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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
100 Possible Contacts with Ebola Patient; ISIS Fighters Close in on Kobani; Hong Kong's Chief Won't Step Down
Aired October 03, 2014 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking news this morning. Another American infected with Ebola. An NBC cameraman now being treated as we learn new details about the Texas man sick with the deadly virus and the people he had close contact with who are now under quarantined.
ISIS moving closer to a crucial Syrian city. Can anything stop the terrorists from taking over yet another town? We're live near the battlefield with more on the ISIS advance ahead.
JPMorgan hacked. Accounts for 83 million of you compromised. What you need to know and what you need to do immediately ahead.
Good morning. And welcome to EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans. It's Friday. It is October 3rd 4:00 a.m. in the East. John Berman will be joining us a little bit later this morning.
We begin with breaking news this morning. NBC has now named the freelance news cameraman who was diagnosed with Ebola on Wednesday. He is 33-year-old Ashoka Mukpo. NBC hired him just one day earlier as a second cameraman for the network's medical editor -- Dr. Nancy Snyderman.
The network is flying him, Snyderman and the whole crew back to the U.S. for quarantine and for treatment. NBC News president Deborah Turness released a statement, saying, "We are also taking all possible measures to protect our employees and the general public. The rest of the crew including Dr. Nancy are being closely monitored and show no symptoms or warning signs. However, in an abundance of caution we will fly them back on a private charter flight and then they will place themselves under quarantine in the United States for 21 days." Which is at the most conservative end of the spectrum of medical guidance.
Concern growing this morning about the spread of Ebola in Texas. Officials in Dallas now trying to check on the health of a much longer list of people who may have had contact with Thomas Eric Duncan. He's the Liberian national who flew to the U.S. last month and is now hospitalized with Ebola.
Chief medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta is at CDC headquarters in Atlanta. He has the latest for us this morning.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Christine, we are getting some more details about Mr. Duncan. We know he is still in serious condition, but stable. He had been asking for food, able to talk to people as well.
And we are hearing more about what's happening with all the potential contacts around Mr. Duncan. Now the Texas Department of Health trying to find about 100 people, they say. That doesn't mean that these people are all going to need to be monitored, but about 100 people they think may have come in contact at some point with Mr. Duncan. They want to talk to them. They want to find out if they did indeed have contact and what that contact was.
Right now, they are monitoring 12 people. That means they are taking their temperatures. They're going to monitor them for 21 days. If they don't develop a temperature during that time, they get a free and clear sign.
Four people within his immediate vicinity, his girlfriend and three more people, are being quarantined now. They are being forced to stay in their home. They're going to have their temperature taken there.
This is a legal matter. If they leave, Christine, they could actually be charged by law.
Inside of that apartment, where Mr. Duncan was staying, we know some squalor details about that. Apparently the sheets and the towels that he had used while he was sick had not been removed from the apartment or not been decontaminated. His girlfriend Louise says she was not given any instructions by the CDC on how to do that.
We're going to be getting plenty more details about Mr. Duncan as we get them. We'll certainly bring them to you.
ROMANS: All right. Thanks for that, Sanjay Gupta, this morning at the CDC headquarters in Atlanta.
Finally, Dallas health officials found a cleaning company willing to go out to Louise's apartment to decontaminate it, but the crew had to turn around and leave after discovering that they did not have the proper permits for that job. Louise tells Anderson Cooper that living under quarantine has been very difficult.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Have you gone outside at all?
LOUISE, EBOLA PATIENT'S QUARANTINED FRIEND: No, I'm inside. They did not bring food here. They came late here last night with paper work for us to sign that if we step outside then they're going to take us, they're going to take us to court. That we'll have committed a crime. But up to this time they have not brought us any food, any food.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Dallas schools are struggling to cope with Ebola fears. Custodians dressed in white Hazmat cleaning suits were cleaning Lowe Elementary School Wednesday night, one of the four different schools attended by five children who had contact with Thomas Eric Duncan. The school district says those five children are now being home- schooled.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SUPERINTENDENT MIKE MILES, DALLAS INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT: We're also enrolled the five students into the home-bound program so that they will get curriculum support and technology support to continue their education.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: United Airlines reaching out to passengers who are on the same flight as Thomas Eric Duncan. The airlines is referring the nearly 400 passengers to the CDC. United says it doesn't believe any fellow passengers are at risk here. It is making -- United Airlines says it is making this move out of caution.
