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Bobby Brown Releases Statement on Daughter; Another Massive Winter Storm Bearing Down on the Midwest and Barreling Eastward; ISIS Video of Beheading of Second Japanese Citizen Released; Super Bowl Sunday is Here; Number of Measles Cases in January Surpassing Normal Annual Count; Pentagon Restores Funds to Help Vets Cope

Aired February 01, 2015 - 16:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Hello again, everyone. Thanks so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield in the "Newsroom."

All right. Some 100 million people in the path of a huge winter storm. It is bearing down on parts of the midwest right now and heading east. 18 states will be under some winter storm watch, warning or advisory. More than 2,000 flights have been cancelled, mostly in Chicago. If you're heading out to a Super Bowl party this evening, the weather could be even worse on the way home if you're anywhere in that region. We've got full coverage for you.

Ryan Young in Chicago, snowy Chicago, Martin Savidge in a very snowy Cleveland, Sara Ganim is at La Guardia Airport in New York where the snow is on the way and meteorologist Tom Sater is tracking the storm path for us. So, all right. Let's go to Cleveland first. It has already seen several inches of snow. Martin Savidge is there. Martin.

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey Fredricka. Welcome to my hometown where we got about four or five inches of snow on the ground, right here in the center of town. This is public square. It actually looks beautiful right now. Sunday downtown, typically quiet. Super Bowl Sunday is just about a ghost town down here which is of course good for the snow crews as they can clear the streets.

The streets here are snow covered. In fact, the highways are probably slushy. There are some concerns on the turnpike. Certain vehicles not allowed to travel because of the winter weather warning that they are under here. Anticipating maybe nine inches, thereabouts in the city. Nothing that they cannot handle for Cleveland.

To the west though, western parts of Ohio they could get a foot or more. There's concerns with the wind that will begin to blow they will get drifting. So there is a level 3 snow emergency in Lucas County. That's Toledo, Ohio. Blizzard like conditions anticipated there. This is supposed to be the peak of the weather from this afternoon through early tomorrow morning.

As you can see, not snowing right now. Temperature right around 31. Very critical, heavy wet snow. Also when you can get your heaviest amounts of snow. Temperature are going to be going down for the rest of the day through the night. By midday tomorrow they are hoping it's all over. They expect to do fairly well here. Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Oh my goodness. OK. That is some good news. Thank you so much, Martin, there in your hometown of Cleveland.

All right let's go to Ryan Young in Chicago. Our new kid on the block. Welcome again, Ryan. Hey welcome to your new home of Chicago, a very snowy one.

RYAN YOUNG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Fred. This is a great way to get welcomed in here. Especially someone who has never seen this much snow before. I know you have. Look, it's been coming down all day long. We've been in since about 3:45. We have learned some additional information. More than 15,000 people are bow without power and the temperature is dropping. You can know those people need critical in terms of how cold it's starting to get.

The big story also is the roadway. Because they've been doing a pretty goo job trying to keep the roadways clear. More than 350 salt spreaders and snow trucks have been out there on the streets to make sure this is all clear. They're saying school will happen tomorrow. They also believe everyone will be able to go to work.

We've been talking to folks throughout Chicago and they say "look, it's a lot of snow. In fact, more snow than they got all last month." This is a good snow. This city takes it on their shoulders and just keeps on moving. So look this will have an impact on the commute. They are telling people if you can stay home, please stay home. We have seen people driving. Like you see people over here. The side streets have been mostly affected.

Look at this sidewalk. Look all the way back this way. It's like a winter wonderland. It is still falling. We are out here and we'll continue to follow this throughout the evening.

WHITFIELD: All right. Very good, Ryan. For a guy who is new to snow, I don't know. You look pretty at ease. I think Chicago is a good fit. Thanks so much, Ryan.

YOUNG: Not bad.

