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Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees
New England Patriots Parade Postponed; CDC Has 102 People Developed the Disease on Record; 3-Year-Old Cannot Get Measles Vaccine Due to Illness; Nearly 4,000 Flights Canceled Due to Storm; Tightening Airport Security; Record Travel on Air Balloon; Whitney Houston's Daughter Still in Hospital
Aired February 02, 2015 - 20:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Good evening. Thanks for joining us.
If you want to know how serious the weather is in big parts the country tonight, breaking news says it all. The city of Boston which takes almost as much pride in the New England Patriot has it dozen standing up to winder weather has postponed tomorrow's victory parade the Super Bowl champs because of weather. Because of another foot snow on top of two to three feet of it already on the ground.
More snow in week last week in fact, in the area typically gets all season long.
Jennifer Gray has the duty tonight, she's out in the middle of it, joins us now from Boston. It is just look miserable all day. What are conditions like right now?
JENNIFER GRAY, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes. Well luckily, the snow is starting to end and the temperatures are going to plummet. What you are seeing now is basically just blowing snow from what's already on the ground. Not seeing much more fall from the sky, which is excellent news. It's been snowing continuously since yesterday evening. You can see these big piles of snow behind me.
One of the reasons that victory parade has been postponed; the city just hasn't had enough time to keep up. And so they're still trying to haul off a lot of snow and keep those roads plowed.
Look right here, this is one of the main thoroughfares here in Boston. And you can see a lot of snow still already on the ground. It is just a slushy mess and now with temperature diving into the single digits, we are going to get a flash freeze. And so all of these on ground is going to freeze. It's going to make traveling a nightmare over the next 12 hours or so. And that's another reason they postponed it, because not only people in Boston wanted to go to that parade, people all over New England wanting to come in town for that.
You mentioned that we've got more snow since January 1 that we typically see in an entire year. We have also broken the record for a single day event. It has been the snowiest February 2nd on record. We have also seen the snowiest seven days stretch on record. Of course, schools canceled again tomorrow, Anderson. And we are just going to see temperatures stay in the single digits with wind-chills well below zero for the next 12 to 24 hours highs tomorrow only getting in teens.
COOPER: Wow. Only in the teens. But no more new snow tomorrow?
GRAY: Right, no more new snow. It is ending for tonight; we're going to be clear for a couple of days. But there's a hence a possibility of more snow by Thursday, so we're going keep an eye on that very closely.
COOPER: All right. Jennifer, appreciate it. Jennifer Gray reporting. We're going to returns to the weather shortly.
But first, signs of the measles outbreak which has been linked to Disney Land in Southern California remains a serious threat to public health. New numbers tonight from the CDC, the Center for Disease Control at Atlanta, they tell the story, 102 people developed the disease in January in 14 states. This for virus that was declared eliminated in United States 15 years.
Today New Jersey Governor Chris Christie had to clarify remarks he made on whether parents should have the options of refusing vaccinations for their kids. A spokesman, late today said that when it comes to the measles vaccines there should be no question. President Obama said the same thing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Measles is preventable. I understand that there're families that in some cases are concerned about the effect of vaccinations. The science is, you know, pretty is indisputable. We've looked at this again and again. There is every reason to get vaccinated, there aren't reasons to not get vaccinated.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you telling parents, you should get your kids vaccinated?
OBAMA: You should get your kids vaccinated.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: In a moment, a parent whose children are paying the price of other parents not doing what the president and medical science says it's so vital getting your kids vaccinated. But first, senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen joins us now.
How much does the CDC expect this outbreak to spread?
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Right Anderson. This is hard to quantify exactly, but certainly, they expected to spread because this is such an incredibly contagious disease. You don't need to be that close to someone or kiss someone or anything like that. It's airborne. If someone is the room that has measles and leaves and you walked in two hours later you could get measles from that person.
COOPER: I've got a couple of tweets from people saying, because we are looking for people that could give a question in our next hour with Sanjay Gupta. But how do you know if you're immune or not? Because even if you got your shot as a kid you may not actually be fully immune, right?
COHEN: All right, Anderson, I have to ask you, are you over under age 25?
COOPER: I think we know, I'm 47. So, yes, well over.
COHEN: OK. It's OK. So you and I are about in the same boat.
So when were kids we've only gotten one dose of the vaccine. And that was true for anyone born up until 1990. And when we only got one dose it might have taken you and I might be totally fine, but we might not be immune.
So for example, if we were on that Amtrak train which we now held's a student or college student from New York was on an Amtrak train that started in Penn Station, you know, we would people in our category would sort of wonder, are immune or not? The only way to really answer that is to go talk to your doctor. Tell them your specific circumstances.
