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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Top Diplomats from U.S., Russia Meet on Ukraine; Grammy Winner Singer Meat Loaf Dies at 74; Biden to Tout New $20 Billion Intel Semiconductor Factory; Atlanta Area D.A. Requests Special Grand Jury for Trump Probe. Aired 5-5:30a ET

Aired January 21, 2022 - 05:00   ET

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

[05:00:25]

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Here we go, everybody. It is Friday, January 21st. Happy Friday, 5:00 a.m. in New York.

Thanks for getting an EARLY START with us. I'm Christine Romans.

LAURA JARRETT, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Laura Jarrett. Welcome to our viewers in the United States and all around the world.

We begin here with high stakes diplomacy happening right now. U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken arriving just there in Geneva to meet with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Here's a live picture right now of the room where that meeting is about to take place shortly. Right now, as many as 100,000 Russian troops are amassed at Ukraine's border.

President Biden has warned of serious consequences should Russia's Vladimir Putin move ahead with invasion. The Kremlin sees NATO support for Ukraine as a growing threat on Russia's western flank.

ROMANS: That's right. Blinken and Lavrov's meeting, it's an effort to avoid having this clash of wills end in blood shed in Ukraine, damage U.S. credibility, and, you know, unpredictable side effects like a potentially huge spike in energy prices. A lot at stake.

And covering the talks as only CNN can, CNN's Frederik Pleitgen is in Geneva. Nic Robertson is in Moscow for us.

Let's start with you, Fred. What message is the secretary of state bringing to his Russian counterpart?

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Christine.

Yeah, the secretary of state's convoy just rolled past where I am a couple minutes ago. And I think the secretary of state is going to have a strong message for the Russians and that is if the Russia decides to further invade Ukraine, if there is an armed incursion into further Ukrainian territory, that there will be a severe response not just from the United States, but from the U.S.'s allies as well in the form of massive sanctions, but also possibly other economic measures as well. And also the U.S. would then obviously bolster European defenses also.

So a lot at stake at these talks here. You mentioned the Russians for their part say they believe NATO -- that Ukraine is the de facto already being integrated, as they put it, into NATO structures. That is something the deputy defense minister of Russian -- the deputy foreign minister of Russia, told me two days ago. They say those concerns need to be addressed. Now, the Russians said that they wanted written answers to their concerns from the U.S., and they really would have wanted to have them right now.

But the U.S. secretary of state said those answers are not going to be forthcoming at this meeting. Nevertheless, the two sides do have possible things where they could make some headway. Like, for instance, the strategic weapons in European territory, specifically in Ukraine, and obviously, the big topic, the possible enlargement of NATO, which is something the Russians say is a complete red line for them.

These talks are going to be extremely tough, but both sides said the talks are extremely important. The Kremlin said they are of utmost importance, so really a lot at stake here and a lot of eyes here on Geneva on this day, guys.

JARRETT: Yeah, and you can see the two just shook hands. They're sitting down now, Sergey Lavrov and Tony Blinken.

Nic Robertson, to you. What are you watching for? The president had to do a lot of clean-up on this entire situation trying to reaffirm the U.S. commitment to Ukraine.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Well, both Tony Blinken and we've heard just a few minutes ago from the Kremlin spokesman here, sort of saying that this meeting is a stocktake. It's to see how both sides have taken and digested the diplomatic meetings that happened last week. And Russia's initial reaction had been negative, that it was not clear there was any more point in talking.

But that, I think, is how do they come out of this and this talk about common ground. I think as you sort of frame the moods and attitudes going into this meeting, particularly from the Russian side, the fact that they want this written response from the United States to their security proposals or demands as they're seen.

The Kremlin spokesman said, look, we know we're not going to get that in this meeting here, but we're still hoping for it in coming days. And I think that kind of language speaks to the diplomacy that's still in play here. Yet Russia's position remains very clear and very firm, and very tough for NATO to digest.

Not just what Fred was explaining, but we heard from the foreign ministry issuing a statement in response to a question last week. And that was both Bulgaria and Romania that have NATO forces and NATO missile defense systems and the Dutch have offered fighter aircraft to Bulgaria to use in the coming months.

