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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Cease-Fire Holding in Gaza; Ebola Patients Coming to U.S.; MH17 Investigators Return to Crash Scene

Aired August 01, 2014 - 05:00   ET

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

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking news this morning - silence over Gaza. A 72-hour cease-fire between Hamas and Israel has begun, but will it last? And what happens when the 72 hours end? We're live in Jerusalem and in Gaza with what's happening this morning.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Two patients infected with the deadly Ebola virus will soon arrive in the United States from Africa. Where will they go? Why has the U.S. now been darwn into fighting this outbreak even here? We are live with the latest developments.

ROMANS: A dangerous journey today for investigators of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17. They are going back to the crash site where they say dozens of bodies remain. We are live in Ukraine with what investigators are finding.

Good morning. Welcome to EARLY START this morning, everybody. I'm Christine Romans.

BERMAN: And I'm John Berman. Great to see you today. It's Friday, August 1st, 5:00 a.m. in the East.

And up first, is there silence in Gaza? We are four hours into a 72- hour humanitarian cease-fire brokered by the United Nations and the United States. A much needed pause, supposed to be, after the 24-hour Israeli offensive against Hamas and the Hamas rockets going into Israel.

We are going to first now to Saima Mohsin live in Jerusalem.

Saima, what's the situation?

SAIMA MOHSIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, so far, we understand that it is quiet in Gaza, where people are slowly, but surely coming out with a lot of trepidation, people who have been trapped in shelters, unable to get home, people who haven't seen their loved ones.

And as secretary of state, John Kerry, has been spearheading the efforts to get to this point, to get a cease-fire, he says, you know, they simply need to get back to the vital functions of life.

Let's not forget the people caught up in the crossfire of this fighting between the two sides. Simply haven't been able to get food, or water or medical attention. I've been speaking to the Red Crescent, who they say their first priority is getting people injured who can't get the treatment they need in Gaza out and getting medical supplies in, John.

And, of course, behind the scenes, the crucial politicking that's going on, the diplomacy, the talks, negotiations. Secretary of State John Kerry getting the two sides to agree to: A, a cessation in fighting and, B, to come to the table for talks. We are expecting the talks to start up in Cairo. We understand the delegation from the Palestinian side is already on its way there, including all the various groups involved, representing various factions in Gaza.

And then, there's an Israeli delegation that's planning to head out later, watching and waiting to see how that cease-fire holds. But as we know, these cease-fires are incredibly tenuous. The few pauses that we have had over the past few weeks, John, simply haven't stayed in place, 12 hours is the maximum we have seen so far.

So, the fact we are counting this hour-by-hour as we go through the show, you know, each hour, there's another deep breath taken, another sigh of relief -- John.

BERMAN: The question is, will either side instigate and if there are small outbreaks of violence, will these plans to have the discussions continue? Because they may be more important than anything.

Saima Mohsin, live for us in Jerusalem, thanks so much.

ROMANS: All right. The latest now on the deadly Ebola outbreak that has already killed hundreds in West Africa.

You are looking at exclusive CNN video of a federal jet equipped with an isolation pod that's leaving Cartersville, Georgia, last night for Liberia. Now, it will be bringing home two infected Americans, Dr. Kent Brantly and Nancy Writebol, marking the first time the diagnosed Ebola patients have knowingly been brought into this country.

Let's bring in David McKenzie live from Johannesburg.

This is quite an operation, trying to protect the crew of that flight and Americans when they get here and save the life of these two aid workers. What can you tell us?

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it certainly is an extremely delicate and complex operation, you are right. And that federal jet, which CNN filmed leaving Georgia heading towards Liberia to evacuate those two American volunteers who were working with Samaritans Purse, trying to save lives in Liberia. Both of them were infected by the dreaded Ebola virus.

Now, this is a very tricky situation because they have to get them through each stage of this trip. They have to be isolated, so not to risk infecting anyone else.

Emory University Hospital will be taking them in. They say they are equipped for this, that they have done drills regularly to deal with an infectious disease like this. So, there's no cause for alarm. But, certainly, Ebola coming to the United States is a significant development. And this disease has killed more than 700 people in unprecedented outbreak that's affecting three countries, possibly four -- Christine.

ROMANS: Really something.

The teams on the ground, they're pretty overwhelmed, aren't they?

MCKENZIE: They are overwhelmed. Tough look at the countries in question, Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone. Particularly Sierra Leone, which is the country, the current epicenter of the epidemic. They have a very weak health infrastructure. People already face a myriad of health problems, which might complicate when they get the Ebola virus.

