Return to Transcripts main page

New Day

Newtown Massacre Report; New Poll Lows for Obama; Travel Warning For Thanksgiving; Deal On Iran's Nuclear Activity; Massive Delays At DFW; Amtrak Train Derails; Postal Worker Killed; Stadium Jumper; Brady Versus Manning; School Shooting Report To Be Released

Aired November 25, 2013 - 06:00   ET

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

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

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Welcome to "NEW DAY." It's Monday, November 25th, six o'clock in the east, and your Thanksgiving travel plans could be in trouble.

A deadly storm is stretching from California to Texas. It's already creating problems and now heading east at the worst possible time, packing fierce winds, frigid temperatures. You know what that means, airport delays and highway horrors. We're going to be covering this storm with the full power of CNN. Let's start with meteorologist, Indra Petersons. What do we see?

INDRA PETERSONS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: I mean, definitely a dangerous storm here. Just take a look at all the storm reports we've already seen between heavy snow and freezing rain. Today, we're looking at delays pretty much from anywhere from Arkansas back through Texas. And then, this guy spread the east affecting all the major hubs into the northeast.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PETERSONS (voice-over): The brunt of a massive winter storm crossed through Texas overnight as temperatures plummeted.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is Alaska.

PETERSONS: Watch as this SUV in Oklahoma City tumbles off the highway due to treacherous ice covered road. The ice, snow, and sleet have already caused several deaths.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If it gets really bad, we're going to encourage folks to just stay home.

PETERSONS: In East Texas, icy roads caused singer, Willie Nelson's, tour bus to plow into a bridge, injuring three band members. The deadly arctic blast now headed straight for the east coast as holiday travelers prepare to hit the roads and airports. Many cities will continue to see temperatures up to 20 degrees below average.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just stings your skin to be outside.

PETERSONS: It all started out west where strong winds in the San Francisco Bay area downed trees and power lines.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I heard a big crack and the house started banging and things started kind of falling.

PETERSONS: And almost 2 inches of rain flooded roads in Phoenix, Arizona.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's crazy. It's super, super crazy. I hope it is going to be gone soon.

PETERSONS: Fleets combined with wind gusts reaching up to 50 miles an hour in New Mexico killed a 4-year-old girl after her family's car rolled over along the highway.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This wind has been tremendous. It's here now.

PETERSONS: As the week progresses, increasing travel delays may be unavoidable. Torrential rain and snow is expected to hit some major travel hub during this hectic holiday week.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PETERSONS: OK, so here is the start up. We are watching this low pulling up moisture in the gulf. This low will combine with the system that is now making its way across the lake and bringing in that cold air from Canada. When you combine these two, you are combining a lot of moisture and cold air. We are so concerned especially for the biggest travel week of the year.

Now take a look, first into today and some heavy rain into the southeast. So if you are traveling in this region for the next several days, by aware of that. Then take a look. We are talking rain really spreading up into the northeast as we go through Monday.

Also we are talking about the mid-Atlantic by Tuesday starting to get some of that heavy snow. It's Tuesday night in through Wednesday. There is a concern. We are talking about strong winds, the heaviest amounts of snow anywhere from 4 inches to 8 inches of that snow.

And of course, the rainfall right now really into the mid-Atlantic, but it's those winds we are concerned with. As you get in through Wednesday, we are still hopefully just talking about rain in the major hubs. The snow continues to kind of dissipate as we talk about the Ohio Valley and in through Thursday.

Hopefully everyone has made their flights, but that's when thing really start to calm down. We'll still be left with that snow into the northeast -- Kate.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, Indra, thanks so much. So many people will be looking to you for some help this week. We'll check back in throughout the morning. That deadly storm that Indra is talking that is heading east right now is already causing massive headaches for holiday travelers in Texas and across the country. Officials at Dallas, Fort Worth Airport pre- canceled hundreds of flights of Sunday in advance of the storm.

They called it a pre-emptive move to keep passengers from getting stranded in the terminal. But ripple effects of the cancellations are being felt nationwide. Nick Valencia is live in Dallas this morning. So what are you seeing right now, Nick?

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Kate. Yes, the bad news is those 300 flights, canceled from Dallas Fort Worth Airport just to limit like you said the amount of passengers that are stranded at the airport. You can see behind me, it's kind of sparse crowds here this morning.

