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tv   Early Start With Christine Romans and Laura Jarrett  CNN  July 8, 2022 2:00am-2:59am PDT

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welcome to you viewers in the united states and around the world. it is friday, july 8. we begin with breaking news from japan. at this hour former prime minister shinzo abe is in critical condition and fighting for his life after he was shot friday morning in nara, japan while giving a campaign speech. [ speaking foreign language ] [ gunshots ] >> abe suffered a gunshot wound to the chest and neck,
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collapsing on the street. police arrested a man in his 40s on suspicious -- or the alleged shooter was quickly wrestled to the ground. it appeared to be a hand made gun in the attack. officials say that abe was in a state of cardiopulmonary arrest after collapsing. he was air lifted to a hospital and right now is undergoing emergency treatment. blake essig is joining us from tokyo. what is the latest information on the former prime minister's condition? >> reporter: shock and sadness really. the yoverwhelming sense here, former prime minister abe, you heard the gun shots, shot twice once in the chest and also once in the neck. the shooting happened while delivering a speech around 11:30 friday morning local time here in the western city of nara.
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several hours after the shooting current prime minister fumio kishida held a press conference to update the world about abe's condition. take a listen. >> translator: first of all in the morning today in nara prefecture, i've received the news that former prime minister abe is shot and in critical condition. emergency operation is taking place to save his life. i pray that he pulls through. >> reporter: abe's broke and current minister of defense also addressed the media to say that his brother is receiving a blood transfusion and called the attack an affront to democracy and suppression of freedom of speech moments after the shooting, nhk, japan public broadcaster, says the former prime minister was in a state of cardiac arrest while being transferred to the hospital. witnesses say that abe was shot from behind, he didn't collapse
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after the first shot but did after the second shot before receiving cpr. the suspect, a man in his 40s, has been arrested in possession of what nhk is describing as a hand made gun. abe was there in japan's western city delivering a stuchstump sp ahead of the election set for this sunday when the shooting took place. and abe of course is japan's longest serving prime minister, first elected in 2006 and then again 2012 before stepping down in 2020 because of health concerns. despite stepping down, abe remained a key player in japanese politics speaking very candidly about taiwan hinting at japan's possible military role there. and that all being said, some of his policies and remarks have been viewed as controversial, critics are saying that some of his policies operated outside of japan's passed constitution including revising the defense policy to allow for japanese troops to fight overseas for the
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first time since world war ii. policies aside, there really has been this overwhelming sense of sadness and shock across japan and really around the world as a result of today's shooting. and again keeping an eye on whether or not the medical staff will be successful in helping keep him alive. >> certainly is grim. it is a grim prognosis here. no question about that. he was a power broker in his party even though he was no longer the prime minister. and i think that some people look at that campaigning, the he video of his campaigning if you can hear me, and it seems as though in this country i don't think that you'd see a politician like right out in the media like that. tell us about the tradition of the politicians post-war being close to people, very accessible during campaigning. >> reporter: well, you know, i think for starters there is not as big of a concern for the
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threat of violence for these former politicians and again even though the former prime minister was a controversial figure the fact that gun violence essentially doesn't exist here in japan, you know, you probably -- it probably plays in to that role of the fact that you have these politicians just out there campaigning and interacting with the people. there is also -- talking to some of our local producers here, kind of talking about the juxtaposition between what a u.s. president will have as far as security detail and what a former prime minister will have, essentially here it is private security. and in all likelihood, there was likely maybe one or two private security detail there with the prime minister while he was giving that speech. and again, you can see the video, people just all around
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him, you know, guns not being necessarily a concern. all playing a role into what is happening today. it is clear that the policies that currently exist here in japan will have to be revisited as a result of what took place. >> blake, todon't go far, i kno that there will be rapidly changing developments. we'll stay on it. and joining us for context, josh ro rogen, columnist at the "washington post." i don't think that you can overstate just how shocking this is. >> that's right. bottom line here is that these st incidents of gun violence are so rare in japan. since the 1940s, guns have been basically outlawed. it is almost impossible to get a gun license, there are almost no
