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EARLY START

Facebook To Decide Whether To Overturn Trump Ban; Indian Minister Has COVID Scare At G7 Meetings In London; Out-Of-Control Chinese Rocket Set To Crash Back To Earth. Aired 5:30-6a ET

Aired May 5, 2021 - 05:30   ET

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


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[05:31:12]

LAURA JARRETT, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone. This is EARLY START. I'm Laura Jarrett.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning -- Wednesday morning. I'm Christine Romans. It's exactly 31 minutes past the hour.

Is Donald Trump about to make a return to Facebook? Facebook, in the next few hours, will decide whether to let the former president back onto your feed.

This Facebook decision has big implications for leaders around the world. Why? Because we're about to find out if you can incite a deadly insurrection without consequences.

More now from CNN's Donie O'Sullivan.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DONIE O'SULLIVAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Today is a very big day for the world of politics and technology. Former President Donald Trump -- who was suspended from Facebook and Facebook's photo-sharing platform, Instagram, on January seventh, the day after the deadly insurrection here in Washington, D.C. -- could be back on Facebook as soon as today.

The Facebook Oversight Board, which is this new body which is basically being described as a supreme court for Facebook, is going to decide if Facebook's decision to suspend Trump indefinitely was the correct call to make.

Now, this Oversight Board has 20 members. It's been set up over the past year. And the whole idea behind it is that Facebook basically says they shouldn't be making all these decisions themselves. They want experts and on this board they have legal scholars, human rights experts -- even some former journalists who are making this decision. They are going to review it and if they say that Trump should be put back on the platform, Facebook says that they will go ahead and do that, essentially. Now this, of course, could have huge ramifications not only for

Silicon Valley but, of course, also for the Republican Party to have Trump back on a major social media platform where he can be posting every hour or every minute. He already looms very large, of course, in the GOP but here he can now play a more active role.

And, of course, we do know how successfully the Trump machine used, in 2016 and 2020, Facebook as a fundraising tool. So this could be very important in terms of raising money for Trump's PAC but also for pro- Trump candidates who will be running in next year's midterms and, of course, into 2024 -- Christine and Laura.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: All right, Donie, thanks for that. We'll be watching. That could happen in a matter of hours.

All right. Voting restrictions in Texas are not good for business. That's the message from a group of about 50 trade associations and companies, including HP, Microsoft, American Airlines, Unilever, and Salesforce. They are urging lawmakers to oppose any changes that would restrict eligible voters' access to the ballot.

Texas lawmakers gearing up to finalize bills that would make it harder to vote in parts of the state and would criminalize some of the actions of election workers.

A separate group of Houston area business leaders sent a letter to the Texas House speaker warning that the restrictions would damage their competitiveness in attracting businesses and workers if they become law.

Last week, Sen. Ted Cruz wrote in "The Wall Street Journal" woke CEOs would face consequences if they flagrantly misrepresent efforts to protect our elections.

The letters further highlight this tightrope CEOs are walking on voting rights. They're speaking out without alienating customers or sparking a backlash from politicians and regulators.

JARRETT: A Tennessee lawmaker under fire for his impassioned defense of one of the more racist deals in American history, the Three-fifths Compromise.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STATE REP. JUSTIN LAFFERTY (R-TN): We did it to lay the foundation for all of this that we enjoy in this country. For as much as we scream and fight and argue, there is no place in this world that I'd rather live and call home.

[05:35:01]

The Three-fifths Compromise was a direct effort to ensure that southern states never got the population necessary to continue the practice of slavery everywhere else in the country. (END VIDEO CLIP)

JARRETT: That was Republican Rep. Justin Lafferty on the floor of the Tennessee State House, clearly confused about the purpose of the Three-fifths Compromise of 1787. He went on to claim that the deal was about ending slavery even though a cursory Google search would tell you it was about southern states keeping more power.

Ironically, the comments came during a debate of legislation meant to restrict how students are taught about systemic racism in America. And this is not the only recent example of this. I will have more on that coming up on "NEW DAY."

ROMANS: I can't wait for that.

All right. Developing overnight, two people died when a small plane crashed into a house in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Not clear if the deaths were people on the plane or people on the ground. Authorities are asking residents do not touch or remove any debris. No word yet on what led to that crash.

