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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Did ISIS Order Texas Terror Attack?; Huge Bounties for Top ISIS Leaders; Poll: 48 Percent Say Clinton is Trustworthy; Mayweather- Pacquiao Rematch? Aired 5-5:30a ET

Aired May 06, 2015 - 05:00   ET

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

[05:00:00] CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Traditional retirement may be a thing of the past. According to a new study, 82 percent of people aged 60 and older said they plan on working past the age of 65. Fifty-two percent of that group plans to work while in retirement.

Positive thing here, though, millennials are actually saving for retirement. The study found 67 percent of workers in their 20s have stashed away some money already. And that is really important. Because for millennials, time is the most important factor in how they're going to end up building weather and prosperity.

So, time is on their side. That's the magic ingredient for them. So, good to see millennials are saving, saving, saving. Bad to see you're going to have to work until you're 112, but other than that --

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: EARLY START continues right now.

(MUSIC)

BERMAN: Investigating possible ties to the Texas cartoon contest attack. ISIS is claiming responsibility for the shootings that left the two gunmen dead. But did ISIS actually order the attack? Or just inspire it?

We have new information this morning as the United States puts a new bounty on four ISIS fighters. Our team coverage begins now.

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

ROMANS: And I'm Christine Romans. It is Wednesday, May 6th; 5:00 a.m. in the East.

Developing this morning: new information about the two gunmen shot dead by police Sunday as they tried to attack a contest in Texas. A contest to draw a cartoon of the Prophet Mohammed. The White House saying the FBI is still investigating. It's too soon -- too soon to link is to the attack. But, counterterror officials are probing the online activity of the gunmen. Their names are Nadir Soofi and Elton Simpson, to see if ISIS really did have a hand in the plot.

CNN justice correspondent Pamela Brown has the latest for us this morning from Phoenix.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAMELA BROWN, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, John and Christine, officials I've been speaking it say it appears right now, ISIS is being opportunistic and claiming responsibility for this attack, but what is clear here according to officials is that this was more than just aspirational, that this is really reflective of the concern among law enforcement of ISIS fighters reaching into the U.S. through social media, identifying targets and finding people to recruit. In fact, one of the gunmen, Elton Simpson, had been in touch with terrorists overseas. In fact, that is a big reason why the FBI reopened an investigation into him.

And just weeks before the attack, we've learned that Simpson was tweeting with the terrorists in Somalia, who is aligned with al Qaeda. And in that tweet, he said, "When will they ever learn?" talking about the upcoming event in Texas. And in response the terrorist said, "The brothers from 'Charlie Hebdo' did their part. It is time for their brothers in the U.S. to do theirs."

We are also learning about the investigation and the timeline. We've learned from law enforcement officials that there were two long guns and four handguns found in the suspects' car. And it appears that those weapons were bought legally.

Also, officials say that the suspects drove from here, from their home in Phoenix, to Texas to carry out that attack.

There's still a lot of unanswered questions here, but one of the big looming questions is, how did someone who was under investigation by the FBI make it all the way to Texas to carry out an attack? Also, officials want to know who their associates are, if there's anyone else in the United States who communicated with the gunmen who were in their group and who may want to do something similar -- John and Christine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BERMAN: Pamela Brown in Phoenix for us, thanks so much.

The family of one of the gunmen in the Texas attack is now speaking out. Nadir Soofi's grandmother says the other gunman, Soofi's roommate, Elton Simpson, must have convinced Soofi to participate in that attack. On his mother's side, his grandmother says Soofi was not discriminated against for his religion and that he was, quote, "a good boy, real, responsible and respectful."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REPORTER: Did he have a problem with how things are going in the United States? Did he feel like Muslim people were persecuted?

SHIRLEY DROMGOOOLE, NADIR SOOFI'S GRANDMOTHER: No, I don't think so because he wasn't persecuted. Whoever he was with talked had him into it. REPORTER: That's how you feel about it?

DROMGOOOLE: Yes. There's no other way it would have happened.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: All right. So, it's still simply unknown whether ISIS had direct involvement in the Texas attack. But it only took a tweet from one of the gunmen pledging allegiance to ISIS' leader for ISIS then to claim responsibility for that attack.

It's something we've seen before. It's the same tactic ISIS has used to claim wins in Tunisia, Libya, and Sydney. The U.S., putting a price tag on that success, if you will. The State Department now offering multimillion dollar bounties for information on four top ISIS fighters.

