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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Iran Nuclear Negotiations: Deadline Extended; Employer Knew of Pilot's Depression; Controversy Grows for Religious Freedom Laws. Aired 4-4:30a ET

Aired April 01, 2015 - 04:00   ET

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

[04:00:21] JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Deadline extended. The intense nuclear negotiations, they are happening right now with Iran in overtime. Can an agreement be reached? And if it is, will President Obama be able to sell this to Congress? We're covering all the angles live.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Deeply depressed and his airline knew it. Lufthansa admitting the Germanwings pilot who deliberately crashed his plane into a mountain, he had told his employer about previous severe depression. So, why was he allowed to stay in the skies? This as the company's CEO visits the victims' memorial. Live team coverage ahead.

BERMAN: New outrage over religious freedom laws. Critics say they will legalize discrimination. Indiana promises to fix its bill, but another state has just passed its own version. New controversy ahead.

Good morning, everyone. Welcome to EARLY START. I'm John Berman.

ROMANS: And I'm Christine Romans. It is Wednesday, April 1st. It is 4:00 a.m. in the East.

Happening this morning: the deadline has passed to reach a deal curving Iran's nuclear program.

But negotiations continue in Switzerland as Iran and major world players agree to stay at the bargaining table at least through today. Zero hour was supposed to be midnight local time last night. Diplomats, though, say enough progress has been made toward a framework to keep talking for now.

For the latest, I want to bring in global affairs correspondent Elise Labott.

Good morning, Elise.

ELISE LABOTT, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Christine.

Well, that deadline came and went. Negotiators worked throughout the night. They should be meeting again shortly, but it doesn't seem as if those key sticking points we've been talking about for the past few days have been resolved yet.

Several of the ministers have left. The French foreign minister last night kind of gave -- I won't say it was an ultimatum, but he did say to the Iranians I'm leaving in the morning, so you have to make a decision. He left. He said he could come back. The Russian foreign minister left, the Chinese foreign minister left.

Now, it's really up to Secretary of State Kerry to close the deal with the Iranians, and perhaps they're waiting to hear back what they say. I think at the least right now, what we're looking at is a general statement of what's already been agreed to. It's quite clear that there are several issues still on the table, Christine.

ROMANS: Let's talk about what those are because out of a list of maybe 100 things that a few months ago seemed insurmountable, now, there are just a few. There has been agreement on a lot of, a lot of the thing -- what is the sticking point here?

LABOTT: Well, there's been agreement on a lot of things, that's true, and there has been a lot of progress. But those remaining issues are some of the key issues.

We're talking about the amount of research and development of advanced nuclear technology Iran could do when this deal is over. They want to be able to develop centrifuges to enrich uranium that could go 100 times faster than they do now. They want to do that in the end years of the deal, the international community wants to wait until the full deal is through, about 15 years.

Also, talking about the pace of U.N. sanctions, Iran wants to get them lifted on day one. International community wants to phase them out as Iran shows compliance. And then, there's also some unresolved issues about their enrichment program.

So, there has been a lot of progress over these 18 months. And some people say there's been more progress in this week than in the whole duration of the deal. But it does seem as if some of these key areas are unresolved.

So, even if they do announce something today, it's just going to make, (a), it very hard for the president to sell this to Congress, and (b), for those final negotiations in June when a comprehensive deal with all the technical details is due.

ROMANS: A lot of work still to be done.

Elise Labott in Lausanne for us -- thank you, Elise.

BERMAN: The White House admits that the Tuesday deadline, which has now past for the nuclear deal, it was, quote, "at least a little arbitrary". Press Secretary Josh Earnest says negotiations have been going on for more than a year, but he says President Obama is still willing to walk away from the table if world powers cannot reach an acceptable deal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JOSH EARNEST, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: No deal is better than a bad deal. The United States will not sign on to a bad deal. The only kind of diplomacy, diplomatic agreement, political agreement that we envision is one that definitively shuts down every path to a nuclear weapon that Iran has and imposes and Iran cooperates with a set of extremely intrusive inspections.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: Now, leading the charge against a nuclear deal with Iran is Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu. Happening right now: the prime minister is meeting in Jerusalem with House Speaker John Boehner and the delegation of House Republicans. Last month -- you just saw the picture right there -- Speaker Boehner gave the prime minister high- profile platform to speak out against the nuclear deal in a speech before Congress.

