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EARLY START

FBI: ISIS Suspects in All 50 States; 3 NYC Men Arrested in ISIS Plot; Senate Sending Clean DHS Funding Bill to House; Obama Vows to Fight for Immigration Reform

Aired February 26, 2015 - 05:00   ET

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


CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Terror arrests here at home. Three Brooklyn men accused of trying to join ISIS.

And this morning, the FBI warning this could be the tip of the iceberg, revealing there are people in various stages of radicalizing in all 50 states.

Team coverage breaking down the latest on the war on ISIS starts now.

Good morning. Welcome to EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Great to see you this morning. I'm John Berman. It's 5:00 a.m. in the East, Thursday, February 26th.

And happening now: three Brooklyn men are in federal custody this morning charged in connection with an alleged plot to join ISIS in Syria. These same men also discussed committing acts of terror on U.S. soil, including an attempt on President Obama's life.

FBI agents arrested one of the men, a 19-year-old originally from Kazakhstan at JFK preparing to board a plane heading to Turkey. And there, he was probably going to go to Syria to join ISIS. Officials say his 24-year-old friend from Uzbekistan was due to follow later. A 30-year-old also from Uzbekistan allegedly helped organize and finance this operation.

CNN's Deborah Feyerick is at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn with the latest -- Deb.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: John and Christine, two to three Brooklyn men were here in federal court. The hearing was delayed for a couple hours because one of the men actually wanted an Uzbek translator so he could understand all the charges and the documents that were filed against him. The 19-year-old, he was picked up as he was on the jet way, ready to board that plane to Turkey. That's when he was arrested.

The third man, the money man, he was at a hearing in Florida. He owns a series of kiosks in Philadelphia, Savannah, Virginia Beach. That's how he makes his money. He sells kitchen wares, as well as replaces mobile or fixes mobile phones.

But all three are facing conspiracy charges of providing material support to terrorists. The two wannabe jihadists who are here in this court, they actually wanted to get to Syria to join the terror group.

Now, both of the men did have back-up plans. The 19-year-old, the reason he had a back-up plan, is because his mom confiscated his passport, fearing that he was going to try to get to Syria. His plan allegedly was to join the military, funnel information to ISIS, and if he was caught, he would simply open fire on soldiers. His other plan was to buy an AK-47 and go out and shoot police officers, as well as the FBI agents.

The 24-year-old, he works at Gyro King. He was going to actually try to get to Syria. If that failed, he allegedly told the FBI and said he would shoot the president once he got the green light from ISIS.

Now, the men who were here in court, they were rather small. They are about 5'3", 5'4". Both of them wearing hoodies. Both told the judge that they understand the charges against them. They are scheduled to be back here on March 11th -- John, Christine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: All right. Deb, thanks for that.

The lawyer for one of the suspects cautions we have not heard the whole story yet. The FBI's case against these three men comes partly from their social media postings and partly from a confidential informant.

Attorney Adam Perlmutter says his client is not admitting or denying anything at this point. But Perlmutter is questioning the credibility of that FBI informant.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ADAM PERLMUTTER, AKHROR SAIDAKHMETOV'S ATTORNEY: This is all information that is delivered to the FBI from a confidential informant that the government says in their own complaint they can't rely on the credibility of. And we only have, again, these small snippets of what my client allegedly said, we don't know the background, we don't know the context, we don't know how this confidential informant manipulated my client.

He has not had to enter a plea yet. He's not been indicted yet. All that's been happened is he has been presented on a complaint and there's no need for him to enter any type of plea or make any type of statement to that effect at this point.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: The FBI says the homegrown violent extremism is a nationwide problem with investigations active now in all 50 states.

FBI Director James Comey has told state attorneys general said in a speech Wednesday, that ISIS has developed a message in web savvy packaging that can reach what he called "troubled souls" in every corner of the country.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMES COMEY, FBI DIRECTOR: ISIL in particular is putting out a siren song through their slick propaganda through social media that goes like this -- troubled soul, come to the caliphate, right? You will live a life of glory. These are the apocalyptic end times. You will find a life of meaning here fighting for our so-called caliphate. If you can't come, kill somebody where you are.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: This morning, committees in both the House and Senate will hear testimony on the ISIS terror threat level from high-level intelligence officials.

ROMANS: Some of the most frank and clear explanation I have seen yet.

