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EARLY START

Florida Recounts Might Miss Deadlines; Wintry Storm Sweeps East Coast. Aired 5-5:30a ET

Aired November 15, 2018 - 05:00   ET

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


[05:00:00]

DAVE BRIGGS, CNN HOST: Today in Florida, which major county could miss the deadline of what it means for some major races?

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN HOST: And get ready for an ugly day of commuting on the east coast. A mix of floods, ice, even snow all the way down south up to New England. Good morning everyone and welcome to EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans.

BRIGGS: Good morning, I'm Dave Briggs. Thursday, November 15th, 5:00 AM in the east. Yes, those mid terms we thought they were over...

ROMANS: They're not.

BRIGGS: Tuesday night, more than eight days later we're still ongoing. We start, though, at the White House. The President, well, he's pissed at damn near everyone - those are the words of one White House official describing President Trump after a series of setbacks in the Election night drubbing (ph).

And fighting among aides and the first lady's public demand to fire a National Security official, aides tell CNN the President is isolated and getting angrier by the hour.

ROMANS: A week after declaring victory in the mid terms the President's friends tell us he is bitter about Election losses, worried about the intensifying Mueller investigation. He is now openly musing about replacing more top aides and the first one to go is that National Security official Melania Trump wanted gone.

Mira Ricardel is out of the White House, but not the administration. CNN's Jeff Zeleny explains.

JEFF ZELENY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Christine and Dave, all that talk of the White House staff shake up is actually leading to one departure. You'll remember that story of the Deputy National Security advisor just a couple days ago in the cross hairs of First Lady Melania Trump.

Well the President finally making a decision to remove her from her position here at the White House. The President has decided to move her to another part of the Administration, but will indeed be leaving the National Security council and the White House.

Now important to point out she was the top ranking Deputy to John Bolton, the National Security advisor who had her full support and she indeed was a key part of his team here at the White House. So this is a big departure but certainly one, even though it took the White House about 24 hours or so to acknowledge she was going to leave, it was almost unthinkable that anything would happen because that would be the President essentially ignoring the wishes of the First Lady.

Many people are wondering by the First Lady didn't tell the President privately. Well sources here are saying that she had done that and there was no action taken so that is why she called for the public firing of her, but in any case there is no sense that this will be the last shake up.

In fact, the President saying that he will make a decision soon on the Homeland Security secretary. The key advisor we're looking for, White House Chief of Staff, John Kelly, will he leave as well?

Those questions and anticipation is certainly swirling out there but it is one sign the President is going to make good on his pledge to have a new team around him, at least in some respects as he heads into the second two years of his first term in office, Dave and Christine.

BRIGGS: Jeff Zeleny at the White House. Retiring Republican Senator Jeff Flake threatening to do what he can do to block Trump's judicial nominee's unless bipartisan legislation protecting special council Robert Mueller receives a floor vote.

Flake's threat not to vote for Trump's nominees came after Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell blocked the floor vote on the special council bill Flake and Democratic Senator Christ Coons are pushing.

ROMANS: Flake and a handful of other Republican Senators say the legislation is necessary after the President fired Jeff Session's and named Matt Whitaker as acting Attorney General. Whitaker has been openly critical of the Mueller probe.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEFF FLAKE, (R) ARIZONA SENATOR: With the firing of the Attorney General and in my view, the improper installation of an acting Attorney General who has not been subject to confirmation by this body. The President now has this investigation in his sights and we all know it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: McConnell and other Senate Republican's say the measure is not needed because the President is not about to fire Mueller.

BRIGGS: Democrats gaining two more seats in the House of Representatives. Those (ph) races in California and New Jersey are called and that brings Democrat's total net pick ups in the House to 32 with still eight races to be called. Democrats now poised to hold at least 227 seats in the new Congress.

In the meantime, a new wrinkle in Nancy Pelosi's bid to regain the House Speaker's gavel. 17 House Democrats have now signed a letter saying they will not vote for her on the House floor.

ROMANS: Five additional Democrats are pledging not to support Pelosi although they haven't yet signed the letter. If they all stick to their word, she may not have the votes to become speaker but Pelosi and her allies are confident saying she will call the critics bluff.

So far no House Democrat has actually stepped forward to run against her but Ohio representatives, Marcia Fudge and Tim Ryan, both tell CNN they are not ruling out a bid.

BRIGGS: President Trump announcing his support for a bipartisan prison reform bill. Yes, something bipartisan in D.C. It's called the First Step Act. The legislation, in part, shortens mandatory minimums for firearm offenses, eliminates the so called stacking provisions that result in lengthy consecutive sentences and reduces the number of nonviolent drug offenders serving mandatory minimum sentences.

