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New Day

Texans Coach Collapses On Sideline; A Vendetta Against TSA; Morsi Trial Adjourned; Birmingham Airport Evacuated; Man Stuck Between Buildings; Gator Loose At Airport; No Clemency for Snowden; Toronto Mayor Scandal; Almost Election Day

Aired November 04, 2013 - 06:00   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hopefully, he's going to be all right. I know he's a great football man and a great person.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking overnight. An NFL coach collapses on the sidelines. The team rushes to his aid. The second NFL coach health scare this week. We have the latest.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: A CNN exclusive. The new details on the alleged LAX gunman from a woman who knew him well. Just how far in advance was he plotting his attack? She's only talking to CNN.

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Close call. Two planes collide mid-air. The trained sky divers on board leaping for their lives. Everyone survives. We hear from one of the jumpers on board

CUOMO: Your NEW DAY starts right now.

ANNOUNCER: This is NEW DAY with Chris Cuomo, Kate Bolduan, and Michaela Pereira.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CUOMO: Good morning. Welcome to NEW DAY. It is Monday, November 4th, six o'clock in the east. Coming up this morning, we're going to be talking elections. Now, before you say it's a little early to be talking about the midterms, let alone 2016, it's all about moves that indicate later moves when it comes to politics. So, there are some very real ones, including Election Day for New Jersey governor, Chris Christie.

We also have a major senator in the Democratic party essentially endorsing Hillary Clinton over the weekend. What does that mean for everyone else? We'll take you through it.

BOLDUAN: Also, we have a couple of stories rocking the NFL this morning. You see there, that coach collapsing on the field, but also, we have new information this morning about the Miami Dolphins player who left the team over alleged bullying. Now, there's new reporting as to just how this 320-pound offensive tackle was bullied and how one player reportedly involved is suspended.

PEREIRA: And if you look at the calendar, you know that we're still weeks away from like Black Friday shopping, right? The shopping day to end all shopping days, but why is Wal-Mart then beginning its Christmas sales already. The bigger question, is this a good thing?

CUOMO: Let's begin with the health scare this morning for that coach in the NFL's Houston Texans. The 52-year-old Gary Kubiak is hospitalized this morning after he collapsed while leaving the field at half time of last night's game with the Colts. The team says Kubiak did not have a heart attack. The question is what happened?

CNN's Ed Lavandera is live in Houston with details this morning. Good morning, Ed. What do we know?

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Chris. All of this unfolded in front of more than 70,000 fans here at Reliance Stadium in Houston and in front of a national television audience, when Coach Kubiak according to a team executive started feeling dizzy and lightheaded.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LAVANDERA (voice-over): You can see Texan's Head Coach Gary Kubiak on the 24-yard line when he suddenly falls to his knees during Sunday night's game. Long time colleagues rushed to his side. The teams were walking off the field for half time during the game between the Texans and the Colts when the 52-year-old coach fell ill.

This was the scene at Reliant Stadium in Houston as he was rushed off the field on a gurney, concerned NFL fans watching from the stands.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He went down to his knee. He couldn't get back up. It looked like he was having trouble breathing.

LAVANDERA: The ambulance rushed Kubiak to a hospital with his family by his side.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The ambulance is on its way to the hospital.

WADE PHILLIPS, DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR, HOUSTON TEXANS: All his vital signs are good. He did not have a heart attack, but they're still checking on everything with him.

LAVANDERA: After the game, a rival player took a moment to say they are pulling for the coach.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hopefully he is going to be all right. I know he's a great football man and a great person. I think a great win, but all our thoughts and prayers are with him.

LAVANDERA: Kubiak's health scare comes just a day after Denver Bronco's head coach, John Fox, was hospitalized following a pre- existing health situation. Fox felt dizzy while playing golf near his North Carolina home on Saturday. The 58-year-old coach is now in the hospital awaiting surgery to replace an aortic valve and faces weeks of recovery.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LAVANDERA: And, Kate, this morning, Gary Kubiak is still in the hospital. As far as we know, a team executive said last night that he was undergoing a series of tests and meeting with specialists. The team executive said they did hope that at some point Coach Kubiak would rejoin the team today. We will see how that plays out later today -- Kate.

BOLDUAN: The very least I hope the coach is feeling better this morning. Ed, thank you so much for that. Now let's move to a CNN exclusive, new details of the man accused of gunning down a TSA officer at point blank range at Los Angeles airport.