In northeastern Syria, ISIS has kidnapped far more Christian villages than we knew, more than 220 people, this is according to two human rights organizations. Families are awaiting word of the fate of the women, children and elderly, kidnapped from dozens of Syrian villages. Advocates say they fear the worst.

For the very latest, I want to bring in CNN's Ian Lee.

Good morning, Ian.

What are we hearing from these human rights groups and officials about what happened to these Christians?

IAN LEE, CNN REPORTER: Good morning, Christine.

Yes, the fate, though, is unknown still at this time. We know that ISIS militants launched their attack from the southwest of these villages and a from mountainous area taking a number of Christian towns fighting off YPG Kurdish fighters, as well as Christian militias. They were able to take these hostages, people who could not flee the advance of the ISIS fighters. You have women, you have children, you have priests, you have the elderly, people who stayed behind as ISIS advanced.

We know from other people who have been captured, other stories from ISIS territory that, at times, these women who were taken are sold off in slavery. We have seen men also having held by ISIS when they have been taken. There have been people released by ISIS before, should note. The Yazidis had in Iraq, were -- some of the elderly were released by ISIS, not know what their motives were behind releasing those people. But I think a lot of these families today are hoping the same thing happens to their loved ones, Christine.

ROMANS: All right. Ian Lee for us in Cairo -- thank you, Ian.

BERMAN: So, you have terror in Syria, terror in Iraq, all over the Middle East. And now, these threats of the terrorists in the United States as well being drawn to ISIS in Syria and Iraq. And while that's happening, there is a showdown over funding for Homeland Security.

The Senate has now decided to send a clean DHS funding bill back to the House. That means no add-ons that would overturn the president's immigration actions. Homeland Security funding runs out midnight on Friday. Law enforcement officials in cities such as New York, they say they're getting nervous.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL BRATTON, NYPD COMMISSIONER: This is not the time to engage in activities that would threaten our counterterrorism capabilities, such as has been exhibited in the movement on this case and effectively to hold our counterterrorism agencies hostage to political machinations in D.C.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: Now, it is not clear whether the House will even vote on a clean DHS funding bill once it arrives later today or tomorrow. A shorter term measure to fund the department might be the only way to avoid furloughs. It could come as early as next week.

ROMANS: Meanwhile, a defiant President Obama vowing to push ahead on immigration, promising to aggressively appeal a Texas district judge ruling blocking his executive actions on immigration reform. At a town hall in Miami, he said the pressure needs to stay on Republicans in order to pass comprehensive reform.

White House correspondent Michelle Kosinski has the latest -- Michelle.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

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

Well, part of this impasse is that a federal judge in Texas essentially put on hold implementation of the president's executive order on immigration. But at a town hall meeting in Miami where many in the crowd were asking him, why can't you do more on immigration, his tone was confident and defiant, saying he is absolutely confident that, first of all, the administration is on the right side of the law on this and will ultimately prevail. Even if they lose the first round appeal, that they will be ultimately successful in a higher court.

And in the meantime, the president is using the prosecutorial discretion to prioritize deportations as the White House puts it, felons, not families. And that he's put out this directive to customs officials that they are not supposed to be deporting people who are here working and raising families.

He said that if that wasn't met, then there would be consequences. He also put the onus on Republicans saying it's about time to act for comprehensive immigration reform, but also on voters with only about 1/3 of eligible voters doing so in the last election. He asked them, why are you not doing your part on this? Why are you not participating? John and Christine?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BERMAN: All right. Michelle, thanks for that.

A long awaited vote today on the divisive issue of net neutrality. The FCC's five-member board is expected to approve new rules meant to preserve an open, equal access Internet and prevent Internet service providers from discriminating against content-makers.

Providers in many Republicans say the plan to regulate it as a utility like landline phone service, they say, it is overkill.

ROMANS: All right. Time for an early start on your money.

U.S. stock futures are slightly higher, but it doesn't take much to make a new record these days. Yesterday, the Dow just needed ten points to close at a record high. The NASDAQ, though, snapped its longest winning streak in five years.

Why did the NASDAQ fall? Well, there was a pullback of Apple. Shares fell almost 3 percent after Google introduced technology to push companies to use Androids.

The other big story this morning, Morgan Stanley has agreed to pay $2.6 billion for its role in the mortgage meltdown. This is part of the Justice Department probe into allegations the bank misrepresented the quality of mortgage bonds. The settlement is the biggest bill for Morgan Stanley yet. The bank made $6.2 billion last year.

