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New Day

First Report on MH17 Released; Poll Shows Americans Concerned about ISIS; Respiratory Virus Continues to Spread and Hospitalize Children; Questions about When the NFL Saw the Violent Video of Ray Rice

Aired September 09, 2014 - 06:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: All right. We have breaking news this morning. The Dutch safety board has released a preliminary report into the shoot-down of MH17 over Eastern Ukraine. The initial findings indicate the plane was hit by, quote, "high-energy objects".

Our aviation expert, Richard Quest, has more to help break it down for us.

And, Richard, of course, you're much more than an aviation expert. I apologized for that. It's good to have you.

High-energy objects -- that's another word for bombs or missiles, isn't it?

RICHARD QUEST, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: Oh, absolutely. And yet, the 34-page report, Chris, never uses the word "missile" once, it talks about high-energy objects, external causes from outside the aircraft, penetrating the aircraft, which caused the plane, excuse me, to disintegrate in the air. And that's because this report is all about working out what happened, what brought down the plane, but not apportioning the blame itself.

They didn't have much wreckage to work from. It was all done from photographs, from those Ukrainian investigators who got to the scene, Chris. And what they're now hoping to do for the next report of course is actually get some of the evidence in their hands so they can do tests.

CUOMO: I think --

QUEST: I give you -- go ahead.

CUOMO: Go ahead. I just want to you make clear to people -- have they been able to get there? For all the talk on the part of the Kiev government and on the part of the Russian helped insurgents on right side, both sides have said they want the site to be treated the right way. For all their talk, have they been able to get there, have they been able to make sure there are no more victims there? Is any of that clear?

QUEST: No, the Australian prime minister says he still fears there are some human remains on the ground there. When you look at the pictures this morning from the crash scene, the forward section, the center section, the aft section, it's all exactly as it was when the incident happened.

So, the short answer is -- no. What they -- one really sad piece of fact that shows this, they have determined -- and I'm aware it's breakfast time -- but they have determined when looking at some of the remains, that there may be shards of metal that they can analyze in those parts. They need to get more evidence off that, so that they can work out is this part of the aircraft, is this part of missile.

But let no one be under any illusion this morning, we now have a document, Chris, that says something brought down this plane. It wasn't technical to the aircraft. There was no malfunction of the plane. It was flying in legal air space. And what it was, was a criminal act.

CUOMO: Flying in legal air space. That's important, because there was a lot of speculation early on, about whether the plane was in the right place.

What do you make of that?

QUEST: The plane was moved a bit to the left, it was moved for weather, it was moved for air traffic control reasons, all entirely normal. But lest anybody starts to want it make hay on this issue, there were two other large jets, two 777 and an A330 all within the vicinity. The nearest plane was 30 kilometers away, 20-odd miles away.

So, this was awful, awful bad luck. Wrong place, wrong time. But I guarantee you this, Chris, if it hadn't been this aircraft, it would have been one of the other aircraft in the region at that same time.

And what's worse is that everything from air traffic control we now know says that this plane was squawking MH17. It was identified as a civil airliner. The Russians knew it. The Ukrainians knew it. It's whoever fired that missile, didn't have the technology, was too lazy, too stupid or too malevolent to bother to find out.

CUOMO: Malevolent, I think that's the right word. I think we're going to find out when they come out with their final report this year, that whoever did this, did it on purpose.

Richard Quest, thank you very much for going through the report.

The sad reality, however, when it comes to MH17, is that maybe a year won't really give us what we need, because as Richard just told you and as we know from being on the ground there, they still can't get to that site. Victims still haven't been given the dignity that they deserved, and this report makes that clear.

So, remember that. And keep MH17 in your head, in your heart.

President Obama, we have to talk do you about him this morning, this is getting big. He's getting ready to tell you about his strategy for combating ISIS. This as a new poll shows Americans are terrified about the threat of ISIS attacks here at home. We're going to show you the surprising numbers.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: As the president briefs top congressional leaders on his strategy to battle ISIS today, a new CNN/ORC poll, an important one, shows that Americans are increasingly concerned that ISIS represents a direct terror threat to the United States.

To that point, seven in 10 Americans -- get this -- believe there are ISIS terrorists already in the United States.

Let's bring in our CNN political commentators, Paul Begala, Democratic strategist and senior adviser for the super PAC, Priorities USA Action; as well as Ben Ferguson, host of "The Ben Ferguson Show".

Guys, it's great to see you.

BEN FERGUSON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Good morning.