President Obama promising Dallas mayor, Mike Rawlings, all the support his city needs to deal with Ebola. He's offering the resources of the Centers for Disease Control to prevent this virus from spreading. Meanwhile, the Pentagon is sending 1400 troops to Liberia this month. A total of 3,000 American soldiers will be stationed in West Africa this fall to help fight this outbreak that has killed well over 3,000 people now.
To Syria now where residents of the Syrian Kurdish city of Kobani have been ordered to evacuate as ISIS fighters close in from three sites. Islamic militants have already taken hundreds of surrounding villages as they push toward Syria's border with Turkey.
Turkish lawmakers on Thursday voted they will authorize military force to repel ISIS, opening the door to some cooperation with the U.S.-led coalition conducting airstrikes on the terror group.
Joining us live from Turkey border with Syria is CNN's Phil Black.
Phil, bring us up to speed this morning.
PHIL BLACK, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Sure, Christine. You're right, Turkish government now has permission from its parliament to take military action against ISIS, but there is no sign that it is prepared to do so imminently nor has there been any declaration that Turkey is ready to join the international coalition taking the fight directly to ISIS, which means ISIS remains free to advance on and bombard the city of Kobani.
That's what you can see behind me. This is where we have seen shells fall on the city all through this morning. It has been pretty constant on the eastern outskirts there. That is where Kurdish fighters inside the city say they have positioned fighters in sniper positions in the expectation that ISIS will now try to enter the city.
That's how close ISIS is. All that is left in the city now are fighters. Men and women who have stayed behind to try and defend their homes, their communities. The civilian population has largely evacuated from there. They now expect this to become bloody urban warfare. Once ISIS enters the city, there will be fighting building to building, street to street. And those Kurdish fighters inside the city believe under those circumstances they might have something of an edge because it is their city. They know its streets so well.
But if ISIS is speaking about entering the city in the near future, for the moment, it looks set to try and so as much damage as possible with its artillery. Constantly pounding that city behind us with the obvious plan just try to knock out as much possible resistance as it can before the inevitable street-to-street battle -- Christine.
ROMANS: Tell us again the strategic importance of this town of Kobani. If this town falls, you've got a stretch from Raqqa all the way to the Turkish border that is essentially a huge, huge swath of ISIS controlled land.
BLACK: Yes, that's right, Christine. I mean, there is a powerful message with ISIS taking this territory. It means, it is -- it is expanding its territory at a time when the United States and its allies are claiming to or trying very hard to degrade its capabilities. And at the same time, it does give this tactical edge by bringing it all the way up. The ISIS-controlled territory. All the way up to the Turkish border stretching all the way back to its nominal capital, the Syrian city of Raqqa.
And it is the Turkish border that is being such a major source of resupply for ISIS fighters both in terms of foreign fighters that are crossing in across the territory to swell its numbers, but also some other contraband as well. The Turkish government has tried to stop that flow, but hasn't been able to do so entirely -- Christine.
ROMANS: Wow. What a drama unfolding there.
Phil Black, thank you so much. We'll check in with you again later this morning.
While Kurdish fighters suffer setbacks in the area around Kobani, they are claiming the victory in Iraq this morning, retaking the strategic town of Rabbah, on the Syrian border on Thursday. Withheld from coalition airstrikes.
Meanwhile Australia is committing special forces troops to advise and assist the Iraqi Army in the fight against ISIS as Australian aircrafts join in coalition airstrikes.
President Obama will not be appointing a new Secret Service director until December, after a series of high profile security lapses forced Julia Pierson so resign from the top job in the Secret Service this week.
The White House and officials at Homeland Security will wait for a panel of experts to complete their review of the agency before a candidate is chosen. Until then, Joseph Clancy takes over as interim director. He headed up the agency's Presidential Protection Division before leaving the Secret Service in 2011.
More than 80 million JPMorgan accounts have been hacked. Now that number dwarfs JPMorgan's previous estimates for the bank hack earlier this year. The total disclosed in securities filings Thursday. Makes this breach much larger than Home Depot but not as big as Target.
And unlike a retailer, JPMorgan is much more sensitive financial data than just credit card info. The bank says hackers stole contact information for 76 million households and seven million small businesses. However, hackers did not get account information like account numbers or Social Security information. JPMorgan Chase hasn't seen any fraud incidents yet. This year, the bank implemented a $250 million budget to focus on cyber security.
