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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Historic Blizzard Set to Bury the Northeast; ISIS Apparently Kills Japanese Hostage; President Obama to Visit Saudi Arabia; Boko Haram Attacks Big Nigerian City

Aired January 26, 2015 - 04:30   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: Severe weather warning for the Northeast and, man, is that an understatement. A historic crippling blizzard set to bury millions. We're talking up to three feet of snow. Cities are being warned that this storm could be catastrophic.

This morning, thousands of flights have already been cancelled, so many people bracing for whiteout conditions. Hurricane-force winds, blackouts. We are tracking what you need to know. It's quite a bit. Where is this storm going to hit. It's just a few hours right now. Watching it very closely.

Welcome back to EARLY START, everyone. I'm John Berman. About 31 minutes past the hour. Christine Romans stepped out for just a minute.

When the weather service starts using historic and life threatening to describe a monster blizzard set to hit part of 12 states, you know you need to take it seriously. Worst case: snowfall amounts could range from 2 to 3 feet of snow. That's right, 3 feet of snow, from New York to Boston. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio warns this nor'easter could break records.

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MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO (D), NEW YORK: This literally could be one of the top two or three largest storms in the history of the city and we need to plan accordingly.

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BERMAN: Yes, planning is the key here and cities are doing that.

Columbus, Ohio, put 70 to 80 plows on the roads with drivers working 12-hour shifts. Pennsylvania department of transportation will have 400 trucks out in the Philadelphia area plowing and salting their way through the huge snowstorm. And again, the snow, as I'm looking at all the forecasts here, the snow is only part of the problem. Whether it is 1 feet, 2 feet or 3 feet, it is the wind here that could be devastating.

I want to bring in meteorologist Pedram Javaheri for all the latest.

Good morning, Pedram.

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Hey, good morning, John.

Yes, well said. You know, the winds are definitely going to be an issue. And especially when you talk about the major cities, it will enhance the winds at the surface. Look at nearly 50 million people underneath winter weather advisories, warnings and blizzard warnings for nearly 30 million people, including New York City and Boston.

We think the worst of the storm really begin to push in here sometime Monday night into the early morning hours of Tuesday morning. And, again, this is going to be something that could push up toward record values.

But blizzard warnings and blizzard in general -- one of the misused terms, because used frequently, but the criteria is pretty narrow actually. You've got to have winds up to 35 miles per hour. Visibility down to a quarter of f a mile or less, and this has to continue for at least three or more hours. These are all a probability around the major metro cities. So, you have this sort of scenario.

You've got to plan for no power for at least several days in the worst case spots. Of course, plenty of food, plenty of water and supplies should be already stacked up across this region. Filling up your car and charging your devices -- certainly not a bad thing to think about over the next several hours. Storm system by this time tomorrow morning is already off the Eastern Seaboard. It will be a nor'easter. It will be a full blown blizzard, and the models really vary on how much comes down.

This particular one, quite accurate usually, puts about 9 inches in Philly, 22 in New York and pushes it close to 20 inches in and around Boston. This would be put it to get in that historical category when it comes to the amount of snow that has come down.

But look at the models that we have to work with. Some of them, put about 7 inches. Others one push it to 20. The National Weather Service in the local cities puts it 20 to 30 inches. So, very hard to forecast exactly comes down but what is worth noting, of course, is it doesn't matter how much snow comes down. It will be powerful with the winds.

Visibility will be down to almost nothing. When the snow stops on Tuesday, visibility will be blizzard-like, because you have all of the snow on the ground blowing around in the areas on the Northeast. And, John, about 2 million people deal with blizzards in the United States every year. This will put 30 million people in the risk zone by tomorrow.

BERMAN: Because it is hitting the northeast megalopolis, which is one of my favorite words.

And, Pedram, as you say, this storm, even when it stops snowing, you are facing hours more of blizzard conditions, because the winds will keep blowing. You said a minute We are expecting gusts up to 50 and beyond in some places in the northeast.

JAVAHERI: Absolutely. Get closer to the coastline, it will get up to hurricane force, 65 to 75-mile-per-hour gusts possible with the storm system. So, that's the concern when you have the sort of wind speeds, powerful storm coming in and putting it in the upper echelon of biggest snowstorms in the Northeast in history.

BERMAN: And that's why officials do not want you outside. Please listen to your local or your city or your state officials and abide by the rules.

Pedram Javaheri, thank you so much for helping us understanding this storm. Airlines are already bracing for this blizzard. They canceled thousands of flights. They're prepping for major backlog.

So far, more than 1,900 flights have been canceled for today. That is today. Today is not even a bad day.

