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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
Philippines Punished By Typhoon Haiyan; "I Am Malala" Banned; Amazon.com And Uncle Sam Join Forces
Aired November 11, 2013 - 05:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ZORAIDA SAMBOLIN, CNN ANCHOR: Haiyan, a tropical storm now, is still causing death and destruction. In Vietnam, hundreds of thousands of people have evacuated and half a dozen deaths have already been reported there.
Anna Coren is joining us live from the Filipino City of Cebu this morning, an area that is still intact, we understand, and being used as a staging ground for aid. Can you us what's happening there and how easy it is to actually get to that area in order to get aid?
ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Zoraida. You can probably hear the C130 Hercules (ph) behind me. It has just landed, delivering people plane load of people from the disaster zone. There are people who have lost absolutely everything. We spoke to them a short time ago and they said that they are shell-shocked. They have lost family, they lost friends, their neighbors, and of course, their homes.
And, you can only begin to imagine what they are going through. These planes are then turning around with aid, with food, with water, supplies so desperately needed in these hard-hit areas and returning and delivering that aid. As you know, you know, the super typhoon hit the Philippines some four days ago. So, you know, some of these people are only getting food and fresh water today -- Zoraida.
SAMBOLIN: All right. Thank you so much. We're going to continue checking in with you all morning long. Anna Coren live for us. Thank you.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: It is just such a sad story. It's really the only beginning as they tried to get in there and figure out what to do next. The airport in Tacloban is only partially reopen to limited commercial flights right now. Just look at the scene there. Thousands of typhoon survivors gathering, hoping to catch one of the few flights leaving this devastated airport.
Airport official say the main runway is operational, even though the terminal, the communications tower, all the radar equipment at the airport destroyed in the storm. There's a runway and that's about it.
SAMBOLIN: Indra Petersons is tracking the storm for us and she's here from the CNN Weather Center. That's unbelievable devastation.
INDRA PETERSONS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: A very impressive storm. The good news, it is quickly weakening. That's the best news we have. It's already exited out at Vietnam and now southern portions of China. And remember, it's very mountainous terrain in the region. So, that's really allowing the system to break apart with friction. Currently seeing steady winds about 70 miles per hour, and it has actually slow down a little bit, not as fast moving to the north at 15 miles per hour.
So, what are we looking at? It continues to weaken by tonight. This is Eastern Time. So, tonight, at 7:00 p.m. eastern, that will be tomorrow for them, 7:00 a.m. We're looking at this weakening completely into depression. Now, don't let that fool you, though. We talked about this mountainous terrain. So, we're talking about really heavy rainfall in the region and even some strong winds out there.
We're talking about enhanced amounts of rainfall and that mountainous terrain will allow the mudslide threat to be high. So, you get heavy amounts of rain in a short period of time and then it goes down those hillsides. You talk about the threat for flash flooding. So, today, that threat really is going to be -- another six inches of rain still possible. The new threat will really be as it makes its way into the Hunan Province. So, we're going to be looking for that.
The other thing to keep in mind, there's been a lot of systems in the region. So, this is one of the concerns. They've had major storms really in the last six weeks. So, the idea that there is another system out there that is expected to produce even more rain by tomorrow. We're going to be talking about the concern. Think how ravaged the area is. Of course, for more additional flooding in the region.
Now, what we're looking at here is a high chance that this could form into the next tropical system. Regardless of it whether or not it does form, it's still expected to go in the Philippines. So they're producing heavy rain, heaviest amounts of rain really Tuesday night in through Wednesday for them. So, they're talking about another four to seven inches of rain, also some strong winds.
Now, keep in mind that typically for this region wouldn't be a big deal. It's just that this is a ravaged in the reason and that's going to be the biggest concern. And keep in mind for perspective, this is really good figure here. A 195-mile-per-hour steady winds. That's like an EF-5 tornado. Really going through the region for about an hour instead of minutes. So, that's like more lasting for an hour.
ROMANS: Tornado is condensed and this big. This is something that's just massive.
PETERSONS: Massive --
ROMANS: Thanks, Indra.
SAMBOLIN: All right. Thank you, Indra.
