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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Mayday Call from Doomed TransAsia Flight; Investigators Probe New York Train Wreck; The War on ISIS: Middle East Outrage; Hackers Hit Insurance Giant; Secretary of State Kerry in Ukraine

Aired February 05, 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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CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now: divers combing the wreckage of a deadly plane crash. Dozens killed. Many still missing this morning. Taiwan grounding every plane of the model that crashed for new inspections. We're live with the very latest, ahead.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: New this morning, the outrage growing over the murder of a Jordanian pilot killed by ISIS. New calls for vengeance across the Middle East. Does this now mean the United States could get more new help in the fight against ISIS? We're live ahead.

ROMANS: Breaking overnight: hackers attacking one of the largest insurance companies in the country. The Social Security numbers of 80 million people stolen. What you need to know ahead.

BERMAN: Ugly.

ROMANS: Yes.

Welcome back to EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans.

BERMAN: I'm John Berman. Great to see you. Thirty-one minutes past the hour.

And this morning, in the wake of the horrifying crash in Taiwan, just look at this -- officials are grounding all planes of the same model, ATR-72s, until they can be inspected. So far, 32 people are confirmed dead in this crash, 15 injured, 11 still missing.

Investigators have downloaded data already from the plane's black boxes. They will also analyze dash cam video of the crash. This remarkable footage you have seen again and again.

Also, there are brief transmissions from the cockpit declaring an engine flameout and mayday.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

PILOT: Mayday. Mayday. Engine flameout.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

BERMAN: Terrifying scene. CNN's Anna Coren is live for us at the river in Taipei where this plane came to rest upside down.

Good morning, Anna. What's the latest?

ANNA COREN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, John, very shortly, divers are going to get out of the river. The reason being is that it's about to get extremely very dark and visibility is very poor. So, they will be wrapping up their search of the river for the day. However, boots will still be traveling up and down. They have set dragnets several miles downstream, to catch, if you like, those bodies that are still unaccounted for, 11 in total, that are still missing. Fifty-eight people were on that flight, less than a quarter managed to survive.

And standing down here on the banks of this river, knowing the plane clipped the overpass which is just above our heads, the left wing, hitting it as it flew through before crashing into the water. It is remarkable that anybody survived. You know, some of the survivors have spoken from hospital and they have said that they believe there was something wrong with the engine. They could hear it. And that the reason that there were so many deaths is people were stuck in their seatbelts. They could not get out. So, they basically drowned which is a tragic, tragic thought.

For the families that have gathered here, wanting the remains of their loved ones, their bodies back, they are still going to have to wait. Obviously, the search will reconvene at first light tomorrow. As I say, they set up the dragnets. They're going to continue heading up and down the river. Those dive teams back in the water in the hope of finding those remaining bodies, John.

BERMAN: It is a tragedy. Anna, we heard that mayday call from the cockpit saying some kind of engine problem. Is that whether the investigation is headed right now, some kind of engine failure?

COREN: Yes, absolutely. According to one of the civil aviation bodies here, they believe that most likely the cause was engine failure. You have to remember at 10:53 a.m. yesterday morning, when the maintenance crew did inspect the plane, they said it was fine to fly. It had already flown several times during the day.

Well, at 11:00 a.m., seven minutes later, you know, it took off. It was virtually two minutes later that it crashed into the river behind us.

Now, the mayor of Taipei, he is calling the pilot a hero. The reason being is that he believes that the plane could have crashed into a neighborhood just on the other side of the overpass where we are standing. And then, the death toll would have been monumental. So, he believes that the pilot is responsible for really, you know, doing what he could to prevent this becoming even more of a disaster, John.

BERMAN: A remarkable loss but also a remarkable heroism here. Anna Coren for us in Taipei -- thanks so much. ROMANS: All right. Turning now to another crash, this one involving

a train north of New York City. Now, this morning, service has resumed on the commuter rail line where the train slammed into the SUV stopped on the tracks Tuesday night. The crash ignited an inferno that consumed the first passenger car killing six and injuring 15.

This is the deadliest accident of the Metro North Line. Two mysteries face NTSB investigators this morning. Why didn't the driver of the SUV move off the tracks as the warning signal blared and why were so many people killed in the train versus car accident?

For details on the investigation, let's turn it over to CNN's Rene Marsh. She's on the scene for us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RENE MARSH, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: Christine and John, the train and SUV have been removed from the tracks. As early as today, investigators could start the process of interviewing the train's crew.

We know this Metro North train left Grand Central station Tuesday evening. And when it got to this suburb just about 30 miles outside of New York City, there was an SUV sitting in the middle of the tracks. It's unclear why this SUV was stopped on the tracks. We do know that vehicles are allowed to cross over the railroad tracks in this area, but only when the traffic signal is green and gives the driver a go.

Once the train collided with this SUV, that triggered a fiery explosion. Investigators believe the fuel from the SUV is what really ignited the flames here. As you know, six people lost their lives; one of those, the driver of that SUV. We also know that investigators now have the recorders from the train, two of the recorders. They downloaded that information.

