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EARLY START

Less Than 3 Days Until DHS Defunded; ISIS Bride Acts as Recruiter; The Southern Freeze; New Twist in Las Vegas Murder; Study: Early Exposure to Peanuts May Prevent Allergies; Will OPEC Address Oil Production?

Aired February 24, 2015 - 05:30   ET

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


(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Countdown to shutdown. Less than three days until Homeland Security runs out of money and the Senate Majority Leader now makes a move. Can Mitch McConnell reach some kind of deal?

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: The ISIS bride. She has committed her life to drawing women to jihad. Now officials say this woman may be behind the disappearance of three British teens. How did she recruit them to terror?

BERMAN: Negative 1 degree when I left the house this morning, and that winter chill hitting all over the East. Not just the northeast -- southern states waking up to snow and ice and dangerous conditions. Ugly. The full forecast is minutes away.

Welcome back to EARLY START, everyone. I'm John Berman.

ROMANS: I'm Christine Romans. 31 minutes past the hour. A lot of news this morning.

Let's begin with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell trying a new tactic to break the Congressional stalemate of the funding of the Department of Homeland Security. After a fourth failed Senate vote Monday night on adopting the House's version of the funding bill, McConnell announced he will schedule a separate vote on blocking President Obama's executive orders on immigration. Republicans and Democrats expressing doubt whether McConnell can get such a measure passed by the end of the week, if at all. If not, Homeland Security funding runs out Friday, sending non-essential DHS employees home, forcing employees to work without pay.

CNN White House correspondent Michelle Kosinski has more on the effect of a possible partial shutdown on the Homeland Security Department.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHELLE KOSINSKI, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, John and Christine.

Well, now, for the first time, we hear the administration say that yes, it looks like this political showdown is heading for a shutdown for the Department of Homeland Security. For the first time, we are hearing the administration, in fact, the president himself spell out the cutting off funding for DHS will have a direct impact on national security. The reason that is interesting, for the past several days, it seems like the White House has gone out of its way to avoid using that language. When asked directly by reporters, what impact will this have, they would refer us to the Department of Homeland Security for more detail or they would say, well, it can't have a good impact on national security.

But now that the president put it out there, they are giving a little more detail on how exactly this could affect our security. Things like having no funding for planning or local programs, also the fact that some 30,000 non-essential DHS employees will be furloughed. And even though they are called non-essential, overall, that could have a negative effect.

The White House is, of course, blaming Republicans for this for tying funding DHS to trying to stop the president's executive action on immigration. The White House has called that irresponsible to toy with homeland security in this way, and they said, well, even though some of these essential employees of DHS will have to go to work and not get paid, they say Congress will continue to get paid for not doing its job -- John and Christine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: Yet the very agency the Republicans are hoping to starve, the immigration agencies, they are self funded.

BERMAN: Mostly. It's fees that pay those, so even if for some reason they didn't fund Homeland Security, those measures would not lose their money. But the executive actions that the president signed aren't taking effect yet anyway because a judge has stayed them. So a lot of this is a political statement because Republicans don't think it's constitutional, what the president did.

ROMANS: Always interesting in Washington, especially interesting when you want to shut down a government agency.

BERMAN: Three more days.

Meanwhile, happening today, President Obama set for high-level meetings on the war against ISIS. One meeting with the Emir of Qatar; the other with Defense Secretary Ash Carter, who's just back from a trip to the Middle East.

We are learning more this morning about the woman authorities think may have lured three teenagers from Britain to Syria to join ISIS.

Let's bring in Atika Shubert, live in London this morning. Good morning, Atika.

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John. Well, it appears that at least one of the three schoolgirls contacted Aqsa Mahmood on Twitter, asking for her to send a direct message. And police are now investigating whether or not Aqsa Mahmood was the person who helped get them from London to Turkey and possibly across the border into Syria. She's posted a blog that gives basically step by step instructions on what to bring, what to wear, and what to expect when young women travel to ISIS-controlled territory. British police are now in Turkey hoping to get some answers, John.

