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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Search for Escaped Killers: New Clues; New Calls to Remove Rebel Flag; President Obama on Race in America; Cyberattack on Federal Workers Grows; Tornadoes Touch Down in Illinois & Michigan. Aired 4- 4:30a ET

Aired June 23, 2015 - 04:00   ET

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

[04:00:28] JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: New clues, new tips this morning, bringing investigators perhaps closer to the two killers who escaped from prison. We will tell you where officials now think they are hiding. That's ahead.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: New calls this morning to banish the Confederate flag. South Carolina's governor wants the controversial flag removed from the state's capitol. A growing chorus calling for a change after the Charleston church massacre.

BERMAN: Stunning words from President Obama -- actually, stunning word in this case -- in a new candid interview about race in America.

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

ROMANS: I'm Christine Romans. It is Tuesday, June 23rd. It is 4:00 a.m. in the East.

Nice to see you all this Tuesday morning.

Important new leads this morning to tell you about, in the manhunt for two inmates escaped from a New York maximum prison. Authorities finding DNA from Richard Matt and David Sweat inside a burglarized hunting cabin near the town of Owls Head in upstate New York. That's just 20 miles of the prison they broke out more than two weeks ago now. After a witness spotted someone running into the woods near the cabin over the weekend, about 1,000 officers descended on this tiny community with helicopters, ATVs and cruisers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REPORTER: How confident do you feel about the leads?

KEVIN MULVERHILL, FRANKLIN COUNTY SHERIFF: All options are open. Everything is on the table. These are the best leads we've had since the escape.

REPORTER: Are you confident they're here in your area, in your county?

MULVERHILL: I'm confident that if they're here, we're going to catch them.

The information that's come in the last 48, 72 hours has been more credible and better leads probably than we've had since the escape. I think the noose is starting to tighten.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: The noose is starting to tighten.

A law enforcement source tells CNN detectives are also combing through months worth of guest registries from hotels in the prison area. They're looking for someone with the connection to those escapees. Officials also have a new theory on how the inmates got their hands on tools to break out of prison.

For the latest on the investigation, let's turn to CNN's Jason Carroll.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Christine, John, investigators calling this one of their most significant leads to date, that evidence found inside that cabin, materials linking these two inmates to DNA that they also were able to extract from the materials found inside that cabin.

Again, a significant lead for investigators, but that's just one of the developments in this story, a story that just seems to have one strange development after another. This one has to do with how these inmates allegedly got some of that contraband inside the prison. We're hearing from a source that perhaps it came through frozen hamburger meat -- I say that again, frozen hamburger meat.

And investigators are looking at the possibility that contraband or tools were inside of frozen hamburger meat delivered to Richard Matt just a week before his escape. That, again, coming to us from a source here on the ground.

Now, you should also know that these two men collected their contraband over a lengthy period of time, but it is believed that one of the guards there at the correctional facility passed this frozen chunk of hamburger meat into the prison. It did not go through metal detectors which is a violation of prison policy. These two inmates, as you know, housed in the -- what was the so-called honor guard and the honor block and as such, they were allowed to cook. That was one of their privileges. They were allowed to cook there in their cells.

So, this is just many, one of the many points that would be investigated as this investigation moves forward -- Christine, John.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BERMAN: All right. Our thanks to Jason Carroll for that.

New details about the months leading up to the deadly rampage at Emanuel AME Church in South Carolina. In February, the killer launched a racist Web site with a long hate-filled manifesto. In April, he used the money from his 21st birthday to buy a gun. Then, he began a twisted tour of South Carolina sites connected to slavery and the confederacy. But, instead of the race war that this man says he hoped to spark, the shooting seems to be setting the stage to change the political climate across the south.

Later this morning, a rally is planned at South Carolina statehouse calling on lawmakers to support removing the Confederate battle flag. This comes after South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley joined both of the state's U.S. senators to call for that flag's removal.

And this comes as the speaker of the Mississippi house says he wants the Confederate symbol removed from his state's flag.

[04:05:03] And get this -- Walmart announced it will remove all rebel flag merchandise from its stores.

These are big, sweeping changes. I have to say, one week ago, no one would have believed this was coming.

Let's get more now from CNN's Ana Cabrera in Charleston.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANA CABRERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John and Christine, the Confederate flag still flies out front of the South Carolina capitol. But now, the governor, Nikki Haley, is joining calls for the flag to go. And this sets up a debate that will likely play out in the next few weeks inside the state capitol, and with an eventual vote by state lawmakers which will determine the flag's future.

