Return to Transcripts main page

Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

NYC Doctor with Ebola; Kaci Hickox Released from Quarantine; British Hostage in ISIS Video; Stock Futures Point Higher; Marysville High School Shooting; Boehner's Questionable Obama Slam

Aired October 28, 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: New federal guidelines this morning on how to treat people returning to the U.S. from West Africa, but do they go far enough? Some states don't think so.

A quarantined nurse is freed from the isolation tent in New Jersey as U.S. soldiers return from the Ebola frontline in Liberia and are quarantined in Italy. We're breaking down all of these latest developments.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: New video released of ISIS hostage, John Cantlie, filmed in the key Syrian city of Kobani. We are live with what we're learning from this latest disturbing propaganda.

ROMANS: New information on how a Washington State high school shooter carried out his deadly attack as one victim shares a message for the cousin who shot him. Welcome back to EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans.

BERMAN: I'm John Berman. It's 31 minutes past the hour this morning. Great to see you. Federal health officials rolling out new recommendations to counter the automatic quarantines adopted by some states concerning Ebola.

The CDC guidelines offer four different levels of risks to consider when deciding whether someone needs to be quarantined. They ranged from no risk to high risk. Those in the high risk category would have to have come in direct contact with an infected person's bodily fluids.

There is good news for a young boy returning from West Africa and was tested for Ebola at New York's Bellevue Hospital. Let's get more on that now from CNN's Miguel Marquez.

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John, Christine, that 5-year-old boy has tested negative for Ebola, but he is not leaving quite yet. Officials want to keep him here at the hospital and test him further to make sure that his blood is completely free of Ebola. This should be a few more days in the isolation chamber here before he can go home.

Meanwhile, Dr. Craig Spencer who has Ebola, over the weekend, started moving into the more serious symptoms of Ebola with gastrointestinal problems. He was able to do a quick interview with the "New York Times," but he is not feeling horribly.

But the officials here at the hospital saying, he is in serious, but stable conditions, one of them saying that he looked a little better from Saturday. So hopefully, he has stabilized and will continue to get better.

Meanwhile, the controversy over the quarantine of not only Dr. Spencer, who is a doctor with Doctors Without Borders and Kaci Hickox, who was also quarantined in New Jersey, despite the fact she had no symptoms and she tested negative for Ebola.

She has finally gone home, but Governor Chris Christie, who imposed that quarantine as she was flying in stuck to his guns.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE (R), NEW JERSEY: She was running a high fever and symptomatic. If you live outside the state and you are symptomatic, we are not letting you go on public transportation. I'm telling you, guys, this will become a national policy eventually. Eventually the CDC will come around.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARQUEZ: Kaci Hickox is in Maine and will remain in self-quarantine for the next 21 days or so with state officials checking in on her daily. This is the same process the CDC is now suggesting for states that if somebody is at high risk of possible contagion of Ebola.

They go into self-quarantine and get checked on to make sure that those symptoms don't appear. This as Doctors Without Borders, the group that sends a lot to West Africa to fight the disease.

They are saying the quarantines that New York and New Jersey have put on health care officials are having an effect to recruit team to fight the disease -- John, Christine.

ROMANS: Miguel, thank you. The U.S. military taking its precautions against Ebola. Right now, an Army commander and nearly two dozen personnel are affected to quarantine in Italy after an aid mission in Liberia.

CNN's Al Goodman is reporting on this part of the story for us in Madrid this morning. What's going on here, Al?

AL GOODMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Christine, he is the commander of U.S. Army troops in Africa. He had been in Ebola stricken countries in West Africa for the past month as part of the advance team in the fight against Ebola.

He had a surprise when he flew into that base in Italy on the weekend. He was met by Italian authorities in full CDC protective suits. He and ten other troops taken to a separate part of the base in controlled monitoring. Not showing any symptoms of Ebola. The White House has weighed in on this. Press Secretary Josh Earnest saying this does not reflect a Pentagon wide policy for all troops. Josh Earnest saying he believes that policy is in development, but the Pentagon has probably some plans on what to do with U.S. troops coming back from Ebola areas.

The ones deemed high risk would be quarantined for three weeks. Those not deemed high risk would be monitored. Clearly, the Pentagon working on getting plans in place -- Christine.

ROMANS: Al, what is going to happen to U.S. troops based in or moving through, transitioning through Spain when they return from West Africa?

GOODMAN: Right now, they are heading from Spain to West Africa. That's been approved between the two countries. There are 100 U.S. Marines in West Africa as part of that fight against Ebola. But this is a huge issue here in Spain.

Remember, just this month, it had its own Ebola scare with a nurse's aide who treated another Ebola patients, a Spanish missionary who died here. She has been cured, but still in hospital. This has been a huge political issue in Spain.

Probably on the minds of Italian officials as well, what to do with these U.S. troops possibly coming back from Ebola areas in Africa to bases where they are stationed or transiting through in Italy or Spain.

Who might become in contact with, Italian or Spanish troops, civilians on those bases, a lot of issues here between these countries and Washington, their ally -- Christine.

