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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Scare in the Air; Extremists' Dangerous Declaration; Obama to Nominate Robert McDonald to Lead VA; Vatican Plays Down Concerns Over Pope's Health; U.S. Prepares for Belgium in World Cup

Aired June 30, 2014 - 05:00   ET

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

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Scare in the sky. A flight makes an emergency landing after the evacuation slide deploys mid-flight. We'll hear from a passenger about what went wrong.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN ANCHOR: A dangerous declaration. Extremists in Iraq announce a new Islamic faith. What does it mean for the spiraling conflict? A live report from Baghdad.

MARQUEZ: And a big, big weekend, for the World Cup. Major teams knocked out this weekend as the U.S. prepares to face Belgium. Are they ready?

Good morning. Welcome to EARLY START. I'm Miguel Marquez.

Good to see you again.

KOSIK: Good morning. I really did. I'm Alison Kosik. John Berman and Christine Romans are off.

MARQUEZ: Lucky them.

First, breaking news overnight, a plane forced to make an emergency landing in Wichita after the evacuation slide deployed mid-flight. The flight was heading from Chicago's O'Hare Airport, to Orange County, California, when it was diverted. There were 96 passengers and five crew members on board. No one was hurt, fortunately.

Listen as one of the passengers described the scene and how the flight attendants reacted.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All of a sudden, you saw their faces go like this and you heard a big bang and a hiss and they just had a panicked look. They quickly took the carts and ran to the front of the plane. Then, we all turned around. The whole back cabinet part of the plane where they sat was full of the chute.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARQUEZ: My God. Darn good luck nobody was up there at the time it exploded because they have such great force when they explode. The airline says the passenger's flights were rebooked. A similar

incident happened last November on a JetBlue flight from Fort Myers to Boston. No one was hurt on that flight either. The FAA says an investigation into this latest incident, thankfully, is under way.

KOSIK: Scary stuff. Also this morning, severe weather has parts of the Midwest and South waterlogged. Thunderstorms triggered flash floods in eastern Arkansas. The rising water forcing residents in several towns to evacuate.

Flooding also causing problems in Tennessee. Some roads in Memphis were littered with cars that got stuck in as much as three feet of water. In Minnesota, the land of 10,000 lakes, has a lot more now. Storms and heavy rains caused flood damages to the likes of which people across the state have never seen before.

Indra Petersons has more on the severe weather.

Indra, are they out of the woods at this point?

INDRA PETERSONS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: That is what we are hoping for, but definitely not going to be the case unfortunately. Let's take a look what's going on. We're seeing this huge upper low out there really matching up with the jet stream this morning, all this combining with the surface low. What does that mean?

It all means the perfect elements are coming together and we do have the threat for severe weather.

Just take a look at the moderate risk out there. And the flight for some moderate risk, where you see the red, that's enhanced risk or even a threat of tornadoes. We are talking 43, almost 44 million of you today, talking about the threat of severe weather. But also notice similar spot, same places we were talking about the flooding, could still be talking more rain today and even through tomorrow as the system stretches further to the east.

We are looking at the threat of severe weather now moving into tomorrow, from Binghamton, all the way back down to really kind of Paducah and Nashville. So, definitely this is here. It will be a major role over the next several days. You can see where the heavy rain today and to the east by tomorrow and eventually spreads into the east by tomorrow. Eventually about middle of the week, kind of into the Northeast as well.

So, that's going to be the big severe weather threat as far as the big thunderstorms. But there's something else many of us are watching. Notice, there's a 60 percent chance now in the next two days we could have a tropical depression.

Again, this would be Arthur. What does this mean? It means by the Fourth of July, this is where models are bringing it. We could have a concern for rains affecting the plans over the weekend -- guys.

KOSIK: That wouldn't be good timing, that would be bad.

PETERSONS: Really bad, sorry.

MARQUEZ: Now the fight in Iraq. The al Qaeda breakaway group that seized much of northern Syria and huge tracts of neighboring Iraq has formerly declared the creation of Islamic state in the territory under its control. Meantime, Iraqi forces are now battling ISIS fighters in an attempt to recapture the city of Tikrit.

CNN's Nima Elbagir is following developments live in Baghdad.

Nima, any sense that this is turning around? It sounds like 2005-2006 all over again.

NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we are not quite there, yet. We are not going for many of those here in Baghdad. We haven't seen the worst of the sectarian conflict.

But the reality is the battles are still raging, especially for Tikrit. (INAUDIBLE) at this point just cannot afford to seize another major territory for the extremist and for ISIS, as we are still calling them -- they really need to show that they can get closer to Baghdad.