Paul Ciancia is in critical condition this morning. He reportedly is not able to speak. But a woman who says she knows him well is filling in some of the blanks telling CNN what he might have been thinking and doing shortly before the incident.

CNN's Miguel Marquez is in Los Angeles with that exclusive angle to the story. Good morning, Miguel.

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning there, Kate. This woman has a fascinating story to tell. It is amazing she is an ordinary person who found herself in this extraordinary circumstance. She wants to remain anonymous. She doesn't want her life or her name associated with Paul Ciancia.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARQUEZ (voice-over): Days before Paul Ciancia's murderous rampage, this woman who knows the alleged gunman and his three roommates says Ciancia was already plotting his crime.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He asked one of the roommates if he could have a ride to the airport.

MARQUEZ (on camera): Why did he need a ride?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He was going back home, his dad was kind of sick. He had to deal with some family issues.

MARQUEZ: Did anyone ever see a ticket?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No. He also didn't mentioned what day he had to leave.

MARQUEZ (voice-over): She says Ciancia rarely left his San Fernando Valley apartment since moving here in January describing him as socially awkward and a heavy smoker. The day he put his alleged plan into action, she says, it took his roommate by surprise.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That morning, he doesn't knock, just opens the door and says I need to leave, can you take me now? MARQUEZ: Ciancia's roommates believed this was the moment he texted family members in New Jersey telling them he was going to commit suicide. That prompted frantic calls between police in New Jersey and L.A. Police came to Ciancia's home.

(on camera): He has a bag, gets in the car?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

MARQUEZ: Off they go and a short time later, a knock at the door?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

MARQUEZ: Police? Why are the police there?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They heard that Paul was suicidal and they figured we'll go check on him.

MARQUEZ (voice-over): She says the two other roommates were handcuffed as police searched the premises. Paul already gone, no sign of a gun. Police say Ciancia took his military style weapon, a legally purchased Smith and Wesson .223-caliber rifle, hopped out of his roommate's car at LAX and began seeking out TSA agents to kill.

(on camera): Did he ever express any hatred towards the government or toward the TSA?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All the NSA findings that came out, you know, this year that he was very upset about it and he also thought that TSA abused their power.

MARQUEZ: CNN has confirmed this picture making the rounds online is legitimate. Paul Anthony Ciancia shot at least twice. His face and neck hit. He is wearing chinos, a polo shirt. No ballistic vest. No special clothing. He looks like any other traveler.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At that moment that they're seeing this on the TV, their third roommate comes back and says, I just dropped off Paul at LAX to go home. They just knew, they knew you dropped off Paul to a shooting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MARQUEZ: Absolutely amazing story. The other victims in this, two TSA agents who were also shot by Mr. Ciancia are allegedly so they have been released from the hospital. A traveler who was shot in the leg is in fair condition and Ciancia as I understand it from sources in law enforcement may have been shot as many as five times. The irony of all this, if he survives those injuries, he may face the death penalty. Chris, Kate, back to you.

BOLDUAN: All right, thank you so much, Miguel, such a terrifying scene playing out Friday morning. More on the morning headlines, Michaela.

PEREIRA: Good morning, guys and good morning to you at home. Let's take a look at our headlines now. The politically charged trial of Egypt's ousted president, Mohamed Morsi, began this morning but was quickly adjourned after an outburst in court. Egypt state run TV says the defendants were chanting calling the court invalid and that Morsi refused to wear the required white clothing. Morsi and 14 other senior Muslim Brotherhoods are facing charges stemming from deadly clashes outside the presidential palace last year.

Another airport scare, this one in Birmingham, Alabama, just days after that deadly LAX shooting, a note containing a threat was found in a bathroom there yesterday. The airport was shutdown. The terminal evacuated and flights were diverted. A sweep by the bomb squad turned up nothing and normal operations resumed after two hours.

(Inaudible) gay and transgender employees from workplace discrimination goes up for a test vote in the Senate later today, President Obama in a blog post Sunday night urging Congress to pass the measure known as the employment non-discrimination act saying there is broad support for the bill among Americans and it should be the law of the land.

A 19-year-old man is recovering this morning after quite bizarre scenario. He was freed from between two buildings in New York City. Firefighters, Usher Vongtu, a student at NYU was stuck in a space about six to 12 inches wide. He had been stuck there for almost two days. Once he was found, it took officials about an hour-and-a-half to break through three layers of cinder block to pull the man free. It is not clear how he got there, but he may have fallen out a window into that space.

