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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
First Nurse Arrives in Maryland; Growing Ebola Concerns; ISIS Forces Pushed Back in Kobani; The Giants Win the Pennant; Pistorius Back in Court
Aired October 17, 2014 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking overnight: the first Dallas nurse to catch Ebola in the United States now in Maryland for treatment at National Institute of Health. That as we hear from her from her hospital bed for the very first time.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: And now, new concerns over the second nurse who flew on a plane right before she was diagnosed with Ebola. Was she feeling sick while visiting family in Ohio or on the way back to Dallas? Could more people than we thought had been exposed?
Good morning. Welcome to EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans.
BERMAN: And I'm John Berman. It is Friday, October 17th. It is 4:00 in the East.
And we start with breaking news. Overnight, the first Dallas nurse infected with Ebola, Nina Pham, she arrived in Maryland. She was taken by ambulance to the National Institute of Health in Bethesda for treatment.
We're also getting our first glimpse of Pham in her Texas hospital room where her doctor made a video and uploaded it to YouTube at Pham's request.
Look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. GARY WEINSTEIN: Thanks for getting well. Thanks for being part of the voluntary team to take care of our first patient. It means a lot. This has been a huge effort by all of you guys. We're really proud of you.
NINA PHAM: I love you guys.
Come to Maryland, everybody.
WEINSTEIN: Party in Maryland?
PHAM: Party in Maryland.
WEINSTEIN: OK. (END VIDEO CLIP)
BERMAN: It's nice to see her when her spirit is so high.
CNN's Brian Todd outside the hospital where Pham is being treated in Maryland now with more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Nina Pham, the 26-year-old nurse who contracted the Ebola virus from patient Thomas Eric Duncan has arrived here at National Institute of Health right behind me. Got here a short time ago and is treated in building 10. This is the special clinical studies unit at NIH. It's a high containment isolation unit where she will be treated indefinitely until her recovery is complete.
This unit is very highly specialized. Everybody who comes in contact with Nina Pham will wear hazmat gear, will be wearing isolation gowns, special gowns, things like that.
Also, the air inside her room is highly isolated. They are running what they call powered air purifying respirators in her room. No air from the outside will get into her room and her room's air will not get to the outside.
So, this unit is very highly specialized. This is where she's going to be receiving treatment over the next several days and weeks.
As to the actual treatment she'll be getting, that's classified. Officials here will not reveal to us the specific drug protocols or other specific treatment that she'll be getting. But we can tell you is that the NIH, this facility, is now on the frontlines of the fight against Ebola on two different fronts. Number one, they are treating Nina Pham here, but this facility is testing out an Ebola vaccine -- one of two places in the United States testing the vaccine out for the first time on humans.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROMANS: That's Brian Todd for us. Thanks, Brian.
There are contradictory reports this morning about just when the second Texas nurse infected with Ebola, Amber Vinson, when she started to feel sick. Vinson's uncle says she was fine the whole time she was in Cleveland. But an official with knowledge of the case tells CNN Vinson felt fatigued and achy while in Ohio on Friday or Saturday.
The prospect she might have been contagious earlier has led health officials to reach out to the passengers on Vinson's flight to Cleveland, in addition to those who flew back with her to Texas. At the same time, a bridal shop Vinson visited in Cleveland has closed as a precaution, and at least eight people that she came in contact with Ohio are under self-quarantine.
BERMAN: The nurse at Texas Health Presbyterian is slamming the hospital's readiness to treat the Ebola patients that it received. Briana Aguirre told Anderson Cooper that the hospital failed to provide its staff the training and protective gear they needed to contain the virus.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRIANA AGUIRRE, TEXAS HEALTH PRESBYTERIAN NURSE: I feel like if you are in there with an Ebola patient and your life is on the line and your family safety is at risk, you should have the number to anyone. You should have the number to Obama administration to get you whatever it need -- you need to perform that job safely. And that I'm not satisfied with any answer that the hospital has to offer at all.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BERMAN: Well, Texas Health Presbyterian did respond with a statement saying it is committed to providing a safe and healthy workplace for its employees. It adds that it has a strict non-retaliation policy on employee feedback.
ROMANS: President Obama says a ban on travel to the U.S. from Ebola- stricken countries in West Africa is not the way to go. The president met Thursday with CDC Director Tom Frieden, homeland security adviser, Lisa Monaco, and others. Afterward, he told reporters a travel ban might create more problems than it solves, while still leaving the door slightly open to that possibility.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I don't have a philosophical objection to the travel ban if it will keep the American people safe. The problem is, is that in all the discussions I've had thus far with experts in the field, experts in infectious disease, a travel ban is less effective than the measures that we are currently instituting.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: The president also did not rule out appointing a Ebola czar. He said it maybe appropriate to appoint an additional person beyond Frieden, Monaco, and others working on the Ebola issue at some point.