Certainly people vaccinated since 1990, they got two shots they are almost certainly fully immune.
COOPER: And what kind of risk -- first of all, should then people over 25 or whatever it was, should they actually get revaccinated?
COHEN: No. I think it really depends on your exposure. So for example again, if you were on train, or if you were playing with a child and you later learn that that child is part of the measles outbreak. I would certainly go my doctor and talk to them.
Now, there is a blood test you can do, it's called getting your titers checked, and they can see if immune to measles or not. Two problems, one is expensive and insurance likely isn't going to pay for it. Number two it takes a while. So I think some doctors would say, look, if you were exposed to measles and you were born before 1990, just get second shot it's not going to hurt you.
COOPER: What kind of risk do people face when they are infected with measles? I mean, it's more serious than the rash that most people think of.
COHEN: Right. I think a lot o f people think, yes, my mother had measles, she was fine. My grandfather had it, he was fine. In fact most people are fine when they measles. But the truth of is that before we had vaccines in this country, four to 500 people died every year from the measles. And another 4,000 got encephalitis, which is brain swelling. So you really don't want to play with roulette with these numbers.
Chances are, yes, you'll be fine. But you could also be one -- you know, one of the hundreds that used to die before we had vaccine.
COOPER: All right. Elizabeth Cohen, appreciate the update. The story matters, because what plenty of well meaning parents do on
behalf of kids maybe having profound effects on everyone else. Personal decisions colliding with public health, it's happening in theme parks, school buses, perhaps most worrying even at doctors' offices with the most variable may come in contact with highly contagious.
Our Randi Kaye has one Southern California pediatrician taking measures to confront that reality. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DR. ERIC BALL, SOUTHERN ORANGE COUNTY PEDIATRIC ASSOCIATES: (INAUDIBLE) OK. Mommy's right there. Good job.
KIRSTIN HEARN, PARENT WORRIED ABOUT MEASLES: Good job, buddy.
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Southern California Pediatrician Dr. Eric Ball spends most of his time these days answering questions about measles. 1-year-old Bennett, just got his measles shot last week, on his first birthday.
HEARN: I was ready that morning.
KAYE: You got it.
HEARN: Yes. We are waiting out there about 45 minutes. I would have waited all day just to get that before the weekend.
KAYE: Bennett's mom feared her son could get sick because of all the unvaccinated children in her community. Children whose parents, the doctor is trying to convince to reconsider their stance on vaccinations.
About 15 percent of the students here in Ladera Ranch are unvaccinated.
BALL: I actually will show them my son's vaccination record showing that he received his first MMR vaccine when he was exactly one year old, right. When you're supposed to receive it. I find it at this tends to help.
KAYE: That helps but still some parents can't let go of the notion that vaccine may lead to autism. Even though there is no credible medical evidence that the MMR vaccine causes autism.
This woman didn't vaccinate her younger son until today. And he's 9 years old.
ALLISON WIEMANN, MOTHER: My older son had some difficulties with some of the other vaccines. We've had one shot that he had were he hadn't been able to walk for two days. And I was concerned that there -- he could possibly develop autism.
KAYE: Ball says more parents like her are coming around, but not enough which has those who do vaccinate very worried. BALL: They're scared. They're scared especially the parents of
little infants who had haven't under vaccinations yet. I've a lot of calls from families who want to bring kids in earlier to get their vaccines. We're getting parents who don't want to take their kids out of the house, parents who don't want to go to parks anymore. It's a lot of fear right now.
KAYE: Much of his day is spent taking phone calls from concerned parents. Like this one from a mom who wanted to know if it was safe to take her son to Disneyland where the outbreaks started.
BALL: And your children you said just had one vaccine, and therefore should be OK. So you should go to Disneyland.
KAYE: Here in California state law requires all parents get their children vaccinated, with the first round of the vaccine coming when the children are about 12 months old. But still parents can sign what's called a personal belief waiver to avoid having to get their children vaccinated.
For those who are unvaccinated and already sick, Ball is taking extra precautions. This sign on the office door tells anyone who has a fever and is unimmunized not to come in side.
BALL: What we're doing to keep them out our office, is we're going downstairs, putting gloves on, putting a mask on, examining them in their car.
KAYE: On Saturday, he treated one child with measles in the family's car. And another who's showing signs of a fever and a rush, he's treating via e-mail.
BALL: We decided to try to keep him out of the office and securely exchanged e-mails, including pictures, to try to diagnose the child electronically. We then had them see the health department where were examined and quarantined area, blood was drown and measles was confirmed.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: It gives you sense of just how easy it is to catch.
Randi, incredible that he's treating people in cars and things.
KAYE: Yes. Absolutely, Anderson. And it may not continue, because starting tomorrow this really could change here.
