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EARLY START

Gunman Killed in Alabama Mall Shooting; Black Friday Sales Underway; Trump's Angry "Thanksgiving" Message; Brexit in Trouble?; Thanksgiving Day Football Feast. Aired 5-5:30a ET

Aired November 23, 2018 - 05:00   ET

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


(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[05:00:13] UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: People started screaming and going crazy to just get away from it. And then cops ran by us with their guns drawn.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYLEE HARTUNG, CNN ANCHOR: Thanksgiving night turns deadly in an Alabama mall. Shots are fired during a fight. Police killed the shooter. A 12-year-old among those recovering.

DAVE BRIGGS, CNN ANCHOR: Retailers hoping for a big holiday season hit their start today. Black Friday sales launched nationwide. Online sales off to a great start.

HARTUNG: And the president uses a Thanksgiving call to troops overseas to air his grievances -- the courts, the border, his critics and much more.

Good morning and welcome to a special holiday edition of EARLY START. I'm Kaylee Hartung.

BRIGGS: Good morning, Kaylee.

Good morning to all of you.

I'm Dave Briggs. It's Black Friday, November 23rd. It's 5:00 a.m. in the East.

We all sat around yesterday thinking of what we are thankful for. I certainly thought of my family who is away, my dog who is my wing man and those troops who are away from their families every year in the war zones for months at a time, how difficult that must be.

And you were thankful for?

HARTUNG: My family for my family, even though I couldn't be with them either. Very appreciative of them and all.

BRIGGS: And Grandma Elva who always watches us here.

HARTUNG: And Grand, thank you, Grand, for watching.

BRIGGS: And the president, he was asked what he is thankful for and essentially said me. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REPORTER: What are you most thankful for, Mr. President?

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: For having a great family and for having made a tremendous difference in this country. I made a tremendous difference in the country. This country is so much stronger now than it was when I took office that you wouldn't believe it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRIGGS: It was an unusual Thanksgiving to say the least at Mar-a- Lago. We'll get more into that in just a moment.

But we start this morning with breaking news. At least two people shot and a gunman killed by police in a dramatic scene at the Alabama mall as Black Friday got under way. One victim is just 12 years old. It happened at Riverchase Galleria in Hoover, Birmingham's largest suburb.

HARTUNG: Authorities say two people got into a fight and that led to gunfire.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everybody freaked and screamed and ran into mountain high and they stuffed us in supply closets and locked the doors. They seemed prepared. And then we sat there for five to ten minutes all freaking out and then they opened the escape route doors and we escaped through the escape route doors.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARTUNG: Police who were on duty at the mall for Black Friday responded quickly.

CNN's Dianne Gallagher is live in Hoover, Alabama, for us this morning with the breaking details.

Dianne, what are you learning?

DIANNE GALLAGHER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Kaylee, I can tell you, actually just within the past hour, one of the police officers tells us here at CNN that 12-year-old girl that Dave just referenced a few moments ago has come through surgery and that her injuries are not expected to be life-threatening in any way.

They are still not sure who shot her, though. And that's a testament to just how chaotic this scene was here at this mall. According to the people and the witnesses, people started pouring out of the door you see there at the JCPenney. The shooting happened somewhere in between this store and foot action near the food court.

Now, of course, normally on a Black Friday, this parking lot would be absolutely full at this hour and according to authorities, that's exactly what the case was overnight when people were crowded inside this mall when it appears that two men got into a fight. The gunman shot an 18-year-old man and then attempted to run away. Now, because there were so many police officers on duty because of the Black Friday crowds, they were expecting those early shoppers on Thanksgiving night, they shot that gunman very quickly, we're told by witnesses, and then attempted to get people out as they tried to figure out what was going on.

But again, a chaotic scene here. Not something that anybody who came here just to kind of cash in on the early bargains. A lot of people come on Thanksgiving now as something they do with family members after they eat, nothing that anybody here was expecting or wanting to deal with, Kaylee and Dave.

But at this point, they are still trying to investigate, figure out exactly what happened and that 18-year-old, we're told, is in serious condition at UAB hospital.

HARTUNG: Yes, more questions than we have answers this morning.

