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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
Iran Nuclear Negotiations: Deadline Day; Deliberate Crash in the Alps: Pilot's Disturbing History; Indiana "Religious Freedom" Act: Growing Controversy. Aired 4-4:30a ET
Aired March 31, 2015 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[04:00:15] JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: It is the deadline day to reach a nuclear deal with Iran, but this morning, tricky issues remain. Can an historic breakthrough be reached or years of negotiating just go to waste? We have new developments this morning. That's ahead.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: A motive to kill. A disturbing new information about the pilot who flew himself and 149 others into a French mountain side, as investigators search for the plane's missing black back. Live team coverage ahead.
BERMAN: And new backlash for Indiana. The religious freedom law there criticized as legalizing discrimination. This morning, new outrage and a new op-ed from that state's governor.
Good morning, everyone. Welcome to EARLY START. I'm John Berman.
ROMANS: And I'm Christine Romans. It is Tuesday, March 31st. It's 4:00 a.m. in the East.
Happening now: negotiators in Switzerland working furiously to reach a deal to curb Iran's nuclear program. The deadline to reach the outline of an agreement, today. But with the self imposed zero-hour fast approaching, stumbling blocks remain. State Department officials said the likelihood of a deal just at 50/50.
Global affairs correspondent Elise Labott is at the talks in Switzerland with the latest.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELISE LABOTT, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: John, Christine, really getting down to the wire, and it's far from clear whether there will be a deal by the end of today.
Secretary of State John Kerry told me yesterday there was what he called a bit of light in the negotiations yesterday. But he said that there were some tricky issues that needed to be resolved.
Now, of course, everyone is trying to have the hardest negotiating positions in the 11th, but diplomats tell me there are still some key sticking points that we've been talking about for the past few days. Now, Iran wants to conduct advanced nuclear research while the deal is
still in effect. International community wants to keep those restrictions in place for the entire 15 years of a deal. Iran wants all U.N. sanctions lifted on day one. World power wants to phase those sanctions out as Iran complies with the deal and wants the flexibility to re-impose sanctions if Iran is in violation.
Now, diplomats say it's yes-or-no time for Iran, needs to really make those tough decisions on whether it wants to deal as the deadline looms. Everyone is mindful here that Congress, if there's no deal, will impose sanctions against Iran in the coming weeks.
So, the pressure is really on. Secretary Kerry tells me that negotiators are going to be working throughout the day with a mind towards getting a deal. He said everybody knows the meaning of tomorrow -- John, Christine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BERMAN: Our thanks to Elise for that. So, if Iran and the world powers do not reach a deal, there is a concern that Iran will pursue, even accelerate its nuclear program with no outside oversight. But in an exclusive interview with CNN's Barbara Starr, the head of the agency that monitors global nuclear testing says Iran will almost certainly get caught by a network of seismic and radiological sensors.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. LASSINO ZERBO, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CTBTO: Any country that would try today to hide nuclear test explosion, we have more than a 90 percent chance of detecting it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BERMAN: Yes, of course, if they have an explosion, it's already too late. We'll leave that aside for a moment. But with the hours ticking down to the deadline on the Iranian nuclear deal, House Speaker John Boehner is leading a delegation of House Republicans. They arrive in Israel tomorrow. The speaker is set to meet Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
This is a little bit of returning the favor. You remember that the speaker invited the prime minister to speak in Congress earlier this month, giving Netanyahu a high profile platform to speak out against the nuclear deal with Iran.
I want to bring in CNN's Oren Liebermann live in Jerusalem.
Good morning, Oren.
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN REPORTER: Good morning, John.
We have seen a very, very strong show of support here in Israel from American Republicans for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. House Speaker John Boehner here towards the middle and the end of the week. It was Senator Mitch McConnell here at the beginning of the week. McConnell met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and basically said he supports him, that there will be a strong relationship between the U.S. and Israel. And he said in terms of his lobbying against this deal, McConnell says, if there is a deal, McConnell would push for a required congressional approval. If there isn't a deal, McConnell says he agrees with Netanyahu, he agrees that there should be tougher sanctions against Iran.
Now, we're not quite sure if House Speaker John Boehner's schedule here, but as you pointed, Boehner and Netanyahu have a very strong relationship and this would be the continuation of that relationship.
John, what we know right now is that John Boehner will meet with the defense minister here tomorrow, that will be close to the press, but still a very interesting development in terms of the relationship between Netanyahu and the Republicans in Congress.