And as early as today, we could find out how fast this train was traveling and when the brakes were applied -- Christine and John.

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BERMAN: Our thanks to Rene Marsh for that.

Outrage this morning across the Arab world, still at the brutal murder of Jordanian fighter for the killing of Muath al Kaseasbeh at the hands of ISIS militants. Governments and groups normally on opposite sides just as the Assad regime in Syrian and the al Qaeda fighters trying to bring him down uniformly denouncing the killing as monstrous and depraved. But at least one member of the coalition fighting ISIS has stepped back right now from the battle.

United Arab Emirates stopped flying airstrikes against ISIS. That happened back in December. The New York Times reports that UAE is worried about the safety of its pilots in the wake of that Jordanian pilot's killing. But Jordan's king and his people, they say they want vengeance. The

king tells U.S. House members, quote, "The only problem we're going to have is running out of fuel and bullets." Within an hour, he will hold a meeting to map out his new anti-ISIS strategy.

So, what form will that take?

Our Atika Shubert joins us now live from Amman.

Good morning, Atika.

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John.

We know that it will mean more air strikes by Jordanian jets. This is something a U.S. official has told CNN Jordan has already requested to fly more missions. So, that really just has to go up the command structure of the coalition to figure out which targets will be hit and who will be carrying them out.

In the meantime, King Abdullah, in addition to meeting with his security chief is likely to meet with al Kaseasbeh family in the village of Karak. That is where the Jordanian's pilot family is from. And they're a very prominent family.

And this is key for King Abdullah to shore up his political support. He already has overwhelming support for the fight against ISIS, but he needs to maintain it. For that, he needs the support of the al Kaseasbeh family, but other prominent families and tribes across Jordan. At the moment, they are calling for ISIS to be annihilated. It's just the question of what the next steps for King Abdullah will be.

BERMAN: All right. Atika Shubert for us in Amman -- the story developing, we will let you know what the king says after these meetings -- thanks, Atika.

ROMANS: All right. Another big hack to tell you about. Hackers stealing a huge amount of information from insurance giant Anthem. The company is still investigating, but up to 80 million customer records were compromised. That makes this one of the largest breaches in corporate history.

So, what was taken? Names, birthdays and Social Security numbers, addresses and job information, including pay data. But the insurance company says credit card data and medical records were not compromised.

Anthem is the second largest health insurers in the United States. It will notify those affected and offer credit monitoring. Anthem CEO says even his information was stolen during this sophisticated external hack. I don't know if that's supposed to make you feel better.

No word yet on who was behind it. Anthem has hired a cyber security firm and is working with the FBI.

BERMAN: I think if it was just his, people wouldn't care. The problem is it is his, plus 80 million other people, potentially.

ROMANS: Yes, that's a big hack. And, you know, these companies are being bombarded every day by hackers trying to get this information. There is a black market for your information out there. And I think it's pretty safe to say these companies need to spend more money and do more to make sure your stuff is not stolen.

BERMAN: And it's a long con. I mean, it's a long con. They get your information. Your Social Security and other things, because down the line, they can do sophisticated identity theft and perhaps steal a lot of money. So, don't take any solace on the fact they didn't steal bank records just yet, because more could be coming.

All right. Forty-one minutes after the hour.

An explosive day in court at the trial of former football star Aaron Hernandez. The mother of the victim takes the stand and receives a surprising warning from the judge. Stay with us.

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BERMAN: An unusual warning from the judge during day three of testimony in the Aaron Hernandez murder trial. It happened when the mother of victim Odin Lloyd broke down on the stand after being shown a picture of her son's dead body. Listen to her exchange with prosecutors followed by a stern lecture from the judge, Susan Garsh.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Does that depict your son's body?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

JUDGE SUSAN GARSH, HERNANDEZ TRIAL CASE: It is important you manage during the testimony to retain control of your emotions and not to cry while you are looking at any photo that may be shown to you. Do you understand that?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, ma'am.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: Interesting. She just saw a photo of your dead son.

ROMANS: How could you not cry? How could a mother not cry in this high stress and high tense situation like that, seeing a picture of your son?

BERMAN: What do you think? This is interesting. I'm curious what you think. Tweet us @earlystart or @christineromans. Leave me alone. But let know us what you think about that, because a lot of people thought that was pretty unusual.

ROMANS: Our legal contributors said that it was very unusual to have a judge say something like that to a victim's parent. BERMAN: We'll have to see how it goes today. Testimony resumes this

morning at 9:00 a.m. That's happening in Fall River, Massachusetts. The North Attleboro Police Captain Joseph DiRenzo will be on the stand. He was the first officer to arrive on the scene when Lloyd's body was found back in 2013.

ROMANS: All right. A federal jury has convicted the creator of the Silk Road Web site, Ross Ulbricht, on drug conspiracy and other charges. Prosecutors say Ulbricht was the mastermind of the black market site. Silk Road allegedly served as a drug trafficking version of eBay, connecting a worldwide network of users and dealers and criminals. He faces up to 30 years to life in prison. Ulbricht's lawyers planned to appeal.

