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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
Greece Bailout Deal Reached; Iran Nuclear Deal on the Verge; Massive Manhunt Underway; Scott Walker to Enter GOP Race Today; Novak Djokovic Wins Wimbledon. Aired 4-4:30a ET
Aired July 13, 2015 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[04:00:22] MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Well, breaking news this morning. Leaders indicate there has been a deal reached in the Greek debt negotiations. The latest on the massive bailout, we are live in Athens with the latest.
ALISON KOSIK, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now: Iran and six world powers on the break through of the nuclear deal. A deal could be reached any moment. We're going to take you live to Vienna.
MARQUEZ: And a massive manhunt underway for Mexico's most wanted man. Inside El Chapo's daring escape, and why the U.S. is offering to help put him back behind bars.
KOSIK: Good morning. And welcome to EARLY START. I'm Alison Kosik.
MARQUEZ: I'm Miguel Marquez. It's Monday, July 13. It's 4:00 a.m. here on the East Coast. John and Christine, the lucky dogs, have the morning off.
We have breaking news this hour: officials say a deal has been reached with Greece and European creditors for a bailout that will keep Greece in the Eurozone. After an all night marathon negotiating session, the president of the European Council announcing just a short time ago that negotiators reached agreement, calling for serious reforms from Greece and financial support of Greece. And that financial support will have to be considerable. European officials estimate Greece will need as much as $96 billion over the next three years.
For the latest on the last-minute deal, let's turn to Linda Labropoulou in Athens.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELINDA LABROPOULOU, JOURNALIST: After 17 hours of long talks, we finally have a third bailout for Greece. A decision for a third bailout has just been reached in Brussels. It is a deal that seems to carry a lot of austerity for Greeks in a deal that has to be ratified through the Greek parliament, if the process is going to continue.
So, we are looking at the two days ahead. Very quick decisions in Greece in order to have these measures voted in and taken to the next level where a number of other European parliaments have to approve this deal and then the final negotiations for a deal can begin.
During that time, we understand that the ECB is expected to decide on additional liquidity for Greece. This is something that will happen today. A very quick assessment of this package on offer. It shows there's a lot of austerity for the Greek coming ahead, but at the same time, also some office of growth, $35 billion of aid to go to growth, and also a possibilities of some maturities being extended.
So, it remains to be seen how the politicians in Greece will evaluate this and whether this will be ratified by the Greek government.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KOSIK: OK. And thanks to that last-minute deal for Greece, we are watching stocks climbing around the world. European stocks, they are higher at the moment. So are U.S. stock futures. The possibility of Greece tumbling into bankruptcy and out of the Eurozone has been rattling the markets for week. This morning, finally some reassurance that won't happen. That's calming investors uncertainty about the future of the Eurozone, one of our biggest trading partners.
Also up this morning, Asian shares. It has been a wild ride for stocks in China falling more than 20 percent in the past few weeks, wiping out trillions of dollars. But stocks seem to be pulling back thanks to massive government aid. The Shanghai Composite added 2.4 percent and more than 350 companies resumed trading today.
MARQUEZ: And it's all eyes on Vienna this morning, where a Monday deadline looms for a nuclear agreement with Iran. Western diplomats say they are, quote, "nearly there" on a deal to curb Iran's nuclear program. But they say a handful of significant issues still have to be worked out. One Iranian official says it is just a matter of political will.
For the latest, let's bring in senior international correspondent Nic Robertson. He is live in Vienna for us.
Nic, how do things look?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Miguel, certainly, the atmosphere here is one of expectation -- the expectation is being created that a deal can be achieved. That it is close. That there are a couple of issues, there's increased security here. The Chinese delegation showed up a few minutes ago. They have gone to the Chinese media here. Perhaps, we're going to get an update from them on their view of the situation.
But what we are hearing from Western diplomats, Secretary Kerry himself talks over the weekend that gone well. There was reason to be positive, reason to be optimistic. The Iranian delegation told us yesterday that they were looking through 100-page document. They said 20 pages of it were the agreement itself, 80 pages were annexes. They said there were some parentheses on those documents, that this is items still required to be filled in.
[04:05:02] The expectation has been created that something will be announced today. That everyone is close. However, we have seen several deadlines come and go already. The deadline is the 30th of June, 7th of July and now the 13th of July.