BERMAN: And, Atika, this woman, Mahmood, what has she been up to the last few years that make authorities think that she could be behind this kind of conduit operation?

SHUBERT: Well, she has been running this blog, which really is almost like a travel blog for young women who want to go to Syria. And she's become a very high profile member of ISIS's propaganda team, and really police believe she may be a top recruit for young women to ISIS, telling them that once they get there, they will get a free house, for example. They may be married to a jihadi fighter. And it plays into this romantic notion that many young women have of this ideal life they think they will get under ISIS-controlled territory. But of course the reality, once they get there, is very different, John.

BERMAN: And now the disturbing news there may have been a direct link, a direct contact, between this woman and those three girls headed to Syria right now. Atika Shubert for us in London, thanks so much.

We're going to turn now to the weather. Minus 1 when I left the house this morning, which is wicked cold. But it's not just the northeast getting hit by this winter blast. The south, a big mess down there. Widespread school closures. Students from Texas to Arkansas to the Carolinas will not be in school today, because the whole region expecting bone-chilling cold. Some places might also get snow and freezing rain.

All this weather has prompted airlines to cancel more than 600 flights across the country. That's today. Yesterday was, what, more than 1,000 flight cancellations? What a mess.

Some scary moments for passengers on an American Airlines flight after landing at Dallas/Ft. Worth International Airport. The nose gear slipped off the taxiway as the plane turned a corner, kind of a skid out there. None of the 68 people on board were hurt. The icy conditions also left this truck dangling off of an overpass in Dallas. I think that picture is stunning. The driver did manage to get out safely.

ROMANS: Check out this scene in Flagstaff, Arizona. It's flakes coming down hard there. The area could be slammed with up to 11 inches of snow.

BERMAN: In Casco, Maine, an SUV, you can see it right there, was submerged in an icy river, apparently pushed off an bridge in an act of road rage. Three people are now hospitalized with hypothermia. Authorities say they're shocked that anyone survived.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DEPUTY AL WINSLOW, CUMBERLAND COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE: Extremely lucky. With the temperatures and windchill and the temperature of the water, I'm amazed they were able to get out of the vehicle in time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Probably had seconds to figure out, to keep your wits about you and get out of that car.

BERMAN: I just can't imagine . Investigators are now trying to figure out which driver was at fault and whether anyone's going to face any charges there.

ROMANS: All right, and then donuts in the parking lot. Yep, caught on camera, this SUV. This is a mall parking lot in Dallas. Not letting go, not letting off the gas as he slips and slides. The driver was eventually caught by mall security who apparently let him go with only a warning.

BERMAN: We have a Twitter friend this morning that tells us this is important practice for how to drive in icy conditions. I'm not so sure.

ROMANS: He says it saved his life, doing donuts in a parking lot, because he hit black ice at 70 miles per hour. I don't know.

BERMAN: I'm not sure.

ROMANS: Is there any relief in sight for the frozen south? Meteorologist Pedram Javaheri tracking the cold air and the possibility of snow for us. Pedram?

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, AMS METEOROLOGIST: John and Christine, good morning to you. Take a look at the scenes across the southern United States. Winter weather advisories, winter weather warnings in place from areas around Birmingham to Atlanta, eventually to Charlotte. Significant snow for portions of western North Carolina possible.

But notice this morning at around 9:00 in the morning local time, Atlanta certainly could get in on some snow. Some 300 plus flights have been canceled preemptively across the south, in Atlanta in particular.

As we head on into Wednesday night, another weathermaker pushes in. This particular one could bring in even more snowfall for the southern U.S. and the storm eventually pushes off the Eastern Seaboard. So don't see much in the way of accumulations for the major metro cities around the northeast. But certainly the south, all eyes are on right now, across southern Arkansas, northern Mississippi, northern Georgia, and western North Carolina. Areas of western North Carolina arround Asheville could easily see upwards of 10 inches or more of snowfall.

