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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
Struggling Over Greek Bailout; Iran Nuclear Deal on the Verge; Massive Manhunt Underway; Scott Walker to Enter GOP Race Today; Spieth Heads to British Open with Win. Aired 5-5:30a ET
Aired July 13, 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] MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN ANCHOR: 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 very latest.
ALISON KOSIK, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now: Iran and six world powers on the verge of a breakthrough deal. A deal that could be reached any moment. We're going to take you live.
MARQUEZ: And a massive manhunt underway from 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: Good morning to you. I'm Miguel Marquez. It is Monday, July 13th. It's 5:00 a.m. here on the East Coast. John and Christine, well, they have the morning off.
We have breaking news. Officials say a deal has been reached with Greece and European creditors for a massive bailout that will keep Greece in the Eurozone.
After an all night marathon negotiating session, the presidents of the European Council announcing a short time ago that negotiators reached agreement or agreekment, as he called it, calling for serious reforms from Greece and financial support of Greece.
And that financial support will have to be considerable. European officials estimate Greece needs $96 billion over the next three years.
For the latest on the last-minute deal, let's turn to Elinda 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.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Today, we have only one objective, to reach an agreement. After 17 hours of negotiations, we have finally reached it. Some can say we have agreekment. Leaders have agreed in principle they are ready to start negotiations on the ESM programme, which in other words means continued support for Greece.
LABROPOULOU: 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: Stocks climbing around the world, thanks to the last-minute deal for Greece. European stocks sharply higher right now. So are U.S. stock futures. The possibility of Greece tumbling into bankruptcy and out of the euro zone has been rattling markets for weeks. 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 China stocks, falling more than 20 percent in the past few weeks, and wiping out trillions of dollars. But stocks seem to be pulling back from the brink, thanks to massive government aid. The Shanghai Composite added 2.4 percent, plus 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 tells CNN it's just a matter of political will.
For the latest, let's bring in senior international correspondent Nic Robertson live in Vienna.
Nic, what's your sense of it?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, Miguel, you try to read between the lines here. It is not easy because we don't get briefed on what happens inside those meetings.
But just a couple of minutes ago, the Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov showed up here. It was two minutes to 11:00 local time. Now, at 11:00 a.m., he was due to be in the meeting with the p5+1 foreign ministers, Secretary Kerry and E.U. foreign policy chief, German, France, British, Chinese foreign ministers there.
So, he shows up. The Russian minister shows up, just two minutes before, doesn't even look at the cameras and walks in. What do you read into that? He's disgruntled, he's unhappy, he's ready to get this done, rushing in because there is something to be done.
[05:05:04] The Chinese foreign minister before he went in about an hour and a half ago, asked if a deal could be done soon. He said it could come at any moment. That's the expectation that's being created.
We are in the fourth deadline in the past few weeks alone. The effort to create the impression for all side that this is a deadline that must be met. Secretary Kerry just a few days ago talking about walking away with the Iranians did not make the tough choices. Secretary Kerry after the meetings with the Iranian foreign minister on Saturday said he felt they were moving to make decisions.
But, you know, when you examine the language closely from yesterday, all sides, Iranians as well, all sides saying there were still a couple decisions still yet to be made, Miguel.
MARQUEZ: All right. It sounds like something is going on there. We trust you will stay all over it. Thank you, Nic.
KOSIK: A huge manhunt underway this morning to find Mexico's most wanted man. Notorious drug lord Joaquin Guzman known as "El Chapo" 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. He slipped undetected through a hole in his shower and into an escape tunnel almost 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 feat 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)
MARQUEZ: And if you are keeping count, he is number 15 on the Republican 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 then complaining about it to 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: No, we respect -- we respect his opinion on things.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARQUEZ: Now, meantime, other candidates are focused on Israel today. Among those taking part, the Christians United for Israel Summit -- Jeb Bush, Ted Cruz, Mike Huckabee, George Pataki, Rick Santorum, and Lindsey Graham.
KOSIK: And after weeks of controversy, a new Miss USA has finally been crowned.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANNOUNCER: Oklahoma!
(CHEERS)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOSIK: Twenty-six-year-old Olivia Jordan beat out 50 other contestants to win the title.
During the interview portion, she said the next big issue the U.S. needs to tackle is race relations.
Interestingly enough, pageant co- owner Donald Trump, he wasn't 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.
MARQUEZ: And across the Midwest this morning, flooding is wrecking havoc for 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 fear 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. Look at that, geez!
And much of the same in Ohio. Check it out -- a car swallowed by storm water.
[05:10:02] This picture taken by a CNN viewer showing just how dangerous it can be if you don't obey the motto -- turn around, don't drown.
I wasn't familiar with that one.
KOSIK: That is out there.
MARQUEZ: Yes.
KOSIK: Any relief in sight? More widespread severe storms in the forecast today?
Let's get to meteorologist Pedram Javaheri for the 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.
MARQUEZ: Thank you very much.
Coming up, watch this driver dangerously driving in reverse down a busy Los Angeles street. The terrifying ride all caught on camera.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KOSIK: OK. So you are driving along on your morning commute. Imagine seeing this. This daredevil driver caught on camera in Los Angeles driving in reverse.
[05:15:01] He did this for about two miles, even maneuvering past Hollywood Boulevard at one point. Look how he stays in the lines. It may be cool to watch, but 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 just want to be a cool guy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOSIK: LAPD not thinking this is funny, though. It is investigating and searching for the driver. Investigators call it some of the most reckless driving they have ever seen.
