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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
Boeing Warns Of Ice Risk; Wicked Weather; Train Derails In South Carolina; "Historic Mistake"
Aired November 25, 2013 - 05:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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ZORAIDA SAMBOLIN, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to EARLY START. Thirty- one minutes past of the hour.
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SAMBOLIN (voice-over): One woman's story of survival will soon be coming to the printed page. Michelle Knight, one of the three women held captive for years in Cleveland now has a deal to write her memoirs. In a statement, Knight said her goal is to give victims of violence a new outlook on life, and she promises to tell the full story of what happened. She'll co-write the book with writer, Michelle Burford (ph). It is scheduled to be released in the spring.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over) All right. Authorities are trying to find the killer of a postal worker gunned down in the Washington D.C. suburbs. Twenty-six-year-old Tyson Barnet (ph) was shot to death Saturday evening in Landover, Maryland, while he was out delivering mail. Those who live in the neighborhood say violent crime is not common there.
His co-workers say the post office is not doing enough to keep them safe. The reward now for information leading to an arrest is $125,000.
SAMBOLIN: So, there's been a big spike of people driving high on marijuana in Washington State. Recreational use became legal in January. And in the first six months, 745 drivers stopped by police tested positive. More than half of those people were over the state's legal limit as well. To put that in perspective, only about a thousand people were caught driving with marijuana in their systems the entire previous two years.
ROMANS: The former communications director for disgraced San Diego mayor, Bob Filner, wants him to pay up for the scandal that drove him out of office. Irene McCormick Jackson (ph) is suing for $1.5 a million damages citing Filner's unwanted advances, loss income, and diminished future earnings. Jackson was one of more than a dozen women to allege Filner harassed them. He resigned at the end of August.
SAMBOLIN: Penalties (ph) may becoming for telemarketers who violate do not call rules. New York senator, Chuck Schumer, is proposing a bill that would up the fine for calling someone whose name is on the list to $20,000. That's going to happen per call. Can you imagine that? It would also make violating the law a felony.
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ROMANS (on-camera): All right. Thirty-three minutes past the hour. It is "Money Time." folks. And world markets reacting to this news that Iran has agreed to curb its nuclear program for six month. Oil prices down sharply as traders look down the road to when Iran will likely increase oil sales now capped by those sanctions. It also takes a lot of political risk out of the region, and so you've got a crude oil -- down $2 to $208 a barrel.
And then West Texas intermediate, that's what's trading here in the U.S., $93 a barrel. Meanwhile, gold, a commodity that's held as a hedge against risk is also falling this morning. It's down. Look, at that, almost 14 bucks to $1,200 an ounce. As per stocks, European markets are gaining ground, London FTSE, Frankford DAX, the Paris (INAUDIBLE), all of the major stock averages in Europe are higher and stock futures here in the U.S. states are climbing.
Dow and the S&P starting the week likely at records and the NASDAQ close to 4,000. Let's put this on perspective. What does this mean for your 401(k)?
SAMBOLIN (on-camera): Hip, hip, hooray!
ROMANS: So far, the Dow is up 23 percent. The NASDAQ up 32 percent. The S&P 500 is up 27 percent.
OK. I want to tell you a story about Boeing's Dreamliner grabbing headlines again this morning, this time, for a potential ice risk in its GE engines. Boeing telling airlines that the plane should avoid flying near thunderstorms in order to decrease chances of ice crystals forming that would reduce engine thrust.
The warning caused Japan Airlines to take some of the planes out of service for now. Boeing says it's working with GE, the engine's maker, to address the issue earlier this year. Boeing had problems with Dreamliner lithium batteries, remember, that were melting. Those planes were grounded temporarily.
We are now four days away from Black Friday, the day that kicks off the traditional holiday shopping season. Although this year, many stores are going to be open on Thanksgiving Day. Zoraida was so interested in this. We can't believe so many stores are open. We thought we'd take a look at sales.