WHITFIELD: All right. Well, just minutes ago, New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio issued this warning, a very serious one to people in that city.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR BILL DEBLASIO, NEW YORK: For anyone leaving Super Bowl parties, you're going to have to be ready to be careful at that point. You could have some beginning of accumulation of snow. You could have slippery driving conditions. Very dangerous conditions Monday night in New York city in terms of just exposure. We want people to really keep their time outside limited tomorrow night.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Because it's going to be very cold particularly tomorrow night. Below zero temperatures. Tom is going to tell us more about that. But hey, right now, this is Indianapolis. I know, you can't see it. But that's how bad the situation is.

Conditions are really deteriorating there. It's a white out or at least it's kind of like very wet snow. Just a new word. Very nasty there. Tom Sater, Indianapolis seeing a little mix of rain and snow.

TOM SATER, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, Indianapolis is interesting. It's not cut and dry as it is to the north where it's all snow or cold rain to the south. Indianapolis, Columbus, Pittsburgh goes from snow to a mix to rain and back to snow.

WHITFIELD: That's got to be annoying stuff.

SATER: Yes, you don't know what's going to happen. Let me show you the warnings. Blizzard warning in Chicago. Now this is interesting, on this day just four years ago in 2011, Chicago picked up just over 21". Ranks third time all greatest snowfall.

But hundreds of people were trapped and stranded on Lakeshore Drive. There had to be rescue after rescue. So it's good to see the roads are clear. Blizzard conditions meaning the winds are going to pick up. We'll have low visibility. In pink, all the warnings across the north and that includes New England where areas just hit with two to three feet and another one and they will.

New York is tricky. We'll get there as well. Boston, I think you're going to stay in the cold. Take a look at this little line of pink. This is the ice. Heaviest snowfall always falls just north of that ice line. So north of there it's all snow. Chicago all snow. I think Detroit, you're looking at all snow. It's a chilly rain to the south. This is where it gets interesting for Indianapolis. After you go to the rain it comes back as snow.

Cleveland, the warm air never reaches you. You stay with a good eight to 10 inches. Pittsburgh gets into the rain. It will end as a brief period of snow. Stays to snow to most of upstate New York. Then we watch New York, which is interesting. A blast of snow overnight, a couple of inches. By morning it's a mess with some sleet and freezing rain for a few hours.

Then in the afternoon you get hit with another batch of snow into the evening. Then temperatures stay cold. So this isn't going to melt. Boston, I think, on Cape Cod, you go do to rain in Nantucket. Thank goodness. Martha's Vineyard but not so much in the city and points to the east. So snow totals will vary greatly. No doubt from parts of Chicago, Detroit over to Cleveland, you see Rochester and towards just north of New York, really into interior sections, you're going to see the significant snow.

Then back behind this you get here with a blast with some really cold air. So again, Chicago, coming down, if you crack 14 inches, you get into the top 10. You're going to come pretty close to that. Indianapolis hang in there. You've been fluctuating right around 31, 32 from Cincinnati, southward just the cold rain. Good news there. To the north, Pittsburgh, the snow is in the mix now. That means your temperature is trying to warm up. The rain will be moving in. You go to rain before it changes to snow overnight. Again, stays long from i-80 north ward, it's all snowfall. But again we'll watch it move into New York and Boston during the wee hours but look at the cold temperatures, these are morning lows from tomorrow morning and Tuesday morning.

Minneapolis, 5 Greenbay 6 but then you get into Chicago with a cold air moves in on Tuesday. Detroit, you're into 3, Cleveland 6. So I think besides this cold air you get another blast latter part of the week.

WHITFIELD: Oh my goodness. OK. They are hardy folks in that part of the country. They can handle it.

All right. Tom, thank you.

All right. Still ahead, Whitney Houston's daughter, Bobbi Christina Brown in a medically induced coma today. And for the first time, we're hearing from her father, Bobby Brown. We'll have that when we come right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: This just in. R&B singer Bobby Brown is releasing a statement on his daughter, Bobbi Christina. The 21-year-old daughter is being treated at a hospital north of Atlanta after being found unresponsive yesterday morning in her home.