[05:05:00]

BRIGGS: Consecutive sentences and reduces the number of nonviolent drug offenders serving mandatory minimum sentences.

(BEING VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're all better off when former inmates can receive and reenter society as law abiding, productive citizens and thanks to our booming economy they now have a chance at more opportunities than they're ever had before.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: The reform is a key focus for the President's son in law and senior advisor Jared Kushner. The President's support firmed up after White House officials showed there's growing support for the bill across the political spectrum and among law enforcement.

Senate leaders say they will bring the measure to a floor vote if there are 60 votes in favor. The White House say's it is optimistic.

BRIGGS: The death toll in California now stands at 58 as catastrophic wildfires ravage the stage. At this hour 56 people known to have died in the Camp Fire in northern California, making it by far the deadliest wildfire in state history.

130 people still unaccounted for. More than 10,000 structures destroyed, most of them homes.

ROMANS: The Camp Fire now estimated to have burned 138,000 acres. It is 35 percent contained. Our Dan Simon traveled with the National Guard going from house to house looking for victims.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVE COLLINS, BUTTE COUNTY SHERIFF SERGEANT: Everybody that's involved here has an emotional connection to this. A lot of the people that are from this community have directly been impacted by either losing their home or know somebody that lost their home. They are housing people that lost their homes. It's - this hit hard.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRIGGS: Utility Company PG&E could be in deep financial trouble if it's found liable for the Camp Fire. Utility disclosed Tuesday it experienced an outage just 15 minutes before the Camp Fire started.

In the face of tragedy, though, people are stepping up. A California couple took in a 93 year old veteran after he fled the fire in Paradise. The volunteer organization North Valley Animal Disaster Group working to relocate and shelter animals like these horses.

ROMANS: Donations of food, clothes, blankets are piling up in this parking lot in Chico, California. Some donations even brought in by sea. One man filled his 150 foot yacht with supplies, which were brought to shore by volunteers to be delivered where they are needed.

BRIGGS: Very cool.

ROMANS: In the meantime, firefighters in southern California gaining the upper hand on the Woolsey Fire. That blaze now 52 percent contained, at least two people died in that fire.

At the U.S. Postal Service, net loss more than tripled in 2018 even as package deliveries rose. The U.S. Postal Service lost nearly $4 billion this year. That's up from a loss of 1.2 billion in 2017. The Postal Service reported shipping and package sales rose 10 percent.

This is one of those things that irritates the President -- gives the President a reason to blame Amazon. Remember the President has repeatedly attacked Amazon for not paying the U.S. Postal Service enough.

In March, President Trump tweeted it's reported that the U.S. Post Office will lose $1.50 on average for each package it delivers for Amazon. He continued then accusing Amazon of scamming the Postal Service saying the Post Office must stop, Amazon must pay real cost and taxes now.

It's reported the U.S. Postal Service will nearly double the number of packages delivered for Amazon from 1.1 billion in 2018 to 1.9 billion by the year 2023.

Reuters reports rising pay and benefits and higher transport cost like gas prices is what's hurting the Postal Service this year.

BRIGGS: All right, ahead get ready to get soaked. Rain, ice, and snow all along the east coast, your full forecast next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [05:10:00]

ROMANS: Thirteen minutes past the hour. President Trump, with zero evidence, claims some people in Florida are voting twice. In an interview with the conservative "Daily Caller" the president said this. "When people get in line that have absolutely no right to vote and they go around in circles. Sometimes they go to their car, put on a different hat, put on a different shirt, come in and vote again."

There is no proof of that and no challenge from the "Daily Caller." Really the problem in America is not enough people vote once, it's not people voting twice.

BRIGGS: I'm sorry, I don't mean to laugh, but that's hilarious. The president also doubled-down on you needing voter I.D. to buy cereal. That was not challenged by the "Daily Caller." He also said thousands of people were bused in from Massachusetts to vote in New Hampshire. That is not true, that was not challenged by the "Daily Caller." Bravo.

Moving on now, meantime, Florida governor, Rick Scott, announcing he will recuse himself from certifying the election, in which he is the Republican Senate candidate. Scott was even in D.C. yesterday getting introduced as the new senator.

In unofficial results, before the recount began, Scott led Democratic opponent, Bill Nelson, by fewer than 13,000 votes. Still looks like an insurmountable lead. The official results are due today, but one big county may not make it. Here's Jessica Dean in Lauderdale, Florida.

JESSICA DEAN, CNN CORRRESPONDENT: Good morning Dave and Christine. We have made it Thursday. This is the day that so many eyes have been on because this is the deadline, 3:00 pm today when all counties across Florida are supposed to have their recount tallies into the Secretary of State's office.

