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Syria and Iran Enter Iraqi Crisis; Toddler Likely Died from Being Overheated; World Cup Fever: USA Vs. Germany; New Flight 370 Search Area Shifts South

Aired June 26, 2014 - 06:00   ET

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


CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Welcome to NEW DAY. It's June 26, 6:00 in the east. Say it with me. We believe that we can win. We believe that we can win. U.S.-Germany, it could all come down to this, the match to escape the group the death. Win and in, draw still strong, lose, and it gets scary with an interest at an all- time high. Tens of millions expected to tune in. Here is the setup to the date with destiny.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CUOMO (voice-over): It's a fight to the death or really to escape the group of death. Team USA and Germany facing off in hopes of advancing to the next 16-team knockout stage. Both teams needing only a draw to draw a coveted sweet 16 spot. The highly anticipated showdown between red, white and blue and the powerhouse German team ranks second best in the world.

The match is almost sure to exceed the record 25 million viewers who tuned in to the U.S. versus Portugal game on Sunday. Thousands gathering across the country to watch the heated match.

And add to that excitement the clash of cultures. Team USA's roster stacked with five German-Americans including star players, Fabian Johnson and Jermaine Jones now going head-to-head against the very same players they grew up with. That said, Johnson isn't sweating it.

FABIAN JOHNSON, TEAM USA ATHLETE: I played them already in the leagues. I think it's nothing special anymore.

CUOMO: And the intensity of the rivalry doesn't end there. Team USA Coach Jurgen Klinsmann faces off against his former assistant and close friend who now leads the German team. The two quickly dismissing any rumors of conspiring to tie.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now going to this World Cup, obviously everybody is doing the best he can do.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CUOMO: Boy, it just gets bigger and bigger. We want to get right to the scene of where this is going on. Let's bring in Ms. Lara Baldesarra, anchor for CNN's international world sport, joining us from Brazil. I see that you have taken to some type of odd religious order or you're a Jedi. What's going on with what is your head? What is the weather and tell us what you know about the team.

LARA BALDESARRA, CNN ANCHOR, WORLD SPORTS: Chris, it is absolutely miserable here. I'm far from the comforts of my studio from when I anchor my show. This rain is pouring down here. It will not let up. I have my hood on to protect me and mostly my hair.

CUOMO: Do you?

BALDESARRA: But nonetheless, in terms of this game, this could have a really big impact depending on what this rain does to the actual pitch. If the pitch does not hold up with all of this water that's falling down on it, that could actually really benefit the Americans because, as we know, the Germans, they are pretty much through so they don't have to risk anything.

They don't have to go out there and put their bodies at risk of injury or anything like that. That would really help the Americans, but I'm hoping that this pitch does hold up so we don't have to worry about injuries.

CUOMO: Pull up your hood, first of all, because if you're going to maintain this completely ridiculous look because of the rain, should have gotten a CNN hat or something like that. You're looking over there.

BALDESARRA: It's not even my jacket, Chris.

CUOMO: It's raining so hard, but there's no rain on you. Why do you need that hood on?

BALDESARRA: Because it's blowing here, Chris. It's blowing. I have to protect the hair. It just comes in on every angel.

CUOMO: Can't see your eyes. Help me out with this part. There's the whole German connection on here. We've been talking about it, right? You have our coach, the U.S. coach, was the German coach, really tight with the current German coach. Crossover between the two teams with nationality.

And then there was this suggestion that because of this and the history of Germany, a long time ago 1982 in the World Cup, maybe the teams would collude. You were adopting this Kool-Aid before you adapted this new monkish garb. What do you think about now? Do we believe --

BALDESARRA: I think I was basically making this Kool-Aid and I got you drinking it as well. I think it's definitely a possibility, but more so because, like I said, there's no reason to risk anything in this game. Germany and the USA, they both need a draw and they are both through. That being said why go out there and risk anything?

We heard the players talk yesterday and we heard Jurgen Klinsmann talk and he said, of course not. Of course, we're not going to play for a draw and it's not in our mentality. Sure, that's not the thing. You're not going to go out there and say, I'm not going to try to win. But at the same time, if you're in a situation where the game is tied you don't necessarily have that mentality and that drive that tells you, we really need to push for this goal. We really need to get this win. It's sort of a different mentality and that's what can end up affecting this and it becoming a draw.

Plus Chris, we need to remember that the World Cup, the goal here is to win the World Cup. It's not necessarily to win one match, especially this match where neither team needs to.

CUOMO: That's the important point of analysis because in my head as the uninitiated, you're in the World Cup, have every incentive to go for it every match. No, if the goal is the ultimate victory, you do what you need to when you have, to and you're saying a draw here suits both sides so that may be the dominant principle. All right, I get it now. We'll bring you back later in the show and give you time to compose yourself because this look isn't working, Baldesarra, not World Cup worthy.

