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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Boston Terror Suspect Planned Beheading; ISIS Shuts Down Ramadi Dam; Cruz Apologizes For Biden Joke; Greece Weighs On Markets; Duggar Family Speaks Out. Aired 5:30-6a ET

Aired June 04, 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: Developing overnight, new information about the man killed by Boston police and a joint terror task force in Boston. The target or a target he had in mind. He was looking at the woman who planned the contest to draw cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. What Pamela Geller has to say coming up.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: And ISIS using water as a weapon. The terrorists tightening their hold on the key city of Ramadi, they are cutting the water flow to areas supporting the government. Can the atrocity be stopped before a bigger humanitarian crisis ensues? Welcome back to EARLY START, everyone. I'm Christine Romans.

BERMAN: I'm John Berman. Great to see you here this morning. It's 30 minutes past the hour right now. New this morning, we have new information about the terror suspect killed in Boston. The man officials say came at them with a knife.

Law enforcement sources say that Usaama Rahim once had a plot to behead a controversial conservative activist. Court documents say the 26-year-old changed his mind and decided to target police instead. Let's get the latest now from justice correspondent, Pamela Brown, who is in Boston.

PAMELA BROWN, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, John and Christine, we have learned that the terrorism suspect, who was killed here in Boston Tuesday morning, Usaama Rahim, a second suspect arrested, David Wright, and a third individual allegedly met on the beach in Rhode Island just this past Sunday to talk about their plan to go New York and behead Pamela Geller.

She is a controversial figure who organized that Prophet Muhammad cartoon drawing contest in Garland, Texas where there is an attempted terrorist attack. So apparently they wanted to go there and behead her as part of the plot.

And then allegedly according to authorities, Rahim changed his mind on Tuesday morning and called up his friend, David Wright, that he didn't want to wait to go up to New York and that he wanted to do something in Boston and kill police officers.

It is unclear exactly how he planned to attack him. But according to the documents, he said that he wanted to target and go after the boys in blue. He said, yes, I'm going to be on vacation right here in Massachusetts.

I'm just going to go after those boys in blue according to the court documents. Again, he was killed after he was approached in a parking lot by police officials and he allegedly had a military-style knife on him.

Officials say that he lunged at them and then they opened fire. We know the other suspect appeared in court. He is facing conspiracy charges for attempting to destroy Rahim's cell phone as part of the investigation.

It is still very active and the FBI is still looking for any other associates who may be tied to this group -- John and Christine.

ROMANS: All right, Pamela, thank you. Now the conservative activist, who law enforcement sources say was Usaaam Rahim's original target, she is responding this morning.

Pamela Geller telling CNN's Erin Burnett, she thinks she was targeted for, quote, "violating sharia blasphemy laws." Speaking of Jihadist, Geller claims they mean to kill everyone who doesn't do their bidding.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAMELA GELLER, TARGET OF BEHEADING PLOT ((via telephone): It won't end with me no matter what happens to me or the cops. This is just the beginning. The one thing that's being ignored that came out of Garland, Texas is that ISIS is here. Islamic terrorism is here.

Now will the media realize what's at stake and their heads are next or will they continue to target me because they hate my message of freedom. That's the question.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Geller will speak with "NEW DAY" live during the 8:00 a.m. Eastern hour.

New developments this morning in the battle against ISIS in Iraq, they are significant push back after a top State Department official says the U.S.-led coalition has killed more than 10,000 ISIS fighters in the last nine months.

Now Pentagon officials are privately dismayed that Deputy Secretary Of State Tony Blinken opened a highly controversial debate over body counts. Meantime, effects are starting to be felt downstream after ISIS shut off a major dam in Ramadi, a city they recently captured.

Iraqi officials worried the dry river bed and ensuing humanitarian crisis will give ISIS a strategic advantage against government forces.

Senior international correspondent, Ben Wedeman, joins me now with the latest. Ben, this control of this dam in Ramadi, much like control of key oil fields, and other infrastructure shows just how strategic ISIS has been to really try to choke off the Iraqi government. BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, certainly after May 17th, when they took Ramadi, this additional step of cutting off the flow of the Euphrates River passing through Ramadi poses a real problem.