They're going to take a vote in Dr. Ball's office, all 12 doctors who work in his practice, they're going to vote, they wanted to figure out whether or not they're going to continue to treat these children who don't have these measles vaccinations. They wanted to have unanimous vote here. And if it goes through, their concern is that these parents who are choosing not vaccinate their children are going to take them doctors that also believe that they shouldn't vaccinate children. But they are hoping, based on experience that some of these parents
will figure it out based on -- in part on fear and come around and come back to them and agree to vaccinate children. Because they just don't want them in their waiting room as you saw. And he can't continue to treat all these kids in their cars and via e-mails with pictures from their parents. And it doesn't work.
COOPER: Yes. Yes.
I'll be interesting to see what they decide. Randi, thanks very much.
Now, a father and a doctor who's daughter's life depends on other kids getting shots. 3-year-old Maggie Jacks cannot get vaccinated because she has leukemia. Her baby brother is too young get vaccinated.
Tonight they're both in the middle of three weeks of quarantine because of a measles patient who turned up at the Phoenix Area Pediatric Clinic where Maggie was getting some lab work done.
You met their dad, Dr. Tim Jacks late last week if you're watching the program. And he was as you imagined very concern. He joins us tonight with an update.
Dr. Jacks, first of all, how's your family doing? Either your kids showing symptoms of measles?
DR. TIM JACKS, CHILDREN EXPOSED IN MEASLES OUTBREAK: You know, at this point, they seem to doing OK. They seem to be doing OK. It's a little bit hard to say right now just because of the dynamics of our situation. Any little cold, runny nose, anything could be the start of actual measles infection but does far, we haven't seen anything that has persisted to where we're concerned.
COOPER: Can you explain at this point just, why it's so important to you, to you family that kids get vaccinated against measles? Because obviously, this is a very personal issue for you.
JACKS: Absolutely. Absolutely. Yes. So you know, as far as getting kids vaccinated, you know, number one as a pediatrician I want to promote good health. I do want to try to keep my patients and their families as healthy as possible. And by vaccinating, that's one the biggest ways we can that.
Indirectly, you're also helping protects other children out there, other people out there that would otherwise be susceptible to measles. And those are my children in this case.
COOPER: And that's the thing. I mean, you know, you talk about looking for signs in your kids. It's so contagious, and you don't necessarily see any major signs, you know, you could have a sniffle or runny nose or something and still be contagious.
JACKS: Exactly. Exactly. And that's what makes it so difficult, one to identify, and then two, to stop the spread.
COOPER: Does it surprise you that there are still people out there who believe these vaccine can hurt their kids? I mean, even though there's no scientific evidence of that, you know, the one study that claimed that has been now, you know, revoked and debunk.
JACKS: Yes. It doesn't surprise me. Just because the information out there and that's kind a way the internet works. It doesn't matter how much good information there is, how many good studies, how many, you know, physicians are, you know, promoting good health for their patients. Information is out there and someone that wants to find it will find it very easily.
COOPER: You know, I mean, the people who do not believe they should vaccinate their children, they are not evil people. They're clearly are worried about their children but to them, what would you say? Because, I mean, obviously, one has to protect one's own child, but at the time, you know, we live in a society, we live in a community and we have be good citizens. And what -- somebody choosing not -- somebody choosing not to vaccinate their child does have an impact on other children.
JACKS: Right. And that exactly the issue. Yes, every one of my parents is doing, you know, their best job to take care of their children. And you know, my job is to come alongside then and help them make the best decisions and help educate them so they can make those good decisions. But part of that education process is realizing you know, it's not just about their children. There are other children out there that either are too young to vaccinate, or in the case of my daughter, has a weaken immune system because of the medical illness.
COOPER: In our report on Friday, Elizabeth Cohen talked to another doctor. And I want to play for you what he said. Because I think, I got a lot of response from viewers about who have upset by what he said. I was, frankly, surprised by what he said. I want to play that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COHEN: Could you live with yourself if your child got another child sick? I mean really sick, have complications even death. Could you live with yourself if that happened?
DR. JACK WOLFSON, WOLFSON INTEGRATIVE CARDIOLOGY: I could live with myself very easily. It's a very unfortunate thing at that people die. But unfortunately people die. And I'm not going to put my child at risk to save another child.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: When you heard that, I'm wondering what goes through your mind?
JACKS: Different thoughts go through my mind. You know, the medical side of me is understands it. That is certainly not a mainstream opinion. There are very few physicians out there that would agree with that statement. Over the last couple of days since that aired, you know, I've had numerous contacts of friends of mine, physicians that I've work with that I know of that are expressing a of outrage to the things that were said. And so I can definitely wholeheartedly say that, you know, the medical community, the medical literature does not support the statements he makes.
