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EARLY START

U.S. Grapple with Fallout from Colonial Pipeline Cyberattack; FDA Authorizes Pfizer Vaccine for 12-to-15 Year Olds; At Least 9 Dead in Mass Shooting at School in Kazan, Russia; Jerusalem Flare-Up Leads to 200 Gaza Rockets Fired at Israel. Aired 5-5:30a ET

Aired May 11, 2021 - 05:00   ET

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


[05:00:25]

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to our viewers in the United States and around the world. This is EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans.

LAURA JARRETT, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Laura Jarrett. It's Tuesday, May 11th. It's 5:00 a.m. here in New York.

ROMANS: All right. We begin with pipeline pirates shutting down gas supplies traveling from Texas to New Jersey. This morning, the White House is monitoring fuel supply shortages in parts of the Southeast. It's a full on extortion attempt of vital U.S. infrastructure by a criminal group operating in Russia.

JARRETT: This week, it's Colonial Pipeline transporting gasoline, jet fuel and home heating oil. But in the past, it's been hospital systems, city governments, schools and cybersecurity experts say will only become more vulnerable as more industries go digital.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NEIL CHATTERJEE, COMMISSIONER, FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION: It's a reality now and I'm not being hyperbolic that private companies like pipelines today are in many ways at the forefront of our national defenses and so that means the United States government at its highest levels needs to be firm and clear that we will not tolerate nation states like Russia that harbor ransomware teams and we will defend our national interests.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MADDOW: This is a 5,500 mile system. A cybersecurity official tells CNN colonial has not shared information with the federal government on exactly what vulnerability was used to penetrate its systems. The company says one fuel line from North Carolina to Maryland has been restored but it has a long way to go, Laura.

JARRETT: Yeah, seven airports that rely on the pipeline including some of the nations busiest are looking for other ways to bring in fuel if this goes on much longer.

CNN's Jim Sciutto reports now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Colonial Pipeline is saying it could have its network up and running again or at least it will try by the end of this week, the Biden administration says that so far supply lines are running, there are no shortages of gasoline and other forms of fuel in the Northeast yet. Bigger picture, though, this shows an enormous vulnerability to a key part of U.S. infrastructure, the fuel pipeline system.

Other vulnerabilities have been shown in the past to other crucial pieces of infrastructure, power systems, water systems. This yet one more warning. But crucially the biggest attack so far, ransomware attack of this kind to date.

The Biden administration says there is no evidence at this point that the Russian government was behind this attack. The FBI is blaming a hacking group, really a criminal group that carries out these attacks and demands money to get these systems up and running again.

They also stole information from the pipeline company, threatening to release that publicly if they are not paid. That said, many national security experts and officials say an attack like this could not happen from a base in Russia without at least tacit approval from the Russian government.

Steps forward, this shows another problem for the Biden administration, a similar one faced by the Trump administration and Obama administrations before it and that is how do you deter, what kind of penalties deter these attacks going forward? That question has not yet been answered.

Jim Sciutto, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: All right. Stay tuned for that.

Shots in young arms. It's a game changer for camps, schools, sports and parents going back to the office. Vaccinations of young teens could begin later today.

The FDA has given a green light to Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine for 12 to 15 year olds. Adding them to people 16 and older now means 85 percent of the U.S. population is eligible.

JARRET: Technically, doctors aren't supposed to start giving the vaccine until the CDC meets tomorrow and the CDC director gives it her go ahead, but doctors already have the vaccine on hand and some are expected to exercise their professional judgment and start later today.

ROANS: All Right. Can I take your order or take this job and shove it? The restaurant industry the flash point in the debate over returning to work. Republican governors from Alabama, Mississippi and North Dakota joining Montana, South Carolina and Arkansas opting out of the $300 a week in extra jobless benefits, they cite labor shortages and call it a disincentive for returning to work.

On Monday, President Biden addressed the issue.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The law is clear, if you are receiving unemployment benefits and you're offered a suitable job, you can't refuse that job and just keep getting the unemployment benefits. We also need to recognize people will come back to work if they are paid a decent wage.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: People will come back to work if they are paid a decent wage.

[05:05:00]

Look, 16 million people are receiving some sort of jobless benefit. Those benefits expire in a matter of months. Small businesses complain that $300 extra a week is the problem, but there is a good case to be made that these jobs post pandemic will be harder to fill because the jobs are the problem. Data shows a typical restaurant worker earns an average of just under $17 an hour working about 26 hours a week, that's about $440 a week pretax.

Some workers in the restaurant industry are leaving, they are retraining for better paying careers in tech and finance. In fact, shutdowns allowed these workers to pivot. There are several other reasons workers aren't going back to their old jobs, fear of the virus is still there, there's a lack of child care because schools are closed and that cushion from unemployment benefits has allowed some of these workers to pivot.

