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Police Watchdog Testifies on Planning Lapses Before Riot; Tony Blair is interviewed about Afghanistan and COVID; Clashes Escalate in Israel; Muck Reveals Asperger's; Stormy Week Ahead for Southern U.S. Aired 6:30-7a ET

Aired May 10, 2021 - 06:30   ET

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

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[06:30:15]

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: Later today, Capitol Police Inspector General Michael Bolton will testify before House lawmakers about critical lapses in communications and intelligence related to the insurrection.

CNN's Whitney Wild is with us now with a preview.

What are you expecting today, Whitney?

WHITNEY WILD, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're expecting him to outline problems that he found with their threat assessment. And this is critical because threats have more than doubled in the last year. So having a robust threat assessment operation at Capitol Police is really critical.

So what -- what he found was that their operation at present is just not adequate. He found that there were several deficiencies, such as outdated or vague guidance. The agency wasn't tracking officer contacts, which made it difficult to develop a pattern among people who officers might have been contacting, who might intend to do harm, among the other things that he found was that there was a lack of a counter surveillance entity on its own. And he thinks that's important because it will help streamline the information flow.

And then finally, again, he found that there were simply insufficient resources to manage this overwhelming number of threats that the Capitol Police has to manage.

Capitol Police, for their part, says they would love to do all of these recommendations that Bolton is recommending. However, they say they need the money to do it. House Democrats are prepared to move a bill that would supplement the funding for Capitol security, but we don't know where it's going to go yet, Brianna.

KEILAR: All right, we'll be watching. We'll be waiting to hear what the inspector general says today as well.

Whitney Wild, thank you so much. The death toll rising overnight in the horrific attack on school girls in Afghanistan. Is this the type of violence that we should expect to see as the U.S. withdraws troops? I'll ask Tony Blair, the former prime minister of the U.K., next.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Plus, violence escalating overnight between Israeli police and Palestinian protesters. We have a live report from Jerusalem, next.

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[06:36:05]

KEILAR: They were young girls going to school in their neighborhood. Most were about to head home after finishing their studies for the day. And right some of their parents are still looking for their daughters. Others are burying them after a bomber targeted their school in Afghanistan.

The horrific attack claiming the lives of at least 85 people, most of them school girls. Nearly 150 others injured. Two more bombs exploded when students rushed out in a panic after the first.

These images of tattered backpacks and pink and purple notebooks filled with holes from the blast, books splattered with blood. Parents and families are picking through what's left here while others in shock just try to convey their grief.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): She was 15 years old and was studying in class eight. She was very intelligent and didn't miss a single day of school. Yesterday her mother told her not go to school but she said, no, I will go today but I will not go tomorrow. She told the truth, and we buried her here today.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Now, this attack comes as fears grow of the country being on the verge of unraveling as the U.S. continues its exist from the war zone.

Joining us now is the former prime minister of Great Britain, Tony Blair.

Mr. Blair, thank you so much for being with us here today to talk about Afghanistan and also about coronavirus.

TONY BLAIR, FORMER PRIME MINISTER OF GREAT BRITAIN: Thank you.

KEILAR: First off, on this topic, on Afghanistan, do you agree with the U.S. decision to fully withdraw? And is this what we should, do you think, come to expect more of with the withdrawal?

BLAIR: Look, I understand the reasoning behind it and, you know, the public in America, the public back in the U.K. is -- is -- is impatient to see forces brought home and for our engagement in Afghanistan to end. I completely understand it. I accept it. But, of course, there will be anxiety because the nature of the Taliban hasn't changed. You see that from the horrific attacks in Kabul on schoolchildren.

And remember when the -- when the Taliban were last in power, there were roughly just under a million children in school. The vast majority were boys. There's now 9 million children in school, almost half of them girls. You know, it's -- it's going go to be a very, very challenging time.

So I completely understand why the president has taken this decision. But I hope that the continued engagement in helping the Afghan forces, which America -- the commitment America has made and NATO has made is still able to give the Afghan security services and the government at least some of the support they need.

KEILAR: I want to turn to the COVID pandemic because you and your institute are very focused on this. You have launched what's really a fascinating new effort with British scientists to tackle this issue of mutating coronavirus variants. I know that we have this feeling being vaccinated that, phew (ph), we're so glad this is over. But not so fast, right? What are you worried that we're missing here?

BLAIR: Yes, so the issue really -- I mean vaccinations are proceeding at pace in the U.S. and the U.K. and that's good news. But the danger is that you end up with new variants of COVID emerging against which the vaccines that we have at present are either less effective or you could get a variant against which they're not effective. And so what we're suggesting is a new way of tracking the variants that are arising in the world through this genomic surveillance, gathering the information together in a much more coordinated way using technology to assess it so that you're able to track these variants and deal with them much faster.

And, at the moment, we're probably only tracking roughly a tenth of the variants that we really need to.

