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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Ukraine Ceasefire Deal Reached; Obama Asks Congress to Authorize 3-Year ISIS War; CBS' Bob Simon Dies in Car Crash; Chicago Little League Team Stripped of Championship

Aired February 12, 2015 - 05:00   ET

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

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking this morning: a cease-fire deal for Eastern Ukraine, the result of marathon talks overnight. The details ahead.

Also, President Obama asked Congress to authorize the use of force against ISIS. His request launching a heated debate.

Also breaking overnight, a giant in the news industry has died. Legendary journalist Bob Simon died in a car accident Wednesday night. We will look back at his extraordinary career.

Good morning, everyone. Welcome to EARLY START. I'm Poppy Harlow, in today for John Berman and Christine Romans, who have a very well- deserved morning off.

It is Thursday, February 12th, 5:00 a.m. here on the East Coast.

We begin with breaking news on the crisis in Eastern Ukraine. A breakthrough, a major breakthrough in the marathon four-way talks involving France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine. The parties agreeing to a cease-fire that is scheduled to take effect this weekend.

Let's go straight to our Nic Robertson. He joins us live from Minsk.

This is a big about-face from just an hour ago when we were hearing from Ukraine's president, no deal.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And we were hearing the same from the separatist, Poppy. So, yes, there is an agreement, 17 hours of talks. The longest President Putin has been involved in according to one of his spokesperson.

What are the details? Well, we have very few details so far. What we know is cease-fire comes into effect midnight Saturday into Sunday in Ukraine. There was an agreement to pull back heavy weapons. And beyond that at the moment, we don't have a lot of information.

There is an expectation that there will be a demilitarized zone between the government forces and the separatist forces, that they will pull back to new lines, new positions on the ground. It's not clear what the positions will be. There is two and a half days left between now and the cease-fire

coming into effect. There is continuing reports of military activity on the battle field today. So, that remains a concern for all involved.

But at this time, it is being held as something of a success, although it does have to be put in the context of the talks here last year in September, but then broke down on the battlefield. And it's been far, these talks have been far from easy. The fact that's has taken so long to reach this moment, talks had broken down, President Putin had left. They have been just as the Russians -- just the Germans, the Ukrainians and French in on the talks were indicative of how tough it's been to get this far overnight, Poppy.

HARLOW: Nic, do we have any sense -- and I know it's early going -- but do we have a sense of who will control that critically important autonomous area on the border of Ukraine and Russia? Because that's key in all of this.

ROBERTSON: It is. The Ukrainian government had said that it wants to see OSCE, that's Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe monitors. They're the European monitors who are there, many of them are former military people. They are the monitors who have been on the battlefield observing the situation.

So, it's really important for the Ukrainian government that a group like them would be controlling the border between Russia and separatists so that Russia would not have a free flow of weapons across the border and men, as the United States and many European countries believe they have at the moment. So, that's been a key condition and we don't know the details on that yet.

And the level of autonomy -- how much independence do these separatists have and come into the fold of sort of the full Ukraine sovereignty. Not clear yet, Poppy.

HARLOW: Nic Robertson, with the breaking news for us on Ukraine -- Nic, thank you very much. We appreciate it.

Also, this breaking overnight: the International Monetary Fund announcing a bailout for the Ukraine's war-ravaged economy. The IMF pledging a $17 billion loan in an effort to stabilize the country's economy. IMF director Christine Lagarde calling it an ambition commitment and saying it does not come without risk.

President Obama adding the weight of Congress on the war on ISIS. The president making a formal request yesterday for lawmakers to authorize the use of force against terrorists. The draft resolution rules out a long-term commitment of ground forces. And it also imposes a three- year limit on the president's authority to combat ISIS.

More now from senior White House correspondent Jim Acosta.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Poppy, President Obama insisted this new authorization for the war on ISIS will not plunge hundreds of thousands of troops back into combat. The president points out his authorization is aimed at more limited operations, such as rescue attempts and missions. He did note of the three-year time limit that's built-in to the authorization that would require Congress to revisit this issue again under the next president.