And you can see that even through the worst of the great recession, sales climbed. There you go. Black Friday sales, although, they dropped off only slightly last year.
SAMBOLIN: I do all my shopping online. A lot easier. Yes.
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ROMANS: But for some people, I guess, they can't stand -- with their families because they want to go out shopping instead. SAMBOLIN: Absolutely. All right. Thirty-five minutes past the hour. Much anticipated Peyton Manning and Tom Brady showdown certainly was not short of drama.
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SAMBOLIN (voice-over): After what seemed like a blowout in favor of the Broncos, Tom Brady and the New England Patriots went to work in the second half going on their first five possessions, eventually, evening the score and sending the game into overtime.
A Broncos blunder during the extra period led to Stephen Gostkowski field goal. And the Patriots amazingly won, 34-31.
ROMANS (voice-over): John Berman is so happy. We know this for a fact.
SAMBOLIN: He is, indeed.
ROMANS: The "Hunger Games: Catching Fire" was on fire this weekend trouncing the competition, earning a staggering $161 million at the box office. This makes it the highest grossing November opening of all time. "Thor: The Dark World" was in distant second bring in just over $14 million in its third week. "The Best Man Holiday," "Delivery Man" and "Free Birds" round out the top five but everybody (ph) talking is Jennifer Lawrence.
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ROMANS (on-camera): You do?
SAMBOLIN (on-camera): Yes, I do.
All your top headlines and what you need to know for your day right after the break.
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ROMANS (voice-over): A deadly severe storm wreaking havoc across the country. The punch is already packed and what's still on the way. Indra Petersons is tracking the system and how it could affect your holiday travel.
SAMBOLIN (voice-over): And a major diplomatic breakthrough with Iran. A historic nuclear deal reached, but some are calling this a historic mistake. We are live in Jerusalem with the controversy.
ROMANS: Taylor swift cleaning up at the American Music Awards, but it's Miley Cyrus and Lady Gaga grabbing the headlines this morning.
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SAMBOLIN (on-camera): Welcome back to EARLY START. Nice to have you with us. I'm Zoraida Sambolin.
ROMANS (on-camera): That cat is so freaky!
SAMBOLIN: I know, right?
(LAUGHTER)
SAMBOLIN: The singing cats!
ROMANS: I know. I'm Christine Romans. It's 40 minutes past the hour.
SAMBOLIN: Our top story is this wicked weather making life difficult for millions across the south and impacting many more trying to get around in the air as well. It is moving east today after icing up roads leading to at least six deaths.
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ROMANS (voice-over): There were car accidents across Oklahoma like this SUV rolling over into a ditch in Oklahoma City. The roads there icy, covered with snow and sleet. More than nine inches of snow fell on Granite, Oklahoma in the southwest part of the state and even more expected to fall today.
SAMBOLIN (voice-over): At least three people are dead in car accidents in Texas. This is what it looked like in Abilene. That is west of Dallas. Many accidents reported in Lubbock as well and a bus carrying members of Willie Nelson's band slammed into a bridge pillar on Interstate 30. That's northeast of Dallas. At least three people were hurt, though, Nelson was not on that bus.
ROMANS: Right. If you got a flight scheduled today, be sure to call your airline. Hundreds of flights were canceled at Dallas/Ft. Worth International this weekend and more cancellations expected as the storm now moves east. This is, of course, one of the busiest travel weeks of the year. It could be very hard to get where you're going.
SAMBOLIN: And there's more, Arizona is trying to dry out from some of the heaviest rain in its history. More than two inches fell on Phoenix Friday and Saturday, nearly an inch and a half on Friday alone. Officials say it's been so wet this fall that the water simply has no place to go.
ROMANS: All right. This is the aftermath of the storm in the San Francisco area, tearing down trees, power lines as the height of the storm knocking out electricity, that's right, for tens of thousands of customers.
SAMBOLIN: Did you see that tree? Oh my goodness.
ROMANS: I know.
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SAMBOLIN (on-camera): Indra Petersons is tracking the storm for us. It's almost like it's everywhere.