For the latest on that, on those bounties, I wan to bring in CNN's Nick Paton Walsh. He is in Beirut for us.

Good morning, Nick.

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Christine, we've known Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, ISIS's leader has a $10 million reward for information about his whereabouts.

[05:05:05] Some might use the phrase price on his head. But there are now four more joining that list of individuals sought by the U.S.

At the top, we learned yesterday is Abd al-Rahman Mustafa al-Qaduli. Now, he is not a figure who is that often heard by name in public, but does have a long history in extremist ranks, joining al Qaeda in 2004, working al Qaeda in Iraq which subsequently morphed and went on to become ISIS, had links to Pakistan as well and also below him, two men whose presence and whereabouts sought $5 million.

And the man most often known as Omar the Chechen, effectively, a Georgian national who joined extremist ranks in the Syrian revolution at an early stage, and then morphed to come on a significant military leader in ISIS.

ISIS spokesperson Abu Mohammed al-Adnani, quite often the public voice that we hear from ISIS. He's also sought for $5 million.

And finally, the fourth individual, $3 million for Tariq al Harzi who is considered to be a leader in the Syria/Iraq border region. These four men now put on the wanted list in the same 24 hours in which ISIS claimed to have been behind the attack in Garland, Texas. Unclear if those two instances are, in fact, related.

But this is clearly the U.S. trying to shine a spotlight onto the ISIS hierarchy, perhaps with added pressure upon them. And it comes at a time when Abu Bakr Baghdadi has been noticeably silent in the past.

I should point out, obviously the investigation will be trying to work out that this key leadership had knowledge of Garland because that is, of course, seminal in working out this is what we would have seen under al Qaeda which is key leaders ordering an attack or a more troubling lone wolf scenario, when, in fact, individuals inspired by ideology or online preachings move on their own without necessarily having logistical or tactical support from ISIS leadership outside of the U.S. -- Christine.

ROMANS: Nick, that's been the big concern of investigators, and terrorism officials here in the U.S. that very thought.

Nick, thank you so much for that.

BERMAN: Seven minutes after the hour.

Senate Republicans narrowly passed a budget plan that would eliminate the deficit by 2024. The nonbinding measure calls for the dismantling of Obamacare. It also features deep cuts to education funding, infrastructure and domestic programs. The $5.3 trillion worth of cuts over the next 10 years.

The budget proposal will not be sent to the president. What it does is serves as a blueprint for Republicans in their economic platform. They have to pass actual spending bills from their appropriations committee and the like, and that's not going to happen any time soon.

Senators Rand Paul and Ted Cruz, the only two Republicans to vote against the blueprint, they said they voted against it because it didn't go far enough.

ROMANS: Some Republicans want to see infrastructure spending. They want to see some infrastructure spending on the crumbling U.S. infrastructure. That will take government initiative when you talk about infrastructure cuts there. So, Hillary Clinton taking a strong stand in favor of a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. The former secretary of state meeting with young people at a high school in Las Vegas, where 70 percent of the students are Hispanic. She told them hardworking immigrants who contribute to the economy, quote. "should not be thrown away."

BERMAN: Republican presidential hopeful --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I will fight for comprehensive immigration reform and a path to citizenship for you and for your families across our country. I will fight to stop partisan attacks on the executive actions that would put Dreamers, including those with us today, at risk of deportation. And if Congress continues to refuse to act, as president, I would do everything possible under the law to go even further.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: Now, Republican presidential hopeful Carly Fiorina is slamming Secretary Clinton's call for a full path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. The former head of Hewlett-Packard insists that it is not fair to immigrants who played by the rules. And she had this to say about the former secretary of state.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CARLY FIORINA (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Unfortunately, I think she's pandering. I think we need to start with some basics, you know? We need to secure the border. It hasn't been secured under George W. Bush or Barack Obama. It needs to be secured, because the problem just keeps getting worse if we don't secure it. By the way, we should secure the northern border as well as the southern border.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Hillary Clinton seems to be holding her own with voters when it comes to the issue of honesty and trustworthiness. But take a look at this new "New York Times"/CBS poll. Plurality of Americans 48 percent believe the Democratic front-runner has those traits, honest and trustworthy. Those numbers are up in the last six weeks despite what some consider a scandal over her use of private e-mail servers during her day as a secretary of state.