You know , the one comment I might have to him, or the question I might have for him is, you know, if were in my situation, and your two children who are your doing your best to protects, if they were suddenly exposed with measles, you know, what would your thoughts be at that point? Would you still be of the same mind-set that where you know, it's not about everyone else, it's just about your kids, would you still take them out into public or would there be a shift in mind- sets?
COOPER: Well, Dr. Jacks, appreciate you taking the time to talk us, and I wish the best for your family.
JACKS: Yes. Thank you. Thank you.
COOPER: Well, we know a lot of you certainly have questions about measles and vaccines.
Our next hour run of the two hours night, our next hour, the 9:00 o'clock hour, Dr. Sanjay Gupta and Columbia University's Dr. Irwin Redlener will answer your questions. You can submit them on the 360 Facebook page or tweet us using #vaccineqs, vaccines questions, vaccine ques.
As always, a quick reminder, make sure you set your DVR, you can watch 360 whenever you like.
We'll get back to the show.
Well, coming up next, we'll tell you what kind of delays you can expect if you're planning travel tomorrow.
Later what a 360 investigation reveals about just how easy it is to get a gun, or even worse on board a plane. It's a way of going completely around all that airport screening that we've been told to keep us safe.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: Welcome back.
Certainly feels like Groundhog Day here in northeast with the snow piling up, especially on the roads in around Boston. I want to go now to Brian Todd who is Andover, Massachusetts. What's it like right now?
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Anderson, we're told that it's starting to tail off that the system is pushing through. But frankly, we don't really feel that. It is been relentless all day; it is still pretty much a driving snowstorm here. And it doesn't seem to us like it's letting up. And it seems to us that in some ways, even though, technically, this storm is dumping less snow the one last one did that the one last week did, excuse me here, by about half it seems like it's worse.
Here's part of the problem. They're running out of place to put the snow. Mountains of banks like this are common place all over this area. And just everywhere you go, between cars that can't pull over, people who cannot walk on sidewalks, it is a very dangerous situation. Because of a lot of the cars are getting stuck, or people are thinking that they're going to get stuck and they want to find some place to pull over. There really is no place to pullover, on the highways or on side roads like low street here in Andover.
Visibility is also a huge problem. We were out earlier today in whiteout conditions for much of the day. And it really did seems to us and we were here last week, were it seems to us like visibility this week was much worse than it was last week when they got that big blizzards that dumped two and a half feet of snow here, Anderson.
COOPER: Yes. It's seems to be, Brian, we were Boston, we had a reporter in Boston to top the broadcast, it's stopped snowing there. Snow is still swirling around mainly there are already fallen. But it looks like snow is still coming down. We'll continue to check in with you throughout these two hours.
Now the mess in nearly every big airport east of Mississippi, major weather delays, nearly 4,000 cancellations, including in New York's LaGuardia Airport where our Jason Carroll joins us now.
Now, what a mess out there. What's the latest in terms of flight cancellations for the east coast? How bad is it?
JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's bad and it's frustrating to passengers who come here. They come out and they check the board like so many of us do. And it show up at airport, and you see on arrivals and departures read, canceled, canceled, over and over again.
Actually, LaGuardia isn't the worst spot, Anderson. That's the thing should in terms of number of cancellations goes to Chicago at 534, LaGuardia 445 where we are, Boston 328, Newark 312 and JFK with 155 cancellations.
You would think with so many ups out there and weather websites, are warning people about delays and cancellations, well, I just spoken to a number of passengers, one particular couple that came from North Carolina. They did everything they were supposed to, Anderson, they check apps and it says, yes, your plane is going to take off, it's going to take off on time. They get all the way here to the airport only to find out that it has been canceled.
So even though those people who are doing the right things still end up being frustrated because, you know, you can't predict what mother nature in some cases is going to end up doing.
COOPER: And recovering from all these cancellations, I mean, it's probably going to take days.
CARROLL: Yes. I mean, the airlines have made that clear. And in some cases what they're doing is they're offering these weather vouchers if you will, and basically what they'll do they'll say if there's a weather problem, we're going to allow you to change your flight and we're not going to charge you.
But that's not on every airline. I mean, JetBlue is offering this, Delta and American but some other carriers, U.S. Air, for example, not offering that.
We spoke to one couple trying to get back home and they said, back to Arkansas, they said, you know, we were trying to get home and we had out flight. And U.S. Air said, well you're kind of on your own in terms of trying to find a hotel. This poor girl had to try call home to her mother to get money to stay in a hotel. So it can really be frustrating for travelers who are coming out here just trying to do their best to get home in this terrible weather.
COOPER: What a mess.
Jason, appreciate the update. Thanks.