JARRETT: A hammer attack on two Asian women in New York City. Now, we want to warn you this video is really disturbing.

Police are investigating this assault. It shows the women walking when they are suddenly attacked from behind. One of the victims suffered a head wound and was treated at a hospital.

According to the NYPD, people of Asian descent have been targeted in 80 hate crimes since the beginning of this year alone, and that's up from 16 over the same period last year.

ROMANS: All right, a run on guns. Fears about crime and gun control fueling gun sales in America throughout April.

The FBI says it conducted more than 3 1/2 million gun-related background checks last month, up 20 percent from the same period last year. Sales down a little from what was a record month of March and that could be because of a low inventory of guns. Since the pandemic began, Americans have been buying firearms faster than gun makers can manufacture them.

JARRETT: The U.S. has a new normal and it's about a degree warmer than it used to be. Government scientists release new weather normals every 10 years that are an average of the previous 30 years.

The figures just released show temperatures up an average of one degree coast-to-coast, due in part to human-caused global warming. They also show normal rain and snowfall amounts are up in the eastern and central U.S., while the west is significantly drier.

ROMANS: The U.S. birth rate falling at a record pace that dropped four percent in 2020. That's the largest single-year decline in nearly 50 years. And the rate fell for moms of every major race and ethnicity and in nearly every age group. Experts say the pandemic contributed to the decline, accelerating a trend of Americans delaying pregnancy. For years, births have been declining in younger women and ticking up in women in their 30s and 40s, but not in 2020.

JARRETT: So much for COVID babies.

ROMANS: Yes.

JARRETT: All right. The White House is hoping convenience combined with outreach can be the anecdote to vaccine hesitancy and resistance.

If Pfizer's vaccine is approved for use in 12- to 15-year-olds in the coming days, President Biden says it will be shipped directly to pediatricians. Teens will also be able to get their first and second shots in different locations if they're traveling. That's helpful.

And a new federal Web site and phone number will help people find vaccination sites closest to them. One national pharmacy chain is also expanding access starting today.

EARLY START has the pandemic covered coast-to-coast.

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AMARA WALKER, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (on camera): I'm Amara Walker in Atlanta.

If you haven't gotten your COVID-19 vaccination just yet, Walgreens says it is offering same-day vaccination appointments at all of its stores beginning today. And in some stores, you'll be able to just walk in without an appointment.

And in Chicago, the national pharmacy chain is opening mobile vaccination clinics. Walgreens says it's to make coronavirus vaccines more accessible, particularly in underserved areas. And the plan is to open up more mobile vaccination clinics in nine other cities over the next two months.

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): I'm Dan Simon.

Las Vegas is inching its way back to normal now that three casinos can reopen up fully. The Wynn, Encore, and Cosmopolitan properties can open up at 100 percent capacity since those properties have reached their vaccination goals. That means 80 percent of their staffs are now fully vaccinated. It also means that the plastic dividers between all the players at the various gaming tables and the slot machines -- they can also come down, but the masks must stay on.

BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN SENIOR GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST (on camera): I'm Bianna Golodryga in New York.

New York City public school students will be losing a cherished winter perk during the next school year. The city's Department of Education announced that it will be eliminating snow days, explaining in a statement that it will shift all students to remote instruction in lieu of canceling schools due to severe weather conditions.

One other notable calendar change, schools will shift to remote learning on Election Day.

[05:40:01]

The nation's largest school district will begin the school year September 13th with a stated goal of having all children safely return for full-time in-person learning.

BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): I'm Brynn Gingras.

People in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania seeing some light at the end of the tunnel when it comes to this pandemic. The governor there, Tom Wolf, announcing by May 31st all COVID-19 restrictions will be lifted when it comes to social gatherings, restaurants, and other businesses. The governor also said there will no longer be a mask mandate once the state has 70 percent of its population fully vaccinated.

ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR AND NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): I'm Erica Hill in New York, one of several states bringing back the state fair this summer. Indiana's is set to open July 30th. Iowa and Wisconsin will follow suit in August. The CEO of Iowa's State Fair telling the "Des Moines Register" he expects this year's event will have a full, normal schedule.

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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

Clip from Broadway's "Hamilton."