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gun 140shops in japan. and also as you were discussing the incidents of political violence also almost unheard of in the japanese context. and whatever policies former prime minister abe had, the idea that he could stand in the middle of a small city and a suburb of osaka essentially, relatively safe and benign area and be shot with no warning and no provocation is just unprecedented frankly and shocking. and a deep wound to both the japanese psyche and the political scene as we know it. >> stick with me here, josh, for a moment. we have more breaking news on this terrible story. i want to go back to blake essig for us. what can you report? >> reporter: unfortunately just moments ago japanese public broadcaster nhk has confirmed that the former prime minister
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shinzo abe has died as a result of his injuries being shot two different times earlier today while speaking -- delivering a stump speech in nara in western japan. again, we don't yet know the motivation of the suspect who is in custody. we're hearing a lot of speculation. but at this point cnn hasn't been able to independently verify what the alleged shooter has told police about why he went after the former prime minister. it is something that we'll continue to work to confirm. but at this moment, we were able to confirm according to nhk that shinzo abe, japan's former prime minister, longest serving prime minister, has died. >> blake essig, thank you so much. let's take a little deeper look at who shinzo abe was, an ally of the united states, a power broker in his country and the
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region. >> japan's longest serving prime minister shinzo abe had big dreams of a japanese comeback. a comeback marred by a series of setbacks. tokyo 2020 olympics, his greatest achievement. japan spent billions only to see the games postponed by the coronavirus pandemic. the games were a cornerstone of abe's plan to revive a struggling economy and transform japan into a global destination. abe promised a brighter future, a future looking bleak after 2011's massive earthquake, tsunami and fukushima nuke cl 234 meltdown. he wanted stimulus and reform and it led to record high government debt and failed to make a lasting debt in decades of inflation. problems made worse by japan's aging population and shrinking
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workforce. abe also tried to strengthen japan's military, re-enter interpreting the constitution. and it led to massive protests. and abe's visits to a controversial war shrine angered his asian neighbors. he was criticized for not making a new apology at the 70th anniversary of world war ii, a being accused of trying to rewrite japan pan's brutal past. at 52, he became japan's youngest post-war leader, k corruption scandals caused his popularity to plummet. he had ambitions and roots in a powerful political dynasty. two former prime ministers in
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his family. in 2012, he declared japan is back. he tried to raise japan's profile on a global stage, developing allies in europe, india, and southeast asia, trying to mend frosty relations with china. abe made history in 2016, appearing alongside former u.s. president barack obama in hiroshima and later pearl harbor. abe was one of the first world leaders to form an alliance with donald trump, taking the u.s. president out for a hamburger in tokyo. shinzo abe leaves behind a vibrant and popular first lady and his wife of more than three decades. >> again, an assassination in japan of the former prime minister, power broker and longest serving prime minister. i want to bring in selina wang and also josh rogen. josh first just your reaction.
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>> shock, sadness, both for the family of former prime minister abe and for the greater family of japan. the people there have a deep sense of community and i'm sure that they are all grieving right now. and i send my personal condolences. as for former prime minister abe, simply a man who leave as long legacy. a member of historic family, grandson of a prime minister, son of a foreign minister, japan's longest serving prime minister, two different stints who despite some controversial views was widely viewed booth domestically and on the international stages, a strong leader who had deep pride in his country and who rallied japan in
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a time of discontent and t deflation and soul searching towardsrejuvenation of sorts. strong sense of japan's emergence on the international stage, a country that believes in democracy, freedom, human rights, world based order and strong u.s./japan relationship. and i think that that is part of the regular citylegacy that he remembered. >> and overnight we were getting messages of condolences from world leaders. no question here that they are all processing this information. selina wang, josh has talked about the u.s. and japanese alliance, right, how important that was, those strong ties especially in the region, right? this was seen as a move by the united states and japan to strengthen their ties in the face of arising china. >> reporter: absolutely. that is one of his key lasting
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legacies, bolstering ties with the u.s. in order to cope with increasing anxieties in japan over china. and he really paved the way for this more hawkish view in japan when it comes to china. and even recently abe was behind the scenes encouraging the current prime minister fumio kishida to take a more aggressive stance when it comes to the security issues. he had that cozy relationship with trump, he was able to maintain a sustained relationship with president trump when other world leaders were unable to, legalregularly g phone calls, playing golf with him. and he boosted ties across the region. all of this as a way to bolster their security allies in the face of growing aggression with china. frosty relations between wbay i didn't think beijing and tokyo were already intense and critics say that those ties only got worse throughout his leadership.