In fact, even the chief specialist, the only real specialist in the country of Ebola, has died. And that was after potentially saving many, many citizens.

So, this is a life and death struggle. The health workers are really at the front lines of this battle. And earlier, the health ministry spokesman said they need more help. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CIDIE YAHYA TUNIS, MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND SANITATION SPOKESMAN : It has been very, very difficult when I heard because they have lost a lot of their colleagues in the process and their morale is down. But, you know, it is their job.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCKENZIE: Christine, when I visited an Ebola hospital outbreak in Western Uganda some years ago, even that was complicated. That was just one small region with a more, you know, established health infrastructure in Uganda. Here, you are looking at thousands of square miles, three different countries and dealing to coordinate all those efforts across those porous borders.

This is an incredibly complex effort and certainly groups like Doctors Without Borders, Samaritans Purse, and others are doing a heroic effort. But they say they need much more help, supplies and just people with the specialist knowledge can go in and safely deal with patients.

ROMANS: All right. David McKenzie for us this morning in South Africa -- thank you David.

BERMAN: Other major stories: as many as 80 bodies may be laying in the wreckage of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17. A team of investigators are finally reaching the crash site in Eastern Ukraine Thursday. They witnessed human remains and personal belongings scattered across the debris field, two weeks after that plane was shot down.

Now, we are learning the investigators have made it back to the site again this morning despite fierce fighting in the area between the pro-Russian rebels and the Ukrainian Army.

I want to get the latest now from Kellie Morgan live from Kiev.

Good morning, Kellie.

KELLIE MORGAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.

Yes, for the second day in a row, a team of OSCE-led team of Australian and Dutch investigators have reached the site, again, just in the last 45 minutes. It will be a limited search today. They have arrived two and a half hours earlier than yesterday.

But the main point for them today is to recover any remains that do still -- are still there at the site. Now, as I said, it will be a limited search. They are still not fully operational in terms of the investigation they need to carry out. They are hoping to be fully operational by the end of the weekend and they're hoping to bring in a team of Malaysian expert that's also arrived in the country and wanting to join the recovery mission and investigation.

Now, the reason it's been made possible over the last two days is that both the separatists and the Ukraine military have provided a safe corridor to the crash site. Now, the trouble is that there is still fighting around the perimeter of the crash site.

Over the last 24 hours, we have had reports of more clashes. In one case, there was an ambush according to the Ukraine military on its soldiers. Unclear how many were killed, but there were a number. That happened 23 kilometers from the crash scene. Now, that's just three kilometers outside that cease-fire zone.

So, the region around the crash site is a very volatile area. A battle is raging there and this as the Australian foreign minister, Julie Bishop, said this is not an investigation or recovery mission that is going to be just taking days. It could take weeks. So, really, the investigation team is going to need the truce to hold and for that said corridors to remain open for a several days ahead here.

BERMAN: There is fighting in the region surrounding the crash site. What about the crash site itself? What's the security situation there as these investigators are picking through the rubble?

MORGAN: Well, we are being told the cease-fire holds around that crash site a 20-kilometers radius around the crash site. The OSCE, these are the international monitors that were the first really to access the site under the watchful eyes of rebels in the days immediately following the crash. They are really the main group providing the security for the Dutch and Australian investigators. They are the ones who are assessing each day whether or not indeed it's still safe to proceed.

And it will be a day-to-day assessment on whether it is safe to get this convoy of experts out of the crash site and get the -- recover the remains, any belongings and importantly, gather any evidence that can help bring justice to the families of those -- the loved ones who died in the crash. BERMAN: It's going to be a wonderful thing needed for so many of

these families.

Kellie, thanks so much.

ROMANS: All right. Republican leaders in the House rising up against the Tea Party on immigration reform. The leadership postponed the House's August recess in an effort to salvage a bill to address the border crisis. A Thursday vote was canceled after opposition and Tea Party supporters prevented the needed support. The measure calls for $659 million. That's a far cry from what the president asked for, $4 billion.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. SPENCER BACHUS (R), ALABAMA: Pass a bill, the president will do what he needs to do. He has a plan. The president would like to see us leave.

REPORTER: What changes tomorrow, though that wasn't there today?

BACHUS: I hope some people grow up.

REPORTER: Like?