[06:40:04]

So, you know, the risk for us in the U.S. and U.K. is, even if we get on top of the virus ourselves and our vaccines are working, that you get these new variants emerging in different parts of the world -- and you just look at what's happening in India now -- and then they will come back into our own country.

So I think this is urgent. It's a -- it's a very simple solution that we're presenting because it is possible, though technology, through cloud based technology, to absorb the information, assess it, and therefore have our scientists with a much faster handle on the new variants that are emerging and how we deal with them.

KEILAR: It's like a -- sort of a global database, right, that folks -- scientists can access all around the globe.

And to this point, you're also concerned with vaccine hesitancy, specifically with these adenovirus vaccines that were paused amid some very limited clotting concerns.

How do you see vaccine hesitancy affecting the pandemic?

BLAIR: So it's really important (INAUDIBLE). And one of the things I'm urging the U.K. government to do, because we're one of the very few countries in the world that it's scale is using both Pfizer, which is an mRNA vaccine, and AstraZeneca, which is an adenovirus vaccine, and, therefore, we have the data in the U.K. that can give a very clear comparison.

And I think it's important to do that because all the evidence that we are -- we are getting so far is that the adenovirus vaccines are, in fact, extremely effective. Now, we know there's an issue to do with blood clotting, but if you look at the amount of it compared with the blood clotting that COVID causes and the overall impact of the vaccines, it's absolutely clear that AstraZeneca's a good vaccine, we should be using it. Johnson & Johnson is almost another adenovirus vaccine. And it's -- these are the vaccines, by the way, that because of their cost and the easiness of administering them will be the workhorse vaccines for the developing world.

So what we're finding, because my institute works with many countries in the developing world, particularly in Africa, is you've got African countries hesitating in using these vaccines even though they're not going to get different vaccines, and these vaccines will have a hugely beneficial impact on their population. So it's really important we deal with this vaccine hesitancy.

By the way, if you look at the latest figures out of Israel, which has used the Pfizer vaccine, I mean the impact of vaccination is remarkable. I mean Israel is now back virtually to normal ad transmission levels are very, very low. The majority of the population's vaccinated. And that is the passport back to normality.

So it's so important, this, that we overcome the vaccine hesitancy and get people to look at this in a rational way.

KEILAR: You know, it isn't enough, as you say, that you just clear up the situation in your own country. And we have seen populous leaders across the globe, particularly in India and Brazil, who have fared worse in their COVID responses, the worst, you could say.

What do you think about what you're seeing about the inner play of this political style and public health?

BLAIR: Yes, well, the thing about COVID is, I mean the facts are the facts. You know, is it the bubonic plague? No. But is it season flu? No. It's more -- much more serious.

And, by the way, the more we study -- my institute will produce a study on this soon around long COVID, in other words, those are people who recover from COVID but carry on with symptoms often for several months. You realize this is a disease you don't want.

Now, we're improving all the time in the treatment of the disease and, of course, the vaccines are immensely important. But you've just got to look at the evidence. I mean the important thing is to base your policy on evidence. And the evidence is that, unchecked, this disease does immense harm. And so it's important we get on top of it and it's important we do that. Of course, I want lockdown to end as swiftly as possible. I mean like everyone else, it's -- it's -- this is the first time I've ever seen an issue in all my time in public life, which affects everybody, right? Everybody's affected around the world with this. But, you know, the only way of getting on top of it is to study and analyze the evidence.

And then the other dimension that's really important is to get countries working together around the world because virus anywhere is eventually virus everywhere. So it's important that we realize that, for example, the country's producing a lot of vaccine will have spare vaccine. We need to get that to the developing world because, in the end, you know, it's in our own interest that these countries also get on top of the disease.

[06:45:04]

KEILAR: Sir, it is a tall order that you are working on, but we wish you a lot of luck in trying to map out and get rid of these variants. Former Prime Minister Tony Blair, thanks for being with us this morning.

BLAIR: Thank you so much, Brianna. Thank you.

BERMAN: Violent clashes escalating overnight between Israeli police and Palestinian protesters in Jerusalem. The police have ordered a temporary halt to Jews visiting the Temple Mount. That's a site considered sacred by both Jews and Muslims.

CNN's Hadas Gold is live in Jerusalem.

There's a lot going on here, Hadas. Why don't you give us the latest?

HADAS GOLD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John, a lot going on. More than 300 Palestinians have been injured in the last few hours according to the Palestinian Red Crescent during clashes -- violent clashes with Israeli police at the Al-Aqsa (ph) compound. It's the third straight day of violence we're seeing at Jerusalem's holiest site where tensions here are just absolutely boiling. We're seeing multiple video clips of stun grenades fired by police into the Al-Aqsa Mosque. We're also seeing videos of Palestinians throwing rocks at police outside.

And tensions have been mounting here for weeks, but the latest flashpoint has been focused on the possible eviction of several Palestinian families, some of whom have been living there for generations in a neighborhood called Sheikh Jarrah in east Jerusalem.

