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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Obama's New Task: Iran Nuclear Deal; Markets Await Greek Vote; New Video Captures "El Chapo" Escape; Pete Rose Honored Before All- Star Game. Aired 5-5:30a ET

Aired July 15, 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: EARLY START continues right now.

Selling the Iran nuclear deal to Congress and the world. Today, President Obama begins making his case that the deal will make the world more hopeful, not more dangerous. Live team coverage breaking down all the current controversy begins right now.

Good morning. Welcome back to EARLY START this morning. I'm Christine Romans. It is Wednesday, July 15th. It is 5:00 a.m. in the East.

Happening now: reaction coming from around the world this morning over that nuclear deal with Iran, praise and criticism. Now that we know what is in the 109-page agreement. Presidents Obama and Rouhani of Iran emphasizing the deal's advantages for their people as Iranians celebrate in the streets.

But there are concerns, specifically over the last few years of the 15-year deal when Iran would be allowed to conduct more advanced nuclear research and eventually produce all of the nuclear fuel it wants.

For the latest, let's bring in senior international correspondent Nic Robertson in Vienna.

Tell us about that particular concern about the end of that 15-year window.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, sure, Christine.

One of the things that has been nailed down in this agreement was to reduce the number of centrifuges and reduce the enriched uranium stockpile that Iran. This has to cut down and pathway to making a bomb clandestine efforts to break out of this agreement.

Right now, it's assessed that these conditions that are put on Iran will give the United States all its allies and partners around the world about a year's heads-up that Iran is making a weapon if it tries to break out. But one of the things about this deal is that the centrifuges it has to use are a very old design and they are unreliable and they are inefficient.

So, if Iran is able to use research and development and use improved technologies in the future, it will be able to make a weapon much quicker and breakout could be much quicker. Of course, its economy would be improved by the fact that the sanctions are being removed. It will be at a pay for all of this.

So, that's a concern that the further down the road you go with this agreement, some of the conditions come off. It allows this research and development and Iran can be in a much better position to make a bomb, if it so desires -- Christine.

ROMANS: It's interesting, Nic. What strikes me about this deal and the sales job both countries are trying to do now, is when you look at the fact sheet from the Iranians and the fact sheet from the White House for reporters, each emphasizes something different and that was sort of the point of this deal that each could go home and sell it as a win for their country?

ROBERTSON: Absolutely. You heard the Iranian president on national television yesterday telling his country that sanctions were lifted for good. Secretary Kerry and the U.S. fact sheet point out the sanctions can be snapped back on.

The wording tells you everything in the details of the agreement here. Sanctions will be fully lifted after eight years. The snap-back facility is a very strong talk to ensure that Iran complies. The language is different to sell it to both sides there. It's what the international atomic energy agency has theory. They are going to be the inspectors in Iran, very fine compliance.

Also trying to verify that Iran is not trying to break out with some clandestine mechanism to make a bomb. It's the details in that here that appear to be strong on paper. Will Iran follow through and match what it said in these meetings? That's going to be the real test.

ROMANS: Yes. And there are no guarantees that Iran won't cheat but there is an inspection regime that the IAEA is hopeful will be able to constrain.

Thank you so much, Nic Robertson. We'll to you again very soon.

This morning, the White House well into its campaign to sell this Iran deal. The president determined to win over the American public, to win over skeptical Democrats, to win over those fiercely opposed Republicans.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-OH), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: And that's why the deal that we have out there, in my view, from what I know about it, thus far, is unacceptable.

SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY), MAJORITY LEADER: It would aim at the best deal acceptable to Iran, rather than one that might actually end Iran's nuclear program. (END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Opponents in Congress have two months to review and debate the deal and possibly vote to stop it.

Senior White House correspondent Jim Acosta has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Christine, there's a full-court press here at the White House in selling this nuclear deal with Iran. Later today, President Obama will defend the agreement at a news conference here at the White House. That will be just after Vice President Joe Biden spends the morning briefing House Democrats on this deal.

The president's global pitch has already begun. He's made calls to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, leaders in Europe, Saudi Arabia's king and leaders in Congress. Lawmakers up on Capitol Hill have 60 days to review and block this deal.

[05:05:01] But the White House is taking comfort in in the fact much of that time is spent in the lawmakers' August recess, pushing a likely showdown to September -- a showdown the president says he is ready for.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm confident that this deal will meet the national security interests of the United States and our allies. So, I will veto any legislation that prevents the successful implementation of this deal.