BACHUS: Oh, I'm not going to name names. They are my colleagues.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: The Senate ran into its own troubles. A procedural vote killing its $2.7 billion bill. Meantime, towns along the Texas border are waiting for National Guard troops to arrive. Up to 1,000 are being deployed by Governor Rick Perry there.

BERMAN: Lawmakers did give final approval to a bill aimed at reforming the troubled Department of Veterans Affairs. The Senate voted overwhelmingly to pass it, the near unanimous support the bill received in the House. This now goes to the president for his signature. This $16 billion bill will address wait times for veterans at V.A. health care facilities and will allow more access to outside providers.

ROMANS: An apology from CIA Director John Brennan after an inspector general's report found CIA officers spied on senate investigators who were preparing a report on the CIA's controversial post-9/11 detention and interrogation program. It says the CIA inappropriately accessed computers used by the intelligence committee. Brennan's admission of hacking into Senate computers, it contradicts his claim back in March that, quote, "nothing could be further from the truth."

BERMAN: Yes, these senators are angry. This is going to be a controversy I think for some time.

We are hearing for the first time a tape of Bill Clinton on the day before September 11th, 2001 talking about having passed on a chance to kill Osama bin Laden. The recording just surfaced in Australia. It is said to be the former president speaking to a group of Australian business leaders. The former president says he did not strike bin Laden in Afghanistan because of concerns about civilian deaths in Kandahar.

Time for an EARLY START on your money. A lot of people thinking about their money right now and their stock portfolio after a huge drop yesterday.

ROMANS: Unbelievable. Quite a week and all of a sudden, the Dow lost all the gains for the entire year in one session. It plunged 317 points yesterday, 2 percent. The S&P 500, the NASDAQ lost 2 percent, giving back all the gains for the month.

European and Asian stocks down this morning. They are following the lead of the U.S. and futures, Dow futures also pointing lower, although not to such a degree that we saw yesterday.

The Dow futures down about 54 points. OK, all depends on the July jobs reports. That comes out in a few hours.

CNN Money predicts the economy added last month, 230,000 jobs compared to June's 288,000. The unemployment rate likely stayed unchanged at 6.1 percent. We'll get the real numbers at 8:30 Eastern Time. Another surprises could mean another big swing for stocks.

This morning, for people at the markets around the world, they're talking about, what if it's really good? If it's good news on jobs is that bad for your investments because people think the Fed will be able to start raising interest rates and that could slow the economy? So, it's good news/bad news.

BERMAN: It's like a Goldilocks problem. You don't want it to be too good, you don't want it to be too bad, you want it just right.

ROMANS: Just right. Exactly right.

BERMAN: All right. Thirteen minutes after the hour. Dozens killed, hundreds injured when gas lines underground suddenly explode. We have the dramatic new video, ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: The death toll is rising in Taiwan. At least 24 people, four of them firefighters, killed by a series of explosions triggered by underground gas leaks. More than 230 others were injured and officials say there are an unknown number of people missing this morning. This happened in a southern city of Kaohsiung. The blast so powerful, a car was found on the roof of a three-story building.

ROMANS: Terrifying.

All right. Because of heavy fighting, the FAA is restricting U.S. airlines from flying below 30,000 feet in Iraqi air space. Several European carriers have alternate flight plans for Iraq following the crash of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17. Officials fear Iraqi militants have sophisticated enough weapons to shoot down a commercial plane. The FAA also prohibiting landings at two Iraqi airports.

BERMAN: The Supreme Court could take up another challenge to the Affordable Care Act. Two lower courts had different rulings about whether the federal government should help pay for health insurance for people enrolled in the federal Obamacare exchanges. A nonprofit called the Competitive Enterprise Institute has petitioned the court to step in and decide the issue. It does seem inevitable the Supreme Court will have to get involved here. Analysts believe up to 5 million people could be affected, could lose potentially their subsidies.

ROMANS: Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg speaking out about same-sex marriage, saying the justices won't duck that issue the next time the case reaches the court. The 81-year-old Ginsburg expects the same sex marriage case to be heard by the Supreme Court as early as next summer.

BERMAN: Colorado has new rules for edible marijuana. The state allows recreational edibles to contain up to 100 million grams of THC, which is the active ingredient of marijuana. But regulators are concerned about overdoses and they're also asking for more child resistant packaging on THC-laced products. Colorado is expected to pass these rules next week.

ROMANS: All right. Time for an early look at your weekend forecast. It is Friday.

Meteorologist Indra Petersons is here for us this morning.