Victor Blackwell is at the hospital. So Victor, what is Bobby Brown saying.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, we just received this statement. It's from Bobby Brown through his attorneys. I'm going to read a portion of it.

He says that "Privacy is requested in this matter. Please allow for my family to deal with this matter and give my daughter the love and support she needs at this time."

Of course, a tragic time for his family. It started yesterday at about 10:30 a.m. Eastern when Bobbi Christina Brown's husband, Nick Gordon, arrived at their home and found her face down in a bath tub full of water. She was not breathing. Her heart was not beating. Paramedics tried CPR. That did not work. She was brought her to North Fulton County Hospital. And she's now in a medically induced coma. Several things we do not know.

Why she slipped into that tub and was faced down there? How long she was there and how long she'll be in this medically-induced coma. Investigators say they have not found any drugs or alcohol there in the home at last check. They are calling this a medical incident.

Again, Bobby Brown, the father of Bobbi Christina Brown asking for privacy and love and support for his daughter. He was almost three years ago, February 11, 2012, when his ex-wife, Whitney Houston, was found in a bathtub at the Beverly Hilton Hotel right before Grammy party and she was pronounced dead. So a very tragic anniversary for his family as well. Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Indeed it. Victor Blackwell, thank you so much. Keep us posted.

CNN also obtained scanner traffic of emergency personnel being dispatch to Bobbi Christina Brown's home. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFED MALE: Responding to an echo response, possible cardiac arrest. 21-year-old female in the bathtub face down. PD's en route.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And you heard the emergency personnel say possible cardiac arrest. But we can't confirm that's what actually happened to her but what police have told us is that Brown's heart was not beating and she was not breathing when she was found in that bathtub. Someone in the house, as you heard, Victor, explaining performing CPR on her until an ambulance arrived. She was then rushed to a hospital north of Atlanta.

All right. Joining us right now, Dr. Rodney Samaan, a cardiologist. So, doctor, good to see you.

Aren't medical induced coma usually used after a head injury?

DR. RODNEY SAMAAN, CARDIOLOGIST: Well, they can be used for a number of different traumatic events whether it's traumatic brain injury, sudden cardiac arrest, ventricular fibrillation, or even in an incident like this where a patient was either hypoxic or asphyxiated. So there are a number of different uses for a medically-induced coma.

WHITFIELD: And if we're being told - CNN is being told that she was not breathing, heart was not beating, how does this medically-induced coma allow doctors to manipulate what usually are vital signs for someone?

SAMAAN: Well, just to step back for a second. The fact that she was not breathing and she did not have a pulse or a heartbeat makes the prognosis much graver. In general if EMS were to arrive and the patient did have a pulse or had an abnormal rhythm and able to shock the patient out of that rhythm, then statistically those patients do much better than patients in this situation.

The fact she's in a bathtub brings another element that can be very concerning, which is a potential drowning where she gets fluid into her lungs and aspirates. That's going to be very difficult for them to deal with the breathing issues, if she developed lung injury from that as well as to try to keep her brain profused because of what happened. It would have been much easier if they had a pulse to bring her back from. WHITFIELD: In fact, if there was water in tub, if the remains or there was water in her lungs, putting her in a medically-induced coma, does that allow doctors to kind of express water may be in her lungs out?

SAMAAN: Not necessarily. Just to step back again. All the medically induced coma does is it's just anesthesia like a similar anesthesia for an elective surgery. Something like profafol or Versed which is used to just keep the brain quieted down, allow it time to heal and allow decrease in energy metabolism to the brain so that potentially it could heal.

I know that she has some swelling in the brain, which is again not a great prognostic sign. So what they're trying to do is just allow the brain to sort of rest and to heal. Keep in mind even though the eyes are closed and the patient is not awake, there's plenty of brain activity going on and what this is trying to do is decrease that brain activity and potentially allow time for the brain and the body to heal. There are issues with low blood pressure when you do put patients on these kinds of medicines. So you have to be very careful in how you provide the medically-induced coma.