INDRA PETERSONS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It literally is. I mean, it's been tracking from the west to the east and, unfortunately, the worst week of all. Let's talk about what's going on right now. Yes, especially in through Texas still expecting delays especially in the morning hours as freezing rain and sleet is out there. It is moving to the east. So by later in the afternoon, it should look better back in through Texas, but Arkansas back through Texas against, freezing rain some places seeing a half an inch and most of them about a quarter of an inch.
Either way, that's also bringing down those power lines. Here's the setup. We're looking at the low continuing to track to the east. A lot of moisture being picked up with that and then it's intersecting with a second system, bringing in the cold air. So, we're going to be combining these two and that's the reason we are so concerned for the travel into the northeast as we go through the holidays here.
What are we looking at? Two to four inches over the next 24-hour period, even three to five inches into the Carolinas as the system first is kind of a moisture driven storm out of the gulf. Then that system and through tomorrow start to brings rain up the eastern seaboard back into the mid-Atlantic, we start to get this icy condition, so, here's the concern, if you're trying to leave early on Tuesday, especially Tuesday night and through Wednesday.
We're really going to see these winds start to gust up ahead of the cold air starting to move in. We're also going to be looking at some heavier snow anywhere from four to inches -- four to eight inches of that snow and then as we get in through Wednesday. Of course, we're talking about more snow really starting to fall, but Wednesday night in through Thursday, things start to clear and by Thanksgiving, things dry up.
Hopefully, though, people can get out. It's really going to be a mixed bag of just luck of the draw and timing between the wind, rain, snow, sleet and everything that 's going on.
SAMBOLIN: Wow. Be patient, right?
PETERSONS: I'm going to try as well. I got a flight, too.
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SAMBOLIN: All right. Thanks, Indra.
Forty-two minutes past the hour. Breaking news from South Carolina where an Amtrak train derailed near Spartanburg. This happened just after midnight. Amtrak says seven of the nine cars on the Amtrak crescent lost contact with the track, but they all did remain upright. And injuries to the 207 passengers and 11 crew members on board are said to be minor. The train was traveling from New Orleans to New York. Amtrak plans to send buses to take the passengers on to their destinations.
ROMANS: The world continues to react to the nuclear agreement with Iran reached during intense negotiations in Geneva. Under the terms of the deal, the Rouhani government would limit some parts of its nuclear activities in exchange for the easing of some international sanctions. The agreement is only for six months and Iran would be free to continue enriching uranium. That has some in Congress and allies like Israel furious.
Ian Lee is live in Jerusalem with the reaction from the Netanyahu government. Ian, Israel has had a little over 24 hours now to digest this news. How are things today?
IAN LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I think really the best way to describe it is frustrated. The government here is frustrated that they weren't able to avert this deal before it happened in the weeks leading up to it. They anticipated a deal could go through so they tried very hard to torpedo this deal.
They say they're not against negotiations, but for Israel, it's an all or nothing deal. Either Iran gives up their nuclear program and sanctions are lifted or Iran doesn't and sanctions are kept in place. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it historic mistake, but he also was very much adamant that Israeli will protect itself. Take a listen to this.
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BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: We cannot and will not allow a regime that calls for the distraction of Israel to obtain the means to achieve its goal. We will not allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon's capability.
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LEE: Well, there hasn't been any word of a military strike. They've been downplaying that, but they said all options remain on the table. But really, it seems like right now, the only thing Israel can do is work with the governments involved in this deal to make sure that Iran lives up to their obligations.
ROMANS: How badly have these negotiations, strained relations between the U.S. and Israeli at this point?
LEE: Well, if you just looking at it, it looks like relations between the two countries are strained, albeit Secretary Kerry came out and said that there's no daylight in the relationship, that it is a strong bond. We've also had members in the Israeli government say that it is a strong bond, but despite that, you've had the sparring back and forth -- back and forth over the course of a week.