However, I do have to say the mood is one to expect something today. Quite what and how much detail we'll get and if this will cover all of the issues is not clear. But expectation is there will be something -- Miguel.
MARQUEZ: All right. So, greater energy and quickening of events.
Nic Robertson, thank you very much.
And a huge manhunt underway this morning to find Mexico's most wanted man, notorious drug lord Joaquin Guzman, also known as El Chapo. He broke out of the maximum security Altiplano prison Saturday night. Mexico's president calling the escape an affront to the nation, vowing to recapture El Chapo. The U.S. attorney general offering America's help.
As we learn new details about how El Chapo pulled it off, slipping undetected through a hole in his shower and into an escape tunnel nearly a mile long.
CNN en Espanol anchor Juan Carlos Lopez picks up the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JUAN CARLOS LOPEZ, CNN EN ESPANOL WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF: Alison and Miguel, it's an impressive fate of engineering. A lighted, ventilated tunnel running for almost a mile from a construction site in a sparsely populated area, then under a maximum security prison into a very specific point -- the shower in Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman's cell.
But it was even more sophisticated. The hole in the shower led to a set of stairs used by the drug lord to escape, once again under the watch of Mexican authorities who kept him under constant video surveillance in what was until this weekend Mexico's most secure prison.
In 2001, Guzman escaped from another maximum security prison, hidden in a laundry cart and remained on the run for 13 years until he was arrested in a sea resort of Mazatlan in a modest apartment after a raid by Mexican forces, with assistance from U.S. law enforcement agencies, such as the DEA and the U.S. Marshal Service.
This time around, the U.S. government is offering help. Through a statement, Attorney General Loretta Lynch expressed her concerns over the escape and added, quote, "The U.S. government stands ready to work with our Mexican partners to provide any assistance to help support his swift recapture.
Mexican president Enrique Pena Nieto is calling for an investigation to see if any public officials may have been part of El Chapo's escape plan -- Alison, Miguel.
(END VIDEOTAPE) KOSIK: And happening now, delays at London's Heathrow Airport caused by climate change protesters. An airport spokeswoman says the demonstrators have breached Heathrow's perimeter fence and chained themselves to gates.
Members of this group called plain stupid oppose new runways at the airport and pictures from the group's Twitter feed show police apparently using bolt cutters to remove protesters. Heathrow says it expects residual delays throughout the day.
MARQUEZ: And he's number 15, count 'em, on your Republican presidential scorecard. Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker set to announce his candidacy in an event later today in suburban Milwaukee.
CNN's Dana Bash spoke exclusively with his two sons, Matt and Alex. She asked them about disagreeing with their father's position against the Supreme Court legalizing same-sex marriage and complaining to it their mother.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: She said to you all, when you complained, "Go talk to your father about it". Did you?
MATT WALKER, GOV. WALKER'S SON: Yes, we talked to him. Like any family, we had disagreements. He just explained his position and that was it.
ALEX WALKER, GOV. WALKER'S SON: Matt and I aren't changing his stance on any issues.
BASH: Do you try?
ALEX WALKER: We respect his opinion on things.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARQUEZ: Now, meantime, other candidates are focused on Israel today. Among those taking parts, the Christians United for Israel Summit -- Jeb Bush, Ted Cruz, Mike Huckabee, George Pataki, Rick Santorum, and Lindsey Graham.
KOSIK: And Lindsey Graham, for one, is responding to fellow candidate Donald Trump's bluster with some strong words of his own. Graham calling Trump a wrecking ball who's damaged the Republican brand and party's future with his inflammatory remarks about the Mexican immigrants. But Trump who's now leading the GOP field in some polls, he's not backing down.
We get more from CNN's Sunlen Serfaty.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Miguel and Alison. Well, no hints whatsoever that Donald Trump seems to be backing down and toning down his rhetoric. He seemed to be relishing in the size of the crowd that his event in Phoenix, Arizona, drew. Five thousand people came out to hear him speak. And the approach and message does seem to be striking a chord with some voters, resonating with people who seemed very angry and frustrated about the state of immigration in our country.
Here's Donald Trump on Saturday.
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: When you see the kind of power that the silent majority has and the silent majority is a problem. They want to go out, they want to lead a good life, they want to work hard, they want to have their family, they want -- they don't want to be involved in coming here and waiting on a line for hours and hours and coming in and listening to Trump.