Next, if you think that the TSA security check points are enough to stop someone from getting a weapon onboard your next flight, and that's really the whole point, isn't it?
You want to see what our exclusive investigation reveals about who doesn't screened but perhaps should?
And later, we'll update you on Bobbi Kristina Brown, Whitney Houston's daughter who is found barely alive in a bathtub over the weekend. The latest on her condition.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: Thanks for coming back.
Tonight, an exclusive CNN investigation that reveals a serious gap in airport security around the country. We got interested in the story. When the story broke in that Delta Airlines baggage handler charge with smuggling guns on to planes in Atlanta. He was able to do it authority says, because he didn't have go to the kind of screening like that you and I do when we travel. He's not alone apparently with very few exceptions, there are two different security standards at American airports, one for passengers another for all the people with access to the planes that we fly.
The question is, all these years after 9/11 attacks, how can that be? Is that smart idea?
Drew Griffin tonight, "Let's keeping them Honest."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At Miami International Airport this is the security you don't see standing in line. CNN got exclusive access to the screening that takes place for what they call the back of the airport employees. These are the baggage handlers, the mechanics, the cleaners, anyone
you don't see going through screening with passengers. It's the same screening no matter what kind of security badge or security clearance the employee holds.
LAUREN STOVER, MIAMI AIRPORT SECURITY DIRECTOR: IDs are not enough to spot malicious intent. I mean, you can bet employees for basic information on their background but it doesn't get -- it's not going to necessary prevent them from carrying out some kind a malicious activity against an airport.
GRIFFIN: What may surprise you is what's happening at Miami's international airport, the full screening of every airport employee is the exception, not the rule. CNN contacted 20 of the major airports across the country, and found screening of employees as random and partial at best. And no national standard exists. The only other major airport that does full screening is Orlando. Many airports like Seattle's SeaTac telling us an extensive background check and an airport security badge is all that's needed for employees to get on the tarmac and gain access to airplanes.
It's a similar story we heard from Dallas, San Francisco, McCarran Airport in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, even JFK in New York. Pass a background check, get a badge, and you have access to the inner workings of America's airports without going through the same screening passengers' space up top.
Airport officials have told CNN the cost of screening all employees is simply too much for their budgets. Security expert Wayne Black says relying on badges for security is stupid.
WAYNE BLACK, SECURITY EXPERT: You don't have to be a security expert. I mean, a fifth grader can tell you that if you're checking security at the top end, at the front end of the airport, you ought to be checking the back end of the airport. We have a saying in our business and that is "budget-driven security will always fail.
GRIFFIN: The TSA, which sets standards for airport security says that in the wake of the gun smuggling case in Atlanta, it is implementing or considering a range of measures, including additional requirements for airport and airline employee screening, but so far, no national changes. Restaurant employees and flight crews that go through terminals, do pass through a checkpoint. Those that work below, do not.
STOVER: In the terminal we've got to be careful with the bags.
GRIFFIN: In Miami, airport security director Lauren Stover says checking some, but not all airport employees just isn't enough? The threats at her airport are the same across the country, smuggling, guns, drugs and the potential of terror.
STOVER: One of the greatest vulnerabilities for this airport, and probably any other major airport like MIA, is the insider threat. Basically, people that are going to obtain your credentials and use their access to exploit the system. GRIFFIN: Miami International has been screening like this ever since
a drug-smuggling scandal in the late '90s. Every employee with access to airplanes goes through metal detectors and screening, going to work, coming back from break, every time, every one.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This day and age, we have to do deal with terrorism.
GRIFFIN: If Miami is an example for how security should be done, the airport also has proof of why. Last year alone, 209 employee I.D. badges were confiscated due to security violations caught by screening.
STOVER: We have intercepted guns, drugs, large sums of money, weapons, knives.
GRIFFIN: Employee screening is under new scrutiny after the arrest of a Delta baggage handler in Atlanta. The employer worked with a passenger to smuggle guns to New York. The baggage handler, unscreened, was able to take backpacks of guns into the airport where he passed them on to a passenger, already cleared through security. Atlanta is now evaluating the cost of full employee screening.
STOVER: Put it this way. This is, you know, it's a costly program, it's really not that costly when you compare the cost versus the consequences of not having a program like this.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: Drew joins us now. It's kind of amazing that Atlanta is still just evaluating it after they already had a guy passing guns to a passenger. I mean it all comes down to how much it's going to cost the airports, right?
GRIFFIN: That is a large part of it. And the security experts you heard from, the woman at the Miami airport that's pretty much ridiculous, because the cost of not doing this, Anderson, could be huge. There is going to be a hearing tomorrow on Capitol Hill. There is going be a top TSA official there. The general manager of the Atlanta Airport will be there. Expected to face some pretty tough questions. Despite the fact, Anderson, that this country spends billions on airport security, I can only imagine one of the questions is going to be why are we spending anything if this security gap is left wide open?