BALDESARRA: So much for sunny Brazil.

CUOMO: I want to remember you like this always, Lara. Thank you for coming to us in tough situations. We'll be back to you soon -- Kate.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's turn now to the deadly crisis in Iraq. Extremists expanding their grip over nearly a third of the country. The situation leading what can really only be described as a bizarre kind of sort of alliance in the region with both Iran and Syria now launching missions inside the country of Iraq, both seemingly at the moment working towards the same immediate goal as the United States.

On Tuesday, Syrian warplanes bombed Iraqi border towns held by ISIS. Iran has sent in drones, advisers and arms to the region. Still, with all of this, the prime minister, Iraq's Prime Minister, Nouri Al Maliki, dismissed the idea of an emergency government to respond to the sectarian tensions there.

A warning that Secretary of State John Kerry, he downplayed, the secretary also saying that the United States air strikes, any air strikes coming from the U.S. in Iraq at this point would be an act of irresponsibility. For the very latest let's get over to CNN's Nima Elbagir in Baghdad. Nima, what is the very latest?

NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The British foreign secretary has now arrived in Baghdad, Kate, and that's been seen as bit of a bolster what we would consider the U.S. side of this alliance, the west side of this alliance, because it is really shaping up to be an uncomfortable alliance. You have Iran flying its drones overhead, as you just told us.

You also have Syrian cross-border raids, their fighter jets hitting ISIS positions, and then in addition to that, we're looking at the possibility there's a Mahdi Army, killing U.S. soldiers during the U.S.-led war in Iraq. They could also be joining this alliance against the Sunni extremists, ISIS. It is, of course, an alliance of necessity, perhaps even an alliance of opportunism because the reality on the ground is that is seems to be evolving to meet the various challenges that it's being faced with. Now it seems to be taking a more irregular tactic kick out, using car bombs, using suicide bombs, a horrifying attack just south of Baghdad killing dozens, around the U.N. said this death toll is already over 1,000 and that's set to rise -- Michaela.

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: Nima, thank you so much for that update for us. Let's take a look at more of your headlines right now. Breaking overnight, the search for missing Flight 370 is shifting further south now. The new search zone is still along that seventh arc in the Southern Indian Ocean, the site of the aircraft's last satellite communication.

Australian officials made the announcement this morning, also saying it's highly likely that the plane was on autopilot until it ran out of fuel. We'll discuss this more coming up later in the show.

Also breaking overnight, dozens of people attending an Avicii concert in Boston have been hospitalized. Many people being evaluated suffered from dehydration, some reportedly under were under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Local media say as many as 80 people were treated at the hospital or outside the venue. Avicii, the Swedish deejay behind the song "Wake Me Up" was performing at the Boston TD Garden. Boston police say that incident is under investigation.

More bad news for GM. They have now ordered dealers in the U.S. and Canada to stop selling 2013 and 2014 Chevy Cruz sedans because of a potential air bag defect. Some 33,000 cars were involved. The air bags were made by the same troubled Japanese supplier Takata whose faulty products led to the recall of more than 10 million vehicles worldwide. Most of those Toyota and Honda models.

The beleaguered mayor of Providence, Rhode Island says he'll try for a third go round leading his city. Vincent "Buddy" Cianci served as mayor twice before and both times left in disgrace, once leaving for assault and the other for corruption. He said on his radio show experience is a great teacher, but often a painful one.

Actor, Gary Oldman issuing an apology after he made controversial remarks in an interview to "Playboy" magazine. Oldman told Jimmy Kimmel last night he's deeply remorseful over his statements.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GARY OLDMAN, ACTOR: I said some things that were poorly considered from my heart profoundly, profoundly sorry and -- and deeply apologetic.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PEREIRA: Oldman apparently used the "n" word in the interview and propagated anti-Semitic stereotypes in that interview with "Playboy" magazine and now apologizing on Kimmel. There you go. BOLDUAN: Thanks so much. Let's turn now to meteorologist, Indra Petersons, keeping track of the latest forecast. I don't think you'll give us the forecast in Brazil, but Lara did a pretty good job with her hood pulled up. What's it look like here?

INDRA PETERSONS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Raining here, surprise, surprise. Talking about those storms all overnight. We are still talking about the showers here this morning and as the day goes on it goes, the farther north in the northeast like Boston, will be hanging on to those showers until about noon or so.

High pressure is building in. That's the key. As we get closer to the weekend, guys, it's only going to be looking better out there. As far as the rain totals, still heavy amounts could be possible, two to three inches around the New England area. Clearing out again for the weekend.

Temperatures hot and muggy. This is staying. All that gulf moisture is still hanging around for the weekend so, yes, that's going to be the story here. Keep in mind though a changing story. Once you talk about the planes, another system making its way through so still the potential for severe weather today and especially moving in towards the Midwest as we head to the weekend as well.