Forget snakes on a plane, how about an alligator at an airport. This was an alligator found under an escalator at Chicago's O'Hare Airport. One of the employees there used a broom and dustpan to capture the reptile. It has been nicknamed Ally employees. It will eventually be placed in a permanent home in another state where we believe the climate might be a little warmer and conducive.

I have an alligator. He was using a dustpan. I personified it there.

CUOMO: Is that Don Corleone?

PEREIRA: I don't know what happened.

CUOMO: We will work on our alligator voices here as we get to Karen Maginnis in for Indra Petersons with the forecast.

KAREN MAGINNIS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Chris, Kate. Yes, a very cold start to the day in the northeast in New England. Temperatures are only in the 20s and 30s. It should be 5 degrees to 10 degrees warmer than that. There are now freeze warnings for portions of Maryland extending up towards to New York, where temperatures are exceptionally cold for this time of year. It should be right around 40 or so degrees.

Well, that will be a about the day time high. It's 47 for New York City, but a nice warming trend over the next several days. But as we go towards the latter portion of the workweek, it is going to be increasingly cloudy. Another weather system that will sweep across the mid-west with some snow is going to make its way across north east in New England. We will modify a little bit, but we'll have more on that.

All right, take a look at this, this is SR520. It's a swimming bridge from Seattle to Redmond. This was swaying about 5 feet or so. The winds were gusting to 50 miles an hour. People were terrified on the bridge with the high waves and the high winds, about 50 cars were abandoned. It has been since 2006 was the last time they shut this bridge down. As you can imagine just how terrifying that was and they have since reopened it. The weather system has now moved on -- Chris, Kate, back to you.

BOLDUAN: Yes, my goodness.

CUOMO: Karen, thanks for the weather. How about those cops? Did you see how close they were? I know they got to keep people from getting on the bridge, but imagine what was going on through their minds.

BOLDUAN: I'm not going any further.

CUOMO: Coming up on NEW DAY, a new pleas from Edward Snowden. Remember him? He says he's no criminal and has a new message. Wait until you hear our response from our leaders in the nation's capitol.

BOLDUAN: Also ahead, a mayor accused of smoking crack cocaine. He says he is sorry for past mistakes, but he will not resign and he wants the public to see the alleged evidence.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CUOMO: Welcome back to NEW DAY. Edward Snowden has issued a manifesto of truth. The NSA leaker suggests reforms to surveillance programs and says the U.S. should cut him some slack. But in Washington, there is little debate about what should happen at least to him.

CNN's Barbara Starr is at the Pentagon. Barbara, what do we know about this?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Chris.

You know, Edward Snowden might have thought enough time had passed, that the government might be treating him more kindly, given the embarrassment over his revelations. Well, the government's message to Edward Snowden: don't count on it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STARR (voice-over): If Edward Snowden has any thoughts, he might be forgiven for disclosing classified information, the White House says: think again.

On ABC's "This Week" White House senior adviser Dan Pfeiffer was asked if there are conditions under which President Obama would consider clemency. DAN PFEIFFER, WHITE HOUSE SENIOR ADVISER: None that have been discussed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: None at all.

PFEIFFER: No.

STARR: The chatter about forgiveness has been sparked by this cover in German magazine, "Ders Spiegel", which published Snowden's "A Manifesto for the Truth", in which he says he's seeing a positive reaction to his disclosures and he wants the U.S. to stop treating him like a criminal.

Snowden says, quote, "The people must fight against the suppression of information about issues of public significance. Whoever speaks the truth is not a criminal." Snowden's fate is one of the few areas these days where both parties seem to agree.

On CBS's "Face the Nation", the Republican chairman of the House Intelligence Committee said clemency is a terrible idea.

REP. MIKE ROGERS (R-MI), INTELLIGENCE CHAIRMAN: If he wants to come back and own up to the responsibility of the fact that he took and stole information, he violated his oath. He disclosed classified information, that, by the way, has allowed three different terrorist organizations, affiliates of Al Qaida to change the way they communicate, I'd be happy to have that discussion with him.

STARR: For now, Snowden stays in Moscow. There's been discussion of him traveling to Germany, but Snowden also wants assurances the Germans won't turn him over. Of course, German Chancellor Angela Merkel's government is furious at finding out the U.S. was spying on it, another Snowden revelation.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STARR: Now, Snowden still sees himself as a whistle-blower. The government's position is he followed no legal procedure to report what he believed was wrongdoing by the U.S. government. They say he took classified information and ran -- Kate.