COOPER: Yes. It's an important story. What does the TSA say about all this?
GRIFFIN: You know, TSA falls back on this report done in 2008. It said the full employee screening was not realistic. It would cost somewhere between 5 and $15 billion just in the first year to do it. But we've learned in Atlanta, at least, after that embarrassment of this baggage handler smuggling guns, Atlanta is looking to do much more. Maybe more random checks, more police, but so far no call for every employee to go through screening, like we go through, Anderson. COOPER: It's fascinating, Drew. I appreciate it. I had no idea. Just ahead, breaking news about Whitney Houston's daughter Bobbi Kristina, she's fighting for life in intensive care. She was found unresponsive in a bathtub over the weekend. We have new information about her condition coming up.
Plus, rap mogul Suge Knight now facing murder charges.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: There is more breaking news tonight. A source tells CNN Sunny Hostin that the 21-year-old daughter of the late Whitney Houston has opened and closed her eyes, but remains in a medically induced coma, and was having seizures just a few hours ago. Bobbi Kristina Brown is on a ventilator in intensive care. She was found unresponsive in a bathtub in her Georgia home over the weekend, almost three years after her mother was found dead in a hotel bathtub. Officials in the family saying this, and "Bobbi Kristina is fighting for her life, and is surrounded by immediate family, as her father already stated, we're asking your honor to request for privacy during this difficult time. Thank you for your prayers, well wishes, we greatly appreciate your continued support. We have more about her condition with Dr. Drew in a moment. But first, here's a look of what we know about the young woman who grew up surrounded by fame and experienced devastating loss at such a young age.
Bobbi Kristina Brown was 18 when her famous mother Whitney Houston died in 2012. Houston had drowned in a bathtub with cocaine in her system, cited as a contributing factor along with heart disease. Days later, Krissy as she's known to family and friends, was taken to Cedar Sinai Hospital because she was "overwhelmed" according to a family friend.
A weeks after her hospitalization, she spoke to Oprah Winfrey.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
OPRAH WINFREY, TALK SHOW HOST: Are you finding through this period that you didn't know your own strength?
BOBBI KRISTINA BROWN, DAUGHTER OF WHITNEY HOUSTON: Yeah. It's good. Yeah. Yeah. I haven't - if you were to ask me what - about our decent, I would have viewed it through it. I would have said, no. I would have - right with her. I wouldn't have got to do it at all.
OPRAH WINFREY: You are getting through it?
BOBBI KRISTINA BROWN: Yeah. Yeah. I am.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: Bobbi Kristina was born in 1993, the only child of Houston and her husband singer, Bobby Brown. Their daughter was forced into the spotlight in the mid-2000s as part of the reality show, "Being Bobby Brown."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BOBBY BROWN: She is my daughter.
WHITNEY HOUSTON: She is fine.
BOBBY BROWN: Are you fine?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: She had a front row seat to her parents tumultuous marriage. They divorced in 2007. But Bobbi Kristina remained close to her mom.
Two performed together in 2009 on "Good Morning America." After her mother's death, she returned to reality television, as one of the of stars of the Houston's on our own. Bobbi Kristina's sobriety was one focus of the show.
BOBBI KRISTINA BROWN: Apple juice ....
PAT HOUSTON, BOBBI KRISTINA BROWN'S AUNT: I had my suspicions about the drinking, because I know that in the past, her mother would allow her to have a glass of champagne, or a glass of wine. But I do not want her dealing with her mother's passing in the wrong way.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: There've also been allegations of cocaine use by Bobbi Kristina in the past, but she's denied them. Another focus to reality show was her romantic relationship with Nick Gordon, who was taken in and essentially adopted by Whitney Houston at age 12.
BOBBI KRISTINA BROWN: It feels so weird without mom. I was just like - somebody like - what? Like why?
NICK GORDON: I'd give anything to have that back.
BOBBI KRISTINA BROWN: To have that back.
NICK GORDON: I'd give anything.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: In january2014, the two reportedly got married. And on Saturday morning, Bobbi Kristina was found by Gordon and a friend in eerily similar circumstances that led to her mother's death.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She's found - (INAUDIBLE) response, possible cardiac arrest. 21-year old female in the bathtub, face down, TV is around.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: A police spokeswoman says no one knows yet exactly what caused Bobbi Kristina's unresponsiveness, a lot of questions still to be answered. Dr. Drew Pinsky joins us. So, Dr. Drew, first of all, Bobbi Kristina's Brown condition on a ventilator in medically induced coma, what exactly does that mean? Why would doctors put somebody in medically induced coma?