That's something we'll have to keep our eyes on, but you did mention the big game, Kate, and, unfortunately, it does look like that forecast, that outfit Lara wearing, staying on, 80 percent to 90 percent chance of showers throughout the game with the humidity at 79 percent when you talk about 82 degrees and rainy. We'll see how that impacts the game, guys.

BOLDUAN: More and more factors adding to the fun of the game. Thank you so much.

CUOMO: Mickey nailed it. Lara Baldesarra brought us the full Kenny, in the full Kenny outfit from Brazil. I couldn't think of it. I was going with Jedi, monk.

BOLDUAN: What about the character from "Space Balls."

CUOMO: You love that movie in a way many do not.

BOLDUAN: That and "Scrooge" and isn't this a character from "Scrooge" as well.

CUOMO: "Scrooge" is quality.

BOLDUAN: All right, let's take a break. We got a lot of news coming up on NEW DAY including this, a tragic accident or murder? We're learning more now about the arrest of a father who claims that he forgot his toddler was inside a sweltering SUV. Why then police think that he tried to kill his own son. That's ahead.

CUOMO: Plus, there is new information in the search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. Who or what was flying the plane? We have the information and what it could mean straight ahead. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BOLDUAN: Welcome back.

Chilling new details from the arrest warrant of a Georgia father charged with murder after leaving his 22-month-old son inside a broiling SUV for hours. Justin Harris says that he forgot the toddler was in the car, but investigators now say that he actually went back to the car on his lunch break with the boy still inside the vehicle.

CNN's Victor Blackwell is in Marietta, Georgia, with much more on these troubling details -- Victor.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kate, lots of big developments in this story. You mentioned the new arrest warrant, also a change in charges, and answer for the people asking where is mom in all of this? And a new claim from police that dad did not go directly to work that fateful day?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL (voice-over): Early last Wednesday morning, Justin Ross Harris was seen at this Atlanta area Chick-fil-A. The newly released arrest warrant says, after breakfast, Harris was seen strapping his 22-month-old son Cooper into his car seat. He drove less than a mile away to his Home Depot store support center where he works as a web designer.

Normally, Harris takes Cooper to a day care center on site, but not on this day. Instead, Harris ended the office and left his toddler in a rear facing car seat in the back, in a blazing Georgia sun.

Investigators say Harris returned to the SUV at lunchtime, opened the driver's side door and placed something inside. He then closed the door and walked off. The temperature outside hit 88 degrees that afternoon. The temperature inside the SUV, potentially exceeded 130 degrees and Cooper was likely already dead.

The arrest warrant says at 4:16 that afternoon, at the end of the workday, Harris returned to the SUV and started the drive home. Seven minutes later and about two miles down the road, Harris screeched into this parking lot.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hopped out of the driver's seat, opened the back door, pulled his child out, laid him on the concrete and tried to resuscitate him.

BLACKWELL: But little Cooper was dead. Patrol officers were in the area when the 911 calls came in.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Medical personnel arrived on the scene to determine that a child apparently had been in the automobile, the father's automobile since about 9:00 this morning.

BLACKWELL: Harris told police he somehow had forgotten to drop Cooper off at day care that morning. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He just screamed what have I done, loudly.

Obviously it was a bit dramatic, you know, hands in the air looking up towards the sky, what have I done?

BLACKWELL: But police say it was all an act, charging him with cruelty to a child and felony murder.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You'll be entering a plea of not guilty at this time.

BLACKWELL: More than 10,000 people have signed an online petition urging the district attorney to drop the charges.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's no way it would have been intentional, especially from the father's reaction.

BLACKWELL: Meanwhile, investigators continue to search for answers.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: Now, for all the people wondering where is mom in all of this? Investigators told us that she was interviewed here by detectives, although they would not give any other details about that conversation.

There was also a downgrade of that child cruelty charge from first- degree to second-degree, changing that essentially from malice to negligence, although, Chris and Kate, there is an inconsistency in the message from the police department. A police spokesperson could not say if this was intended or not, if Justin Ross harassment to leave his car in that car. Although the chief released a written statement saying the facts of the time line point to more than just negligence and this was not simple negligence.

So, we know that the police will not be the ones arguing this in court, but an inconsistent message here from Cobb County police -- Chris, Kate.

CUOMO: Victor, I think you got your finger right on it. I mean, we have to be really careful. You have. You're giving great guidance in your reporting.

Reducing the charge is huge. We're going to discuss it with legal experts because it may remove the homicide charge. Felony murder, you need a certain level of crime to make it felony murder. Them reducing the charge, while at the same time kind of bolstering their case that he knew what he was doing, is very inconsistent legally and just logically so we'll give you more of the analysis of what's going on in this case.

