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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Second Dallas Nurse Positive for Ebola; Kurds Battling ISIS Forces; Prosecutors Push Jail Time for Pistorius; Protesters and Hong Kong Leaders to Talk?

Aired October 16, 2014 - 05:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Troubling details about the second nurse infected with Ebola. Did someone at the CDC tell her it was OK to fly on a commercial plane? Do officials have any clue how to keep the virus from spreading?

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: And now, growing cries from a ban on flights from certain West African nations into the United States. House Speaker John Boehner saying the administration needs to increase its response to the situation. The White House says a travel ban is not on the table.

Welcome back to EARLY START, everyone. I'm John Berman.

ROMANS: I'm Christine Romans. Twenty-nine minutes past the hour this morning.

Breaking news overnight: the second Dallas nurse that came down with Ebola has arrived in Atlanta for treatment, amid controversy over her air travel. She is 29-year-old Amber Vinson. She was part of the team that took care of Thomas Eric Duncan. He is the Liberian man who died from Ebola in Dallas last week.

But now, there are questions about why Vinson took a commercial flight from Cleveland to Dallas on Monday. She had a temperature of 99.5 degrees.

BERMAN: Now CDC Director Thomas Frieden says she should never have set foot on an airplane after taking care of Duncan, and knowing that another nurse, Nina Pham, had already been diagnosed with Ebola. But a federal official tells CNN that Vinson informed the CDC of her travel plans and was not told that she should not fly.

Now the CDC is reaching out to each of the 132 other people on Vinson's flight. It says the risk that any of them were infected with Ebola is extremely, extremely low. The CDC is also considering adding 76 hospital employees to the government's no-fly list.

CNN's Ed Lavandera is in Dallas with more on Vinson's case.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John and Christine, the second health care worker Amber Vinson was moved from Dallas to Emory University in Atlanta where she will begin her treatment, this morning, continue her treatment here this morning. But she was moved on the very day that much bigger questions are now being raised about just how well-prepared these health care workers that treated Thomas Eric Duncan, the first patient that died of Ebola last week here at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas.

A prominent nurses union, a national union, saying that the health care team was simply not given the proper protocols, not prepared to handle the situation in which they were entering. A lot of questions about the protective gear that they were wearing, and whether or not that could have been a failure in that area is what led to their infection.

CDC investigators say they're really concentrating on the first two or three days that Thomas Eric Duncan was brought here to the hospital where sometimes the health care workers were wearing three or four layers of protective gear and in some cases had skin that was exposed. So that's one of the areas they're focusing on.

The hospital officials have not commented directly on these allegations, only have said that the safety and care of their employees is a top priority -- Christine and John.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: All right. Ed, thanks for that.

Federal officials ramping up the government's response to the Ebola situation this morning. President Obama has canceled campaign events two days in a row to respond. He met with top health officials at the White House on Wednesday.

The president is ordering the CDC to send what he called a medical SWAT team within 24 hours of an Ebola diagnosis anywhere in the country.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: As a consequence, what we've been doing here today is reviewing exactly what we know about what's happened in Dallas and how we're going to make sure that something like this is not repeated. And that we are monitoring, supervising, overseeing, in a much more aggressive way, exactly what's taking place.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: CNN has learned that later today, the administration plans to announce an order giving the Pentagon authority to call up reservists to fight Ebola in West Africa.

We are told there are no immediate plans to do that but the move could help fill the need for medical personnel and technicians who have special skills in the effort to fight it.

BERMAN: On Capitol Hill later this morning, a House committee will hold a special hearing on the Ebola situation in Texas. Among those under the microscope, CDC Director Thomas Frieden. Also a top official from Dallas Health Presbyterian Hospital -- Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital has submitted written testimony saying, quote, "We are deeply sorry for failing to initially diagnose Thomas Eric Duncan with Ebola."

ROMANS: Congressional Republicans demanding further action against Ebola. House Speaker John Boehner says the White House needs to consider a ban on travel from West African countries where Ebola is prevalent.

Pennsylvania Congressman Bill Schuster and Tom Marino, along with South Dakota Senator John Thune, all joining his call. Marino is also demanding the immediate resignation of the CDC director, Tom Frieden. The White House said on Wednesday a West Africa travel ban is, quote, "not on the table" at this point.

