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Israeli Barrage On Lebanon Tests Fragile U.S.-Iran Ceasefire; Police Arrest Husband Of Woman Missing In The Bahamas; Accused Killer Pleads Guilty, Admits To Strangling Eight Women. Aired 5:30-6a ET

Aired April 09, 2026 - 05:30   ET

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

[05:30:00]

ELENI GIOKOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Give us an understanding of what people in Lebanon were thinking when the two-week ceasefire was announced.

MAHA YAHYA, DIRECTOR, CARNEGIE MIDDLE EAST CENTER: Well, I mean, I think the Lebanese were hoping, we were. There was a big sigh of relief when the prime minister of Pakistan said that Lebanon was part of the ceasefire.

Many of us were asking -- were wondering whether Israel would uphold that, you know, agreement particularly vis-a-vis Lebanon, and I think we got our answer loud and clear, particularly yesterday with this senseless violence. The -- for me, the ambiguity around Lebanon creates a way to derail the entire ceasefire agreement.

Now, a lot of it depends on how Iran is going to react. Will they pull out? Will they take part as they said they would? Will they take part? One thing for certain is that Lebanese of all walks of life are now hoping that, ironically, that Iran will hold up its end of the deal and insist on Lebanon being part of the ceasefire -- and I'm talking Lebanese from all communities, not from just one community.

GIOKOS: So Europe's top diplomat Kaja Kallas posted this on X a short while ago and she says, "Hezbollah dragged Lebanon into the war, but Israel's right to defend itself does not justify inflicting such massive destruction. Israeli strikes killed hundreds last night, making it hard to argue that such heavy-handed actions fall within self-defense."

We also heard from President Emmanuel Macron of France where he criticized what we've seen in Lebanon.

You know, what is your understanding of Hezbollah's ability to continue strikes into Israel -- clearly, a proxy of Iran -- versus what we've been seeing and your reality in Lebanon?

YAHYA: Look, they can continue striking but it's -- I don't know how to describe it. It's peanuts compared to what Israel is doing. Lebanon is a country that has no air defenses, no shelters, and no sirens. So we -- I mean, the bombs are just dropping on us. Israel is well protected for the most part and Hezbollah rockets are causing some damage and a lot of anxiety in Israel but not at the scale of what we're seeing in Lebanon for certain.

So the response yesterday is just -- it's outlandish. What can I say? I mean, it's similar to what we saw in Gaza. We've been talking about how Israel is trying to implement the Gaza playbook in Lebanon in terms of mass destruction of entire neighborhoods, the evacuation orders of hundreds of thousands of people at the same time, and now they've cut off the entire south Litani area from the rest of Lebanon. All the bridges have been blown up.

So -- but now with this kind of targeting of, again, areas that we're seeing as safe, the devastation is massive. It's -- we don't know where to go anymore. And yes, we were dragged and right now the Lebanese feel that they're being -- they're caught between two quite ideological regimes, frankly, who are fighting it out over Lebanese territory.

And Hezbollah played a very active role in that, yes, but the kind of response that we're getting far outweighs what Hezbollah has done. And many international organizations are saying there are war crimes being committed in Lebanon today.

GIOKOS: Yeah. I mean, honestly, the death toll is rising and, of course, you know, many people have been displaced.

Israel is saying that the IDF was able to kill the secretary of Hezbollah. How significant is that in terms of the power structure -- the leadership structure within Hezbollah?

YAHYA: Honestly, quite insignificant. Two hundred and -- more than 250 people dead, 1,200 people injured, and the scale of devastation we've seen, you know, and the death of the secretary of the -- of the -- of the -- secretary general of Hezbollah. This is -- you do the math. So, no, it's -- within the power structure of Hezbollah it's not going to make a big difference.

[05:35:00]

Again, the operation yesterday was -- until now we see no rhyme or rhythm -- no reason -- no reasoning for it beyond absolutely terrorizing the Lebanese and causing as much mass destruction as possible. It's almost like someone is trying to get in everything they want to do before something gets negotiated.

And we don't know whether there will now be some pressure on Israel. We're not seeing that at all because President Trump and Vice President Vance have both come out and said, you know, they support what Israel is doing.

GIOKOS: Well, Maha, we appreciate you taking the time. Maha Yahya joining us live in Beirut. Thank you so much.

I want to take you back now to Erica Hill. She's in New York. Thank you so much for joining us.

ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: Eleni, thank you. We're keeping a close watch on the markets, of course, at this hour. Wall Street rallying after that ceasefire announcement on Wednesday between the U.S. and Iran. As for oil prices, however, they could still sour investor sentiment. Our business breakout is next.

(COMMERCIAL)

[05:40:35]

HILL: Welcome back to EARLY START. Let's get to your business breakout at this hour.