BOLDUAN: All right, Barbara. Thank you so much for that.

Now to a bizarre and fascinating story involving a big city mayor accused of smoking crack cocaine. Rob Ford, the mayor of Toronto, is now speaking out against the latest evidence against him, a video that police say shows him using drugs. Well, he wants it all released and the public to then decide his fate.

Nick Valencia has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): After months of bombshell headlines alleging crack cocaine abuse and erratic behavior, it is what Toronto Mayor Rob Ford had to say on his radio show Sunday that had everyone listening.

ROB FORD, MAYOR OF TORONTO: I have made mistakes, and all I can do right now is apologize for the mistakes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have gathered the evidence.

VALENCIA: In a news conference last Thursday, Toronto's police chief said they have video what appears to be the mayor smoking from a glass pipe. Ford has repeatedly denied using crack since the allegation surfaced in May.

On Sunday, he said that video should be made public.

FORD: Whatever this video shows, folks, Toronto residents deserve to see it and people need to judge for themselves what they see on this video.

VALENCIA: Mayor Ford was also featured prominently in more than 460- page police investigation into gang activity. The report important as much for what it says about the mayor as what it doesn't say -- page after page about Ford's alleged drug abuse redacted.

But there were photos, including one of Ford in front of what police say is a crack house, with three men alleged to be gang members.

Surveillance video also showed questionable behavior. The mayor seen with his one-time driver who has since been arrested on extortion charges, related to the video that alleges to show Ford using crack cocaine. Now, the mayor is taking responsibility, even if he is quite not ready to say why he is apologizing.

FORD: There is no one to blame but myself, and I take full responsibility for it. I want to move forward. But I also know to move forward, I have to make changes in my life, which I can assure you that I will do. I love the work I do and I'm going to keep doing it.

VALENCIA: Nick Valencia, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BOLDUAN: An unreal story to be considering for the people of Toronto.

CUOMO: Yes, I don't get it. Either he is abusing drugs or he isn't. Kind of sounds like maybe he -- you know, either the evidence isn't as clear as being suggested, or he wants to hold on, which if he is abusing drugs, it's not unusual, right? It's hard to make that change, if it's true. But they got to show you the proof.

BOLDUAN: And regardless -- and regardless, it seems in the very least, it is a distraction from doing the business of running that city for the people.

CUOMO: Absolutely. Now, you said it's been going on since May. So either they have a case against him or they don't. This has been long enough, you know? BOLDUAN: We'll see.

Coming up next on NEW DAY: just one day left before Election Day for some, big races for governor in Virginia and New Jersey. But what do these races tell us about if big races ahead for Congress and the White House. John King will be here for our political gut check.

CUOMO: And we're going to talk about bullying. It's something that kids do, right? So, why is the NFL investigating bullying among NFL players? Maybe the problem has manifestations we're not aware of. We'll look into it when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BOLDUAN: Welcome back to NEW DAY.

It's time now for our political gut check of the morning.

Today is the last day of campaigning in two very high profile governor's races in Virginia and New Jersey. But what's at stake here for both parties, national parties, beyond the governor's mansion?

CNN's chief national correspondent John King is here to break it all down for us.

So a big week for New Jersey and Virginia. But why are folks saying the message sent from these outcomes reaches far beyond these states? What's in it for both parties?

JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: In the past, there have been clues out of the Virginia or the New Jersey's governor's race, the odd year races if you will, Kate, that tell us about maybe a transition at a party.

Well, we know, we've talked about this quite bit. The Republican party is in a bit of a civil war, many would call it recently. So, what are we going to see here? It looks like we're going to see a more moderate governor of New Jersey, Chris Christie in a blue state that goes Democratic in presidential all the time, rack up a pretty big victory. And he's already saying it's inevitable, people will start thinking about him running for president in 2016.

On the flipside, Democrats are favored. It's been a very uninspiring governor's race in the state of Virginia, but you've had a Republican governor after two Democratic governors. Virginia is now in the second tier of key presidential battleground, right below Ohio and Florida, a key swing state. So everyone is going to study the turnout there, study the demographics there for lessons heading in 2016. Democrats would like very much to get that governor's office back as they go forward.

Less of a national mess I think out of Virginia, except for possibly this -- if you have Chris Christie win in New Jersey, Ken Cuccinelli lose in Virginia, a lot of people are going to say the Tea Party candidate Cuccinelli took beating and the guy who sometimes sticks in the eye of the Tea Party won big. BOLDUAN: So there is a message to be learned there. But, you know, the president was in Virginia campaigning for Terry McAuliffe, the Democratic candidate, this weekend. He said the outcome will say a lot for Virginia's future and about the country's future.