ACOSTA: But the big question comes down to this, do the deals opponents in Congress have the two-thirds vote needed to override a presidential veto? One White House official told me they don't believe the opposition will be able to clear that hurdle. That means the president as he likes to say, he will live long enough to see whether or not this deal fails. It's all but certain he'll have that chance -- Christine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: All right. Thanks for that, Jim.

Some of the most opposition to this deal is coming from Israel. Just hours after the agreement was signed, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it a historic mistake. He said on Israeli TV the lifting of economic sanctions would provide Iran with a dangerous jackpot, hundreds of billions of dollars.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: This cash bonanza will fuel Iran's terrorism worldwide, its aggression in the region, and its efforts to destroy Israel, which are ongoing.

(END VIDEO CLIP) ROMANS: The Obama administration quick to respond. Secretary of State John Kerry calling the Israeli prime minister's comments, quote, "way over the top".

Joining us from Jerusalem now, CNN's Erin McLaughlin with the latest on reaction in Israel and around the Middle East.

You know, these are two longtime allies, United States and Israel, who have for months, actually years, not seeing eye-to-eye on how to deal with Iran.

ERIN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): That's right, Christine. If anything, Israeli officials tell me that now that this agreement has been announced, it plans to ratchet up the rhetoric. Israeli officials say want to stop the lifting of sanctions and even being very vocal and calling on lawmakers to reject this deal.

Opposition leader Isaac Herzog yesterday saying he intends to go to the U.S. to explain the agreement. We are also hearing voices from other key U.S. allies in the region. A source inside Saudi Arabia calling the agreement, quote, "a monumental historic miscalculation, saying the deal will be met with -- with the way it was done, calling it a, quote, "charade". Some people -- some pretty strong words from key U.S. allies.

Yesterday, President Obama made a series of phone calls to leaders of countries in the region, including Saudi Arabia and Israel, Mr. Netanyahu taking an opportunity to tell President Obama that it threatens the security of Israel and the entire world.

Clearly, the president faces an uphill battle convincing some key U.S. allies in the region that this deal is a good idea.

ROMANS: All right. Erin McLaughlin in Jerusalem, thank you for that.

Oil prices rebounding overnight, as investors realize it would take months for Iran to ramp up oil exports. U.S. crude prices fell 2 percent, that's a big move, after the initial news of the deal broke. Iran has the fourth biggest oil reserves in the world, but it's been blocked from world market by sanctions. A deal could change that adding, as much as 1 billion barrels of crude per day to the world market. Right now, prices are up 4 percent, about $53 a barrel.

Let's turn quickly to world markets. Chinese stocks are lower this morning. Their economy grew 7 percent in the second quarter that's matching the slowest growth in two decades. In Europe, stocks opened lower. U.S. stock futures right now on flat and all of those markets are await ago vote in Greece and could secure the country another bailout. The Greek parliament will vote on new reform measures and it includes more severe austerity than those rejected by Greek voters on July 5th.

Greek prime minister defending the $95 billion deal on state TV Tuesday. He told his country it is necessary to avoid exiting the euro. President Obama pushing for major criminal justice reforms. He made

an impassionate plea for new legislation in a speech to the NAACP Tuesday, citing the plight of too many low level criminals paying too high a price for their offenses. And the president says current laws have a disproportionate impact on blacks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: A growing body of research shows that people of color are more likely to be stopped, frisked, questioned, charged, detained. African-Americans are more likely to be arrested. They are more likely to be sentenced to more time for the same crime.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: The remarks coming on the heels of the president commuting the sentences of 46 nonviolent drug offenders. On Thursday, he'll go where no sitting president has gone before, visiting a federal prison in Oklahoma to talk more about reforming criminal justice policy.

[05:10:03] All right. We have breath-taking new video for you. This captures the very moment one of the world's most notorious drug lords escaped from his prison cell.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROMANS: Just released surveillance video shows the very moment when Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman escaped from his prison cell. Here it is. You can see El Chapo nervously pacing back and forth in his cell before entering, moving over to sort of the bathroom stall, a little shower area, bathroom area of his cell. The drug lord then leans forwards. And seconds later, he is gone.

Also new this morning, law enforcement telling CNN, relatives and close associates of El Chapo may have been plotting to break him out of prison.

