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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Israeli Prime Minister To Speak In D.C.; Secretary Kerry Joins Iran Nuke Talks Today; ISIS Releases 20 Christian Hostages; Putin Condemns Nemtsov Murder; March Madness For Stocks

Aired March 02, 2015 - 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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JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now: Israel's prime minister waking up in Washington, one day before his speech before his controversial Congress against White House wishes. What does this mean for the nuclear deal with Iran and will it payoff for Benjamin Netanyahu?

Team coverage on this big story starts now.

Welcome back to EARLY START, everyone. I'm John Berman.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Christine Romans. It's 30 minutes past the hour. It's the first trading day of March, the second day of March.

And a lot going on this morning, developing this morning, tension between the Obama administration and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaching a peak this morning, as the Israeli leader arrives in Washington preparing to speak later today to the pro-Israel lobby group, AIPAC.

Tomorrow, Netanyahu is set to address Congress. Both speeches expected to be highly critical of the negotiations between the U.S. and Iran over the Iran's nuclear program.

Netanyahu has said he believes that program, which Iran says is peaceful, poses a threat to Israel. For the very latest, let's bring in CNN White House correspondent, Erin McPike.

ERIN MCPIKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John, Christine, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will speak in just a few hours. But this rift has been growing throughout the weekend.

We have heard congressional Democrats speak out on this including California Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein, who was on CNN's "STATE OF THE UNION" on Sunday morning calling Netanyahu arrogant and she added this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. DIANNE FEINSTEIN (D), CALIFORNIA: No. He doesn't speak for me on this. He doesn't at all -- DANA BASH, CNN GUEST ANCHOR: Does that bother you when he says he

speaks --

FEINSTEIN: Yes. I think the Jewish community is like any other community. There are different points of view. So, I think that arrogance does not befit Israel.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCPIKE: We did learn on Sunday afternoon that U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power, will focus her speech at AIPAC on the relationship between the U.S. and Israel. However, she is speaking just after Netanyahu does so it could be a little bit awkward.

However, the U.S. has tried to keep an open dialogue with Israel around this trip, and to that end, Secretary of State John Kerry spoke by phone on Sunday with Netanyahu about the negotiations over Iran between the U.S. and Iran. We should be getting more details about that in the coming days -- John and Christine.

BERMAN: All right, thanks, Erin, for that. The Obama administration argues is it trying to ease the friction with Israel. At the same time, it criticized Prime Minister Netanyahu on Sunday for accepting the House Speaker Boehner's invitation to speak to Congress without first informing the White House.

The speaker is defending the invitation while blasting the administration for the letting the relationship with Israel deteriorate.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Has the White House damaged the relationship?

REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-OH), HOUSE SPEAKER: The animosity between the White House and the prime minister is no secret here in this town.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They made it worse.

BOEHNER: But they certainly made it worse over the last five or six weeks. The threat coming from Iran and the Iranians having a nuclear weapon is a threat to the region and United States and world. This is a serious issue.

And we are not going to resolve this issue by sticking our heads in the sand. The prime minister can talk about this threat, I believe, better than anyone. The United States Congress wants to hear from him and so do the American people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: It is interesting. He mentions the U.S. Congress and American people. Neither of those audiences are the primary audience for the speech. That would be the people of Israel who will go to the polls in two weeks and perhaps elect a new prime minister. That may be the audience that the prime minister wants to address more than any other.

Let's go to Jerusalem now in CNN's Oren Liebermann. Good morning, Oren.

OREN LIEBERMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John. The timing of the speech allows Netanyahu to address essentially both audiences, the American and the Israeli public, this will be in the morning Eastern Time.

Here to essentially be primetime so there certainly will be an audience. The Israeli public is very split on this speech. Those on the right, which would be Netanyahu's Likud Party, Jewish home and some of those other political parties.

As well as the people that support those parties see this as a vital opportunity to warn America and Europe about the threat nuclear Iran poses to Israel and perhaps even to the stability of the Middle East.

On the other hand, those on the left see this as purely a political move with only two weeks to go until the elections. In the last 24 hours, we've learned more about the contents of Netanyahu's speech.

Our CNN team spoke with a senior Israeli official traveling with Netanyahu to Washington. Netanyahu believes he knows more about these negotiations than the U.S. Congress and he intends to use the speech to inform Congress about some of the details of this deal.

He has two goals. First, he wants Congress to put pressure on the White House to make sure that Israel is a consideration and a safety of the country is a consideration in these negotiations.

Secondly, Netanyahu would like to see deadline, the March 24th deadline for these negotiations with Iran pushed back. That deadline comes exactly three weeks after Netanyahu's speech before Congress and one week after the Israeli elections. John, this election, all the polls are showing him very, very close.

BERMAN: Very close in a speech like this, a high profile speech like this could make a difference. Oren Lieberman, thanks so much for being with us.

Happening today, Secretary of State John Kerry meets with his Iranian counterpart in Switzerland. This is the eighth round of negotiations this year on Iran's nuclear program.

And as Oren just mentioned, getting the U.S. to postpone the March 24th deadline to conclude those talks is one of Prime Minister Netanyahu's main objective in his speech before Congress here.

