Indonesian Air Plane Crash Search Widens Scope; Merkel Announces She Will Not Seek Re-Election.
BRIGGS: German Chancellor Angela Merkel will not seek reelection when her term expires in 2021. She made that announcement Monday in Berlin. Merkel has been Chancellor since 2005, but her popularity is plummeting. And let's go live in Berlin and bring in CNN's Fred Pleitgen with what is, arguably, the biggest story on the globe. Good morning sir. What are the implications here?</s>FRED PLEITGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi Dave. Well, potentially very big implications. Obviously, Angela Merkel, arguably, one of the strongest leaders in the world, certainly known as being the strongest female leader in the world, and she was once the Times person of the year because she was seen as such a strong person. Also, this could have pretty big implication also, Dave, for the relations with the United States as well. Angela Merkel was always seen as a very pro-American leader here in Europe. Very close relations that she had with the Obama administration, a little more difficult with the Trump administration. She's also been very tough on Russia as well. Still has fairly good relations with Vladimir Putin though, so a very - very strong, very powerful politician, someone, however Dave, who was seen as a very popular internationally, and who's lost a lot of popularity here at home in Germany. And now, she's drawing the consequences of that. She's lost a lot of votes to far right parties here in Germany, especially after Germany took in around a million refugees in 2015. Many people criticize her for that move. And it was so interesting to see her yesterday going on T.V. and essentially say that she now believes that she's part of the problem rather than part of the solution. She said that the coalition that she's leading is doing unacceptable work. She said a lot of decisions that should have been made were not made. She said she doesn't believe that the electorate here in Germany is being radicalized, but it's politics that are failing them. So you could see her with a very honest description, a very bold description of what she thinks is going on. Now she wants three more years to try and right the ship, Dave.</s>BRIGGS: Yes. She say's it will allow the federal government to function well again. Any theories about what the leadership looks like after Merkel?</s>PLEITGEN: That's going to be the big question. And, you know, if you look at Germany this morning, that certainly is what everybody is asking about. First of all, they're going to replace the leadership of the political party that she is currently heading. And, possibly, the person who gets that job - there's several people who are, sort of, in the running for that, might also be a candidate to then be the next chancellor of Germany. Up in the air, really, who that's going to be at this point in time, but one of the reasons why she says she is making this move right now is she - because she wants to give time for a successor to be in place. Now one of the things I will say is that usually in German politics, at least foreign policy doesn't go through tectonic shifts, major shifts very quickly. So we can expect to see the next person who's in office, at least have several - a similar foreign policy as Angela Merkel, but certainly it's going to be very interesting to see who that person is, and especially how the relations with the U.S. for going to be then, going forward, Dave.</s>BRIGGS: Excellent context from Fred Pleitgen live in Berlin this morning. Thank you.</s>ROMANS: All right, officials now say it is unlikely remains of all 189 aboard the doomed Lion Air flight from Indonesia will be found. More bodies are being pulled from the waters, including a baby. Officials did try to reassure grieving families that he identification process was moving along as - as quickly as possible. So far the fuselage and the flight data recorders have not been recovered. So we don't know what caused this new plane to go down. At least 650 police personnel involved now in the search by boat, by helicopter, and underwater.</s>BRIGGS: Ahead, the Cleveland Browns letting go Hue Jackson who survived one win in two years. But the Cleveland Browns, with two wins this season, not enough. Andy Scholes has the latest Cleveland firing next.</s>BRIGGS: It was raining threes overnight in Chicago, Klay Thompson with a record setting performance for the Golden State Warriors. Andy Scholes has the details and the pictures in the BLEACHER REPORT. Good morning, my friend.</s>BRIGGS: Andy Scholes, good to see you my friend. Thank you, Romans, over to you.</s>ROMANS: All right, thanks Dave. The President and his family head to Pittsburgh today. They will pay respects after the synagogue massacre, but some in the community say it's too soon. Also a GoFundMe page up for the synagogue has already raised some $800,000. To help, go to GoFundMe.com.</s>BILL PEDUTO, MAYOR OF PITTSBURGH: I believe that it would be best to put the attention on the families this week.</s>BRIGGS: Some in the community are not ready, but the President and his family head to Pittsburgh today to pay tribute after the synagogue massacre. The first funeral is today.</s>ROMANS: Stocks on a roller coaster ride, literally. Future is way - well futures actually now are are suggesting a higher open after this 900 point swing for the DOW amid tariff concerns. And the search area expanding after the Lion Airplane crash near Indonesia, its unlikely remains for everyone on that doomed flight will ever be found. All right, welcome back to EARLY START, I'm Christine Romans.</s>BRIGGS: I'm Dave Briggs. It is 5:30 eastern time.