I just spoke to American Airways, the biggest carrier outside of Dallas Fort Worth. They said an additional 86 flights have been canceled. When you look at the departures here, you see a lot of those canceled signs, not good news. If you are flying this morning, best to check with your carriers.

You mentioned a busy holiday week of travel with more than 40 million Americans expected to travel about 50 miles or more this week during the holiday season. It is going to be a headache as this wet weather continues throughout the east coast and perhaps even moves up towards you guys there in New York. We will throw it back to you in the studio to Chris.

CUOMO: All right, thank you very much, pal, appreciate it. So new topic, new deal, is it the beginning of the end of Iran's nuclear threat? The agreement announced over the weekend will ease sanctions against Iran if it slows its nuclear program. Sound simple but reaction is decidedly mixed with many members of Congress joining Israel saying Iran got too much.

Chief national security correspondent Jim Sciutto is live with us from Geneva this morning with more. Good morning, Jim.

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Chris. Well, I'll tell you. A historic agreement, a difficult agreement, but it is going to have to be implemented in the face of tough opposition from America's two closest allies in the region, Israel and Saudi Arabia, but also as you say on the Hill.

Even some Democrats saying they will be pursuing new sanctions against Iran in the midst of all this. But I'll tell you being there that moment in the early morning hours of Sunday when they made this deal the sense among the diplomats here, that they achieved something very special.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SCIUTTO (voice-over): A historic agreement sealed with a hug.

JOHN KERRY, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: This agreement could not have been reached without the decision of the Iranian government to come to the table and negotiate.

SCIUTTO: After three weeks of intensive talks, the deal puts unprecedented limits on Iran's nuclear program. Iran limits enrichment of uranium to well below the level needed to make a nuclear bomb. Iran dilutes its existing stockpile of highly enriched uranium and it allows intrusive daily monitoring of all of its nuclear sites.

In exchange, the west economic sanctions on Iran will be eased, in all about $7 billion in relief. But in a case of diplomatic ambiguity, it allows for very different interpretations of Iran's rights.

KERRY: It is not in this document. There is no right to enrich.

SCIUTTO: In answer to a question from CNN, however, Iran's foreign minister say they gave Iran what it long sought, formal recognition for its freedom to develop a peaceful nuclear program including enrich in uranium.

(on camera): The White House says there is no formal right to enrich. How did you square that circle?

MOHAMMAD JAVAD ZARIF, IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: We agree the current agreement, current plan of action as we call it in two distinct faces, had a very clear reference with the fact that Iranian enrichment program will continue and will be a part of any agreement now and in the future.

SCIUTTO (voice-over): The deal will only last for six months. It presses the pause button on Iran's nuclear program, but it doesn't press delete it and it will all happen in the face of bitter differences between the U.S. and America's closest ally in the region.

KERRY: Israel is in fact safer than it was yesterday.

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: What was concluded in Geneva last night is not a historic agreement. It's a historic mistake. It's not made the world a safer place. Like the agreement with North Korea in 2005, this agreement has made the world a much more dangerous place.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SCIUTTO: So the six months of this deal is essentially to allow a time to negotiate a longer term final status for Iran's nuclear program. Under this agreement, Iran essentially agreeing not to add anything more to its nuclear program, but they are going to have to start talking about dismantling, closing down facilities, Chris. If this round was tough, the next round is going to even tougher.

CUOMO: All right, Jim, thank you very much. Only a four-page deal, but there is a lot in there that deserves this discussion, this melting politics and policy. We are going to talk more about the deal with White House deputy national security adviser, Tony Blinken, Senator Lindsey Graham and chief international correspondent, Christiane Amanpour, all coming up on "NEW DAY". MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: Right now, let's give you a look at the headlines making news now. Just released polls show President Obama taking a big hit especially when it comes to his honesty and his ability to manage the government. Take a look at the latest CNN/ORC poll.

A clear majority of Americans answering no to the question is President Obama honest and trustworthy and only 40 percent of Americans now believe the president can manage the federal government effectively. That is down 12 percent since May.

