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New Day

Risk Ahead of Korea Meeting; Hawaii Facing New Danger; Cougar Attack in Washington State; Fashion Choices on Harry and Meghan's Big Day. Aired 8:30-9a ET

Aired May 21, 2018 - 08:30   ET

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

[08:30:00] DAVID SANGER, CNN POLITICAL AND NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: That threatens the United States the most. But if they're not quite on the same wavelength about what they're discussing, that can be problematic.

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: What about being too eager to get a deal, to have a Nixon in China moment? There are aides that have been warning about that and that Kim can sense that eagerness? I mean even if you look -- let's pull up the president's tweet this morning. If you look at this tweet, there's a lot to break down there. But he China must continue to be strong and tie down the border with North Korea until a deal is made. The word is that recently the border has become very much more porous and more have been filtering in. I want this to happen and North Korea to be very successful, but only after signing.

I mean he, again, sort of continuing this flattery campaign, I want Korea to be very successful if they make a deal. Is he too eager?

SANGER: A couple of things on that.

First of all, I think that Kim Jong-un has detected not only the eagerness but all this talk of a Nobel Peace Prize and all the way the South Koreans have been given all the credit for this, and much of it is deserved to President Trump for getting to this moment.

But that said, if Kim Jong-un goes into it knowing that the Chinese are easing up on the sanctions, as the president just said in his tweet, then that takes the pressure off of him to deliver much. And, remember, the Chinese aren't really looking for denuclearization. They're looking for a preservation of the status quo.

HARLOW: Right. It is important to always remember that China has a different goal in this if you look, you know, fully at it, than the United States does. And we need China in this, but everyone's coming at it from a different angle.

Before you go, let me just get you on this.

There are a lot of headlines this morning, even some conservative commentators, Lou Dobbs, saying that the U.S. and President Trump totally lost out on China on these trade negotiations. You've got Treasury Secretary Mnuchin saying the trade war is over for now, full stop, that the U.S. really hasn't gained anything from these negotiations. How do you see it?

SANGER: For now I don't think they've gained a thing. I mean the Chinese have said in concept that they will buy more American goods, but they have not said to what amount.

HARLOW: How much.

SANGER: They've not agreed to any target. The president seemed to take the pressure off of ZTE, the Chinese telecommunications maker last weekend with a tweet which mystified many because the problem with ZTE is not simply a trade problem but a national security problem, letting their phones and equipment into American networks.

So it's not at all clear that the president has been able to gain much. And, you know, this and the North Korea talks are directly related because he needs China on the North Korean talks.

HARLOW: Right. But this is a president who said China was, in his words, raping the United States economically.

SANGER: That's right. It's also the president who said last year, why would I put sanctions on China when they're being helpful on North Korea?

HARLOW: Yes. Yes.

SANGER: So, you know, I think he's learning over time, Poppy, that the negotiations that take place between great powers and even great powers and smaller powers are a lot more complex than what goes on when you're negotiating for a building or doing a business deal.

HARLOW: A lot.

SANGER: And there are a lot more players. There are a lot more equities. Not all of them are measurable in dollars. And he's having to get used to that.

HARLOW: All right, David Sanger, a fascinating report. Thanks for being here.

SANGER: Thanks to you.

HARLOW: Chris.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: All right, we're going to check in now with what's going on in Hawaii. The lava there has begun pouring into the Pacific. That creates a new problem that's potentially fatal. What is it? Next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:37:38] CUOMO: Time now for the "Five Things to Know for Your New Day."

President Trump tweeting that he will issue a demand today that the Justice Department investigate whether it or the FBI spied on his presidential campaign for political purposes.

HARLOW: Meantime, the president's personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, says Special Counsel Bob Mueller hopes to end his probe of the president by September 1st if the president agrees to sit down for an interview. Giuliani says waiting any longer risks influencing voters ahead of November's midterms.

CUOMO: In a few minutes, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is going to give his first major foreign policy address. He's expected to unveil the Trump administration's plan b on Iran, a new global framework to address all of Iran's threats, including its nuclear program.

HARLOW: Texans and all of America today remembering those eight students and two teachers who were murdered in the Santa Fe High School shooting on Friday. There is a statewide moment of silence a little bit later this morning. Meantime, an overflow crowd packed a Houston area Islamic center for the first funeral held for the exchange student Sabika Sheikh.

CUOMO: Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro easily won another six-year term as the country's leader Sunday. Many countries, including the U.S., call the election a sham and say they won't recognize the election's result.