There are millions of Iraqis who live downstream on the Euphrates from Ramadi, who were now threatened with losing not only their drinking water, but water for agriculture as well.

[05:35:08] So certainly this is yet another headache for the Iraqi authorities. Now going back to this controversy about what Tony Blinken, the U.S. deputy secretary of state is saying that more than 10,000 ISIS fighters have been killed within the last year.

That has, as you said, caused a lot of push back by the Pentagon and many others observers. For instance, back in January, Stuart Jones, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq said that 6,000 ISIS fighters had been killed.

Now this caused discomfort among pentagon officials, who were worried that this is like the body counts that used to be put out by U.S. officials during the Vietnam War.

Now, A, there is a question of how the death toll has risen so dramatically from 6,000 to 10,000 in just five months. Of course, where are they getting this kind of intelligence since one of the problems in the fight against ISIS for quite some time has been the lack of reliable intelligence on the ground.

Of course, the question is how do you measure progress? Is it death count or territory? What we have seen, yes, ISIS has lost about 25 percent of its territory, but in the last month, it has taken two important cities, Palmyra in Syria and Ramadi in Iraq -- Christine.

ROMANS: Of course, all of that discussion about 10,000 body count came up in Paris at a conference to talk about how to fight ISIS and how to win. That's the context there. Thank you so much for that. Ben Wedeman for us this morning in Rome.

BERMAN: This morning, Baltimore police are looking at new safety measures for the department's fleet of prisoner transport vans. These changes come following the death of Freddie Gray, who was fatally injured while in police custody.

The proposed changes include cameras, GPS, and prisoner shoulder harnesses. What might be an even more significant development, Police Commissioner Anthony Batts is asking for new federal resources to battle a spike in the crime rate.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTHONY BATTS, BALTIMORE POLICE COMMISSIONER: Nothing is more important than the sanctity of human life within this city. Mere numbers miss the point. We're talking about people. These are not numbers. These are human beings who have lost their lives on the streets of Baltimore. We are aggressive in our crime fight using all of the resources that are available to us.

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BERMAN: Batts blames the 40 percent jump in the murder rate in part on the influx of narcotics and drugs in Baltimore that were stolen during the unrest following Freddie Gray's death.

ROMANS: The investigation into the shooting death of 12-year-old Tamir Rice last fall, that investigation now into the hands of prosecutors. They will let the grand jury decide whether a Cleveland police officer will be charged. Rice was playing with a pellet gun in a park near his home when Officer Timothy Loman fired the fatal shots just seconds after arriving on the scene.

BERMAN: The anthrax crisis at the Pentagon is growing by the day. Officials now say live anthrax spores were mistakenly sent to as many as 51 labs in 17 states, Washington, D.C., and three countries. They say those numbers are going to increase. More than 400 batches are now being tested. Four have been found to contain live anthrax. The Pentagon insists there is no threat to public health.

ROMANS: I would be interested to know the forensic investigation of how that happened. What was the original mistake that compounded?

Former Texas Governor Rick Perry is set to toss his stetson into the Republican presidential race. Perry will announce his second bid for the White House today in a speech in Addison, Texas surrounded by veterans and by the widow of American sniper, Chris Kyle. Perry will be the 10th candidate officially vying for the Republican nomination.

On the Democratic side, Lincoln Chafee is the third challenger to Hillary Clinton, the former Rhode Island governor and former Republican is launching his presidential bid on Wednesday. He has a unique proposal to improve global relations. Have the U.S. adopt the metric system.

BERMAN: Yes, you know, the joke online, you are taking the world one centimeter at a time.

ROMANS: He is kilometers behind.

BERMAN: He is kilometers behind the frontrunners right now. All right, a Republican presidential contender, Ted Cruz, he is apologizing for a lot of people think was a very poorly timed joke about Vice President Joe Biden. Joe Biden is grieving over the loss of his son, Beau.

So Ted Cruz is speaking at a Republican dinner in Michigan and he poked fun at Biden for his well-known purple gas. Listen to what he said. He said, "You know the nice thing, you don't need a punch line. Honestly it works. The next party you are at, walk up and say Vice President Biden, and just close your mouth, they will crack up laughing."