(APPLAUSE)
[04:10:09] But the silent majority is back and we're going to take the country back.
SERFATY: And Trump did continue his tough talk over immigration throughout the duration of that speech and that comes after there was a barrage of criticism in the last week from Republican opponents, from some within the Republican, criticizing him for his approach, even really dividing the Republican Party establishment in Arizona where the speech over the weekend was. The establishment of Republicans really snubbing that speech largely.
And we are also hearing stepped up criticism coming from his opponents within the primary. Senator Lindsey Graham on "STATE OF THE UNION" Sunday said that he believes that Trump is hijacking this debate and has turned into a wrecking ball for the Republican Party.
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This is the defining moment for the Republican Party. We need to reject this. To all of the candidates who think Donald Trump is telling the truth, I think you lost your way.
As to the Republican Party, if we do not reject this way of thinking clearly without any ambiguity, we will have lost our way, we'll have lost the moral authority in my view to govern this great nation. And I hope we reject this kind of thinking.
SERFATY: And Graham called for the party to continue to reject this sort of criticism, calling on these other opponents to step up more, especially as this continues to dominate the discussion -- Miguel and Alison.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MARQUEZ: Thank you for that.
And after weeks of controversy, a new Miss USA has finally been crowned.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANNOUNCER: Oklahoma!
(CHEERS)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARQUEZ: Oh, sweet. Twenty-six-year-old Olivia Jordan beat 50 other contestants to win the title during the interview portion. She said the next big issues that U.S. needs to tackle is race relation relations.
Interestingly, pageant co- owner Donald Trump, as if we hadn't had enough Donald Trump news today, was not there. He created a firestorm of controversy after painting Mexican immigrants as rapists and criminals last month. That led to the pageant being dropped by NBC and winding up on the little known Reelz Channel.
KOSIK: I love the build-up music.
MARQUEZ: I was in the moment.
KOSIK: Were you?
MARQUEZ: I could barely stand it.
(LAUGHTER)
KOSIK: Across the Midwest this morning, flooding is wrecking havoc on millions of Americans. First in Minnesota, the town of Alexandra is getting slammed with heavy wind and rain. Some motorists have been forced to hit the breaks under a bridge in fears of a tornado. In parts of Kentucky, torrential rain has triggered flash flooding.
The water knee high in some places, forcing crews in Louisville to rescue residents by boat. Homes have been damaged, roads impassible. Cars have been found submerged.
MARQUEZ: More widespread severe weather thunderstorms in the forecast today. Let's get to meteorologist Pedram Javaheri for latest on that.
PEDRAM JAVAHERI, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Miguel and Alison. Great working with you guys.
And, yes, one of those days, we're going to watch very carefully, as far as the active weather ahead of us, massive dome of high pressure across the southeast, incredible heat, incredible humidity, and also unusually strong jet stream for this time of year. So, the severe weather threat now at risk for about 50 million people, and on the scale of one to five, it has been taken up to a four for areas around Indianapolis and Cincinnati and Louisville and Lexington indicated here in red, and I think the prominent threat going to be damaging winds, potentially straight line winds that could easily get up to 60 and 70 miles per hour. And the storm will begin to fire up into the afternoon hours.
And you take a look at this and the storms up and around the ridge. When you get into this sort of bowing that takes place, as the model indicates, this is a recipe for a very large scale damage when it comes to long track events. We're going to watch that into the afternoon hours.
But storms already rocking Wisconsin this morning as that pushes in toward areas of Illinois by the afternoon hours where the storms will fire up. If not that, look at the tremendous heat. Heat indices up to 112 degrees from say, Kansas City, toward St. Louis. That is dangerous heat right there in the forecast as well. We'll have the latest as it all develops -- guys.
KOSIK: And coming up, watch this driver dangerously driving in reverse down a busy Los Angeles street. Wow. What was he on? The terrifying ride all caught on camera.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[04:17:29] KOSIK: Imagine seeing this during your morning commute. This daredevil driver caught on camera in Los Angeles driving in reverse. He did it for about two miles maneuvering past Hollywood boulevard at one point, which is very, very busy. It may be very cool to watch, but extremely terrifying for drivers who witnessed it first hand.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just think that this individual had an argument or a fight or something or possibly want to be a cool guy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOSIK: I can't believe he stayed in the lines. LAPD now investigating and searching for the driver. Investigators call it some of the most reckless driving they ever have seen.