MARQUEZ: Crazy.
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.
And 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. Awful.
KOSIK: A developing situation this morning in Washington state. Fire officials working on the ground and in the air to contain several wildfires that continue to rage in the rural central part of the state. Mandatory evacuation orders in effect for about 100 residents.
So far, more than 20,000 acres have been charred across two counties. Officials say they are having a tough time containing these fires, working against dry conditions, strong winds and spotty cell phone and radio service.
MARQUEZ: Dry, dry out west.
Pluto ready for the close up. 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 -- it wasn't planet, and now it's a planet again -- I guess on Tuesday. They expect to release the best pictures on Wednesday. I can hardly wait. The New Horizon's probe has traveled 3 billion miles over 9 1/2 years to get to this historic point.
Finally, Pluto gets some respect.
KOSIK: Obviously yes, finally.
Fifty-five years after "To Kill a Mockingbird", there is controversy surrounding Harper Lee's next book "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 himself.
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 her follow-up in the 1950s. The manuscript was rediscovered last year. If you're wondering, "Go Set a Watchman" is in stores on Tuesday.
MARQUEZ: Now, golfer Jordan Spieth is warming up for the British Open this week with a masterful playoff victory at the John Deere Classic. Andy Scholes has the details in the bleacher report, that's coming right up. There's Andy.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[05:21:43] MARQUEZ: Oh, the British Open tees off on Thursday. Reigning masters and U.S. open champ Jordan Spieth is on quite a roll.
Andy Scholes has more in this morning's bleacher report.
Andy, what do you got?
ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Hey, good morning, guys.
You know, we have not seen something like this since Tiger Woods was in his prime. Jordan Spieth winning the John Deere Classic over the weekend and by doing so, he became just the second golfer in the last 25 years to win five PGA tour events before turning 22. The other to do it was, of course, Tiger. Spieth needed two playoff holes to win the John Deere classic. Now, he's going to head to the Open Championship at St. Andrews looking to win his third consecutive major.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JORDAN SPIETH, MASTERS AND U.S. OPEN CHAMPION: I just want to put myself in position. Feel if I do that, that same formula that I continue to talk about no national just majors, but any tournament will kick in mentally. And so, it will just come down to the physical skills and draw and whatnot there. But no thoughts past next week will come into my head while I'm there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHOLES: For the third time, Novak Djokovic won the gentlemen's final at Wimbledon in London. He beat Roger Federer in four sets on Sunday in a rematch of the final last year. Djokovic won that one, too. Now, this is Djokovic's ninth career grand slam victory. It's even sweeter for the world's number one player because the win came on his first wedding anniversary.
Buffalo Bills offensive line coach Aaron Kromer is facing a misdemeanor battery charge in Florida. Walton County deputies say Kromer and his sons confronted boys over the use of beach chairs. Kromer allegedly pushed one of the boys to the ground and punched him in his face. One of the boys told deputies Kromer also threatened to kill his family. Kromer was hired by the Bills in January and served as an interim head coach for the Saints during the bountygate scandal back in 2012.
And finally, baseball's power hitters will be swinging for the fences in Cincinnati tonight during the home run derby. There's a new format this year. The derby can be a single elimination tournament instead of the traditional ten outs. The participants will get five minutes to hit as many home runs as they can.
And there's a cool new wrinkle this year. You get extra time for home runs that go more than 420 feet. So, not all home runs are equal anymore. More incentive to swing as hard as they can.
MARQUEZ: Wow, we'll then we'll see who gets out the farthest.
Can we go to Jordan Spieth for a second? This was a 21-year-old who is on an incredible roll. But certainly, the British Open at St. Andrews, different chorus, different weather. Can he do it?
SCHOLES: Yes. You know what, he has been incredible so far this year. The Masters tournament, dominating. He came back and won the U.S. Open.
Like I said earlier, we have not seen something like this since Tiger Woods in his prime. You know, I think he's going to be in the hunt this week. Is it going to be a matter if he can -- if he can keep level headed and close the deal come Sunday. Like he said, that's all it's going to come down. He wants to be in
the hunt. If he is there, there is no Rory McIlroy. He's out with that ankle surgery. So, who's going to be able to challenge Spieth?
KOSIK: Pressure on him to be the next Tiger Wood, I'm sure he feels the pressure.
[05:25:00] MARQUEZ: I love that he said, I'm going to think about nothing basically. Just put on the blinders and concentrate. Amazing.
KOSIK: That's how to do it.
All right. Andy Scholes, thanks for that.
SCHOLES: Have a good one.
KOSIK: Coming up, breaking news. We are live in Athens.
And all eyes on Vienna as well, Iran nuclear talks getting close to an agreement as the deadline looms this morning. What Iran wants that may be holding up the deal.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KOSIK: 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.
MARQUEZ: And happening now, Iran and six world powers on the breakthrough nuclear deal. A deal could be reach at any moment. We'll take you live to Vienna.
KOSIK: A massive manhunt under way 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.
MARQUEZ: Welcome back to EARLY START. I'm Miguel Marquez.
KOSIK: And I'm Alison Kosik. It's about 29 minutes past the hour. John and Christine have the morning off.
We've got breaking news now: officials say a deal has been reached with Greece and European creditors for a massive bailout that will keep Greece in the euro zone. After an all night marathon negotiating session, the president of the European Council announcing just a short time ago that negotiators reached an 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 Elinda Labropoulou in Athens.
But, Elinda, the reality is this still has to pass through the parliament in Greece. Is that correct?