Now on a somewhat more positive note, 71 percent polled say he is likable though that number is down as well. A train derailment overnight in Spartanburg, South Carolina, the Amtrak train was headed from New Orleans to New York, all of the seven cars involved remain upright and there were no reports of serious injuries.

Two hundred seven passengers and 11 crew members are being taken to their destinations by charter bus. No word yet on exactly what caused that derailment. Officials are investigating the shooting death of a postal worker in Maryland. The 26-year-old Tyson Jerome Barnette was gunned down Saturday evening while on his mail route in the Landover area. Officials aren't saying whether they believe this crime was random or targeted. A $125,000 reward is now being offered for information about his death.

A woman in California alive this morning thanks to the quick thinking and quick action of a fellow football fan and Marine. The unidentified woman jumped from a third floor seating area after Sunday's Raider's game a. Man below tried to talk her out of jumping, but she plummeted 50 feet onto a second floor concurs. He shielded her fall with his body. Both had been hospitalized with serious injuries.

Tom Brady getting the best of Peyton Manning again, the Patriots' quarterback drawing for three touchdowns in the second half leading New England to a thrilling 34-31 overtime victory against the Denver Broncos in frigid Foxboro last night, his path trailed 24-0 at half- time.

In 14 career head-to-head meetings between the two future Hall-of- Famers, Brady has now beaten Manning 10 times. More in our "Bleacher Report" and from Miss Rachel Nichols coming up later in our show, a chilly football day.

CUOMO: It was cold.

BOLDUAN: All of a sudden a lot of lead up, but it often doesn't produce results when you have that much to a game.

PEREIRA: Right.

BOLDUAN: Sure did, a great game last night.

CUOMO: All right, coming up on "NEW DAY", a report on a Sandy Hook School massacre is said to be released in the next few hours. Why is controversy expected and what did we learn about what drove this troubled young man to kill?

BOLDUAN: But Russian President Vladmir Putin set to meet face-to-face with the pope. They will sit down at the Vatican today. Can they reverse tensions that date back centuries? Talk about tough job.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CUOMO: Welcome back to "NEW DAY". The long awaited report about the Sandy Hook shooting will be released today. It comes almost after a year after the massacre in New Town, Connecticut that killed 20 children and six adults.

CNN's Susan Candiotti is here with more. Susan, we have been waiting for it. The question is what's in it?

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's what we all want to know, Chris. This afternoon, we will finally read the readings of the Danbury (ph) state attorney, his findings. He made sure families knew ahead of time what's in the report, but will he tell us the motive, why did this unthinkable massacre happen?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CANDIOTTI (voice-over): It's been nearly one year since the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School that claimed the lives of 20 children and six adults, not including the killer who took his own life, a chilling memory for this fragile community as they brace themselves for new information.

Later today the state attorney's office will release a summary report shedding more light on the 11-month investigation. It's expected to include a time of shooter Adam Lanza's' movements, beginning in the morning when he killed his mom at her home before driving to Sandy Hook Elementary School where he blasted his way in through a class if window and fired 150 shots from an assault live in 5 minutes.

A much more detailed account with photos and witness statement, reportedly thousands of pages long won't be released in its entirety until sometime next year. Officials plan to edit out sensitive information before that full police report is finally issued.

Also today, a court is expected to decide on the release of the 911 calls. The Connecticut State Freedom of Information commission ordered the release of the tapes back in September overruling objections by new town officials. Local residents are at odds over when the calls should be made public.

JIM MAHER, NEWTOWN RESIDENT: I initially didn't think it was public information, but I would agree with the selectman that, you know, get it over with, get it done.

GEN COBUZZI, NEWTOWN RESIDENT: I don't. I think the families should really be left alone.

CANDIOTTI: Many fear the release of new details will open fresh wounds for a community still trying to heal. This is what remains of Sandy Hook Elementary School. Bulldozers began a demolition in late October, an attempt officials and residents alike hope will help bury painful memories and rebuild for the future.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CANDIOTTI: The family of Victoria Soto has issued a statement. She's one of the brave teachers who was killed trying to protect their students. The statement reads in part, "We have read the report. No, we cannot make sense of why it happened, we don't know if anyone ever will. We don't know if we will ever be whole again."

Certainly understandable.