BERMAN: Four major U.S. airports will begin enhanced screening for Ebola today. Newark, Washington Dulles, Chicago's O'Hare, and Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta will join New York's Kennedy Airport which began screening on Saturday. Passengers arriving from those three West African countries at the center of the outbreak -- Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia -- will undergo increased scrutiny, including having their temperatures taken and will have to answer some questions as well.

ROMANS: All right. Time for an EARLY START on your money this morning.

Investors sold stocks with a vengeance. Oh my. Right now U.S. stock futures pointing lower after yesterday's market meltdown.

The Dow plunged 460 points before bouncing back to end down about 173 points or about 1 percent. Frenzied selling earlier in the day in stocks. And then a rush into the safety of the bond market. The 10- year treasury yield fell below 2 percent for the first time since last year.

OK, so what's wrong here?

Europe's economy has stalled. China's growth is slowing. Here in the U.S. retail sales unexpectedly shrank last month.

As if those market moves aren't dramatic enough, oil prices are plunging. Down to about $80 a barrel right now. Compared that to $107 over the summer.

Big moves in all the major asset classes.

BERMAN: The icy-steel calm with which you relay this information obscures what a crazy day it was yesterday.

ROMANS: It was crazy. It was crazy. I hope it's icy still calm in the markets today but we'll see.

BERMAN: All right. Let's take a look at our weather right now. Chad Myers is here with that.

Hey, Chad.

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Hey, good morning, John. Good morning, Christine.

A lot of rain coming down in New York City. Right now the heaviest show were about Westport into Connecticut, so certainly a slow morning. Could be a slow airport morning across the northeast as well for you.

Now the forecast gets a lot better. It rains in Boston tonight for a wet commute home. But 69 at New York, 70 in D.C. and 68 in Atlanta today. A chilly cool-down for the weekend. In fact New York City, your high on Sunday maybe 53. Washington, D.C., around 58. That's the idea. The cold air is coming in, 67 on Saturday for the city, but there you go.

Here is Gonzalo now. A category four hurricane in the middle of the Atlantic. The good news for the United States it's not coming here. The bad news for Bermuda, it is going to make a run at that island nation. It will make a run as a category three major hurricane, about 105 to 110-miles per hour, maybe up to 115 with gusts to 120 right over Bermuda on Friday.

Now I talked about Ana last hour. And I'll kind of update you on this hour's forecast. The storm kind of tore up a little bit. A little bit of shear last night. But Hawaii, I need you to still watch this. Still forecast to become a hurricane. Slightly miss the big island. But you notice that the entire cone takes up the entire Hawaiian Island chain with winds somewhere between 75 and maybe 70 miles per hour. And maybe making some big impacts on those islands. Not just the big island, but Oahu and Honolulu as well.

Guys, back to you.

ROMANS: A beautiful name with some punching fury. Ana.

MYERS: Yes.

ROMANS: Thank you so much.

All right. Coalition airstrikes killing hundreds of ISIS fighters in Syria. Is this going to be enough to keep the key town of Kobani from falling? A live report in minutes.

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BERMAN: ISIS forces moving closer to Baghdad this morning. The terror group has armored vehicles, tanks, and heavy weapons building up in Anbar Province. That's about 25 miles west of the Iraqi capital. In an interview with CNN's Kyra Phillips, Joint Chiefs Chairman Martin

Dempsey refused to rule out 100 percent the possibility that at some point he might recommend U.S. combat troops joining the ground battle.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEN. MARTIN DEMPSEY, CHAIRMAN, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: But I can't foresee a case where we should reintroduce large ground combat forces into Iraq. But, again, war is discovery. ISIL is a national security threat. If we get to that point, I'll make the recommendation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: His job is to keep his options open and to make recommendations.

U.S. Defense officials continue to say as of now they don't see any possibility that Baghdad itself will fall.

ROMANS: U.S.-led airstrikes pounding ISIS positions in Iraq and northern Syria. The Pentagon rolling out the official name for this offensive Wednesday. It's called "Operation Inherent Resolve". Thirty-nine airstrikes in all over the last couple of days. Many of them hitting ISIS targets near that northern border town, the Syrian town of Kobani, where Kurdish forces are fighting hard to keep the extremist from seizing control here.

I want to bring in senior international correspondent Arwa Damon again live from the Syria-Turkey border.

Good morning, Arwa.

ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Christine. There has been a lot of focus on Kobani, especially over the last three weeks. Those most recent airstrikes benefitting the predominantly Kurdish fighting force in Kobani in the sense that they have managed, according to a number of Kurdish fighters we've been speaking to, push ISIS back to a certain degree especially in the west and the southwest.

But that vital area that they have been fighting over that a lot of the airstrikes have been concentrated in is very much in the center of the city just across the border from Turkey. That border crossing between Kobani and Turkey, according to one Kurdish fighter, if ISIS is able to take over that border crossing, Kobani would effectively fall.

The Kurds do not have any real resupply logistical routes to be able to bring in additional fighters or weapons whereas ISIS has all of the terrain around Kobani with which it moves with a certain level of impunity there. Very easily able to bring up more weapons, more fighters.

Kobani very critical for a number of reasons at this stage. If ISIS is able to take it over, it would have a direct logistical resupply route from the border with Turkey to its stronghold in Raqqah. And then of course there is the sheer humanitarian cost of all of this.

But while the focus has been on Kobani at this stage, a lot of Syrians we've been talking to will say look, it is great that this coalition is getting involved right now, but we've been asking for support for years now and the regime of Bashar al-Assad continues to relentlessly hammer this civilian population. So people wanting to see the coalition do more. Especially to end the bloodshed overall but it seems as if that is going to take quite some time -- Christine.

ROMANS: Yes, it really does.

Arwa Damon for us, thank you so much on the Syria-Turkey border this morning.

Oscar Pistorius closer to learning his fate. The prosecution pressing for the athlete to get prison time for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. Emotional testimony on Wednesday as Steenkamp's cousin took the stand.

CNN's Diana Magnay following this hearing. She has the latest for us from Pretoria.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DIANA MAGNAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The tears that we saw on Wednesday in court after the cousin of Reeva Steenkamp, Kim Martin, testified, are unlikely to be repeated again. Today we're hearing far more about the conditions within South Africa's prison, especially or specifically for people with special needs, disabled people like Oscar Pistorius himself.

Of course, the defense's argument is that his disability, alongside the fact that he has shown very serious remorse and is a first-time offender should weigh against a lengthy prison sentence. And now it's the prosecutor's turn to bring witnesses to the dock who will argue that he should spend a considerable amount of time in jail.

So, right now, we're hearing from the acting head of the Correctional Services Authority who is listing all the specific ways that -- the needs of all the inmates, the doctors, the fact that there are gyms, that there are psychological helpers. And in a way, when you listen to this, it sounds almost perfect and as though those inmates who come out of the South African prison system are fully rehabilitated, functioning members of society. But studies prove that that's just isn't the case. But that is certainly the argument going on in court today.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: All right. Diana Magnay, thank you for that.

BERMAN: All right. Coming up for us, the strangest start to a political debate that I have ever seen. It involved the fan, a podium and a pony. No, not a pony but the other stuff is completely true and you will not believe it.

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BERMAN: News breaking overnight in Hong Kong. The chief executive there opening the door to talks with protesters saying that he hopes the government can meet with students who are demanding democratic reforms as early as next week. This comes after another tense confrontation between demonstrators and police in that Chinese- controlled city.

Want to go to Manisha Tank right now live in Hong Kong.

Good morning, Manisha. What's the latest?

MANISHA TANK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, John. Well, it's pretty calm here in the middle of a protest zone. But those clashes that you were talking happened around 1:00 in the morning on the periphery of the area where I am right now. But as you say, since then, down the line, we've had a press briefing finally from the chief executive here in Hong Kong, C.Y. Leung.

And in that he addressed the dialogue, the possibility for dialogue, that might happen, in his words, as early as next week. He mentioned the Hong Kong Federation of Students which have called for some sort of conversation to start out between the government and the student groups here.

Initially Carrie Lam, C.Y. Leung's deputy, was meant to be part of those talks. It was meant to happen before the weekend. Last weekend it didn't happen. And this is one of the reasons why tensions are heightened here at the moment.

So they're talking about preparatory meetings right now. Trying to get a moderator. He's going to oversee it and be impartial. But like I said if it does happen, it could -- those talks could start as early as next week.

Meanwhile, what's happening here, well, it's calm in the protest zone at the moment and the numbers here are beginning to swell again. Night is falling here in Hong Kong. That is when people finish their work or they finish off at university and they come down here to lend their support if that's what they want to do.