HARLOW: For more on the "Five Things to Know," go to cnn.com/newday for the latest.

CUOMO: All right, residents on Hawaii's big island are facing a new danger this morning called laze. Lava pouring into the Pacific. Officials warning people to stay away because laze, lava and haze, that haze can be fatal.

CNN's Scott McLean live in Pahoa, Hawaii with more.

What do we know, my friend?

SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Chris, Poppy, good morning.

This really does look like hell on earth, in a place that is heaven for so many people who live here.

Let me show you where all of this lava is coming from. This is actually a collection of five different fissures that have opened up. But, of course, it looks like -- less like cracks in the ground, and much more like five out of control fire hydrants. You can see just how high that lava is shooting into the air.

Now, of course, it has to go somewhere. So it is finding these lava flows, these streams that in some places are quite fast moving that are going towards the ocean. And you can actually see it from our vantage point, the point where this lava bubbles up and reaches the ocean. And you can see that cloud there, that white cloud. It may look like steam, but it is actually, as you mentioned, something much more nefarious. Something called lava haze, or laze, and it is potentially deadly. It is a mixture of sulfuric acid, steam and these tiny glass particles. Breathing it in can be irritating at best or could potentially cause lung damage at worst.

[08:40:23] Now, the stream of lava is actually slowing down because geologists say that a brand new crack has opened up underneath that lava flow, which is diverting some of it. And they say that this has happened in the past and that lava that goes underground never actually reemerges.

Now, for people who live here, of course, many of them are still out of their homes because they simply cannot go back because of the fear of lava that continues to bubble up really rapidly and unexpectedly in some places. And if it's not the lava that forces people out, it may be the gas. Geologists say that sulfur dioxide levels in some areas have tripled in recent days.

CUOMO: All right, Scott, thank you very much. I appreciate it. And, you're right, that is one terrifying scene behind you right there.

HARLOW: All right, "SNL," you've -- did you stay awake? Can I tell them you fell asleep?

CUOMO: In truth, I fell asleep this time.

HARLOW: He did.

CUOMO: I watched some of it. I didn't make it.

HARLOW: Oh, man, I was asleep by like 8:00.

Anyways, "SNL" wrapping up its 43rd season by zinging the Trump team with star studded open in a nod to the final scene of "The Sopranos." Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALEC BALDWIN, ACTOR, "SNL" (playing Donald Trump): So, Rudy, did you go on Fox News last night?

KATE MCKINNON, ACTRESS, "SNL" (playing Rudy Giuliani): Yes, like 20 times. Yes. Don't worry, I told them that you were opening colluding with Russia, but then I ended with, so what!

BEN STILLER, ACTOR, "SNL" (playing Michael Cohen): They said I might get 20 years unless I give you up.

BALDWIN: I've heard jail's fun.

STILLER: Fun?

BALDWIN: Yes. It's like camp. Plus there's a free gym. Dude, you're going to get so jacked.

MCKINNON: They even have programs in jail where you can get a real law degree. Ha, ha, ha.

STILLER: Well, you can always come visit.

BALDWIN: I would, but, golf.

So where's Eric?

ALEX MOFFAT, ACTOR, "SNL" (playing Donald Trump Junior): He's still parallel parking outside.

STILLER: And, good news. You know that woman who's suing you for groping and defaming her? I found a guy who's willing to threaten her kids.

BALDWIN: Yes, that sounds great, Michael. Am I the only one that sees that guy?

MOFFAT: Dad, are you OK?

(MUSIC PLAYING): Don't stop believing. Hold on to the feeling. Streetlights people. Don't stop --

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARLOW: First of all, who can Kate McKennen not play and play well?

CUOMO: I know. She -- she is --

HARLOW: Remarkable.

CUOMO: She's really, really talented.

I really -- I'll tell you something else now in the full disclosure mode. I didn't even get the --

HARLOW: Don't tell us too much, OK.

CUOMO: I didn't get the De Niro thing playing Mueller. But here's why. De Niro is such an outspoken critic of Trump --

HARLOW: Exactly.

CUOMO: That I think Trump would be just as worried to see De Niro in a place --

HARLOW: In there.

CUOMO: As Mueller because I'm sure they've never asked him to play any role he jumped at, especially without a single word spoken that he's jumped at as quickly as that one.

HARLOW: He just has to stare. It was amazing.

CUOMO: Oh, boy, that was good.