And here's what the president had to say about that.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The resolution we submitted today does not call for the deployment of U.S. ground combat forces to Iraq or Syria. It is not the authorization of another ground war like Afghanistan or Iraq. The 2,600 American troops in Iraq today largely serve on bases. And, yes, they face the risk that come with service in any dangerous environment, but they do not have a combat mission.

ACOSTA: President Obama is finding out why there is not a war authorization vote in Congress for 13 months. He's already taking hit from all sides. Republicans who say he doesn't have a plan. Democrats who say the president's proposal is too vague.

I pressed White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest on the measure's fuzzy language and he said that was by design, to give the president the flexibility he needs, Congress may want better answers than that -- Poppy.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARLOW: You can bet it will be a big debate on the Hill. Jim Acosta, thank you very much.

And as the U.S.-led coalition wages war on ISIS in the air, one of the most intense battle grounds is Mosul. This is a big city, millions of people, the largest city controlled by the terrorists. Kurdish Peshmerga forces are now surrounding Mosul in hopes of retaking it.

Our Phil Black had an up close view of the fight. He joins me now live from northern Iraq.

What do you think, Phil? Because this is really key. Whether those Kurdish forces are going to be able to retake Mosul. We've heard some reports of ISIS fighters removing their families from Mosul, thinning out there.

What are the chances that the Peshmerga forces can be successful here?

PHIL BLACK, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Poppy, what they are doing effectively to begin with is circling Mosul on all sides, all four points of the compass.

We saw this firsthand at a very important frontline position where Kurdish forces have managed to cut off the most direct supply route between ISIS-held territory, across the border in Syria and that Syrian occupied city of Mosul. It was that position there that we saw Kurdish fighters come under consistent fire from snipers and they responded, as you can see there, with machine gunfire and mortal fire and some of their own sniper fire as well.

It is these Kurdish forces, along with international air power, that have significantly rolled back a lot of the territory that ISIS concurred easily when it first invaded this region of northern Iraq. We are being told the same thing, at various frontline positions around here. The Kurdish fighters, they do believe that ISIS to a significant degree is on the back foot, but it is still lashing out. It is still dangerous. It cannot be under estimated.

So, that is why they are saying consistently they want more support from the international community. If not boots on the ground, then they believe they should be provided with more advanced weapons so they can do the job for the international community here on the ground in northern Iraq -- Poppy.

HARLOW: Phil Black, thank you very much for your reporting. We appreciate it.

Also this morning, there are new details about what American aid worker Kayla Mueller may have endured during her time as an ISIS hostage, including being paired with a male ISIS fighter. We are also learning about the family's efforts to free her.

Our Pamela Brown has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAMELA BROWN, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Poppy.

We have been speaking with the family spokesperson and learned about the great lengths the Mueller family went to get their daughter back. In fact, at point, they reached out to the White House last summer when ISIS issued a deadline to execute Kayla, and asked if the government would be willing to trade Dr. Siddiqui, known as Lady al Qaeda, in exchange for Mueller.

We know ISIS had reportedly made calls for Siddiqui's release, publicly made those calls. The family apparently saw that in the media, and, of course, wanted to explore every option to get Kayla moment.

The spokesperson also says contrary to many media reports, the family never turned down a military rescue mission because it was too risky. Instead, the family had reached out to the White House and asked for notification if there would be another rescue attempt after the failed attempt last July of Kayla and other American hostages.

We have been speaking to intelligence sources, too, and we have learned through this that the 26-year-old apparently at some point was given to a male ISIS fighter possibly as a bride after she was kidnapped in Syria in 2013. Now, this was intelligence coming out of Syria, but we should say this has been challenging to know the full picture. It's challenging because there isn't a lot of intelligence coming out of Syria.

But officials I have been speaking with say that they were exploring this possibility and also the fact that Kayla Mueller may have converted to Islam during her time in captivity. That is, of course, something we had seen in the past by hostages in the Middle East. At this point, it still remains a mystery of how and when Kayla Mueller passed away -- Poppy.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARLOW: Pamela Brown, thank you.