Well, on social media overnight, people were not laughing. They thought the joke was in poor taste. Cruz absolutely posted an apology very quickly. He went on Twitter and Facebook, and said, "It was a mistake to use an old joke about Joe Biden during his time of grief. I certainly apologize. The loss of his son is heart breaking and tragic, and our prayers are very much with the vice president and his family."

ROMANS: Our prayers are with the vice president's family, too. That was not fair to joke about him at this time.

[05:40:07] Let's get an EARLY START on your money. Bond prices sinking and bond yields are climbing and that's hurting the appetite for stocks around the world, folks.

European stocks are lower. Greece is still negotiating with the creditors ahead of a big deadline tomorrow, a debt deadline. U.S. stock futures are down too.

In the near future, humans will be artificially intelligent. That's the prediction from the director of engineering at Google. He says by the year 2030, our brains will connect directly to the cloud and computers will supplement our natural intelligence.

We will also be able to back up our brains. These predictions may sound pretty out there. The Google executive has correctly predicted the future before. In the '90s, he found the portable computers, computer display built into glasses and self-driving cars.

BERMAN: I think for some of us, it will only be artificial. It says humans to be artificially intelligent, if that's what it takes.

ROMANS: Did my brain have to be backed up with your brain and the cloud?

BERMAN: Supplemented.

All right, there is a chance for severe storms, possibly a few tornadoes in the central plains. Meteorologist, Ivan Cabrera, with an early look at your forecast -- Ivan.

IVAN CABRERA, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, each and every day we are doing a little bit better with the temperatures, so that by this weekend, finally, it's going to feel like June out there in New York, pushing 80 degrees. The average high temperature this time of year is in the mid-70s.

We have been in the 50s and 60s and even up in Maine, overnight temperatures in the 30s, incredible. We are going in the right direction here. By the time we get into the weekend, D.C., as well, temperatures back in the low 80s with sunshine. That will feel fantastic.

The rest of the country, not looking bad although if you like it hot, southwestern United States, we have been well into the 100s, that's going to continue there. Temperatures across the southeast into the 70s and 80s.

Severe storms across the mid-section of the country. Let's focus on that and talk about the enhanced area of severe storms with damaging winds. Large hail with some of these updrafts here and the potential for some isolated tornadoes as well.

We will watch that closely from Omaha to Kansas City. By the time we get to 2:00 to 4:00, the storms will be strongest. We will watch the radar and keep you posted -- John and Christine.

ROMANS: All right, Ivan, thank you so much. The host nations for two World Cup tournaments with a sold to the highest bidder? They were if you believe testimony from the whistleblower in the big FIFA takedown. Details on the investigation ahead.

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[05:45:57]

BERMAN: A former top U.S. soccer official who was once on FIFA's executive committee admitted that he and other officials took bribes to rig votes on where the World Cup would be in 1998 and 2010.

That is according to newly released federal court records. Chuck Blazer pleaded guilty to money laundering, fraud and tax evasion. He pleaded guilty in 2013. He also played a central role in the U.S. government's case against other FIFA officials, who pleaded guilty. I bet we will hear more soon.

ROMANS: All right, let's see what is coming up on "NEW DAY." Alisyn Camerota joins us now. Hi, Alisyn.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR, "NEW DAY": Guys, great to see you. So we will have more on what police are calling that ISIS inspired plot to target police. Killing cops was not the suspect's original mission. According to police, he first plotted to behead conservative blogger, Pamela Geller. She will join us live on NEW DAY with reaction.

Also more on violent crime spiking across the country, it is so bad in Baltimore. The police are asking the feds to help. Why are the streets becoming more dangerous?

We will have that debate when former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani joins us live this morning. So we have a big show, a lot to talk about it and we'll see you guys at the top of the hour.

BERMAN: Thank you, Alisyn Camerota, reigning champion of the CNN quiz show. Stay tuned.

Stunning revelations from the Duggar family about the scandal that is sending the TV family into turmoil, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar identifying some of Duggar's molestation victims.

Brian Stelter is here with us this morning. We will talk about this first interview next.

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[05:51:08]

BERMAN: The Duggar parents from TLC's "19 Kids and Counting" are breaking their silence about their son, Josh, molesting underage girls including four sisters when he was a teenager.