It's really (ph) tough as they continue to try to get into those remote areas and the rain continues to come.
ROMANS: You can't even talk about rebuilding yet because they're just trying to survive for right now. SAMBOLIN: All right. Tonight, be sure to watch "AC 360." Anderson Cooper will be live from the Philippines starting at 8:00 p.m. eastern.
And we'd like to mention, if you would like to help the victims of the typhoon, go to CNN.com/ImpactYourWorld. Lots of information there on how you can help.
ROMANS: All right. Some other stories we're following today. An apology from "60 Minutes."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROMANS (voice-over): Producers of the CBS News magazine show say they were misled in a report about the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi. A security officer told correspondent, Lara Logan, he was at the compound that night and described seeing the body of the dead U.S. ambassador, Chris Stevens. Producers later discovered the contractor's story didn't match what he told the FBI.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LARA LOGAN, 60 MINUTES CORRESPONDENT: On Thursday night, when we discovered the account he gave the FBI was different than what he told us, we realized we had been misled, and it was a mistake to include him in our report. For that, we are very sorry.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: The contractor, Dylan Davies (ph), has not backed away from the story he told "60 minutes."
SAMBOLIN (voice-over): A prominent Republican says he'll keep blocking presidential nominations until witnesses to the Benghazi attack are allowed to talk to Congress. Senator Lindsey Graham told CNN's Candy Crowley, the move is a last resort after a year of being stone-walled by the White House.
He says five survivors have been interviewed by state department investigators, but that they have been kept away from lawmakers.
ROMANS: A guilty verdict in the case of a Utah doctor who poisoned and drowned his wife of nearly 30 years so he could continue an affair. Dr. Martin MacNeill faces life in prison when he sentence on (INAUDIBLE). He might have gotten away with it if not for his own family members who relentlessly pursued a criminal investigation.
This morning, at 7:30 eastern on "NEW DAY," we're going to be joined by Linda Clust (ph) and Jill Harper-Smith (ph), the sister of niece of the murder victim, Michelle MacNeill.
SAMBOLIN: And we are hearing this morning for the first time from the Louisiana family who rescued a kidnapped woman and killed her abductor. Twenty-nine-year-old Bethany Arceneaux was freed Friday after a two-day ordeal. Police say Scott Thomas, her ex-boyfriend and father of her child took her hostage. She was allegedly a victim of domestic abuse for years. Her family organized a search for her. When they approached a nearby abandoned house, they heard a scream.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARCUS ARCENEAUX, NIECE KIDNAPPED: She just hollered. She hollered like her life was in danger and when they heard the hollers, they said, man, just a chill went through their body.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAMBOLIN: A dozen family members stormed that home. They told police Thomas was stabbing Arsano so they shot him to save her. no charges have been filed against any of them.
ROMANS: Wow. Terrifying.
All right. New details this morning from that deadly cougar (ph) attack at the large cat sanctuary in Oregon. The woman killed Saturday has been identified as 36-year-old Renee Radziwon. Officials Radziwon appeared to be alone in the enclosure with the big cats when she was killed. That would violate park policy requiring staff members to work in pairs when moving the animals. Radziwon had been a keeper at the sanctuary for eight years.
SAMBOLIN: Two University of Gonzaga students are facing expulsion for defending themselves with the handgun against an intruder. Listen to this. This was October 24th. Erik Fagan (ph) and Daniel McIntosh (ph) were in their university-owned apartment when a convicted felon knocked on their door and asked for money and attempted to push his way inside.
McIntosh, who has a state permit to carry a concealed weapon, grabbed his pistol and the intruder turned and fled. He was captured a short time later. Campus security then confiscated the pistol and another gun from the apartment of the two students who are now demanding those weapons be returned.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ERIK FAGAN, UNIVERSITY OF GONZAGA STUDENT: Even given the findings of today, I would not change any of my actions of that night. I stand by every action I took.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAMBOLIN: Fagan and McIntosh say they weren't aware of a university rule forbidding the possession of weapons on school grounds. They are both seniors with exemplary records, and they're going to find out this week if they have been suspended or if they're thrown out of the school. They're facing expulsion as well.