[04:05:04] I want to bring in CNN's Oren Liebermann live in Jerusalem with the latest on this meeting happening now -- Oren.

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN REPORTER: And good morning, John.

We're one hour away from scheduled statements from Prime Minister Netanyahu and House Speaker Boehner. They may not say much. And this isn't a long visit from Boehner, but his presence here alone is a statement in and of itself.

Netanyahu, as you mentioned, very much rallying against this from the very beginning, lobbying against the deal and now pushing against the deal politically. His strongest ally on the American side would be House Speaker Boehner, and this week has very much been a show of congressional Republican support for Netanyahu.

Again, he's pushed against the deal, he spoke against the deal yesterday and the day before and the weeks leading up to here, and now, we're seeing the support from the congressional Republicans. It's Boehner here today. It was Senator Mitch McConnell earlier this week meeting with Netanyahu, speaking with Netanyahu.

And McConnell promised Netanyahu that if there is a deal, McConnell and the Republicans in the House and Senate would push for required congressional approval of that deal. This could make it very difficult for President Obama because of the support Netanyahu has from Republicans. Republicans control both houses of Congress. Netanyahu knows that, and he's reaching out to his strongest allies here.

This is another indication of that. This meeting between Netanyahu and Boehner is very much a sign of support, a sign of working together against this deal. We've heard Netanyahu lobbying against it from the beginning. We expect to hear much more of that today.

Boehner's visit makes this another high-profile opportunity for Netanyahu. John, he's very much taking advantage of that opportunity.

BERMAN: And we expect their public statements together in about an hour from now. We will cover those live when they happen.

Oren Liebermann for us in Jerusalem this morning, thanks so much, Oren.

ROMANS: The latest on the deliberate crash of Germanwings Flight 9525. It turns out Lufthansa knew, the company knew, the co-pilot, Andreas Lubitz, battled severe depression back in 2009 while he was still in flight school. Lufthansa now acknowledging Lubitz informed the company himself, and that's raising new questions about how the airline industry monitors the mental stability of its pilots.

CNN's Diana Magnay live outside the prosecution's office in Dusseldorf, Germany.

The company saying, in fact, they had done a thorough review and there were e-mails. It did know that there was some sort of depressive episode, some sort of break during his training, and that he told the company about it.

DIANA MAGNAY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's exactly right, Christine. That in 2009, he wrote an e-mail to the flight school confirming that he had experienced a severe bout of depression, and Lufthansa says that they only recently found that e-mail that they've now handed it over to the state prosecutor, behind me, for their investigation.

But, of course, it raises many questions about whether they had taken that e-mail into account when they approved his pilot's license or whether they had somehow overseen that e-mail. Questions, therefore, about the whole vetting procedure which up until now Lufthansa has said they were extremely transparent about and is extremely rigorous. Of course, just a few days after the crash, they declared Andreas Lubitz as being 100 percent fit to fly.

We're also finding out more details from a source close to the investigation, Christine, about the -- what the girlfriend of Andreas Lubitz has been telling investigators. They apparently, after quizzing her, found out that she knew of Lubitz's psychological problems but had felt that they could work through them together. That Andreas Lubitz, according to her, had been to see two doctors, an eye doctor and a neurologist, both of whom deemed him unfit to work because of psychological issues.

And we believe -- and this is also what "Bild," the German newspaper, is reporting, that it was this fear of losing his license because of this current medical condition that may have been his primary motive or one of his main motives. This, of course, whilst some very, very disturbing details about a video appear -- a video that both "Bild" and a French newspaper say that they have seen from the crash site, which seems to document the final moments of Flight 9525. Something that the French criminal authorities say is impossible to have leaked from the crash site.

ROMANS: Right.

MAGNAY: But as I say, these two publications say that they've seen it, Christine.

ROMANS: Yes, investigators on the ground saying they don't think it's possible for a SIM card or something to have been taken off the site. But again, we'll continue to follow that particular controversy. The details of that video seem to correspond with what was heard on that voice data recorder.

Diana Magnay, so many new twists and turns this morning -- thank you for bringing them to us.

BERMAN: All 149 victims of that doomed jetliner could be identified by the end of the week.

