Return to Transcripts main page

Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Robbers Target Jewelry Exhibition; Weiner's Campaign Manager Resigns; Calls for Calm in Egypt; Tropical Storm Flossie Dumps Heavy Rains; Pastor Rick Warren Fights Stigma of Mental Illness; USA Wins Gold Cup

Aired July 29, 2013 - 05:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: PEREIRA: Like it's right out of a movie, a brazen jewelry heist. Robbers snatch an estimated $53 million in jewels from gem exhibition in Cannes.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Tragedy on a Hudson. A second body recovered and a suspect in custody. What caused this horrific crash?

PEREIRA: And private lunch for two. The president and his former secretary of state have a lunch date. Could campaign 2016 be on the menu?

BERMAN: Ooh, it is best served medium rare, by the way.

PEREIRA: Yes. With a nice salad on the side.

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

PEREIRA: And I'm Michaela Pereira. It is 30 minutes past the hour.

An incredible story to tell you about this morning about a robbery that's worthy of the silver screen. Vladimir Duthiers has details for us from London.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VLADIMIR DUTHIERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In a brazen move straight out of a caper movie, an armed robber walked into a jewelry exhibition in the French resort city of Cannes Sunday and walked out with millions of dollars in stolen jewels. Now, police estimate the value of the jewels at more than $50 million. It happened at around 11:30 in the morning at the celebrated Carlton Hotel.

Officials say the robber pulled out a gun and threatened to shoot the exhibitors and the people admiring the display. Now, security guards were on the scene during the robbery but were unarmed. No one fortunately was hurt. Now, this is not the first time that the Carlton Hotel has been targeted by jewel thieves. Back in May, during the Cannes Film Festival, robbers made off with close to $4 million worth of jewelry meant to be worn on the red carpet by Hollywood stars. And the hotel is not just a real life crime scene. It was also the setting for a 1955 Alfred Hitchcock film starring Cary Grant as a jewelry burglar. The movie, "To Catch A Thief." Something that police in Cannes, so far, have been unable to do.

Vladimir Duthiers, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BERMAN: Wow. That's quite a heist.

Meanwhile, a second victim has now been apparently found after a tragic boating accident on New York's Hudson River. Authorities say a jet skier spotted what's believed to be the body of Mark Lennon (ph), the best man to be, who was thrown from a power boat Friday night. He was part of a wedding party on that boat trip.

Also killed, the bride-to-be, her fiancee was injured. They were set to be married in just two weeks. The driver for the boat has been charged with vehicular manslaughter and assault. Police believe he was intoxicated.

PEREIRA: He's staying in. But Anthony Weiner's campaign manager has had enough. Danny Kedem quitting Weiner's mayoral campaign in the wake of the latest sexting revelations. Kedem has -- was credited with helping Weiner pulled into the lead among a crowded field of Democratic candidates. Weiner's poll numbers took a dive following his admission he was sexting with at least three women a year after he was forced to resign from Congress.

BERMAN: In Italy, at least 38 people are dead after a bus fell off a bridge and into a wooded area near Naples. It was carrying pilgrims returning from a trip to a catholic shrine. It is not clear this morning what caused the crash, but police say the bus hit 11 cars before going over the edge. Some of the dead are said to be children.

PEREIRA: Calls for calm in Egypt this morning after a violent and deadly weekend left some 72 people dead. The interim president is urging supporters of deposed leader, Mohamed Morsy, to stop their, quote, "incitement and hateful speech" that he says is endangering the country's safety. He is warning the government will take action if necessary.

Now, Adly Mansour is also taking steps that could hint at a state of emergency giving cabinet members -- ministers, rather, some presidential powers if the crisis deepens.

BERMAN: NSA leaker Edward Snowden is apparently no closer to getting out of a Moscow airport. No word yet on what he might receive a certificate from the Russian government giving him the freedom to pass through customs as he waits for resolution of his asylum request. That as the journalist who first wrote about Snowden is promising more revelations.

Glenn Greenwald says he will soon publish new information about the NSA spying program, including evidence that the NSA allows low level contractors access to detailed phone and e-mail records without court approval.

PEREIRA: They were rivals, then colleagues. Today, they will be dining companions. President Obama and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton sharing a noontime private lunch at the White House. No press will be present, and it's not clear what they might talk about, though, it's always possible the 2016 presidential race could come up.

BERMAN: Pass the salt and the baton. That might be the issue there.

From the east coast to Hawaii, there is extreme weather to tell you about this morning and a whole lot of it. The Philadelphia area is drying out after more than eight inches of rain fell Sunday. That is a record. Heavy rains in the Carolinas are being blamed for two deaths there and Hawaii, meanwhile, is bracing for Tropical Storm Flossie. Indra Petersons is tracking all of this for us.