Now, a supreme court hearing on those possible evictions that was supposed to take place today has now been postponed. But officials are still incredibly concerned about what today could bring because it happens to be also Jerusalem Day. This is the day when Israel marks when it took control of the western wall in the old city of Jerusalem. And in a few hours we're expecting a march of tens of thousands of Israelis through the old city, including parts of the Muslim parts of the old city. Many concerned about tensions that that march could bring.

Now, as you noted, the police have shut down access to the Temple Mount, also known as Haram esh-Sharif, or the Noble Sanctuary to Jews, probably as part of a (INAUDIBLE) seem to calm tensions here and whatever. That doesn't seem to be working because things are incredibly tense right now. There is a growing, growing concern about what the next few hours could bring here, John.

BERMAN: And all of this is happening during a week of political uncertainty in Israel as well. After four elections, Hadas, what are the chances that there could be a different government in power by the end of the week? In other words, not Benjamin Netanyahu?

GOLD: Yes, well, Yair Lapid, the leader of the Centrist Party, was -- was given the mandate to try and form the next government. He is in talks with the leader of a small right wing party to try and form the coalition government. And sources close to the negotiations tell me that they are optimistic they will be able to form a non-Netanyahu-led government within the next week or two.

But without question, despite those political negotiations going on, the tensions and the violence happening in Jerusalem right now are overshadowing that political process right now, John.

BERMAN: Hadas Gold, please keep us posted. Stay safe. Thank you for being there.

Wisconsin Republican Senator Ron Johnson spreading anti-vaccine misinformation. We will tell you what he's saying and why it is so egregiously wrong in a fact check, next.

KEILAR: Billionaire Elon Musk reveals he has Asperger's.

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[06:52:09]

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ELON MUSK, CEO, TESLA: I'm actually making history now as the first person with Asperger's to host "SNL," or at least the first to admit it.

So I'll make a lot of eye contact with the cast tonight. But don't worry, I'm pretty good at running human in immolation mode.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: Elon Musk revealing that he has Asperger's syndrome while hosting "Saturday Night Live" this weekend. He may have be wrong, by the way. Dan Aykroyd, who hosted and starred in the cast, has said he had Asperger's as well.

But, nevertheless, Elizabeth Cohen joins us now.

It was interesting to hear Elon Musk talking about that. ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: It is interesting

to hear him talk about that. And he's not the first well-known person who's talked about having Asperger's. You mentioned Dan Aykroyd, actor Anthony Hopkins has also mentioned it. And Mr. Musk said something very interesting as he continued in that monologue. He said, I know I say strange things sometimes, but I'm the guy who reinvented the electric car, I'm sending people to Mars. Did you really think that I would be a normal chill dude. He used the word "normal." Did you really think I would be normal.

And it is interesting, John, there is some research, excuse me, there is some research that shows that people with Asperger's look at the world in a somewhat different way, and that could mean superior, creative talents.

John.

BERMAN: Yes, who's to say what's normal at this point anyway.

COHEN: Right.

BERMAN: Elizabeth Cohen, we could all use some creativity. Thanks so much for being with us.

Breaking overnight, a bird strike forces a Delta flight bound for Washington, D.C., to make an emergency landing. We have the latest.

Plus, do you still need to wear masks indoors with other vaccinated people after getting a vaccine yourself? New guidance might be on the way.

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[06:58:06]

KEILAR: It's shaping up as another stormy week for the southern U.S. So let bring in meteorologist Chad Myers.

OK, what are we expecting here? That does not look so good.

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: You know, more rain, Brianna, in places that just don't need more. Even right now, lightning across the Gulf Coast southeast of New Orleans, all the way toward Biloxi and more in the potential of some damaging winds and also some hail today, although the minor two out of five, not the four out of five category that sometimes we talk about.

And there will be some snow around Denver. I know. I looked at the calendar.

There's the rain, though, for later on this afternoon into tomorrow across the Gulf Coast. Could be three to four inches in some spots. That could make some nuisance flooding, not really flash flooding, but certainly it could happen.

There you go. That's Friday. It's long gone. Temperatures, though, across the southeast and the northeast are going to be held down by this rainfall. An awful lot of it. Everywhere that you see yellow, that's 2 inches of rain or more. Even Atlanta, a high of only 60. And that's way below normal.

But for you, Philadelphia, Boston, D.C., the best week you've seen in a very long time. You can't get closer to average than this. And we'll take it.

The next day -- the next hour of NEW DAY continues right now.

BERMAN: I'm John Berman, alongside Brianna Keilar, on this NEW DAY.

A bird strike forcing a passenger plane to turn around minutes after takeoff.

KEILAR: And nine mass shootings in America over the weekend, including one at a birthday party.

BERMAN: The clearer sign yet that House Republicans are planning to kick Liz Cheney out of leadership in the coming days.

KEILAR: And Michelle Obama reveals her biggest fear when her daughters get behind the wheel.

[07:00:00]

BERMAN: Welcome to our viewers in the United States and all around the world. It is Monday, May 10th.

New overnight, a Delta Air Lines flight forced to return to Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.