ROMANS: All right, Al Goodman for us in Madrid this morning. Thank you, Al.

BERMAN: It's 36 minutes after the hour. A new video from ISIS, deeply troubling, it has a look of the broadcast news report. It shows British hostage, John Cantlie, who has been held for two years, it shows him in the Syrian border town of Kobani delivering the message that the town is firmly under ISIS control. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN CANTLIE: Hello, I'm John Cantlie. And today we're in the city of Kobani on the Syrian-Turkish border. That is in fact Turkey right behind me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: CNN's Nick Paton Walsh is following the developments for us. He is live just over the border in Turkey. Nick, you know, we have no way of knowing what kind of duress Cantlie was under when he made this video.

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. That is the important thing to bear in mind if you do see this video in its full length. We are not showing it because we want to give airtime to the message that ISIS, of course, John Cantlie, to give on their behalf.

When you see that, you note how relaxed he is and how he seems to warm into his role. It is obvious he is in Kobani. The landmarks we have become familiar with are clearly behind him. The counter what ISIS believe is western propaganda.

It is pretty obvious that they want the world to think that they are in much more control than seem to be when you observe it from far away. He talks scorn fully about the $500 billion used by the coalition in airstrikes to try to hold ISIS back.

It is high tech the approach by ISIS. They used a drone to film Kobani from the skies. They put him on high definition television with two cameras and all over social media right now. I think that some might say is their (inaudible) for those laser-guided munitions that they have seen dropped on them by the coalition from the skies.

They have this ability instead, which is chilling and shocking as it is, a new era I think frankly on the internet. John, let me bring you some different breaking news in terms of the fight for Kobani.

A lot of talk over the past week of when and if Iraqi Kurdish- Peshmerga would travel from Northern Iraq through Turkey to bolster Syrian Kurds in their fight Kobani, where they are going to go, where they are not going to go, what they are going to do when they get there.

It is clear this morning, the Peshmerga Ministry in Northern Iraq saying they are leaving today or tomorrow traveling by land or air. They will go in there to fight. Badly needed help, but still what is clear from that slick propaganda video that ISIS put out? This town means a lot to them. The fight is not over -- John.

BERMAN: ISIS sending out videos, well, it seems, Nick, from your reporting that those fighting ISIS might be sending in troops. It may make more of a difference. Nick Paton Walsh for us in Turkey. Thanks so much, Nick.

ROMANS: All right, 39 minutes past the hour. Time for an EARLY START in your money this Tuesday morning. European stocks, U.S. stock futures higher, barely moved yesterday. In fact, the U.S. barely moved yesterday. Energy stocks fell. Crude oil down to $80 a barrel. Production is booming in the U.S. Global demand is weak.

Falling oil prices is driving gas prices lower, a lot of forecast for gas prices and oil prices, to continue moving lower. The national average for a gallon of regular is $3.02 right now. That is the lowest in almost four years. It's down more than 30 cents in the last month.

That will mean a little tax cut for consumers. Also this week, the Federal Reserve starts a two-day policy meeting. The fed expected to end its bond buying stimulus program this week. We will look for any hint at the time line to raise interest rates. The fed is getting out of the stimulus game. It's been a really remarkable ride. It has fueled gains in the stock market.

BERMAN: Police revealing new details of how the Washington high school shooter lured his victims. It was kind of a set up. This as one victim shares a message for the cousin who shot him.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: We are learning this morning that the deadly shooting at Marysville High School in Washington State was kind of a set up. Authorities say 15-year-old Jaylen Fryberg texted five classmates to join him in the cafeteria before the shooting took place.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERIFF TY TRENARY, SNOHOMISH COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE: We know the shooter arranged to meet with friends on Friday. Witnesses confirm that the five victims were at the table when the shooter opened fire striking the victims before turning the gun on himself.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: Two of the students were killed. Three others are hospitalized. Two are in critical condition this morning. One of the victims, a cousin of the shooter, posted a message on Twitter saying he forgives Jaylen. Police say fryberg sent a picture of himself to an ex-girlfriend holding a gun. He did that some time before the shooting.

ROMANS: All right, slowly, but surely lava from Hawaii's erupting Kilauea Volcano moving closer to homes on the big island. Civil defense officials say the lava flow now within 70 yards of the nearest home. This is in the village of Pahoa. It could spell disaster.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TIM ORR, USGS GEOLOGIST: It is burning thick brush and fern, a lot of smoke coming off the front, a lot of cracking noises. Methane explosions are going on. So it's a noisy situation out there just from all the burning vegetation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Many village residents have fled. There are reports that some of those homes are now being targeted by looters unfortunately.

Let's get an early start on your forecast this morning. Chad Myers has that. Chad, what is the good word?

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It will be hot today. That is the only word even New York City. I'll go 72 or 73 downtown. Philadelphia, 80. South Jersey, 80, even D.C around 81. The old record for Dulles is 83. That is how close we are going to be. A little bit of severe weather for Pittsburgh back to Columbus as the front comes through. All good things have to come to an end if you like warm weather because the cool air is coming tonight and it will be here for the rest of the season.