Also, this tragic news to bring you. It happened overnight, the death of long time CBS newsman Bob Simon. He was killed in a car accident in New York City last night. Scott Pelley paid tribute to his "60 Minutes" colleague in a special report.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCOTT PELLEY, ANCHOR, CBS EVENING NEWS: The veteran correspondent has been with "60 Minutes" since 1996 and he is renowned for his international coverage. Vietnam is where he began covering warfare and he gave his first hand reporting from every major battlefield around the world since.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Bob Simon had been with CBS since 1967. His remarkable body of work earned him more than two dozen Emmys and four Peabodys and the highest honors from the Overseas Press Club. Bob Simon was 73 years old.

NBC has removed Brian Williams' name from "NBC Nightly News." Last night, Lester Holt addressed the controversy in the first broadcast since Williams' suspension.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LESTER HOLT, NBC NEWS ANCHOR: It is an enormously difficult story to report. Brian is a member of our family, but so are you, our viewers. We will work every night to be worthy of your trust.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: The network is pouring through Williams past reports to look for anymore possible inaccuracies.

And the next stop for the Keystone pipeline bill is President Obama's desk in a veto showdown. The bill authorizing construction of a controversial oil pipeline cleared its final congressional hurdle, passing the House on Wednesday with a vote of 270-152. The president has vowed to veto this measure. And right now, it appears the Republican leaders do not have enough to override a presidential veto.

All right. Let's get an early start on your money. Cristina Alesci joins me now in New York.

Stocks looking pretty good, right? CRISTINA ALESCI, CNN MONEY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, they're getting a

boost from the Ukraine peace deal. In fact, European shares are climbing on the news. And so far, U.S. stock futures are, too.

But even with more stability in Ukraine, there is still a lot of unanswered questions about the future of Greece's bailout, plus we are getting earnings from some big players like Dr. Pepper, Snapple and Kellogg this morning.

Now, yesterday, Tesla reported a surprising $108 million loss in the fourth quarter. That has Tesla shares moving lower, down about 5 percent before the bell. The company saying it faced delivery problems, thanks to winter storms and other shipping issues. And Tesla is not selling well in China.

But it's not all bad news: demand for the Model X SUV is strong, with 20,000 reservations already. That's double the number of orders for the Model S, the only Tesla on the market right now. Of course, Elon Musk says none of this will deter his 55,000-car target for the end of this year.

HARLOW: Yes, and he has done it before. I mean, they hit a really lofty target last year in terms of production. They have been able to do it.

ALESCI: They did.

HARLOW: So, we'll be watching. We'll be watching. So, this is what everyone watches for the electric car market.

Thank you, Cristina. Good to be with you.

ALESCI: Of course.

HARLOW: All right. We don't know who they are yet, maybe it is you. Whoever is holding the winning Powerball tickets is very happy. They get to split $564 million. That is the jackpot.

The winners, three different people. And those tickets were sold in Texas, North Carolina and Puerto Rico. Here are the numbers in case it might be you: 25, 11, 54, 13, 39 and Powerball 19. Good luck.

Also, this tragic story to bring you. Three Muslim students gunned down in North Carolina. Did their faith play a role in their murder? Their father speaks out to CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARLOW: Was it a hate crime? The FBI is joining the investigation into the fatal shooting of three Muslim students in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Police say an ongoing dispute with a neighbor, the alleged shooter, over parking may have led to the shooting.

The father of one of victim telling CNN he is convinced the motive was hate.

Here's CNN's Jason Carroll.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Poppy, the Chapel Hill Police Department says that they will exhaust every lead in this case. The preliminary investigation has led them to believe that Craig Hicks, 46 years old, who lived right here in this apartment complex had an ongoing dispute with the three people who he eventually shot and killed. Those three victims, Deah Barakat, 23, his wife Yusor Mohammad, and her sister, Razan, all shot Tuesday night, police say murdered by Hicks, shot execution-style in the head, once again over an ongoing dispute, police say possibly over a parking space.

But many people here in this community, Poppy, do not believe, including the victim's father what says this was a hate crime.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My daughter, yes, sir. Honest to God, told us on more than two occasions that this man came knocking on their door and fighting about everything, with a gun on his belt more than twice. She told us, daddy, I think he hates us for who we are and how we look.

