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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
Iraq Plans to Retake Mosul from ISIS; Obama: Muslim Nations Must Undercut Terror; Rebels Maintain Control of Debaltseve; Road Rage Arrest; Cold Snap Freezing Eastern U.S.
Aired February 20, 2015 - 04:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: A surprising reveal from the Pentagon. Iraq's military planning to take back a key city in Iraq from ISIS, planning to take back this spring. What is the strategy behind unveiling that plan ahead of time?
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Ukraine marking one year since the bloodiest day of the uprising in Kiev. Oh my gosh, so much has happened this year. That as officials try to hold a tenuous cease-fire together in the dangerous Eastern part of that country. Will the rebel forces push for more territory? We are live on the ground.
ROMANS: An arrest in that deadly road rage case in Las Vegas. A 19- year-old suspect now accused of shooting his neighbor. The victim's husband venting his outrage saying his wife had tried to help her accused killer.
Welcome back to EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans.
BERMAN: I'm John Berman. Nice to see you this morning. About 30 minutes past the hour right now.
And new this morning, the Pentagon revealing that Iraqi forces plan to attack Mosul.
That is Iraq's second largest city. U.S. military officials tell CNN some 20,000 to 25,000 Iraqi troops could be committed to retaking Mosul just months from now. A spring offensive in the works. That leaves the unanswered the big question whether any American troops might be involved.
CNN's Ian Lee is following the events for us this morning.
Good morning, Ian.
IAN LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John. The attack as you said will take place some time this spring. The next two to three months, April or May. No firm dates yet. We know that 20,000 to 25,000 Iraqi troops will be involved, including five brigades being trained by the United States.
The Kurdish Peshmerga will also be involved. Right now, they have strangled three parts of the city of Mosul. Their goal, their mission in the offensive will be to stop any supplies from going in or anyone trying to escape. We know that Iraqi Special Forces will also be involved, tribal forces and Mosul police.
Now, the plan is being released now because they are saying to show Iraq's commitment to taking back Mosul. When you have so many different groups involved in a large-scale operation like this, it's going to be hard to keep it secret for very long. We also know that right now, they are saying U.S. troops will not be involved in this attack, but expect the battle for Mosul to be very bloody, very intense. ISIS has had plenty of time to fortify their position. They're going to have IEDs and booby traps. They know the city very well.
The Iraqi military could be bogged down in the fight. It's been reported if that happens, there is a possibility U.S. advisers could go forward as controllers to call in additional airstrikes. But before any of this happens, the ambassador to the United States, the Iraqi ambassador said, that Iraqi military still needs more sophisticated weapons before this attack were to take place, John.
BERMAN: Indeed, training as well.
Ian Lee for us covering this story, a spring offensive against Mosul now apparently in the works. Thanks, Ian.
ROMANS: President Obama walking a fine line on the final day of his summit on violent extremism. The president called on Islamic nations to work harder to undercut the root causes of terrorism, at the same time, the president again pushed against identifying that terrorism as Islamic.
Senior White House correspondent Jim Acosta has the details from Washington.
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JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: John and Christine, he didn't use the words Islamic terrorism or extremism, but President Obama called on Muslim and Arab nations to start doing a better job of pushing back on what he repeatedly called lies from al Qaeda and ISIS.
In a speech of his countering violent extremism summit to hundreds of world leaders at the State Department, the president said the U.S.-led coalition will continue pounding ISIS with air strikes. But he argued, the Islamic world must take aim at the underlying reasons for radicalism, from income inequality, to the lack of democratic freedoms. Of course, it should be noted, many of the countries where the problems exist also happen to be members of the president's coalition against ISIS.
Still, the president did prod those Muslim partners to develop a more effective counter-message to the terrorists who are now all over social media. Here's what the president had to say.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: None of us, I think, should be immune from criticism in terms of specific policies. But the notion that the West is at war with Islam is an ugly lie. And all of us, regardless of our faith, have a responsibility to reject it.
ACOSTA: Now, all critics have pounced on the president's refusal to use the term "Islamic terrorism" or variations of that phrase. And as soon as the president wrapped his remarks today, Arizona Republican Senator John McCain jumped in on Twitter, saying the notion that radical Islam is not at war with the West is an ugly lie -- using the president's words there.
The White House had hoped to make great strides this week in communicating an inclusive message to the Islamic world. But it's a message that had to battle against this debate over semantics that the president seemed determined to have -- John and Christine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BERMAN: Thanks to Jim Acosta for that.