For some of them, this is the first time in their lives they have earned a living wage and it will take a little bit more to nudge them back into the labor market if the kids aren't in school and they are worried about the virus. There is some anecdotal evidence especially in the restaurant industry that in some places, the patrons, the customers, you know, maskless customers sitting in closed sections demanding that things are like they were before, before the COVID crisis, that's not exactly great conditions to go back to.

JARRETT: Right, it's not like these are easy jobs.

All right. New this morning, 1 million people have signed up for Obamacare coverage during the special enrollment period President Biden launched back in February, and that's on the federal exchange alone.

Former President Trump refused to relax access last spring in the face of the pandemic, sign ups on the federal exchange program remain open through Mid-August, people can also take advantage of enhanced premium subsidies that were part of the Democrats COVID relief package. ROMANS: The removal of Congresswoman Liz Cheney as the number three

Republican in the House now seems GOP fait accompli. In a letter to his Republican colleagues, Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said it's clear they need to make a change and prepare for a vote tomorrow. He writes unlike the left, we embrace free thought and debate, all members are elected to represent their constituents as they see fit but our leadership team cannot afford to be distracted by the important work we were elected to do and the shared goals we hope to achieve.

JARRETT: Embracing free thought except when it's inconvenient.

Opinion columnist Greg Sargent writes in the "Washington Post", this isn't all about fear of Trump. This isn't about cowardice. Rather, it's also a deliberate action plainly undertaken to manufacture fake evidence for the affirmative purpose of further undermining faith in our electoral system going forward.

In other words, what's happening to Cheney isn't just about 2020. It's about maximizing power for 2022, 2024 and beyond. And her refusal to go along with the former president's big election lie makes that GOP project harder. A vote on her likely replacement, New York Congresswoman Elise Stefanik could come later this week.

ROMANS: So, while Republicans squabble, there's been no movement in Congress to curb the gun violence epidemic. At least 420 people have been shot or killed by gunfire in the last 72 hours. Data shows at least 196 mass shootings this year.

Homicides in major American cities jumped by more than 30 percent in 2020 compared to the previous year. That trend continues in at least some big cities.

JARRETT: In New York, NYPD data shows murders spiked 17 percent and get this nonfatal shootings were up a whopping 79 percent. That includes one this weekend in Times Square, that shooter is still on the run. There's also been big spikes in gun violence in Chicago and L.A.

ROMANS: All right. Eight minutes past the hour.

Israel and Gaza exchanging rocket fire overnight, killing dozens including children. What's fueling this conflict? We're live in Israel next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:12:56]

ROMANS: All right. Twelve minutes past the hour.

I want to take you to a breaking news situation in Russia. A mass shooting at a school in a city east of Moscow.

Senior international correspondent Fred Pleitgen joins us live.

Fred, what do we know here?

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Christine, this is still very much an unfolding situation and so certainly, the details are tending to change a little bit as they come in. The authorities try to come to terms with it. The latest that we have is there were apparently two shooters who descended upon that school in the town of Kazan, which is about 530 miles to the east of Moscow. So far, the numbers that we have is that nine people have been killed in that shooting, eight of them appear to be students.

Now, the authorities are saying that one of the shooters who seems to be a teenager has been apprehended and that the second shooter as they put it has been eliminated. There were reports that shooter may have been holed up inside the school, maybe even taken hostages as well. But you can see some of the video, there were apparently horrific scenes that went down at that school with children obviously fleeing from those shooters inside that school.

There's even reports of some jumping out the window to try to escape that situation. School or general mass shootings obviously not -- by far, not as common in Russia as for instance they are unfortunately in the United States. Vladimir Putin has already made this an important part of his day here. He's already sent two ministers to the scene. And just in a side note, the Russians already speaking about tighter gun control measures here in this country, guys.

ROMANS: All right. Thanks so much for that, Fred. And give us any more updates as you get them -- Laura.

JARRETT: All right. Overnight, Israel and Gaza exchanging rocket fire after clashes in Jerusalem Monday, left hundreds injured and tensions sky high. It's the first big test of this kind for the Biden administration as well.

Elliott Gotkine is live in Ashkelon, Israel, where rockets were landing.

Bring us up to speed. What has happened overnight, Elliott?

ELLIOTT GOTKINE, CNN REPORTER: Overnight, since the hostilities began we've seen more than 200 rockets being fired from the Gaza Strip into Israel. That's according to the Israeli defense forces. The idea, they say about 90 percent have been intercepted.

But as you can see behind me, some of them do get through this residential building in Ashkelon, which is just north of Gaza, between Gaza and Tel Aviv, was hit quarter to 6:00 in the morning around dawn time.

[05:15:12]

And there were six people who were hospitalized.

In response to these rocket attacks, the IDF has attacked, it says 130 militant targets in the Gaza Strip. It estimates it has killed 15 militants from Hamas or Islamic jihad.

Now, according to the Palestinian health ministry in the Gaza Strip, 24 people have been killed, among them nine children and that includes a ten-year-old girl as well.

