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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
An American in ISIS?; 4 Terror Suspects Arrested in London; Battling Ebola; Wall Street's Sell-Off
Aired October 08, 2014 - 04:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Do you recognize this voice?
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're here in the 17th division military base just outside the city of Ar-Raqqah. And we're here with the soldiers of Bashar.
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ROMANS: The FBI asking for your help in identifying this ISIS militant as fears he may be an American grow.
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Kobani will fall. Why U.S. officials now acknowledge that ISIS could take this city really any minute. We'll take you right to the border for the latest.
ROMANS: A possible second case of Ebola discovered in Spain. Hospital workers on high alert after an assistant nurse is now showing symptoms of the deadly virus. We're going to take you live to Madrid.
Welcome back to EARLY START. A busy morning this morning. I'm Christine Romans.
BERMAN: And I'm John Berman. Great to see you. Thirty-two minutes past the hour.
And this morning, the FBI wants your help in the fight against ISIS, posting a video on its Web site, in hopes someone knows this man and perhaps can identify. He speaks perfect Arabic and perfect English with an accent that seems North American.
Listen for yourself.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're here in the 17th division military base just outside the city of Ar-Raqqah. And we're here with the soldiers of Bashar.
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BERMAN: Washington correspondent Joe Johns following the story for us. He has more on the hunt for this apparently American ISIS fighter.
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JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: John and Christine, this video appears to show a jihadi-spouting, ISIS propagandist, speaking very good English with a North American accent, also alternating speaking Arabic, delivering an on-camera tirade before he and other ISIS fighters appear to shoot a group of Syrian soldiers dead.
The Syrians had apparently been forced to dig their own graves. The man speaking has a mask over his face, which makes him unrecognizable. And authorities have been using advanced technology but had been coming up short. They are not even certain if he's American or Canadian.
The FBI posted portions of the video on its Web site, asking the public for help in identifying him. They say they're hoping someone might recognize this individual and provide the piece of information that helps them figure out who he is.
The FBI says this is part of a broader outreach to try to get the public to help identify people who are traveling overseas to fight with terror groups. And it goes without saying, that they are perhaps even more interested in learning the identities of American ISIS fighters who might be returning home -- John and Christine.
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ROMANS: Really remarkable to hear that accent.
All right. In Syria this morning, the strategic city of Kobani is about to fall in the hands of ISIS fighters. This according to several senior administration officials. They also acknowledge saving the Kurdish city, saving Kobani not a priority for the U.S.-led coalition.
Joining that coalition this morning is Canada. The Canadian parliament approving air combat missions against ISIS in Iraq, though not in Syria. The move to deploy six CF-18 fighter jets is part of the coalition strike force came after two days of debate by Canadian lawmakers.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper praised the vote, in a statement, "We do not take this step lightly. The threat posed by ISIS is real. If left unchecked, this condition will grow and grow quickly."
We'll have CNN's Arwa Damon live with much more on the war against ISIS and that situation in Kobani just coming up in about 10 minutes.
BERMAN: The threat of Islamic militants has London on edge this morning. Scotland Yard arresting four men Tuesday on suspicion of planning an act of terrorism. Officials are offering nothing details or specific on what the four, all in their early 20s were allegedly planning.
CNN's Nic Robertson is standing by live in London with more.
Nic, do officials there believe there's a link to a group like ISIS?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That seems to be the indication. The chief of police here said that there was a link between this arrest, which it called a serious case in Iraq and Syria. And when he joins Iraq and Syria like that, it implies ISIS. So government and their own police here are not saying that specifically, but the implications are there.
And, of course, Britain raised its terror threat level to severe about a month ago. Meaning, another attack is highly likely. We know the security services here are very worried, about young men, about 500 of them left Britain, have gone to Syria to join groups like ISIS and ISIS itself.
So, that's all in the bag ground here. Why were these young men arrested? One of them was tasered during his arrest. Armed police were involved in the arrest as well, which underscores just how serious the nature of what these men may have been planning was.
And from what we understand, and essentially what the police are saying as well, is that a terror plot was thwarted here, perhaps in its early stages, John.
