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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

The War on ISIS: America Hostage Killed; Immigration Reform: Obama Vs. GOP; Deadly Snow Storms

Aired November 17, 2014 - 04:00   ET

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


CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: An American hostage murdered by ISIS. The terrorists releasing the video showing the beheading of U.S. aid worker Peter Kassig. We are live with the very latest reaction from his family and the White House this morning.

President Obama back at home ready to make big reforms to the immigration system that could allow millions of people here illegally to stay. But Republicans are not backing down. How they want to try to stop the president ahead.

Deadly storms barreling across the country, bringing snow and ice and record-breaking cold. And it's not over yet. The Northeast now is bracing for impact. What you need to know for your day and your week ahead.

Good morning. Welcome to EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans. It is Monday. It's November 17th, 4:00 a.m. in the East. John has the morning off. Nice to see you all this morning.

This morning, the family of American aid worker Peter Kassig coping with his death at the hands of ISIS terrorists. The militant Islamist group released a horrifying video showing Kassig's body after a beheading. Hours later, President Obama denounced the killing as, quote, "an act of pure evil". Kassig's released a statement saying they are heartbroken. They are scheduled to speak to reporters this afternoon.

Joining us now from London with more on this is CNN's Atika Shubert.

Atika, the spokesman for ISIS on the beheading video speaks with that familiar English accent. What do we know about him?

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. We don't know much at all frankly. He remains a masked militant and the murderer of a number of the hostages and seems to claim to be the murderer of Peter Kassig in that video.

In this video, however, we do not see those sort of orange jump suits that we've seen in previous videos. Peter Kassig never has a chance to actually address the camera. All we see is his body and then propaganda speech by the masked militant who has come to be known here in the British press as Jihadi John. Earlier in the video, he actually also conducts a highly choreographed

mass murder of more than a dozen of what is claimed to be Syrian soldiers. It is truly a horrific video.

But friends and family of Peter Kassig, also known as Abdul-Rahman Kassig, insists that's not how they want him to be remembered. They want him to be remembered for his charity work in Syria, helping Syrians to cope with the crisis there.

Take a listen to what some of his friends and family had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He risked his life every day to, you know, save the lives of the people that he didn't have any relation to and we will forever be grateful for that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He could have stayed here. He could have had a typical American life. He chose to go back to help with all of the suffering in Syria caused by the civil war.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHUBERT: Now, unfortunately, we know what happened sadly and investigators are looking at the video, analyzing it for any clues as to who, for example, that British militant known here as Jihadi John is and where the killing may have taken place.

ROMANS: All right. Thanks, Atika Shubert, for us this morning. Certainly, certainly Shocked and sadness again.

All right. Aid agencies say ISIS has been stealing food and other foreign aid so it can redistribute it hungry Syrian families and take the credit. Aid groups also telling "The Wall Street Journal" that ISIS has diverted some of the aid to its own fighters and their families.

America's top uniformed officer says momentum in the war against ISIS is starting to turn. Joint Chiefs Chairman Martin Dempsey making a surprising visit to Baghdad over the weekend, also telling Marines defending the U.S. embassy that victory over the Islamic terror group might take several years.

President Obama at the G-20 Summit responding to General Dempsey's earlier suggestion that he might Sunday have to recommend to the president that he'd send in ground troops to fight ISIS.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There are always circumstances in which the United States might need to deploy U.S. ground troops. If we discover that ISIL had gotten possession of a nuclear weapon and we had to run an operation to get it out of their hands, then yes, you can anticipate that not only would Chairman Dempsey recommend me sending U.S. troops to get that weapon out of their hands, but I would order it. (END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: American negotiators head back to Vienna this week, trying to hammer out a treaty to limit Iran's nuclear capacity. They are up against a November 24th deadline, one week from today. That's when the current deal with Tehran expires. The president's top national security advisors are putting the chance of reaching an agreement this month suggests 40 percent to 50 percent.

The State Department is rushing to upgrade security on its email system after detecting signs of possible hacking. Department officials say only unclassified systems were affected. Officials not saying if the apparent intrusion over the weekend was the work of a foreign government, but a senior official tells CNN it is related to an earlier hack of White House computers and Russian hackers were suspected in that attack.