We get more on the search for the kingpin from CNN correspondent Nick Valencia.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK VALENCIA, CNN NATIONAL REPORTER: Christine, the new images show by all accounts, the magnificent feat of architecture and engineering, complete with a ventilation system, lighting, and a modified motorcycle presumably used to dig through that tunnel.

La secretaria de gobernacion, which is equivalent to the interior minister here in Mexico, said that it is likely that El Chapo had help from inside that prison.

We know that more than 30 prison guards have been taken into custody, questioned as part of this investigation. The head of the Altiplano prison has also been fired.

Now, we were able to get into that prison. We were to go through official channels to get access but we were denied so we essentially just knocked on the front door. They took our ID, escorted us to another room where we handed over our belongings. And then we passed through a metal detector.

Now, as we gone through that first perimeter, we were met by a federal police van. That van took us to a second perimeter, where we were met by the director, the current director of the Altiplano prison, and he was furious we were able to get to that part of the prison. He asked what organization we were with. We told him that we were with CNN, he told us not on the list and turned us away and escorting us back with heavily federal police and military.

[05:15:05] Now, if we were as a news organization were able to get that far into that type of prison, you could only imagine the type of access and ease at which El Chapo operated, a man with incredible influence and money. If authorities here in Mexico know anything about his whereabouts, they are not making it public -- Christine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: Wow. All right. Nick, thanks for that.

Donald Trump surging to the top of the crowded Republican presidential field in a new poll. In the "USA Today"/Suffolk University poll, 17 percent say Trump is their first choice for the GOP nomination. Jeb Bush is second at 14 percent, Scott Walker comes in third at 8 percent.

The news for Trump is not as good for a head-to-head matchup with Hillary Clinton. He trails the presumed Democratic nominee by 17 points.

In an interview Tuesday with CNN's Dana Bash, Trump tried to set America straight on why he is running for president.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A new poll just came out saying that 40 percent of Republican voters think that you're just doing this for publicity.

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: That's what I don't understand.

BASH: How do you change their minds?

TRUMP: Well, I think it's a great thing for me.

BASH: Why?

TRUMP: Because a lot of those people want to vote for me, but they think I'm doing it for publicity. The fact is, that was one I was very surprised.

Why would I be doing this? I take abuse from everybody and I'm doing this for fun? This isn't fun. I want to make America great again. Those 40 percent are people that

would vote for me, that's the thing I like about it. Remember, before I announce, everyone is saying he's never going to announce. I announce. Then he said, he's never going to send and sign the form that I did two weeks -- I sign it.

Now, over the next couple of days, I'm putting in my financials which will show an unbelievable company.

BASH: Can you give me a teaser on that?

TRUMP: No, I can't, but you'll see it tomorrow or the next day. But it's an unbelievable company, far greater and I built that. I built that. And that's what this country needs.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Trump is expected to make the financial disclosures to the Federal Election Commission today.

Meantime, the brother of a San Francisco woman killed by an undocumented immigrant, he is criticizing Donald Trump for using his sister's death to punctuate Trump's political message painting immigrants who went to U.S. illegally as criminals. CNN's Anderson Cooper asked the brother Brad Steinle what he thinks of Trump using his sister's story.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: This is a hard question and you don't have to answer it -- do you feel like Donald Trump is using your sister?

BRAD STEINLE, BROTHER OF WOMAN KILLED BY UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANT: In a way, yes. Sensationalizing it is not the route we would like to go.

COOPER: So, your message to Donald Trump would be what?

STEINLE: You know, if you're going to -- if you're going to use somebody's name and you're going to sensationalize the death of a beautiful young lady, maybe you should call and talk to the family first and see what their views are.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Asked about Trump's plans to keep undocumented immigrants out by building a fence along the U.S.-Mexico border, Steinle called it not rational and not common sense.

All right. Millions are bracing for severe storms today across the South following an outbreak of a deadly flash flooding on Tuesday. Two people were killed, at least six remain missing. Official say flash floods there destroyed about 150 houses, damaged several hundred more. Kentucky's governor declaring a state of emergency.

This was the scene in Michigan after a twister touched down early Tuesday. Trees uprooted and crops damaged. You can see some damage to the homes. One woman takes us through her harrowing experience.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBIN VAUGHN, HOMEOWNER: The house started moaning really loudly. Then my ears popped. And I've never seen a tornado or it was very dark out, so I basically just said, we need to get downstairs and started running down the stairs.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Most of that severe weather now moving into the southeast.