WHITFIELD: And so doctor, does cardiac arrest cause a swelling of the brain?

SAMAAN: No. So the cardiac arrest is basically an abnormal rhythm that led to hyperperfusion to the brain and over time the free radical formation and inflammation causes the swelling in the brain as almost a side affect of the fact of the sudden cardiac death.

Keep in mind your brain requires blood perfusion at every second. Five seconds without blood perfusion and your brain will see a response. That's what makes people pass out. But in her situation we don't know how long she was passed out. If it's five, 10 minutes that's a very long time to be without blood perfusion.

WHITFIELD: And I read this medically induced coma can act like a cooling of the engine, helping to reduce any kind of blood flow and pressure. Is that about right?

SAMAAN: That's correct. Sometimes they do use hypothermia protocol as well where they cool the patient much lower than normal body temperature. What that does is perhaps allow decrease inflammation and decrease of free radical formation. It's used in certain situations, but it's more successful in patients with sudden cardiac arrest or cardiovascular insult such as a stroke, or a ventricular fibrillation.

WHITFIELD: Can a patient generally come back from this kind of condition return to their normal state prior to this medically induced coma?

SAMAAN: I have seen situations that surprise me, to be quite honest. But every situation is different. In the past few years we had some famous people that have done well and not so well. Joan Rivers, for one versus Gabrielle Giffords who did much better with. They both had medically - were both treated with medically induced coma to potentially allow them to heal.

One success story and one that was unsuccessful. And so in medicine, you see a variety of responses. In her case, she's young and potentially she has that in her favour but on the other hand, she did not have a pulse and was not breathing when she was found.

WHITFIELD: OK.

SAMAAN: In the next 48 to 72 hours we'll have a better idea of whether her prognosis will improve.

WHITFIELD: Of course, everybody wishing her the best. Thank you so much for your expertise, Dr. Rodney Samaan. Appreciate it.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. We'll have more on the big winter storm in a moment.

But now another big story we're following. Japan is mourning the apparent killing of a second Japanese citizen by ISIS. A video released Saturday appears to show the beheading of journalist Kenji Goto. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe promises never to forgive or yield to intimidation. One Japanese official now offering to extend support for any refugees displaced by ISIS.

Meanwhile, the fate of a Jordanian pilot held by the terror group is unknown. Jordan's government vows to keep working for (INAUDIBLE) release but it's proof of life request has done unanswered. ISIS is demanding that Jordan release a convicted female terrorist in exchange for sparing the pilot's life.

ISIS is also demanding the return of three other females, including an alleged bomb maker and a woman tied to the ISIS leadership.

With me now is Jayne Huckerby, a former human rights advisor to the United Nations. Jane, good to see you. You specialize in gender equality in post-Arab spring countries. For a long time the thought was women couldn't wield power in groups like ISIS, how the latest events such as what we saw in Paris proved everyone wrong?

JAYNE HUCKERBY, FMR. HUMAN RIGHTS ADVISOR TO THE U.N.: Governments have really long overlook and underrated female terror. And what we're seeing in (INAUDIBLE) in Paris and the recent demands of the Islamic State (INAUDIBLE) is an increasing recognition of a much broader trend by which women are going to join ISIS and women are important to the group.

WHITFIELD: And so how do intelligence forces now use that kind of information. Perhaps even anticipate the next wave of how women are going to be used?

HUCKERBY: Intelligence forces now need to be looking at the reasons women are going to join these groups. That involves looking at, for example, certain grievances that women have. Like men they are often pushed by factors relating to inequality, alienation, adventure but also responding very much to the next steps involve getting serious and looking at the areas of motivation that bring women to the group and looking closely at the roles they play once in those groups.

WHITFIELD: You wrote in the "New York Times" that these women, many women are brought in to sort of sanitize the image of jihadis. In what way?