[04:10:00] A huge recovery operation is gaining momentum in the French Alps. You can see that right there. A road has been cleared leading straight to the wreckage.

Lufthansa has announced a $300 million has been set aside to deal with the cost of that disaster. That might not even be enough. The airline's CEO is paying his respects this morning at the crash site.

I want to bring in CNN's Erin McLaughlin live at that site for us.

Good morning, Erin.

ERIN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, John.

He's called it these last few days, the airline's darkest hours. Now, the CEO of Lufthansa, Carsten Spohr, is the area to pay his respects. He arrived a short while ago, accompanied by the CEO of Germanwings, Thomas Winkelmann. They are currently staying not far from here, visiting the recovery efforts center, meeting with pilots, meeting with the mountaineering experts who have made a sometimes dangerous recovery effort possible.

From there, they're going to be coming here to Vernet. There's a small memorial stone dedicated to the victims of Flight 9525 just over that way. They're expected to lay flowers, to say a prayer.

From there, they'll go to some two to three-hour drive away to Marseilles, where they're going to have a private meeting with the families.

Now, we do expect them to make a statement and to take some questions from journalists while they are here at a time when there are so many questions for Lufthansa Airlines, after all yesterday, the Lufthansa Airlines disclosing that in 2009, Andreas Lubitz, the 27-year-old co- pilot accused of crashing Flight 9525, disclosed to the airlines in an e-mail a bout with severe depression. Airline analysts say there are plenty of questions as to, in terms of what protocols, what procedures Lufthansa followed, following that disclosure.

Meanwhile, the recovery effort here continues in earnest. Authorities here saying that all of the human remains visible to the eye have been collected, recovered and brought to a DNA center not far from here, that analysis under way. French President Francois Hollande says it's possible that that process will be complete by the end of the week, possible that all victims will be identified, even though authorities have expressed concerns, their own fears that that may not be possible to identify all 150 passengers given the nature of the crash -- John.

BERMAN: All right. Erin McLaughlin live for us in Vernet, France.

And again, we will cover that live when the CEO of Lufthansa makes an appearance there later this morning.

ROMANS: All right. To other news this morning. A major setback for ISIS. Iraqi forces taking back the city of Tikrit.

According to Iraq's prime minister, ground operations still under way to clear out any remaining insurgents, but Iraqi troops have finally reached the center of the city where they have planted their national flag. ISIS still controls the northern city of Mosul. Iraqi officials say liberating that city from the terrorists is next. But again, Tikrit has been retaken by Iraqi forces.

BERMAN: Congressional subpoenas for two Secret Service agents who allegedly drove their car past White House barricade last month after a night allegedly out drinking. House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz claims the agents were compelled to appear because the Department of Homeland Security has not been cooperating with his investigation.

DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson disputes that claim. He calls the subpoenas unprecedented and unnecessary. He insists he has offered the agent says up for interviews.

ROMANS: All right. New backlash against Indiana's religious freedom law, criticized as legalized discrimination. This morning, the controversy isn't over. Another state advancing its own version of the law and the country's largest private retailer says, governor, you have got to veto this one.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:16:53] BERMAN: New fallout from the religious freedom law in Indiana, and a similar one just now advancing in Arkansas. Protesters gather in Little Rock Tuesday, calling on the governor to veto a bill just passed by the Arkansas House. There is growing opposition for business in the state including the biggest of them all there, Walmart.

Now, while that's happening, the governor of Indiana, Mike Pence, has promised to fix what is being complained about in the religious freedom law in that state. He claims it is not a license to discriminate but admits there is a perception problem.

Let's get more from CNN's Miguel Marquez.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Christine, John, fast- moving changes here in Indiana today. Protests again in the state. This time, Bloomington, where several hundred people gathered to protest SB-101.

The governor, Mike Pence, in a stunning reversal -- this is a guy who had been fighting against any change to this law that he signed in private -- today, he came out to say he doesn't think it invites discrimination, but he still wants a fix.

GOV. MIKE PENCE (R), INDIANA: It's been a tough week here in the Hoosier State. But we're going to move forward. I've come to the conclusion that it would be helpful to move legislation this week that makes it clear that this law does not give businesses a right to deny services to anyone.