BERMAN: Now, it is interesting. There's a lot of criticism, of course, about Netanyahu's visit to the United States and Speaker Boehner's visit to Israel.
[04:05:06] But politicians of both parties visit Israel all the time, Oren, correct?
LIEBERMANN: Absolutely. And that's a sign of the strong relationship here. We know that the personal relationship between Obama and Netanyahu certainly isn't very good. But there have been signs that we've heard both leaders say the strategic ties, the security ties between the countries remain strong. The American Republican presence here, especially on this week, especially with the nuclear deal deadline here is a sign of that strength.
House Speaker Boehner doing everything he can here to maintain a personal and a professional relationship with Benjamin Netanyahu.
BERMAN: Oren Liebermann for us in Jerusalem -- thanks so much, Oren.
ROMANS: This morning, we are learning new details about the events leading up to the horrific crash of Germanwings Flight 9525. The German prosecutor investigating the crash says co-pilot Andreas Lubitz suffered from suicidal tendencies prior to his aviation career. And a European government official tells CNN Lubitz visited an eye doctor who determined his problem was psychosomatic and deemed Lubitz unfit to fly.
For the very latest on the investigation, I want to bring in senior international correspondent Frederik Pleitgen in Cologne -- Fred.
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Good morning, Christine.
And quite a lot of detail that we've been learning over the past 24 hours. Of course, one of the big things that investigators are trying to piece together is to what might have been the motive of Andreas Lubitz. And so many people have been talking about the fact that all of this might have been due to psychosomatic reasons. One of the things that the "Bild" newspaper this morning is reporting,
they are citing investigators that apparently they've now sort of begun to zero in on the one of the main motives, possibly being that Andreas Lubitz was afraid to lose his fitness to fly certification because of the psychosomatic problems that he had, because of the medical problems that he had. Again, that's not necessarily the only assumption that the investigators are working on or not necessarily the only theory that the investigators are following, but it certainly seems as though right now, that is one of the things they are zeroing in on.
That, of course, also meshes with the reporting that we've had. That he was -- did have suicidal tendencies in the past, that he was still seeing a doctor up until the date of -- when he flew that plane into the mountain. And also, of course, that he had those sick notes that he tore up in order to hide all of this from his employer.
Germanwings and Lufthansa, of course, for their part, have come out and they said, he passed his latest physical exam to fly and that they also had no indication that he had any sort of mental problems. And they keep saying that it would have been on him to tell them that he was seeing a doctor for all of this, and that the doctor had deemed him unfit to fly. But they say he didn't do that.
Of course, we do know that in the days immediately after the incident happened, that Lufthansa said, according to their accounts, he had been 100 percent fit to fly -- Christine.
ROMANS: All right. Fred Pleitgen, thank you for that, Fred.
New developments this morning in the recovery of victims in search for the plane's missing black box in the French Alps. We've got more on that part of the story in about 15 minutes.
BERMAN: Conflict in Yemen is heating up this morning. Any hour now, Saudi Arabia could launch a ground offensive. The goal would be to root out European-backed Houthi rebels who ousted Yemen's president, taken over large part of that country. A coalition of nine Arab nations has set up blockades at Yemen's ports to stop the Houthi from getting supplies. They also launched air strikes to keep them from taking over a city of Aden.
ROMANS: Later today, the White House is expected to announce its commitment to a 28 percent cut in emissions over the next 10 years. That's America's contribution to a major global climate treaty being crafted by the U.N. Details of the planned not being released, but it is expected to include new tough requirements for power plants, stricter emission limits for cars and trucks, and initiatives targeting specific green house gases like Methane and hydrofluorocarbons.
Time for an early start on your money. Stocks back on track. U.S. stock futures barely moving so far today, but yesterday's rally put stocks up finally again for the year. Yesterday, the S&P 500 and NASDAQ both were higher more than 1 percent. This was really thanks to the Federal Reserve. Fed Chair Janet Yellen
said the economy still has a way to go, and that likely means that Fed will raise interest rates slowly and cautiously. Also, several mergers in the health care sector.
But don't celebrate just yet. Earnings still likely to be weaker than we have seen in recent quarters. Oil prices still falling. And that Fed interest rate hike folks is still coming.
But at least yesterday, we've been telling you about these cracks we're starting to see in the overall economy. But yesterday, the market participants thought, what those cracks mean it will go slowly. So, good for stocks.
BERMAN: They spackle the cracks.
ROMANS: They spackle the cracks.