All right, so, two cyclists viciously attacked by a cougar. The terrifying details from the one man who survived. This is a story you've got to hear, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [08:47:44] CUOMO: All right, so a cougar in Washington state attacked two cyclists, killed one, left the other seriously injured. Experts say an attack like this is extremely rare. Investigators are trying to figure out why did this happened.

CNN's Dave Briggs has more.

What do we know, my friend.

DAVE BRIGGS, CNN ANCHOR, "EARLY START": Good morning, Chris.

This is rare. Very rare indeed. Just the second fatal cougar attack in Washington state in the last century. Nationwide there have been fewer than 100 cougar attacks of any kind since 1890. This one, sadly, was deadly.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIGGS: A Saturday morning bike ride turned deadly after a cougar stocked and attacked two cyclists, killing one and injuring another. Authorities say the two friends were biking in Washington state's Cascade Mountains when they noticed the cougar pursuing them.

CAPT. ALAN MYERS, WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE: They stopped. They did the right thing. Made a lot of noise. One person was reported to even have swung their bike at the animal and scared it off for a period of time.

BRIGGS: But as the two scrambled to catch their breath, the cougar returned, pouncing on 31-year-old Isaac Sederbaum, clamping down on his head and shaking him violently.

MYERS: That victim reported that his whole head was inside the jaws of this cougar.

BRIGGS: Officials say Sederbaum was able to get loose after the cougar began chasing his friend, 32-year-old S.J. Brooks, who had taken off running. Sederbaum says he saw the cougar dragging Brooks into the woods as he escaped and called for help.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right here's where the victim was dragged off the road and devoured by the mountain lion.

BRIGGS: By the time help arrived, it was too late. Police found the cougar standing over Brooks' body. Wildlife officials later euthanized the 100 pound male cougar, noting that it's extremely rare for cougars to attack humans. A local resident captured this video of a cougar in the area just three weeks earlier, but officials cannot say if this is the same cougar who attacked the two cyclists.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Realize that, wow, there's things out here that are very powerful and this is their space.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRIGGS: Now, as for what provoked that attack, the animal has been sent to Washington State University for testing. But a fish and wildlife officials said this cougar was acting abnormally and was emaciated perhaps as much as 50 pounds under weight. So perhaps was just starving and looking for anything. You are supposed to stare a cougar in the eyes, not flee, or they will chase after you if you ever do get into an encounter.

[08:50:05] HARLOW: Yes.

CUOMO: Sounds like these two did everything they could.

BRIGGS: Yes, they did it the right way. They hit the cougar. You are supposed to fight back.

CUOMO: Dave, thank you very much.

BRIGGS: You bet.

HARLOW: Thank you.

CUOMO: Appreciate it.

HARLOW: All right, the royal wedding buzz still very much buzzing. So many sweet moments and, wow, Meghan's dresses. We'll break it down with "Vogue" style editor, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARLOW: Brand new royal Meghan Markle drew a lot of praise after her highly anticipated wedding dress -- dresses reveal, I should say. The bride wore two stunning gowns on her big day, both by British female designers. And the guests went all out for the occasion with bold fashion choices at the wedding event of the year.

Joining us now "Vogue" style editor Edward Barsamian.

I was waiting for this moment all morning. Such good news, such a beautiful day, such a beautiful bride. Let's start with the main dress. Givenchy contour.

EDWARD BARSAMIAN, STYLE EDITOR, "VOGUE": Correct. And this was the first under the house's first female artistic director, Clare Waight Keller. What was really cool about this piece was she's British. And the dress itself incorporated all 53 commonwealths through the veil.

But, exactly, you see that image right there. What was really cool about Meghan's dress was that it was simple, yet splendid. It had that regal polish --

[08:55:04] HARLOW: Yes.

BARSAMIAN: And it just -- it anointed her as the duchess of Sussex in that moment.

HARLOW: Such an important, though, sort of subtlety to it is the fact that this is the first woman to head the house of Givenchy as the artistic director. And Meghan has done so much for women's empowerment, walking down the aisle partway by herself, such a moment for feminism. It all ties together.

BARSAMIAN: Correct. And it's something that we've kind of seen her choose throughout the wedding. You know, the baker also was female.

HARLOW: Ah.

BARSAMIAN: It was very cool to see her really embrace kind of girl power, for lack of a better term.

HARLOW: There you go.

BARSAMIAN: You know, Victoria Beckham being at the wedding as well.

HARLOW: Yes.