INDRA PETERSONS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: You guys ready for this, right?

PEREIRA: This is the big one.

PETERSONS: Unbelievable how much is going on. We'll start with Flossie. You can really tell how much it's weakened here. Just in this last week, you can actually tell the circulation really kind of winding down and tearing apart here in cooler water and also sheer which is winds at different speeds, at different heights there. Currently, 50-mile-per-hour winds, so still a tropical storm.

And it's pretty fast. It's moving west at 17 miles per hour. So, the latest track here has actually moved a little bit farther to the south. It's actually sped up as a result of that wind speed as well or moving westerly at 17 miles per hour. The timing of it still expected to hit as the tropical storm on the big island. Now, it looks like for them, 10 a.m. Hawaii time, about 4:00 p.m. eastern time is when we are expecting this to make landfall.

As far as rain, yes, anywhere from six to 10 inches of rain. Fifteen inches of rain where we see the stronger winds not out of the question, then eventually, will make its way over to a (INAUDIBLE) still holding together enough that they could see four to eight inches of rain in that area. As far as you can tell, you can easily see. We're still seeing tropical storm warnings and eventually will see Hawaii entering the warning phase as well once it moves a little bit father to the west there.

So, definitely heavy rain expected for them. On the opposite side over the Atlantic Ocean, we had Dorian. Now, we're just seeing remnants. That's the good news. A lot of dry air tour (ph) that apart. Also, what we saw was a lot of sheer. So, currently, though, still about a 50 percent chance even though we are not cirrently seeing a circulation.

A 50 percent chance we could see that redeveloped. If it does so, it will not be long lived (ph). Conditions not favorable. So, we're really not concerned about Dorian or the remnants of what was Dorian at this time. Philadelphia, that is the news breaker. We're talking about 8.02 inches of rain yesterday. It was unbelievable. This is the most rain they've ever seen any day of the year in one day.

So, unbelievable for the record of July. Thirteen inches of rain for the month. So, yes, Philly, definitely a lot of flooding on the area yesterday with all things to low. The good news to low (ph) in that cold front is now pushing off shore. So, they are going to get a break. Even the southeast getting a break. Heavy, heavy rain about four to 10 inches of rain in North Carolina on Saturday. That, too, pushing off shore.

Well, we are going to be watching if this low back here entering out towards the Midwest and kind of into the plains. So, we're going to be looking for that heaviest rainfall today really anywhere from Wichita up through Kansas City. Two to four inches of rain possible there.

So, flooding concerns will be high in that area. That was all the bad news. I want to end on a good news, right? Let's have some good weather. Twenty degrees below normal around the Great Lakes. Beautiful weather. Dry in the northeast. Dry in the southeast. A little bit of scattered showers. I got to end with something positive.

BERMAN: I needed a drink there. Thank you for that.

(CROSSTALK)

PEREIRA: So early in the morning.

PETERSONS: Right.

BERMAN: Crazy.

PEREIRA: All right. Coming up, out in public, one of the Cleveland three seen smiling and waving just a day after her captor pleaded guilty.

BERMAN: That is wonderful.

And, newly discovered. Never before seen footage of JFK. Look at that. The whole family as you've never seen them before. That's coming up straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: Detroit will not be getting a federal bailout as it goes forward with its $18 billion bankruptcy.

Treasury Secretary Jack Lew, tells "STATE OF THE UNION" he's happy to provide advice to the Motor City and even work to extend some federal programs, but Detroit should not expect Washington to help pay off creditors. He called the 2009 bailout of the auto industry unique and something that he hopes never has to happen again.

PEREIRA: Applauds from the congregation for Rick Warren and his wife back on the pulpit for the first time in nearly four months following their son's suicide. Preaching at a saddle back church in Orange County, California, Warren said his new focus now is on fighting the stigma of mental illness.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICK WARREN, PASTOR, SADDLEBACK CHURCH: It's amazing to me that any other organ in your body can break down and there's no shame in stigma to it. But if your brain breaks down, you're supposed to keep it a secret. There's no stigma. You get diabetes, no problem. You get heart disease, no problem. Your lungs don't work, no problem.

You break a bone, break a back, your liver stops working, no stigma, but if your brain doesn't work right, why should you be ashamed of that?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PEREIRA: Warren's son, Matthew, killed himself in April after struggling many, many years with depression. Warren says he plans to spend the next six weeks talking about his grief and how faith helped him get through it.

BERMAN: That had to be emotion. This, too, emotional. A surprise guest at a weekend concert festival. That right there, you see her?

PEREIRA: Sunglasses.