Near the top of the president's inbox as he returns from the G-20 Summit this morning, immigration. President Obama heading -- pushing back hard against Republican claims that he lacks the authority to take executive action if Congress doesn't do anything.

CNN's Erin McPike is at the White House with more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ERIN MCPIKE, CNN WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: President Obama has long said that once he returned from this swing through Asia, he would say the kind of executive action that he will take on immigration. Now that he's back, we should see something from him. We are now hearing that we could hear something by the end of the week.

And over the weekend, both sides of the political aisle drew lines in the sand on what kind of thing they want to see on immigration reform.

Listen here to Oklahoma Senator-elect James Lankford on "FOX News Sunday".

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JAMES LANKFORD (R), OKLAHOMA SENATOR-ELECT: The American people really do believe in the rule of law. They don't have a problem with immigration. They have a problem with illegal immigration. And for the president to step up and say I'm just going to remove the word "illegal" and to be able to transition this and ignore the law, a lot of people have a problem with that, Republicans and Democrats alike.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCPIKE: And while overseas, President Obama also said what he would like to see in a bill from Congress that could then nullify the actions that he will take on immigration reform with those executive actions. Listen here to those comments.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) OBAMA: If Congress passes a law that solves our border problems, improves our immigration system and provides a pathway for the 11 million people who are here working in our kitchens, working in farms, making beds in hotels, everybody knows they're there, we're not going to deport all of them. We'd like to see them being able -- out in the open pay their taxes, pay a penalty, get right with the law.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCPIKE: And over the weekend, a number of mainstream Republicans said on a number of public affairs programs that they do not think that Republicans should try to shut down the government to force President Obama's hand on immigration reform, but we should see something this week from them on what kind of bill they can end up passing -- Christine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: All right. Erin McPike, thank you for that this morning.

Veterans Affairs patients still waiting for improvements to the V.A. health system. New data obtained by "USA Today" shows more than 10 percent of V.A. patients wait more than a month for appointments. Sixty-four facilities have averaged wait times longer than two months. But the V.A. has made some improvements. The number of patients waiting the longest, more than four months, dropped sharply from 120,000 in May to 23,000 in October. Still a lot of work to do there.

So far so good for Obamacare 2.0. The White House says some 100,000 people signed up for health insurance on the first day of open enrollment, compare that to just six on day one last year. The president defending his signature achievement from conservatives brandishing a quote from White House health care adviser Jonathan Gruber. Gruber said the White House got Obamacare passed because of voter's, quote, "stupidity" and a lack of transparency by those advocating for it. The president responding that he completely disagrees with Gruber and that the bill was extensively debated with no lack of transparency.

This morning, the U.S. Senate is bracing for the debate over the Keystone XL oil pipeline. After bottling up legislation for six years, the Senate leaders will allow a vote on the pipeline on Tuesday. Keystone is a major issue in the Louisiana Senate runoff set for December 6th. Democratic incumbent Mary Landrieu wants a chance to vote for the pipeline to show her clout in the Senate.

Time for an early start on your money this morning. U.S. stock futures pointing lower right now, following last week's record highs. On Friday, the S&P inched up slightly to close at a high. It was the S&P 500's 41st record high this year, also the fourth week in the row of gains for the stock market.

Energy stocks finally got some relief at the end of the week when oil prices ticked up slightly. Oil prices has been tumbling. Look at that, down more than 30 percent since the summer peak. Prices are falling as U.S. production increases and global demand lessens a bit. It's bad news for energy companies, hey, but great for consumers. Experts tell us the dip in fuel prices could put an extra $400 in your pocket next year.

Happening now: deadly storms barreling across the country this weekend, but now, here comes round two. Ice and storms, arctic temperatures headed toward the Northeast. We are tracking the latest.

Plus, the NFL smacked by a surprise drug inspections. The DEA raiding team medical staffs after Sunday games. Which teams were targeted, ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROMANS: A deadly blast of winter-like weather paralyzing communities in many parts of the country. Six more people were killed in weather- related accidents as ice and snow froze roadways. Snow is hitting as far south as Texas where four people died in Lubbock. Police there reported dozens of accidents on icy roads. At least 17 states from Arkansas to New England remain under winter weather advisories.

In Oklahoma, snow-packed and icy roads are hampering the commute for residents there. Look at that, slick roadways have caused a number of accidents. Crews have warned of black ice conditions on highways and interstates. They are urging drivers to use extreme caution out there.