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he was a vocal critic of china after he had stepped down earlier this year. he had urged the u.s. to abandon its policy when it comes to taiwan saying that the u.s. should commit to defending taiwan in the event of a chinese attack. that of course no surprise was received with great backlash and anger from beijing. but this is one of his critical lasting legacies. and i want to mention that i was based in japan before this, and i cannot overstate moisture of a towering figure he was in japanese society for the public, for politics as well. he had so much influence over members of the ruling liberal democratic party. this is really a moment that is shaking the national psyche in japan, not just because of how influential he is, but because gun violence is virtually nonexistent in japan. annually there are normally less than ten gun related deaths. the shock, disbelief, i cannot overstate it, christine.
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>> and the few shootings there are usually criminal gang-related. josh, let me ask you about what this says as a threat to democracy. the current prime minister before the news that he was killed but after the shooting had said this was an attack on democracy in the country. he was campaigning for his party in the upper parliament and that election is sunday. >> right. well, it is not clear that this will have any dekt effect on the elections themselves. i mean, his party the ldp has had a majority for -- and controlled power for much of the post-war period and is expected to do so. but i think that the point that you made is a good one. he was not just a leader of japan, he was seen as a senior states man on the world stage. i covered prime minister abe when he developed a good relationship with president obama and also when he goedeveld
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a good relationship with president trump. and both looked up to him as someone who had the experience with diplomacy and dealing with especially china and other countries in the region. they saw him as something of a teacher. and a guidepost. and that is not a traditional role for japan with the u.s.'s relationship to be honest. and that is now lost. and of course prime minister kishida shares many of his views. but the role that abe played as a senior states man informally behind the scenes as was just noted was an important one. and it represented an emergence of japan on the world stage as a more assertive actor and focused on its core partnership with the united states. and, sure, some of that might be affected but i don't see any big indications that that will be a
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departure from that in any way. suffice to say i think that everyone right now is just in a state of shock. i'm in a state of shock. i'm sure everyone in japan is in a state of shock. first we'll have to process that shock and grief and honor the legacy of the man. and then figure out what the fallout is later. >> and the legacy, we're looking at video of abe with everybody from donald trump to barack obama, vladimir putin. i mean, he was an elder statesman on the world stage. >> he was towering on the world stage and he was one of the japanese leaders in recent history that perhaps did the nos increase japan's profile, to increase its international presence. not just relations with the u.s., but across the asia pacific region. but he was also divisive in japan, partially because of his big push to bolster japan's military wanting to revive
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japan's passivist constitution. he wanted to convince the japanese people that the neighborhood is risky and that they cannot rely on this pass civil anymore. he also will be remembered for wanting to restore japan's military prowess, its economic vitality, wanting to restore national pride. but it is no surprise that you are seeing this flood of condolences from national leaders because of just how critical he was in fostering the global ties. so without abe, this has global reverberations. there has not been a leader in recent history with that same presence as abe. >> and for those of you who are just joining in, just to reiterate the breaking news, shinzo abe the former prime minister of japan was shot by what appears to be a handmade gun by a man in a crowd where he was campaigning for his party. and he has died in the hospital. josh rogrogen, talk to us about this moment.
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you've got the assassination of a well-known world leader. in the uk, the prime minister has stepped down. we have a war, a hot war in europe. it feels just bigger picture like a very, i don't know, unique moment here in the world. am i right? >> i share that feeling that there is a sense that the regular rules of the road are unraveling. that this pressure on democracy around the world has been building to the sense that there are cracks in a lot of these societies. including our own of course. and in japan that kin has been relatively immune to outwardly violent displays of that pressure until today. and that has all changed now. i haven't lived in japan for many years. you know, i never once walked down the street and thought that i could be a witness or victim of gun violence. and i'm sure that is what everyone in that street in nara
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city thought today. and now they will never think that again. and that is a change that is some you are to affect japanese society in ways that we can't predict. as for the international connections, i don't think that we should speculate about any particular ties between what is going on in say london or washington and what happened today to prime minister abe. but, sure, there is a lot of pressure on politics and divisions that are erupting in all sorts of ways answer all sorts of countries. and this is certainly part and parcel of that trend. >> josh, selina wang, thank you so much for your expertise. we'll continue to follow that breaking news out of japan. the former prime minister shinzo abe has died. pain hits fast. so get relief fast. only tylenol rapid release gels have laser drilled holes. they release medicine fast for fast pain relilief. and now get relief without a pill