BERMAN: There she is in the sunglasses is Amanda Berry in the sunglasses, one of the three women held for years inside a Cleveland house. That is wonderful right there. She's making her first public appearance since being freed in May. As you can see, she waved, she smiled. She didn't say anything though, that's fine. It was great to see her out there.

Her appearance came the day after her captor, Ariel Castro, pleaded guilty to nearly a thousand counts. It was part of the deal that will send him to prison for the rest of his life with no chance of parole.

PEREIRA: In Mexico, some unlikely students are now learning journalism. Sex workers who say they're tired of the way they're being portrayed in the media. So, a non-profit run by a journalist is teaching them how to tell their own stories. The goal is to eventually compile a book that certainly has (ph) some interesting tales from the streets.

BERMAN: This may be the very definition of poetic justice. A federal jury awarding $18.6 million to an Oregon woman who tried unsuccessfully for two years to get Equifax to fix major mistakes on her credit report. Julie Miller says she contacted Equifax eight times to correct the inaccuracies which included a wrong Social Security Number and her wrong birthday. Equifax is expected to appeal this judgment.

PEREIRA: How about this? Never before seen video of President Kennedy with his family during a Cape Cod vacation 50 years ago this weekend. The president can be seen golfing, sunbathing, relaxing with the first lady, and their young children. It's 15 minutes of silent archival footage that's been released by the Kennedy Presidential Library Museum. It took place just four months before his death in November 1963.

BERMAN: Look at that scene there. Playing with the kids. Wonderful

PEREIRA: On the boat, relaxing.

BERMAN: Glamorous.

PEREIRA: Yes.

BERMAN: Camelot. From one Camelot to another Camelot.

(LAUGHTER)

BERMAN: Let's take a look at what's coming up on "NEW DAY."

PEREIRA (on-camera): Chris Cuomo, Kate Bolduan, the new Camelot. Hmm. I like this.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR, "NEW DAY": I didn't say that. They did.

(LAUGHTER)

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR, "NEW DAY": I'll take it. I'll take it. J.B. back in the saddle looking good there. Of course, just could be the resplendent reflective beauty of Michaela Pereira.

BERMAN: More likely.

PEREIRA: Flattery gets in everywhere.

CUOMO: Back on balance. They complimented, we complimented. Now, we're on --

BOLDUAN: Now, we're on point. Back to the news.

CUOMO: A lot of news to watch from around the world this morning. We have two major developments. One in Egypt and then just the general Mid East peace situation. Egypt is on high alert. Why? Pro-Morsy supporters, the former president, remember, he was democratically- elected then taken out by the military. They have a sit in protest going on. They've been warned to stop it. What may happen next?

And, unusual, promising, question mark high level peace talks between Palestine and Israel. There's a lot of meetings here in Washington about it. Christiane Amanpour has spoken to both sides. Rare insight, we'll have it here.

BOLDUAN: Yes. It's going to be good. And also, back here at home, we're going to be giving you an update on the story we've been following closely, the look at the six-year-old boy who survived being caught and buried under a sand dune for hours. And we're going to hear from his parents for the first time about his miraculous recovery, how he's doing. They're speaking out really for the first time. So, it's going to be -- an update there.

CUOMO: Still amazing that -- BOLDUAN: Eleven feet of sand.

CUOMO: Right. As bad as it was, that somehow the conditions conspired for this kid to survive hours in what seemed like an oxygen free environment. Very impressive.

Then, we have one that's a real head scratcher, especially, J.B., you're a daddy. This will resonate with you. That's Jason Patric. He's the actor. We know who he is. That's his son in his arms. A law in California that puts unmarried fathers who use IVF, in vitro fertilization, more common all the time, at risk of not being considered dads under the law because the way this law was designed.

Jason Patric's caught up into it with his girlfriend, Danielle, right there, his ex-girlfriend. We'll tell you the story. Real head scratcher legally.

BERMAN: That is crazy.

PEREIRA: And it could have a lot of ramifications for not just people like him, but for same-sex couples, etc.

CUOMO: Absolutely. I mean, you know, this is a thicket. These modern families and how we're finding our way through definitely needs some sophistication, but you know, the law can be a tricky things. Sometimes, what it gives, it also takes away with unintended consequences. He'll be here today on the show to talk about it.

PEREIRA: We'll hear his side of the story.

BERMAN: That's great. Can't wait to see that. Thanks so much, guys.

(CROSSTALK)

BERMAN: Coming up here, what a comeback. In his first day at bat nearly two weeks on the first pitch, the Yankee captain goes yard, however, the Yankees are not in first place, by the way. We will tell you who is. The "Bleacher Report," next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: Now, even as a Red Sox fan, I can say this. It is great to see Derek Jeter back, and he made his return in style yesterday against the Rays. Andy Scholes joins us with more now in this morning's "Bleacher Report." Great to see you, Andy.