This morning, pro-Russian rebels maintained control of the crucial rail hub of Debaltseve in Eastern Ukraine. The Ukrainian government calls the rebels battle for the city a breach of the ceasefire they agreed to just last week.
ROMANS: The question this morning now, will the separatists put down their arms now that they have Debaltseve or will they try to grab more territory? Again, there is a cease-fire in effect right now.
For the very latest, let's bring in senior international correspondent Nick Paton Walsh live from Donetsk in Eastern Ukraine.
Nick, what are you seeing this morning?
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It is quiet here in Donetsk, the separatist strong hold. That was not the case yesterday with intense shelling and round in many houses it seems destroyed by that local shelling, according to local reports here.
But the battle for Debaltseve frankly, decisive as it was a defeat for the Ukrainian military, they are leaving a lot of armor in their wake, weapons destroyed and still functional as we saw ourselves yesterday. That defeat raises a lot of questions to the future of this conflict. Firstly, how many soldiers did Ukraine lose in that fight? They've given initial figures, but I think people are still trying to put together quite how many lives were lost in this battle. It could have been the bloodiest moment yet in Ukraine's war. It was occurring during the cease-fire.
Also, that cease-fire in question, well, when is someone finally going to call it not in effect, when is someone going to admit there isn't a truce here? We have world leaders still referring to the agreements dysfunctional. But it's quite obvious, there's been no lull in the fighting around Debaltseve and, yesterday, no lull in the fighting here in Donetsk, despite a few days where it had grown quiet. And, then, of course, we're now for those Minsk agreements, they were signed by all parties here. For the first time yesterday, the separatists said if they continue to receive incoming fire from the Ukrainian military, they will pull out of the agreements and we are into a more complicated situation. The separatists as was clear in Debaltseve, better equipped or have momentum right now. The Ukrainians have said that's because they have the Russian army supplying them and at their back as well.
They do want more territory. You hear from them on the ground. That's not always echo by their commanders, but a very key question now and the negotiation has pretty much failed to stop the violence. Where does it go now?
Back to you.
ROMANS: Nick Paton Walsh, thanks for that.
BERMAN: Breaking overnight, the government of Venezuela has arrested the mayor of that country's capital, Caracas. A Venezuelan military source confirms to CNN that intelligence agents arrested Mayor Antonio Ledezma and raided his office because of his alleged involvement in the coup against the Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
In a televised address, Maduro accused the United States of involvement in that alleged coup. But a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department calls those claims baseless and just simply false. The arrest comes on the one-year anniversary of anti-government demonstrations that rocked Venezuela. They led to the arrest of opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez -- Lopez, a friend of many American officials. And overnight, President Bill Clinton tweeted called for the release of Lopez and other political prisoners in Venezuela without delay.
ROMANS: In Las Vegas, police arresting a suspect in a road rage incidents that left a mother of four dead. Nineteen-year-old Erich Nowsch taken into custody after a brief standoff with police at his house, just one street away from the home of victim Tammy Meyers.
Meyers' husband Robert emotionally overcome during the standoff, lashed out at the media for what he felt blaming his wife and son for escalating the confrontation with her accused killer.
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ROBERT MEYERS, HUSBAND OF VICTIM TAMMY MEYERS: Are you all happy? You made my wife look like an animal and my son. There's the animal a block away! Are you happy?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: After Nowsch's arrest, Robert Meyers spoke out, revealing that his wife knew the suspect from a local park and had tried to help him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MEYERS: My wife spent countless hours at this park consoling this boy. And he is probably watching this right now and I know he's got to feel bad because she was really good to him. She fed him. She gave him money. She told him to pull his pants up and to be a man.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Las Vegas police are continuing to look for a second suspect. But police say they believe Nowsch was the shooter.
BERMAN: FOX News host Bill O'Reilly is defend fending himself for what he is calling his Brian Williams problem. Left-leaning "Mother Jones" is calling him less than honest reporting from Argentina for CBS during the 1982 Falklands war. Now, O'Reilly who has said he covered the Falkland conflict says he never said that he actually went to the Falklands himself. Few reporters ever did. O'Reilly said he covered violent demonstrations in Argentina after the conclusion of the war.
"Mother Jones" edited together its evidence posted it on its Web site and on YouTube. O'Reilly calls the article's author a liar and claims he never said he was actually in the Falkland.
ROMANS: The FDA issuing a warning about a deadly superbug. Health officials say improperly cleaned medical scopes inserted down the throat may be infecting patients with a deadly drug-resistant bacteria. The warning comes after California hospital officials reported several people, including two who died, were infected with the superbug CRE which was linked to improperly sterilized scopes at UCLA Medical Center. UCLA is apologizing. I think something like 180 people have come in contact, not necessarily infected with, but came in contact with that superbug.