Another 1,600 flights have been canceled for tomorrow. And that will grow by a lot, because those flights aren't going anywhere tomorrow. Let's be honest. Several airlines, United and U.S. Airways plan to halt all Tuesday operations at airports. That backlog will make traveling a nightmare through the end of the week.

Not just in the Northeast, there is that ripple effect all across the country. The airlines are waiving their change fees. Airports that are in the worst shape right now are Newark, JFK, LaGuardia and Boston's Logan. So, obviously, check your plans.

Some other news now, new developments in the story of the two Japanese hostages being held by ISIS. New developments and frankly awful. A video that purports to show is beheaded one of the men, Haruna Yukawa. A known ISIS supporter posted this video online of the other man, Kenji Goto holding what looks like a photo of Yukawa's headless body.

On the video, a voice claiming to be Goto blames Japan for not saving the other man by paying $200 million ransom that ISIS had demanded. The voice also says that ISIS will drop the ransom demand and release Goto, the man still alive, in exchange for a convicted female terrorist who is now facing the death penalty in Jordan.

There is breaking news on this front this morning. Japan now has an envoy in Jordan to, quote, "coordinate with every side in this hostage crisis." So, what does that mean?

CNN's Will Ripley standing by live in Tokyo.

Good morning, Will.

WILL RIPLEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John, or good evening, from Tokyo, where it has been a very busy day after a very busy weekend. Tireless weekend for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe who had emergency meetings as soon as it became clear that this ISIS video surfaced. Of course, there is some skepticism which at now seems to be fading away. The picture believed to be of the headless body of Haruna Yukawa.

The audio, that is still analyzed by experts, but it is now the consensus from more and more people, including the chief cabinet secretary in Japan that the audio, the voice you hear, is that of Kenji Goto. However, some of Goto's own family members, including the husband of his mother are skeptical.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I got the sense it is not his voice. I have heard his English a couple of times. I felt it was a bit different.

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RIPLEY: This is developing into a bit of a crisis for the Prime Minister Shinzo Abe because remember it was his pledge, a public pledge of $200 million that triggered this hostage situation. The government now begins, has just wrapped up day one of its diet session. Some are saying that the prime minister could have more discreetly announced that aid, still got -- countries still would have received the benefits. Japan would have been thanked. And he would not have put the lives of two hostages of ISIS in danger -- John.

BERMAN: All right. Will Ripley for us in Tokyo, thanks so much.

Thirty-eight minutes after the hour.

The swap that ISIS seems to want to make raises a lot of interesting questions. Chief among them is, who is the woman that they want? This failed suicide bomber. And why is she apparently worth the $200 million that ISIS would be giving up in a straight swap for this Japanese hostage Kenji Goto?

I want to bring in CNN's Jomana Karadsheh from Amman, Jordan.

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John, Sajida al-Rishawi was part of a four-member suicide bomber team that was dispatched by al Qaeda in Iraq in 2005 to attack Jordan. On November 9th of that year, three hotels here in the capital Amman were hit by deadly bombings. A few days later, Jordanian authorities detained al-Rishawi who later on appeared in confession videos aired on state television here. And she said that she had been at one of the hotels with her husband who attacked a wedding party there killing and wounding dozens, the deadliest attacks of triple bombings.

But she said she tried to detonate, but the vest failed to detonate. She was sentenced to death in 2006. She's been on death row since. Now, Jordan in 2006 halted the death penalty. And there was a de facto moratorium up until last month, when Jordan resumed executions.

Now, that bombings, those bombings, the triple Amman hotel bombings were claimed by ISIS's predecessor al Qaeda in Iraq. The mastermind behind these attacks is believed to have been Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the founder and leader of al Qaeda in Iraq. He is said to have ties to the family of this failed suicide bomber. His brothers are said to have been close associates of al Zarqawi. In 2006, Zarqawi was killed in a U.S. air strike.

So, there are lots of questions here. Analysts are wondering why they are demanding this woman. There are high level jihadists in Jordanian jails -- John.

BERMAN: All right. Jomana Karadsheh for us, in Amman -- thanks so much, Jomana.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: One American woman does remain captive at the hands of ISIS. She was taken hostage in August 2013 while on a humanitarian mission in Syria. The White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough says intense efforts are being made to bring this American home safely.

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DENIS MCDONOUGH, WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF: We are obviously continuing to work those matters very, very aggressively. We are sparing no expense and sparing no effort both in trying to make sure that we know where they are and make sure that we are prepared to do anything we must to try to get them home.

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ROMANS: ISIS has demanded more than $6 million for the woman's freedom, along with the release of Aafia Siddiqui, as Pakistani neuroscientist convicted in the U.S. of trying to kill a U.S. Army captain.