You should check your accounts, no question. Be very careful about phishing expeditions from hackers who may be sending you e-mails because e-mail information was breached or people even trying to call you and asking for more bank information. And then they may try to steal your identify. Be very careful.
Turning to market. Stocks around the world this morning mostly higher. And the U.S. futures also up ahead of the release of this jobs report. The monthly jobs report. That comes at 8:30 Eastern Time.
Ten minutes past the hour, disturbing new details about the man accused in the disappearance of missing student Hannah Graham. The accusations against him from his past. As he is investigated in a case of yet another missing girl.
Plus, a mystery illness thought to be paralyzing children across the country. That illness is spreading. New cases diagnosed. More on that ahead.
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ROMANS: The man being held in the disappearance of UVA student Hannah Graham may soon be investigated in yet another missing girl case. An attorney for the man who was convicted of murdering 17-year-old Alexis Murphy says he wants investigators to check for any possible link Matthew may have had to Murphy's 2013 death. The request comes after reports that Matthew may be linked to other disappearances or other attacks against women across the state.
Meantime, we're learning Matthew was accused of two sexual assaults at two separate colleges, but he was never prosecuted in either case. This according to records and officials involved in both of those cases.
A woman whose tweet triggered an investigation of possible misconduct by a Ferguson grand jury says her Twitter account was hacked. Susan Nichols says she did not tweet a message saying, quote, "I know someone sitting on the grand jury and there isn't enough evidence to point -- at this point to warrant an arrest." She also denies deleting the message and deleting the account itself.
The grand jury is considering possible charges against Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson in the fatal shooting of unarmed teenager Michael Brown.
A federal appeals court clearing the way for Texas to immediately enforce a restrictive abortion law that will close all but seven abortion clinics in Texas. It trumps the lower court ruling that said the law's requirement for clinics to spend millions on hospital upgrades was aimed at making access to abortions more difficult rather than ensuring patient safety. Abortion rights advocates say legal challenges will continue.
The fast spreading Enterovirus D68 has now hit California. Health officials confirming two patients there have tested positive in the San Francisco Bay Area. And a young boy between 5 and 10 years old has been affected in Los Angeles.
Listen to doctors describe his condition.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. GRACE ALDROVANDI, CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL LOS ANGELES: The child had what appeared to be normal cold, upper respiratory tract infection. After almost a week of having those symptoms, woke up and was unable to move a limb.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Four deaths nationwide are being investigated to find out if they were caused by the virus. There are over -- more than 500 confirmed cases now in 42 states.
For the third time a week, a high school football player has died on the gridiron. A Long Island community is mourning the loss this morning of 16-year-old Tom Cutinella. The young linebacker collapsed during a game earlier this week after a violent on-field collision. He passed away shortly after surgery, leaving school officials and neighbors stunned.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DANIEL MENEZES, NEIGHBOR: He is the type of kid you want to tell your kids to be when they grow up. I mean, he's just -- you can't say enough about the kid. He was just probably one of the greatest kids you ever seen.
DR. STEVE COHEN, SUPT. SHOREHAM-WADING RIVER SCHOOL DISTRICT: The game involves contact. And it was the result of a freak football play.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: A freak football play. School officials have not determined yet whether the rest of the football season at Shoreham-Wading River will be canceled. Two other high school football players, one in Alabama, another in North Carolina, also died on the field this week.
Severe storms leaving a path of destruction across the Midwest. In south of Texas these storms with wind gusts up to -- get this -- 90 miles an hour, causing widespread damage in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. More than 100,000 people lost power. The powerful winds caused a brick wall to collapse on to parked cars at historic Fort Worth stockyards.
People in the town of Frankfurt, Kansas, are picking up the pieces after a storm that uprooted trees and severely damaged many homes and buildings. The local sheriff is asking people to avoid traveling to Frankfurt because streets are covered with downed trees and power lines. Thankfully no injuries reported.
Stormy weather in Chicago creating a nightmare for travelers. Heavy rain forced airlines to cancel some 850 flights at both O'Hare and Midway Airports. Officials expect the delays and cancellations to -- sorry to say -- spill over in today -- into today. Creating a major catch-up scenario for airlines through the weekend. So check your reservations.
Let's get an early look at our weather now this morning. Chad Myers has that for us -- Chad.
CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, guys. Pleasant weather for you across the northeast today, although there's weather to your west. All the way from the Great Lakes back down to the Gulf of Mexico. There will be showers and storms along the front. The same front that caused all the severe weather through the central plains yesterday. Even some damage across that area yesterday from some of those big severe thunderstorms.