And, you know, Chris, Kate, we know from the autopsy report that Lanza, the shooter here, had no drugs in his system, but was he under psychiatric care? We may never find out what was in the medical report, because reportedly the family has put a hold on that information.

Why that's important? We want to find out. Was he seeing someone? Was he supposed to be taking medication? And if not, why not?

CUOMO: Yes, I think not having meds in his system is more telling than he did have because, clearly, he needed some type of supervisors, some type of treatment.

It goes to the larger question of, how do we better the next time? How do we make sure that someone who has become so dislocated from reason can be controlled?

CANDIOTTI: Exactly. And, of course, we cannot ask his mother. And so far, the family, his family, has not said anything else about it.

CUOMO: Right. His father is still here.

CANDIOTTI: That's right.

CUOMO: He will make those decisions. But, of course, he was in the age of majority. So, the law gets involved in terms of when your privacy can be opened. But usually posthumously after death, you get these records, especially criminal situations.

CANDIOTTI: Usually, that is the case. Remember, the father was not living with the mother.

CUOMO: Right.

BOLDUAN: Susan, thanks so much.

CANDIOTTI: You are welcome.

BOLDUAN: Coming up next on "NEW DAY", President Obama's poll numbers plunging. More and more Americans are questioning his honesty. How can he turn it around?

CUOMO: Vladimir Putin preparing to meet with the pope today. The question is, why? We have answers, coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BOLDUAN: Welcome back to "NEW DAY".

Let's start with our political gut check right now.

A new CNN/ORC poll just released this hour shows to the public view of President Obama is down over the last six months, when it comes to personal trait, such as honesty, strength of leadership and government management. So, how bad is it and what does it for him?

CNN political analyst and executive editor of "The Daily Beast", John Avlon is joining us to talk more about this.

JOHN AVLON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Good morning.

BOLDUAN: And I want to throw up some of these poll numbers just so people get a sense, John, when we talk about this. I mean, really, when you look at the public perception of the president, in this personal qualities, they're really continuing to take a hit -- honesty and trustworthy taking a hit. Is he an effective manager, taking a hit.

Can we do anything to change that?

AVLON: I mean, look, first of all, these are brutal polls, this is the cost of the Healthcare.gov scandal, going at the president's personal core tributes. He has been seen as someone who likes politics or not, as someone who's honest, likable, trustworthy. But when all of a sudden, when that constant campaign promise, if you like your plan, you can keep it, it's proven not to be right -- when all of a sudden that hard not health care plan isn't working as advertised and just Washington is as dysfunctioned as ever, those tributes are going down, and that is a really tough nose dive to turn out of. Is it impossible? No, absolutely not.

He's still the president. People trying to say this is over for their own political purposes. But this is a real sign --

CUOMO: Right.

AVLON: -- of the real toll of this problem.

CUOMO: Of course, you can do something to fix it. This is politics. They go up and down. We know that. That's why we have polls.

But how do you combine 50-plus percent say not trustworthy, that they don't admire them, 50-plus percent. But 70 percent say he's likable. That only exists with politicians and family.

How do you get to those two conclusions?

AVLON: Well, to some extent, the president, you know, he's in your living room so much, he may feel like family. Look, I do think that's a credit to this president. That's been a source of his teflon nature. But ultimately, there's always that dichotomy. You can like someone but still if they can't get the job done not necessarily respect their abilities.

So this is a real issue for president as manager, as leader. And he has to correct it. He has the bully pulpit behind him, but he's got to admit these problems. More importantly, they've got to solve the problems. They have to make this whole Healthcare.gov thing look like a blip, because it starts to look like a core part of the narrative, it gets baked in the cake, there is a real problem the next two years.

BOLDUAN: You think, certainly, it can help the president the fact that right now is when many Americans tends to move away into holiday mode. So they're trying, Washington is out of, Congress is away from walk. People are more focused on their families and how they will get their to do list on before Christmas.

How does the Iran interim deal play into all of this? Do you think this could help him?

AVLON: Well, first of all -- I mean, this is a sign of great success on an issue that's been on the radar for over ten years. Ultimately, there is a diplomatic solution or a military solution. I think we can all agree, not just this holiday season, that the diplomatic solution is preferable, as long as it stops the enrichment and the march towards getting a bomb. This is going to be hotly debated right now.

