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New Day

Prosecutor: Terrorists Planned Second Paris Attack; Spieth's Final Round Masters Collapse; Bruce Springsteen Cancels North Carolina Concert Over New Law. Aired 6:30-7a ET

Aired April 11, 2016 - 06:30   ET

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

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[06:31:23] MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: An unidentified U.S. Navy officer charged with spying. Officials say he was arrested some eight months ago, just faced his first hearing Friday. The lieutenant commander in question is accused of illegally sharing secret information with China and wrongfully transporting classified material. He also faces one count of paying for a prostitute and another for adultery.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Officials in Southern India have detained five people and are looking to find at least ten others in connection with a deadly fireworks disaster. More than 100 people were killed, 500 others injured. Sparks from an unauthorized fireworks display ignited the stockpile of fireworks that were there causing a massive inferno on Sunday. India's prime minister calls it all shocking beyond words.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: A high school teacher in Bomu, Texas under arrest. You're about to see the reason why. Here it is. She hit a student five times in the head, then mocked him when he asked her why. That 63-year-old Mary Hastings. She is now charged with simple assault. It is not clear what happened just before the video was taken. The school has placed her on administrative leave.

CUOMO: This will be an interesting one to follow up on and see what happens.

PEREIRA: There aren't even really words. It is hard to even think there is any scenario where that would be OK.

CAMEROTA: Yes. What could have happened right before the video?

CUOMO: What explanation can you give that justifies administrative leave as the first step as opposed to arrest as the first step? But we'll follow.

PEREIRA: It turns out the terrorists who bombed the Brussels Metro station and the airport last month initially intended to hit a different target. They changed plans at the very last minute. Prosecutors say they know why. We have late breaking details when NEW DAY continues.

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CUOMO: All right. There are some important new discoveries surrounding the Brussels attackers and their original target. It turns out this was not a caper to take on an attack on Belgian capital but Paris again.

Also this weekend, we heard of the arrest of this man, Mohamed Abrini. He confessed of being the man in the hat. Remember this guy on the surveillance video at the Brussels airport prior to the attack? Is he relevant? Can he be believed? And what was this plan about Paris.

We have senior European Union correspondent for "Politico," Ryan Heath, he's got big reporting on this, and CNN contributor, Michael Weiss, author of "ISIS Inside The Army of Terror."

Let's start with the news. Ryan, the eye opener here is they were looking at Paris again. How do we know and what is the detail?

RYAN HEATH, SENIOR EU CORRESPONDENT, "POLITICO": Well, we don't know exactly where they were planning to hit. But it's a sigh of relief potentially for Germany, who thought they were really next in the firing line. But I think that the underlying detail here is the most worrying, which shows that the cell is deeper than previously expected.

There are a number of people who have been grooming dozens of these fighters who have been training in Syria and that they really were prepared and able to go forward with repeat attacks.

So that doesn't mean any of the people investigating know exactly what target was set up by these people who are now arrested. But it does give a strong sense there are extra layers they need to be searching for.

We suspected that there would be a couple dozen or more people who are still out there. That's what every new piece of information suggest that there is definitely more still out there.

CUOMO: Now you have another headline about what's going on with the Metros. They are reopening in Brussels. What that means abroad as well. Let's go one step deeper on what Ryan just told us.

My sources inside the community specifically are saying, yes, we're not surprised they wanted to come here again. What they struggled with is why us? When you look at the situation there, why would Paris be a consistent target?

MICHAEL WEISS, CNN COMMENTATOR: Because it is the most extensive of all their foreign fighter apparatus. European nationals are rising in the ranks of ISIS's security structures. A French national was the former police chief of their headquarters of ISIS' foreign intelligence.

[06:40:04]He is now very senior, seemed to be one of the guys in charge of all European operations. Another guy is a French national, not even on Muslim, Arab or North African descent, a white French guy who converted to Islam, who I'm told by ISIS defectors is now very senior in the organization.

So if you speak French and you have been trained up and been sent back, chances are you're going to be a very, very high list of people to be carrying out these attacks.

CUOMO: What's your plus/minus on this guy they just caught, the man in the hat?

WEISS: I'm sure he is.

CUOMO: In terms of what can you believe and how much of it.

WEISS: This is the thing, right? I mean, they always give you little bits of information, kernels of truth, but wrapped in falsehoods or fabrications. It seems to me that Salah Abdeslam, the guy that was originally captured of the ten men --

CUOMO: The guy with the vest that wasn't used.

WEISS: Right. It seems like he has been cooperating. I would be very surprised if things he has given over to the Belgian or perhaps other foreign intelligence services at this point did not lead to some of these recent captures.

You have half a dozen in custody including Abrini. When you capture someone alive, it doesn't matter from the battle field in Iraq or if it's in Europe, it leads to this effect of getting more and more people. You get human intelligence, which is one thing the Europeans have been so bad at in this whole game.