BERMAN: Nic, we'll find out more about this in the coming days, no doubt. Our thanks to you for that report.
ROMANS: We want to turn now to the latest on the Ebola crisis. The head for the Centers for Disease Control sounding confident the U.S. can prevent an outbreak on America's soil. Thomas Frieden declaring, "We will stop Ebola in its tracks."
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THOMAS FRIEDEN, CDC DIRECTOR: There are real signs of progress, not only in Dallas, but also around the world. We know how to stop Ebola.
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ROMANS: Meanwhile, an Ebola-stricken Liberia man fighting for his life this morning in a Dallas hospital. And we're finding out more about his prognosis.
Here's senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen.
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ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: John and Christine, Thomas Eric Duncan is still in critical condition here at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital. We have some more details about how he's doing. He's on kidney dialysis. He's also on a ventilator to help him breathe. And he's under medical sedation which means his family can't speak with him.
But a press conference on Tuesday, his family did say there are some signs of optimism. For example, his blood pressure is back up. That's a good thing. Dangerously low blood pressure is a problem for Ebola patients. Also, they said his liver function is looking better and that his temperature has returned to normal.
Now, we think about this disease spreading within the city of Dallas, there's some really good news. So far, health authorities have been following Duncan's 48 contacts -- 48 people he came into contact with while he was contagious. And so far, none of them are sick.
And today is day 10. It's been about 10 days since any of them have had contact with Duncan. And usually on average, people tend to get sick about 10 days after they come in contact with an infected person.
But still, authorities will follow these people and monitor them for 21 days just to be sure -- John and Christine.
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BERMAN: Our thanks to Elizabeth Cohen.
An NBC cameraman who contracted Ebola in Liberia is in reasonably stable condition in a Nebraska hospital this morning. Ashoka Mukpo is being treated with an experimental drug. He says he's scared, relieved to be back home and believes he was infected while spray- washing a vehicle where someone had died from Ebola.
His parents got to see and speak to him on Tuesday using a video hookup.
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DIANA MUKPO, ASHOKA MUKPO'S MOTHER: He actually looks quite good. I know he's been nauseated and, you know, having some of those symptoms. But he actually looks a lot better than I expected and that was a really heartening to see.
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BERMAN: Doctors caution it's still very early in the recovery process. They got to keep their eye on it for days and days to come.
ROMANS: Americans have been slow to open their wallets to combat the Ebola crisis. CNN Money surveyed four major U.S. aid organizations and found they received less than $20 million in donations combined. The U.N. says it's going to take a billion dollars to stop this outbreak. Bill and Melinda Gates, they're doing their part. Their foundation just announced it's donating $50 billion to fight Ebola.
BERMAN: The battle against the wildfire in Yosemite National Park took a terrible turn. An air tanker that was dropping retardant on a fire crashed near the entrance to the park. Rescue crews are working their way through really tough terrain to try to reach the pilot, who was the only person on board that plane.
ROMANS: All right. Thirty-nine minutes past the hour.
We'll take a look at an EARLY START on your money.
Global stocks lower, reaction to weak data out of China and this big, big selloff in the U.S. yesterday. Wall Street worried about slowing growth in Europe.
The Dow lost, wow, 272 points. That's almost 2 percent. It's the worst one-day drop in over two months. The S&P 500 hit a two-month low as well.
You know, investors instead flooded the bond market generally thought to be a safer investment. Yield on the 10-year treasury, John, they hit their lowest level since August.
Right now, futures, stock futures, though are slightly higher.
Just happening overnight, oil prices hit the lowest level in more than two years. Prices on U.S. crude fell more than a dollar a barrel. There's increased production in the U.S. as well as a stronger dollar set prices downward.
That's a good thing for consumers. Lower oil prices mean cheaper gas and fuel costs. We're expecting that into the end of the year. We're expecting gas prices to continue to fall.
BERMAN: It will be nice to see.
ROMANS: You look at all of this instability with ISIL in the Middle East, and still, ISIS, Islamic State, whatever you want to call it, still, you got crude prices falling.