BERMAN: While Bobbi Kristina Brown remains on life support, there are new details concerning the events that led to her hospitalization. An attorney says Bobbi Kristina's friend Max Lomas is the one who found her face down and unresponsive in a full bathtub last weekend. According to the police report, Lomas called 911, while Brown's partner, Nick Gordon, administered CPR. The lawyer says Lomas is cooperating with authorities in this investigation.

ROMANS: Jeb Bush is not mincing words on the subject of vaccinations. He has seen the fallout after fellow presidential hopefuls Rand Paul and Chris Christie suggested parents should have a choice about vaccinating their kids. But with 99 cases of measles in California and 108 overall in 15 states and Washington, D.C., Bush is making it crystal clear where he stands.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEB BUSH (R), FORMER FLORIDA GOVERNOR: Seeing that, parents ought to make sure their children are vaccinated. Parents have a responsibility to make sure their children are protected, over and out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Governor Christie clarifying his remarks now telling reporters, quote, "There is no question kids should be vaccinated against the measles.

And check out this tweet from Rand Paul. It shows the Kentucky senator getting a booster vaccine and he writes, "Wonder how the liberal media will misreport this."

BERMAN: The Jeb Bush comments are interesting. A politician saying this is not an issue for me at all. I do not want to have this be a political issue in my campaign from this moment on. I'm going to make my view crystal clear. Interesting.

Forty-eight minutes after the hour.

Is the United States getting more involved in the war in Ukraine? Possible new weapons for the Ukrainian military. Secretary of State John Kerry, that is him arriving in Kiev. It just happened. We are live with what he is expected to say, next.

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BERMAN: All right. Just in, U.S. secretary of state moments ago, John Kerry, arrived in Ukraine to hold talks with the country's president and other top officials. That as the United States considers now arming Ukrainian troops with defensive weapons.

Senior international correspondent Matthew Chance joins us now live from Moscow.

Matthew, from the United States' perspective and from Ukrainian perspective, this is a big meeting. What are the Russians looking for?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it is a big meeting for them as well, and they're going to be watching very closely, just like the Ukrainians are, as to what John Kerry, U.S. secretary of state, has to say about whether or not there is going to be a shift in U.S. policy. At the moment, of course, the policy at the White House is not to supply lethal aid to the Ukrainian government. Instead, they supplied non-lethal aids, flak jacket, night vision goggles, things like that.

But because of the security situation deteriorating badly, because of the advances that are being made in the east of the country, there is an active discussion about whether or not to step that military aid up and include weapon in that assistance that the U.S. gives to the Ukrainian government.

Now, the big question in this, the big risk that is weighed by the administration, is what impact that will that have with the fighting on the ground and injecting weapons would actually escalate the conflict. It is unpredictable as to how Vladimir Putin is going to react. He denies, of course, backing the pro-Russian rebels with any kind of military support, just political backing and diplomatic backing. But there is every possibility that he could redouble his assistance to those rebels and that could put thousands of lives, perhaps hundreds of thousands of lives in jeopardy in that war zone, John.

BERMAN: And that's the risk for the United States as they consider what to do here. Matthew Chance for us in Moscow. Again, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry arriving just moments in Kiev. Matthew, thanks so much.

ROMANS: All right. So much for that recovery in oil price. Oil prices plunge again. What does this mean for gas prices and what does it mean for the economy? An early start on your money, next.

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ROMANS: All right. Let's get an early start on your money.

It's been a crazy -- it has been a crazy year so far in the markets. Right now, Europe stocks are lower. Asian shares ended down as well. U.S. stock futures they are pointing a bit higher. But look, there's a lot of uncertainty on the markets this morning. Questions about Greek debt, volaand volatility in oil prices and new stimulus efforts by China's central bank. All of this swirling around there and that's fuelling bigger concerns of growth stalling around the world.

Oil prices are swinging widely.

BERMAN: Yes.

ROMANS: Prices were surging earlier this week. And that had many speculating prices have finally bottomed out, after seven months of crashing.

But, yesterday, oil prices turned and plunged 9 percent. In one day, that is a huge move. The biggest one-day drop since November. Prices fell after the government said that crude supplies rose to the highest level in 80 years. U.S. producers are trying to fix the oversupply problem by cutting investment and shutting down rigs, oil rigs.

But look at this, John. This I think really illustrates what the overall situation is. Supply is still outpacing demand by 1 to 1 1/2 million barrels a day.

BERMAN: Wow, wow.

ROMANS: That suggests oil prices should stay low for now until that supply and demand balance fixes itself.

Now, the gap between the rich and poor is getting wider, this time in college education. Look at this, in 2013, 77 percent of students from wealth families earned a bachelors degree by the age of 24, only 9 percent from poor families. That mean the rich are eight times more likely to get a college degree, which is, of course, the ticket to the middle class. The gap has grown significantly since the 1970s. A gap among who actually earns a degree. Very interesting.

BERMAN: Very interesting. A huge increase, from 40 percent to 77 percent. But look, if it's only among the wealthy, more needs to be done.

All right. EARLY START continues right now.

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