In New Mexico, temperatures plummeted to single digits following a massive snow storms. Snowfall causing difficult driving conditions throughout most of New Mexico, as much as 13 inches of snow fell near a ski resort in Angel Fire.

And in Colorado, residents are digging out from the second snowstorm of the week. Another round of ice, snow, and cold hit Colorado Springs, and the surrounding areas several inches of snow-covered streets and roadways disrupting drivers' commutes.

So, how long will drivers have to contend with all of this mess?

Let's get an early look at your weather with Jennifer Gray.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JENNIFER GRAY, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Christine, we are looking at very cold temperatures still across much of the country, covering about two-thirds of the country and breaking records left and right. We're seeing frigid temperatures dipping down to the South. We still have lake-effect snow as we go through the afternoon, around the Great Lakes and also rain expected for the Northeast for today. So, high temperatures today in the Northeast really not so bad, temperatures around 60 degrees.

But look at these temperatures. These are highs today, 19 in Minneapolis. They are in the middle of about two-week stretch of temperatures below freezing, 31 in Billings, 32 in Denver, 21 in Kansas City. Tomorrow, same thing. That cold air will sink even further down to

the South, getting into those Southern states. Lake-effect snow continues. High pressure across the Rockies. High temperatures, wow, we'll be feeling it.

Look at these high temperatures tomorrow -- 36 in Atlanta. Highs in Memphis, 35, Kansas City, the same; 17 in Minneapolis; 24 in Chicago. This is when the Northeast starts to dip. Tomorrow, high temperatures will only be in the 30s -- Christine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: All right. Jennifer Gray, thank you for that, I think. Thank you for that.

The surgeon diagnosed with Ebola in Sierra Leone is in extremely critical condition this morning and he may be the sickest person yet to be treated in the U.S. Initially, Dr. Martin Salia's Ebola test came back negative, friends and colleagues celebrated with him. Now, that a later test confirmed Ebola, they under quarantine.

His son is holding out hope he'll recover.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't want him to be delayed, and to be dead. I'm worried for him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We should keep calm. Everything will be OK. So far, he is very responding well to treatment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention just announced that airport screening will begin for travelers arriving in the U.S. from Mali, which has begun reporting cases of Ebola.

Tension rising in Ferguson as we wait to hear if a grand jury will indict the officer involved in that shooting. Several protests and marches over the weekend. Some Michael Brown supporters marking the 100th day since the shooting by staging a die-in, laying down and blocking a major intersection and a theater, calling for Officer Darren Wilson's arrest. Other protesters supported Officer Wilson who they believe was forced to shoot.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We want to again declare that we steadfastly believe that Officer Darren Wilson's actions on August 9th were warranted and justified.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not here to try to validate the justice system because there's a lot of judges that need to occur. But the indictment of Darren Wilson is the first step of many that needs to take place.

(END VIDEO CLIPS)

ROMANS: The organizer of Sunday's protests and support of Brown said he couldn't rule out violence if the grand jury finds Wilson without fault.

The Drug Enforcement Administration, DEA, taking a very close look at the NFL. Several teams were subjected to surprise inspections following their games on Sunday. You know, agents questioning traders and doctors about allegations of illegal prescription drug use. The San Francisco 49ers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers training staff were among those targeted. A lawsuit filed in May by more than 1,000 retired NFL players alleges rampant distribution of illegal painkillers by medical personnel.

A cruise ship docked in California Sunday after at least 170 people became sick with norovirus. Some of the folks aboard the Crown Princess began to show signs of gastrointestinal illness, just a few days into the month-long voyage from Los Angeles to Hawaii, to Tahiti. The victims were treated on the ship. A CDC official expected to board the ship to probe the outbreak. Meantime, we're told the cruise liner will undergo a deep cleaning.

In Hawaii, officials say that while several lava flow breakouts remain active, they are sluggish and not advancing. That includes one breakout which has stopped burning through asphalt roads. Officials say they are continuing to monitor three other hot spots in the area. People are still being evacuated as a precaution. The volcano this lava is spewing from has been active now for more than 30 years.