BARSAMIAN: But what was most compelling, at least to me, about this dress was, again, you saw this refinement to it. I mean Kate's Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen dress was really that big, regal moment. This was also royal but through a very, again, refined, restrained way.

HARLOW: And then Stella McCartney designing the party dress. This beautiful white halter, sort of old Hollywood. You saw a little Diana in it?

BARSAMIAN: It's incredible. Yes, it's what -- when I first saw it, what it reminded me of were those old school Princess Diana in Versace vibes.

HARLOW: Yes.

BARSAMIAN: With a hint of Grace Kelly in "To Catch a Thief." I mean you have Harry in the tuxedo, they're going out to a sports car. She's got that giant aquamarine --

HARLOW: By the way, this Jaguar that is like retrofit to be electric --

BARSAMIAN: Yes.

HARLOW: And the rings were Diana's?

BARSAMIAN: The ring was Diana's. And what I thought was really cool was the fact that it was aquamarine and it kind of matched the light blue car.

HARLOW: The car.

BARSAMIAN: And she had light blue soles on her shoes as well for that after party.

HARLOW: Look at that. Oh, look at that. Wonderful. You know, you see Diana, the people's princess, and you think a lot about what Meghan is going to do for, you know, and just revitalizing the, you know, the monarchy. BARSAMIAN: Completely. And I think what we saw on Saturday was really

that -- that ushering in of the new type of monarchy, one that's both approachable and modern and just really embracing a new sense of tradition.

HARLOW: All right, let's talk about the fashion of the guests in attendance.

BARSAMIAN: Yes.

HARLOW: My favorite -- it was sort of a tie between Amal Clooney, love the yellow, Oprah's hat, a vintage -- sort of vintage (INAUDIBLE) 2005 Philip Treacy. And the guests were there to make headlines. They certainly made headlines.

Here's a headline in "The Guardian" that stood out to me. A diverse crowd and darning contour replaces the usual pale faces in polite florals.

BARSAMIAN: I think you had a blending of all worlds. That is what was again most notable about the union and about this kind of global event. You had to figure like an Amal Clooney, wearing a custom Stela McCartney piece really bridging again Meghan's world of, you know, championing human rights, especially female empowerment, and that kind of Hollywood nod. She was wearing custom Stella, as was Oprah. And it was really, again, it was nice to see that marriage between all of these worlds come together.

HARLOW: Fun fact story. Oprah said apparently her first dress photographed as white.

BARSAMIAN: And it -- and it had to be remade within 24 hours so it was more of a blush tone so that, again, it wouldn't take away too much.

HARLOW: Wow.

The tiara. I loved it. And this was brought to her by the queen, right?

BARSAMIAN: Yes.

HARLOW: And a whole selection that she could choose from.

BARSAMIAN: It was on loan from her majesty. The actual tiara is The Order of Splendor, and it was made for Queen Mary. And what was really cool was how it was kind of done into her very softly parted hair. Hair was done by (INAUDIBLE) on the recommendation of Amal Clooney. So there's that tie again.

HARLOW: Yes.

BARSAMIAN: But it was absolutely flawless. I mean for a tiara that grand to be offset by such a, again, simplistic dress, it was such a perfect pairing. It was great.

HARLOW: What -- you know, we spend so much time talking about the fashion and it's a lot of fun and it's very important, especially all the women that were used from the cake on down you said to the fashion, et cetera. What struck you most watching the entire day?

BARSAMIAN: I think with this wedding it was more cinematic. With Kate and Williams' wedding, it definitely had that regal pomp and circumstance. Not -- again, not that this didn't, but this felt more cinematic. You had a much more dramatic arrival. Her mother looked absolutely wonderful in Oscar De La Renta.

HARLOW: Didn't she. I thought so, too.

BARSAMIAN: It was this mint color. So appropriate. So refined. And, again, she was one of the, I feel like, stars of the day, as well.

But, again, it was so much more cinematic.

HARLOW: Yes. If I left the ceremony with one word I think it would be inclusivity is what I left feeling. How about you?

BARSAMIAN: Same. I was watching it with a friend writing everything up as it was happening in real time and it was -- it was fun because, again, it was, as you said, it was truly an inclusive moment globally. I think all of us kind of had that look on our face of just wonderment and awe that this was our new royal family.

HARLOW: Thank you so much for being with us.

BARSAMIAN: Thank you so much for having me.

HARLOW: Great to have you.

Thank you all for joining us this morning.

Time for CNN "NEWSROOM" with John Berman right now.

[09:00:07] JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, good morning, everyone. John Berman here.