BERMAN: CDC Director Tom Frieden faced a tough grilling on Capitol Hill. House members from both sides of the aisle pressed Frieden to explain to how two Texas nurses could have come down with Ebola while caring for a patient, and how the federal government will prevent a larger outbreak of the deadly disease.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. BILL JOHNSON (R), OHIO: Was it a breakdown in the training of the protocol? Do we know whether or not the protocol works?
FRIEDEN: The investigation is ongoing. We identified some possible causes. We're not waiting for the investigation to be --
(CROSSTALK) JOHNSON: So, we don't know.
FRIEDEN: We're immediately --
JOHNSON: We don't know. OK.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Ebola fears heightening in Europe as four new suspected cases have been reported. Two of three people admitted to the hospital in Spain Thursday tested negative, but remained under quarantine. None of the cases has been confirmed yet. But all have a link to a possible source of infection.
Standing by live in Madrid this morning for us is CNN's Al Goodman.
Al, what's the latest?
AL GOODMAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPODNENT: Hi, Christine.
All of them, the one confirmed case and some of the others who are under watch are here at this hospital in Madrid, there is one case suspected in Spain's Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean. Of the two who tested negative on their first test, they have to stay in for another test, but one of those people had been at home under watch because had had some sort of contact officials have earlier with Teresa Romero Ramos, the nurse's assistant who's the only confirmed case.
It turns out that this person who's come in here on Thursday and now tested negative was in the same ambulance as Teresa Romero earlier this month on the day the ambulance started by taking her from her home, feverish, to another hospital where it was confirmed she had the Ebola virus. And then the ambulance continued in service, picking up other patients. This other patient was one of them, before officials realized there was an Ebola patient in it, we have to decontaminate that ambulance.
So, that has caused a lot of raised eyebrows and concern here in Spain -- Christine.
ROMANS: Sure, it has. Al Goodman, thanks, for keeping us posted.
All right. Time for an EARLY START on your money this morning.
Another crazy day on Wall Street. Right now, futures pointing sharply higher. If it holds, it could be a good day for stocks or we may be in for another big wild swings and frenzy trading. It is a Friday.
Look, yesterday, the Dow plunged 200 points before bouncing back. And look at this, it closed down just 25 points.
BERMAN: Just another day.
ROMANS: So, it was six straight days of losses, but it was two days in a row where big losses and then a bounce back to close way off. The NASDAQ closed almost unchanged.
You know, the market bounced back after comments from the president of the St. Louis Fed. He said the Federal Reserve should consider extending its bond buying program scheduled to the end of this month, that stimulus that has been so important to the stock market and the economy over the past couple of years.
Stocks have not reached that true correction investors expecting a 10 percent drop. The Dow and S&P 500 down 7 percent from last month's highs. The NASDAQ hit correction territory yesterday and bounced back. European stocks right now are solidly higher at this hour. Asian shares ended their day mostly lower.
BERMAN: The buyback can't go on forever. At some point, they have to stop.
ROMANS: Even a whiff that it can go on forever was enough to bring stocks back.
BERMAN: All right. This morning, Bermuda bracing for hurricane Gonzalo. The category 4 storm is expected to hit the islands today. It is being called one of the most powerful hurricane to ever strike Bermuda.
Right now, it is packing winds of 140 miles an hour. Bermuda is still recovering from tropical storm Fay which knocked out power of thousands early this week.
You know, I did a hurricane once, covered the one in Bermuda. It is built to withstand category three, very, very sturdy. Category four, though, that's dangerous.
ROMANS: Wish them well.
BERMAN: We're going to get an early look now at today's weather with Chad Myers who is in for Indra.
CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: A very good early morning to you.
This morning, a much better day today than yesterday. I have to be honest. It was wet. It was nasty. Much better.
The rain has moved away, even moved away from Boston. Sunny skies across the East Coast and sunny across a lot of the United States. Not too bad for travel today. Airplanes should be on time for the most part -- 55 in Minneapolis today, 62 in Chicago, and 70 in New York.
Here is the forecast for tomorrow. Another cold front will reinforce the first one that made the rain yesterday. But we'll also make significantly colder air where New York City, we're only going to be 53 for a high on Sunday. So, that's where we go from here. Around 70 today to 53 on Sunday and intermediately tomorrow will be 68, 68 in D.C. as well, 51 in Chicago, and 53 in Minneapolis.