But I do wonder if that's necessarily the case, because both parties are not going to be picking their presidential nominee for some three years. As we always say, there is a lot that can happen between now and then.

KING: There is a lot that can happen between now and then. But Virginia, if you just want to put the party labels aside and just study demographics, the changing of a state, and whether it's the rising Latino population, whether it's the rising youth population in northern Virginia, whether it's the rising college-educated people who work in the technology industries around the Pentagon, if you look at a state like Virginia, it is one of the places, if we were having this conversation 10 years ago, the fact that a Democrat could have a success would be a surprise.

Virginia is now a true swing state in presidential politics and at the state wide level. So, the demographics of Virginia are less. There are people talking, Kate, that, you know, in 10 years, Texas will be a blue state.

So it's one of the places you watch the shifting population, especially in a northern Virginia suburb just outside Washington, D.C., have radically transformed state politics. That's what the president is talking about. President Obama carried it twice. It had been not back -- you have to go back to Lyndon Johnson to get a Democrat carrying Virginia in a presidential politics, Jimmy Carter days, before they were competitive.

So, there's no question the state is changing. And the big question has been, is it a permanent change or is it going to be a swing state back and forth every four years?

BOLDUAN: I also want to get your take, John, the president, he penned -- people are going to wake up and read this that the president has penned over the weekend in "The Huffington Post". But it's not either of the topics that are really dominating the news for the administration at the moment. Rather, he is pushing Congress to pass a bill barring discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in the work place.

What's going on here?

KING: It's the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. This bill has languished for some time because of conservative opposition. But it looks like now, Kate, Harry Reid, the Senate majority leader, says he'll bring it up before Thanksgiving. If you do the math, the supporters now believe they have a filibuster proof, 60-plus votes support in the Senate.

So, let's watch as that plays out. It would prohibit discrimination against gay Americans in the work place. Some conservatives say it's not necessary that those protections are already in place. That has been the argument in the past. But Harry Reid says he's going to bring it to a vote.

There is a large discussion going on in the Republican Party about starting to reach out to more gay Americans, trying to stop a tone that many view as tolerant, and pushing away, if you will. The question is, if it passes the Senate, will the House leadership bring it up for a vote?

Most people believe there's majority support for it in the House. But as we've talked about in immigration and other issues, the leadership first has to decide whether to bring it to the floor. If this bill passes the Senate, that would be the next big commitment. And there is no commitment at the moment from the House to do that. But you can be sure if it passes the Senate, especially with a healthy margin, there will be pressure.

BOLDUAN: Yes. And we always talk about, that the Senate can pass something with a big number. They can send it with momentum over to the House. But it doesn't matter, the leaders will bring it up then.

Great to see you, John.

KING: Interesting issue heading into the election year if they bring it up.

BOLDUAN: Exactly. Absolutely. Great to see you. We'll talk to you soon.

KING: Take care. Happy Monday.

BOLDUAN: All right.

Politics are never far away. Let's go over to Michaela for the rest of the headlines.

PEREIRA: All right. Thanks so much, Kate.

Good morning, everyone.

Making news: the Houston Texan's head coach is in stable condition this morning after a health scare at half-time during a game. Gary Kubiak collapsed as his team ran off the field. The team saying, though, the coach did not have a heart attack. The 52-year-old is in the hospital undergoing tests. He is said to have been conscious and talking when he left the field.

Chilly new details of what happened in those hours before a deadly shooting at Los Angeles International Airport. Someone who knows the subject, Paul Ciancia, says he surprised a roommate by demanding that he'd suddenly taken to the airport. Police alerted by concerned family members showed up at their apartment shortly afterwards, but Ciancia was already at LAX.

A TSA officer was killed. Three other people wounded before police shot Ciancia, who was hospitalized in critical condition. Pakistan's prime minister meeting with his top advisers today, reviewing relations with the U.S. This following a drone strike that killed Pakistani Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud on Friday. Mehsud's group is blamed for killing thousands in a six-year battle against the state. Pakistan leaders blasted the U.S., accusing Washington of trying to scuttle peace efforts.

Could herbal supplements not be quite what they seem? Researchers in Canada used DNA testing on 44 bottles of popular supplements and found that many of the pills were often diluted.