BOLDUAN: Thank you, Victor. Thanks for staying on top of that for us. I mean, it all comes back to the question what happened when and why and that's the basis of it.

CUOMO: We will stay on it. So, a little sport talk right now. The NFL has this big problem with people who have had concussions in

football. Well, they just removed the $675 million cap from this landmark settlement that they are trying to make with their former players. The league hopes this move will clear the way for the deal to finally get approved. Remember, a judge kicked out the deal saying it wasn't enough money.

Andy Scholes has more in the "Bleacher Report". What do we think about this? Are they over the hump?

ANDY SCHOLES, BLEACHER REPORT: Well, yes, they certainly hope so, Chris. You know, this cap on the payments to former players was the main sticking point in this case from the district judge Anita Brody. She said back in January that she didn't feel like $675 million is going to be enough to cover claims by as many as 20,000 retired NFL players. So, in this revised agreement, the NFL has agreed to lift the cap on damages. The league also eliminated a provision that barred players receiving the damages from using the NCAA or amateur football leagues.

All right. Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum, the may not be the dominant force he used to be, but he was vintage Lincecum yesterday. The two- time Cy Young Award winner, no-hit the Padres for the second time in less than a year. How did he celebrate? Well, by rocking a team USA soccer jersey and a gladiator helmet in the clubhouse. He's certainly is ready for today's pivotal match with Germany.

Turning on bleacherreport.com this morning are all the scenarios for Team USA to advance today. A win or tie are the simple ones. We move on if those happen. The game kicks off at noon Eastern.

Everyone, of course, wants to skip work to watch this match. Don't worry. Head coach Jurgen Klinsmann, he's got us covered. He wrote everyone a get out of work letter. The team tweeted it out yesterday. Print this off and bring it to your boss and you should be good. Guys, if that doesn't work, I advise everyone to just take an extended lunch break today.

BOLDUAN: Deal, on it.

CUOMO: Thank you very much.

I look forward to all the suits against you when people are terminated.

SCHOLES: Everyone is going to be watching anyway. Productivity will be way down if you're not out watching.

BOLDUAN: So says Andy Scholes' predictions. Thanks, Andy.

SCHOLES: All right.

BOLDUAN: Coming up next on NEW DAY, the search area for Malaysian Flight 370 shifting again. What investigators are saying about how and where the plane went down. CUOMO: Plus, I don't know about you, but I've never seen anything like this. A boy missing for weeks located. His father gets the news during a live interview with Nancy Grace. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NANCY GRACE, HLN: We are getting reports that your son has been found alive in your basement?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CUOMO: It all plays out on TV, a very rare real-time chance to judge the reaction and the situation, ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back.

Breaking overnight: a new search area has been announced for missing Malaysian Airlines Flight 370. Investigators will now head southwest to a zone that spans approximately 23,000 square miles, roughly the size of West Virginia. This new focus is based on new findings from the satellite data.

Joining us now, someone who's been following this investigation very closely, David Gallo, director of special project at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. We should also point out that you've met with the Australian officials coordinating the search. You also co- led the search for Air France Flight 447.

Good to see you, my friend. It's been a while.

DAVID GALLO, CNN ANALYST: Likewise.

PEREIRA: We want to talk about new information from the press conference earlier this morning. Investigators are maintaining they are confident the plane flew in a straight path on autopilot. What makes them so confident in those two things?

GALLO: Well, I think looking at the handshakes again and following that plane over time over those hours across the many arcs that the course is so straight and true that I think the feeling is that it must have been an autopilot and not in the hands of an individual.

PEREIRA: Is there any other scenario that would make you think otherwise?

GALLO: Well, you know, I'm an on the water and under the water guy so I want to know where the plane was last in the air. But having talked to that gang, they got multiple teams working these problems, and if there's one way I can describe them, it's confident that they are on the right course.

So, you know, I think they are really on to this, and this is where they are going to stay on this, that it was autopilot.

PEREIRA: Their confidence bolsters your confidence in them?

GALLO: You know, I came away, Michaela feeling they were on a very steep learning curve early on in this investigation. But they recognized where the weaknesses were, they filled those weaknesses and, yes, I came away incredibly confident that they were very capable in handling this underwater search.

PEREIRA: If we recall correctly, you have always maintained that the plane would be further south. Remind us why?

GALLO: I did, you know. It was very simplistic because I didn't have enough information to be distracted by everything that went on up north, so it was a very simple calculation. But it's a little bit rewarding to see that we're back down in the south.

It's very difficult terrain, this area that they picked out. It's going to be very tough to search that area so we'll have to see what happens.

PEREIRA: Very difficult as you said, very deep, two to three miles deep. It's still about -- if I do my calculations correctly, that's about 1,100 miles off the coast still, and this is an area that hasn't been mapped, although I understand a Chinese ship is working to map it.