For the latest forecast, let's get to meteorologist Pedram Javaheri.

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Hey, good morning, Christine.

Wild overnight conditions across the Southeast, where a talented meteorologist and weather producer Jeff Jones (ph) capturing incredible image coming out of the Atlanta skyline with the thunderstorms that roared through the region.

But how about this? Look at the wind reports stretching across parts of the eastern half of the country, 326 of them causing damage across the region, and 36 large hail reports and another four reports of tornadoes as well. But that line right there, a squall line pushing through the greater Atlanta area, significant damage in a few spots because of these straight line winds.

And also lightning strikes occurred and causing house fires over southern suburbs of Atlanta over the last several hours. But rainfall and lots of it has been the problem. Look at the perspective here when it comes to what occurred for the past couple of days. Eastern portions of Tennessee, eastern Kentucky, southern Indiana and also to Ohio, upwards of six inches of rainfall over the past three days over this region, tremendous rainfall, of course.

Again, it's humid and it's very, very hot across the region as well. We think another funnel future will scoop on by the next several hours. This has sparked additional thunderstorms and potential for flooding still exists over the region. Across the I-95 corridor, I think between, say, 7:00 a.m. and noon from Philly towards New York, we'll begin to see some of the wet weather push through as well -- Christine.

ROMANS: All right. Pedram, thank you for that.

The American league looking for a third straight all-star game victory and home field advantage in the World Series again. How did the mid summer classic turn out?

Andy Scholes knows.

[05:20:00] He has the bleacher report next!

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) ROMANS: All right. Pete Rose making a rare on-field appearance at last night's all-star game and he received a huge ovation from the Cincinnati crowd.

Andy Scholes has more in this morning's bleacher report.

Hey, Andy.

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

You know, Pete Rose remains banned from baseball but he was allowed to participate in the pre all-star game festivities and despite everything, Rose -- well, he is still a rock star in Cincinnati.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: Please welcome, Pete Rose.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: Rose getting by far the biggest ovation of the night as he came onto the field. Rose was a part of Major League Baseball's franchise four ceremony where the fans got to vote on the four impactful players and best represent the history of each franchise. Rose is still hoping to get in the Hall of Fame and the commissioner Rob Manfred says he is open to a meeting with baseball's all time hits leader.

All right. As for the mid-summer classic, for the second straight year, this was the Mike Trout show. The Angels outfielder hit a lead- off home run to get things start and scored a big run in the fifth for the American league team. He was the only starter to play into the seventh inning. The American League would win the game 6-3, earning home field advantage in the World Series. Trout, the first player ever to win all-star game MVP in back-to-back years.

Today is the deadline for NFL teams to come to a long-term agreement with players that have been given the franchise tag.

[05:25:02] And a lot of people are sweating right now in Dallas. Dez Bryant tweeted earlier this week, "As much as I love football on my beautiful babies, I apologize, Cowboys Nation, but I will not be there if no deal, meaning he is going to skip regular season games if the Cowboys don't sign him.

The Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas, he's in the same situation. According to reports, the NFL Players Association will file collusion charges on the Cowboys and Broncos if Bryant and Thomas don't sign long-term deals.

The Espys are tonight on ABC. The show will include a special presentation to honor Lauren Hill, the college basketball player who died in April after a long battle with a rare form of brain cancer. Hill helped raise more than $1 million to fight pediatric cancer and her family will be in attendance tonight. And, Christine, sure to be emotional night. You know, Leah and Devon

Still will be honored with Jamie B. Perseverance Award. And Caitlyn Jenner will make her first public appearance to accept the Arthur Ashe Courage Award and most of her children and stepchildren will be on the stage along with her. So, it's going to be a very interesting night.

ROMANS: An interesting night, indeed.

All right. Thanks for that, Andy Scholes.

SCHOLES: All right.

ROMANS: All right. Twenty-six minutes past the hour.

The Iran nuclear deal has been signed. But the fight is far from over. President Obama is selling the agreement to Congress and to world leaders today. The details in the deal that are causing so much controversial, though, that's ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROMANS: Celebration and anger. Following a nuclear deal with Iran, we now know the details, and it's causing controversy here at home and around the world.

Today, President Obama trying to sell that deal to Congress. Can he do it?