ROMANS: ISIS has released 20 Christian hostages all but one hostage kidnapped last week in northeast Syria. That's according to a London- based human rights group. The Syrian hostages released on the orders of a self-proclaimed ISIS Sharia court.

For the latest, let's bring in senior international correspondent, Ben Wedeman. He is live for us this morning in Erbil, Iraq. Ben, what do we know about why this ISIS court has let these hostages go?

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the reports we're hearing from northeastern Syria, Christine, money was paid. A ransom and it was provided. It is not clear from whom, but possibly from the Syrian Christian community in northeastern Syria.

There are 20 people who have been released according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights that's a U.K. based group. They say that of the 20, 19 were taken hostage last week.

Of those 19, 16 are men and three are women and the 20th is a man who was taken hostage by ISIS last month. We understand that they are all over the age of 50.

But even though this is a glimmer of good news, we understand that as many as 200, possibly more, Syrian Christians who were taken hostage by ISIS during an offensive against Syrian Christian villages remain hostage.

Some of them, we're told, have ended up in Raqqah, which is the de facto capital of ISIS in north central Syria. If we go by previous experience, there is a very good possibility that some of them may end up sold as slaves -- Christine.

ROMANS: Tragic. All right, tragic. Thank you so much for that, Ben Wedeman for us in Erbil this morning.

Now we are learning new information about the British voice of ISIS nicknamed Jihadi John by his captives. We are live in London with the latest in about 15 minutes.

BERMAN: Round two of the political fight to fund Homeland Security. Money for the agency runs out in five days. That is still after last week's stopgap fix.

Republicans are still trying to keep DHS funding tied to blocking the president's immigration reforms. The Senate has approved the full year of DHS funding with no strings attached.

ROMANS: All right, time for an EARLY START on your money this morning. Asian and European markets are higher. China's Central Bank cut interest rates to stimulate that economy.

U.S. stock futures are up too. It looks like a good start folks for March following an excellent February. The S&P 500 has climbed 5.5 percent. That's the biggest gain since October of 2011. The Nasdaq almost knocking on the door of 5,000, a level last seen during the dot-com bubble.

Legendary investor, Warren Buffett, knows who will replace him as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. Of course, he didn't share the name, but in his letter to shareholders he said his successor already works at Berkshire, is relatively young.

This is, by the way, Warren Buffett's 50th annual letter since taking control in 1964. That company has soared under his watch. It is now the fourth most valuable company in America trailing only Apple, Google and Exxon.

He says America's best days lie ahead. There are pessimists who always think that America is going down the tubes. If you stay in the market, you invest in quality companies, and you keep your fees low. He says the biggest risk is not investing in the stock market. He's been right about that.

BERMAN: All right, tens of thousands of Russians protesting after the murder of President Vladimir Putin's strongest critic. We are live in Moscow next.

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BERMAN: Tens of thousands of Russians gathering in Moscow to mourn the death of former Deputy Prime Minister Boris Nemtsov. He was a vocal critic of President Vladimir Putin and he was assassinated Friday within the sight of the kremlin walls.

Now Sunday's rally initially was supposed to be led by Nemtsov instead it was a tribute to him. Let's bring in CNN international correspondent, Matthew Chance, live from the site of that protest. Good morning, Matthew.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John. Even now, several days after the killing of Boris Nemtsov, you can see there is a constant stream of people coming to this bridge in the shadow of the walls of the kremlin to pay their respects to Boris Nemtsov.

These mountains of flowers have been laid in tribute to the former deputy prime minister. Messages put down as well. This one saying propaganda kills. A reference to this idea that it is the atmosphere of animosity inside Russia at the moment.

If you are against the kremlin, you are an enemy of the state. This is the context for the killing of Boris Nemtsov. So that is one of the powerful message that this killing has sent.

Whoever pulled the trigger and gave the order, one message received by ordinary Russians is if you oppose the kremlin, this is what could happen to you. Obviously, that could have a very negative impact on what is already a fringe opposition movement in the country.

BERMAN: Matthew, some of the signs of the protests read we are not afraid. The question is, is that a real sentiment that will last? The investigation being led by the kremlin, is it widely trusted within the country?

CHANCE: I won't say it is widely trusted. I will say that Vladimir Putin has been very upfront in saying look, I'll get to the bottom of this. We will find those responsible and we will bring them to justice.

He's written a message to the mother of Boris Nemtsov to say just as much. The truth of it is, Russia has a very patchy record indeed when it comes to investigating these kinds of political killings. Back in 2006, the people who ordered that execution in the apartment in Moscow of a prominent correspondent never brought to justice. So, I think it is fair to say a high degree of skepticism despite what the government says, the same May happen this time.

BERMAN: Opposing Vladimir Putin appears to be a dangerous line of work. Matthew Chance in Moscow for us, thanks so much.

ROMANS: The Justice Department about to release a blistering report on the Ferguson Missouri Police Department. According to officials who have been briefed, the report will accuse Ferguson Police of making discriminatory traffic stops involving African-Americans building years of animosity leading up to the shoot death of Michael Brown.