DR. DREW PINSKY, HOST, HLN'S "DR. DREW ON CALL": It's really a desperate measure to try to limit the damage from a hypoxic brain injury. In other words, there was lack of oxygen to the brain tissue and the brain tissue can only survive for a limited period of time, when the oxygen is cut off. If you remember when Joan River's had a period of hypoxia, a period with low oxygen because of respiratory compromise. They as well, I believe, put her in a medically induced coma as well. But as time goes on, if the brain function doesn't recover, it becomes a much more - much more problematic prognosis. The fact is, with hypoxic brain injury, a lack oxygen to the brain, it's hard to predict how it's going to go. As particularly younger brains can have even a full recovery, but it's hard to predict. The longer the time goes on this coma, in this condition, then worst the prognosis.
COOPER: It's important to point out, there's obviously a lot we do not know, a lot of the details on this. I mean one thing, obviously, is that she was found unresponsive in a bathtub. Given how her mother was found and was known to have died, that's obviously strikes people at the very least coincidence of some sort.
PINSKY: Very odd. And you're right, Anderson, we really almost know nothing about this case at this point. The hospital is being very careful to protect her privacy, privileges. We don't know what the doctors - we really don't know what the prognosis is. We've heard the police have said things like they don't find evidence of drug or alcohol, an illicit drug or alcohol use. But that doesn't mean the prescription medications weren't a part of this problem. The reality is, Anderson, there is only a few ways. An otherwise young, healthy woman can be found drowning in a bathtub. It really - there are very few ways. One is a fall with a head injury. The other is some - some murder or some misadventure. The other would be some unheard medical condition that none of us knew about, that she was suffering from. Then it would be intentional or unintentional drug overdoses, seizure - that's about it. Those are the only ways someone ends up in this condition. It doesn't appear to be anyone foul play, doesn't appear to have been a seizure. We don't know anybody medical problems. You really have to wonder if this was intentional or accidental overdose.
COOPER: How quickly would doctors be able to ascertain what was in her system? And have that information by now, I would think so.
PINSKY: Yeah. Yeah. A simple blood test. That would be able - that's part of the assessment process. Immediately the doctors, as soon as they got her hands on her would be looking for, anytime there's an ultra-sensorium (ph) in the young people you've got to think about substances. I'm sure they checked that. But again, that is not our business. That's - to her, her friend or family to decide whether or not they want to divulge any of that information.
COOPER: Obviously, a lot of people look at her as the child of a celebrity, her parents certainly had a lot of very public, you know, public problems. Her mother's tragic death, very public death. To link it, though, to anything of that just could be very much an oversimplification.
PINSKY: Yeah. Yeah. One thing I've noticed dealing with celebrity, and children celebrity, they're just like the rest of us. Yes, they have the added stress of being in the public eye. But the fact is, if your mother dies, if your parents have substance histories, if your parents are split up, that's what's meaningful to you. Just because it happens publicly is nowhere nearly as impactful as the fact that your intimate relationships are disrupted. So, I would think more in terms of that. And this is - this is a terribly sad situation. I mean my heart goes out for Bobby Brown. His daughter is in really life-threatening dire straits. And it just must be heartbreaking for him, and the extended family. This is a terrible tragedy. We're all trying to understand it. They're entitled to their privacy. But this is something we all feel very deeply and we'd like to be able to understand it a little better, that's why we are speculating at what might have happened here.
COOPER: Dr. Drew, thanks very much.
PINSKY: Thanks, Anderson.
COOPER: Up next, Suge Knight the rap innovator with a rap sheet nearly as long as his resume is now facing murder charges. We have new details on that tonight. Also, ahead, a record breaking journey for an American and a Russian who crossed the Pacific together in a balloon. I'll talk to them, ahead.
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COOPER: Welcome back. It was a happy historic and helium filled ending for an American and a Russian pilot who crossed the Pacific together in a balloon, the journey started in Japan, ended off the coast of Mexico. Six days, 16 hours and 38 minutes later. Breaking the records for both duration and distance, at 6,646 miles, their balloon was called "Two Eagles." The pilots Leonid Tiukhtyaev and Troy Bradley join me tonight.
First of all, I just want to say congratulations to you both. It's just extraordinary. Troy, how does it feel to have broken two world records?
TROY BRADLEY, COMPLETED HISTORIC BALLOON JOURNEY: The feeling is extraordinary. It's a project that I've been working on for so many years. And actually, see it come to fruition, and then the success, it's like a dream come true. So, we're very happy with the results, and the flight was amazing to stay in a balloon for nearly a week. Very few people have ever done that.
COOPER: And Leonid, what about you? How does it feel?
