Obama in Belgium for EU Summit
HARLOW: Welcome back to EARLY START. We're going to return to our Flight 370 coverage in just a moment. First, though, this is a very important. The search for survivors continues this morning after that deadly Washington state mudslide. It is growing more grim by the hour. Fire officials now believe up to 24 people are dead. Scores are still missing. Investigators admitting chances of finding anyone else alive are pretty slim. I want you to listen to this 911 call. It comes from the moment right after the landslide began, followed by the fire chief's sobering assessment of the devastation.</s>CALLER: No, no, no, there's a freaking mudslide. All see is dirt. We've watched hundreds of trees come falling out of</s>DISPATCHER: OK, is there --</s>CALLER: I'm on Sea Post Road. Highway 530. And there's not even a house here anymore.</s>DISPATCHER: Are there any injuries?</s>CALLER: Yes. There's people yelling for help.</s>CHIEF TRAVIS HOTS, SNOHOMISH COUNTY FIRE DISTRICT 21: What we're finding is these vehicles are like twisted and tore up into like pieces. You know, I saw a car, and I saw one piece of the car, like one-eighth of a car, it was just all twisted. And it -- it is just amazing the magnitude and the force that this slide has created and what it has done. It's not just done that to cars. It's done that to these buildings. So, you know, carpet and photo albums and vehicles and boats and wood piles and all these things. All this mud that's heavy.</s>HARLOW: Well, it is believed that as many as 170 people, 170 additional people are still missing and unaccounted for. Our hearts just go out to all of them.</s>ROMANS: All right. President Obama in Belgium this morning for the E.U. summit. Talks continue for the crisis in Ukraine. European leaders expected to press President Obama for more natural gas exports from the U.S. so they can reduce their dependency on Russian energy and punish Moscow for invading Crimea. White House correspondent Michelle Kosinski is traveling with the president. She joins us live from Brussels. What's the latest on the president's trip?</s>MICHELLE KOSINSKI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Christine. Well, today, he'll meet with the leaders of the E.U. and NATO. And what an added significance those relationships have taken on, precisely because of the situation in Ukraine. I mean, this trip originally, of course, it was planned well in advance, was supposed to be about emphasizing those ties between nations but now it's become really acting together to try to figure out what to do about Russia and what's going on in Crimea. And today, President Obama is expected to give a speech to the Belgium people. And the White House hasn't wanted the entire trip to be shaped by the situation in Ukraine. But it's expected that he may mention it. People are waiting to hear what he might say about that. And some of what he's already said has turned heads. Yesterday, for example, during a press conference, he called Russia a regional power. Said that it's coming from a position of weakness and isolation, and that all of those troops, 30,000 of them, massed at the Ukrainian border seem to be an intimidation tactic. Not everybody agrees with that. And the president has been dogged by questions whether the U.S. has underestimated the possibilities over there and what Russian President Vladimir Putin is actually planning. The White House said they're under no illusions about what could happen. And the U.S. remains deeply concerned about the troops and of course is watching the situation. Also that the U.S. and E.U. will act in concert accordingly, if the situation does change. So, that's what we expect to see today. Of course, this trip continues on from here, Christine.</s>ROMANS: All right. Michelle Kosinski for us in Brussels this morning -- thank you.</s>HARLOW: Well, with the Obamacare deadline less than a week away, the White House is giving some people a little bit more time. This is an extension for those who tried to sign up online, but were blocked by all of the technical problems. But here's the catch -- they have to prove it was the glitches that were to blame. Several states have taken more steps with their own exchanges. General enrollment for Obamacare, so that you avoid a penalty, it ends on March 31st.</s>ROMANS: All right. Let's look at your money right now. Global stocks trading higher today. Asia up on news the consumer confidence in the U.S. is at a six-year high. Europe kicking off a second day of gains after the central bank signaled it would do whatever it takes to safeguard the economy. The euro surging over the past year, the bank has been worried about inflation. One currency that doesn't have to worry about inflation -- bitcoin. Why? It's not a currency, at least according to the IRS. Uncle Sam ruled yesterday bitcoin is property. It can be taxed as property. Not as a currency -- it's not a currency. The IRS points out while bitcoin may be used by the currency, no country accepts it as legal tender. And, oh, they were on fire. The crypto currency folks were on fire on Twitter and online about the IRS ruling on that. Very interesting.</s>HARLOW: People are just talking about it more and more. It is fascinating. But try explaining in ten seconds. Very confusing.</s>ROMANS: I know. All I know is that Warren Buffett said it might not be around in 10 or 20 years. So, there you go.</s>HARLOW: He tends to get things right. All right. Well, the search window narrowing for investigators, trying to find missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. Right now, a very intense search being carried out in the air and by sea. We're going to take you live for the very latest. But first, here at home, major snowstorm set to pummel the East Coast. What? Not spring yet. Jennifer Gray explains, next.