BOLDUAN: This is an important week. This is an important day, as the president is going to be briefing top congressional leaders on what the strategy is. But this is also an important and telling poll.

Let's dig, let's kind of chew through some of this. Paul, I'm going to start you.

We're seeing a real shift in public opinion. Seventy-six percent say that they support additional U.S. strikes in Iraq. Importantly, though, is this -- 75 percent say they support the very same in Syria.

But then on the question of ground troops, 61 percent of those polled are against that move. What should the president take away from that as he prepares to make his case to the public tomorrow?

PAUL BEGALA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes, that seems to kind of track where the president is going, doesn't it? But here's the thing, this is going to sound odd coming from a political hack like me. On foreign policy especially, you shouldn't pay attention to the poll.

BOLDUAN: I 100 percent agree with you.

BEGALA: Even though this poll seems to bolster support for what the president seems to want to do. He needs to do what's best to protect America and then the country will follow. As opposed to domestic issues, where people really know how they feel about education or taxes, on national security, we tend to defer to our president.

And so, he needs to speak with strength, clarity and come with a plan for action tomorrow night. And then, we will follow him.

BOLDUAN: Ben, do you agree?

FERGUSON: I do. And I think that's one of the things that's been so concerning so far is when you look at the foreign policy, how we've dealt with ISIS, and just how many different you know, views he's given us, we don't have the strategy, what we're now we're going to get a strategy. We're going to contain ISIS and now, we're going to act on ISIS.

But let me tell you what we're not going to do, and who not put boots on the ground. My concern is he's going to start governing because of the polls and say, OK, Americans are concerned, so now, I'm going to act.

Look, he knows more than anybody else does that's talking about this. He has the raw intelligence in the room. He has the people explain to him how big of a threat they are.

I don't ever want a president, when it comes to national security issues to make decisions based on poll numbers, because he is the guy that the commander-in-chief that's in charge of keeping us safe. And he should do what's right.

If that means troops on the ground and it's unpopular, that's the job of the president as the commander-in-chief and I would support him on that.

BOLDUAN: Well, and, Paul, I want to get your take on this and both of you guys can weigh on this, because the president, he's got a real confidence problem amongst the American public on his foreign policy right now.

And this poll shows that. Look at his poll, 67 percent say the president does not have a clear plan to battle ISIS. And I also think this one is important, 59 percent of those polled disapprove of how he has is handling ISIS.

Can he turn that around in one speech?

BEGALA: No, not in one speech. But in the policy that he then lays out and implements. Again, you know, Ben's right, he needs to not look at these polls, good or bad. He needs to, what he has done, which I think people are going to like, is put together an international coalition. I think burden sharing is going to be very important. I think Americans are tired of their young men and women in uniform, bearing all the burden in this conflict against terror. He needs to just act and we will follow him. But I think that's probably the best advice I could give him politically.

I've been up to the White House, they've briefed me, I'm a political guy, they never asked about polls. They didn't talk about polls, they said here's our strategy, here's what we're going to do. I'm actually not worried that he's governing by the polls here, I think he's really committed to not having America in another occupation in the Middle East. And also really committed to breaking the back of this terror organization. I think he's got a plan to do both.

FERGUSON: My concern is that he's been the guy that said if you vote for me, I'm getting us out of Iraq and Afghanistan. His legacy, I think, was to say I'm the one that pulled us out. I think there is a lot of nervousness by this administration to get back involved. But again, your job is to protect the American people. I think what

you saw even from David Cameron who, remember, he was not a gung-ho guy, he actually talked in a negative way about Tony Blair and how he was too much like George Bush. When he came out and was so blunt last week about ISIS, that is what I think a lot of people want in this country is be honest with us, we're okay with it if we have to go after them because we want to be safe and we don't want another 9/11.

(CROSSTALK)

BOLDUAN: I think this is also an important part. Its not just the president, you're talking about the president needs to do his job. Let's also talk about another group of people who some say need to make sure they're doing their jobs as well. Congress has got a problem here as well. Neither Democratic leaders in the Senate nor Republican leaders in the House want to have this vote.

There's strong reporting coming from the Hill for various reasons, they don't want to have to have a vote on any authorization for the president. Jack Kingston, a Republican from Georgia, who actually supports having an authorization vote, he really summed it up really well to the "New York Times." Let me just read this to you guys, on why he thinks people in Congress want to sit on the sidelines, he says, "It's an election year, Democrats don't know how it's going to play in their party. Republicans, they don't want to change anything because Republicans like the path we're on now. We can denounce it if it goes bad, praise it if it goes well and ask him what took him so long." Is that a good-enough excuse to stay on the sidelines?