Dianne, thank you so much.

BRIGGS: OK. Black Friday really began about 12 hours ago. Shoppers hit the flagship Macy's in New York's Herald Square starting at 5:00 yesterday. And check that out. What a scene.

If sales yesterday and for the past three months are any indication, today could be a very good day for retailers.

Alison Kosik is at Best Buy in Paramus, New Jersey.

Alison, I'm looking for some wireless Bluetooth headphones if you get a chance.

[05:05:03] What's the scene like there this morning?

ALISON KOSIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the scene might not be very quiet, but Best Buy employees getting ready for the big Black Friday day. As you can see, the TVs, the flat screen TVs are lined up here. These are the door busters.

You know, Black Friday is not dead yet. Meaning, a lot of people are still coming into stores, even though online shopping does really well as well. As we saw on Thanksgiving Day, an estimated $3.7 billion is expected to have happened just on Thanksgiving Day, which means people weren't just eating their turkeys, they were on their own phones and shopping as well.

Here at Best Buy, TVs are expected to go very quickly. Nintendos and gaming systems, just in general, are expected to do well. Home speakers are expected to do well also.

You know, Black Friday, yes, has competition just because of online sales, but it also clearly has competition with Amazon. Best Buy, though, is doing pretty well. If you look at sales just overall, it's third quarter earnings, they came out pretty strong.

Best Buy, though, is expecting some tepid holiday sales just because of Apple sales. We heard that Apple's iPhone are under some pressure, talking about the number of people coming out and buying those iPhones. Still, Best Buy depending on sales for these iPhones.

Back to you.

BRIGGS: Alison, are people lined up outside or have all of the online sales really shrunk those crowds that usually lined up?

KOSIK: You know, it really, really early right now. Right now, it's what, a little after 5:00 Eastern. This store doesn't open until 8:00 Eastern. So, no one lining up just yet.

But those online sales, you know, they, of course, they stand alone. Then again, you think of the door buster sales, you can't get those TVs, let's say, online.

BRIGGS: Yes.

KOSIK: So, there are draws that these stores put out here for those Black Friday shoppers who like to get out of bed early and in the cold and get here for some great deals -- Dave.

BRIGGS: Yes, wind chills are in the single digits. That will scare you away from the sales.

Alison, thank you.

KOSIK: Exactly, yes.

BRIGGS: Check back in the next half hour.

The president evoking bedlam and chaos in a series of pronouncements from Mar-a-Lago, and making a truly bewildering Thanksgiving phone call to our troops. It began normally enough with the president wishing service members a happy Thanksgiving surrounded by gold at a worldwide teleconference and offering his appreciation for their service to the nation.

But then he quickly broke norms with the nakedly political tone on several pet topics and again defended the Saudis' response to the murder of U.S. resident, journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Senior White House correspondent Jeff Zeleny is traveling with the president has more from West Palm Beach.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Dave and Kaylee, as Americans were celebrating Thanksgiving all around the country, President Trump having a conference call with military leaders around the world. But that quickly turned political. The president asking many questions about operational details, also asking if they agreed with him on certain policies he has, particularly along the southern border.

But it was the president's defense once again of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia that raised eyebrows when he said this.

TRUMP: I hate the crime. I hate what's done. I hate the cover up.

And I will tell you this, the crown prince hates it more than I do. And they have vehemently denied it. The CIA points it both ways. You know, as I said, maybe he did, maybe he didn't.

But I will say strongly that it's a very important ally. And if we go by a certain standard, we won't have allies with almost any country.

REPORTER: Who should be held accountable?

TRUMP: Maybe the world should be held accountable, because the world is a vicious place.

ZELENY: So, the president saying the CIA sees it both ways. It is at odds with the intelligence community actually has learned. They do believe that the Saudi crown prince had advanced knowledge and knew about the murder of "Washington Post" opinion columnist, Jamal Khashoggi.

The president also amplifying his fight with the chief justice of the Supreme Court, John Roberts, insisting that liberal judges are actually putting military members and law enforcement officials their lives in danger because of rulings at the border. Now, after all of that, the president also said he plans to interview potential cabinet members for new positions here while he is in Florida.