ROMANS: Wow. We'll follow that one.
SAMBOLIN: Interesting as they have, it turns out.
ROMANS: Absolutely. All right. Three astronauts and the Olympic torch safely back on Earth from the International Space Station. SAMBOLIN: This is cool.
ROMANS: The Russian spacecraft that carrying them landed flawlessly in Kazakhstan yesterday. The Sochi torch had been brought to space by three new space station crew members on Thursday. There it is.
(CROSSTALK)
ROMANS: They took the torch on a spacewalk on Saturday. That really takes to a whole new level.
(LAUGHTER)
SAMBOLIN: So, after six decades under wraps (INAUDIBLE) depicting two servicemen kneeling before Jesus has been unveiled in time for Veterans Day. It's called "Our Lord blessing a soldier and sailor." Painted by artist and World War II vet, Ted Witonski -- I hope I pronounced your name right -- in 1946. He painted it for historic at St. Peters Church in New York City, but in the 1950s, the congregation decided to do cover it up because of his militaristic fame.
ROMANS: It's nice. It is nice.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROMANS (on-camera): All right. Coming up, New York's had new freedom tower built as the tallest skyscraper in the western hemisphere, right? But now, that claim is in dispute. OK, Z, it is going to be a new York/Chicago showdown?
SAMBOLIN (on-camera): You know what? I would vote for New York, though, on this one.
ROMANS: All right. We will see. We're going to tell you which one is taller, New York or Chicago, when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROMANS: Welcome back to EARLY START this Monday morning.
Pakistani officials have banned "I am Malala" from the country's private schools. They say the teen activist memoir does not show enough respect for Islam. Malala Yousafzai was shot in the head last year after speaking out against the Taliban and speaking up for girls' education. She became the youngest person ever nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Pakistani school officials have called her a tool of the west.
SAMBOLIN: Let's take a look at what's coming up on "NEW DAY." Chris Cuomo, Kate Bolduan joining us this morning. Good morning.
ROMANS: Good morning, guys.
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. Good morning to you, you guys. There's a lot of news going on this morning. A lot we've been tracking over the weekend. CHRIS CUOMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. We're going to be heavy on the typhoon. Why? Because the situation isn't over. As we know in this, you see the pictures. The devastation is near complete as we'll tell you this morning. But it's what's still going on there. Where are these people going to live? Remember, they had suffered a terrible earthquake there. There's and now another storm bearing down on them.
The marines are just getting there. There aren't a lot of relief organizations on the ground. So, we'll take you there. We will show you what the people there are dealing with, and, we're going to give you ways that you can help in the effort. All of us will need to get involved to get this handled quickly.
BOLDUAN: Absolutely. Another story that we've been following. We're hearing finally from Richie Incognito, the Miami Dolphins player, that's been suspended for allegedly bullying a teammate, Jonathan Martin. Well, Incognito is now speaking out. He says the threats and the racial slurs were considered acceptable in the locker room. That this was just kind of the way they talk to each other, and we need to understand the context around it all.
He also says that Jonathan Martin even texted him what could be considered out of context a death threat. The story keeps developing. More twists, more turns, what's the real story? We're going to be talking about it all.
SAMBOLIN: Can't wait to hear from Martin, you know, just to kind of get go full circle here.
(CROSSTALK)
SAMBOLIN: Yes. Yes. Under wraps.
ROMANS: Thanks, guys.
SAMBOLIN: Thank you.
An emotional day for the family of Tyler Clementi, the Rutgers University student, who committed suicide after his roommate secretly videotaped him with another man. So, for the first time, his family went to the spot where Clementi jumped to his death from the George Washington Bridge. They were joined by others and they are trying to raise awareness about bullying.
ROMANS: All right. Expectant mothers, break out your running shoes. A new study shows moderate exercise can improve your baby's brain power. Researchers studied 18 expectant mothers split up into groups. Those who exercised and those who didn't, researchers used an EEG to record brain activity in the newborns, and children of mothers who exercised responded more efficiently than children of the moms who did not.
So interesting. I had a friend who ran until she was about eight months pregnant. The only reason she stopped, because people in the park looked at her like she was crazy.