Here in Broward County they say they are on track to get that completed without any issues, that they will have those new numbers in, their new count into the Secretary of State's office by the deadline, but Palm Beach County is standing out as the one county across Florida that says they're not sure that they're going to make it.

They have been plagued by old equipment that is overheating, it's not able to really take the pace that a lot of this other equipment, like they have here in Broward County, is able to take. That has slowed down the process for them.

[05:15:00]

The supervisor of elections there saying, on Wednesday, she was in prayer mode that they were going to make the deadline. Now Democrats have a pending lawsuit to lift all deadlines for the recount to make sure that everyone gets those numbers in. The law currently says that if they don't meet the deadline, that the Election Day numbers, those unofficial numbers they first submitted last Saturday will stand.

So, a lot of moving parts, and don't forget, a lot of lawsuits sitting out there as well. There will be more to come on this throughout the day. But, again, today at 3:00 o'clock, that's the time to watch. Dave and Christine.

ROMANS: All right, Jessica, thank you for that. All right, so cold temperatures are invading the northeast and there's more. A wintery mix also moving across the mid-Atlantic to the coast bringing with it rain, snow, ice. Eight million people under winter weather advisories, 31,000 customers already without power in Indiana. Meteorologist Derek Van Dam has the forecast.

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning Dave and Christine. Major winter storm impacting the East coast today. You can see how it is evolving across the Ohio River Valley, overspreading moisture and plenty of cloud cover across the region.

We've got several concerns that we're monitoring, including a full-on ice storm across central and southern Indiana and portions of southwest Ohio, with the potential for heavy snowfall, especially away from the coastline in the major cities. However, we still have the potential for some of the white stuff on the ground from New York all the way to Boston.

Over 80 million Americans under a winter weather advisory, winter storm warning, ice storm warning, five to seven inches of snow possible in St. Louis today and right along the spine of the Appalachian Mountains with high elevation snow fall for upstate Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, into New York as well. It could exceed a half a foot.

Thirty-one million people impacted by the potential flooding today, from Atlanta all the way to the nation's capital. You can see the rain and snowfall totals for this region. Maybe a couple of inches on the ground by this time tomorrow in New York City, 35 degrees today for the Big Apple, but we warm up quickly into the weekend. Back to you.

BRIGGS: Okay, Derek, thanks.

Attorney Michael Avenatti, adamantly denying any wrongdoing, after his arrest on suspicion of felony domestic violence. The Los Angeles Police Department says the report was taken Tuesday in west Los Angeles. Avenatti posted $50,000 bail then left police custody Wednesday night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL AVENATT, ATTORNEY: I have never struck a woman. I never will strike a woman. I am a father to two beautiful, smart daughters. I would never disrespect them by touching a woman inappropriately or striking a woman.

(END VIDEO CLIP) ROMANS: Avenatti has floated the idea of a possible 2020 presidential run. Following his arrest, the Vermont Democratic Party canceled Avenatti's appearances set for Friday and Saturday.

BRIGGS: Coming up, talk about a cheap shot. This move got a college basketball player banned from campus. Hard to believe that is all. Andy Scholes has the details in the Bleacher Report, ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:20:00]

CNN - 150520

BRIGGS: Now (ph) this you have to see, folks. Division three basketball player banned from campus this morning after taking a cheap, maybe criminal shot on an opponent. Andy Scholes has more in the BLEACHER REPORT.

Good morning, buddy (ph). This is just incredible to see.

(SPORTS)

[05:25:00]

SCHOLES: He posted this adorable picture to Instagram saying, didn't win the Cy Young Award, but can't be too upset when I have this little girl waiting for here daddy off camera. Verlander and his wife, Kate Upton, the welcomed their daughter Genieve to the world last week. So, Dave, you know, didn't win the Cy Young Award, but I'm guessing he's got better priorities right now.

BRIGGS: He's got Kate Upton and World Series ring, but Jacob deGRom, 10 wins, gets a Cy Young. Fewest wins ever, I believe. So, I think we should just do away with the win state almost entirely for pitchers as of today. But, he deserved it.

SCHOLES: He certainly did.

BRIGGS: Andy Scholes, thank you my friend. Romans, over to you.

ROMANS: All right, thanks guys. Twenty-five minutes past the hour. The president is angry, very angry. His mood dark and becoming darker now. The National Security official, his wife wanted fired, she's out of the White House, but not out of a job.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROMANS: A dark cloud surrounds the White House. The president's mood taking a turn for the worse, after mid-term losses and a public rebuke from his wife.