So that's where we are right now with things right now. It's calm, but we'll see what happens overnight -- John.

BERMAN: And the question is, will those protesters wait for the talks?

Manisha Tank for us in Hong Kong, thanks so much.

ROMANS: New details this morning about the investigation into the Michael Brown shooting in Ferguson, Missouri. The "St. Louis Post Dispatch" talked with one witness who says he testified before that grand jury. He says Officer Darren Wilson did not shoot until the unarmed teen turned toward him. That Brown's arms were out to his sides, not high in the air, and that he staggered toward Wilson despite orders to stop. The grand jury trying to decide if the officer should face criminal charges.

BERMAN: The contentious governor's race in Florida got very, very weird last night. The Republican incumbent Rick Scott and the Democratic challenger Charlie Crist, they were set to face-off at Broward College. But when the debate started or was supposed to start, Governor Scott refused to come on the stage because Charlie Crist had a small electric fan underneath his podium.

This is what one of the moderators told the audience.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MODERATOR: The Scott campaign say that there should be no fan. Somehow there is a fan there and for that reason, ladies and gentlemen, I am being told that Governor Scott --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Really?

UNIDENTIFIED MODERATOR: -- will not join us for this debate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: Somehow there is a fan.

Now Governor Scott finally did emerge seven minutes later. He kept everyone waiting seven minutes.

Charlie Crist did keep the fan. The candidate resumed attacking each other as soon as the debate really began which of course has been what this campaign frankly is all about.

ROMANS: The great fan flap in Florida.

BERMAN: Yes.

ROMANS: The Florida fan flap. Say that 10 times.

BERMAN: Well done. Fantastic.

ROMANS: Fantastic. Man.

All right. The Kansas City Royals. Talk about fantastic and fans. Their fans there are partying like it's 1985. The Royals completed a sweep of the Baltimore Orioles. They won the American League Championship Series. And they advance to a little thing called the World Series for the first time in, oh, 29 years. Kansas City remains unbeaten during this post season, 8-0.

They'll face either the San Francisco Giants or the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series. The Giants now lead the NLCS three games to one after winning last night. They can close out the series with a win in game five today.

BERMAN: The Royals have been amazing to see.

ROMANS: They have. BERMAN: A wonderful story.

ROMANS: They have.

BERMAN: All right. This could be an ugly day.

ROMANS: Yes.

BERMAN: A new ugly day coming up on Wall Street. We're just taking a look at the stock futures. They are plunging.

She's going to give you an early look at your money next.

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ROMANS: All right. Let's get an EARLY START on your money this morning. Investors selling stocks with a vengeance. It looks like it could be another ugly day on Wall Street. Is this the correction we've been waiting for. Stock futures much lower right now.

I want you to look at that arrow. Down 147. These are Dow futures. We got a few hours to go before the Opening Bell. But if these levels hold, it's a continuation of yesterday's meltdown. You saw the Dow plunged 460 points in the morning, then it furiously bounced back, closing down 173 points, about 1 percent.

Extreme fear has overtaken the markets because of stalled growth in Europe. Slowing growth in China. In the U.S. retail sales unexpectedly shrank last night and in the morning yesterday, there was this big frenzied selling because, you know, somebody with Ebola was on a commercial airplane. That was enough to really spark a lot of fear in the market.

It was frenzied selling in stocks, a rush into the safety of the bond market. The 10-year treasury yield below 2 percent for the first time since last year.

As if all of these market moves aren't dramatic enough, oil prices plunging. Down to about $80 a barrel right now. Compared that to $107 over the summer. Sluggish demand, booming production here. But the stock market really the story here this morning. The is stock market futures were a little higher than they were a little lower, John. But now down about 150 points.

It just shows you that fear is what's driving the market.

BERMAN: You got, what, three and a half hours until these markets open?

ROMANS: Yes.

BERMAN: It could be an ugly, ugly morning. Keep your eyes on Christine Romans to find out more about that over the next few hours.

Meanwhile, so much to cover this morning. So many questions about Ebola right now. ROMANS: That's right.

BERMAN: The second nurse infected with it. How was she able to get on that commercial flight? Should other passengers be worried? Are town now going way, way overboard in their reaction?

"NEW DAY" will cover all that starting right now.