Temps, though, in Atlanta, at 45 degrees. Certainly nothing going to accumulate or stick around for a while, while around the northeast, from Washington to New York, 33 down to 23 around New York City. In fact, in New York, your average for this time of year is 44 degrees. Only making it up to the mid-20s. And look at that roller coaster trend you're going to be on. Goes up to 36 by Wednesday and then shoots right back down to reality by Thursday afternoon as more cold air filters in, guys.

BERMAN: Just done with it. Thanks, Pedram. Appreciate it.

Some secret, newly leaked cables reveal some discrepancy between what Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the United Nations in 2012 about Iran's ability to build nuclear weapons, and what his own intelligence service was telling him. You might recall, the prime minister told the General Assembly that Iran was one year away from producing a nuclear weapon. But just weeks later, Israel's Mossad intelligence agency sent a secret report to South Africa concluding that Iran was not performing the activity necessary to produce a nuclear bomb. That report is part of the huge leak of documents from the world's top -- some of the world's top intelligence agencies, mostly coming from South Africa there.

ROMANS: All right, a jury in Manhattan finding the Palestinian Authority and the Palestinian Liberation Organization liable for six terrorist attacks in Israel between 2002 and 2004 that left Americans dead or injured. The jury award of $218 million to dozens of plaintiffs automatically gets tripled under a special terrorism law. That means the damages are $655 million. The Palestinian Authority, the PLO, they say they intend to appeal the decision. And they have not indicated, John, whether they are able or willing to pay.

BERMAN: Some big political news. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie broke his own law when he decided not to fully fund the state's pension system for public employees last year. That ruling came from a superior court judge and orders the governor to put $1.6 billion back in the system. It says Governor Christie cannot renege on his obligations to New Jersey's teachers, firefighters, and police officers. The governor plans to appeal the ruling. New Jersey is already facing a $2.7 billion revenue shortfall. And, look, Chris Christie is considering running for president right now. He's had a lot of things, issues bubble up over the last several months that complicate that.

ROMANS: When you are running a state, all these governors who are looking at these big budget shortfalls, they look at these pots of money and they look very tantalizing to help them fix their problems, right? But these pensions should be sacrosanct.

41 minutes past the hour, let's get an EARLY START on your money. European shares lower, U.S. stock futures only barely moving. Waiting to hear from this woman. Markets around the world want to hear from Janet Yellen. She runs the Federal Reserve. She testifies before Congress today as the Fed debates when to raise interest rates from near zero. Haven't raised rates in nine years. Back then, the economy was thriving; it could withstand a rate hike. Is the economy today strong enough for higher rates? Wall Street wants to know. It's expecting a rate rise in June, affecting everything from mortgage rates to how much interest get on savings in the bank. And the last nine years have been pretty miserable for people with savings in the bank, right? You're getting nothing. BERMAN: There's nothing.

ROMANS: You get nothing.

BERMAN: Your mattress is a --

ROMANS: So higher rates, it can hurt the economy. Boy, it would be nice to get more return on your cash.

BERMAN: Higher wages is what the economy needs.

ROMANS: That's true. And that is a really important number that we hope to hear from her about today.

BERMAN: All right, was it road rage or was it self defense? This case is changing by the day. A teenager accused of killing a neighbor says it was self defense. We will take you inside the courtroom next.

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BERMAN: Closing arguments could begin as early as today in the American Sniper murder trial. The prosecution expected to call at least one more witness. The defense then has the option to call more rebuttal witnesses, but the possibility exists that closing arguments could happen immediately after that. Court was postponed on Monday due to the weather. And weather could be an issue again today as well. We've been telling you about the icy conditions throughout the south.

ROMANS: A new twist in the fatal shooting of a Las Vegas woman. The lawyer for 19-year-old suspect Erich Nowsch contends this was not a case of road rage. He believes the victim's family has not been truthful. Nowsch's lawyer says the teen feared for his life, suggests the shooting may have been self defense.

We get more this morning from CNN's Sara Sidne.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SARA SIDNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John and Christine, we heard a lot of details about this case from both the police and the family of slain mother of four, Tammy Meyers. They have said that this was a case of road rage that turned out the suspect was someone the family knew.