So tensions have been rising, we've had air raid sirens sounding as well in morning. Doesn't seem like there is any let up in sight.

JARRETT: All right. Elliott, thank you so much. Appreciate it.

ROMANS: A U.S. Coast Guard ship firing about 30 warning shots as a group of 13 Iranian fast attack boats sped toward American vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. The Pentagon says the warning shots were fired after the Iranian boats came as close as 150 yards to six U.S. military vessels.

The Iranians ignoring horn blasts, ignoring bridge to bridge radio communications. This is the third and most severe incident in just over a month where U.S. ships had to fire these warning shots because of what they said was unsafe behavior by Iranian vessels in the region.

JARRETT: A leopard is on the loose in one of China's largest cities. Three of them escaped from a Hangzhou safari park. Two have since been found, but get this -- it took the park a week to inform the public. Park officials claim they didn't want to create a panic and have since apologized. Officials have searching on foot and with drones for the missing big cat.

ROMANS: All right. Medina Spirit has arrived at the Preakness, but will he race? What the horse's trainer says about the failed drug test at the Kentucky Derby?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:21:19]

ROMANS: Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit is in Baltimore for the second leg of the Triple Crown.

Will he be able to run, though?

Andy Scholes has this morning's "Bleacher Report".

Hey, Andy.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, good morning, Christine.

So, the Preakness stakes postponed the draw for the post positions from yesterday to this afternoon while they continue to sort out the situation with Medina Spirit and trainer Bob Baffert, but Medina Spirit arriving at Pimlico yesterday, despite testing positive for a raised level of an anti-inflammatory drug following the victory at the Kentucky Derby. Baffert meanwhile will not be attending the race because he says he

doesn't want to be a distraction. Baffert, though, insists he did not cheat to win the derby. He told CNN's Carolyn Manno that he's being made into a villain for something he didn't do.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOB BAFFERT, MEDINA SPIRIT'S TRAINER: I've had such success with all these great horses and, you know, there's a lot of people, a lot of jealousy and animosity out there and I understand that. I have my critics, but this is really, you know -- when it happens in the most prestigious race in America, the Kentucky Derby, Bob Baffert is not stupid, okay, and this is a horrible thing that's happening to this horse.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES; The second blood sample will be tested but results not going to be available for at least four to eight weeks. Could take up to six months according to the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission.

All right. Tim Tebow is reportedly making a return to the NFL. According to the NFL network, the Jaguars plan to sign Tebow to a one- year contract as a tight end. The 33-year-old former quarterback would reunite with Urban Meyer, his coach at Florida. The pair won two national championships with the Gators. Tebow was last in training camp with the Eagles in 2015 before being cut. He has spent years working in TV and playing Minor League Baseball in the New York Mets System. He retired from baseball before this season.

Wizards star Russell Westbrook making basketball history last night, becoming the triple-double king with his 28 points, 13 rebounds and 21 assists against the Hawks last night. Westbrook became the all time career leader in triple-doubles with 182. (AUDIO GAP) 1974.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RUSSELL WESTBROOK, WASHINGTON WIZARDS: It's just something that I never would have dreamt about as a young kid growing up in L.A., and I'm truly grateful for moments like this and something that I should -- you know, normally, I don't like to pat myself on the back but tonight I will just because, you know, I'm so grateful for the ones before me and so blessed and thankful for the man above for allowing me to go out and do what I do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: Hawks beat the Wizards, 125-124.

Check this out, Reds/Pirates last night. After the national anthem, Pirates reliever Luis Oviedo, and Reds catcher Alex Blandino had an old fashioned stare down. Who can hold out the longest? The umpires eventually started yelling at them and as you can see, Oviedo, he was the one to budge first. Blandino and the Reds celebrate.

They got the win before the game, Laura, and they got the win during the game. They won it 14-1, I guess it was an omen that Blandino was ever able to win the stare down. You know, we didn't show you much of it. That lasted a long time. It was much longer than we showed obviously.

But fun that they just stood there and had an old fashioned stare down before the game.

JARRETT: Yeah, it seems like it didn't too ugly.

All right. Andy, thank you.

SCHOLES: All right.

JARRETT: Well, the Pfizer vaccine on the verge of being given to 12 to 15 year olds for the very first time.

[05:25:00]

We've come a long way in a year. When COVID hit, the race to develop a vaccine began in earnest.

CNN takes you inside that mission. The new CNN film "Race for the Vaccine" premieres Saturday at 9:00 Eastern on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROMANS: All right. Good morning. This is EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans.

JARRETT: And I'm Laura Jarrett. It's almost 30 minutes past the hour here in New York.

We are living in a tale of two pandemics, while some parts of the world struggle to get it under control, in the U.S., the death rate has not been this low since last July. The numbers are going in the right direction essentially everywhere.

ROMANS: Similar good news in Europe. Indoor dining and some international travel are on track to restart May 17th in England when restrictions are lifted there.