But, right now, the Obama administration can say, look, we chose diplomacy as opposed to the past neocon path, and it's bearing real fruit. Now, if they're shown to be naive because this gets weaseled out over the next six months, that's a serious strike against them. But it does show the Obama administration's general approach may be working, and that is an alternative narrative to the dysfunction of Healthcare.gov.

CUOMO: I think there is bad news/good news because as we all know, here and everywhere else, this deal isn't moving the needle for the Obama administration. It's interim. It doesn't really say anything. It's complicated. The enrichment is gone, but it's not really gone. They have three months before they tell us anything

It's not going to move the needle. I don't think even with insiders. However, here's the good news -- people are talking about Obamacare, it's definitely part of the narrative. But they're also talking about, hey, whatever happened with that debt ceiling situation with our debt ceiling situation? Whatever happened with our spending problems? What about that big commission that was going on?

I was hearing it all weekend long from people. Like, you know, yes, Obamacare is opened. They have to fix it.

What about these other things? Do you think that's the opportunity?

AVLON: There is an opportunity there. I mean, this debt commission can do something real. It's really effectively a bunch of reconciliation commission, but it's important because if it fails, we're back where we started. But many cases the Obama administration has been able to forge out, buy a little more time and buy a ray of sunlight here. If this deal fall apart because of things like the nuclear option is really poisoning the wealth further in Washington, there are real problems for the president.

But a lot of these issues that have bothered people for a long time like the persistence of major deficits, which are on the decline. That actually builds a little bit of credibility. But this president and this Congress needs a win. They need to show they can govern in the national interest. That's what's been deeply missing, of course, over the last couple years.

BOLDUAN: Great to see you, John. Thanks so much.

AVLON: Happy Monday, guys.

BOLDUAN: Happy Monday.

Let's go to Michaela.

PEREIRA: All right, let's take a look at our headlines this hour. Good morning, everyone.

A deadly winter storm threatening to disrupt your holiday travel plans. Millions of Americans will be affected. It's already been blamed for six deaths in the southwest. Officials at the Dallas-Ft. Worth pre-canceling hundreds of flights Sunday before the system even arrived.

The trial of Amanda Knox resuming today in Italy. Prosecutors delivering their summations. It is the third trial over the 2007 murder of British student Meredith Kercher. Lawyers have been re- examining evidence to determine whether Knox and boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito helped kill her in the apartment the two women shared. Knox has not returned to Italy for the trial and by law is not required to do so.

Charges could be announced today against a Massachusetts pharmacy accused of causing a nationwide meningitis outbreak. A Massachusetts prosecutor is joining Michigan's attorney general later today to announce a new development in the investigation into the New England compounding center. Contaminated steroids caused 750 infections in 20 states, 64 people died. Michigan was one of the hardest hit states.

This morning, officials are inspecting an airplane at JFK airport after it struck a bird during landing. The pilot for Virgin American flight 220 reported smelling smoke in the cockpit after the birds hit engine no. 2 as the plane was on final approach for landing. Rescue units responded. The plane did land safely and no reports of injuries on board.

How about this for a birthday surprise? A black bear crashed a back yard party for a birthday boy. They were right about to eat cake when the uninvited guest showed up. He's apparently been poking around the neighborhood outside of Orlando for about a week or so. Wild life officers had been tracking him. When he got too close to the children, officers shot it with a tranquilizer dart and relocated it at a national forest.

He didn't get a party hat.

(LAUGHTER)

BOLDUAN: What?

PEREIRA: He got a dart, though.

CUOMO: Exactly right, for his troubles.

BOLDUAN: Not what he was looking for. This guy will remember his birthday, that's for sure.

Mom, can we have a bear next year? No.

BOLDUAN: That one didn't end so well.

CUOMO: It may well be dad in a bear suit, that's what he'll get. And he may get a dart as well.

Coming up on "NEW DAY": Caroline Kennedy making her first public comments about the anniversary of her father's assassination. We're going to tell you what she said about his legacy, coming up.

BOLDUAN: And a very different story, Taylor Swift and Justin Timberlake taking home the hardware at the American Music Awards. But, of course, Miley Cyrus steals the show again with her giant diamond-crying cat.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)