BEGALA: Yes. We only have one commander-in-chief, you know? He believes, I saw his interview with Chuck Todd on "Meet the Press" on Sunday. The president clearly believes that he has the authority to do this. If he does and he thinks it's in our interests, he should do it. Congress will fund it or not fund it. And that will be, I think the extent -- he said, he did say I want buy-in.

BOLDUAN: He wants buy-in.

(CROSSTALK)

BOLDUAN: That's true, but does that absolve the constitutional role of Congress, Ben, if this becomes a three-year-plus engagement, that the President and the administration has suggested it might be?

FERGUSON: I'll say this, do your job. You know, if you're a Congressman, do your job. At the same time, I do think it's a little bit funny that this president, who is willing to act with executive order on a number of things, saying if Congress won't do their job, I'm going to do it, anyway. All of a sudden when dealing with terrorism as the commander-in-chief, which is his core job is keeping Americans safe, now says I want Congress involvement on this one.

I mean, Congress has an approval rating of, what, 9 percent right now? And the American people are now saying they want them involved? I think a lot of this is a blame game. They don't want to go alone. The president doesn't want to be on this alone. I think again, do your job, you're the commander-in-chief, do your job. If you're Congress and you're asked to do something, do your actual job. And this is dealing with national security so shut up and do your job, instead of whining and pointing fingers.

BOLDUAN: I feel like you were talking to me right there, shut up and do your job. I was like okay, Ben. Whatever you say, Ben. Sorry, Mr. Ferguson. Ben, its great to see you. Paul, always great to see you. Thank you both so much. Got a lot, a lot to talk about today. There's political implicates but really this is a major moment for the country, for the president, and we're going to be following the meetings today are critical leading up to the president's big speech tomorrow.

Coming up in our next hour, we're going to speak live with a member of Congress, a Congresswoman who was briefed last night by the White House on this ISIS threat. What she was told about the threat, potentially what she was told about what the president's going to present.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

BOLDUAN: Plus, dramatic footage of raging floodwaters forcing rescues from Arizona all the way to Virginia, and the threat may not be over yet. More of these incredible pictures for you and what they're up against, coming up.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: Devastating flash floods sweeping our nation from the Southwest all the way to Virginia.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

PEREIRA (voice-over): Check this out. The city of Phoenix swamped by record rainfall. Cars swept right off freeways. And look at this, water rushing over a major highway in Nevada. My goodness, want to turn to meteorologist Indra Petersons. We know that all sorts of rescues had to be done of folks there, getting their cars swept off the roadways.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

INDRA PETERSONS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Its unbelievable. You're talking about the Southwest, I'm taking you all the way now to Virginia, where we're talking about right around Portsmouth, Virginia, 35 children, including some of the employees at a day care center had to be rescued by boat through the parking lot. Look all the amount of rain that was in the area. Also keep in mind an apartment complex across the street saw that water rise all the way up to about mid level right in just a few minutes.

Here's the concern. Still raining even in the area right now, so that flooding concern still remains with them even this morning. Now, we're seeing that system kind of elongate and even kind of stretch into the Northeast. Don't worry, in the Northeast not looking for much more than light scattered showers today.

But another system is brewing out there. This is a major system that will bring severe weather. Heavy amounts of rain into the Midwest today, essentially spreading into the Ohio River Valley, look at the threat for severe weather including an isolated threat for tornadoes again today. Omaha, Minneapolis, Kansas City, Quad Cities, look out for that. But then 42 million people by tomorrow will see this threat, look at this. Detroit, Cleveland, Chicago, Indianapolis, St. Louis, think these sound like major hubs for the airlines? Yes. Not a good thing in through tomorrow if you are travelling. You definitely want to be calling ahead.

The reason for this, look at the clash, the warm air and the cold air, all this making its way in. Depending on where you are in the country today, you're on a roller coaster. On the way down if you're in the Midwest or on the way up if you are in the Northeast. So definitely looking at a big pattern there for a change in a few days, Michaela.

PEREIRA (on camera): All of that coming from Canada. Central Canada getting snow, my sister had snow the other morning.

PETERSONS: Don't say it, please.

PEREIRA: I know, I'm not using that word. Its a four-letter-word, Indra.

PETERSONS: Wrong, wrong.

