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First Move with Julia Chatterley
Catastrophic Damage Left In The Wake Of Hurricane Dorian In The Bahamas; A General Election Inching Ever Closer After Prime Minister Boris Johnson Suffers A Huge Defeat On Tuesday; In Hong Kong, The Government Withdrawing The Controversial Extradition Bill That Sparked 13 Straight Weekends Of Protest. Aired 9-10a ET
Aired September 04, 2019 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[09:00:17]
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.
JULIA CHATTERLEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to FIRST MOVE. We're following three major stories for you this hour.
In the Bahamas, catastrophic damage left in the wake of Hurricane Dorian. In the U.K., a general election inching ever closer after Prime Minister
Boris Johnson suffers a huge defeat on Tuesday. And in Hong Kong, the government withdrawing the controversial Extradition Bill that sparked 13
straight weekends of protest.
But first, as the sun rises over the Bahamas for the first time in days, the sheer scale of the devastation caused by Hurricane Dorian is beginning
to dawn. Let me show you now aerial views of the Abaco Islands. This was one of the areas that was hit the hardest -- seven people have been
confirmed dead, but official say that number is likely to rise.
The Prime Minister told CNN, the country has been attacked by a quote, "vicious, devastating storm." Paula Newton is in the Bahamas for us and
ready to chat to us. Paula, just describe what you've seen so far since you've arrived.
PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (via phone): We're in Nassau right now, we're at a staging area where people are trying to desperately
get to those people in need.
I mean, look at the aerial pictures that we've been showing you on CNN at Abaco. Those are the islands, Julia that took the full force of a Category
5, one of the strongest storms ever to be seen on Earth.
And Julia, these families are desperate. We are now on day four without having any contact. I'm here with family members who have text messages on
their phone from loved ones from with Sunday that read, "Only alive now."
They do not know if anybody is -- if anyone is less in terms of their family members? What is left of their home? We've seen the pictures of
devastation as well and they are desperate to get there.
You can imagine as well, the big aid effort ongoing. We are here with the U.S. Coast Guard and Bahamian military, all trying to get to the Abaco
Islands to see what is needed. And after having gone through this devastating storm, Julia, the hard work is yet to come.
There are reports of at least dozens, perhaps hundreds injured, critically ill. And of course, the issue of food and water as well. It's hard to get
an estimate of exactly how many people are in the Abaco Islands at the time, perhaps as many as 25,000.
I can tell you anecdotally just on the messages that people have on their phones, that there are at least hundreds, but more likely thousands more in
desperate need of the basics right now.
With help still, as you said, it's the first day that the sun has come up, it's certainly given everyone some hope that they can finally get in there
and get some help.
CHATTERLEY: Yes, I mean, I've been looking at some of the things that the Red Cross has been saying here. I mean, their estimate right now is 99
percent of people in Grand Bahama or the Abaco Islands are going to need some form of emergency assistance.
I mean, Paula just given the images that we're looking at right now, even getting emergency assistance to some of these people is a huge challenge
right now.
NEWTON: And that is the issue. We are here with deployment. And as I said, it's the first break it has had in the weather without those strong
winds. And we're seeing people with medical kits, with desalination kits, trying to get in as much water as possible.
But the task at hand is massive, Julia, in terms of trying to deploy to these islands, when literally almost every piece of infrastructure that
they have had on the island from electricity to communication to roads, basic communities -- I've been talking to people that have communities, at
least with 300 and 400 people that are just basically waterlogged. There is nothing left. It is like they have become a part of the sea. And that
is the issue here.
The most depressing scenes are from family members who literally are begging people here at this Aviation Center to fly by their homes, to give
them the coordinates of their homes, hoping that even if they can't land that they will see a flag and that they will see a person on the roof that
they will be able to have proof of life. And that's what they're moving on here from, Julia, they want that proof of life. And once they do, they're
doing everything that they can to deploy resources on the ground -- a monumental task at this point.
CHATTERLEY: Yes, a monumental task. I mean, we've heard from the authorities as well and the Prime Minister, too and he has hinted at the
suggestion that while so far, the loss of life is just a handful at this stage, the fear is that it's far greater.
Again, it's just a case of being able to gauge numbers and get a sense given the lack of ability to communicate with people and understands who is
even missing at this stage.
NEWTON: Absolutely, Julia. I mean, the families I'm talking to, you know, the last messages they had from their families was moving to the only, you
know, piece of roof that they have left, under those conditions.
As the Prime Minister basically prepared everyone, the numbers will get much worse and that is what everyone fears. Most people do not even want
to utter the amount of people that they believe may have perished in this storm. They are obviously hoping that their worst fears will not come to
fruition, Julia.
But right now, as the sun comes up here and they understand that there is that break in the weather, they are trying to get in there to see exactly
what they are dealing with. And I can't stress enough the fact that there is just nothing left. You have people on specs of property just clinging
to any patch of dry land that they have, they are clearing any kind of fields of debris, trying to get areas, ad hoc, ad hoc, Julia where
helicopters are able to land in some of these caves and some of these remote islands as well.