HUCKERBY: These women are playing a particularly crucial role including through social media. In rebranding and sanitizing the group as less of a terror group and more of state building exercise by posting pictures on Instagram of themselves having milk shakes or through chatty tweets. They are showing a side of life in ISIS that really is designed to recruit other women to the group and also to present this broader image of the group as being a state building exercise.

WHITFIELD: So these women are being used to kind of convey a message like a utopia. Like you join like I did and you're going to find that your life is heaven like?

HUCKERBY: ISIS made a deliberate call to women to fulfil their equal duty and to come and partake in state building. Some of these women may be going in sort of terms of having been coerced or tricked. It's very important to remember they're not just being used by ISIS. Women are making very strong decisions to join the group, being aware of what their roles will be once there.

WHITFIELD: Jayne Huckerby, thank you so much. Appreciate it.

HUCKERBY: Thank you, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: In a moment we're going to get back to our coverage of that major winter storm dumping snow across the midwest and now heading east. Live picture right now of a snowy Chicago. Next, we'll find out how much this snow is impacting air travel.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. Hello. Thanks again for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Another massive winter storm bearing down on the Midwest and barreling eastward, 100 million people in 18 states are bracing for this winter wallop. Watches and warnings extend from Omaha to Massachusetts as it takes aim at major metro areas dead center in the storm's crosshairs. Right now, Chicago, live pictures of a very snowy Chicago, under a blizzard warning right now. The mayors of both Chicago and New York calling press conferences to address the impending storm and brief the public on preparations. In Boston, in fact, officials are already cancelling school for tomorrow so far. Mayor De Blasio of New York says schools won't be open. So the storm has already forced cancellations of more than 2,000 flights. Sara Ganim is tracking that for us from La Guardia Airport in New York. Sarah, how are people doing there?

SARA GANIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, this is still a pretty busy airport here at La Guardia, Fred. Between today and tomorrow, 4,000 flight cancellations. Today, about 1700 delays. If you take a look at the board, most of those cancellations are coming from Boston. The Boston area and then the flights that would have been used to go onto other cities are also -- we're starting to see those cancellations trickle in, the delays, too. If you look nationwide, the most cancellations right now are coming from Chicago O'Hare, Chicago midway and then Detroit. So you see that the cancellations are moving along with the storm which means that more cancellations are expected today and tomorrow in the northeast area. Now that's the air commute.

Let's talk about the road commute for a second because it's going to really start to pick up here, the precipitations are going to pick up right at the time that the Super Bowl is ending. That means road conditions can be very messy, flushy for people leaving Super Bowl parties to go home. Also, a potential for a pretty messy commute for the Monday morning commute. And the interesting thing to note for the people in the Northeast who will be driving tomorrow, making their way around is that the temperature while it's gonna hover around freezing that could mean vacillation between snow and rain and at times freezing rain. By the time they leave work tomorrow, the temperature is going to drop down to about 25 degrees in New York and that could mean ice. The governor of New York, the mayor of New York City urging people to be careful on the streets. As you mentioned, school's still open tomorrow for now in New York, New York City area. The mayor saying because they are going to keep an eye on that forecast and how it might change overnight, check in the morning and base your commute on common sense, what you see on the roads and also how much snow falls overnight, Fred.

WHITFIELD: Alright, Sarah Ganim, thank you so much from La Guardia. I appreciate it.

All right, still to come, Super Bowl XLIX just about here. Andy Scholes is live from Glendale, Arizona.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: (Inaudible).

WHITFIELD: We're gonna hear from him, after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICARDO SILVA: You have four minutes, four minutes. It's a competition.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ricardo Silva is using his competitive edge to make math count for these high school students in Washington DC.

SILVA: My hope is to bring awareness to the students, not just in geometry but pro-life outcomes. You can do whatever you want through education.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Silva's first job wasn't in classroom. It was on a football field playing for the Detroit Lions. SILVA: My mission was to get to college and start in the NFL and move

onto something more meaningful to me, which is providing opportunities to kids that do not necessarily know how to get where they need to

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Helping Silva do just that is Teach for America. The program offers free classroom training to college graduates and professionals from various backgrounds. In exchange, they teach in an underserved school for two years.