[05:05:00] The Kremlin's position and the foreign ministry's position is that all NATO, all foreign troops and military hardware should be removed from Bulgaria and Romania. And that's just been announced. So that tells you the tough line.

And going into this as well, we've heard today, that Russia is deploying sophisticated air defense missile systems, S-400, to its military exercises in Belarus. This, again, firms that signaling of Russia's very strong military posture around Ukraine.

So, you know, the atmosphere is as diplomacy at work, but it's really proscribed and constrained by expectations and military posturing.

ROMANS: Yeah, and there's so many layers, accusations by the U.S. that Russians are recruiting officials to taken side, take over the government inside Ukraine. So many different things to talk about here for that take stock meeting.

Nic and Fred, thank you so much.

JARRETT: Thanks, guys.

ROMANS: All right. Breaking news: Grammy Award-winning singer Meat Loaf has died. According to his Facebook page, he passed away.

That's a really good song. According to his Facebook page, he passed away with his wife Debra at his side. No cause of death has been announced. In a career that spanned six decades, Meat Loaf sold more than 100 albums. He appeared in more than 65 movies.

CNN Paul Vercammen looks back on his life and legacy.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAUL VERCAMMEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Meat Loaf performed sweet suburban melodies with dramatic flare, unleashing the lyrics of composer of Jim Stein.

MEAT LOAF, SINGER: I'll go out on the stage as if it's the last thing I'll ever do. I will -- and that's what I always said. If I'm going -- if I'm going out, I'm going out on a stage.

VERCAMMEN: Meat Loaf, where did that name come from?

MEAT LOAF: The real story is there is no story. The real story is that kids -- I was about 8 years old, I've been called Meat Loaf since I was 8.

VERCAMMEN: Meat Loaf or Meat for short was born Michael Lee Aday in Dallas, Texas. But even Texas was not big enough to corral his talents.

Meat Loaf would go on to sell more than 80 million records worldwide, one of the top-selling musicians ever. His three "Bat Out of Hell" album became staples in college dorms, the first one selling 43 million copies. MEAT LOAF: The "Bat in Hell 1" I was not ready for. I had a nervous

break down. I went to psychologists and psychiatrists for two years. And I went with them to deal with the word "star".

VERCAMMEN: Meat got hold of his demons. He starred on stage and screen known for the rocky horror picture show. And Bob Paulson Bike Club.

MEAT LOAF: The first rule is I'm not supposed to talk about it. And the second rule is I'm not supposed to talk about it. And the third rule --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bob, I'm a member.

VERCAMMEN: Off screen, he married twice, became a father to two daughters. And Meat Loaf entered reality TV, Donald Trump's "Celebrity Apprentice".

In an infamous episode, he blistered Gary Busey.

MEAT LOAF: Look at my eyes. I am the last person in the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) world you ever (EXPLETIVE DELETED) want to (EXPLETIVE DELETED) with.

VERCAMMEN: Such harsh yelling, a stark contrast to what launched Meat Loaf to international adoration, that operatic voice.

(MEAT LOAF SINGING)

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: God, what a huge talent, right?

JARRETT: What a loss.

ROMANS: What a huge talent. All right. Our best to his family and friends there.

JARRETT: Absolutely.

ROMANS: All right. Eight minutes past the hour.

Just in to CNN, President Biden set to address America's critical shortage of semiconductors just hours from now. The center piece of his proposal, a brand-new $20 billion plant in Ohio.

Jasmine Wright has the latest from Washington.

What do we know about this plant, Jasmine? We know why the president is so focused on semiconductors, right? This global snag and shortage of semiconductors has really revealed how globalization has left us kind of out in the cold in terms of producing them here.

JASMINE WRIGHT, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: That's right, Christine.

And, look, it comes down to supply chain for this administration because when there are problems, when there are those shortages, that is something that Americans directly feel. So, of course, it makes sense that the White House focuses on this, especially as the president battles his lower poll numbers.

So, today and part of that rollout effort, we will see the president really call on Congress to pass legislation that strengthens research and development and manufacturing for supply chains to address that global semiconductor shortage that you just talked about.