It is going to be quite a few months at least around here before they are able to supply all of these islands' needs. And again, not an
insignificant amount of people. It's hard to get estimates. They have so many seasonal residents in the Abaco Islands but you know, perhaps as many
as 25,000 people maybe more. They really don't know that will be in need of the most basic things over the next few days and weeks.
CHATTERLEY: Yes, a monumental task. We are going to be talking to the Red Cross later on in the show. But for now, Paula Newton, thank you so much
for joining us there from the Bahamas and just giving us a sense of how bad the situation is.
Now Patrick Oppmann has been reporting from the island of Grand Bahama since the hurricane arrived there. He found local people frantically doing
all they could to help their neighbors despite the deadly conditions as you saw. Listen in.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): One jet ski ride, one boat trip at a time, these Bahamians are saving the lives of their family,
neighbors and complete strangers. They launch from a bridge that is now underwater.
Theirs is a dangerous mission. Hurricane force winds are still ranging here.
Howard Armstrong was rescued after his house flooded to the ceiling. His house was one of hundreds lost as storm surge from Dorian swallowed whole
neighborhoods. Armstrong's wife, Lynn, didn't make it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HOWARD ARMSTRONG, HURRICANE DORIAN SURVIVOR: It came over the roof. I would imagine 21-feet at least. We were doing all right until the water
kept coming up and all the appliances were going around the house like a washing machine.
That's probably, I got hit with something in there and my poor little wife got hypothermia and she was standing on top of the kitchen cabinets until
they disintegrated and I kept with her and she just drowned on me.
OPPMANN (on camera): I'm so sorry.
ARMSTRONG: I know. I know.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
OPPMANN (voice-over): There is no power on Grand Bahama Island, no running water, sporadic cell service at best. Submerged cars block many roads.
Maybe the last thing working is this all-volunteer crew of boaters risking their lives to save lives. Dorian fights them every trip they make.
OPPMANN (on camera): People are coming to bring their jet skis. They are bringing their boats. They are going to get their neighbors, they say.
Everyone says they know of people. They say it is very hard to navigate because there are of course no more streets, and yet they are doing it.
You don't see anybody from the government here. It is all very ad hoc. People coming with what they have. The jet skis they have, they are
dealing with horrible weather conditions.
It is not safe to be out on a boat right now. It is not safe to be out here at all, and yet, they say they know there are people out there. There
are people who have lost their lives out there we are told.
They brought back at least, one body and they say, they will not stop until they get everybody. They have hours, if not days of work ahead of them.
OPPMANN (voice over): While we are there, winds flip a jet ski and the rescuers have to halt their efforts.
Rescuer Rochenel Daniel says there isn't much time left.
ROCHENEL DANIEL, HURRICANE DORIAN SURVIVOR: They are exhausted. Some, we had to carry. Some couldn't make it. Some he put on the jet ski. He
returned holding the jet ski over because they couldn't hold their weight up.
The first one we found was my brother. He was clinging on to a tree and he made out safe, but we are unable to locate his wife at the moment. We hope
that she is okay, but the rescue goes on and on. We have a lot of people supporting us. Everybody working as a team here, you know. It's very hard
but, you know, I am saying, but we shall overcome.
OPPMANN (on camera): How are you doing? You made it. You're safe.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. Yes.
OPPMANN (voice-over): Dozens have been rescued but many more remain in total desperation as they spend the third night waiting for salvation.
Patrick Oppmann, CNN, Freeport, Bahamas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHATTERLEY: Heartbreaking report there from Patrick Oppmann showing the sheer devastation right now in the Bahamas.
Well, the hurricane is now moving north, off the Florida coast, but high winds and heavy rain are already being felt on shore as it pushes north.
There are now fears it could make landfall in North or South Carolina.
[09:05:10]
CHATTERLEY: If you'd like to help the victims of Hurricane Dorian, you can head to our Web site, you can find a list of vetted charities there and
ways to contribute. That is at cnn.com/impact on our website there, and we'll bring you further updates on Dorian as soon as we get them.
All right, let's move on now to Britain. The Prime Minister has threatened to call for a general election on October the 15th. This after lawmakers
seized control of parliamentary proceedings in a stunning defeat for Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The ayes to the right 328. The no's to the left, 301.
JOHN BERCOW, SPEAKER, HOUSE OF COMMONS: Not a good start, Boris. Order --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHATTERLEY: That vote on Tuesday paved the way for a Bill to make a no- deal Brexit illegal. Twenty one Conservatives sided with the opposition and were promptly kicked out of the Conservative Party.