BERMAN: The dependency on that region not as much as it used to be.
ROMANS: Right. Changing the game a little bit.
BERMAN: All right. We have big news overnight in the world of baseball, the National League Championship Series is set. It will be the San Francisco Giants against the St. Louis Cardinals because the Cardinals crushed the Dodgers last night, with that Matt Adams' three- run home run, off of who exactly? Clayton Kershaw. Probably the National League MVP who just had one of the best years ever as a pitcher, but he had a rough playoffs. You can see by the look right there. The Cardinals beat the Dodgers 3-2, they win in four games.
Meanwhile, the Giants over the Washington Nationals, not showing Natitude last night. They clinched in four games with a 3-2 victory.
Game one of NLCS will be Saturday in St. Louis. Both of these teams know a little bit about winning. This is the fourth straight year that the Cardinals are playing for the pennant.
The Giants are in the league championship series for the third time in the last five seasons. The winner goes on to face the American League in the World Series.
Yasiel Puig, the best player on the Dodgers did not start last night and did not get in the game as a batter at all. Used as a pinch runner in the ninth. What were you thinking Don Mattingly?
ROMANS: Yes, call John directly, please? He'd like to know.
BERMAN: I would like to know.
ROMANS: All right. Coming up on EARLY START, this morning, hospital staff in Spain treating a possible second victim infected with Ebola. We go live to Madrid.
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ROMANS: Spanish health officials are worried they might have another case of Ebola on their hands. A second nurse's assistant is showing symptoms. She was on the same team that treated two Ebola patients in Madrid last month. Authorities are also seeing a court order to put down a dog belonging to the first infected nurse's assistant. They fear the animal might spread the virus.
Standing by in Madrid is CNN's Al Goodman.
Al, what are officials in Spain doing to deal with this outbreak and with public fear?
AL GOODMAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Christine.
Well, the five key people in this Ebola crisis here in Spain are in this Carlos III Hospital behind me. That includes the confirmed case, that's the nurse's assistant and four others under close watch on suspicion they might develop it. That includes two other health care workers. One has tested negative and he's due to get out in the coming hours.
Also in there are the husband of the nurse's assistant, the woman who has the Ebola virus. And a man who came back to Spain from Africa.
Outside of the hospital, they're monitoring about 50 other people who had contact with the nurse's assistant who has it.
Now, in Spanish parliament, we've just heard for the first time from the prime minister, speaking publicly since the crisis began. He urged people to stay calm. He said the government is going to try to find out what happened and will be fully transparent. But critics say the government has not been transparent, nor was it prepared for this, and that's why there had been protests and outcry -- Christine.
ROMANS: Al, do we know more about how Ebola was contracted there? I mean, was it taking care of two patients and the protocols were missed? Do they know how they contracted the virus?
GOODMAN: The government hasn't said, but media reports citing unnamed sources are saying that it's possible that this nurse's assistant took off one of the layers of protective clothing. The unions are saying that these nurse's assistants were not really fully trained on what to do.
But, clearly, they were taking care of two Spanish missionaries who came back from Africa with the Ebola virus. Both died here. And she was part of that team, taking care of them. And shortly after their deaths, she got it -- Christine.
ROMANS: That must be terrifying, hope all is well at that hospital behind you. Al Goodman in Madrid -- thank you.
BERMAN: All right. Forty-seven minutes after the hour.
So, this morning, where is Kim Jong-un? North Korea's regime leader has not been seen publicly for more than a month. Officially, state media says 31-year-old Kim is, quote, "suffering from discomfort." I mean, my back hurts, does that count?
His absence has triggered wild speculation about whether he is still in control. This past week, a high level delegation from Pyongyang made a surprise visit to South Korea without Kim.
ROMANS: It really is a mystery, and it's such a closed society. We watch all of these pictures and all of these staged, managed events, signs with what's happening, power in the country, suffering from discomfort. What could that mean?
BERMAN: It means anything. But, by the way, it's such a close society that it's only natural you get these conspiracy theories and there's every reason to wonder.