We go 71 in New York. We go 58 for Thursday. We go from 81 down to 62. Gather this, if you get into the weekend, obviously we will, we will see morning lows in the 30s. We go from 80s to 30s. Make sure you start to unpack those winter clothes.

A chilly weekend in store for us and a chilly Halloween night for a couple of kids. We have a good forecast though for the game four tonight in Kansas City. Temperature around 55 at game time and clear skies. Guys, back to you.

BERMAN: Chad, what I like most is your reassurance that we will in fact make it to the weekend.

MYERS: We will. I promise you. We're getting there.

ROMANS: Halloween. Mothers and fathers across America are trying to figure out what they are going to make their kids are going to be on Friday, right?

MYERS: My son is going to be the Pillsbury dough boy.

BERMAN: Strong. Let's visit with a real-life Pillsbury dough boy. Let's find out what's coming up on "NEW DAY." Chris Cuomo joins us now -- Chris.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR, "NEW DAY": Cuts me deep, John. It says more about you than me. What we will do is we are going to be listening in and honing in on the issues that John and Christine have been dealing with this morning. Christine better and more so.

So the big questions are this. Where are we on quarantine? Why is this 5-year-old kid still in the hospital in New York City if he doesn't have Ebola? What does it is say about whether or not we are being careful or being over bearing?

The nurse now in Maine, is this about the legal right to hold people or how she was being held? Is this about the right to do it or whether it's being right to do it? We are going to dive into that.

We are also going to have our own Dr. Sanjay Gupta in here dealing with the obvious question of how big a priority fighting Ebola should be. Not here in the U.S., but everywhere else.

And to get where our heads are heads are collectively, we have new poll data from you. You will hear it and what our real fears are and are not and what it means for the mid-term elections which are around the corner. That's all I have. I'm hurt. I'm wounded.

BERMAN: That election is one week away. Chris is right. The poll numbers he will bring you this morning are fascinating.

CUOMO: No, no, it's too late, John. Continue to say what you said.

BERMAN: Have a nice show, Chris.

CUOMO: This is why I carry this.

ROMANS: Don't make him cry. Democrats deploying a new strategy to keep control of the Senate as a new voice urges Mitt Romney to run in 2016. We will break it all down next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: All right. With just one week to go until election day, Senate Democrats launching a new round of attack ads, this in a bid to hold on to the majority in the Senate. These ads accuse Republicans of harboring secret plans to slash Social Security and Medicare.

The sponsor airing in states with critical Senate races in Iowa, New Hampshire, Louisiana and others primarily targeting the older demographic.

ROMANS: President Obama will be back on the campaign trail today. The president making last minute appearances in six states this week to boost Democratic support for candidates seeking to hold or win governorships.

His first stop is in Milwaukee. He'll attend a rally for Democrat Mary Burke. She is locked in a tight race with GOP Governor Scott Walker.

BERMAN: A creative reading of history, House Speaker John Boehner was trashing President Obama's foreign policy record on the campaign trail. He was doing this while stumping for a congressional hopeful in Iowa. He criticized the president's response to Russia's Putin takeover of Crimea. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-OH), HOUSE SPEAKER: When you look at the chaos, does anyone think Vladimir Putin would have gone into Crimea had George W. Bush been the President of the United States? No. Putin is smart enough to know Bush would have punched him in the nose in 10 seconds.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: Had George W. Bush been president. Wait? The thing is back in 2008, George W. Bush was president and Russia did invade a former member of the Soviet Union and key U.S. ally, the Republic of Georgia.

ROMANS: We must have been opposed to sanctions then.

BERMAN: George W. Bush was president and George W. Bush did not punch Vladimir Putin or Medvedev. He was criticized for not doing more for reacting to Russia. It created, if not, inaccurate reading of history from the House speaker.

ROMANS: Not even questionable, just wrong. I don't think the U.S. imposed sanctions against Russia after that invasion.

BERMAN: Not as strong as this time around.

ROMANS: Bob Dole wants Mitt Romney make another run for the White House. The one-time GOP presidential nominee, Dole, made those remarks Monday night. He was campaigning in Kansas for Senator Pat Roberts. Romney brushed off remarked talking it all up to quote, "You never know what a 90-year-old will say to you."

BERMAN: Great to see Bob Dole back.

ROMANS: EARLY START on your money next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROMANS: All right. Let's get an EARLY START on your money this Tuesday morning. It could be a good day for stocks if things hold. European stock, U.S. stock futures quite a bit higher now. Stocks barely budged yesterday.

Twitter shares are down more than 10 percent before the bell. Twitter's revenue is growing, growing quickly actually. It's user base is not so much. That is causing worries the site doesn't have the broad appeal of Facebook.

Berman, we will hear from Facebook after the close today and look under the hood of Facebook.

BERMAN: Still no profit for Twitter, right?

ROMANS: Profit eventually is something shareholders want to see.

BERMAN: All right, "NEW DAY" starts right now.