But we are now hearing from Eric Nowsch's attorney who said this is not a case of road rage at all.

SUSPECT'S LAWYER: We can say with some confidence there was no road rage.

SIDNER: Can you tell me anything about what he is saying happened?

SUSPECT'S LAWYER: What we know is a story kept changing, that it was an illogical story. There is a sequence of illogical and untruthful stories that come out one after the other that just lead you to the inescapable conclusion that you cannot depend upon what the Meyers family is saying.

SIDNER: The Meyer family says its suspect she was telling lies, not them.

The police are still investigating the case, and the prosecution says this case is more complicated than people may have first thought. It is a murder nonetheless. The case is still being investigated and now we hear that the prosecution may take the case to a grand jury where suddenly all of the information and witness testimony will be private, will be secret and they will not be cross examined by the defense.

The defense is upset with that. We have to see what happens with the case. There are so many details in the case between the Meyers, the police, and now the suspect that all of those involved are saying, wait to make your judgments. Let the justice system do what it does -- John, Christine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BERMAN: That case, man, I tell you, this case more and more interesting by the day.

ROMANS: Yes, a lot of twists in that case; it's not as it seems from the very beginning.

BERMAN: All right, we have some really surprising news about peanuts. Research which could radically change the way you raise your kids. We will tell you all about it next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: New research suggesting that fracking might be contributing to earthquakes in some parts of the heartland. Scientists say that Oklahoma and other states that allow fracking, that once experienced little or no earthquake activity, has seen a dramatic increase in years. Scientists believe it is triggered by the process that injects wastewater into underground disposal wells. Last year, Oklahoma had nearly 600 earthquakes with a magnitude 3.0 or greater. That is nearly three times as many as California and up from the yearly average of two in Oklahoma before these fracking operations began.

ROMANS: Another big study we're talking about this morning that parents want to really pay close attention to. A new study that says exposure to peanuts in early childhood can help build immunity and prevent serious allergies. British researchers found introducing peanut products into the baby's diet can cut their risk of developing peanut allergies by more than 80 percent.

BERMAN: That's a lot!

ROMANS: Experts say the results could apply to other allergies, but they're warning parents not to experiment at home. Better talk to your doctor.

BERMAN: You know, a lot of parents are saying duh. We knew that feeding kids peanuts over time would help them build immunity, but this is a real study with real results here that could affect the way that huge amounts of parents could raise their kids.

ROMANS: You will hear more about this all day, I'm sure.

BERMAN: All right, 53 minutes after the hour.

OPEC decided against cutting oil production last year. But oil prices took a tumble in the months following. Could new action be on the horizon? Could a big change be in store at the pump? That's next.

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ROMANS: All right. Time for an EARLY START on your money this morning. U.S. stocks pulled back from record highs yesterday. They're barely moving right now. Wall Street waiting to hear from this woman, Federal Reserve chairwoman Janet Yellen. She testifies before Congress today with very high stakes. The Fed debating when to raise interest rates. Raising rates too soon could hurt the recovery.

Plunging oil prices may finally be scaring OPEC. Nigeria's oil minister says there could be an emergency meeting to address the crude oil crash. Now, last time OPEC met, it decided to keep the output the same instead of cutting supply to drive prices back up. But oil instead has fallen another 30 percent since then. Still, Saudi Arabia ultimately calls the shots. Oil officials there want to keep output high. Why? It's squeezing American producers; it's stealing market share, maintaining market share.

iPhone keyboards are about to get more diverse. The tiny cartoon people, those emojis, will soon be different -- available in six different skin tones. And other emojis, like the princess for example, she will get more diverse. Apple has been harshly criticized for not having a diverse collection of emojis. Right now, they are all light-skinned except one Indian man in a turban and an Asian man in a traditional Chinese hat.

What was your great line about that?

BERMAN: So now diverse, but still annoying.

ROMANS: Annoying, but more diverse.

BERMAN: All right, major storms hitting a huge part of the country right now. We'll tell you where to watch out this morning. "NEW DAY" begins right now.