BERMAN: Yemen falling deeper into political chaos this morning as an emergency session of parliament is canceled and lawmakers are turned away at the door. The president and prime minister and the whole cabinet resigned last week when rebel Houthis invaded the capital and effectively took over.

President Obama insists the U.S. counterterrorism in Yemen is unchanged and is working, saying that killing militants with drones there is better than, quote, "playing whack a mole with massive U.S. deployments in perpetuity."

The U.N. Security Council set to hold an emergency meeting on this crisis in Yemen this morning.

ROMANS: President Obama is trying to preserve millions of acres of animal habitat in Alaska, a move already drawing fierce opposition for some Republicans. The president says he will ask Congress to designate 12 million acres of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as wilderness, the strongest level of federal protection. It would forbid a range of activities like drilling for oil and gas, the construction of roads, the measure not likely to make it through Congress.

BERMAN: The Senate is expected to resume its intense debate on the bill that would approve the controversial Keystone oil pipeline. A final vote in the Senate is expected this week. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has vowed that it will be the first piece of legislation the Republican Congress sends to President Obama. The president has promised to veto this if it reaches his desk.

ROMANS: All right. A breakthrough nuclear deal reached with India this morning. President Obama is in New Delhi. We'll take you there live after the break.

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BERMAN: All right. Happening this morning, the United States and India celebrating progress on the breakthrough nuclear power deal that could be worth billions of dollars. The agreement allowing U.S. companies to build nuclear power plants in India is the centerpiece of President Obama's three-day state visit to India.

Overnight, the president became the first U.S. leader to attend India's republic day parade. It all represents a big transformation -- this is the important thing -- in the often tense relationship between the two countries.

Our White House correspondent Michelle Kosinski joins us live now from New Delhi with the latest.

And, Michelle, you know, we talk about the nuclear deal. We talk about the concrete issues they discussed. But again, the changes here are more symbolic and important than anything.

MICHELLE KOSINSKI, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: I lost what you said there for a minute, John. Did you say is this more symbolic or more concrete?

BERMAN: Big changes between the United States and India in terms of the relationship.

KOSINSKI: Right. I mean, that's what they've been looking for. And they have been looking for this for a long time. It's been difficult with past administrations here in India. There has been progress, but things would stall. There were even some tensions. Remember the expulsion of the Indian diplomat about two years ago of her not paying her nanny enough. That turned out to be a big international incident.

So, things like that would stand out in the way. With the election of Prime Minister Modi here in India and the relationship that he's been building with President Obama, both sides have said they wanted to see not just incremental changes, but transformational changes in the relationship between the countries. India has even called it an obvious natural partnership.

India in the past hasn't been that strong about going after the U.S. as a partner. And some of the areas where it is partnered with others like Russia. For instance, defense. Now, the U.S. and India are going to do much more together. Even co-develop and co-produce technology for their militaries.

So, I think, you know, it could be a lot of talk and you can talk about it being symbolism or optics, seeing these two men hug. But I think we are starting to hear and see some of the real change that is behind some of those statements, to see them actually get past this big impasse on a civil nuclear deal -- meaning using nuclear energy to provide power to India's people with the help of U.S. companies. I mean, that's something that had been stalled for many years. Now, they say they are finally getting past that.

So, I think it is really open-ended how much more progress we see and how that benefits the U.S. economy as well as India, John.

BERMAN: Yes, the key relationship between the world's oldest democracy, the United States, and the biggest, which, of course, is India.

Michelle Kosinski for us in New Delhi -- thanks so much, Michelle.

KOSINSKI: The prosecution and defense in the Aaron Hernandez murder trial expected to choose the final 12 jurors and six alternates today from a pool of 53. Opening statements are scheduled to begin on Tuesday. The former NFL star is charged in the death of semi-pro football player Odin Lloyd.

Hernandez has pleaded not guilty. He faces murder charges in a different case where he is accused of killing two men he met in a Boston nightclub in 2012.

BERMAN: Yes, the opening statements for tomorrow are not going to happen in Boston with this blizzard.

The federal trial of the accused marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, that will not begin today because of the delay in jury selection. Prosecutors intend to seek the death penalty for Tsarnaev. The judge has been questioning jurors, prospective jurors at least about their feelings on capital punishment that has slowed the process. Tsarnaev is charged in the 2013 marathon attack that killed three people and injured more than 260 others.

ROMANS: Security concerns causing a lot of headaches for air travelers. A Delta flight from Los Angeles to Orlando diverted to Dallas Sunday after a reported bomb threat on Twitter. It eventually took off for Florida, seven hours late. Two other flights involving JetBlue and Sky West had to be to be evacuated upon arrival in Seattle. Airport officials there only say there was a security concern.