Hi, Indra.

INDRA PETERSONS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Good morning.

We got a nice summary for you to start you off. If you're in the west, nice and warm. If you're on the east, we're talking about cooler temperatures and a lot of showers in the forecast. This is going to be the biggie here.

Just take a look at what we are looking at for the next several days. You have this warm front backing in. Pretty much easy to see no matter wherever you are in eastern half of the country. We are going to be talking showers.

All this moisture really kind of starting up out of the gulf as well and Atlantic, really bringing some heavy rain into the south. I mean, look at this. Got two to five inches anywhere from the Carolinas, in through West Virginia, and kind of getting out towards D.C., maybe on that one to two inches there. That's one side of the equation.

In the northeast, you are still talking about this low out here just spinning around. I mean, this guy continues to spin around and around. So, with that, we are talking more moisture and more showers all weekend long. Saturday, what's even more impressive is the warm front kind of back into the Northeast. We'll start to see more showers in that region, though, what you're looking at on Friday. Never good news, right? But I do want to point out, we have Bertha out there. We are announcing a tropical storm there. The sky is already expected to make its way into the Dominican Republic. Best news of all, it's going out to sea.

BERMAN: We'll keep our eye on that. Thanks, Indra.

ROMANS: Thanks, Indra.

Now, this is like -- Berman --

BERMAN: Deep breath.

ROMANS: Deep breath, you can do it.

BERMAN: A fire sale at Fenway. The world champion, they still are the world champion, Boston Red Sox, cleaning house, sending my favorite player away. Laura Rutledge has the details in "Bleacher Report", next.

ROMANS: Your favorite player.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: So, we finally heard from Ray Rice, the Baltimore Ravens running back. He addressed the media Thursday for the first time since being suspended for an off-season assault of his wife.

ROMANS: Laura Rutledge has more on this morning's "Bleacher Report".

What did he say?

LAURA RUTLEDGE, BLEACHER REPORT: Well, John and Christine, the NFL has received a great deal of criticism for being too lenient in its punishment of Rice, only handing down that two-game suspension. Now, Rice, of course, has no control over his punishment, but he can control how he apologizes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RAY RICE, BALTIMORE RAVENS: What happened that night never should have happened. And, you know, like I said, I have to pay for that for the rest of my life because my daughter is very intelligent, you know, and she's going to want to know what happened, because she's going to press Google one day. Just how fast this message is going to go worldwide, that's how fast my daughter is going to be able to pick up her phone and Google her father's name and the first thing that's going to come up is not how many touchdowns I scored, it's going to come up about what happened.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RUTLEDGE: Rice also apologized to his wife, calling her an angel, saying, "Her pain is my pain." They plan to help people who experienced domestic violence in the past. His teammates showed their support as well, standing behind the media at his press conference. The Major League Baseball trade deadline has come and gone. And there

were some pretty hefty deadline deals. One of the biggest, the Detroit Tigers get pitcher David Price from the Tampa Bay Rays, and how have a starting rotation that boast three Cy Young Award winners. Scary for anyone trying to beat the Tigers.

Now, kind of a petty moment by a local TV station in Tampa. They sent out a tweet trying to compare the two cities, showing pics of a beach in Tampa, alongside a rundown area of Detroit. Yes, and they've since taken that tweet down. But a Detroit station had fun with the situation, firing back. A pick of both teams ballparks showing a full house in Detroit and a not so full house in Tropicana Field.

And the reigning world champion, Boston Red Sox have cleaned up. They made four deals in the span of six hours, including the shipping off ace pitchers Jon Lester and John Lackey. Now, they did get three established big leaguers in return. One of them, Oakland Athletics slugger Yoenis Cespedes. But, you know, you can't fault the front office for all that they've done in trying to get this team where it is today.

And, of course, they are the reigning world champions. I have to think for Red Sox fans and especially John included, it is tough to see Jon Lester go.

BERMAN: Yes. I mean, he's been with the team a long, long time. Pitched 2007 World Series, 2013 World Series, a no-hitter. You know, beat cancer. I think he's a hero to a lot of people and a lot of kids up there. It's sad to see him go. A classy guy. Oakland is lucky.

Laura, thanks so much.

RUTLEDGE: Thanks.

BERMAN: We do have breaking news this morning. The 72 cease-fire between Hamas and Israel, it did begin. But we are now getting reports that it may have been broken. We are going to be live in the region, and a spokesman from Hamas joins us by phone when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)