ANDY SCHOLES, BLEACHER REPORT: Yes, great to see you, too, John. Welcome back. You know, Jeter's first return from the disable list didn't go so well. He strained his quad in his first game, but yesterday, his comeback was a different story. Jeter received a standing ovation as he came to the plate in the bottom of the first inning, and then the very first pitch he sees from Matt Moore, gone. Solo home run.

This was the Yankees first home run since the All-Star break. Bottom of the ninth, Alfonso Soriano back in pin stripes (ph) and he wins the game with a (INAUDIBLE). Yankees avoid the sweep. Jeter happy to be back contributing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEREK JETER, BASEBALL PLAYER: First of anything is difficult to get. First hit, first home run, first RBI. First game was difficult for me, but it feels great to contribute. But, more importantly, we won. I wouldn't feel good if we lost this game.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: Well, the lineup's next on BleacherReport.com. Today, you'll find another walk-off hit. Dodgers and Reds tied at zero in the 11th inning when rookie sensation, Yasiel Puig, launches this on the left. That's the ball game. It was the first walk-off for Puig, and he made it a memorable one, sliding it into the home plate before being attacked by his teammate.

Well, U.S. men's soccer team taking on Panama. The championship game of the Gold Cup Game -- the game was scoreless in the 69th minute. On the cross, Landon Donovan wins, but Brett Shea right there to bury it into the back of the net. That goal would be enough as the U.S. defeats Panama 1-0. They won their first Gold Cup since 2007. The team has now won a record 11 straight games.

Well, there are times when sports takes a back seat to family and Hunter Mahan definitely proved that this weekend. Mahan was leading the Canadian Open after 36 holes, but he withdrew from the tournament to return to Dallas to be with his wife because she went into labor. Mahan's wife, Candy, gave birth for the child early Sunday morning.

Mahan tweeted yesterday, "What a whirlwind of a day, but I'm happy to announce the birth of my daughter, Zoe Olivia Mahan, born at 3:26 a.m. Thanks for all the support." And later in the day, he tweeted again, "Both baby and mom are doing great. Thanks to all my sponsors who appreciate what's important in life and all my fans for being awesome."

Now, John, the winner of the Canadian Open got over $1 million but, hey, can't pass up the birth of your child.

BERMAN: No. And Brandt Snedeker, the winner, actually thanked the Mahan baby for the ability to win the tournament there. So, that's awfully nice, too. All right, Andy, great to see you.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: Welcome back, everyone. About four minutes before the hour. Taking a look at the top CNN trends on the web this morning. "Wolverine" took no prisoners at the box office this weekend, slicing its way through the competition to take in $55 million, but are movie- goers suffering from mutant fatigue?

The Hugh Jackman film earned less than early projections at far below the $85 million that earlier "X-Men" films earned in their opening weekend. "The Conjuring" fell to second place earning $22 million, and "Despicable Me II" was third at $60 million.

So, is this entertainment or a political ad? A new mini-series about the life of Hillary Clinton is in the works, and it could hit the air waves before the 2016 presidential election. NBC's entertainment chief is calling it the kind of event program that brings in viewers. Diane Lane will star as the former senator, former secretary of state, and former first lady.

No word yet on who will play former president, Bill Clinton, or exactly when this will air. But, NBC executive say they will think very carefully about the timing.

So, could this be the CNN of music? Sean Combs, a.k.a. P. Diddy is talking up his new cable network. It's called "Revolt." It will feature music and cultural news, and it's aimed at millennials who he says right now were homeless when it comes to finding a TV channel that meets their needs. Talking to TV critics, Combs said, "I'm here to be the new number one name in music. I would love to be humbled one day to be compared to ESPN or CNN."

He gave us a bit of an actual endorsement saying if cable viewers had to choose, they would keep CNN because it is where you go for news. Despite those comments, let me say to Mr. Diddy, if you try an early morning news show, I will crush it.

All right. To check out other top CNN trends head to CNN.com/Trends. That is all for EARLY START, P. Diddy. Time for "NEW DAY." Take it away, guys.

BOLDUAN: I don't know if that's one man you want to take on, Berman.

(CROSSTALK)

(LAUGHTER)

CUOMO: Bad idea.

BOLDUAN: It's all right. We're here. We'll back you up.

CUOMO: All I heard was J.B. say, crush it.

BOLDUAN: That's all that matters.

CUOMO: Look at his face.

BOLDUAN: As he does every morning. That's good.

CUOMO: That's no joke. I'm going to get out of here.

(CROSSTALK)

CUOMO: Luckily, it's almost the top of the hour and you know what that means here on "NEW DAY," time for the top news.