MARQUEZ: Weird.
This morning, Massachusetts state police say they are not ruling out the possibility that the girl found on the beach was killed by a family member. However, the 4-year-old known only as Baby Doe remains unidentified. Her body found stuffed inside a trash bag on an island near Boston last month. Officials also trying to figure out how she died saying there were no clear signs of trauma on her body.
KOSIK: Pluto ready for its close up. The NASA's spacecraft New Horizon set to become the first probe to do a fly-by around Pluto. Officials say it will get closest to the icy planet on Tuesday. They expect to release the best pictures Wednesday. The New Horizon's probe has traveled 3 billion miles over 9 1/2 years to get to this historic point.
MARQUEZ: As a space nerd, I am thrilled to see that.
Fifty-five years after "To Kill a Mockingbird", there is controversy surrounding Harper Lee's next novel, "Go Set a Watchman." It involves a depiction of Atticus Finch, the heroic figure who stands up for the black man wrongly accused of rape as an aging racist. The new book picks up the story of Scout, the young girl who narrates
here adventures in a small Alabama town in "Mockingbird". Lee wrote the follow-up in the 1950s. The manuscript was rediscovered last year. "Go Set a Watchman" is in stores on Tuesday.
KOSIK: Up next, Novak rules, Serena slams Wimbledon, breaking out the best in the best.
MARQUEZ: Nice.
KOSIK: Live from London after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[04:23:21] MARQUEZ: Another fortnight, that's two week, has come and gone, and the two best players are once again on top of the tennis world. Novak Djokovic beats Roger Federer to win his third Wimbledon title. A day after, Serena Williams completed her Serena slam. She has won four straight major tournaments. Amazing.
CNN's Christina Macfarlane is live in London.
What was it like?
CHRISTINA MACFARLANE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Miguel.
The sellout crowd have gone here and the rain has come. But the vivid memory of the final lives on. The world number one, Novak Djokovic, proving once again he is a man of steel, denying the greatest player of his generation. Roger Federer, historic 18th grand slam title and denying him also the chance to become the first -- to become the oldest Wimbledon champion in history.
There's no doubt about it. This has been the life change year for the 28-year-old. He got married this year. He has become a father for the first time and this was going to be the year he went for the career grand slam. He won the Australian Open, but lost in the French. He picked himself up and came back here and defeated the greatest champion to set forth on the centre court.
After he won, he bent down, he picked up a couple of blades of grass and ate them. That is his tradition at Wimbledon every time he wins. We know last night he was dancing the night away at the Wimbledon ball with Serena Williams who won here on Saturday.
[04:25:03] MARQUEZ: Thank you very much. Good that he got his roughage at Wimbledon. That's fantastic. Thank you.
KOSIK: The youngest winner of the Nobel Peace Prize is celebrating her 18th birthday by asking the world to help the people who fled the war in Syria. Malala Yousufzai helped open a school for refugee girl Sunday in Lebanon and will visit another camp today. She asked world leaders to invest in books, not bullets.
Malala made headlines three years ago when Taliban gunmen in Pakistan shot her for supporting girls' education rights. MARQUEZ: Her bravery is beyond belief.
KOSIK: Absolutely.
MARQUEZ: Pope Francis returning home after the historic week long, three nation trip to South America. The last stop for Francis was the flood-prone slum in Paraguay, where some 15,000 people. During his visit to Ecuador, Bolivia, Paraguay, the pontiff continued to call for environmental reforms in the new economic model where rich and poor share equally in the earth's resources.
KOSIK: All eyes on Vienna. Iran nuclear talks are nearing as the deadline looms this morning. What Iran wants that might be holding up the deal.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KOSIK: Breaking news this morning. Leaders indicate there's been a deal reached in the Greek debt negotiations. The latest on the massive bailout. We are live in Athens with the latest.
MARQUEZ: And happening now, Iran and six world powers on the verge of a breakthrough nuclear deal. A deal could be reached at any moment. We'll take you live to Vienna.
KOSIK: And a massive manhunt underway for Mexico's most wanted man.