We do know that Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi is scheduled to talk to the president perhaps for a position at homeland security secretary, perhaps even for attorney general. The president said he is still planning on changing some members of his team. As he's doing all of that, he also managed to find several hours to play golf on Thanksgiving afternoon -- Dave and Kaylee.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARTUNG: Wow, Jeff, thanks for wrapping that up for us.

A charter bus carrying members of the University of Washington marching band rolled over an ice-covered highway Thursday, injuring at least 20 on board. The band was traveling in a three-bus caravan, they were heading to Spokane for the annual Apple Cup football game between UW and archrival Washington State.

[05:10:00] Fifty-six people were on board that bus that crashed and police say none of the injuries are serious.

BRIGGS: Fire officials in northern California say the Camp Fire is now 95 percent contained. It has burned more than 150,000 acres, an area bigger than the city of Chicago. And the death toll so far, 84, up by one since yesterday. Hundreds remain unaccounted for. The National Weather Service says so far the rains have hit the sweet

spot, if you will, helping firefighters without washing debris and mud down hillsides.

HARTUNG: Americans inspired by the Thanksgiving spirit are helping fire victims. Celebrity chef Jose Andres, his charity World Central Kitchen sharing these photos of Thanksgiving dinners which he organized for survivors and first responders. And chef Guy Fieri, he's a California native, among those helping out. Both of those guys have been in town a couple of weeks now.

And this man James Faircloth spending the holiday driving with his young daughter from their home in Denver to the fire area in an RV filled with items to donate, including that RV itself.

BRIGGS: That's good stuff.

Then there's Alan Pierce, a hospital nurse who helped evacuate patients and staff before running into gridlock on his way out of Paradise, California. That cost him his truck and very nearly his life. Toyota heard about the story on social media and replaced his truck with a new and improved model.

Very nice.

HARTUNG: I love that.

And European leaders, they are voting this weekend on a Brexit deal. But there are new signs this morning it could start to unravel. We're live in Brussels, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:15:37] HERERA: A big test for the Brexit deal this weekend. A draft version of Britain's future relationship with the E.U. is ready to go before European leaders Sunday at a summit in Brussels. British Prime Minister Theresa May says an agreement is within our grasp, but it's running into a surprise roadblock from Spain.

CNN's Erin McLaughlin is in Brussels where ambassadors are meeting this morning.

Erin, what's the latest?

ERIN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kaylee, Gibraltar has emerged as an 11th hour sticking point with the Spanish prime minister threatening veto over the tiny British territory located off the southern coast of Spain famous for its rock and monkeys. Last night, Pedro Sanchez taking to Twitter to say the following, quote: After my conversation with Theresa May, our position remains far away. My government will always defend the interests of Spain. If there are no changes, we will veto Brexit.

Essentially what Prime Minister Sanchez wants is the entire divorce deal, all 585 pages, cracked open and language inserted in that deal that would give Spain a say over what happens to the future of Gibraltar, a non-starter for the U.K., but also a non-starter for the E.U. Diplomats telling me they are absolutely shocked by all of this, furiously working behind the scenes to try and resolve this impasse ahead of the critical summit that's expected on Sunday where the 27 E.U. leaders are expected to sign off on this deal.

From there, it goes to British parliament, where lawmakers are unhappy. British lawmakers threatening to vote down this deal as well -- Kaylee.

HARTUNG: Thanks, Erin.

BRIGGS: A lawyer this morning argues Facebook still bears responsibility for the marriage of a teenage girl in South Sudan even though the bidding for her did not take place on the social network. An attorney for the National Alliance for Women lawyers in South Sudan argues community members posted the process of the bidding on Facebook. She says the post was written to encourage eligible men to participate.

Facebook told CNN it took down the post about the case on November 9th, but we found two posts about the girl still live on the site.

HARTUNG: And some hotels depend on social media posts to bring in future guests, but the Ayana Resort and Spa in Bali, Indonesia, is taking a different approach. They are banning smartphones ad other devices by the pool. New rules are in effect 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. every day. All electronics, including iPhones, digital cameras and tablets fall under this digital detox.

