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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Investigation into Taiwan Crash; Investigators Probe New York Train Wreck; Arab World Outraged at Pilot's Murder; Secretary of State Kerry in Ukraine

Aired February 05, 2015 - 05:30   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: Happening now. Divers combing the wreckage of a deadly plane crash. Dozens killed, many still missing. This morning, Taiwan grounding every model of the plane that crashed to have them inspected immediately. We are live with the very latest, ahead.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Outrage grows this morning over the murder of a Jordanian pilot killed by ISIS. New calls for vengeance across the Middle East. Does this mean the U.S. could soon get more help fighting these terrorists? We're live ahead.

BERMAN: And breaking overnight. Hackers attacking one of the largest insurance companies in the country. The Social Security numbers of up to 80 million people, 80 million people stolen. We'll tell you what you need to know ahead.

ROMANS: Replay the tape.

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

ROMANS: I'm Christine Romans. Thirty minutes past the hour.

This morning in the wake of a horrifying air crash in Taiwan, officials there are grounding all planes of the same model ATR-72s until they can all be inspected. So far 32 people, 32 confirmed dead in Wednesday's crash, 15 injured, 11 are still missing.

Investigators have downloaded data from the plane's black boxes. They will also be analyzing dash cam video of that crash and this brief transmission from the cockpit declaring an engine flameout and a mayday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mayday. Mayday. Engine flameout.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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

Anna, what's the latest on the recovery efforts and on the investigation at this hour?

ANNA COREN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, just chilling, isn't it? To hear that mayday distress call because you know moments later the plane plunged into the river behind me here in Taipei. And we are standing beneath that overpass where the plane's wing clipped, the -- this bridge, and as I say, dived into this river with 58 people on board.

Miraculously 15 people managed to survive and it really is a miracle when you see the debris of the plane. They removed most of that debris. Today is being spent scouring this river with dozens and dozens of dive teams trying to find those 11 bodies still unaccounted for. They set up dragnets several miles downstream to catch the bodies. It's a macabre thought but this is the reality here.

And still the dive team have been hard at work. It is now nightfall. So that operation has stopped but the rubber dinghies are still traveling up and down the river. Obviously as of first light tomorrow they will be back out there. But, you know, what we are hearing from the survivors in hospital is that when that plane took off, the engine did not sound right. And if anything, one of -- one of the survivors said that many of the people died because they drowned.

They were trapped in their -- in their seatbelts which is just a horrific thought. But certainly engine problems seem to be the way that investigators are heading as far as this investigation goes. They're analyzing the cockpit flight recorders as well as the data recorders. And analyzing that information then hoping to sort of make sense of how this was able to unfold.

The mayor here in Taipei is commending the pilot who died in the crash as a hero because they believe that if it wasn't for his actions, that plane could have plowed into a nearby neighborhood and the disaster would have been so much worse -- Christine.

ROMANS: Our Anna Coren for us this morning with the latest on the investigation there where that plane went down in that river. Thank you.

BERMAN: New information this morning in the deadly train crash north of New York City. This morning, service has resumed on that commuter rail line where a train slammed into an SUV that had stopped on the tracks Tuesday night. The crash ignited an inferno that consumed the first passenger car, it killed six people, injured 15. The deadliest accident in the history of the Metro-North line.

Two major mysteries face NTSB investigators this morning. Number one, why didn't the driver of the SUV move off the tracks as the warning signal that was blaring? The second question, why were so many people killed in the train versus car accidents? The kind of crash that's rarely so dangerous for passengers.

Want to get details on the investigation, let's turn to CNN's Rene Marsh on the scene -- Rene.

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. But 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.

ROMANS: All right, Rene, thank you for that.

There's outrage across the Arab world this morning at the brutal murder of a Jordanian pilot by ISIS militants. Pilot Moaz al-Kasasbeh burned alive while confined to a cage. Governments and groups normally on opposite sides like the Assad government in Syria and the al Qaeda fighters trying to bring Assad down uniformly denouncing the killings as monstrous and depraved.

But at least one Arab member of the U.S.-led coalition has stepped back from the fight. The United Arab Emirates has stopped flying airstrikes against ISIS. The "New York Times" reporting the UAE worried about the safety of its pilots at the wake of the Jordanian pilot's capture.

But Jordan's monarch and his people, they are pledging vengeance. The king telling U.S. House members the only problem we're going to have is running out of fuel and bullets. Within the hour he'll be in a meeting to map out an anti-ISIS strategy.

So what form will this promise of vengeance take? Will Jordan step up its role in airstrikes against ISIS? Just exactly what is King Abdullah going to do?