But the governor's announcement just reverses what she said in previous statements in which she supported the placement of the flag here, in state capitol grounds, alongside the Confederate war memorial, saying it symbolizes the state's heritage. But she says, in light of the Charleston church massacre, she recognizes that this flag means different things to different people. And for some, it symbolizes hatred and racism and she says that has no place on state capitol grounds.

GOV. NIKKI HALEY (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: For good and for bad, whether it is on statehouse grounds or in a museum, the flag will always be a part of the soil of South Carolina. But this is a moment in which we could say that that flag, while an integral part of our past, does not represent the future.

Today, we are here in a moment of unity in our state without ill will to say it's time to move the flag from the capitol grounds.

(APPLAUSE)

CABRERA: Bottom line, only state lawmakers have power to remove the flag, and it will require a 2/3 majority to agree for the flag to come down. There does seem to be some momentum going in that direction but we'll have to wait and see -- John and Christine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: All right. Ana Cabrera, thank you so much for that in Charleston this morning.

President Obama is now set to travel to Charleston on Friday. The president, the first lady, Vice President Joe Biden will attend the funeral for the pastor of the Emanuel AME Church, Reverend Clementa Pinckney.

CNN's Michelle Kosinski has the latest from the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHELLE KOSINSKI, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, John and Christine.

Right. It was interesting to hear, after so many questions have been directed to the White House, when is the president -- is he going to visit Charleston? Now, they've announced that he and the first lady, and the vice president will be going there on Friday for the funeral of Reverend Clementa Pinckney, someone the president had met and knew personally. And the president will deliver the eulogy.

It almost seems like we're in this new period of how the president engages on and addresses race. I mean, we've heard several speeches lately where he uses extremely direct language. Speaking of which, this hour-long interview that he did with a comedian in a garage for a podcast called "WTF", the headline, of course though, that the president himself used the N-word.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNTIED STATES: And it's not just a matter of it not being polite to say nigger in public, that's not the measure of whether racism still exists or not. It's not just a matter of overt discrimination. We have -- societies don't overnight completely erase everything that happened 200 to 300 years prior.

KOSINSKI: Well, clearly, there is a shock value in that. That's the headlines around the world.

But the White House is denying that the president planned this out ahead of time. They said he was simply making a point in an informal setting and it just kind of came out. Some analysts are saying it is about time we heard the president speak so directly on the subject.

Of course, not everybody's happy that he decided to use that word in particular, but we're also hearing from people who are saying they're surprised that people are surprised. I mean, this is a word we don't feel comfortable using really when we're talking about that word, but it's hard to imagine that the president didn't think about the provocative power of it when he decided to use it even if it was on the spot. And this kind of discussion is clearly what the White House wants -- John and Christine.

BERMAN: All right. Our thanks to Michelle for that.

Four Republican presidential candidates are distancing themselves from the head of a white supremacist group who may have inspired the Charleston church shooter. Earl Holt, the leader of the Council of Conservative Citizens, has donated thousands of dollars for the campaigns of Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, Scott Walker and Rick Santorum. Three of the four candidates have announced they are donating those contributions to the Mother Emanuel Hope Fund in Charleston.

ROMANS: An ISIS operative who may have been involved in the 2012 Benghazi attack has been killed by U.S. airstrike in Iraq. The Pentagon confirms Ali Awni al-Harzi died last week in Mosul. U.S. intelligence officials believe al-Harzi orchestrated hundreds of suicide attacks around the world and was one of the first foreign fighters to join ISIS. The Tunisia national recruited hundreds of foreigners to fight for ISIS in Syria.

BERMAN: The TSA has a new top man.

[04:10:00] The Senate overwhelmingly confirmed Peter Neffenger by an 81-1 vote. The coast guard vice admiral has a lot of work to do in the wake of stunning reports of security gaps at U.S. airports. Earlier this month, officials revealed that auditors were able to sneak prohibited items past TSA checkpoints 67 out of 70 tries.

ROMANS: A top executive from Japanese airbag maker Takata will be on the hot seat at a Senate hearing today. The company is involved in the largest automotive recall in history, with at least 32 million vehicles recalled. Its faulty airbags are responsible for at least eight deaths. A report just published by the Senate committee claims Takata executives actually halted safety audits worldwide, during the recall, in order to save money. The hearing begins at 10:00 a.m. Eastern.