And Parliament a short time ago, the Prime Minister called it a quote "Surrender Bill" saying it would undermine his talks with the E.U.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: The only thing that is standing in our way is the undermining of the negotiations by this Surrender Bill which
would lead to more dither and delay. We delayed in March, we delayed in April, and now, we want to -- he wants to delay again for absolutely no
purpose, whatever.
JEREMY CORBYN, BRITISH MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT, LABOUR PARTY: Mr. Speaker, I really fail to see how I can be accused of undermining negotiations because
no negotiations are taking place.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHATTERLEY: Bianca Nobilo joins me from Westminster.
Bianca, actually, words fail me here. At one point, the Prime Minister is saying he wanted an election, calling Jeremy Corbyn a chlorinated chicken
for not agreeing to it. What do we make of this and what next?
BIANCA NOBILO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Julia, words are almost failing me through this. It can be quite a quiet segment, but I concur. That was a
remarkable Prime Minister's Questions -- Boris Johnson's first ever.
So this is off the back of his first ever vote where he had this crushing defeat, now aided in large part by the fact that he had many rebels from
within his own party which he then summarily ejected. So 21 members of the Conservative Party were expelled including Winston Churchill, one of Boris
Johnson's idols, including his grandson, Nicholas Soames.
And then today, he faced the House of Commons and Jeremy Corbyn for the first time in his first PMQs, and we didn't see a lot of information shared
between the two leaders, but Boris Johnson did keep hammering home the point that he sees what the opposition parties are doing as a Surrender
Bill, one which cedes all of the power to the European Union.
He criticized them for undermining his negotiating position with the E.U., but the opposition maintain that there is new credible evidence that Boris
Johnson and his government are engaging with the E.U. in meaningful negotiations at the moment. They believe that they're trying to go for a
no deal situation.
As for the chlorinated chicken remark, that of course alludes to the fact that those who are concerned about Britain opening up and free trade deals
with the United States might lower their food standards and the fact that this is all a game of chicken, to put it mildly.
Jeremy Corbyn, who had been calling for an election for no less than three years is now equivocating on whether or not he would actually vote for one.
He says that reason being that he wouldn't want to vote for an election if he couldn't ensure that a no deal scenario would be prevented.
So we're going to see a tussle between those things today, Julia in Parliament between the opposition parties or the Rebel Alliance they
sometimes refer to themselves, trying to ensure that a no deal is prevented at all cost.
And then Boris Johnson trying to ensure that there is an election by the 15th of October.
CHATTERLEY: yes, I mean, it's an ongoing debacle, quite frankly, but Boris Johnson called it a Surrender Bill, this idea that he gives up any
negotiating power to the E.U. as a result of ruling out a no-deal exit, and the Brexiteers will argue that's certainly the case here.
But what are we looking at going forward if that is indeed the case? Because the polls suggest, if we believe them, that currently Boris Johnson
has no working majority in Parliament, but he could get one following an election. What then?
NOBILO: That's -- well, that's why the election is the least worst option for Boris Johnson, even though he said just days ago on the steps of
Downing Street, he didn't want an election. He said, "You don't want an election," referring to that the country at large. He repeated that today
in the House of Commons chamber.
But in actual fact, now that he has a majority of zero, and even when, Julia, he had a majority of one before we have defection on the floor of
the House of Commons yesterday, he still didn't have the numbers to pass his key legislation. So that means that you don't have a functioning
government.
So in order to get any kind of business through, especially the most contentious and key business that pertains to Brexit, he is going to need
some new numbers in the House of Commons.
So the only option left in order to achieve that would be an election and one where the MPs who are on the ballot paper for Boris Johnson's party
support his Brexit position fully.
[09:15:38]
CHATTERLEY: Yes, and the irony here is there is a Brexit deal. It was Theresa May's Brexit deal and Parliament decided against it. Bianca Nobilo
in Westminster, thank you so much for that.
All right, let's move on because protesters in Hong Kong are vowing to fight on even off the one of their key demands was finally met.
Chief Executive Carrie Lam said her government is completely withdrawing the controversial Extradition Bill. Paula Hancocks is in Hong Kong with
more on this.
Paula, I have to say it feels a little bit like too little too late here, formally withdrawing the Extradition Bill. But the protesters have got
more demands here and they want them fulfilled, it seems.
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's right, Julia. That's the exact quote that we heard from Joshua Wong, the pro-
democracy activists, "too little too late." This would have been welcomed three months ago.
Now I also spoke to a pro-democracy lawmaker who said that if Carrie Lam had come out three months ago and said that it had been fully withdrawn,
then probably we would not have seen Hong Kong in the state it is now. We would not have seen these people coming out onto the street. Let's listen
to what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FERNANDO CHEUNG, HONG KONG PRO-DEMOCRACY LAWMAKER: Carrie Lam is three months late. If she had said that the Bill would be completely withdrawn
three months ago, things would have been settled. The whole time would not have been turned upside down. It is way too late, way too little for now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANCOCKS: I also spoke to a pro-Beijing lawmaker who was actually in the room with Carrie Lam when she told lawmakers that she was deciding to fully
withdraw this Bill and he said that just one of the five demands for the protesters is not enough anymore.