Big American banks paid out about $130 billion in settlements and fines related in the financial crisis. A lot of homeowners will tell you six years after the crash, eight or nine years after the worst of those terrible mortgages were packaged and sold, stamped with a gold star, and they were just crap. These banks now are finally starting to --

BERMAN: That's a financial term that you just used.

ROMANS: Yes, it is.

Snow slamming the South this morning, flights cancelled, schools closed, highways shutdown. The storm already turning deadly. What you need to know after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: The storm battered south dealing with a new round of snow and ice. Right now, winter storm warnings are in effect in 11 states from Texas to the Carolinas. Nearly 900 flights canceled just today already. ROAMSN: And schools are closing in Atlanta, Knoxville, Greenville, along with Charlotte, Raleigh and other districts in North Carolina, six to 10 inches of snow falling overnight.

BERMAN: In Mississippi, a 2-year-old girl was killed in a car accident. The car she was in hydroplaned. Curfews to remain in effect for certain counties in the northern part of that state, 9 inches of snow has fallen in Mississippi.

ROMANS: Yes. In Alabama, dangerous road conditions forcing the closure of several major roads. Wrecks and stalled vehicles reported throughout the state. You want to know how slick those roads are?

One driver took advantage of the icy conditions doing donuts in his truck.

BERMAN: A state of emergency in effect in Georgia. Four inches of snow total expected in Atlanta. Crews are treating the roads, hoping to avoid a repeat of last year's just disaster, when Atlanta was essentially just shutdown and completely crippled by a little bit of ice and snow.

ROMANS: Snow isn't the only problem in the South. A bad multicar pile up west of Denver as heavy snow came down, just one of several crashes along I-70 that involved 70 cars. Most of the road had to be closed.

BERMAN: How bad will it get today and when will it end?

Let's get an update from meteorologist Pedram Javaheri with the latest -- Pedram.

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, AMS METEOROLOGIST: John and Christine, good morning to you.

In the South, yes, definitely a mess. A lot of people waiting for all of this to wind down, including much all down with across Alabama is where the bulk of the snow showers came down. In fact, nearly a one foot in few spots in northern Alabama, that 8.1 inches in Huntsville was a daily record. Also, the month of February, nearly nine inches has come down in Huntsville as well. That's a record across that region.

But snow showers right now exiting the Southeast, pushing their way towards the Carolinas. That is where we have the heavy snow expected from Raleigh northward into southern areas of Virginia, upwards of a foot possible in a few pockets across this region. This is where the winter storms warnings are in place at this hour. So, accumulations looking as such. Charlotte with morning snow showers, about 500 flights have been preemptively cancelled, but notice the heavy snow in Virginia there with the possibility of up to around 10 or so inches.

High temps in Atlanta at 44 degrees. It should make it to the mid-30s at the nation's capital. It could accumulate about an inch to two inches around there, while a half an inch could come down in New York City. And to answer your question of when it's going to warm up across the

South and really across the country, take a look at this -- from Tuesday into Wednesday, 60s and maybe 70 in Atlanta, the nation's capital gets up to around 55 degrees, New York into the mid-40s as well. So, at this point, we will take the mid-40s up there -- guys.

BERMAN: Oh, we'll take the mid-40s.

All right. Pedram, thanks so much.

United Airlines sending a strong warning to its pilots after frightening incidents involving with four different flights. January 9th bulletin from United to its pilots cited one flight that needed at least -- needed a last-second pull-up maneuver to avoid crashing. And another one that landed with less fuel in reserve than regulations require. United is ordering its pilots right now to increase their safety procedures.

ROMANS: At the New York trial of accused al Qaeda terrorist Abid Nasser, federal prosecutors revealing for the first time communications between Osama bin Laden and his deputies about plans for terror attacks in the U.S., Britain, Russia and Europe. Nasser is accused is plotting attacks in Manchester, England, and on the New York City subway system. He is representing himself at the trial. He denies all those charges.

BERMAN: The jury pool for the trial of accused Boston marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev has been finalized and opening statements are expected to begin finally next week. Prosecution and defense teams have settled on a pool of 70 prospective jurors which were whittled down to a final 10 or 12, six alternates. Tsarnaev is charged in the 2013 marathon bombing that left three people dead, hundreds injured. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.