And it does seem like it has been frayed albeit temporarily, but there is some mistrust as some analysts have called it.
ROMANS: All right. Ian Lee, thank you so much for that report. We'll continue to follow the reaction.
SAMBOLIN: Sorry about that. Forty-six minutes past the hour. The Iran deal impacting the price of oil crude fell on the international markets with traders' hopeful the agreement could mean sanctions blocking Iranian oil experts could someday be lifted. We should note the deal leaves those sanctions in place for now. And sales to the west will continue to be blocked, but deeper cuts to oil production are now off the table.
ROMANS: World markets reacting from oil to gold to stocks.
A proposed security agreement between the U.S. and Afghanistan is looking shaky this morning. Afghanistan's elders just met with President Karzai for four days and they're urging him to sign a deal to keep some U.S. support troops in his country beyond 2014, but Karzai is refusing to do it. He wants to wait until after presidential elections in April. The U.S. has set a firm December 31st deadline for him to decide.
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: Hey, guys!
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, guys!
CHRIS CUOMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: How are you doing? We're going to be talking about this deal with Iran as nuclear threat really being taken away. It's only four or five pages long, but it sure is getting a lot more talk than that. We're going to show you what we give and what we get and why the critics are responding the way they are about the deal.
There's a lot of animosity towards this deal. We're also going to bring in the White House one of chief advisers and figure out why this is seen as progress and we're going to bring you Christiane Amanpour as well and give the international flavor of this. We'll cover it all ways for you this morning.
BOLDUAN: And also, update on a story that we've been following for you. There's been an arrest in one of the cases that's scary and really unnerving knockout game. Many wondering, is this a dangerous new trend or is this just random isolated incidents? Assault is assault, but is this knockout game an urban myth or is it more than that? We're going to be talking about it, guys.
ROMANS: Oh, good. All right. We can't wait to see that.
SAMBOLIN: All right, guys.
And coming up, disturbing new details of the Sandy Hook elementary school massacre being revealed today. Why the records released is causing so much controversy?
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SAMBOLIN: Welcome back to EARLY START.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) SAMBOLIN (voice-over): It's been nearly a year since a gunman named Adam Lanza (ph) opened fire at Sandy Hook elementary school in Connecticut, killing 26 people and his mother before turning the gun on himself. Today, a prosecutor will release a summary report. It is shedding light on the investigation into what happens there.
That report is expected to include a timeline of Lanza's movements, but it will not include the full details of the massacre. Some local lawmakers want the 911 calls from that day made public. Residents are really split on this.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I initially didn't think that it was really public information, but I would agree with the (INAUDIBLE) that, you know, get it over with. Get it done.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't. I think the families should really be left alone.
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SAMBOLIN: A court today is expected to decide whether to release the calls. The school itself is being demolished, a process that is all but completed now. The debris from the school building is being pulverized. So, absolutely nothing will remain.
ROMANS (voice-over): A University of New Haven student is in serious condition this morning after police say he was stabbed repeatedly by his roommate. Twenty-year-old Ketrick Wilder (ph) is now facing assault charges. Police say the two had some sort of argument early Saturday morning inside their dorm. Wilder is a criminal justice major at the school.
SAMBOLIN: More fallout in a hate crime case at San Jose State University. A fourth student has now been suspended joining three other students, all White, accused of abusing a Black roommate. Prosecutors say they referred to him in racist terms, displayed Nazi symbols, and a confederate flag, even put a bicycle lock around his neck and told him they couldn't find the key. The NAACP wants charges against the three men upgraded from misdemeanors to felonies
ROMANS: All right. Taylor Swift, the big winner at the American Music Awards earning Artist of the Year and three other trophies during the ceremony in Los Angeles. Now, she didn't perform any of her songs. As for those who did, Katy Perry opened the show dressed as geisha. Lady Gaga took the stage dressed like Marilyn Monroe, having an affair President R. Kelly. And as for Miley Cyrus, yes, that's a giant a lip-synching kitty behind her. No real explanation for that.