SILVA: Kids that have low social economics status are, you know, not achieving as well you know there more affluent counterparts and we're trying to close the education achievement, this is why I'm here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's certainly not for the paycheck or for the ease of the job.

SILVA: Football all you have to do is wake up everyday, work out and do what the coaches tell you to do. In school, you got to motivate young teenagers who are more interested in the social media outlets than math.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A seemingly impossible task, but Silva is up for the challenge

SILVA: All I had was one person believing in me my entire life, which was my mom. I feel like I can bring that to the kids. All they need was one person telling them they can do it and be successful.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right. Well, that's quite the inspiration. Now, are you ready for the football game? You don't have long to wait. Super Bowl Sunday is here. Will the Seahawks repeat? Can the Patriots survive deflate-gate? Andy Scholes is in Glendale, Arizona for us so we're now you're ready for the game.

SCHOLES: Oh, you know it, Fredricka. You couldn't ask for a better day out here out here in Phoenix, Arizona. It is 70 degrees and sunny, perfect day for the fans right now there are tons of them filing into the stadium. You got bands playing behind me just a great day, perfect day and really this is kind of a perfect match-up on paper. These two teams so evenly matched, sports books in Las Vegas actually have this game as a "Pick-Em," that's never happened in the history of the Super Bowl so that's how close and great they expect this game to be this afternoon. Now, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, he's looking to win his second Super Bowl in his first three years in the NFL. And you know, when you think about the best quarterbacks in the league you think Tom Brady, Payton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Ben Roethlisberger. Well, Wilson, when he's faced off against all those guys, he's won every single game. He's a perfect 10-0 against Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks and he says he's able to play his best in the big games because of his cool demeanor.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RUSSELL WILSON, SEAHAWKS QUARTERBACK: It's the championship mindset of being able to focus and also relax in a very, very, very tough situation, you know. And so, I don't fear those situations and all that. There's no pressure there for me. My dad was sick and he was about to pass away, that's pressure on my mom. That's pressure. That's real life pressure. This, I get to play the game of football because I love it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: Now, Fredricka, if you're still looking to snag a ticket to today's game, good luck. Right now, the cheapest ticket on the website stub hub it's going for about $10,000. It's on pace to be the most expensive ticket in sports history. That's how hyped this game is right now. According to the website pregame.com, an estimated $10 billion is expected to be wagered on the Super Bowl worldwide. Fredricka, you can bet on all kinds of fun stuff not just on the outcome of the game, you can bet on what color drink is gonna get poured on the winning coach? You can bet on what will Katy Perry be wearing during the half-time show, you can even bet on will Bill Belichick be caught smiling on the sidelines at some point during the broadcast. Lots of fun stuff to bet on for this game.

WHITFIELD: You might as well have a little fun, people. It's football after all. All right, Andy Scholes, thank you so much appreciate it. Have fun.

All right, there's something a little different this year's Super Bowl, a message to fans from the FAA.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Going to the big game? Have fun, cheer your team and keep it in a no drone zone. Don't spoil the game. Leave your drone at home.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Interesting. The FAA airing this commercial in Phoenix. All aircraft includes drones will not be allowed within 30 miles of the stadium during the game and we will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A look at our top stories right now, Egypt has released an Al Jazeera journalist who had been locked up since December of 2013. Australian journalist Peter Greste left Egypt this morning. Greste was one of three Al Jazeera journalists jailed in Egypt since they were convicted of supporting the banned Muslim brotherhood but constantly maintained their innocence and the daughter of Whitney Houston is in a medically induced coma. Doctors placed Bobbi Kristina in that emergency treatment Saturday. Police say Brown's husband found the 21- year-old face down in a bathtub full of water. They also say Brown's heart was not beating and she was not breathing at the time. Her father, singer Bobby Brown issued statement in the last hour requesting privacy for the family.