A bloody Sunday for Bono. The U2 frontman fell off his bike in New York Central Park, suffering an arm injury that will require minor surgery. That's according to his band mates. U2 is scheduled to be the house band for "The Tonight Show" all this week. That gig has now been cancelled.

It's been quite a week for the Irish crooner. The cargo hatch fell off his private $78 million Learjet Wednesday when he was flying to Berlin, but the plane was able to land safely.

Bono, just stay home. You had some bad luck here.

All right. Eighteen minutes past the hour.

World leaders accusing Russia of fuelling war in Ukraine, arming pro- Russian separatists. Vladimir Putin warned to get his military out of that country.

We are live with what's happening right now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROMANS: The shocking new video this morning that shows just how close Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 came to smashing into houses in the Ukrainian village. Now, this amateur footage shows flaming wreckage just yards from homes in this town. Now, four months after the jetliner were shut out of the sky, that wreckage is just now starting to be recovered four months later.

About two-thirds of nearly 300 passengers and crew killed were Dutch. The Dutch government is paying for the recovery operation in war-torn Eastern Ukraine. The wreckage will eventually be sent to the Netherlands. The battle for Eastern Ukraine was the behind the frosty reception for Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G-20 Summit in Australia over the weekend. Western leaders blasted Russian aggression against Ukraine.

Russia denies any troops or hardware there.

CNN's Matthew Chance is in Moscow for us this morning.

Matthew, bring us the latest. It must have been a very, I would say, diplomatically difficult appearance for the Russian president at the G-20, because there is pretty much international condemnation for his behavior in his own backyard.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, there's certainly a lot of condemnation in the West. And so, you saw these Western leaders like President Obama, like Angela Merkel, like the Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, the Canadian premier as well, as well as the British prime minister, all essentially lining up to lambast Vladimir Putin for his alleged role in Ukraine.

They all pretty much got the same message, which is, look, you are wrong from the Kremlin point of view. We are not putting combat troops inside Eastern Ukraine despite the intelligence reports that you had from NATO and from eye witnesses on the ground. We're not providing them with anything but political and moral support.

So, it is a complete denial from President Putin, the Russian leader, when it came to those criticisms. You got to remember to G-20 as well, it's not just the West. There are other countries there, like China, like India, like Brazil, who are much less judgmental perhaps of President Putin. And so, the images we saw in the media of him being given the cold shoulder probably was coupled on the ground with him getting a warm reception from some leaders of some countries that are more sympathetic to him.

ROMANS: Let me be clear, I mean, the relationship between Russia and China gets warmer and closer by the day as it cools with the West, a very good point there.

I want to talk about the video quickly. This video really for the first time showing the immediate aftermath of the downing of that Malaysia flight. And it seems to show people on the ground assuming it was another shoot down of a Ukrainian military transport talking about finding the pilot. What do you make of this, four months later this video?

CHANCE: Yes, astonishing video, isn't it, to look at. That huge black plume of smoke to close to that village of Hrabove, which is in Eastern Ukraine, which has been the scene of very fierce fighting. That's why I expect the village thought it was another Ukrainian air force plane that's being shot down, that Ukrainian military plane had been shot down. There had been numerous downings of military aircraft in that various, that proximate vicinity of Eastern Ukraine in the weeks and months before the MH-17 was taken out.

The video's release has coincided, as you mentioned, with the presence of those Dutch experts working with the rebels actually in Eastern Ukraine to retrieve crucial parts of debris from the aircraft. Remember, it's been a war zone up until the ceasefire was put enforced in September, and even then, it's been a pretty hostile place.

I mean, now, over the past 24 hours, have Dutch experts, along with the rebels, managed to get to that site and start taking away some crucial evidence that could be conclusive when it comes to determining what exactly it was for definite that caused this downing of this MH17, this Malaysian airliners, and perhaps who is responsible for it.

So, a very crucial bit of work being undertaken right now on the ground.

ROMANS: Crucial work indeed, Matthew Chance, thank you for sorting it out for us.

Twenty-six minutes past the hour.

International fireworks of a different sort of overnight, soccer referees suspending a European championship qualifying match between Italy and Croatia twice after Croatian fans threw flares on the field, lighting fireworks and scuffling with police. The match finally ending in a 1-1 draw. The Croatian coach apologized to the Italian team.

Grief and anger this morning over the murder of an American hostage killed by ISIS. We are live with the latest this morning after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)