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SAMBOLIN: Is there ever?
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SAMBOLIN (on-camera): All right. Time now for the "Morning Rhyme." Our tweets of the day today is from a guy who should be sleeping right now, John Berman.
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SAMBOLIN: He was up late watching his Patriots, of course, with that amazing comeback. "When things seemed bleak and skies are shady, never fear because there's Tom Brady!" Good for him. A come from behind EARLY START morning rhyme. I cannot believe that he is up.
ROMANS (on-camera): I can because he's so happy he doesn't want to sleep.
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ROMANS: He just wants to rejoice in the 24-point deficit that his guy, Tom Brady, managed to close.
SAMBOLIN: Thanks, Berman.
ROMANS: I think -- the best. What is that, the most scoring from behind Tom Brady has ever done? All right. Great.
SAMBOLIN: So coming up, he was hiking on a mountain when the unthinkable happened and it took everything he had to get help. That story when we come back.
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ROMANS: All right. We have for you an amazing story of survival for you from New Zealand where a 19-year-old, originally from Germany, is lucky to be alive this morning. Wanja Drees was hiking on Sunday just in shorts and sand shoes. He slips, slid down a mountain, broke his leg, also missing his cell phone. He couldn't find it anywhere and there was no one around to help.
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WANJA DREES, TOURIST: I scream for help loud and S.O.S. very loudly. And yes, after half an hour, no one comes. And I think you have to do anything.
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ROMANS: So, he took off his shoelaces and his shirt, wrapped them around his broken leg and he slid down the mountain before a group of hikers found him. Authorities say it's a cautionary tale. Don't hike alone, wear proper gear, make sure you keep your cell phone close in case anything bad happens.
SAMBOLIN: But he had an amazing will to survive. That is it for EARLY START. "NEW DAY" starts right now.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The thing to be outside.
CUOMO: Holiday havoc. A massive storm dumping snow and ice throughout the south now marching east for the holiday. Better to plan and we'll help you do just that.
BOLDUAN: Risky deal. Criticism across the political spectrum for the president's deal with Iran. Did the president give too much? The fallout this morning.
MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wild night at the American Music Awards. Taylor Swift and Justin Timberlake win big, but Miley performing under a giant crying cat might have stolen the show. What is with Gaga doing Marlin Monroe?
CUOMO: Your "NEW DAY" starts right now.
ANNOUNCER: This is "NEW DAY" with Chris Cuomo, Kate Bolduan, and Michaela Pereira.
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CUOMO: Good morning. Welcome to "NEW DAY." It's Monday, November 25th, six o'clock in the east, and your Thanksgiving travel plans could be in trouble.
A deadly storm is stretching from California to Texas. It's already creating problems and now heading east at the worst possible time, packing fierce winds, frigid temperatures. You know what that means, airport delays and highway horrors. We're going to be covering this storm with the full power of CNN. Let's start with meteorologist, Indra Petersons. What do we see?
PETERSONS: I mean, definitely a dangerous storm here. Just take a look at all the storm reports we've already seen between heavy snow and freezing rain. Today, we're looking at delays pretty much from anywhere from Arkansas back through Texas. And then, this guy spread the east affecting all the major hubs into the northeast.
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PETERSONS (voice-over): The brunt of a massive winter storm crossed through Texas overnight as temperatures plummeted.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is Alaska.
PETERSONS: Watch as this SUV in Oklahoma City tumbles off the highway due to treacherous ice covered road. The ice, snow, and sleet have already caused several deaths.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If it gets really bad, we're going to encourage folks to just stay home.
PETERSONS: In East Texas, icy roads caused singer, Willie Nelson's, tour bus to plow into a bridge, injuring three band members. The deadly arctic blast now headed straight for the east coast as holiday travelers prepare to hit the roads and airports. Many cities will continue to see temperatures up to 20 degrees below average.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just stings your skin to be outside.
PETERSONS: It all started out west where strong winds in the San Francisco Bay area downed trees and power lines.