(LAUGHTER)
SAMBOLIN: She succumbed to the pressure.
ROMANS: I know.
All right. Is New York's one World Trade Center really the tallest skyscraper in the Western Hemisphere? It's 400-foot mass puts over the top. But, the manager of Chicago's Willis Tower which will I will always, always call the Sears Tower, says not so fast. They claim the Willis/Sears Tower has the highest occupied floor of any building in the country. What do you think?
SAMBOLIN: I'm going to give it to New York.
ROMANS: You are?
SAMBOLIN: I am. On this one, I am.
ROMANS: For sentimental --
SAMBOLIN: Sentimental reasons. Absolutely.
ROMANS: Do you call it the Sears Tower or the Willis Tower?
SAMBOLIN: I call it the Willis Tower now, but it took me forever to do that.
ROMANS: Taking me a long time.
SAMBOLIN: -- for a long time.
All right. So, time now for the "Morning Rhyme." Our tweet of the day comes from Mary Elizabeth Ramsey (ph) who write, "For those who do not a.m. shy, now open your eyes to EARLY START and a better moment you fill find." I'm going to re-tweet this every single day. Thank you so much. You can come up with your own. Tweet us with the #morningrhyme and #EARLYSTART. Very important. So, we actually get them.
ROMANS: All right. Ahead, I've got the story for you about Amazon up in the ante in the race for those holiday shopping hour (ph). So, that's right. The online retail giant, Amazon.com, cutting a deal with the U.S. Postal Service to deliver packages to your door on Sunday!
SAMBOLIN: Nice, Christine. That's great!
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROMANS: It's a rich man's world. Rich everyone's world, right? Welcome back to EARLY START. It's "Money Time."
Eighteen days until Black Friday, and the competition for your dollars is so fever pitched right now, prompting a global (ph) alliance.
SAMBOLIN: I like this. ROMANS: Amazon.com and the United States Postal Service teaming up to make Sunday deliveries of packages. It starts this Sunday in New York and L.A. It will spread later to Washington, D.C. It gives the Postal Service a nice piece of business because package delivery is more profitable than first class mail delivery. The post office, of course, remember, lost nearly $16 billion last year.
So, this lets the postal service takes some deliveries away from rivals, United Postal Service and FedEx, which don't deliver on Sundays. For Amazon, this arrangement allows Amazon prime customers to order goods on Friday and get it on Sunday. Imagine ordering something on Friday and having it on Sunday.
To give you a sense of scale, Amazon.com spent $1.8 billion on shipping in the last three months of 2012. Something -- so the big winner here Amazon prime customers and hopefully --
SAMBOLIN: And procrastinators, too, right?
(CROSSTALK)
ROMANS: Now, the Dow Industrials, I want to give you a check on the markets as we start the week. A new record on Fridays likely will start there today. Futures higher this morning. The Dow has rocketed 689 points higher in five weeks. For the year, the Dow is up 20 percent. The NASDAQ is up 30 percent. The S&P 500 is up 20 -- what investment do you get 20 percent return on in just about ten months, right?
And I just want to show you one other important measure of the market. We've been watching rising interest rates are ticking up again, the 10-year note yield, 2.75 percent. Why is this significant? It's tied to mortgage rates and a lot of other loans. And when that starts to rise, it can crimp economic activity, so watching that.
SAMBOLIN: All right. Thank you very much.
ROMANS: You're welcome.
SAMBOLIN: All right. A busy week ahead on tap. If you are a big gamer or Ron Burgundy fan, there is something for you in this veteran's day edition of "The Weekly Five."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With your "Weekly Five," I'm Rosa Flores.
We honor America's war heroes as the nation marks Veterans Day on Monday. The holiday originated at the end of World War I. President Obama will participate in a wreath laying ceremony at the tomb of the unknowns.
A big reveal for the Washington Monument. Scaffolding that enclosed the marble (INAUDIBLE) earlier this year is beginning to be removed. The monument was damaged by an arthquake in 2011. The National Park Service is expected to reopen it this spring.