And I should tell you, there have been 1,900 canceled flights so far this morning. If you are flying anywhere, you're probably not. Actually --

BERMAN: All because of the weather.

ROMANS: Boston, New York, LaGuardia, JFK, all of them having a lot of cancellations. So, check on that this morning, folks.

BERMAN: About 10 minutes until the hour right now.

New attacks by Boko Haram, this time on a large city. This major change in tactics and what we are learning this morning, live right after the break. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROMANS: New violence this morning from Boko Haram. The Islamic extremists clashing with troops in northeastern Nigeria's biggest city, Maiduguri. All of this bloodshed happening as Secretary of State John Kerry visits Nigeria's president in the country's financial hub of Lagos to encourage peaceful elections this month.

Diana Magnay is following the very latest for us from Johannesburg, South Africa.

Good morning, Diana.

DIANA MAGNAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Christine.

Well, it's true. Boko Haram militants trying to takeover the town of Maiduguri up in the northeast. That is a very important town. It is the provincial capital of Borneo state which Boko Haram really holds a large of. And they have been trying to take the regional capital for some time.

This time round, the Nigerian military managed to repel. There was heavy fighting around the military base, just on the outskirts of the city. And the city went into curfew all day on Sunday. But the Nigerian military managed to push them back, but you can be sure that Boko Haram will try again and try harder.

They also managed during the course of the day on Sunday to takeover another military barracks in a town which is about 125 kilometers away from Maiduguri, up towards Baga where you remember the terrible massacre that took place at the beginning of January. And, of course, if Boko Haram takes over the military barracks, then, of course, it will also take over the arsenal inside those barracks, and become better equipped, better able to fight the Nigerian army, which is clearly finding it very, very difficult to quell this insurgency.

John Kerry was in Lagos on Sunday. He met with both candidates in what promises to be a pretty close run election. He gave a speech outlining that the U.S. is still committed and helping Nigeria in its fight against Boko Haram, their relationship is strong. But the further help will be contingent on the elections on February 14th are free and fair and peaceful and credible -- Christine.

ROMANS: It's just from the outside, it's just almost unbelievable that a government cannot get control of what is happening within its borders. It must be incredibly frustrating for the people of Nigeria.

Diana Magnay, thank you so much for that this morning.

BERMAN: (INAUDIBLE)

ROMANS: Right.

BERMAN: Police and protesters clashing in Egypt on the fourth anniversary of the Arab uprising. Eighteen people killed over the weekend, including three officers, more than 300 were arrested. Government officials say three of the dead were militants trying to plant bombs that accidently exploded in two Nile Delta towns.

ROMANS: A record breaking blizzard could mean a hit to the economy. We're getting ready for this big one. I'm going to tell you what it's going to mean for your money, next.

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ROMANS: All right. It's Monday. Let's get an early start on your money, Monday's storm edition.

European stocks mostly higher right now. Shaking off a victory for the anti-austerity party in Greece. The euro dipped to an 11-year low this morning, before bouncing back a bit. U.S. stock futures are down a little bit.

You know, the Northeast bracing for this historic blizzard. It could potentially hurt businesses bottom lines.

BERMAN: Isn't it a question of how much?

ROMANS: By how much, yes.

And there also are businesses that we will bounce back and will see a lot of business, but winter weather caused the economy to contract more than 2 percent last year. This winter has been different, hasn't been damaging with the disruptive storms. This is just the big first one. We're expecting a very disruptive storm today. So, all businesses are trying to figure out what this means for their numbers.

Also moving lower this morning, oil prices -- crude oil trading for less than $45 a barrel, down close to 2 percent this morning. That is a six-year low. Wow, Saudi Arabia's new king said he plans to continue this predecessor's policies and not reduce output. That means the supply glut will likely continue and prices will likely stay low.

Cheap energy is great for consumers. It's devastating for the energy companies. We've seen job cuts in that space.

Wow. What a weekend for "American Sniper", breaking more box office records. The Clint Eastwood film starring Bradley Cooper made about, John, $65 million over the weekend. That's one of the best second weekends in Hollywood history.

The film has now brought in $200 million, putting it on the way to becoming the highest grossing "R" rated movie of all time. Currently, "The Passion of the Christ" holds that title. And I'm told it is almost surpassing "Saving Private Ryan" as the biggest war movie.

BERMAN: If you want to know how Christine Romans feels about Bradley Cooper, Google their names. Go Google Christine Romans and Bradley Cooper, you will thank me for it later.

EARLY START continues right now.