Seventy to New York. Now enjoy 70. Because by Sunday, it's going to be nowhere near 70. 46 in Minneapolis the high today. This is the air that gets to the East Coast for the end of the weekend and for most of next week. Scattered storms tomorrow across the northeast. Maybe a rain shower in your golf game. But other than that, it's pretty decent. Otherwise, sunny skies, sunny and cool across parts of the south as that cold air that is in Minneapolis now makes its way all the way down to the front.
Look at the high in Atlanta tomorrow. A high of only 62. Chicago, 50. Now this feels like football weather on a college football Saturday.
Back to you guys.
ROMANS: Football weather. All right. Thanks, Chad. We'll talk to you soon.
Hong Kong's leader refusing to resign defying tens of thousands of demonstrators demanding democracy from their government.
We are live in the middle of all of it with what comes next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROMANS: The latest now on pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong. Hong Kong's chief executive saying his government is open to talking with the activists, but he made it very clear he has no intention of quitting. Tensions simmering as demonstrators blocked two vehicles which authorities say contained food meant for police.
Blocking those vehicles near the chief executive's office building, the activists chanting shame and we don't trust you.
Our Andrew Stevens is in Hong Kong, in the thick of all of this for us. And remarkable, another day of thee protests in sort of the center of this financial hub.
What's happening today, Andrew?
ANDREW STEVENS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, day six, Christine. A lot fewer people, actually, here on day six. And that's a result in fact that today is now negotiations opened up. We're expecting those negotiations to begin tomorrow. It won't involve the chief executive who's at the center of this protest. So many protesters here calling on him to resign. It will be his number who is a more popular figure.
But the question is, the government is prepared for talks, but how much is it prepared to listen? The students who will be face-to-face with the government in these negotiations are saying publicly at least they are not backing away from their claims. So we still have a pretty wide divide between the two. But nonetheless, there are negotiations where there were none about 12, 15 hours ago.
And as a result, if you see behind me, you'll see the streets of Hong Kong. And this -- as I came to say. This is the main thoroughfare. This is 10 lanes which go in and out of the financial district. And as you can see there, plenty of people, but not nearly the same sort of numbers that we've seen over the past four or five days.
Hasn't been helped by the weather here. It's absolute torrential rain which has kept a lot of people away as well. But still, it's peaceful. It's good natured. There has been some tension about 100 meters or so behind when where the chief executive's office is. It's barricaded. It's protected by police but there are protesters on the other side of those barricade who are not as you say letting some of the emergency vehicles in because they say that they could actually be carrying anti-riot gear in.
So there has been something of a tense standoff there but that seems to have dissolved. Not so many people standing there now. And really, it's now down to let's wait and see what comes from these negotiations -- Christine.
ROMANS: So the mainland Chinese communist government. What is the response from them? I mean, has this been largely handled by Hong Kong authorities? What's the response or the word from China?
STEVENS: Certainly largely handled or completely handled at least publicly, the PR side of things by the Hong Kong government. But make no doubt about it, they are in lock step with Beijing. Beijing obviously is the -- is the powerhouse here. Beijing interestingly coming out with an editorial in the "People's Daily" which is the mouthpiece for the community, the ruling communist party, and very, very clearly and very forcefully stating its support for C.Y. Leung, its support for the Hong Kong approach to dealing with the protesters and its reiteration that this is an unlawful and illegal gathering. What we heard today, locally from the police force saying that the
protesters are acting irresponsibly by trying to block these emergency vehicles going into the chief executive's building. So that could become a flashpoint further down the road. But at the moment Beijing is acting indirectly.
Interestingly, though, we just had a comment from the local U.S. embassy saying that dialogue is a good way forward to try to resolve the issues here. That is going to irritate Beijing because they have been very clear and they have been telling consulates here, they've been telling the Chinese Foreign minister told John Kerry very clearly a few days ago. This is an internal affairs business. This is none of anyone else's business except China and Hong Kong so stay out.
Well, we've just had the U.S. embassy here, publicly saying that dialogue is the way forward.
ROMANS: And there we go. There begins -- the U.S. -- just even a few words can really irritate the Chinese authorities.
Thank you so much, Andrew. We'll talk to you again very soon there in those busy streets -- busy streets with pedestrians not with cars in downtown Hong Kong.
OK, breaking news this morning, another American infected with Ebola. This as we learn new information about the Texas Ebola patient who he may have infected and what is being done about it. That's next.
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