There has to be at least two of those five demands being accepted suggesting strongly that what had to happen was this independent
investigation of police activity. He also said there had to be an investigation into protester activity as well.
But this is really one of the things we're hearing from activists as well that they have moved on from just the Extradition Bill and they believe
that police have acted with excessive force in recent weeks. The police say that's simply not true. They have had excessive violence used against
them, and authorities are supporting that.
But there is more of a call for this this independent investigation. But certainly what we have seen over recent days and certainly over the
weekend, Julia is that these protesters are becoming more violent or at least a small element of the hardcore protesters are becoming more violent
and no one is expecting this to make too much difference to that. They are still expecting them to come out onto the streets.
CHATTERLEY: Yes, positions remain entrenched. Paula Hancocks from Hong Kong there. Thank you so much for that.
All right. Well, what we did see overnight, stocks in the Hong Kong rising almost four percent when rumors began to swirl that that Extradition Bill
would be withdrawn.
Now of course, it has been. It was the best showing for the Hang Seng so far this year. Other Asian markets also closing higher as you can see with
Chinese stocks rising for the third straight session and that is helping sentiment here in the United States, too.
On Wall Street, U.S. futures -- let's take a look at those. Solidly in the green after a rough start to the trading week. Yesterday, both the Dow and
the NASDAQ falling more than one percent amid concerns about the fresh round of U.S.-China tears and whether or not that then hurts corporate
profits and further impacts.
Consumer sentiment here. Remember what we were discussing yesterday with Kristina Hooper of Invesco? Consumers becoming increasingly worried about
the economic outlook. We found out yesterday as well that U.S. factory activity is now contracting too for the first time since early 2016. So
recessionary signals from that parts of the economy, certainly.
Meanwhile, European stocks higher; a relief rally perhaps in the light of that Brexit vote last night. Well, you can take your pick. The British
Pound bouncing from multi-year lows that were hit in Tuesday's session, too, as you can see firmly above that $.121 figure, approaching $1.22
versus the U.S. dollar.
All right, still to come on FIRST MOVE. Retribution. The British Prime Minister firing 21 of his own MPs after a crippling Brexit rebellion. We
will talk to one of them.
And Walmart steps away from some weapons. The retailer changes its policies after a series of mass shootings in the U.S. including one at a
Walmart store.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:23:06]
CHATTERLEY: Welcome back to the show. The British Prime Minister says the U.K. needs another election. Well, our next guest agrees that the people
of Britain should be allowed another vote, but he says the solution to the Brexit stalemate is not another general election, but another referendum.
Joining us now is Femi Oluwole. He is co-founder and Chief Spokesperson of the pro-E.U. advocacy group, Our Future Our Choice. Femi, great to have
you with us. What do you make of the decision yesterday by 21 MPs to abandon the British Prime Minister and try and rule out a no-deal exit
here?
FEMI OLUWOLE, CO-FOUNDER AND CHIEF SPOKESPERSON, OUR FUTURE, OUR CHOICE: Well, in terms of them personally, I'd say thank you because for once, you
can see politicians putting the country first above themselves and now no longer members of the Conservative Party thanks to their decision to avoid
a no-deal Brexit.
Now, there's the argument that people who voted for Brexit, so no-deal Brexit is just Brexit, it's not. There is -- it is a massively different
sort of Brexit. So the type of Brexit that was promised in 2016, where everybody said we'd have this amazing deal with the E.U., turning us into
the only country on Planet Earth that doesn't have a single trade deal with anyone within 2,000 miles is not what people voted for.
And in fact, in 2017, fifty four percent of voters in the U.K. voted for parties whose manifestos ruled it out. So it was absolutely right. The
MPs took a stand against it yesterday.
CHATTERLEY: The fact is though, Femi, 17.4 million people in the U.K. did vote to leave the E.U. How do we honor and respect their wishes here?
OLUWOLE: Well, ultimately, the problem is our current relationship with the E.U. is defined by two international treaties -- the Treaties of the
E.U. Now, if you leave the E.U., you're going to end up in a new relationship and we just spent the last three years negotiating a different
relationship and that that relationship is something that most people who voted for Brexit do not like, which proves that there are versions of the
thing that 17 million people voted for which those 17 million people do not like.
Now, if that's the case, and it is shown by all the polling and shown by even people that are protesting here today, the only option that we have is
a referendum between a deal which was negotiated and membership of the E.U.
[09:25:26]
CHATTERLEY: You know, it's interesting, there are a lot of people looking at this saying those people protesting behind you don't give a fair
reflection. London is a very different feel to what the rest of the U.K. is saying at this moment.
You represent younger people in the U.K., just 64 percent of 18 to 24 year olds voted in the referendum. If we went back and had a second one, would
more young people vote, do you think?