BERMAN: The president's fast track Pacific trade bill faces a new critical hurdle in the Senate, a procedural vote that could clear the way for final passage this week. The fate of the bill sort of in the hands of half a dozen Democrats that who pro-trade but have concerns that the deal will kill jobs in the U.S. The vote is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time.

ROMANS: All right. Time for an EARLY START on your money.

Looks like another good day for stocks. European and Asian stocks much higher, still hope here of a Greek debt deal.

U.S. futures up a little bit after a great day yesterday. The NASDAQ, record close, and it's largely thanks to Greece.

BERMAN: Thank you, Greece.

ROMANS: For the first time in months, Greece's creditors suggested a last-minute deal to avoid default is in sight.

Now, Greece submitted a proposal with more reforms yesterday. E.U. leaders say more work needs to be done but it's promising enough to keep talks going for the next few days. Greece needs money. It owes $1.75 billion to the IMF in a debt payment by the end of the month.

So, it needs -- it needs to get a deal.

BERMAN: It needs to Grexecute this deal.

ROMANS: Oh, my. Yes, they do.

BERMAN: Just working on stuff here.

Famed Hollywood composer James Horner is missing and feared dead this morning. A small plane registered to Horner crashed in central California. The pilot was the only occupant, and he was killed immediately on impact. Authorities have not yet named the victim.

(VIDEO CLIP PLAYS)

BERMAN: That's not Horner, but it is a song he wrote. He is best known for his work on the film "Titanic", 1997, which won him two Oscars, best original dramatic score and best original song for this, Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On."

ROMANS: All right. New information this morning on that cyber attack on U.S. federal workers. Get this -- it's now four times larger than previously thought. We're talking about private information of 18 million former and current U.S. government employees compromised. Is China behind that attack? We are live with China's response, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:15:55] ROMANS: Now it appears the cyberattack targeting U.S. federal employees, much more far reaching than first thought. The number of employees affected has gone from 4 million to about 18 million. It is likely growing.

Now, the U.S. pointing the finger at China, but what does Beijing have to say?

I want to turn to CNN's David McKenzie in Beijing for that.

And, David, in the past when China has been accused of having ties to units within the military there that are hacking or spying on the U.S., they've always said that we're seeing ghosts and elusions, that it's not true. What are they saying this time?

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Christine, predictably, they're saying it's, quote, "irresponsible" for the accusations to come that China is somehow a state sponsor of these hacks at access. It's believed that at least 18 million current, former, prospective federal employees, including those who are trying to get security clearances to work with federal government agencies.

Now, the Chinese are saying repeatedly that in fact the U.S. is the one who hacks into China and that in this stage it's really finger pointing both ways. The Chinese say they want to see proof.

At this stage, interestingly, the Obama administration and the Justice Department be hasn't really come out with direct evidence of this. This could be because the investigation is ongoing and so they're trying to gather the facts before they announce exactly how they know that this hack is from the Chinese.

But it also could be the fact that the evidence of this stage is relatively scant and that the Chinese have said they want to sit down and talk with the U.S. on these issues of cybersecurity. They'll have the opportunity over the next few days in D.C. with a large meeting of officials. But at this stage, it's finger pointing for both sides -- Christine.

ROMANS: The strategic economic dialogue that goes on periodically between the United States and Chinese. In fact, this has been on the agenda many, many times talking about intellectual property theft, talking about hacking and the like. It is something they talk about frequently.

Let me ask you this. You know, David, it's so interesting a lot of people have said to me, cyber experts have said to me, if you were accusing of Chinese of actually breaking into the office of personnel management and stealing rolodexes or stealing information, that would be a very, very billing charge. We've become a little, I think, fatigued by how much hacking is going on.

MCKENZIE: Well, that's right. Experts say that hacking goes on all over the place, mostly by hackers who are trying to steal information to sell that information.

That's one reason why investigators say, well, maybe this is a state actor. They haven't seen at this stage or haven't made any of that information public of these millions of people floating around for sale on the "Dark Internet" as it's called.

So, perhaps it's being used for a multi-step attack. And it would seem, at least according to investigators, it would seem like a kind of modern way to do standard spying by using the Internet rather than targeting individuals on the ground.

ROMANS: So interesting. David McKenzie, almost a wild west in terms of cyber hacking and espionage. Thank you, sir.