PEREIRA: Alright, let's turn to another story that is certainly bringing about a lot of fear. New fears this morning that even more children in more states could come down with a rare and severe respiratory virus, so far it has put hundreds of children from Kentucky to Colorado in the hospital.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PEREIRA: They're suffering from breathing problems, some of them have ended up in the ICU. Health officials warn it's likely to spread, there's no vaccine to stop it. More now from CNN's Ana Cabrera.

ANA CABRERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A child struggling to breathe. This is 9-year-old Gabrielle Maiorana, hooked to oxygen, tethered by tubes.

KAREN MAIORANA, MOTHER OF GABRIELLE: She just went from a cold to critical in just a very short time.

CABRERA: The results of a quickly spreading, hard-hitting respiratory virus that has already sent hundreds of children to the hospital.

DR. TRACY BUTLER, ROCKY MOUNTAIN HOSPITAL FOR CHILDREN: Kids that don't normally end up on a ventilator, end up on a ventilator.

CABRERA: It's believed to be Enterovirus EV-D68. A virus that begins like the common cold with sneezing, coughing, possibly fever and rash, and then escalates to wheezing and difficulty breathing, typically within 24-48 hours, becoming severe. Especially for children with asthma.

MATTHEW YORK, SICK CHILD: On this I just couldn't breathe at all. No wheezing or anything, just -- couldn't breathe.

CABRERA: It hit 12-year-old Matthew York so hard he was rushed to the hospital by ambulance.

BEN YORK, FATHER OF MATTHEW: He was hunched over with his hand on his chest and physically and visibly, you could see the chest pumping back and forth.

YORK: I personally though I was going to pass out or die or something.

CABRERA: Doctors in ten states are seeing patients with serious symptoms, from the Midwest to the Southeast. We're talking a huge number of kids affected. 475 children treated at one hospital in Kansas City. 60 requiring intensive care. 900 sent to Children's Hospital, Colorado with 86 admitted for treatment. And this is just in the last couple of weeks.

The CDC is now investigating, working to confirm a diagnosis.

YORK: Just hope to get better.

CABRERA: Fortunately, both Matthew and Gabrielle are on the mend.

MAIORANA: You look at that and you say, God, if I would have let this go any longer, how low could that have gone? I'm glad to be bringing my daughter home.

CABRERA: Ana Cabrera, CNN, Denver.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BOLDUAN: Poor things, those poor, poor things.

CUOMO: Its a developing situation there so parents are all listening up to find out what's going on. We're going to tell you about that. Developing situation with ISIS. Developing situation with the NFL. A lot of news this morning for you, so let's get right to it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's the second shocking video to surface.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was a deplorable act. He made a terrible error in judgment.

RAY RICE, FORMER RAVENS RUNNING BACK: My actions that night were totally -- inexcusable.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The flood of violence unleashed by ISIS has mobilized war-weary Americans to take on the terror group.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These are a bunch of cowards, wherever they go, we're going to have to follow. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Urgent action is need.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Law enforcement officials telling us they may have identified the man behind the mask.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you kill an American citizen, you're a terrorist, we will hunt you down your entire life.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CUOMO: Good morning, welcome back to NEW DAY. This morning, Ray Rice's career is all but over because he was released by the Ravens.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

CUOMO (voice-over): Suspended indefinitely by the NFL and the reason is obvious, you're looking at it right now, this disturbing video. It shows Rice knocking out his future wife cold.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

BOLDUAN: This morning there are some really tough questions about when the league saw the violent video, or if they even tried to avoid seeing it in some regard. Nischelle Turner has been following all the developments for us. We started talking about this yesterday, Nischelle, and it's just getting a whole lot worse.

NISCHELLE TURNER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Yes, you know usually on a Tuesday morning Roger Goodell is going over what happened on the field during Monday Night Football. But this morning, the league's facing a PR not a gridiron battle. The Ravens said yesterday they had no choice but to release Ray Rice. The NFL amended his two- game suspension and kicked him out of the league indefinitely. All because both parties said they hadn't seen this new video until yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TURNER (voice-over): Its the second shocking video to surface. TMZ releasing this tape of Baltimore Ravens player Ray Rice brutally knocking out his then-fiancee, Janay Palmer, dragging her limp body from an Atlantic City casino elevator this February.

The Ravens say they only saw the disturbing video shot from inside the elevator on Monday and after viewing it, had no choice but to drop Rice from the team.

JOHN HARBAUGH, HEAD COACH BALTIMORE RAVENS: Its something we saw for the first time today. All of us. And it changed things, of course. You know, it made things a little bit different.

TURNER: Terminated by the Ravens, suspended by the NFL indefinitely. Rice's career could be over.