ROMANS: Jim Bob and Michelle sat down with Fox News' Megan Kelly describing the grief the scandal has caused their family. CNN's senior media correspondent, Brian Stelter is here with more. It is a deeply uncomfortable story on every level. How did the couple do last night in explaining what happen here?

BRIAN STELTER, CNN SENIOR MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: They expressed a lot of contrition and spoke about the healing process for the entire family, but I think that will appeal to the family's fans, the people that have wanted to hear from them for almost two weeks ever since the scandal erupted in the pages of the tabloid magazine "In Touch."

But I think the overwhelming reaction, otherwise, was that it sounded like the family was trying to minimize what had happened more than a decade ago by speaking about it in ways that seemed to downplay the severity of the molestation.

BERMAN: There is flat out more relativism, isn't there? I mean, they tried to explain and again, it is uncomfortable to talk about. It was touching above the clothes. Most of it was. Only some of it was below. There is some level of justification.

STELTER: To focus on the improper touching. At one point, the father said this was not rape. I understand why he is trying to say that. I understand he is trying to explain to people what it was not. The idea that it was only improper touching strikes some people as being incomplete.

BERMAN: That is questionable. What don't we know? What questions still remain?

STELTER: The big question for the family is that Josh's story. He has not spoken about this except in a brief Facebook post. We've also heard very little from the victims. Four of the victims were daughters in the family. We've heard very little from them.

Fox is teasing that for later in the week. That is an untold part of the story. We don't know what TLC will do. After all this family is news worthy because they have a hit reality show. The show is off the air. We will see if TLC will resume production or not.

ROMANS: This is a family that has put themselves out there for the world to see and for their opinions and their morality or their take of morality out there for the world and now. We get a glimpse inside. That is why this is so uncomfortable again on every level.

STELTER: People always wonder how can you have 19 kids? How can you raise all the kids? How can you take care of all the kids? That is the sub text of this entire reality show. I think that question comes before when you hear about a case like this. When you hear the parents say they felt like failures when they learn of the molestation. It was heartbreaking at times to listen to the parents and it was important to hear their perspective. This story will go for a while and I think make it even harder for the show to return.

BERMAN: Brian Stelter, good to have you here with us.

ROMANS: OK, what is the secret to wealth and success? I'm going to give you a little career advice from the world's richest man.

BERMAN: From someone who will actually help you.

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[05:57:54]

ROMANS: I'm Christine Romans. Let's get an EARLY START on money this morning. European stocks lower right now. Look at those major markets, all down more than 1 percent. Greece still not reached a deal with creditors ahead of tomorrow's debt deadline.

U.S. stock futures down as well. Bond prices are sinking. Yields are climbing. That is hurting the appetite for stocks around the world.

He is the world's richest man and he doesn't have a degree. Bill Gates advice to everyone else, go to college and graduate. Gates dropped out of Harvard in 1975 and founded Microsoft. But he writes in his blog that he got lucky.

He says getting a degree is a much surer path to success. The 59 percent of students who start college do not graduate in six years citing rising costs and a lack of preparation. That is a bad investment. Bill Gates says go to college.

BERMAN: Stay in school, kids.

Stunning details in the terror plot foiled in Boston. The suspect was targeting a well-known activist. "NEW DAY" picks up that story right now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Boston terror suspect plotted to behead Pamela Geller.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She organized the Prophet Muhammad cartoon contest in Garland, Texas.

GELLER: It won't end with me. This is just beginning.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Police commissioner saying that much of the violence is being driven by the pharmacies robbed.

BATTS: Criminals are selling those stolen drugs. I'm submitting a request to ask for more federal agents to assist us in the battle. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have the power to make our country new again.

BERMAN: Former Texas Governor Rick Perry set to toss his stetson into the Republican presidential race.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: America has really seen what a promising person he could be.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Josh has done some very bad things.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're victims. They can't do this to us.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He's very sorry.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Welcome to your NEW DAY. It is Thursday, June 4th, 6:00 in the east. We have new information for out the plot in Boston. Federal authorities now say the terror suspect was shot dead by cops when he came at them with a knife, was planning on beheading police officers called the "boys in blue." But he had other targets as well.

CAMEROTA: Now authorities say they had the suspect and two of his associates under 24 hour surveillance before police killed Usaama Rahim, the suspect.