So, this is a pitch, pitch battle. And for now, what we are hearing is consequence, but nothing decisive on the ground. The hope for the Iraqi army is (INAUDIBLE) delivery, the first delivery of Russian (INAUDIBLE). It's not going to help them turn this, because it's really in the air that they have demonstrated they have the upper hand, Miguel.

But on the ground, for now, it is unclear who is winning the fight in Tikrit -- Miguel.

MARQUEZ: Nima Elbagir for us in Baghdad -- thank you very much. Hang in there.

KOSIK: Breaking overnight: rescue crews rushing to save people stuck on iconic ride Sky Tower at SeaWorld San Diego. Forty-six people and two park employees spent four hours near the top of the 320-foot tall ride on Sunday. Engineers say a power failure caused the horrifying incident. Fortunately, no one was hurt.

MARQUEZ: Stuck in paradise.

KOSIK: Ay ay ay.

MARQUEZ: Happening today, President Obama expected to nominate Robert McDonald to lead the embattled Department of Veterans Affairs. McDonald has a military background. He's a West Point graduate and former Army officer. He also has broad management experience. He's the former CEO of Procter & Gamble.

If confirmed, he'll succeed Eric Shinseki who resigned last month in the face of a growing scandal first reported by CNN over treatment delays at V.A. hospitals that may have led to dozens of deaths.

KOSIK: The suspected ring leader of the Benghazi attack likely did not provide useful intelligence during his two-week detention on a ship coming to the U.S. That coming from Congressman Mike Rogers, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. He and other top Republicans are questioning Ahmed Abu Khatalla's prosecution in U.S. court.

They say it presents authority from getting information they need about the 2012 attack which killed four Americans including Ambassador Christopher Stevens. Here is what Rogers said on CNN's "STATE OF THE UNION".

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MIKE ROGERS (R), MICHIGAN: If he doesn't give us anything, and we get him, to put him in jail, what have we accomplished? I argue we spent a lot of money and we have not gained anything valuable for pushing back on terrorist around the world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSIK: Abu Khattala has pleaded not guilty. Roger says he considers him an enemy combatant and should face the military tribunal.

MARQUEZ: North Korea says it is planning to put two American tourists on trial for, quote, "hostile acts against the government." Pyongyang had previously acknowledged it was holding Jeffrey Fowle and Matthew Todd Miller. The state news agencies said they are preparing to bring the two men to court at the same time North Korea is making a peace overture, promising military activities with South Korea will end on July 4th.

But there are conditions. Among them, not conduct joint military drills with the U.S. not likely, I think.

KOSIK: A marine corporal accused of desertion for the second time is expected to turn himself in today at Camp Lejeune. Corporal Wassef Ali Hassoun has been missing since 2005 when he failed to report for duty in North Carolina. At that time, he was under investigation for desertion after he disappeared from his unit in Iraq for a month. Hassoun claimed he was kidnapped by militants.

MARQUEZ: Go, go, go. Love that. Four countries have already advanced to the World Cup quarterfinals. And the excitement is building.

KOSIK: It is, yesterday.

MARQUEZ: Once again for the Americans, the American team as it prepares to take on Belgium Tuesday. Belgium, come on. Muscles and mannequin (INAUDIBLE) -- in one of the final matches in the round of 16, just the biggest match of their lives.

CNN's Amanda Davies has a preview from Rio de Janeiro.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AMANDA DAVIES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Miguel, Alison, Jurgen Klinsmann has changed his tune, having started the tournament saying the USA has no chance of winning, it's now emerged that he has told his players to move back the flights of friends and family until July 14th. That is the day after the final.

Defender Omar Gonzalez let it slip to the media as the team left their base in Sao Paolo, to travel to Salvador, ahead of Tuesday's round of the 16 clash against Belgium. The team will be based there for the next couple of days as striker Jozy Altidore continues his quest to recover from a hamstring strain he suffered against Ghana.

Klinsmann says he's pretty optimistic. And on the whole, the team seemed pretty relax about the challenge. They were pictured watching the Netherlands-Mexico unfold over their lunch, before heading to training. Perhaps, though, it serves as a brutal reminder of what will be at stake on Tuesday as Mexico was sent home.

Having seen so many fantastic touchline celebrations from Mexico, Miguel Herrera over the last few weeks, he was left as angry after the Dutch ended his World Cup campaign. A late controversial penalties saw the Netherlands take a 2-1 win and send Mexico packing at the second round stage for the sixth straight time in World Cups.

The Netherlands will face Costa Rica next. And on Monday, the France, Nigeria, Germany and Algeria will join them in the quarterfinals.

Back to you, Miguel and Alison.