The hurricane center will update. Tropical storm Ana and also major hurricane Gonzalo in the 5:00 hour. I'll have that update then.
BERMAN: We will for that. Our thanks to Chad.
ROMANS: I heard cold. All I heard was cold.
BERMAN: Yes, it's cold, cold, cold. She's like, what? It's going to be in the 30s overnight?
ROMANS: I heard cold. Thanks, Chad. Happy Friday.
Ten minutes past the hour.
A coalition forces pounding ISIS with air strikes in Kobani. Are these attacks finally making a difference? We're going to go live to the Syrian border.
BERMAN: And a Biden family scandal. And this time is not something about the vice president said. One of his sons has been forced out of the Navy for drug use.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BERMAN: All right. Stepped up U.S. airstrikes are pushing back ISIS forces in the Syrian city of Kobani. The Kurdish fighters there are battling ISIS are benefitting from the air support to keep ISIS from overrunning that city.
Pentagon officials still expect -- they still say Kobani might fall to ISIS, but spokesman rear admiral John Kirby insists the air strikes are beginning to make a different.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REAR ADM. JOHN KIRBY, PENTAGON SPOKESMAN: We have definitely made it harder for ISIL to sustain itself and to operate. They are continuing to feel the pressure, which is one of the reasons why we think they're going after Kobani so badly. I mean, I think part of it is they really want a win.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BERMAN: CNN has learned a State Department official met last weekend with representatives of the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party. That group has been fighting ISIS forces on the ground in Kobani. It is not clear whether the United States is prepared to offer direct military assistance to that group.
We want to bring Nick Paton Walsh live from the border right now with Kobani behind him.
Nick, what's the latest?
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: John, a comparatively quiet morning. It seems as though that enormous amount of American ordnance, coalition ordnance dropped on Kobani has significantly changed the situation on the ground. We know this morning that there had been clashes overnight far to the
east. That used to be an area held by ISIS. Now, it seems the Kurds are in it and to the south, too.
So, substantially, as they say, they are in control over 80 percent of Kobani. That is a huge change from before, that massive wave of air power that came in. Over 50 strikes, as I say, three recorded overnight by activists inside. That has made a huge difference, making it almost impossible I think for ISIS to bring further fighters in to supply themselves on those exposed access roads. We have seen such massive blasts in the past few days.
This morning, there are some Kurdish fighters on the hill to the west that they took a few days ago. They've just taken coming mortar round. We've heard some machine gun fire from around the town. But it does appear there is a calm here.
Bear in mind, when the TV cameras go, when the focus moves away from Kobani, it's entirely possible ISIS will try again and the Kurds may have less assistance then. But what this has done certainly is focus coalition efforts to more cooperation they have with the Kurds inside Syria here. Of course, they are not the friend of Turkey and other ally, quite the opposite. U.S. officials meeting the Syrian Kurdish officials in Paris over the last weekend, that's going to rub Ankara the wrong way certainly.
But I think when looking for allies against ISIS, the U.S. are increasingly wondering if the Syrian Kurds could be that. They are, of course, allies to the PKK, another Turkish-Kurdish group which the U.S. considers to be terrorists. It's extraordinarily complex.
But for now, it appears that Kobani is still held by the Kurds -- John.
BERMAN: An intriguing new avenue of communication that has just been opened up.
Nick Paton Walsh for us, just beyond Kobani, thanks so much, Nick.
ROMANS: Developing news in Hong Kong this morning. Hundreds of police have raided one area where pro-democracy protesters have been in camp for nearly three weeks. They tore down tents. They tore down barricades. They tried to open traffic back up in this very busy part of the city. Many of the demonstrators were caught off guard, did not put up a fight.
Our Anna Coren was in the middle of it as it happened.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You are looking at the first cars, the first traffic to be allowed through on to Nathan Road here in Mong Kok. This has been the protest site at this particular area for almost three weeks.
Well, hundreds of police moved in here just before dawn to clear the site, to clear the barricades, and to clear what has effectively been a camp.
Now, the protesters have been here and two other protest sites on Hong Kong island, Cause Way Bay and Admiralty, voicing their opposition to Beijing's control of Hong Kong, after the Chinese central government announced back in August that it will be hand-picking candidates for the Hong Kong election in 2017. That is when the city is due to receive universal suffrage.
Now, Hong Kong's chief executive, C.Y. Leung, says police will be clearing all the protest sites, but this has been going on long enough as protesters have made their point. And that this is now causing a negative impact on Hong Kong society. It has, of course, been causing massive traffic disruption throughout much of the city.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROMANS: No miracle that lasted three weeks.