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former japanese prime minister shinzo abe has died after he was shot while campaigning, an assassination in japan. let's go now to paula hancocks live in seoul. he was an elder statesman, though still rather young and very active in politics, just 67 years old. retired but still a power broker. and someone who was close with world leaders and able to try to take japan to a new place. tried to strengthen its economy, tried to build up its defenses which was controversial and ambuitious for him. tell us a little bit more about his role in the region. >> reporter: that's right, i mean certainly he was a very powerful figure even though he stepped down for health concerns in 2020 as prime minister, he was still a very dominant presence behind the scenes. there was certainly a faction
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within the ldp, the ruling party, that he was controlling, that he was part of. so he was still a very vocal part of japanese politics. and he did have politics in his blood. if you look at his family, his grandfather was prime minister, his great uncle was prime minister, his father was a former foreign minister. which is where he really cut his teeth being secretary to his father. so this is something that he had been brought up to be part of this political world. and he was the youngest leader ever to be elected in japan at the age of 52. in fact he was the first japanese leader that was actually born after world war ii. and he had some very strong ideas of where he wanted japan to go, the direction he wanted the country to go. he was very assertive when it came to foreign policy and you see that many of the international leaders' reactions that have come out before he was
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pronounced dead were talking about the fact that he was a great figure and also many of them saying that he was in a. close personal friend, showing just how many of these leaders that he had impacted. in australia for example apart from the prime minister itself, three former prime ministers spoke about him and said how they considered him to be a close personal friend. so just shows how outgoing he was when it came to the region and the world. of course that assertive foreign policy was not appreciated by everybody. it wasn't appreciated by china or south korea for example. there were many historical issues between japan and south korea when it comes to for example the former colonization of south korea by japan. back in 1910 to 1945, there are still many residual issues that continue because of that. and shinzo abe was certainly a figure that was not always appreciate fld this country when
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it came to that. the relations were not always particularly good either when it came to the leader here and shinzo abe in japan. but he did have that wide spanning outlook when it came to the foreign policy, just the fact that he was for example the very first world leader that reached out and managed to get some kind of a relationship with the former u.s. president donald trump. that is something that many world leaders were unable to do, unable to fathom. but that is something that shinzo abe set out do very early on, the fact that his relationship with the united states needed to be closer, that was something that he was very focal about. and that is something that even though he was in the back scene of politics, that he was still pushing. >> yeah, managing that relationship with 2kud when the rest of the world was trying to
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handle that, that was well played politically as an elder states man. having hamburgers with the president, playing golf with the president in florida. he managed had well. and for those of you just checking in here, shinzo abe of japan has been assassinated. and it was a homemade gun it appears. talk to us about the rarity of gun violence in japan. when you look at pictures of what appears to be the weapon, it is clearly homemade, almost two pipes wrapped together, almost like a mobile pipe bomb. and we know that it fell this leader. tell us about gun violence in the region. >> reporter: he very fact that the assassin had to make his own gun tells you more than anything that i could tell you. the fact that it is so
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difficult, almost impossible for a regular citizen to be able to buy a gun in japan and be able to have a license for a gun, checks are quite remarkable. for example you have to have certain examinations, you have tos pass an exam, a written exam, they also have a personal and mental health assessment before you are allowed to have a gun. there is a police check for example on you. there is mandatory training to make sure that you know how to use the gun and that you actually have the gun for a particular reason. so it is extremely difficult for a regular citizen in japan to be able to access this kind of weaponry which is highly -- you know, the fact that this individual allegedly had to create his own in order to carry out this attack. even though this is extremely shocking to japan and those in the region, south korea is
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similar when it comes to this low level of gunof gun crime, i shocking that a former prime minister has been assassinated and extremely shocking that it has been done by a handmade gun. because there is a sense of security in countries like this that -- i myself after having worked there as walk back home at 3:00 in the morning without a thought that it was dangerous. it is an extremely safe country and just something that you don't imagine happening. so that willing something that many people within japan will be extremely shocked about. >> paula hancocks, thank you so much for your analysis. we're following this breaking news out of japan. the former prime minister ashino abe has died. he was bleeding from a bullet that went deep enough to reach his heart. cnn's special coverage continues.