MARQUEZ: Thank you, Amanda. Just because I'm wearing orange does not mean I support the Netherlands.

KOSIK: Who do you support?

MARQUEZ: America. Hello.

KOSIK: Just checking.

MARQUEZ: It's going to be good.

KOSIK: And next hour on NEW DAY, soccer maven Chris Cuomo is going to be live in Rio for World Cup coverage.

MARQUEZ: Can we call him Cristiano Ronaldo Cuomo?

KOSIK: I'm sure he wouldn't mind.

MARQUEZ: That's very soccery.

KOSIK: Yes.

MARQUEZ: Yes, very good.

Today, we are expected to learn who will be compensated for the G.M. ignition switch recall and how much they will receive. It took the automaker more than a decade after the problem was first discovered to recall the 2.6 million cars with the faulty ignition switch. The problems linked to at least 13 deaths and dozens of accidents. Experts believe the payoff to victims could reach into the billions.

KOSIK: Time for an EARLY START on your money.

We are watching Asian and European stocks move mostly higher. In the U.S., futures was mixed. This after a rocky week for stocks caused by fears that the Fed could hike interest rates sooner than expected. For the week, the Dow and S&P 500 ended lower, but the NASDAQ jumped to a 14-year high. On the radar this week for the markets, look ahead to the all important jobs report coming out on Thursday because markets are closed Friday for the holiday.

And from Wall Street to Washington, we told you the new V.A. nominee has a business background. He's also used to being in the hot seat. Bob McDonald took the CEO job at Procter & Gamble in 2009, during the recession and McDonald streamlined Procter & Gamble's diverse products. He was ousted in 2013, but grew both sales and profits during a rocky economic time. A good pedigree for taking over the troubled office left by former Secretary Eric Shinseki.

MARQUEZ: I've had problems with Shinseki as well this morning.

KOSIK: I know. It could be the hour.

MARQUEZ: It's Monday morning. It's Monday morning and too early.

Coming up, new questions about Pope Francis' health after a series of canceled appointments. Is the pontiff ill? A live report from Rome, next.

KOSIK: And look at this, incredible video. A guy caught on cell phone video riding on the back of a trunk down the highway.

MARQUEZ: That's sensible.

KOSIK: What is he doing?

MARQUEZ: That's me!

KOSIK: Is he drunk? What is he doing?

MARQUEZ: No, that was my weekend. It's good fun. Sensible.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KOSIK: Welcome back.

The Oscar Pistorius murder trial is back in session after a month-long recess. And the panel of doctors has found the Olympic Blade Runner mentally fit to stand trial. The proceedings were delayed for a psychiatric assessment of Pistorius. Their report says he did not suffer from any mental defect or mental illness and is fully capable of appreciating the wrongfulness of his actions.

Pistorius is accused of murdering his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. He admits shooting here but says he mistook Steenkamp for an intruder in his home. We are going live to South Africa later this hour. MARQUEZ: And the Vatican is playing down a concern about Pope

Francis' health. This morning, he is meeting with Spain's new king, and Sunday, the pope delivered an extended mass. It was his first public ceremony after having to cancel a number of events because of an unspecified health issue.

CNN's Delia Gallagher is live in Rome with details -- Delia.

DELIA GALLAGHER, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Miguel, that's right. The pope seems to be doing just fine, that's the good news. He was able to keep all appointments this weekend, including that two- hour mass that you spoke about, Miguel.

What happened was on Friday, the pope was due to meet with staff and students at a Rome hospital, and that visit was canceled at the last minute, the Vatican said, due to a, quote, "sudden indisposition of the pope." They said it was nothing to worry about and he would continue with his weekend's schedule as we saw he did.

The questions of an illness are raised because it's not the first time it's happened. Several times over the past year, the pope had to cancel suddenly. Now, what generally is the feeling here, Miguel, is this is not due to any particular illness, because the pattern is the pope cancels for a morning or for an afternoon and then continues with the rest of his schedule for the rest of the week and months after that.

So, there's no particular illness, the Vatican reassures us. There is a packed schedule for the pope. He is not taking a vacation. This is heading into the summer months. Popes generally take a vacation around this time. He's not doing so. So, Vatican is trying to scale back a little bit and give him some rest time -- Miguel, Alison.

MARQUEZ: Well, we will take that as a good sign. He has been an extraordinarily busy man the last year and a half. Thank you from lovely Rome.

KOSIK: This morning, police are searching for two gunmen who opened fire into a Bourbon Street crowd in New Orleans. Nine people were injured in the shooting early Sunday morning. New video shows the moment people began running for cover. Police say two men got into an argument, and that's when they pulled out their guns and began shooting at one another. Officials say two of the victims are in critical condition.