LEONID TIUKHTYAEV, COMPLETED HISTORIC BALLOON JOURNEY: I feel I'm very happy and that was my dream for many years.
COOPER: And Troy, I know you ended up having it to change the course of the flight because of weather. What was the biggest challenge you guys faced up there?
BRADLEY: The weather that changed our course was basically a blocking high over the Western part of the United States, which happens frequently. So, our initial course was to head towards Canada, and then maybe cruise back down into the Montana, Dakota's region for a landing. But once we got towards the coast, that blocking high was preventing us from moving any further to the east. So we had derived the ridge and kind of go - go more to the south, kind of paralleling the coast of the United States. But we knew, by the time we hit Mexico that we would be starting to curve back in.
COOPER: And Troy, I mean you are up there for 161 hours. This is kind of a dumb question. But what do you do all day? Does navigation take up most of the time?
BRADLEY: It's very busy during - two times during the day. In a gas balloon, right at sunrise, as the sun is coming up and heating the gas, it's making us super heat and want to go to a higher altitude, in order to prevent it from going too high, we have to vent off some of the gas, or we'll let it rise - if the higher altitude is what we're looking for on the winds. Then in the evening when the sun cools and contracts, then we're ballasting, that's where you've seen sandbags around the basket source.
We are throwing out ballast to reduce our waits that we can maintain altitude. And it's about on the order of about ten percent every night that we are having it dump.
COOPER: Wow. And Leonid, I understand your cooking skills came to get used up there.
TIUKHTYAEV: Yes. I take my knife, and do - from apple do semi apple. That was my cooking.
COOPER: That was it? So, Troy, I mean what are the conditions like inside that confined space?
BRADLEY: Yes. It was a confined space, but it was very comfortable. It's a - the capsules are made out of (INAUDIBLE) and carbon fiber. It's a composite inside and out with a two-inch layer of insulation in between. So, it was very well insulated, and we had a heater that ran very well. The temperatures inside were probably in the 60-65 degree range for most of the flight.
COOPER: And Leonid, after spending so much time together, is there anything you learned about Troy that you didn't know before the trip?
TIUKHTYAEV: Earlier, I believe that Troy is very good friend. And now, I trusted, and I check it, really. Troy is my good friend. More, Troy is today my brother.
COOPER: Your brother. And Troy, what about the communication between you two? I mean is there - Obviously Leonid speaks English, but also has a translator on the ground. How did you communicate?
BRADLEY: Yeah, Leonid has English -- his English skills are actually quite good. When we're in the air, as long as I'm speaking slowly and using words that he understands, and so I just have to choose my words carefully and make sure that we - we communicate in that way.
COOPER: And Leonid, after, you know, planning this for so long, preparing for so long, do you have something now that you want to do?
TIUKHTYAEV: My dream is to come to my native town, Moscow and have a big rest. Really, I'm tired after flight.
COOPER: Yeah. You certainly deserve a rest. Troy, how about for you? Is there any record you want to break? Or are you not even thinking about what comes next?
BRADLEY: I've kind of promised my family that no more ocean flying necessarily. But some interesting points to probably fly over ...
(LAUGHTER)
BRADLEY: ... around the world.
COOPER: Well, it's just incredible accomplishment. Leonid, spasibo, and Troy, thank you very much.
BRADLEY: Thank you for having us.
TIUKHTYAEV: Thank you for our attention.
COOPER: They've got to be exhausted. There's a lot more happening tonight.
Amara Walker has a "360" Bulletin. Amara.
AMARA WALKER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Anderson. President Obama says the United States is deploying all the assets possible to try to find an American woman being held hostage by ISIS. She is an aid worker who was captured in Syria.
Meanwhile, an online video released on Saturday appeared to show ISIS militants beheading Japanese journalist Kenji Goto. President Obama called his murder a barbaric act.
Al-Jazeera journalist, Peter Greste said he's relieved to be freed from prison in Egypt and is calling for the release of his colleagues. The Australians and two fellow al-Jazeera journalists were convicted of supporting the Muslim Brotherhood. All three have maintained their innocence.
Rap innovator Suge Knight has been charged with murder and other counts in a fatal hit-and-run in a California parking lot. He's being held without bail and is expected to be arraigned on Tuesday.
And in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, Jimmy the Groundhog was having none of it on his big day with the cameras rolling. You saw it there he bit the mayor's ear. Let's watch again in slow motion. Yeah, kudos to the mayor for not losing his stride. He said Jimmy predicted an early spring. COOPER: We'll see. All right. Amara thanks very much. I'll be next
another live hour of "360" with more breaking news.
The death toll just rising, yet again, the winter storm that's been battering the Midwest and northeast for the past 24 hours. New details ahead.
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