CUOMO: That's what sources here on the U.S. side of the intelligence game say is that, you know, the problem is the guys they capture have so much leverage. So little is known about the network. You don't know how long they are stringing you along to keep the game going.

All right, back to you, Ryan. The word that the Metros are reopening. What do we know about the safety there? How does that reporting project on the common concerns of other big cities with metros?

HEATH: It's the same old story again here, Chris, fragmentation between the different levels of Belgian authority. So 12 of the 69 stations reopen today. So you got two-thirds of the network up and running again. On the promise that all of those stations would be staffed and they'd be patrolled with a mix of police and military.

Unlike that Maalbeck station where the bomb went off, which was unstaffed on the day of the bombing. Some of the stations I've been to already today, no staff, no military patrols. Although the Brussels regional government said every carriage, every track, every tunnel, is getting swept at the end of the day to make sure that it's clear.

And obviously there is a big military presence of some of the stations, but still questions hanging over the network of are they doing enough criminal checks on the people that are currently staffing the network.

Are they doing enough to employ extra staff to get the rest of the network operating? And why isn't there an anti-terror squad as there is in cities like London, New York, Washington, D.C., for dealing with these types of threats?

CUOMO: Because we all know we keep hearing from the authorities there it's not about intentionality, but about money and ability as well. Ryan, thank you for the reporting. Michael, as always -- Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: All right, Chris, there was an epic meltdown at the Masters. Jordan Spieth cruising towards his second straight green jacket when the unthinkable happens. The stunning finish to the season's first major that's straight ahead.

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[06:47:15]

CAMEROTA: Jordan Spieth was looking unbeatable all weekend at the Masters, but then something happened in yesterday's final round. Andy Scholes is live in Augusta, Georgia with more. Tell us the sad story.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Alisyn, we had high drama on the back nine in Augusta yesterday. Jordan Spieth was rolling. He birdied the last four holes on the front nine. Looked like he was going to cruise back-to-back green jackets, but then it all fell apart on the back 9.

He bogeyed 10. Then he bogeyed 11. Then the epic meltdown on 12. He hit the ball in the water twice and then in a bunker finished with a quadruple bogey on the whole, which sent him tumbling down the leaderboard.

He tried to make a comeback but couldn't make it happen. Finished tied for a second. After the round, Spieth clearly upset that he let that second green jacket get away.

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JORDAN SPIETH, HAD 5-SHOT LEAD WITH 9 HOLES LEFT: It's a tough one. Sure. I knew the lead was five with nine holes to play. I knew the two bogeys weren't going to hurt me, but I didn't take that extra deep breath.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: While Spieth was faltering Danny Willett was playing the best golf of his life. The 28-year-old English man shot a bogey-free round to win his first major. He was lucky to even be at the Masters.

His wife was due to have their first child yesterday. He said he was going to miss the tournament to be there for the birth of his baby. Lucky for Willett, the baby came a week early. The rest is history.

You've got to feel bad for Jordan Spieth because tradition at the Masters is last year's winner puts the green jacket on the current winner. Spieth handled it with a lot of class yesterday, but you know he was feeling --

PEREIRA: He's probably feeling some green himself. All right. Andy, thanks so much. A lot of people have been talking about that.

This is another story a lot of us are looking at. Rock stars fighting laws legalizing discrimination. Bruce Springsteen taking a stand in solidarity opposing North Carolina's so-called bathroom law.

Now another rocker canceling his show over religious freedom, one in Mississippi. You'll learn all the latest next.

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[06:53:24]

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JOHN KASICH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Obviously, I don't want to force people to violate their deeply held religious -- what that's all about. I wouldn't have signed that law. From everything I know, I haven't studied it. But Nathan Deal, the governor of Georgia, vetoed another one.

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PEREIRA: There is Governor John Kasich speaking out against North Carolina's bathroom bill, part of a wave of legislation in southern states that critics view as anti-LGBT. Businesses and celebrities part of the mounting backlash.

Overnight, Canadian singer, Brian Adams canceled a show in Mississippi over its religious liberty bill after Bruce Springsteen canceled his concert in North Carolina saying in a statement, quote, "Some things are more important than a rock show and this fight against prejudice and bigotry, which is happening as I write is one of them."

So much to discuss with Larry Hackett, former editor of "People" magazine and Sarah Kate Ellis is CEO and president of GLAAD. Pardon me.

Sarah Kate, I have to ask you. Pardon me, I have a little bit of a frog in my throat this morning. I can imagine that hearing this kind of support from the entertainment world, that's got to feel good to you.

SARAH KATE ELLIS, CEO AND PRESIDENT, GLAAD: It absolutely does. I think you saw in Georgia we were able to rally the entertainment industry. And here in Nashville -- I'm in Nashville today, in Tennessee, to appeal to the country music artists and businesses to take a stand as well.

PEREIRA: So, Larry, Bruce Springsteen, Canadian artist, Brian Adams, we see these artists sort of saying, no, not in my watch. I can't with a clear conscience go to a place that doesn't support what I believe in. Are you expecting to see more of a way from the entertainment industry speaking up?