BERMAN: All right. Indiana facing backlash and boycotts over its new religious freedom law criticized as legalized discrimination. This morning, promises for a fix and a new defense from the state's governor. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREK)
[04:13:04] BERMAN: Happening now: Indiana lawmakers under intense pressure to do something about the exploding controversy over a new so-called religious freedom law that critics say allows discrimination against gays. Elected officials from Connecticut to Washington state have barred government travel to Indiana. Even the NCAA is speaking out against the law.
"The Indianapolis Star" has a front page editorial this morning topped by a banner headline that says "fix this now." That's remarkable.
State officials, though, are pushing back, led by Governor Mike Pence. He has an op-ed this morning in "The Wall Street Journal", complaining that the law has been, quote, "grossly misconstrued as a license to discriminate".
This morning, Governor Pence and legislative leaders are promising to fix the law, though not to repeal it.
CNN's Miguel Marquez is in Indianapolis with more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John and Christine, with the Final Four coming to town and the NCAA itself expressing concern about the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, there is great pressure on the governor here and government to change SB-101. The mayor of Indianapolis, the Republican mayor, has signed executive order saying he wants the state government to change the act and to fix it as he says. The city council has also passed a resolution opposing SB-101.
Hundreds of protesters were in the meeting. Here's what it looked like when it passed.
(APPLAUSE)
MARQUEZ: A very raucous council meeting to be sure. The chairperson of the council in there is saying she had lost control, jokingly, of the meeting several times during it. But the protesters got what they want and they are promising to keep up the pressure across the entire state on the governor and the government here until they make those changes.
[04:15:00] What those changes may be, it is unclear. Governor Pence obviously tripling down by writing a "Wall Street Journal" editorial, saying that the bill will stand, not saying he's going to change it. The Republicans in the legislature here, a supermajority in the legislature here of Republicans, saying they will seek fixes, but what those fixes will be and when they will come down is not very clear. Groups here say that there is an easy way to fix it, but that would mean recognizing gays and lesbians -- John, Christine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROMANS: Miguel Marquez, and, of course, some of the biggest companies operating inside Indiana completely disagree with the governor, and Republican mayor of Indianapolis also breaking with the governor.
Still, two Republican presidential hopefuls are backing Indiana's governor and his state's controversial new religious freedom law. Despite all the boycott threats and protests, Texas Senator Ted Cruz and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush say they don't see a problem.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEB BUSH (R), FORMER FLORIDA GOVERNOR: I think Governor Pence has done the right thing. Florida has a law like this. Bill Clinton signed a law like this at the federal level. This is simply allowing people of faith space to be able to express their beliefs, to have -- to be able to be people of conscience. I think once the facts are established, people aren't going to see this as discriminatory at all.
SEN. TED CRUZ (R), TEXAS: I'm very much a believer that the Scripture teaches that you hate the sin and love the sinner. But at the same time, I don't think the law should be forcing Americans to violate their religious faith.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: The Democratic front runner Hillary Clinton also weighing in, tweeting, "Sad this new Indiana law can happen in America today. We shouldn't discriminate against people because of who they love."
BERMAN: The defense is set to present its case in the trial of Boston marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. They will try to convince jurors that although Tsarnaev took part in the bombings, he was being controlled by his older brother, Tamerlan. Prosecutors rested their case on Monday with one final description of the carnage there.
CNN's Alexandra Field has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Christine, John, jurors had tears in their eyes, they had their heads lowered as prosecution brought its case to a rest. The last thing they heard, graphic details about the death of 8-year-old Martin Richard.
The courtroom saw the singed jersey that he had been wearing, a blood- stained Patriots t-shirt and a pair of pants melted nearly beyond recognition. The medical examiner who performed the autopsy on the young boy, the last witness called by the prosecutions to testify. He told jurors that nearly every part of Martin's 4-foot frame had been covered with injuries. The autopsy photos were too graphic to be shown in open court. Jurors saw those photos instead on personal screens.
But Martin's family was in the courtroom. Both of his parents hearing the details of the autopsy report. His father keeping his eyes closed for much of that testimony.
It took prosecutors 15 days to build their case against Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. They called more than 90 witnesses.
The defense is now calling some of their own witnesses -- Christine, John.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROMANS: Very emotional trial for the jurors to cover and for everyone involved. Thank you for that, Alexandra.