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ROMANS: Oh, Broadway, we miss you. Theater fans eager for Broadway's reopening. They're going to have to wait a few more months before the curtain goes up. Despite New York lifting restrictions on venues later this month, theater owners -- they're sticking with their plan to hold off on reopening until the fall.

Broadway, of course, has been dark since March 2020 due to the pandemic, which has left an estimated 100,000 theater people out of work.

Everyone get your shot -- don't throw it away.

We'll be right back.

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[05:45:49]

JARRETT: Welcome back.

We have some news just in from G7 meetings in London this morning -- a COVID scare involving the delegation from India.

CNN's Nic Robertson is live for us at 10 Downing Street in London. Nic, what are you learning about this?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, the Indian foreign minister is going to attend the meetings today virtually. He came in contact with a couple of COVID cases -- suspected COVID cases yesterday evening.

The State Department tells us that they have been in contact with British health authorities who say look, the COVID regulations and restrictions that have been placed around the G7 mean this amounts to regular testing. This amounts to social distancing. This amounts to people wearing face masks.

Just look at the -- look at the family photo that was a signature of every G7 here. They're standing separately and they're all wearing face masks.

So what the State Department is saying and the British health authority is saying is that the -- that the restrictions and care taken around the coronavirus mean that the G7 is cleared to continue. And State Department officials say there is no reason to believe that anyone in the delegation is at risk.

So this is ticked up because of COVID precautions and the estimation here is that there is nothing to worry about at the moment -- Laura.

JARRETT: All right. Well, that is good news. I'm sure you'll keep your eye on that.

As for G7 business, the U.K. foreign secretary leading talks on issues that threaten to undermine democracy, freedoms, human rights. Two serial offenders here, Iran and Saudi Arabia, which are now quietly exploring reducing tensions that have inflamed the Middle East for years now.

What more are you learning about that?

ROBERTSON: Yes, open society is one of the big discussions of the G7 this morning. And yes, we know that over the past few weeks that Saudi and Iranian intelligence officials have met in Iraq to discuss the relationship between two country which could -- two countries, which completely broke down in 2016 when Iranians stormed the Saudi embassy in Tehran.

So this is sort of seen as a first step initiative for the two countries to sort of mend some of those bridges to reopen diplomatic relations. It's not clear how far those talks have gone but it does really seem to come about under President Biden's initiative to change the -- change the narrative in the dynamic in the Middle East at the moment to try to get back in the Iran nuclear deal talks. But also, at the same time, change the dynamic in the -- in the conflict in Yemen, of which the Saudis are party to and Iran is a party to as well.

So perhaps, from President Biden's initiative, some changes happening. This is a first and cautious step, however.

JARRETT: All right, Nic Robertson in London for us this morning. Thank you so much.

ROMANS: So the Pentagon, this morning, is tracking a large Chinese rocket that is hurdling out of control in space. The rocket expected to reenter earth's atmosphere this weekend and that's raising concerns about where the debris might come down.

Will Ripley is live in Hong Kong. What do we know about the timing of reentry -- whether this thing is going to burn up or whether there will be space junk we have to deal with?

WILL RIPLEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, this thing is 22,000 tons, Christine. That's like a fifth of the size of the Statue of Liberty if you -- if you take off the base.

This was launched by China as one module of their space station last week and it is hurdling around the world at 18,000 miles an hour. So because it's going so fast, they won't know exactly where this thing is going to hit until hours, literally, before it happens because one hour could make the difference of 18,000 miles.

Now, most of the time when these things reenter the atmosphere, analysts say they break apart. The pieces burn up. But because this rocket is so massive there is a chance that large pieces could reenter, could stay intact, and chances are they probably fall into the ocean -- here in the Pacific Ocean. It's the biggest ocean in the world. It will probably go down on a body of water.

But what if it did hit a densely-populated area like here in Hong Kong or New York? It really could hit anywhere. I mean, the odds are over water but you just don't know.

[05:50:07]

Other rockets that have reentered have caused no damage, a lot of panic on social media. There was one incident where like a large pipe hit a small village.

So analysts are wanting us to remind you that this is not the end of days. There's such a tiny chance that you could be affected by this. You have much greater risk not wearing a mask when you leave the house or going to get your coffee, or definitely getting behind the wheel of your car, so don't panic.

But also, you know, this is going to be an interesting weekend. The rocket could hit between May eighth and May 10th, so Saturday through Monday is the window.