Fines from those traffic stops have been critical to balancing the city's budget. Ferguson officials will likely have to negotiate a settlement with the Justice Department of face a civil rights lawsuit.

BERMAN: The city of Cleveland says the death of 12-year-old Tamir Rice in a police shooting was directly caused by the boy's own actions. The city is responding to a lawsuit filed by the family.

Rice was fatally shot, holding a pellet gun, which officers mistook for a real firearm. Video shows the shooting occurred seconds after police confronted the boy.

ROMANS: Another shooting to report this morning, dramatic new video of a fatal police shooting in Los Angeles. It shows officers involved in an altercation with a man reportedly homeless, suspected of robbery outside a shelter on skid row on Sunday.

It is unclear from the video what precipitated the altercation. The police tried to tase the man, but he kept fighting them. He reached for an officer's gun. They say three separate police officers fired shots at him.

The authorities say the incident is under investigation. They will review the video from various sources. Some of the police officers wearing vest cameras so there is more evidence to go over here.

BERMAN: New questions. Let's see what is coming up on "NEW DAY". Chris Cuomo joins us now. Good morning, sir.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR, "NEW DAY": How are you both of you. Happy Monday. I'll talk to you about the case you showed us on video in terms of what we are going to try to do with it today for you.

But the big story is the mounting tension over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech before Congress tomorrow. He is here now. We will get a preview of what he will say in a pro-Israel lobby speech today.

What is the message about Iran and why is there tension with he and President Obama, among politicians here often who are supportive of BB and Jews, the poll numbers here that give an interesting picture of what is expected here in the United States and back in Israel. We will break that down for you.

We will get into the case of the Los Angeles police shooting. It is on video, as you saw. The reason that the officers faces are fuzzy, according to the authorities, not all officers involved in the shooting. They fuzzed the faces.

The pattern is going to present as familiar. What was done? Was this force needed? What other lesser force was used? We will have experts here to weigh in. Every one of the cases, John and Christine, they all seem similar, but every one of them is very different, very fact driven. We'll get into it.

BERMAN: Yes, the details. All right, Chris, thanks so much.

We have new information revealed about the ISIS executioner. He is described as a loner, as someone who is cold, someone who is strange. We are live in London with these new details next.

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BERMAN: New details this morning about the ISIS fighter known as "Jihadi John." A terrorist defector who met Mohammed Emwazi two years ago in Syria tells the BBC says the man was a cold loner who wanted to appear in terrorist videos even describing Emwazi as odd and strange.

Let's get more now from CNN senior international correspondent, Nic Robertson in London. Good morning, Nic.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, good morning, John. Odd and strange because he was living in a house in Syria with a group of other British jihadists, but according to the ISIS defector, Jihadi John, Mohammed Emwazi, would take himself off to pray by himself with a close group of friends rather than doing what other fellow jihadists were doing, praying in large groups.

That would set him apart. This is man who is different. We are not learning, there is a journalist in Britain here who was contacted by Emwazi by e-mail in 2010. Emwazi telling him I'm a dead man walking. He explains the reason for that.

I'll give you more background and detail here. Emwazi believed it appears by British intelligence and the police to have had connections with Al Shabaab, the forerunner of al Qaeda in Somalia, helping fund them.

Closely associated with people who were fighting with them perhaps this was why he was under scrutiny. He says he feels like a dead man walking because he advertises on e-bay to sell his laptop. He says his laptop is believed to be in a gang that has been ripping off local residents in a rich neighborhood close to where he lives.

He advertised his computer. He goes to the tube station to sell it to somebody he met. He told that person about his surname. The man says without checking the computer, Muhammad, thank you very much. This is the picture painted. A loner associated with terrorist circles, and somebody perhaps with criminal associations in the U.K. as well -- John.

BERMAN: All right, Nic Robertson, for us. Fascinating details, thanks so much, Nic.

ROMANS: All right, 53 minutes past the hour this Monday morning. Silicon Valley is where all the money is, right, well, not for everyone. We have more on a clash between the haves and the have-nots there next.

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ROMANS: All right, Let's get an EARLY START on your money this morning. Asian and European stocks are mostly higher. China's Central Bank cut interest rates to stimulate that economy.

U.S. stock futures are up right now too. It could be a great start to March. It sure was an excellent February. The S&P 500 is up 5.5 percent. That is the biggest gain since October of 2011. That is a great fabulous February. The Nasdaq almost reached 5,000. It hasn't seen that level since the dot-com bubble.

Yet another clash with the haves and the have-nots in Silicon Valley, bus drivers who shuttle employees to work at Apple, Yahoo!, E-bay and Zynga, a lot of other tech companies, they are unionizing.

They want higher wages. They want a solution for the unpaid hours in the middle of the day when the buses aren't needed. They are following in the footsteps of Facebook's bus drivers who unionized and negotiated higher wages.

They negotiate a shift's differential and benefits like health insurance and retirement plans. They see this money being made in Silicon Valley. These are the people who get those people to work.

BERMAN: They don't get the piece of the IPOs either.

Israel's prime minister wakes up in Washington one day before the speech before Congress, all of the details on "NEW DAY" starting right now.