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former prime minister shinzo abe has died. we learned that he was bleeding profusely from a bullet that went deep enough to reach his heart. let's bring in will ripley. just shock around the world. i'm watching these responses come in, the nato secretary-general jens stoltenberg sending his deep condolences to the family of the assassinated former prime minister. deeply saddened by heinous killing of shinzo abe, a defender of democracy. what more are we learning about what is an as satisfs assassina
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japan? >> reporter: the big question now is why. i think back to the huge protests that i covered when i was a tokyo correspondent, shinzo abe was japan's prime mi youngest as well. it is a political dynasty and he did have nationalist views that went up against some of those who felt that passivist constitution is exactly what japan needed whereas abe thought that the self-defense force should play a more assertive role when it comes to engaging in military conflicts. that by the way a view supported by the united states. and when i shinzo abe tried to rewrite the constitution, there were hundreds of thousands protesting outside, but they were peaceful protests. you don't see violence of this nature in japan. and he spoke out about
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controversial issues including defending taiwan, the self governing island that chinese communist rulers never controlled but still claim more than 70 years now as their own territory and said that they could use force to retake it. and abe after he resigned as prime minister in 2020, he said that japan would defend taiwan and that the united states should stop strategic ambiguity and that the u.s. should say that they would defend taiwan. and so he did speak out about that, he was considered a hard liner on north korea. when north korea was launches missiles and flying over the northern islands, it was shinzo abe who said that japan might need to consider first strike capability, the ability to actually fire japanese missiles at a target before they had even been hit. these remarks made headlines. they were certainly controversial, but overall i always perceived him as a well respected leader in japan. there is a reason why he led the
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party that he was the longest running prime minister in japanese history. i remember interviewing his wife, now his widow, thinking about her, what she is going through right now. i remember asking her what it is like to be the wife of a prime minister. and she was commenting as we were chatting off camera before the interview just that he is always busy, always doing something. and it was true, christine, he was reelected in 2012 right after the stsunami of 2011 and his slogan was japan is back. he always dreamed of the return of greatness to japan. and that is what the 2020 rockefeller centers were supposed to be. but it turned out to be a disappointment in that that they were delayed. he wanted people to see a new and vitalized japan that he was fighting for to the end.
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giving stump speeches for other candidates even though he was no longer the man at the front and center, he very much cared about the future of japan, a future that sadly now he won't be alive to see come to fruition. >> yeah, out there campaigning even though he was retired, still a power broker, still as his widow said to you, still out there working, working, working. tell us more about her. she is is beloved, the public ks her well. >> reporter: yes, think of maybe in terms popularity or approval ratings kind of like what we saw with mighchelle obama. regardless of what they thought of prime minister abe's politics, people loved his wife. and she was elegant, always calm and collected under pressure. you know, if there were any sort of questions about activities aside from being the first lady,
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her private life was never really raised into question. people always felt that she was there, she was serving japan just like her husband was and she did everything that she needed to do in order to fulfill that role and to play her part in helping support this man who was japan's longest serving prime minister. she struck me as just incredibly elegant and glamorous and very nice, very polite, exactly what would be the i dedeal in japane society, an era that may be now in the past. but she was very impressive person, and my heart is with her tonight. i can't imagine what she is going through now having to, you know, be the widow of one of japan's xwraigreatest politicia. >> and world leaders have been sending condolences for her and her family overnight. will ripley, thank you so much.
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more on the breaking news out of japan, the former prime minister shinzo abe has died. doctors say it was from excessive bleeding, a gunman shot him with what appears to be a homemade gun and the bullet went keep enough to reach his heart. cnn's special coverage continues. only at vanguard you're more than just an investor you're an owner. that means that your priorities are ours too. our interactive tools and advice can help you build a future for r the ones you love. that's the valueue of ownership. i'm jonathan lawson here to tell you about lilife insurance through the colonial penn program. if you're age 50 to 85, and looking to buy life insurance on a fixed budget, remember the three ps. what are the three ps? the three ps of life insurance on a fixed budt are price, price, and price. a price you can afford, a price that can't increase, and a price that fits your budget.
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returning to our top story
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for the latest details, breaking news this morning, former japanese prime minister shinzo abe is dead. the victim of assassination. a gunman shot him friday morning as he was giving a campaign speech in nara, japan. the moment captured on video. [ speaking foreign language ] [ gunshots ] >> you can hear the blast. officials say abe was wounded in the chest and neck. he was air lifted to a hospital where he tied of excessive blood loss during surgery. he scene police arrested a man in his 40s on suspicion of attempted murder. he appeared to have used a handmade gun in the attack. blake essig is joining us along with selena -- just blake this morning. thank you, blake. doctors i know have just held a news conference.