MARQUEZ: Yikes.

And the mother of the toddler who died locked in a hot car is now under investigation as well, after police say she also researched such deaths on the Internet. Leanna Harris hasn't been charged with the death of her son, 22-month-old Cooper Harris, who was buried this weekend. The father Justin Ross Harris, is facing murder and child cruelty charges. The story, you just can't believe it. Friends of the family say police are taking a picture of Justin that is not the man they now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAROL BROWN, FAMILY FRIEND: It just seems out of character for Ross. I know people change. It's been 15 years or so since we've had contact in the church. So, you know, people change. But I -- it's just hard for me to imagine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARQUEZ: Cooper Harris died after being left in the hot vehicle more than seven hours while his dad was at work. This story just -- you just can't believe it. For as cynical as we are in the news business, this is one that I just don't want to believe this.

KOSIK: Makes you sick.

The fight over Obamacare moves to the Supreme Court today. The court is going to be ruling on the requirement that for-profit businesses provide contraceptive coverage to employees, two employers Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood Specialty say that that rule violates their religious beliefs.

Obamacare already exempts some nonprofit companies and religious organizations from providing contraceptive coverage.

MARQUEZ: This will be the big one, the last big judgment this term.

KOSIK: It will.

MARQUEZ: Everyone's watching.

Today, President Obama is expected to ask Congress for $2 billion in emergency border funds to restore (ph) the surge in undocumented children and adults from Central America's border crossing with Mexico. White House official tells CNN, money will -- the money will help secure space for detaining the children. It's believed up to 80,000 children will cross the border this year without their parents. Shocking.

KOSIK: All right. I want you to watch this video here. This is nuts.

OK. This guy is on the back of the car. Someone captured this video of him riding down a highway. Affiliate WSOC says the man smashed the back windshield and eventually crawled into the car, like a movie. Witnesses say a woman was driving a sedan and had a child inside strapped into a car seat. It's unclear what happened. Police were unable to find the car.

CNN has reached out to North Carolina authorities about the unusual investigation.

MARQUEZ: Where is a cop when you need one? You know, it's always that issue. I don't understand this.

KOSIK: All those people around.

MARQUEZ: Maybe she was at the grocery store. She was bagging her groceries and somehow got stuck --

KOSIK: You think?

MARQUEZ: Coming up, and then there were 12 more countries heading for the quarterfinals. But there's no joy in Mexico. Andy Scholes has the details with the "Bleacher Report", coming up.

Andy!

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MARQUEZ: Welcome back to the knockout round of the World Cup. It's off and running and kicking. And once again, things didn't go well for Mexico. Andy Scholes has more in this morning's "Bleacher Report".

Hi there, Andy.

ANDY SCHOLES, BLEACHER REPORT: Hey, good morning, guys.

You know, poor El Tri. They are a few minutes away from beating the Netherlands but two goals by the Dutch in the final six minutes left Mexico devastated. Giovani dos Santos gave Mexico the lead in the second half of just an incredible goal. Coach Miguel Herrera, always animated, he loved it. Game was tied, until Arjen Robben gets taken in the box and gave the Dutch a penalty kick, and they would drill it home.

Mexico loses this one 2-1. They are eliminated from the World Cup in the round of 16, for the sixth straight time. This was all over social media yesterday.

After the game, the Dutch airline, KLM, tweeted "adios amigos", with a picture of a departure, definitely kicking Mexican fans while they were down. They even added an image of a sombrero and moustache. They received angry tweets about this and then pulled the tweet off of the web.

All right. The surprise of the World Cup thus far is Costa Rica. They were taking on Greece yesterday and Costa Rica playing with only 10 men for most of the game after one of their players received a red card. They were almost able to hang on to it in regulation, but Sokratis Papastathopoulos comes through with a goal for Greece. This game would go all the way through to penalty kicks.

Costa Rica coming through in the clutch, making all of their shots to make the win. They weren't supposed to make it out of their group, but now, they are heading to the quarterfinals for the first time ever.

And also, moment for lucky golf fan on Saturday. Peter Hanson knocks in a hole in one at the par 3 second. And guys, this one, Arline Deacon from Fayetteville, Georgia, her home mortgage paid for an entire year by Quicken Loans.

KOSIK: Nice. SCHOLES: Safe to say, her favorite golfer now and forever will be Peter Hanson.

MARQUEZ: Mucho gracias, Andy Scholes.

SCHOLES: Have a good morning (ph), guys.

MARQUEZ: Take care, man. Thanks.

The top headlines and everything you need to know for the day after the break.

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