BERMAN: Dramatic announcement from Maryland Governor Larry Hogan. He revealed he has a very advanced form of cancer. The 59-year-old has been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. He said he will not step down. He'll continue working while receiving aggressive chemotherapy. It will all happen in the coming months.

Although the cancer is advanced, Governor Hogan says his chance of survival is strong. We are thinking about him today.

ROMANS: He says he's going to lose his beautiful gray locks but he's going to fight.

Six Baltimore police officers charged in the death of Freddie Gray go on trial October 13th. The 23-year-old Gray died back in April after suffering a spinal injury while in police custody. His death triggered widespread protests and rioting in Baltimore. The charges against the six officers range from second degree manslaughter and assault, to false imprisonment and misconduct. BERMAN: Rap mogul Sean Diddy Combs is out on bail after a felony

arrest on the campus of UCLA for assault with a deadly weapon.

[04:20:04] That assault was apparently a kettlebell in the weight room. Police say the assault at the campus athletic training complex involves this kettle ball, which, you know --

ROMANS: What is that?

BERMAN: -- Christine, you use in the gym for weight training.

The alleged victim was not identified. But TMZ reports the target was a strength and conditioning coach for UCLA football. His son is a defensive back for that team. In a statement, UCLA football coach Jim Mora called it, quote, "an unfortunate incident for all parties involved".

Don't know what happened there, but I know at my boy's soccer team, we have a strict, you know, you have to wait a day before you talk to a coach with a kettle ball or anything else.

ROMANS: So many reports were that his son was yelled at by this coach during a practice or weight training session. And P. Diddy, Puff Daddy, I'm not sure, Mr. Combs was upset by that.

BERMAN: Again, 24 hours with my son's travel soccer team. You know, if your son gets yelled at you have to wait 24 hours and get talked to by the coach.

ROMANS: Real high stakes in the 7-year-old soccer --

BERMAN: Yes, indeed.

ROMANS: All right. Breaking news this morning, tornadoes touching down. Dozens of buildings destroyed and several people injured, and a search and rescue mission happening right now. We're going to bring you the very latest, next.

(CXOMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROMANS: Tornadoes tearing through the Upper Midwest overnight. A twister that hit Cole City, Illinois, reportedly sparked fires, left people trapped and collapsed buildings. In Sublette, Illinois, west of Chicago, emergency officials say damage to a major campground is catastrophic, but they have been able to rescue five people who were trapped inside trailers.

[04:25:06] In Eastern Michigan overnight, a tornado did severe damage near the town of Millington, toppling trees, tearing apart homes, crews still in rescue mode there in Michigan.

Another twister slammed in Portland, Michigan, ripping roofs off homes and churches, and collapsing a goodwill store. Five people injured when it touched down Monday afternoon. Terrifying.

BERMAN: Severe weather is moving into the Northeast today. Let's check in with meteorologist Pedram Javaheri at the CNN weather center.

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Hey, John and Christine. Good morning to you.

Pretty wild setup in the overnight hours across portions of the Midwest. In fact, look at the images coming out of Wrigley Field. We know the Dodgers playing the Cubs. Typically, the globular clouds, you know, the instability in the atmosphere, some thunderstorms popping up in the region. But literally an explosion of thunderstorms, we have one round, a second round into the overnight hours spawned some 13 tornadoes, nearly 300 reports of damage when it comes to weather-related damage.

And the lightning strikes all over the place. Upwards of 1,000 inside the last three hours. So, pretty impressive sight when it comes to the severity of the weather, the line of active weather now pushing off to the East. The ingredients in place there for some dangerous weather also across portions of the Northeast.

But some sudden reports of tornadoes in and around Illinois. That was the most we've seen since the beginning of April for the state of Illinois, as far as tornado reports. But notice some models take you to the afternoon hours, storms really begin brewing around Washington, New York, and Boston. Sixty-seven million people in line for active weather.

And pick your place, anywhere on the Northeast, from Washington, to Baltimore, New York, Boston, all of them going to see some rough weather by this afternoon. The front cruises out of here, and some cooler temperatures return. Heat indices up into the 100s. New York City, by this weekend, how about 30 degrees cooler, into the mid-60s. Pretty nice day.

Let's send it back to you.

BERMAN: Wow.

ROMANS: All right. Thanks, Pedram.

BERMAN: All right. New tips, new clues and new manpower searching for two killers who escaped from prison. Why investigators believe they are now close to tracking down these criminals. That's next.

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