Want to bring in CNN's Atika Shubert she's live in Amman for us.

Good morning, Atika.

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. We already that -- from a U.S. official that Jordan has already requested to step up its airstrikes, to fly more missions to hit ISIS in Syria and Iraq. So we know certainly that will be one of the forms of response from Jordan. But will there be more? Will Jordan actually take the fight to ISIS, for example? These are the steps we're waiting to see. In addition to meeting with his security chiefs today, we also expect

to see King Abdullah to visit Karak. This is the town where the al- Kasasbeh family lives. This is the family of the Jordanian pilot. He will be going to pay his respects, give his condolences to the family but also to ensure he has their support to increase these strikes against ISIS.

You know, in the run-up to this terrible killing, Jordanian public opinion was very divided. And King Abdullah needs the support of prominent families and tribes across the country to step up his campaign. And the Kasasbeh family will be key.

ROMANS: All right. Atika Shubert for us this morning in Amman, Jordan. Thank you, Atika.

BERMAN: The United States is moving more troops and military hardware into northern Iraq. Search and rescue teams being shifted there to prepare in the event that a U.S. plane or a coalition plane is shot down in a territory controlled by ISIS.

ISIS brutality showing no signs of abating. A United Nations committee says the militants are selling abducted Iraqi children as sex slaves, they're killing others and they're using more as suicide bombers or human shields against airstrikes. Children of all backgrounds including Yazidi and Shiite and Sunnis have all been apparently rounded up.

While that's going on in Iraq and Syria, officials in Libya raised alarms that ISIS is expanding its footprint there. On Wednesday ISIS claimed responsibility for storming one of the largest oil fields in Libya.

ROMANS: All right. Hackers stealing a huge amount of information from insurance giant Anthem. The company is still investigating the breach 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, Social Security numbers, addresses and job information, including pay data. The insurance company says credit card data and medical records were not compromised.

Anthem is the second largest health insurer in the U.S. The company says it will notify current and former customers. If they're data were stolen, will offer free credit monitoring and identity protection. Anthem's CEO says even his information was stolen during this sophisticated external hack. I don't think that makes anyone feel better.

BERMAN: No.

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

This is even -- Congress is trying to figure out what to do. There are no real laws in the books for how you're supposed to notify, what responsibility the company has, and they're to -- you know, figure that out.

BERMAN: The FBI have enough problem, they better come up with some ideas pretty soon.

All right. Big questions this morning. Is the United States getting ready to be involved much more directly in the war in Ukraine? Secretary of State John Kerry, he arrived in Kiev just a short time ago. What will he say? Will he promise more weapons?

We'll tell you next.

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BERMAN: Happening right now, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry just arriving in Ukraine to hold talks with the country's president and other top officials. This is happening as the United States considering sending new weapons to arm Ukrainian troops. Defensive but lethal weapons.

Senior international correspondent Matthew Chance is joining us live from Moscow. Of course Russia has a key interest in this, Matthew. Russia backing the Ukrainian rebels, fighting the Ukrainian military in there.

Any word yet from Secretary Kerry on any new promises from the United States?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: There has been word from State Department officials that the United States is offering a humanitarian aid package worth more than $16 million to Ukraine. But that's really just a drop in the ocean compared to what Ukraine's government is looking for to address the scale of the humanitarian crisis the country is facing in the east of the country and in its economy in general.

But what the Ukrainian leadership are really looking for from John Kerry, U.S. secretary of state, is a commitment to supply weapons to the government's military. Already the U.S. is providing non-lethal aid, night vision goggles, flat jackets and things like that. But they want missiles, they want anti-tank piercing weaponry that they can use to actually prosecute their war in the east against those pro- Russian rebels.

The big risk that's being weighed by the administration is what impact that would have on the warzone? Would the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, for instance, choose to escalate and to redouble his backing for those pro-Russian rebels -- lead to a much wider conflict?

So that's something that is being obviously discussed and something that has to be considered very carefully.

Now as John Kerry arrives in Kiev, we've just heard from the French president, Francois Hollande, that both he and his German counterpart, Angela Merkel, are also going to Kiev to -- have discussions today along with John Kerry with the Ukrainian leadership. And President Hollande saying he's taking a new solution to the conflict that were based on territorial integrity of Ukraine.

So the French and German leaders going to Ukraine as well to try and offer a new peace plan. They'll be coming to Moscow on Friday as well to talk to Vladimir Putin. So it seems there are lots of efforts under way right now to try and bring this terrible fighting that's been raging in Ukraine to an end.