Yet another massive winter storm is brewing, the system is closing in on the Midwest and barreling eastward with 100 million people in 18 states in its path, in Chicago where a blizzard warning is in effect. Mayor Rahm Emanuel addressed concerns at a press conference early today. New York Mayor Bill De Blasio spoke last hour saying a winter watch will start at 7:00 p.m. Eastern time today.

Startling stats from the CDC. The number of measles cases in January alone is surpassing the number of cases usually seen in one year. As of Thursday, at least 84 measles cases had been reported in 14 states. The average number of measles cases a year from 2001 to 2010 was only 60. At the center of the controversy, parents deciding not to vaccinate their kids. It's a choice one father says could kill his son. Here is Dan Simon.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A 6-year-old Rhett Krawitt is not vaccinated for measles or anything else. But it has nothing to do with religion, or his parents' philosophy towards vaccines. Rhett has been battling leukemia. He's in remission now and healthy but a thousands doses of chemo weakened his immune system.

CARL KRAWITT, RHETT'S FATHER: The vaccinations that he had when he was a baby are basically wiped out by the chemotherapy and they have to wait until his immune system is strong enough to revaccinate him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Until then, his parents have an idea, and a controversial one. They want Rhett's school Marin county, California to bar any children who have not been vaccinated. Such a move they argue would decrease Rhett's chances of getting the measles which in his case could lead to death, according to his doctor.

ROBERT GOLDSBY, PEDIATRIC ONCOLOGIST: This is not just about Rhett. This is about all kids that have immune dysfunction whether it's from chemotherapy or an underling immunodeficiency syndrome.

C. KRAWITT: Instead of waiting for an outbreak and reacting to what is a disease, let's get ahead of it and avoid having that outbreak in the first place.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here in California and other states, there are exemptions that allow parents to opt out of vaccines and still send their children to school.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are your children vaccinated?

TRACY SKYTT, PARENT: For the most part.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tracy has children at Rhett's school. She did get them vaccinated for measles but not everything else the school requires. So she got an exemption, which in California requires the form to also be signed by a health care professional. She doesn't believe in forced immunizations.

SKYTT: And we live here in Marin County, which is a liberal place. It's a well educated group of people. It's a thoughtful group of people. I think if parents are choosing not to vaccinate, it's probably for a reason.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: the numbers are not trivial. More than 6 percent of kindergarteners have personal belief exemptions. That's nearly three times the state average of 2.5 percent. Nationally, it's 1.8 percent. In a statement provided to CNN, the school district tells us, California law protects the rights of parents to refuse to vaccinate their children and in doing so prohibits schools from excluding the children from school unless there's an active outbreak. Rhett's parents can see they're on the losing side of the battle but still hope some good will come of it.

SKYTT: What we're trying to achieve is hurt immunity. What we're trying to achieve is to raise immunization rates so we don't have to worry about measles.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIMON: They also don't want to worry about their son suffering from a horrible disease. They know it's unlikely that anything will happen as a result of their efforts but they're just glad to be triggering this national conversation. Dan Simon, CNN, San Francisco.

Whitfield: And we're back in a minute but first here is CNN's Ones To Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ho Chi Minh City, home to 7.99 million residents and counting. Vo Trong Nghi has a master plan to reintroduce tropical green beauty for the urban sprawl of Vietnam's overcrowded cities. He's been chosen by international architect, David Adjaye as showing great promise.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In Ho Chi Minh City we just have 1 square meter (inaudible). For example, Hong Kong they have more than 50 square meters.