ROMANS: All right.
BERMAN: A 29-year-old newlywed has decided to take her own life. Why she says it is not suicide. We have her story, coming up.
ROMANS: And a shocking new video showing a police officer smashing the window of a car. Is this a case of excessive police force? The details, ahead.
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BERMAN: A terminally ill 29-year-old speaking out on her choice to die. Brittany Maynard was given six months to live after being diagnosed with stage four brain cancer last April. So, she and her family packed up and moved to California to Oregon so she would have access to the state's Death with Dignity Act.
Brittany said she will end her life November 1st with medication prescribed by her doctor. The newlywed said she just wants to pass peacefully.
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BRITTANY MAYNARD, DIAGNOSED WITH TERMINAL BRAIN CANCER: I will die upstairs in my bedroom that I share with my husband -- with my mother and my husband by my side. I can't even tell you the amount of relief that it provides me to know that I don't have to die the way that it's been described to me that my brain tumor would take me on its own.
(END VIDEO CLIP) BERMAN: She's so interesting to hear her discuss it in such stark terms.
ROMANS: Brave and heartbreaking and sad, but also empowering at the same time. I can't imagine what that family is going through. But she sounds like quite, quite a young woman.
Fifty-three minutes past the hour.
Abortion clinics in Texas want the Supreme Court to block a lower federal court ruling on abortions. Earlier this month, a decision was made upholding law that says only facilities that meet hospital-like standards can be allowed to provide the procedure. Critics filed a 50-page paper to the high court Monday, arguing there's no credible evidence suggesting a decision would enhance safety.
BERMAN: The United States now in track to have same-sex marriage legalized in 35 states. On Tuesday, a federal appeals court struck down marriage bans in Idaho and Nevada. That's the latest in the string of legal victories for gay couples. It comes just a day after Supreme Court allowed similar rulings by three other appeals courts to stand.
ROMANS: A routine traffic stop for a seat belt violation turns violent in Illinois. Police smashing through a passenger seat through a wind and using a stun gun on a man as a 14-year-old boy in the backseat recorded it all. Watch.
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ROMANS: It's unfolded last month in Hammond, about 30 miles south of Chicago. Lisa Mahone and boyfriend Jamal Jones now claiming there was excessive force, false arrest and battery in a federal law suit. Before the window was smashed, Mahone can be heard asking police why they pull a gun on him. Jones says at the moment, he was reaching into his backpack to explain why he didn't have ID. He had been ticketed for not paying his insurance.
All right. Fifty-five minutes past the hour.
One American Fortune 500 company slashing health care benefits for more than 30,000 employees. Which retail giant pulling benefits from part-timers and why? We'll get an EARLY START on your money, next.
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ROMANS: All right. Let's get an EARLY START on your money this morning.
A major selloff on Wall Street yesterday. The Dow dropped to lowest level in months over worries about slowing growth in Europe. The Dow lost 200 points yesterday. That's the worst one-day drop in more than two-months. The S&P 500, a two-month low.
Things could turn around today. Right now, futures are higher. Wall Street looking ahead to release of minutes of the latest Fed meeting, as well as the unofficial launch of a third quarter earnings season.
Walmart is eliminating health benefits for 30,000 part-time workers. Those are employees who work less than 30 hours a week. The retailing says the cut is an effort to control rising health care costs at Walmart. More employees signed up for the benefit this year than expected. A reported $500 million increase. Those workers who lost coverage will now be eligible for government-sponsored retail.
Walmart isn't the first retailer to trim health benefits to part-time workers. Target, Home depot, Trader Joe's already announced they would stop offering coverage last year. >
All right. How would you like a shorter workweek?
BERMAN: I like.
ROMANS: I spoke Tuesday to the world's richest man, Carlos Slim. Here's what he told me.
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CARLOS SLIM, BUSINESS MAGNATE: I think people should work three days.
ROMANS: Three days.
SLIM: Maybe 11 hours. But retire at 60 or 65. They should retire at 75.
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ROMANS: Three days, 11 hours, but work until you're 70, 75.