[05:10:04]

And now this is by far not the first time that we have heard about semiconductors from this White House. It's been the focus of the president and also the vice president when she went to Asia last year. Of course, it is that essential trip that is used for production in smartphones, medical equipment, as well as kitchen appliances and, of course, cars. That is probably where Americans feel it most, the high car prices.

Today, we will see the president tout that $20 billion new plant in Ohio, as well as talk about other ways that this administration is looking to kind of expand that manufacturing in this country.

Now, of course, the policy, Christine, is going to be really important here, but also the messaging. Remember, the president promised he would kind of display a shift in messaging when it comes to talking about this administration's victory.

So, we will be looking out for both of those things at the White House.

ROMANS: All right. We know you'll be covering it for us. Jasmine, thank you.

Laura?

JARRETT: Also this morning, extreme weather bearing down on the Southeast right now, up to half an inch of ice forecast for some places in Virginia and the Carolinas.

CNN's meteorologist Derek Van Dam joins me now with the latest.

All right. Derek, how bad is it going to get this weekend?

DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Best advice I can give, stay off the roads, but it will get worse later this afternoon and evening. How bad will it get? Well, the potential exists for the half inch of icing right along the coastal areas of North Carolina.

You can see the winter weather alerts stretching from the Del Marva Peninsula, right through Piedmont of North Carolina, through low country of South Carolina. But we focus on the ice storm warning in and around Wilmington, because that is where things will get dicey quickly. Not a lot of precipitation on this radar at the moment.

However, you can see temperatures there hovering just above freezing for this particular location. Snowfall has come to an end near Norfolk, but heading a little further to the south, you can see this is all rain from Charleston to Wilmington, as well as the Myrtle Bay region, but -- Myrtle Beach region. But this precipitation will start to mix in with sleet, eventually changing to freezing rain, then temperatures crash behind the gold front and we see snow flakes, a rare snowflake or two right along some of the beaches of the Carolinas as well.

Here's the accumulation map. You can see snow for northern portions of North Carolina, but again, up to half an inch of ice for the southern portions of the state into South Carolina.

Laura and Christine, back to you.

JARRETT: All right. Derek, good time to stay home. Thanks.

ROMANS: Yeah, indeed.

All right. New revelations this morning on Donald Trump's attempts to overturn election results in Georgia.

JARRETT: Plus, COVID concerns at the Beijing Olympics. The famous voices who will stay home instead.

ROMANS: And the governor who wants his own armed election police force.

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[05:17:02]

JARRETT: New this morning, a request for a special grand jury in Georgia revealing a little more about the Fulton County D.A.'s criminal probe into former President Trump's efforts to overturn the state's 2020 election results.

ROMANS: This just the latest in the series of legal woes facing the former president this week.

Let's unpack with former federal prosecutor Michael Zeldin, host of the podcast "That Said with Michael Zeldin".

Good morning. So nice to see you again this morning, this Friday morning.

What is the D.A.'s request for a special grand jury now tell us about how far along she is into this investigation?

Are you surprised it took almost a year?

MICHAEL ZELDIN, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: Well, what they have been trying to do is gather evidence voluntarily. But many of the witnesses have said they'll respond by subpoena. So, she needs to build the grand jury to get subpoenas out to these people. We expect that they will cooperate once they receive subpoenas, but they're looking for legal cover from the subpoenas. So, that's why we're having the special purpose grand jury, and that

grand jury will determine whether or not laws were broken by Trump. And if so, they or anybody else and they will be referred to another grand jury for indictment.

JARRETT: And, of course, the star witness here, the secretary of state of Georgia Brad Raffensperger has been on the record saying he will comply with the subpoena if she gives him one. And she cited that in her request to the judge this week. So, we'll see how that shakes out.

Meanwhile, Michael, the January 6 committee wants to talk to Ivanka Trump now. This is the first time they are seeking testimony from a member of the Trump family. They have Eric Trump's phone records, but now they want her to sit down with them. What do you think she could offer?

ZELDIN: Well, it's been reported widely that she was begging her father to stop the insurrection. She had gone -- she was upstairs in the White House and we are told that she went down stairs twice to have them stop this, and that he ignored her requests. And so they're going to want to find out about that.

