be able to and regular folks won't be able to go to the games themselves. If they were lucky enough to win a lottery for those who spent 1,000 bucks a ticket in some cases.

The only people who might be considered for attending live in person would be VIPs according to Japanese media. Olympic Committee members, sponsors, foreign dignitaries and that sort of thing.

So, it's a really sad development for Japan. A lot of people in Japan didn't even want to host the games because they were concerned about safety. Now you have in a matter of days, this flood of people, thousands of athletes and trainers and delegations from all over the world that hundreds of countries will be converging on the Japanese capital. And with the cases surging here they think they have to do this.

That's why the prime minister will be declaring a state of emergency. Goes into effect on Monday. It will stay in effect, Christine, throughout basically the entire Olympic Games here, until August 22nd.

ROMANS: Yeah, Will, such an unique once in a lifetime convergence of events, right? You wonder how the athletes feel about it. How -- so much for the Olympics is the energy of the crowd and sort of the whole experience.

RIPLEY: Absolutely.

ROMANS: It will be so, so different for those athletes.

All right. And, of course, safety is paramount here. Thanks so much. Nice to see you, Will.

JARRETT: All right. Still ahead, Lightning strikes twice. For the second row in a row, the Tampa Bay Lightning wins the Stanley Cup. We have all of the details for you, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:23:25]

ROMANS: All right. For the second time in ten months, the Tampa Bay Lightning are Stanley Cup champions.

Coy Wire has this morning's "Bleacher Report."

Hi, Coy.

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Christine.

We're going to bring that energy this morning. The only thing more difficult in pro sports than winning a title is winning two in a row. The Lightning pulling off this feat for the second time since the turn of the century. There was a player who wasn't with the team at all last season, provided the series winning goal against the Montreal Canadiens. Rookie Ross Colton deflecting a pass from David Savard to find the back of the net, that's all the Lightning would need in game five.

Adding another title to Tampa Bay, more than 18,000 fans finally getting to see this. Their team, they're going to be hoisting that trophy on home ice. Last season, the Bolts won in a bubble in Edmonton in front of no fans.

Well, check out the celebration outside the arena after the game. Tampa Bay Mayor Jane Castor said wanted the Lightning to lose game four in Montreal so that they come back and win in Tampa, tweeting now, didn't I tell all that winning at home would feel great?

Now, on the other side of Tampa, in St. Pete, the Rays making a little history of their own. Five pitches combined to throw just the second seven-inning no hitter in the MLB season. They did it in the second inning against Cleveland. It won't count down as an official no-no because games have to be at least nine innings to be considered official, according to MLB rules. There had been seven official no hitters this season.

All right. For the first time in 19 years, Roger Federer has lost at Wimbledon in straight sets.

[05:25:01]

He was knocked out by 24-year-old Hubert Hurkacz of Poland who calls Federer his idol. This is in the quarterfinals. Federer getting an ovation from the crowd at center court. That might be a goodbye.

The eight-time Wimbledon champ acknowledged afterward he isn't sure whether he'll be back. Federer turns 40 a month from today.

One of the greatest we've ever been able to watch and will -- you know, it's incredible what he's done. Twenty grand slam titles tying with Rafael Nadal for the most ever.

Will this be a year, though, Laura and Christine that that we see an NFL, NHL, and MLB team. You have the Bucs, the Lightning, and now the Rays, with the chance to have three titles in pro franchises title right there in the same city.

JARRETT: Very cool. I'm not willing to count Federer out yet.

WIRE: Yeah, I think he still has some left in his tank, too. I'm with you.

ROMANS: In sports now, it seems like 40 is the new 30.

JARRETT: In life, forget sports.

WIRE: That's right. ROMANS: We're not our parents' 40.

All right. Nice to see you.

JARRETT: Thanks, Coy.

WIRE: You too, thanks.

JARRETT: All right. Prices at the pump keep rising and Republicans are blaming the president. What's really behind the spike? We're going to break it down, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)