That was Anna Coren in Hong Kong for us.
The city leader has said the government officials would have talked with the main protest groups starting next week.
BERMAN: So, there has been another Kim Jong-un sighting. North Korea's state media releasing this photo of the reclusive leader, giving field guidance at a newly build residential district. There's no way to verify exactly when the picture was taken. Kim has not been seen in public since September. It has fueled a lot of speculation about his health, even speculation about whether he's really still in power.
ROMANS: We don't know what the date is on that photo, either.
BERMAN: No.
ROMANS: All right. The youngest son of Vice President Joe Biden was discharged from the Navy back in February, that was after testing positive for cocaine, U.S. officials confirmed. Hunter Biden putting out a statement saying he's, quote, "embarrassed" by his actions and that he respects the Navy's decision. He did not address why he was discharged.
The 44-year-old Biden is now a managing partner at an investment firm.
BERMAN: All right. The World Series is now set. The San Francisco Giants with that, a walk-off three run homer by Travis Ishikawa, going to the World Series with that swing, to beat the Cardinals, 6-3. They are the National League Champions. The Giants win the pennant. The Giants win the pennant.
This is the second time in three seasons the Giants are back in the World Series. They officially win now every other year.
Game one is against the American League champs, the Kansas City Royals, a team of destiny. Game one will be Tuesday in Kansas City.
ROMANS: Even more baseball watching for you. Less sleep, more baseball.
BERMAN: This is going to be good. This is going to be good.
ROMANS: All right. Nineteen minutes past the hour.
A thrilling finish to the Thursday night football game. The New England Patriots holding off the New York Jets to block the last second 58-yard field goal attempt by the Jets to seal a 27-25 victory.
John Berman's married boyfriend Tom Brady threw three touchdown passes. The Patriots improved to 5-2 in the seasons. The Jets dropped to 1-6.
You love him no matter what. You love the Pats and you love him.
BERMAN: It's unconditional love. He did throw for three touchdowns last night, and I can report he looked great. I got single source of approval on that from all of the officials here at CNN. I can report that without reservations.
Twenty minutes after the hour.
Today may be the day Oscar Pistorius is sentenced, but could death threats against the Blade Runner effect the judge's decision? A live report in just minutes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROMANS: This morning, the prosecution expected to wrap its case in Oscar Pistorius' sentencing hearing. On Thursday, Reeva Steenkamp's cousin said this athlete should be locked up. But the defense argues that Pistorius' disability would make him too vulnerable in prison.
Let's go to CNN international correspondent Diana Magnay. She's live in Pretoria with the very latest on this.
Good morning, Diana.
DIANA MAGNAY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Christine.
Well, today, we are hearing the closing arguments from the prosecution and the defense. At the moment, Barry Roux, the defense advocate, is speaking and giving a very persuasive argument about Oscar Pistorius and why he should be given a non-custodial sentence, i.e., some kind of correctional supervision, house arrest, community service, that kind of thing.
He's been listing other cases where individuals who believe that a burglar was coming in to attack shot and killed their wife or their daughter, and these people were given noncustodial sentences. And he is saying Oscar Pistorius should be no different.
He's also been emphasizing Pistorius because of his celebrity, because he was an icon has been incriminated across the world. And you know, as well as I do, we've all been watching in every corner of the world, it's been broadcast. So, a man who is already suffering from the consequences of his actions is having to also face the fact that the trial and the headlines are calling him a liar, a cold-blooded murderer, and all of these kinds of things.
So, he is giving a very powerful argument to the judge to try to persuade her not to make Pistorius serve jail time. But you be sure, Christine, that when Gerrie Nel, the prosecutor takes to the stand, he will also give just as convincing an argument for why he should face jail time -- Christine.
ROMANS: Diana, tell us a little bit about his demeanor in the court today. I mean, he looked pretty grim from what I could see.
MAGNAY: Yes, it was terrible. He looked absolutely destroyed. He was sitting with silent tears falling down his face.
This isn't new. We've seen it before when we heard from Kim Martin, the cousin of Reeva, giving the testimony about what Reeva was like. He sat there with his head in his hands, and his shoulders heaving.
And, of course, when he took to the witness stand himself, he was very emotional. And that just goes to prove to the court also that this is a man who really does feel remorse for what he did that night -- Christine.
ROMANS: Diana Magnay for us this morning in Pretoria, South Africa -- thank you, Diana.
BERMAN: Twenty-six minutes after the hour.
The first nurse to be diagnosed with Ebola in the United States moved overnight. She is in a new treatment facility in Maryland and we hear from her and see her in this new video. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