[06:55:01]LARRY HACKETT, FORMER EDITOR, PEOPLE MAGAZINE: I think so. I think the pressure will build and other people will be forced to do it. I've seen Twitter feeds where people are asking Justin Bieber or Dolly Parton and others, are you going to do the same thing.

So it's going to have pressure on both sides where in the world we live in can afford that with Twitter and I think with corporations doing it, it's the least --

PEREIRA: But here's the thing it does come with -- it can come with a cost because I know that Bruce Springsteen, after canceling his show in Greensborough, there was backlash. He received backlash.

HACKETT: Sure.

PEREIRA: Some politicians even saying, hey, you're being a bully here.

HACKETT: It is always an issue when performers are wandering into politics. I think there is difference between electoral politics backing your candidate and something like this. This seems retrograde.

PEREIRA: Social issues.

HACKETT: It seems like we're going backwards and I think performers are saying we can't go backwards on this.

PEREIRA: Well, you know, the Tennessee Equal Project and GLAAD are calling for the country music industry to speak out. Do you anticipate that you're going to hear big stars in country music, Sarah Kate, coming forward in support?

ELLIS: Yes, I absolutely do. I think that, you know, what we have seen as Larry said with the businesses, corporate America, what we saw with the entertainment industry, especially in Georgia, which is Southern Hollywood, we are going to start to see that play out in Nashville and Tennessee.

PEREIRA: But Sarah Kate, is that enough? Is that going to build the momentum that you're looking for?

ELLIS: Well, I think when you start to see massive economic issues going to rise in your state because of discrimination and hate, it is forcing the governors and the legislators to take notice and act accordingly.

It worked in Atlanta -- in Georgia, excuse me. I think, yes, it's going to work. The backlash we are seeing in North Carolina is deep and it's going to have massive economic ramifications for North Carolina.

And we are seeing it Mississippi as well. I don't think any state really wants to put themselves in harm's way economically. And the country music industry is the cornerstone of Tennessee. It's a nearly a $10 billion industry.

PEREIRA: I was just about to say it doesn't just translate to good times and fun. It is a big business and we are talking about the businesses that have already sort of said -- I think there's more than 120 that have come out and said not on our watch. We don't want to be part of it.

The NBA threatening to move their all-star game. Other companies saying that we're not going to do business in those states that have those laws.

HACKETT: And the pressure has to be on various levels. It's one thing to say I'm not going to have a rock concert and go on to Twitter. I think if you're a corporation, you will go to the powers and say, listen, you have to change this. You have to modify this. So I think it is on these various levels. I think the key is to maintain the pressure.

PEREIRA: Can it be sustained in your estimation?

HACKETT: Look, pressure is about the media. The media has to pay attention to this and I think like a lot of things the media has a short attention span. As each new star comes out, it will be something we pay attention to. But once it starts to fade a little bit then move on to the next.

PEREIRA: You make a good point, Sarah Kate. Media would argue the entertainment industry has a short attention span. There is a danger in its seeming faddish or it's the cause (inaudible), how do you keep that that momentum sustained?

ELLIS: I think since marriage equality passed in June, we have seen a tremendous amount of backlash. There is over a hundred anti-LGBT bills across this country. So I don't think it's a one trick pony.

I think that each time one of these comes up, you will see a lot of people standing up and taking a stand against them because this is not the -- this is not American values. This is not how we do business in America. Hate and discrimination have no place in our country.

PEREIRA: Look in your crystal ball a little bit, Larry. Do you think this is a turning point?

HACKETT: I think it is. I think it's fascinating. I didn't realize that there were 100 of these bills pending elsewhere. I think people who are thinking about passing these bills may think twice about it. It is just not worth the attention. And like with a lot of legislation, they will try to find some other way to get whatever it is they want to get -- PEREIRA: Some are seeing this as another way of getting what they

wanted accomplished by introducing these bills. It's true what you say is that this has the optic effect, but then it also has bottom line effect.

HACKETT: Exactly.

PEREIRA: Larry, Sarah Kate, thank you so much for joining us. We will be talking about this for some time. We will turn to you for your voice. We are following a lot of news on this Monday including Donald Trump back on the trail. Let's get to it.

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BERNIE SANDERS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: A candidate like Secretary Clinton, I have my doubts about what kind of president she would make.

SENATOR TED CRUZ (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: In three weeks, in 10 elections in a row we have beaten Donald Trump.

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We keep losing where we're winning.

HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Donald Trump or Ted Cruz, they're the also dangerous.

TRUMP: They are trying to do is hurt the movement with crooked shenanigans.

CUOMO: New details emerging in the investigation into the Brussels bombing.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are now learning that Brussels wasn't the initial target. It was Paris.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Authorities confirm the Brussels bombings and the Paris attacks were carried out by the same ISIS network.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: New details are emerging over the apparent road rage killing of beloved New Orleans Saints defensive end, Will Smith.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are just praying that she has the strength to get through this.