CARROLL: Hicks' wife is cooperating with police. She says that she does not believe this was a crime motivated by hate. She says that this was not motivated by religion or faith. Again, she is cooperating with police. Hicks turned himself late Tuesday night. He is now facing three counts of first-degree murder -- Poppy.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARLOW: Jason Carroll, thank you for that.

Also this, the widow of the gunman who went on a killing spree in a kosher supermarket in Paris has reportedly linked up with ISIS in Syria. The terror group reportedly interviewed her. Her name, Hayat Boumeddiene, in an ISIS run French language magazine.

In the article, she said they encountered no problems reaching is territory and she felt good to be on ISIS soil. Now, the magazine did not offer any proof to corroborate that claim.

And the third time apparently the charm for SpaceX. The company's unmanned Falcon 9 rocket finally blasted off from Cape Canaveral, in Florida, on its third try in four days. The rocket carrying a research weather satellite on a million miles journey into deep space. It is designed to serve as an early warning system for potentially dangerous solar storms.

And the U.S. Little League world champions from Chicago stripped of their crown because they fielded ringers. Andy Scholes has the sad details on "The Bleacher Report". That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARLOW: Jackie Robinson West has been stripped of its Little League World series U.S. title. And now, members of the team and their parents are speaking out.

Andy Scholes has more in this morning's "Bleacher Report".

What happened, Andy?

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Poppy.

The Little League office, they vacated all of Jackie Robinson West's wins because they say the team used a falsified boundary map and basically recruiting kids from outside their geographical area to make a super team. Now, it seems the manager has been suspended and the district administration for the little league has been removed from his position. The CEO of little league international said it was a heart breaking decision, but one that they had to make it to maintain the in integrity of the program.

Now, President Obama also weighed in, saying he was proud of the kids and the dirty dealings by some adults doesn't take away from their accomplishments. Members from the team and their parents speaking out saying they did nothing wrong.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VENISA GREEN, TEAM MEMBER'S MOTHER: What were you rather happen Little League, for them to be killed on the streets of Chicago? The boys had no inside dealings or wheelings or any borders or boundaries.

BRANDON GREEN, JACKIE ROBINSON WEST PLAYER: We know that we are champions, our fans know we're champions and the team's parents knows we are champions and Chicago knows we're champion.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's right.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: As a result of Jackie Robinson West being stripped of their title, Mountain Ridge Little League out of Las Vegas has been awarded the U.S. championship title.

All right. Tiger Woods has decided to shut it down. Tiger posted on his Web site that his player right now not acceptable and he will return when he thinks he is ready to defeat at a high level. So far this season, tiger missed the cut at the Phoenix open after shooting a career worse, 82 in the second round. And last week, he withdrew with back pain. Tiger is currently ranked 62nd in the world, which is his worst ranking since turning pro back in 1996.

LeBron James and the Cavs facing LeBron's former teammate, the Miami Heat last night. Cleveland looking to stay red hot and this will help. Look how high LeBron gets on this fast break alley-hoop. He almost hits his head on the backboard. Cavs win this win handily, 113-93. its' their 14th win in the last 15 games. Cavaliers is going to close out the first half of the season tonight as they take on the Bulls on TNT.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick, he was the guest on David Letterman last night, talking deflate-gate. We now have video evidence of Belichick cracking a joke and even laughing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, CBS/WORLDWIIDE PANTS)

DAVID LETTERMAN, TV HOST/COMEDIAN: I heard that the guy intercepts the pass and takes the ball over and hands it to his guy. He deflates it and says, hey, look at this ball. It's got no air in it. Is that what happened?

BILL BELICHICK, PATRIOTS COACH: We're going to bring you in to testify when he get the investigation next month.

LETTERMAN: I'm ready. Swear me in. I'm ready to go.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: It's great, Poppy. I'm sure it's easy to laugh about deflate-gate now that the Patriots ended up winning the Super Bowl.

HARLOW: Yes, when you're holding that trophy, it's pretty easy to smile, right, Andy?

SCHOLES: Yes.

HARLOW: Andy Scholes, thank you very much. We appreciate it.

Well, also, our top story this hour: 17 hours of talks resulting in a cease-fire deal in Ukraine. This is fantastic news, but we still don't know the details or how it will play out on the ground in the war-ravaged area of eastern Ukraine. More on that straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)