But they also want to know if she was privy to the planning that went into the "Stop the Steal" rally. There's been Trump's former White House communications director that there were these secret meetings up in the second floor of the White House. So, they want to know what does Ivanka know about all of that sort of stuff.

ROMANS: CNN now reporting that people from within the Trump campaign coordinate this push, Michael, to fake certificates from states that Trump lost in the 2020 election. Does that warrant a criminal investigation?

ZELDIN: It could, for sure. What it seems to be was that they created a false set of electors. If the plan work, their Green Bay suite, they were going to send the results back to the states, then these states were going to put forward these fake electors, and then these electors were going to vote for Trump and that's how he would become president.

That certificate of false declaration of these electors could be a crime under law. Michigan's attorney general said it probably is a crime under Michigan law, and I expect the same will be true under other laws.

[05:20:01]

So, yeah, this is an important development and a very potent criminal liability for many of these people.

JARRETT: Yeah, and we understand Georgia is one of the places where they were sending these fake electors, something that maybe perhaps Fani Willis, the D.A. there, could look into as well.

ROMANS: Yeah.

JARRETT: Michael Zeldin, thank you. Appreciate it.

ZELDIN: You bet.

JARRETT: Coming up for you the Florida proposal to protect white people from guilt about racism.

ROMANS: And pandemic winner Peloton sweating this morning and not in a good way.

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[05:25:00]

ROMANS: All right. The start of the Beijing Winter Games now just two weeks away, but the network televising the Olympics says it is not sending its announcers to China.

CNN's David Culver live in Beijing.

What drove NBC to this decision, David?

DAVID CULVER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I think it's everything about the strict measures, Christine, that are in place here. We've been reporting on this more than two years now, ever since I've been in Wuhan and have been in China since. And these are measures unlike anywhere else in the world.

And what we have seen is kind of lightening of them at sometimes, an easing of them, tightening again and they are certainly doing that right now ahead of the Olympics.

I want to give you an idea what those coming in who are actually going to be part of the media, part of the personnel and the athletes, of course, are going to experience -- we got an animation I think walks you through and visualize a little bit easier what this bubble system will look like. They're calling it a closed loop system officially.

But we can walk you through the animation. As they leave Beijing airport, that's where everyone coming in who is part of the closed loop system, they're going to be traveling into the city. And it's not one big bubble as it is multiple bubbles, and connecting all these bubbles are shuttle lines and rail lines.

And that's within, for example, the Olympic Park area. Then you have the mountain venues. Once again, this is the Winter Olympics. Those are the outskirts of Beijing. To travel there, they have built dedicated highway and highway lane, brand new, but those will be part of the closed loop system. They'll be dividing the railcars and keep them apart from the general population. They want to keep the general population apart from those who are coming in as part of the Olympic personnel.

It is incredibly strict though, and we're hearing from the IOC, within the bubble, they have a small percentage. They say 1.53 percent of arrivals, we don't know what that translates to quite yet in numbers of those have tested positive, but they assure folks there are no positive cases and infection going about within the bubble as of yet.

So they were able to catch them upon arrival, and that seems to be how they're dealing with it thus far. But it's a precarious situation, and it's not an easy feat ahead of those coming in

ROMANS: Indeed, somebody, an athlete or spectator catches COVID during the Olympics, what's the protocol for that?

CULVER: Oh, I think this is the worst case scenario. This is what they're so uneasy about and so many people are taking measures ahead of time. You have to test negative twice just to get in. The presumption is if you're vaccinated, if you're not, you have to do 21 days of quarantine. If you test positive, Christine, if it's asymptomatic, you can isolate in your room and be tested multiple times.

If you are showing symptoms, they're going to put you had into a government medical facility. We don't know where exactly that is, but there's no challenging them. We've dealt with that here. If they tell you you're going to go somewhere, you're going to comply.

ROMANS: Of course, that's right.

All right. David Culver, thank you for that. Nice to see you.

All right. A TV reporter hit by a car live on the air. See the video and hear how she's doing now next.

JARRETT: And Democrats looking for a new path after Republicans blocked them from shoring up voting rights. Primary challenges could loom for two senators.

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