OLUWOLE: We've spent the past -- well, two years or so mobilizing young people across the country. They are furious with the methods being done to
their futures. They did not vote for this.
Of the people -- of the young people that voted, 73 percent voted to stay in the European Union. This goes against absolutely everything we stand
for.
It is a very -- it was driven by a narrative that was highly xenophobic. Our generation is more connected to the outside world than any generation
before us.
We play FIFA with people in Japan. We tweet American Presidents. We work in hotels in France. The idea that we would lock ourselves into the U.K.
goes against everything we stand for.
Right now, we have the automatic right, because we are E.U. citizens to live, work and love in 31 countries across Europe. Now, for that to go
away is exactly the opposite of what young people need.
CHATTERLEY: Femi, do you think the E.U. has been fair in this process? The Prime Minister called this Bill last night a Surrender Bill that the
U.K. has given up any leverage they had to get a better deal here. Do you think the E.U. has been fair? Because there are a lot of remainers now
that are angry with the E.U. for the treatment over the last three years? Do you think that's a fair assessment, too?
OLUWOLE: So the problem is, there's been this narrative that the E.U. is trying to punish us. And it forgets what the E.U. actually is. Let's say
the E.U. didn't exist, you'd have 20 different countries making their own regulations for products in their own different ways.
Now, anybody that wanted to sell stuff to all those 28 different countries would have to manufacture, market and package their product in 20 different
ways.
The benefit of being in the E.U. is that because we make laws together, it's a lot cheaper for businesses to sell. Now, if you want to get those
benefits, you have to abide by the rules. And so the fact that the E.U. hasn't allowed us to have those benefits without being bound by the rules,
which is literally impossible, that's been portrayed as the E.U. somehow punishing us for our own decision.
We are the ones choosing to do this. If we leave without a deal, we force the E.U. under international law to turn its tariffs against us because
that's what the World Trade Organization rules say.
The narrative that the E.U. is punishing us is just basically the admission that the Brexit plan has not worked out. This idea that we would dominate
the negotiations, that we're the fifth biggest economy in the world, that the E.U. would bow to us and give us everything we need. It is utter
rubbish.
Ultimately, the situation we're in is of the making of the politicians who put us in this position.
CHATTERLEY: I'll tell you what, you're a great advocate for young people needing to step up here and vote if they want a say. Femi, fantastic to
have you on and we'll get you back soon. Thank you so much. Femi Oluwole there. Great to talk to you. All right. We're back after this. Plenty
more to come.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:31:39]
CHATTERLEY: Welcome back to FIRST MOVE. I'm Julia Chatterley and we are here at the New York Stock Exchange where trading is now open for the
second session this week, and as anticipated, we are higher as you can see for the U.S. majors following Tuesday's pullback, almost taking back all of
yesterday's gains.
And so far, investors, I think believing perhaps that the threat to the no- deal Brexit is easing and the U.K. is trying to be removed at least by Parliament. We've got the Hong Kong government formally withdrawing its
contested Extradition Bill. Both developments here could be positive for global stocks and sentiment.
The S&P 500 begins today's session around four percent from its record highs, for all the volatility. That said, major Wall Street firms are
split over where U.S. stocks go from here.
JPMorgan Chase is saying now is the time to buy. Deutsche Bank believing Wall Street can rally some 11 percent here from current levels. On the
other hand, Morgan Stanley says they could see another five percent drop in stocks going forward -- it all depends on your time horizon, I think here.
Let's have a look at some of the individual movers in the session. Shares of Starbucks lower. The company reiterating its earnings guidance for 2019
today, but it did issue a weaker than expected outlook for 2020. Right now down some 2.6 percent.
Shares of truck making firm Navistar our higher right now, up some 6.3 percent. The company reporting strong Q3 results. It says demand for
trucks, buses and auto parts remains robust and the truck deliveries will come in stronger than expected this year.
Uber also outperforming in the session so far. Shares of both Uber and Lyft falling to record lows, however, in Tuesday's session. Investors are
becoming increasingly concerned about their ability to turn a profit at some point in the future. Right now bouncing a little bit there above
$31.00 a share.
Walmart, higher by seven tenths of one percent. The retail giant will stop selling handgun ammunition and short barrel rifle ammunition at its stores.
The announcement comes one month after the mass shooting at a Walmart store in El Paso, Texas that took the lives of 22 people.
Christine Romans joins us on the story. Christine, great to have you with us. Just explain what they won't be selling going forward and what they
will be selling forward because days after that shooting, it feels like this was a very strategic calculated decision here by Walmart. Talk us
through it.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Yes. And there's been a lot of pressure on this company because it occupies a unique
position in the gun violence debate. Right? It is the scene of a mass shooting, 48 people shot. Just a couple of days before, there had been a
shooting in a different Walmart. It is both the scene -- a crime scene for gun violence and also a large seller of ammunition and firearms.