BERMAN: Yes, possible pivotal moment today and tomorrow as all these efforts happen.

All right, Matthew Chance, in Moscow for us, thanks so much.

ROMANS: All right, 45 minutes past the hour. An explosive day in court at the trial of former football star Aaron Hernandez. The mother of the victim taking the stand and then she gets a surprising warning from the judge. That's next.

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ROMANS: An unusual warning from the judge during day three of the testimony in the Aaron Hernandez murder trial. This happened when the mother of the murder 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 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 very important that you manage during this time you are testifying 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)

ROMANS: Some of our legal contributors at CNN say it's really unusual to admonish the mother of a victim like that.

Testimony resumes this morning at 9:00 a.m. Eastern. North Attleboro Police Captain Joseph DiRenzo will be on the stand. He was the first to arrive at the scene when Lloyd's body was found in 2013.

BERMAN: 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 which allegedly served as a drug trafficking version of eBay, connecting a worldwide network of users and dealers. He faces 30 years to life in prison. His lawyers say they will appeal. ROMANS: 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. That attorney says Lomas' arrest last month for possession of marijuana and prescription drugs is unrelated to Brown's hospitalization.

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 their investigation.

BERMAN: Jeb Bush weighing on the subject of vaccinations. Of course doing so after he saw all the fallout after fellow Republican presidential hopefuls Rand Paul and Chris Christie suggested that parents should have a choice about vaccinating their kids.

There are 99 new cases of measles in California, 108 overall in the United States, 15 states and Washington, D.C.

Governor Bush made clear where he stands on the issue.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEB BUSH (R), FORMER FLORIDA GOVERNOR: 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)

BERMAN: Over and out. His way of saying, I don't want to talk about this. Don't look here. Because Chris Christie is still having to talk about it, clarifying his remarks. He now tells reporters there are no question the kids should be vaccinated against measles.

And look at this tweet from Rand Paul. Rand Paul who got some heat for suggesting that parents should choose. He went and got vaccinated himself. A booster vaccine. And he wrote, "Wonder how the liberal media will misreport this."

ROMANS: All right. One of America's best known newsmen doing some damage control in his own this morning. NBC "Nightly News" anchor Brian Williams on Wednesday night's broadcast issued a mea culpa for his mistaken recollection that he came under fire while covering the Iraq war invasion back in 2003.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRIAN WILLIAMS, ANCHOR, NBC NIGHTLY NEWS: I want to apologize. I said I was traveling in an aircraft that was hit by RPG fire. I was instead in a following aircraft. We all landed after the ground fire incident and spent two harrowing nights in a sand storm in the Iraq desert.

This was a bungled attempt by me to thank one special veteran and by extension, our brave military men and women, veterans everywhere, those who have served while I did not. I hope they know they have my greatest respect and also now my apology.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Now Williams had told the story several times before, including an appearance on David Letterman back in 2013.

BERMAN: The story really evolved over time in the years following the invasion he told -- I guess more accurately than somehow, you know, the danger that he faced grew greater and greater in the retelling but he has now apologized.

ROMANS: All right, 53 minutes past the hour.

Oil prices, they're down again. Gas prices popped five cents yesterday. Are they going back down?

An EARLY START on your money next.

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ROMANS: All right. Let's get an EARLY START on money this morning.

European stocks lower. Asian shares ended down. U.S. stock futures pointing higher for now. But there's a lot of uncertainty weighing on the markets this morning. Questions about Greek's debt. Volatility, big volatility in oil prices and new stimulus efforts by China's central bank. All of that fuelling bigger concerns about growth stalling around the world.

Oil prices swinging wildly now. Prices surged earlier this week. That had many speculating those prices had finally bottomed out after a seven-month crash. But yesterday, oil prices plunged 9 percent in one day. That's the biggest one-day drop since November. Prices fell after the government said crude supplies rose to the highest levels in 80 years.

U.S. producers trying to fix this over-supply problem by cutting investment, shutting down oil rigs. But supplies still outpacing demand.

Look at this statistic from Citigroup. By one to one and a half million barrels a day. As long as you have so much more supply than demand, that means pressure on oil prices.

BERMAN: Meanwhile, the swings up and down 5 percent every day, there is some hedge fund dudes right now whose heads are exploding with anxiety.

ROMANS: At least for people who aren't hedge fund dudes who drive their car to work every day.

BERMAN: Right.

ROMANS: Those who I care about. They are still seeing those lower gas prices so that's good news for them.

BERMAN: This morning, new outrage over the ISIS murder of a Jordanian pilot. "NEW DAY" picks that up right now.