BERMAN: Serious issue.
A federal advisory board is urging the government to tax sugary drinks and food. A report published by the diet guidelines recommends you keep your sugar intake to no more than 10 percent of their daily total calories.
The report also says that the caffeine and few cups of coffee could actually be good for you.
ROMANS: Wait, say that one more time?
BERMAN: All that coffee we're drinking is good for us. We are doing our part here at EARLY START to stay healthy. They're also apparently backing off some of the strict on salt. So, you know --
ROMANS: There you go.
BERMAN: Potato chips and coffee.
ROMANS: Indulge.
BERMAN: Breakfast for champions.
ROMANS: Let's get an early start on your morning this morning. European shares are mostly lower. U.S. stocks are barely moving. It
is crunch time in Greece's debt talks. Eurozone finance ministers are in Brussels, trying to hammer out a deal by the end of today. It looked like a compromise was close yesterday when Greece requested a six-month extension of its current bailout program, but Germany shot down that offer.
The impasse has been weighing on markets for weeks. Yesterday, U.S. stocks closed lower after talks broke down. Another factor in the dip yesterday on Wall Street, Walmart announced it would raise its pay well above minimum wage, but it has to pay for it. That's going to cost it, John, about $1 billion the next year. Walmart shares fell 3 percent. That is a widely held stock in a lot of portfolios.
But interesting, raising the wage and the starting wage would be $9. By next year, it will be $10. Walmart is also saying it's going to allow people to have more fixed schedules. It's a big complaint for those who work part-time, you know, you never know what your schedule is going to be, and they're going to make it easier for paid sick time. So, these are all things that are going to be rolling out over the next few years.
BERMAN: Trends across the country.
Tens of millions waking up to ridiculous cold this morning. Look at what the cold is doing to Niagara Falls. The trees at least near Niagara Falls. We have more incredible images, next.
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ROMANS: All right. The cold snap freezing the eastern U.S., not breaking yet. Sub zero temperatures invading 30 states, from Wisconsin all the way to Alabama. Freeze warnings even posted in Florida.
Check out these new pictures of Niagara Falls. It's so cold the falls are nearly iced over. That's where we find CNN's Ryan Young.
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RYAN YOUNG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Christine and John, usually cold temperatures have tourists running in another direction. Here, people are running to see the natural beauty of Niagara Falls. Just take a look at this frozen palace. In fact, that's the American side.
As we trace along this here, you can see the solid blocks of ice. And many people have been asking if the water has stopped flowing. No, it hasn't. In fact, if you look over here on the Canadian side, you can see that constant flow of water. More than 20 million gallons rushes over the side. And that is causing people from all over to see the wonder of the world.
Now, this area hasn't had a day over freezing in quite some time. In fact, if you look here, you can see everything on the side is encased in ice. It is very cold here. It is very cold here. But it hasn't stopped people from showing up. In fact, we're seeing dozens of folks show up just to take pictures and selfies and enjoy this wonderful view as the colors keep changing -- Christine and John.
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ROMANS: Wow. It is gorgeous. I don't think that ice will melt, I think I read, until May.
BERMAN: I'm thinking August, my money is in August, if ever.
All right. When will it stop? Please make it stop. I want to bring in meteorologist Derek Van Dam for an early look at the forecast.
DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, John and Christine.
It's a cold start to the early weekend. Look at our temperatures in New York, 20 degrees, 21 in Chicago. We top out at 14 if you are located near in Detroit. Cold weather all the way down to Jacksonville and Tampa.
By the way, we are monitoring the potential for another winter storm to bring a wintry mix across the Tennessee River Valley spreading to the Mid-Atlantic States. You see winter storm warnings and advisories, and freezing rain advisories for parts of Arkansas.
Here is the storm system mainly rain south of Atlanta. You have the possibility of a wintry mix late Friday evening heading into Saturday morning. You see the storm system from Nashville into Little Rock, all the way to our nation's capital, mainly a rainmaker for New York. But we could mix in wet some snow flakes.
Look at this ice accumulation. We could see pockets of upwards of a quarter to half an inch stretching from Tennessee, all the way to Maryland. And you see on top of that, we have several inches of snow in the forecast.
Back to you.
ROMANS: Replay the tape. The very cold tape.
Forty-seven minutes past the hour. The "American Sniper" murder trial wrapping up this morning as startling testimony reveals the accused killer's state of mind on the day he shot his two victims. Why key words from one witness may work in the prosecution's favor.