So here is what is changing. The company is going to say, "No more open carry in its stores." One of the reasons is because after El Paso, believe
it or not, there were multiple incidents of people coming into Walmart's brandishing their weapon to see what would happen, to sort of test their
Second Amendment right and that caused all kinds of frightening and dangerous situation, so no more open carry in stores, even if it is legal.
There still is concealed carry with a permit, no more handgun ammunition sales and no more handgun sales in Alaska. That was the last place it was
still selling handguns. And so now it's exiting that business overall.
[09:35:06]
ROMANS: These are on top of some prior moves because as I said, this company has been under a lot of pressure. It is already is out of the AR-
15. Those long guns that sort of broken boys in America seem to prefer when they're going in into these sort of suicide missions inside soft
targets. It raised the age limit to 21. And it has a more stringent background check there.
There's something called a Red Light Background Check, and a Green Light Background Check, and without going into too many details, it has a little
bit of a stronger background check.
It's also asking the CEO, Doug McMillon is asking Congress to do more. He mentioned in his letter to Congress, he mentioned stronger background
checks. He mentions assault weapons ban. He is saying Congress has to do more.
It mirrors nearer something that I heard from the CEO of Goldman Sachs recently, who said, "Look, CEOs in America are terrified by what they're
seeing happening, a country that's tearing itself apart with gun violence. But Congress has to do something and start to set rules of the road."
CHATTERLEY: Yes, and they are echoing the majority of public opinion here that want to see stronger background checks or bats that the red flag rules
as well applied here. What is this going to cost Walmart? Let's bring it back to the numbers here. Do we have any sense because when I listened
into their earnings call in the last quarter, they said they're two percent of the firearms market, 20 percent of market share for ammunition here?
Is this going to net cost or net gain for them? Because I thought the share price actually in the last two days was interesting here.
ROMANS: I think so, too. I've been watching. The share price has been relatively stable here on this. Look, if you look at Dick's Sporting
Goods, for example, you know, one of its guns was used in a mass shooting and there was some soul searching there and they really toughened up their
requirements.
What will it mean for -- look, Walmart talks about how it is a deer hunting sportsman -- a culture that helped build -- I mean, Sam Walton was a hunter
years ago. Sam Walton would take his store managers out on hunting trips, so guns are part of this Walmart culture.
They still will sell rifles and deer hunting rifles. They'll still sell accessories, so they're not out of the gun business. They are just
limiting some ammunition for some types of guns, and I think that's important to note.
CHATTERLEY: Yes, strategic. Christine Romans, thank you so much for joining us on that story. All right, we're going to take a break, but up
next, insults flying as the British Prime Minister prepares to fight what he calls the Surrender Bill. We will bring you the very latest from
Westminster. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:40:34]
CHATTERLEY: Welcome back to the show. It's just after lunchtime in London, but the Prime Minister has already fought a war of words over
Brexit and is readying for more before the day is out.
Still to come, a vote on a bill to prevent a no-deal exit from the E.U. and if that passes, Boris Johnson has vowed to push for a general election.
And if today's PMQs was any indication, it will probably be a pretty ferocious fight.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHNSON: Mr. Speaker, I know he is worried about free trade deals with America, but there's only one chlorinated chicken that I can see in this
House and he is on that bench. Will he confirm again? Will he confirm? Will he confirm that he will let the people decide? Let the people decide
on what he is doing to this country's negotiating position by having a general election on October the 15th.
BERCOW: Jeremy Corbyn.
CORBYN: Well, maybe the Prime Minister could tell us what negotiating position actually is.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHATTERLEY: Our next guest says, it doesn't matter what the Prime Minister's negotiating position is. Because the Prime Minister is quote,
"hell bent on no deal." He is Ed Vaizey, one of the Conservative Party rebels fired by Boris Johnson last night. He backed remain in the
referendum, but supported Theresa May's Brexit deal. Fantastic to have you on the show, Ed. Thank you so much for joining us. How do you feel today
to begin with? Does it feel like a worthy sacrifice?
ED VAIZEY, BRITISH MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT, INDEPENDENT: Oh, yes, it definitely feels like a worthy sacrifice. I feel I did the right thing.
I've had thousands of e-mails from my constituents supporting me, so I feel I've represented them. I'm glad to be with the other 20 who have had the
whip taken away from them. I couldn't have looked myself in the mirror this morning if I still had the whip having voted with the government and
they had lost it, so I'm glad to be with them.
And I think whatever happens with Brexit, I feel I tried to do my bit to stop the catastrophic no-deal Brexit which no one voted for in the
referendum.
CHATTERLEY: You said that the Prime Minister is hell bent on a no deal option. Isn't there an argument to be made here that given the way that
Parliament has intervened, adjusted, voted over the last several months, they ruled out Theresa May's Brexit deal, perhaps this negotiating position
was the only way open to the Prime Minister, agree or disagree?