James Whitey Bulger is sentenced on Wednesday in Boston. The convicted mob boss found guilty of 11 murders could spend the rest of his life in prison. He's 84 years old. Family members of victims may speak at the hearing.
Stay classy, America. Thursday, the museum opens "Anchorman," the exhibit. It will include props and costume from the hit comedy "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy." You'll be able to see the iconic Burgundy business suit, plus his mustache brush, and of course, the jazz (ph) flip.
And Friday is the day many gamers have been waiting for. The Play Station 4 goes on sale. PS4 users will have access to Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon instant video, Red Box instant streaming. According to Sony, the PS4 also features an option that should pleas non-gaming family members. If someone else wants to watch TV, players can untether the PS4 and stream their games to the hand-held Playstation Vita.
And that's your "Weekly Five."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROMANS: All right. Up next, the growing controversy over New York stop and frisk police tactics. Why the city is now asking the federal appeals court to step into the fray?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROMANS: All right. Attorneys for New York City want a federal appeals court to vacate a judge's order that requires police to change their stop and frisk policy. The city says Judge Shira Scheindlin's ruling that the tactic is unconstitutional should be thrown out for the same reasons of three judge appeals panel gave last month.
That panel removed Judge Scheindlin from the case saying she appeared biased and misapplied a related case ruling and improperly gave media interviews during that trial. That has been such a contingent issue in New York.
(CROSSTALK)
SAMBOLIN: All right. That is it for EARLY START. "NEW DAY" starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is really, really like bad, bad, worse than hell.
CUOMO: Worse than hell. The super typhoon wiped away entire towns. Right now, there are too many dead to count. This morning, the search for survivors and how you can help efforts to save the living.
BOLDUAN: Boots on the ground. U.S. marines arriving in the Philippines this morning ready to launch a massive relief effort, but another storm is now on the way. We are covering it all.
MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hitting back. Miami Dolphin, Richie Incognito, finally talking insisting he's not racist and that he never meant to bully Jonathan Martin. Was it all just locker room trash talk?
CUOMO: Your "NEW DAY" starts right now.
ANNOUNCER: This is "NEW DAY" with Chris Cuomo, Kate Bolduan, and Michaela Pereira.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CUOMO: Good morning. Welcome to "NEW DAY." It's Veterans Day, Monday, November 11th. We want to thank the men, women, and families who have served this country.
All right. It is six o'clock in the east, and we are still learning just how bad it is in the Philippines. Thousands are dead, and again, many estimates are just premature in terms of how much life was lost. This is the view over the eastern town of Guiuan. It suffered nearly a direct hit. It is now almost entirely gone. Those used to be homes and businesses, obviously, no more.
Some have taken extreme measures to try to get help. Take a look at this. A man trying to flag down a rescue helicopter. Many saw their homes swept away. And they're now left with no place to stay, no electricity, food, or water.
BOLDUAN: American marines have arrived with aide for the damage areas, unloading cargo planes full of supplies. They're trying, of course, to get the airport in Tacloban repaired and running at full capacity. Again, the airport has become truly a relief center. Dozens are lining up to try and get their share of food and water and also to get out.
But flights, pretty understandable, few and far between at the moment. And in the city, itself, there's a frantic effort to get residents what they need. But there are simply too many people and not enough supplies to go around. Right now, Haiyan is over Vietnam where it's weakened to a tropical storm, but it's turned deadly there as well.
We're covering the storm and the recovery this morning with correspondent spread across the region like no other network can. We're going to be getting to them.
CUOMO: All right. Let's start with the status check. What we know about what has been lost, both physical and human, at this point. Andrew Stevens is in one of the hardest hit areas. Good morning, Andrew. What do we know?
ANDREW STEVENS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Chris. It's been just a weekend of devastation and destruction here. Let's try and put this in perspective for you. It's a massive story. It's been a massive event. Take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STEVENS (voice-over): Overnight, a weekend Haiyan still carrying winds of more than 90 miles an hour, battered the coast of Northern Vietnam and Southern china just days after the typhoon struck the Phillipines with apocalyptic force. The massive storm stretching 300 miles wide smashed through cities and as close to 200-mile-an-hour winds and storm surge swift these gigantic ships on to land.