A significant setback to capital punishment. The American Pharmacist Association adopting a policy that discourages members from providing drugs for use in lethal injections. It says, "Providing lethal injection drugs is contrary to the role of pharmacists as health care providers." While the group has no legal authority to prevent pharmacists from selling execution drugs, their policies set ethical standards for members.
BERMAN: Testimony resumes this morning in the trial of former NFL star Aaron Hernandez, accused of killing Odin Lloyd. Hernandez's fiancee, Shayanna Jenkins, maybe a very important witness for the prosecution, testifying for a second day, Monday, Jenkins was pressed about a box that Hernandez asked her to remove from their home the day after Lloyd was killed. She said she tossed the box in a dumpster, but could not remember where. Prosecutors believe the murder weapon, may have been inside.
ROMANS: A deadly bizarre incident outside of the gates of NSA is not believed to be an act of terrorism. Two men dressed as women smashed their stolen car into a police cruiser at the Ft. Meade, Maryland facility, on Monday. Officers immediately opened fire. One of the suspects was killed, the other wounded. A police officer was also taken from that scene in an ambulance. NSA officials are not commenting on the possible motive this morning. BERMAN: A new strain of Enterovirus maybe to blame for a mysterious
paralysis that's affected more than 100 children across the country. Researchers say there is strong evidence that the virus caused the polio-like illness, but because most kids were tested many days after they became sick, it maybe impossible to know for sure. They say the condition may be related to the genetic makeup of these patients.
ROMANS: He has only made a few appearances on "The Daily Show", but comedian Trevor Noah will be take over as host for Jon Stewart.
[04:20:00] Stewart announced in February he would be leaving after 16 years. Noah, a South African, made his debut as a contributor to the Comedy Central show back in December. He calls it a great opportunity and a significant challenge. Still not known exactly when Stewart will step down.
He's been on the show a few times. He's funny, wickedly funny.
BERMAN: I talked to Bill Carter, a former "New York Times" media writer. The guy has written like eight books on late night TV. He says it's the most dramatic move he has ever seen in late night. Most surprisingly --
ROMANS: Really?
BERMAN: Yes, this guy -- America doesn't know him. He may be hilarious, but it's a big, big surprise, may pan out. A risk.
ROMANS: We'll see.
BERMAN: Happening now: an intense recovery in the French Alps. Investigators identifying victims of Germanwings Flight 9525. And we just got word that a road has been completed to that crash site. We are live there with the developments, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROMANS: Recovery efforts in the French Alps expected to speed up this morning now that construction crews have leveled a small area of forest. They have just completed building a makeshift road leading to the crash site of Germanwings Flight 9525. Now, severe weather and treacherous conditions still hampering the mission. But we're told that road has now been complete, an important development to move this along.
I want to bring in CNN's Erin McLaughlin near the crash site in Seyne- les-Alpes, France.
[04:25:01] Good morning.
ERIN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Christine.
Well, there is so much grief, so much sorrow here in Vernet. The families of the victims continue to visit this area. Authorities saying some 26 families of six different nationalities in the area today. They have been coming to this memorial that you see just behind me, covered by the police vans to give the families maximum privacy.
Among the families, the family of 42-year-old victim Junichi Sato. He was the acting manager of a Japanese trading company in Dusseldorf. He had a business meeting in Barcelona on the Monday and he boarded Flight 9525 on the Friday. His colleagues here yesterday say that his wife and children that he's left behind are absolutely devastated.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): His wife is saying she can't still believe what is happening now. She said, I feel like my husband is still away for business trip and coming back soon. Everybody was just in tears as they watched toward the mountains.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCLAUGHLIN: And so important to these families, the ability to access the crash site. So, they built this road that they hoped to pave. Eventually, the families will use that to make their way to the site. But for now, it is being used in the recovery effort.
Today, the weather, though the skies are blue, authorities saying is not great. It is extremely windy at the crash site, which poses hazardous conditions for the choppers. So, the choppers aren't flying now. Instead, the recovery workers are actually using that new path for the very first time, making their way to the site to try and continue to recover those human remains.
Authorities say the human remains of some 78 victims so far have been identified and they say there is a possibility that they may not recover all of the human remains of all 150 passengers which makes, Christine, that road so important for those families. They say they want to be as close to their loved ones as possible.
ROMANS: All right. Thanks so much for that, Erin McLaughlin for us in the Alps this morning.
BERMAN: Twenty-seven minutes after the hour.
Happening right now: intense nuclear negotiations with Iran, just hours now until the deadline. Roadblocks still remain. We have new details to tell you about these discussions happening right now. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