VAIZEY: I agree, I was wrong, potentially to say that Boris Johnson was hell bent on a no-deal Brexit. I think he does want to try and get a deal.
So I was prepared to give him the benefit of doubt. And in fact, subscribe to the way you've put the strategy, to force Parliament which has failed to
back an agreement, to stare into the abyss and say, "Back this agreement or we go off the cliff."
But what changed my mind was I think you can't do that on the one hand, and then prorogue and suspend Parliament and not allow MPs the chance to
debate, have a final say on whether we should go off the cliff in terms of a no deal.
And I also think, as I say that, threatening to suspend or taking away the whip from MPs who disagree with him, I thought was wrong. So that's what
made me vote against him last night. It was really because this was the last chance because of the way he had suspended Parliament for MPs to vote
on anything that would take no deal off the table.
CHATTERLEY: I mean, the Prime Minister said this is a Surrender Bill. We're basically handing over all control here to the E.U. to decide now
what they want to do with us and what terms they set. Would you agree with that, too?
VAIZEY: Disagree. That's complete nonsense. And to a certain extent, it characterizes what is so absolutely awful about this whole Brexit debate.
You've got a small cabal of Tory MPs, because we have a hung parliament that have managed to be the tail that wags the dog and they've come up with
this utterly absurd narrative that the countries with whom we've been partners for the last 45 years, friends and neighbors are somehow the
enemy, are somehow trying to do stuff to us. They're not. They're trying to preserve the European Union and get an exit for Britain which doesn't
damage the British economy unduly and it doesn't damage the European Union's economy.
But throughout the last two or three years, this terrible kind of absurd language from some sort of second rate B movie has been used to attack
Europe. They're not going to try and keep us in the European Union.
The idea that if this Bill passes, the European Union is to sit there and hold Britain prisoner is completely and utterly absurd. And I wish they
would stop it. I wish we could have a grown up conversation about the best way to leave the European Union.
[09:45:32]
CHATTERLEY: Ed, is it a general election here the next step? The right step? Given the chaos that we've seen over the last three years? And do
you believe that Boris Johnson can win the next election and is he the right person to lead the country after what we've seen over the last few
weeks?
VAIZEY: Agreed three times. So I think we're going to have to have an election. I want to pass this legislation to head off a no-deal Brexit,
but then I think Boris Johnson is right to seek an election. He needs a majority.
If Parliament won't pass a deal, we've got to get back to something that resembles a government. And I think he would thoroughly defeat Jeremy
Corbyn. He is a brilliant politician, and, frankly, a quantum leap above the previous Prime Minister in terms of his skills in that regard.
I don't have any personal problem with Boris Johnson. This is business. He might have punched me slightly harder than I was expecting to be punched
for my vote last night. But he has got a job to do and I've known him since I was 18 and I like him and I respect him.
So I think he can lead the country and although I don't think we will ever escape the Brexit morass that we have landed ourselves in in my lifetime,
there is an argument that once we leave the European Union, some semblance of normal politics might return. And actually, Boris Johnson is a
Cameroon. He is absolutely cut from the trunk as David Cameron. He is a center right, reasonable, liberal politician, when he is not banging on
about Brexit.
CHATTERLEY: Does Parliament have to wise up here and recognize that perhaps Theresa May's Brexit deal is the only way Brexit gets done, the
only way to honor the results of the referendum and perhaps the only way to try and unite the country going forward? We've kind of been there and
people didn't do -- Parliament didn't do the will of the people here.
VAIZEY: Agreed. And I think there are moves today to bring that bill back from the backbenchers, from the Labour backbenchers actually. The very,
very good chance that Labour MPs will back it, but the trouble with MPs is they're human and they have deep personal character flaws. I include
myself in that.
And there will be a lot of MPs, frankly, on the Conservative benches, who if the withdrawal agreement came back, will vote against it again. Because
they are now for some completely bizarre reason hell bent on a no-deal Brexit.
So it's like playing whack-a-mole. Suddenly, we've finally got Labour MPs to wake up particularly those who represent leave constituencies so they
can get on with their lives if they vote for Brexit because they could say to their constituencies they've delivered Brexit.
But when it comes back, we'll probably get many more Labour votes, and the same time, we'll get a lot of conservative votes against it now because
they've got into their heads that the only true Brexit is a no-deal Brexit, so it's completely chaotic.
CHATTERLEY: Maybe we'll look back and say the reason why Boris was hell bent on Brexit was to basically show that the only deal here was Theresa
May's deal. What a crazy period we've been through. Ed, we'll get you discuss this further. We have to leave it there. Ed Vaizey, great to have
you with us.
VAIZEY: Take care.
VAIZEY: Thank you so much. All right, coming up on FIRST MOVE, as Hurricane Dorian moves along the U.S. East Coast, we speak to the Red
Cross. They are giving shelter for many of the people forced to leave their homes behind. Stay with us. That's coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:51:06]
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.