On Monday, I happen to be turning 40, Christine, so just Murphy's Law, right? On my 40th I end up with a -- with a piece of rocket raining down.

I thought this year -- I thought this year was going to be different. I thought 2021 was when things were going to get back to normal. But now, on top of everything else, we've got this thing coming at us.

ROMANS: Out of control Chinese rocket junk on your birthday weekend, you know. I'm sorry. Happy birthday. All right, Will, thank you -- Laura.

JARRETT: All right.

Well, a Belgian farmer taking the concept of country pride a bit too far. He moved a stone on his property some seven feet to make room for a tractor, inadvertently shifting the border with France, making his country bigger and France smaller. It turns out the stone is part of series of border markers that have been in place since 1819. Luckily, the accidental land grab didn't cause an international incident.

All right, now to this. Found alive, a Utah woman who vanished while camping in November has been tracked down in Utah's Diamond Fork Canyon. The 47-year-old woman was reported missing after her car and camping equipment were found abandoned.

Officers say she was underweight but had no injuries and appeared to be there by choice, living in a tent and surviving mainly on grass, moss, and water. That's incredible.

ROMANS: All right, let's get a check on CNN Business this Wednesday morning.

Looking at markets around the world you can see Asian markets have closed for the day slightly lower. Europe has opened higher. On Wall Street, stock index futures this morning also leaning up.

Stocks finished mixed Tuesday. Inflation fears and comments from the Treasury secretary weighing on the stock market. The Dow managed a slight gain in the end but the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq both closed lower.

Wall Street gearing up for a return to the office. The New York Stock Exchange said traders will be able to return to the floor next week. Goldman Sachs wants most of its staff in the U.S. back in the office next month.

And JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon -- he is ready to get back to normal. Dimon acknowledged not everyone will be happy about a commute again, saying "but so what?" He said he's ready to cancel all of his Zoom calls and get back to the office this fall.

All right, the economy is hot, consumers are buying, demand for goods is soaring, but American factories can't find enough workers. There are more than half a million manufacturing job openings right now. Factories struggling to hire welders and machinists. Experts warn that shortage could cost the economy, oh, a trillion dollars by the year 2030.

The labor market is so tight in Montana, no more extra jobless benefits of $300 a month. Montana's Labor Department says there are about 14,000 job openings in Montana. Instead of paying extra for the jobless, Gov. Greg Gianforte said the state wants to give bonuses to unemployed workers who return to work. That program starts in October.

Call it an indulgent public offering. Krispy Kreme said Tuesday it has filed paperwork to go public. The donut maker has been working to remodel its existing stores and open brand-new ones across New York City. It became very popular last month when it said customers who have received the coronavirus vaccine can receive a free donut each day through the rest of the year.

The price range of the shares has not been set. That's a sweet IPO, I would say.

JARRETT: I have not made good on that Krispy Kreme deal.

ROMANS: Me either.

JARRETT: I'm staying away.

Well, the British Royal Marines are testing out a futuristic jetpack that allows them to fly over the water. The jet suit allows them to launch from inflatable boats and land on board a ship. The jet suit is still experimental but the vision is to provide rapid access to any part of the boat.

ROMANS: All right, a good thing Bob Ross dolls are plush. They're being used for a test run of a new rollercoaster at the Kings Island amusement park near Cincinnati. The ride sent them plunging down a 300-foot drop before hitting seven hills at speeds reaching 91 miles per hour.

The dolls resemble, of course, the famed painter. They'll be available as prizes at the Kings Island park this season.

Happy little clouds or frightening big rollercoaster -- I don't know.

JARRETT: I'm not sure that's a great -- a great use for a test run, but whatever works.

ROMANS: Thanks for joining us. I'm Christine Romans.

JARRETT: I'm Laura Jarrett. "NEW DAY" is next.

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[05:59:42]

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: I'm John Berman with Brianna Keilar.

On this new day, I hot mic moment and a hot mess in the GOP. Now the party's effort to purge the truth about to hit Liz Cheney.

Plus, a judge accuses Bill Barr of misleading her and Congress about his decision not to charge Donald Trump after the Mueller report and orders a secret memo be released.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: Could a picture of one of the jurors in the Derek Chauvin murder trial jeopardize the guilty verdict?