Marco Rubio came out on top when voters were asked which Republican candidate they were most open to, followed by Jeb Bush and Mike Huckabee.

BERMAN: Ferry service between Florida and Cuba perhaps one step closer to becoming reality.

[05:10:00] The Treasury Department granted licenses to several companies to begin transporting passengers and goods between Florida and Havana. The Cuban government is not commenting and it is not clear when the ferries might become operational. Ferries between the two countries ended back in '50s during the Cuban revolution.

ROMANS: All right. Time for an early start on your money this morning. U.S. stock futures are higher -- a reversal from yesterday. You know, stocks hammered yesterday the Dow fell 142 points, the NASDAQ dropped 1.6 percent. The U.S. trade deficit was at a six-year high, plus oil prices rising those were the triggers.

Oil above $60 a barrel this morning. That hasn't happened since December. Oil prices below $45 earlier this year. Remember that speculation they could fall to $30 that never happened. Prices have been moving up ever since.

Prices collapsed because of a supply glut and weak demand but that seems to be turning the corner. U.S. production falling better than expected economic growth in Europe. Those things pushing oil prices a little bit higher.

All right. Ten minutes past the hour. Baltimore's police chief surprised when he heard the charges leveled against six of his officers in the death of Freddie Gray. He's opening up to CNN. We'll bring that to you, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BERMAN: Important comments this morning from a man in the middle of so much of the controversy surrounding Baltimore. After the death of Freddie Gray and the unrest that engulfed that city, Baltimore Police Commissioner Anthony Batts tells CNN that police must acknowledge that they are, in his words, part of the problem.

[05:15:09] And he says he was surprised by the charges brought against the officers involved in Gray's arrest.

Let's get more now from CNN's Evan Perez.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

EVAN PEREZ, CNN JUSTICE REPORTER: John, in this first interview since protests broke out here in Baltimore and six officers were arrested, the Baltimore Police Commissioner Anthony Batts says he learned of the charges just moments before we did.

ANTHONY BATTS, BALTIMORE POLICE COMMISSIONER: I found out that the state attorney was going on and what she was going to present probably about 10 minutes before she went on. She gave me a phone call and told me what she was about to do and that she was going on live. She told me what the charges were.

PEREZ: What were you first words out of your mouth when you heard that?

BATTS: I don't want to get into that so much. I can say that I was probably surprised, you know, by the information that I heard.

I think that the state's attorney was very focused on being independent in this particular investigation. She didn't want to be seen connected to the police organization. So, the communication was limited as compared to what I'm used to.

PEREZ: And, John, Commissioner says that one of his top priorities now is improving his relationship between his department and the community and the reputation of his officers.

BATTS: There is a lack of trust within this community, period, bottom line. And that's going to take healing. That's going to take us acknowledging as a police department -- not just here in Baltimore -- but law enforcement as a whole, that we have been part of the problem. Out of trying to be part of the solution, we have become part of the problem.

And when we acknowledge that and understand, we can start to heal. The community needs to hear that. The community needs to hear from us that we see that we haven't been part of the solution and that we have to now evolve.

PEREZ: And, John, while it's clear that the commissioner has to rebuild trust with this community, it's left to be seen how the state prosecutor and the police rebuild the trust that they need to work together.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BERMAN: All right. Evan Perez, thanks so much.

One of the six Baltimore police officers facing charges in the death of Freddie Gray is challenging the prosecutor in court. Officer Edward Nero claims that the knife Gray was carrying, which was the cause of his arrest, he claims it was illegal, contrary to what Maryland's state's attorney, Marilyn Mosby, has said. Officer Nero's lawyers are demanding to see the knife.

But Marilyn Mosby responded in a statement saying, "The evidence we have collected cannot ethically be disclosed, relayed or released to the public before trial. As I've previously indicated, I strongly condemn anyone in law enforcement with access to trial evidence, who has or continues to leak information prior to the resolution of the case. These unethical disclosures are only damaging our ability to conduct a fair and impartial process for all parties involved."

It should be noted, look, first there was the leak that he was carrying a switchblade. Then when Marilyn Mosby spoke last week she made clear it was she believes --

ROMANS: A legal --

BERMAN: It was not a switchblade, it is a legal knife. It will be important, because they are charged with false imprisonment.

ROMANS: That's right.