CHATTERLEY: Welcome back to the show. Twenty critical patients have been evacuated from the Bahamas' Abaco Islands as rescue operations get underway
today.
Hurricane Dorian has devastated the islands killing at least seven people. The number of casualties though, could rise sharply according to the Prime
Minister.
Dorian is now a Category 2 storm and is brushing the U.S. East Coast as it makes its way north. Current forecasts show it staying in the Atlantic,
but there are fears it could make landfall in North or South Carolina.
Thousands of people on the coast of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina have had to leave their homes. The Red Cross has given shelter to more
than 10,000 of them.
I'm joined now by Anthony Tornetta from the Red Cross. He comes to us from Orlando, Florida.
Anthony, so much to share. Thank you so much for joining us on the show. I appreciate it. You're incredibly busy.
I want to talk about the Bahamas first and the devastation that we've seen there. Your initial assessment is that 99 percent of people are going to
need assistance. Just talk us through it.
ANTHONY TORNETTA, SPOKESPERSON, AMERICAN RED CROSS (via Skype): Yes, the visuals that we're seeing coming out of the Bahamas are intense and very
emotional. It's a tough time for the people that live on the islands.
The Bahama Red Cross had prepositioned hundreds of Red Cross shelters before the storm had a chance to make a landfall, and we also were able to
preposition emergency response assets to help with recovery efforts. This is going to be a total cooperation between Red Cross efforts and government
officials to make this possible.
But the Red Cross is committed to alleviate any human suffering. So we will be there with the people on the Bahama Island every step of the way.
CHATTERLEY: I mean, some of the estimates, I've seen that you've provided as many as 13,000 homes destroyed. We're talking half of all homes on the
two islands. I can't even imagine trying to tackle that kind of challenge for people at this stage. How do you go about it?
TORNETTA: Yes, that assessment is going to be an ongoing process. What I can tell you is that our job is to provide relief for those in need and
we'll do that as we move forward with this process.
But you know, we still have to focus on while that storm has crossed over the Bahamas, we still have three states here in the United States that are
in direct impact, and so we need to be prepared for that. And that's what we're doing.
Last night, we had about 141 shelters set up. We had more than 9,000 people staying in those shelters. The American Red Cross is standing by to
assist the people in the Bahamas. But we also are focusing on those that are in the direct path here in the States as well.
CHATTERLEY: I mean, 90 percent of your workforce is volunteers. What do you need from people at this moment? Because there will be people watching
going, "I want to help." How do they do that?
TORNETTA: Yes, so if you're sitting at home and you're watching this visit redcross.org. Think about how you can become a Red Cross volunteer, like
you said, 90 percent of our workforce are volunteers.
There are people that have left their homes and come to the storm impacted areas to help, and they've left their friends and family to come back --
but the unique thing about the Red Cross is that whether you're -- there's a Red Cross, the Bahamas Red Cross, or you have the Florida Red Cross or
wherever you are, we have volunteers that are willing to give generously all the time.
And really it's about people helping people and neighbors helping neighbor and we want to just be there and their darkest day.
CHATTERLEY: Anthony, what's your biggest challenge? Is it food? Is it shelter? Is it just basic things like communication at this stage?
TORNETTA: So it's going to be an evolving process. We're going to continue to see, for some it may be communications, for some it may be
seeking shelter, whether it be in Georgia, and South Carolina as that storm -- Dorian continue to come through.
So it's an evolving process, but we stand ready to support those efforts. I mean, this is something that we prepare for year-round. And like I said,
we're ready. We have more than 100 tractor trailers full of emergency supplies and the Red Cross just stands ready to alleviate the human
suffering that Hurricane Dorian is causing.
CHATTERLEY: Yes, our thoughts are with you. Anthony, thank you so much for the work you do. Anthony Tornetta from the Red Cross there. Thank you
so much for joining us.
[09:55:07]
CHATTERLEY: All right, as you heard from Anthony there, if you'd like to help the victims of Hurricane Dorian, you can also head to our website.
You can find a list of vetted charities and all sorts of ways to contribute. That's at cnn.com/impact, too. So we're there and available
and trying to help people.
All right, we're just about wrapping up the show here, but you need to stay with CNN because the U.K. Parliament will begin at debating a bill that
would look to block a no-deal Brexit as we've been discussing throughout the show.
That debate is just beginning over in the Houses of Parliament there in Westminster. We will be live from the College Green in London after this
short break to bring you all the details the moment they happen.
Here's a quick look as we head into break at markets. Right now we are higher by almost one percent for the NASDAQ. Can we hold on to those
gains? Well, we shall see. Volatility, I think continues to be the name of the game. Plenty more to come from CNN. But for now, that's it for the
show. I am Julia Chatterley, you've been watching FIRST MOVE, time to go make yours.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:00:00]
END