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what new have we learned from that news conference with doctors? >> reporter: devastating news here in japan. doctors at nara medical university hospital have confirmed that japanese prime minister, former prime minister, shinzo abe has died after being shot twice, one in the chest and once in the neck. doctors treating him said that he was bleeding profusely and that the bullet that killed him was deep enough to reach his heart. in fact theres said by the time he reached the hospital, his heart had already stopped. doctors say that they face addictity -- a difficult time stopping the bleeding and was actually the reason -- it was that loss of blood that abe ended up dying from. now, the shooting happened while delivering a speech around 11:30 this morning local time in the western city of nara. several hours after the shooting current prime minister fumio kishida did hold a press
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conference to say that shinzo abe was in critical condition and doctors were fighting to save his life. cam kishida advisably emotional, calling it an unforgiveable act. abe's brother also addressed the media, he is the current minister of defense who called the attack an a of a front to democracy and freedom of speesh. he was in a state of cardiac arrest while being transported to the hospital. witnesses say abe was shot from behind, he didn't collapse. you heard both shots before we started talking here on that video. he didn't collapse after the first shot but did collapse after the second shot. the suspect a man in his 40s was arrested on the spot in possession of what nhk is describing as a handmade gun.
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almost looks like a homemade sawed-off shotgun, two pipes held together by black tape. but again the investigation into exactly what that is a still under way. abe was there in japan's western city delivering a stump speech for liberal democratic candidates ahead of the upper house elections set for this sunday. and while controversial figure here in japan at times and around the world for his policies, abe is incredibly important figure and news of the shooting has absolutely shocked a nation. just in the hours following the shooting, many have taken to social media to say that they hope that he would put through and some calling today's shooting a barbaric act that shakes the root of democracy saying whether or not you agree with his political instances, violence to suppress political stances is always unacceptable. and unfortunately those emotions will only deepen with the news
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that the former prime minister shinzo abe has died. >> blake essig, thank you so much for that reporting. for more let's bring in professor of economics and public policy at harvard university. ken, you've been following this grim news of the assassination of japan's former prime minister. he led an influential economic policy initiative that became known as abe-nomics. and what are his legacy i guess? >> good morning. well, first 06,off, i'm in a complete state of shake. you can't imagine gun lie violence like this in japan. when abe took over, japan had been in a long stagnation that had their financial crisis back in the 1990s and never really grew their way out of it.
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and he said i'm going to take over and do really bold things. so huge fiscal policy stimulus for longer, he appointed head of the central bank who said, you know, i'm really going to get things going using monetary policy more aggressively than ever before. he really set an example that many western leaders followed. >> we know that later today there is other news happening in the u.s., this jobs report will be released, we not the fed and u.s. is jacking up interest rates to fight inflation. what do you 1kek you expect fros numbers? paint the view from you in this moment. >> it is a complete disconnects. what we really care about the most in a recession are the jobs. of course output going down is not good, it is bad. but if you are looking at jobs
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growth and the human toll is much less. and we're likely to have two quarters of negative growth in a row this sort of back of the envelope usually means a recession. but the jobs numbers have been very strong. they are expected to temper. hard to predict. that is a really good number that is coming out though, often considered the most ra reliable statistic. not yet in a recession, but we're growing more slowly and there are concerns that we could get there. >> can the fed tamp down inflation without tipping us into recession? >> they want to, i think it is almost impossible. they would have to be very lucky. they have to decide do they have to have inflation get down quickly, or are they going to throw us into a big recession. i think that they are saying that they will get inflation down. i think that they will blink. >> ken, thank you for coming on
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today and talks to us both about the economic legacy of the late shinzo abe and what is happening right now in the american economy. tap dance for us. thanks. and "new day" continues right now with special coverage. ian lg with diabetes, fingersticks can be a real challengege. that's why i use the freestyle libre 2 system. with a paiainless, one-second scan i know my glucose numbers without fingerersticks. now i'm mamanaging my diabetes better and i've lowereded my a1c from 8.2 to 6.7. take the mystery out of managing your diabetes and lower your a1c. now you know. try it for free at freestylelibre.us
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breaking news. good morning to viewers here in the u.s. and around the world, it's friday, july 8th. i'm brianna keilar alongside john berman this morning and we're beginning with major breaking news. the assassination of japan's longest serving prime minister and one of its most consequential leaders. former japanese prime minister shinzo abe has died after being shot during a campaign speech today. the shooting captured on video. [ speaking foreign language ] [ gunshots ] >> you can hear there two shots fired. abe suffered a bullet wound to the right side of his neck and also to his chest. he was rushed from the scene in an ambulance and then transferred by medical helicopter to a hospital where he underwent emergency treatment, but doctors could not stop the bleeding. >> moments after the shots were fired you coul

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