The resort tells CNN the change is to create a place of tranquility where guests can truly be in the moment. Marketing group One Pool recently found half of American travelers have never switched off devices while on vacation.

I am adding that to my dream list.

BRIGGS: No question about that.

HARTUNG: A vacation spot, wow.

BRIGGS: I just went -- that was kind of a blissful vacation just thinking about being without my phone.

All right. Ahead, giving thanks for food, family and, of course, football. Drew Brees was feeling charitable on Thanksgiving, handing out touchdowns to undrafted players.

Andy Scholes has the story in "Bleacher Report", next.

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[05:23:16] HARTUNG: Highly anticipated and long awaited for many, including Dave and myself, getting a first look at the Disney's live action remake of 1994 classic "The Lion King."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) ANNOUNCER: One day, the sun will set on my time here and will rise with you as the new king.

(MUSIC)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRIGGS: So good. So good.

HARTUNG: So tough to beat. My goodness.

This teaser thriller replicates the opening scene from the beloved original animated film. And the star-studded cast includes Donald Glover as Simba, I'm on board with that. Even more on board with Beyonce as Nala, and you heard James Earl Jones reprising his role as Mufasa, Simba's father, of course.

This remake is scheduled to hit theaters in summer of 2019. And Dave Briggs might be among the first in line here in New York City.

BRIGGS: Oh, I'd get in line tomorrow. I can't remember being this excited for a movie. I would say they should have called me for Scar. I know it sounds sorted, but you'll be -- all right, I'll stop.

Let's talk some sports now. It's a full day of feasting and football. Cowboys serving up a win on Thanksgiving Day.

HARTUNG: Andy Scholes has more with this morning's "Bleacher Report."

Good morning, Andy.

BRIGGS: Sorry, buddy --

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: No, I can't get over your scar.

Of all of the characters to pick, you pick Scar. I would be Pumbaa. You can't go wrong with Pumbaa, right?

HARTUNG: Yes.

(LAUGHTER)

SCHOLES: Anyways, guys, let's talk sports. Yes, I didn't think I would say this three weeks ago. But the Cowboys first place in the NFC East.

[05:25:02] And Jerry Jones and the team kicking off the red kettle campaign yesterday with the Salvation Army yesterday and the players getting in on all the fun.

After scoring the first touchdown of the game, Ezekiel Elliott, he pulls out $21 and he tosses it in the kettle. In the fourth quarter, Dak Prescott scores a very impressive run. Elliott celebrates with him and tossed Dak into the red kettle as a donation. Cowboys having some fun, they got the big win, 31-23 over the Redskins. All right. Drew Brees in New Orleans Saints, meanwhile, they just

continue to roll. The 39-year-old Brees throwing four more touchdown passes. All four of those going to guys that were undrafted in the past three years. So impressive. Brees continues to make his MVP case. 29 touchdowns and two interceptions.

The Saints with the tenth win in a row. They beat the Falcons 31-17.

All right. Ole Miss and Mississippi state in the egg bowl. A brawl broke out at the end of the third quarter of this one. Both benches end up clearing as the players just skirmishing all over the field in a skirmish. The referee ended up calling unsportsmanlike conduct on every single player.

Not sure that's ever happened in a game before. Four players were ejected from this game. These guys really don't like each other. Mississippi State won it big, 35-3.

Unfortunate way for some of those Ole Miss seniors to go out, you know --

BRIGGS: It's Thanksgiving, fellows.

HARTUNG: Those people don't like each other. Have you ever been to the state of Mississippi?

BRIGGS: No.

HARTUNG: That weekend of Thanksgiving? Oh, my goodness. I worked that game before, and the tensions between those two fan bases are high out in the parking lot.

BRIGGS: Yes. All right. Well, too bad they can't get along like Tiger and Phil, 3:00 today on bleacher live and pay-per-view.

Thank you, Andy Scholes. Have a great Black Friday.

SCHOLES: All right. You, too, guys.

HARTUNG: And coming up right here on EARLY START, we have breaking news out of Alabama. Two people shot in a Thanksgiving fight at the mall. The gunman shot and killed by police.

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