In a visit to Baltimore, the nation's new attorney general, Loretta Lynch, she met with members of the Gray family as well as police leaders, community leaders, city officials, including Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, who stressed the need for action.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR STEPHANIE RAWLINGS-BLAKE (D), BALTIMORE, MD: We cannot afford to fail. I believe that the relationship between the police and the community is like a marriage, and separation is not an option. Divorce is not an option. We have to figure out how we're going to make this marriage work, make it healthy, and make it thrive so our city can thrive.

LORETTA LYNCH, ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES: What I heard here today is how all of the people in Baltimore, every group that I have mentioned, and certainly everyone with whom I was privileged to meet, is committed to making that better. And by that, I mean both community and police alike.

I was able to meet with Mr. Gray's family this morning. It was a privilege to do so to, and just to express my condolences to them and for their loss. So, and, of course, our hearts do go out to them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: The Justice Department is investigating the arrest of Freddie Gray and his fatal injury while in police custody.

BERMAN: All right. Nineteen minutes after the hour.

A possible Mayweather/Pacquiao rematch. Pay-per-view might never be the same again. Imagine, how bad the service will be then. Andy Scholes with the bleacher report, next.

ROMANS: When it comes to trading in your frequent flyer miles for a ticket which airline makes it easiest?

"Consumer Report" says it's Southwest. Rounding out the list, Delta, United American and JetBlue. The magazine looked at the five biggest U.S. airlines and how many award seats they offered. A JetBlue spokesman said many customers fly the airline only once or twice a year, making it hard to rack up miles.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:23:08] BERMAN: What do you do when you make a few million dollars or $100 million? You try to do it again. No surprise, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao say they are willing to do that.

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

Hey, Andy.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Hey, good morning, guys.

You know, as soon as the news came out that Pacquiao had an injured shoulder during the fight, I was thinking they're already trying to set up for rematch. Now, Floyd Mayweather in his text to ESPN's Steven A Smith that he would be open to fighting Pacquiao again and Pacquiao's camp, of course, says they're in for a rematch as well.

Now, the only problem is Pacquiao, is he's going to be out nine to 12 months after a rotator surgery and he may be in some trouble as well for not properly disclosing his injured shoulder. Pacquiao also facing multiple class action lawsuits from fans, they say the boxers duped them into thinking he was 100 percent and in effect cost them thousands of dollars in pay-per-view purchases and tickets.

Now, Mayweather has also been hit with a lawsuit by the mother of three of his children. She's asking for $20 million, claiming he lied in a recent interview about her being on drugs the morning of a 2010 domestic violence incident.

All right. Tiger Woods is playing in this week's players championship at TPC Sawgrass. After breaking up with Lindsey Vonn on the nine-year anniversary of his father's death, Tiger says he's going through a really hard time right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TIGER WOODS, PRO GOLFER: It is tough, there's no doubt. I'm not going to lie about that. It is tough. And on top of that, this time of year is really, really hard on me. This three-day window is really hard. I've -- I haven't slept. May 3rd through the 5th today, is brutal on me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: Steph Curry receiving his MVP last night before game two. But Mike Conley spoiled the night for Curry. He returned from multiple facial fractures to score 22 in the game.

[05:25:00] The Grizzlies would hand them just their third home loss of the season, 97-90 was the final. That series now tied at a game apiece.

And congratulations to Turner Sports host Ernie Johnson. Last night, he won the Emmy for best studio host. But then he did something very special with the award.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ERNIE JOHNSON, TURNER SPORTS HOST: For this, there's only one place it belongs, and that's on the mantel at Stuart Scott's house. So if the girls could come up, please. This is not for me.

You may have cancer, but it doesn't have you. And you just fight. And you just lean in on people who love you. We love Stuart Scott. This is your Emmy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: Guys, such a classy move from Ernie Johnson right there. He's, of course, a cancer survivor and we, of course, lost Stuart Scott back in January. Just such a nice thing for him to do for Stuart Scott's daughters right there.

BERMAN: So much respect, so much respect in this business and beyond for both of those men. Thanks, Andy.

Twenty-five minutes after the hour right now.

So, just how involved was ISIS in the attack in Texas on Sunday night? We have new information about the gunmen and just who they may have been communicating with online. That's right after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROMANS: Investigating ISIS and its connection to the Texas terror attack. Did ISIS order that shooting? Or did these gunmen work alone? New information on the attack as the U.S. targets four key ISIS leaders. Team coverage breaking down our big story starts right now.

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

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