MARQUEZ: And just how this fix is taking shape is really changing as well. At the beginning of Tuesday, we understood there was already language that lawmakers were considering. By the end of the day, though, it was clear the House speaker had reached out to businesses and sports leaders and universities and activists across the state to figure out what exactly that bill had to say in order to please everyone and get to the governor's desk.

We understand that bill, that fix, may be in committee here at the statehouse later today -- Christine, John.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: OK. So, thanks, Miguel, for that.

More companies, add a lot more companies to the list who say the new Indiana law is bad for business. NASCAR and Nike joining the critics.

Look at all of those logos. Yesterday, they say the law allows discrimination. Both organizations say they are committed to diversity and inclusion. NASCAR and Nike joining this list -- Apple, Angie's List, Yelp, NCAA, Commons Engines, Eli Lilly, Roche. You can see it there.

A similar fight, this similar fighting is happening between business and government in Arkansas. Walmart has its headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas. It asked Governor Asa Hutchinson to veto the Religious Freedom Restoration Act there, it's House Bill 1228, I think.

The nation's biggest retailer, it's also the nation's largest private employer. It says that bill does not affect Walmart's values, Arkansas's values or America's values.

If you need any more proof these laws are essentially a closed for business sign in these states, take it from legendary investor Warren Buffett. He told our Poppy Harlow the legislation is wrong.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

POPPY HARLOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The governor of Indiana, Mike Pence, has said this week that he will fix the law, that he will move to make sure that it does not discriminate against anyone. [04:50:00] However, when he was asked over the weekend whether he

would add sexual orientation, be in favor of adding sexual orientation as a protected class in the state of Indiana, he said that that is not something that he's working towards right now.

What should be done to fix this?

WARREN BUFFETT, CHAIRMAN & CEO, BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY: Well, I think if people can exercise discrimination based on sexual orientation, then it's wrong. I don't know how the law reads exactly, so I don't know what words you would change. But when you get all through, when the dust settles, if you read the law and you can discriminate against people based on sexual orientation, I would -- I would say that somebody better do something about it.

HARLOW: Do you think sexual orientation to be added as a protected class in the state of Indiana?

BUFFETT: Well, I think -- I think, generally, yes, the answer is. I think they are entitled to equal rights and equal acceptance and, 100 percent, in the eyes of the law.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: It's so interesting to me because a lot of people have been saying that, you know, Indiana and Arkansas, frankly, have been caught by surprise. They didn't realize there would be such a kerfuffle. But the business community has been lobbying for weeks, saying this is kicking a hornet's nest. We don't want to put a "close for business" sign in our state.

BERMAN: And if you listened to Mike Pence yesterday, he specifically said in his news conference, Indiana is open for business. You see where the pressure is coming from and what pressure he is responding to here. It's because the money is fleeing these states. It will be interesting to see what happens with Walmart in Arkansas.

ROMANS: Yes.

BERMAN: Twenty-one minutes after the hour.

The defense rests in the Boston marathon bombing trial just a day after they began laying out their case. How his lawyers now intend to keep Dzhokhar Tsarnaev from getting the death penalty.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:25:17] ROMANS: The Boston marathon bombing trial suddenly on a fast track toward a verdict. The defense resting its case Tuesday after calling just four witnesses. Lawyers for accused marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, they've tried to shift the focus to his older brother, Tamerlan, who they say was the mastermind here, in an effort to spare Dzhokhar Tsarnaev from the death penalty. Jury deliberations will begin Monday followed by closing arguments.

BERMAN: The trial of former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez resumes later this morning. He is accused of murdering his friend Odin Lloyd in 2013. In court Tuesday, Patriots owner Robert Kraft testified for the prosecution. Kraft told the jury that Hernandez looked him in the eye and told him he was innocent when asked if he was involved in Lloyd's murder. Prosecutors are expected to rest their case on Thursday.

ROMANS: Legendary singer/songwriter Joni Mitchell hospitalized this morning in Los Angeles. The 71-year-old Mitchell rushed to the hospital by paramedics after she was found unconscious at her home Tuesday. A message on her Web site says she is in intensive care but awake and in good spirits. Certainly wish her well.

BERMAN: Yes. Best to her.

All right. Overtime, deadline extended, the nuclear negotiations happening with Iran right now. Can a deal be reached? We have new information just after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:30:07] ROMANS: Deadline extended. This morning intense nuclear negotiations with Iran, world leaders pushing for a deal.