Here's a look at where U.S. futures stand. You can see they're all in the red after a very strong day on Wednesday on the heels and, frankly, a lot of hope on that ceasefire. The Dow on Wednesday posting its best day in a year.

Let's take a look at some of the business headlines.

Meta unveiling its first artificial intelligence model from the high- priced team that was hired to play catchup in the AI race. "Muse Spark" will roll out on WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, and other products in the coming weeks. Company shares trading up nearly seven percent on that news.

Job openings for software developers are still growing despite fears of AI wiping out those positions. The investment firm Citadel Security says that listings for software engineer jobs are up 11 percent annually, growing faster than the market as whole. A Bank of America survey found companies are boosting their software budgets and increasing engineering staff.

Greece plans to ban access to social media for kids under the age of 15 starting in 2027. The prime minister says the decision comes amid rising anxiety, sleep problems, and the addictive nature of those online platforms. Greece's Parliament is set to legislate the ban in the coming months.

Well, oil prices are creeping back up this morning as a good deal of uncertainty remains over the reopening over the Strait of Hormuz. The price of a barrel of oil tumbling right after the U.S. and Iran announced that they had reached a ceasefire agreement.

As Vanessa Yurkevich reports the announcement itself was a major shot in the arm for U.S. financial markets.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VANESSA YURKEVICH, CNN BUSINESS AND POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: A relief rally on Wall Street on Wednesday. The Dow closing up more than 1,300 points, the S&P closing up more than 165 points, and the Nasdaq closing up more than 600 points. This was an indication that investors were breathing a sigh of relief.

Here is how Robert Edwards, the chief investment officer of Edwards Asset Management, put it. He said, "Just the scent of thawing tensions is enough for forward looking stocks to keep climbing the wall of worry."

Also, CNN's Fear and Greed Index moved from extreme fear just yesterday into fear mode.

But as stocks have been rising, oil prices have been falling, coming down more than 15 percent after President Donald Trump announced that two-week ceasefire. And many oil analysts believe that as long as that ceasefire continues oil will be -- will continue to be trading in those high double digits. They've gone out of those triple digit numbers that they've been stuck at for many, many weeks now.

But in terms of gas prices, they've actually increased in the last day. So as of Wednesday, the national average was $4.16 a gallon. That's up two cents from the previous day and that is up more than 70 cents from a month ago.

In terms of when gas prices may start to fall because oil prices are falling, that is a little bit of a ways away. That is because prices at the pump lag oil prices by anywhere from one to four weeks. So the estimate is that if things stay the way they are and prices remain where they are we could see gas prices start to fall by one to three cents in the next couple of days, day-over-day. And then over the next couple of weeks we could see an estimated drop of seven cents to 15 cents.

But, of course, oil prices still trading at almost 50 percent more than they were before the war so we are a long ways away from that below $3.00 national average at the gas pump.

Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HILL: There has now been an arrest in the Bahamas linked to the disappearance of an American woman. Just ahead, her husband says that the woman went overboard in rough waters but now he's the one in custody.

(COMMERCIAL)

[05:48:47]

HILL: Welcome back. I'm Erica Hill. Here are some of the stories we're watching today.

Donald Trump now says the U.S. military will remain in place until a full agreement is reached with Iran. Those comments coming amid questions about the fragile ceasefire with Iran and as JD Vance, the U.S. vice president, prepares to lead a negotiating team for talks this weekend in Pakistan. Vance warns the ceasefire will end if Iran does not reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Israel says its latest attacks were the largest coordinated strikes on Lebanon since the war began. The Israel military hammering more than 100 sites across the country in a matter of minutes. The Lebanese Health Ministry says close to 200 people were killed. Iran's proxy militia Hezbollah is said to be firing rockets into northern Israel in retaliation.

Relatives and friends are marking the first anniversary of the deadly Jet Set nightclub tragedy in the Dominican Republic. Many lighting candles and leaving offerings in front of photographs of their loved ones. Two hundred thirty-six people were killed when the roof suddenly collapsed at the nightclub last April.

Police in the Bahamas have arrested the husband of a missing American woman. Brian Hooker told authorities his wife Lynette had fallen overboard from their dinghy when the couple hit rough waters. His attorney says Hooker categorically denies any wrongdoing and has been cooperating with authorities.

[05:50:00]

The couple had been sailing in the Bahamas aboard their yacht "The Soul Mate" before Lynette went missing on Saturday.

A doctor in Hawaii accused of trying to murder his wife has now been convicted of attempted manslaughter.

Prosecutors say Gerhardt Konig tried to push his wife off a cliff and stab her with a syringe during a hike. When that didn't work, he struck her with a rock. Konig testified, however, he hit her in self- defense after she hit him with a rock. His wife, Arielle Konig, testified she fought back when her husband tried to kill her.