ROMANS: The murder trial of former NFL star Aaron Hernandez now into its third week of testimony. A police ballistics expert telling the jury Wednesday all five shell casings found in the scene where Odin Lloyd was fatally shot in 2013, all five of those casings came from the same gun. The murder weapon has not been found. Hernandez has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges against him.

BERMAN: The fate of Jodi Arias is in the hands of a jury at the sentencing retrial in Phoenix. Jurors deliberated for about three hours on Wednesday. They will be back today. They are deciding if Arias should be put to death or whether she should get life in prison for murdering Travis Alexander. The jury that convicted her in 2013 deadlocked on sentencing.

ROMANS: Bobbi Kristina Brown suffering seizures, according to family source, when doctors tried taking her off various medications. They were forced to put her back on those drugs. Twenty-one-year-old Brown, the only daughter of Whitney Houston. She remains in a medically induced coma after being found face down in a bathtub at her Georgia home about a month ago.

BERMAN: Marijuana, legal as of midnight in Washington, D.C., recreational use of marijuana at the nation's capital. The voter- approved measure allows adults 21 and over to possess two ounces or less. They can grow up to six marijuana plants at a primary residence. The Washington, D.C. mayor ignored warnings from Republican lawmakers who threatened to throw the mayor in jail if going ahead with the legalization plans. Back in November, 70 percent of D.C. voters approved the marijuana initiative.

All right. He has battle drug addiction for years. This is a really, really sad story. Now, there's word that baseball star Josh Hamilton suffered a relapse. Andy Scholes has the latest from the "Bleacher Report", next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: A once homeless college football player is no longer part of a team because a family friend offered him a place to live.

ROMANS: Andy Scholes has more in this morning's "Bleacher Report".

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

Yes, the player's name is Silas Nacita. He was a walk-on running back for Baylor. He received national attention not too long ago when people learned he had been homeless for a year. Now, Nacita, he is no longer part of the Baylor football program because of a rules violation.

A long-time family friend basically took him in and gave him a place to live last summer. But that's considered an impermissible benefit, according to the NCAA. Now, the story, it does get a little murky, though, because NCAA, they're denying that they have ruled ineligible, saying in a statement that Baylor has not requested a waiver for him. Nevertheless, Nacita, though, he says he is devastated about being off the football team, but he is not defeated.

The Los Angeles Angels announced yesterday that star outfielder Josh Hamilton was meeting with Major League Baseball officials. And according to report, the former AL MVP has had a drug relapse. Hamilton was suspended from baseball from 2004 to June of 2006 for issues related to cocaine and alcohol addiction.

According to CBS Sports, Hamilton confessed to going on a binge- involved cocaine a couple months ago. Hamilton was already going to be out of action until May after having shoulder surgery. But now, he could be facing a lengthy suspension.

In the NBA last night, the Timberwolves turned back the clock to 2007 as they welcomed back their all time leading scorer Kevin Garnett. The 19-year veteran received a standing ovation before the game from the Minnesota crowd. The Timberwolves, they traded for Garnett at the deadline, hoping he could come back to where he was drafted way back in 1995. He helped teach the young kids on the team how to win. So far, so good. Timberwolves beat the Wizards last night, 97-77.

All right. LeBron James' son, LeBron James Jr., has become an Internet sensation after clips of him dominating fourth grade basketball made the rounds. Well, now, LeBron James Jr., he's only 10 years old, has already reportedly got some offers to play college basketball. As you can imagine, dad not very happy about it. LeBron told CBS in Detroit, "It's pretty crazy. It should be a violation. You shouldn't be recruiting 10-year-old kids."

Guys?

BERMAN: You know, Andy, I didn't hear the word you said because all I'm doing is watching this kid dominate, completely dominate the floor there.

SCHOLES: Unbelievable.

BERMAN: It's crazy.

Now, I did hear really.

SCHOLES: Basketball genes are strong in that family.

ROMANS: Wow, he is fun to watch. He is really fun to watch.

SCHOLES: Yes, but hopefully, we don't know where he is going to college for at least another six or seven years, right?

ROMANS: Thanks, Andy. Thanks a lot.

All right. Twenty-six minutes past the hour.

The big story this morning: three men arrested in New York, accused of trying to join ISIS. What we are learning about their alleged plot and why the FBI believes there could be more arrests to come.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)