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BERMAN: The defense rested its case in the so-called "American Sniper" trial without putting Eddie Ray Routh on the stand. The final defense witness was a psychiatrist who said Routh showed signs of psychosis in the weeks before he killed Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield.
Prosecutors planned to call their own medical expert as rebuttal witnesses. That will happen today.
CNN's Ed Lavandera is following the trial for us -- Ed.
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ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Christine and John, the defense team has rested in the "American Sniper" trial. And Eddie Ray Routh will not testify.
The defense's last witness was their own medical expert -- a psychiatrist who spent six hours last year interviewing Eddie Ray Routh. In the interview, he says that Routh talked about pigs taking over the world. He felt that some of his coworkers at some point were cannibals. He also talked about how he thought Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield were half human, half pigs out to get him. The prosecution will take advantage of one thing that this expert witness said, and that is the statement from Routh that said as soon as I did it -- he was talking about killing Kyle and Littlefield -- I realized I had made a mistake.
Prosecutors are not done. They have two of their own medical experts that are expected to testify today. And then it will head to closing arguments which could come as early as next week -- Christine and John.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROMANS: All right. Thanks for that, Ed.
Hopes realized and dashed for same sex couples in Texas, after a county clerk issued the first gay marriage license in the state Thursday. Texas Supreme Court stepped in and blocked any additional unions from proceeding. A suit challenging the Texas ban on same sex marriage is pending before our federal appeals court.
Now, as for the couple that was able to marry, the Texas attorney general says he will seek to have the license invalidated.
BERMAN: So, winning the Daytona 500 just got a little harder for NASCAR driver Danica Patrick. She was involved in a crash during qualifying on Thursday night. She got caught up in a wreck with fellow driver Denny Hamlin. She was not happy about this, by the way. They had words afterwards. She was able to qualify for Daytona. Her Go Daddy car will be beat up for the big race on Sunday.
ROMANS: Tragic news from Hollywood. Thirty-year-old Harris Wittels, a writer and executive producer of the series "Parks and Recreation", he has died. Police say the signs point to a possible overdose. They say drug paraphernalia was found in his home. He had spoken publicly about his two stints in rehab. Representatives for NBC Universal and for the program, the show, tell CNN they have no comment right now.
BERMAN: Funny, funny guy. Worked for Sarah Silverman, did stand up comedy, I think he invented humble brag the hashtag on Twitter, which was a big thing a year or two, a big loss in the world of comedy.
So, will it be "Birdman" or "Boyhood" for best picture or will "American Sniper" surprise us all? This year's Oscar, it is the most competitive years. It's going right down to the wire.
I think CNN is going to break the news before the envelope is opened. That's what I'm betting on.
It's going to be Don Lemon and Michaela Pereira who will do it. They are hosting the special "Hollywood's Biggest Night" live from the red carpet, 6:00 p.m., right here on CNN.
ROMANS: All right. Walmart giving half a million employees a raise. What this means for the battle of higher wages in the country, next.
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ROMANS: Let's get an early start on your money. Greece's debt drama coming to a head. European shares mostly lower, U.S. stock futures not really moving yet. Markets have been -- basically they have been weighed down for weeks by the threat of a Greek default. Eurozone finance ministers in Brussels trying to hammer out a deal by the end of the day.
Yesterday, it looked like an agreement was close when Greece asked for a six-month extension, but Germany rejected that offer and stocks fell.
Gas prices are pretty right now, but drivers don't expect that to last. Look at this, according to a new report from the Consumer Federation of America, drivers expect gas prices to rise 50 percent in the next two years. In the next five years, hey, look, they say we expect gas close to $4. That means drivers want more fuel efficient vehicles. Eighty-six percent of those surveyed said gas mileage is important.
BERMAN: I don't trust the man. The man is going to raise the gas prices sooner or later. I don't trust the man.
ROMANS: People know it is bound to go higher.
Something else is going higher. Half a million Walmart employees getting a raise. Half a million. Starting in April, workers will have a starting salary of $9 an hour, $1.75 above the federal minimum. By 2016, the company will have fixed schedules for some employees. That is important for workers who have more than one part-time job. These changes will cost Walmart more than $1 billion, but they'll help Walmart attract and keep good workers.
The labor market is tightening. So, companies are realizing they have to do something to keep good workers. The shares fell 3 percent.
I'll tell you this, some of the employment advocacy groups immediately said it's not enough, it's too late, they should have done it sooner. But it will be a raise for 500,000 workers.
BERMAN: EARLY START continues right now.