DAVID ADJAYE, ARCHITECT: When you hear that stat, that's so depressing. It's actually hard to believe that in the '70s, there was a time when people thought that cutting down trees in cities was a way to get among the city.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hidden from the street this is Vo Trong's House for Trees. Five individual rooms, which double as huge plant pots for the trees on top. By separating the bedrooms, bathroom, living space and the meditation room, the building compels its occupants to pass through the canopy of trees outside.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sometime, we just make a question. That is how many wins a year; how many victories can we give back to our earth so that the question and the answer are really simple.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, most of us can't imagine the challenges wounded troops face when they come home. The Pentagon made plans to cut the budget for a program to help vets manage it all. Some were panic stricken. Here is CNN's Jake Tapper.

SGT. ADAM HARTSWICK, AFGHAN WAR VET: Initially it just you know, basically just gored my legs. I can still see my kneecaps without any you know, flesh on them. I had tourniquets slip through (inaudible) on my vest and started pulling them off and putting them on.

JAKE TAPPER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: When 23 year old army medic Adam Hartswick lost his legs to an explosive in 2013, he tied his own tourniquets to stop the bleeding hoping the save his own life. In a month since he returned from Afghanistan, the Purple Heart recipient has been under the care of doctors at Walter Reed as well as his parents working in tandem to help Hartswick rebuild his strength and spirit.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That looks good.

MORGEN HUMMEL, MOTHER: At first, we pretty much marathoned it with Adam. We would stay there from sunrise to sunset and beyond.

HARTSWICK: Just having my dad there you know to wake me up in the middle of the night and keep my calm. That was vital to my recovery.

TAPPER: Hartswick's parents served as his non-medical attendants or NMA's. That's the official designation given to those who serve as caretakers for our nation's wounded warriors often sacrificing their jobs to do so. They're sometimes family members but not always. They hope to steer the nation's wounded warriors towards as much independence as possible. It is a challenge the so much has to be relearned.

HUMMEL: As a non-medical attendant my job is to be with my son pretty much 24/7, that meant that our lives were changed forever and that nuts and bolts wise that we would be out of the job.

TAPPER: The U.S. Government has provided a per diem for NMA's like Hartswick's parents to help offset the cost of care giving and the lost income. It's not much but helps, reimbursements for lodging near the hospital, food, gas, basic necessities.

HUMMEL: Not only did he lose his legs but then financially, if you have to worry about is my house going to be here when I come back from tending to my son, that's a double whammy.

TAPPER: But weeks ago the Obama administration issued a rule to cut these funds significantly. In November the Department of Defense implemented a 22 million budget cut slashing the reimbursement rates for all military personnel including these care-givers from 100 percent to just 55 percent after six months of travel. Of course, for those who lost limbs or sustained brain injuries in battle, six months is usually just the beginning.

HUMMEL: Where would we be? Where will I be? Where would be you know lot of these parents that I've seen weeping in hallways at Walter Reed?

TAPPER: It's not as if these wounded warriors don't face enough challenges already, wounds visible and less so.

HARTSWICK: When you're on disturbing thoughts and memories, you need to talk to somebody, you need to communicate. I mean that's what we're taught. Shoot, move, communicate.

TAPPER: One-wounded warrior concerned that this budget cut would cost him his caregiver and thus risk his recovery reached out to CNN. We in turn contacted the Pentagon and demanded to know why these crucial funds were being cut.

JOHN KIRBY, PENTAGON SPOKESPERSON: When we issued this policy change it was to help discourage long, lengthy, temporary travel and to save money.

TAPPER: To its tremendous credit, the Pentagon acknowledged the problem and fixed it immediately.

KIRBY: Actually, we want to thank you, Jake and CNN, for bringing to our attention. Because we had not seen this unintended consequence of what was in every other respect a very sound and judicious financial policy, but you brought it to our attention, and we were able to get it changed within the week.

TAPPER: After 21 surgeries, Hartswick's made great strides in regaining his independence. He's out of hospital, he's even dating. Now with these funds restored families like Hartswick's will be able to continue the journey back from battle, together. Jake Tapper, CNN, Washington.

WHITFIELD: All right, nice work, and nice relief.

I'm Fredricka Whitfield, the next hour of the CNN NEWSROOM starts right now.