Konig is now facing up to 20 years in prison and is set to be sentenced in August.

A confession shedding light on a mystery that has haunted a New York community for more than three decades. The man accused of being the Gilgo Beach serial killer now admitting he strangled eight women and discarded their remains.

Jean Casarez has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There are cases in this country that become at one point legal history. This is now one of these cases.

Rex Heuermann, of New York City, can now be classified as a serial killer. He pleaded guilty to seven counts in an indictment of murdering seven young women by suffocating them. He also admitted guilt to another woman -- not in any indictment, never charged, but he is now pleading guilty.

Rex Heuermann was a very successful architect in New York City. His office was on Fifth Avenue. He was married, a family man with two young children. He lived in a very nice area in Long Island, New York.

Here is Rex Heuermann in court on Wednesday answering questions asked of him by the judge.

JUDGE TIMOTHY MAZZEI, STATE SUPREME COURT JUSTICE: Are you willing to waive your right to appeal in this case in return for the plea and sentence agreement?

REX HEUERMANN, SERIAL KILLER: Yes.

MAZZEI: Do you waive your right to appeal voluntarily of your own free will?

HEUERMANN: Yes, I do.

MAZZEI: Are you entering this plea bargain voluntarily of your own free will?

HEUERMANN: Yes, I am.

MAZZEI: Do you understand that by pleading guilty you're waiving any defense you can have for this case?

HEUERMANN: Yes, I do.

MAZZEI: Are you pleading guilty voluntarily and of your own free will?

HEUERMANN: Yes.

CASAREZ: This case became well-known in the United States because of the "Gilgo Four" -- four young women whose bodies were found on Gilgo Beach in 2010. They were all wrapped in burlap, but they had no names. Other victims were found in other areas at various times. Most of them were dismembered, a different modus operandi.

Rex Heuermann was homed in on as a suspect in 2023 because of witness testimony because of his physical description, because of his cell phone records, and because of a vehicle he had at the time.

They looked at the victims, and they had found hairs on some of these victims on their bodies, on the burlap. They needed to know if Rex Heuermann's DNA matched or was consistent with those hairs. What they did was they surveilled Rex Heuermann and they found a piece of pizza that he had discarded in a trash can on Fifth Avenue. They got his DNA. That DNA was consistent with the hairs that were found on the victim.

They also found a planning document where he wrote of how to find, how to lure young women. How to murder young women. How to dispose of the bodies so no one ever finds them.

His sentencing is set for June 17. He is facing life in prison without the possibility of parole. But one focus that he has agreed to -- and it is mandatory -- he is going to assist the FBI in their behavioral analysis unit because Rex Heuermann is a serial killer.

Jean Casarez, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HILL: A judge in L.A. sentencing Jasveen Sangha, who is known as the "Ketamine Queen," to 15 years in federal prison. Sangha pleaded guilty to selling the drugs that led to the 2023 death of "FRIENDS" star Matthew Perry.

Prosecutors say she ran a high-volume drug trafficking business out of her North Hollywood home. Four others have been charged in connection with the case. Prosecutors described the indictment as accountability for drug dealers.

We'll be right back after this short break.

(COMMERCIAL)

[05:58:33]

HILL: Astronauts aboard NASA's Artemis II mission are preparing to return to Earth on Friday. In a few hours the crew and flight control teams will begin preparing the cabin and studying entry procedures ahead of the planned splashdown off the coast of San Diego, California.

The astronauts started their day on Wednesday more than 200,000 miles from Earth and more than 83,000 miles from the moon.

As they make their way home now they're also reflecting on how this mission has changed them.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEREMY HANSEN, CANADIAN SPACE AGENCY ASTRONAUT: We have seen just some extraordinary things -- things that I thought we would -- might see. They looked similar to what I thought they might look like and other things that I just had never even imagined. And those were different perspectives that we saw these things from.

But I have to say it hasn't changed my perspective or the perspective that I launched with. The perspective I launched with was that we live on a fragile planet in the vacuum and the void of space. We know this from science. We're very fortunate to live on planet Earth.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: It turns out putting a ring on it may come with some health benefits. A new study published in the journal Cancer Research Communications suggests marriage may be linked to a lower risk of the disease for both men and women.

Researchers found cancer rates were significantly higher among people who never married -- 68 percent higher for men and 83 percent higher for women. The study suggests marriage may be associated with healthier lifestyles, including lower rates of smoking, drinking and other behaviors linked to cancer.

[06:00:05]

Thanks for joining us here on EARLY START. I'm Erica Hill joining you from New York. Stay tuned -- "CNN THIS MORNING" starts right now.