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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

More U.S. Troops Arrive in Iraq; Obama Seeks Common Ground with China's Leader; South Korean Ferry Disaster Captain Sentenced; Mark Sanchez Era Begins in Philly

Aired November 11, 2014 - 05:00   ET

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

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now: more U.S. troops arriving in Iraq to join the war on ISIS. We are live with their part in this fight.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: In hours, President Obama meets one-on-one with China's leader, hoping to find common ground in the crucial, but tense relationship. We are live with what President Obama is hoping to accomplish.

ROMANS: Breaking news this morning: the captain of the South Korea ferry that capsized sentenced for his role in 300 deaths onboard. We are live in South Korea with the latest developments.

Good morning. Welcome to EARLY START, everyone. I'm Christine Romans. Nice to see you.

BERMAN: I'm John Berman. It is Tuesday, November 11th. It is 5:00 a.m. in the East.

And new this morning: 50 American service members now on the ground in Iraq paving the way for a larger contingent in the battle against ISIS. The Pentagon says these are the first to arrive since the president ordered 1,500 more troops to Iraq. A Pentagon spokeswoman says the troops are there to advise and train Iraqi forces. They're not there, so says the Pentagon for a combat role.

We have new information on an airstrike that may -- may have wounded the head of ISIS, Abu Bakr al Baghdadi. U.S. officials say coalition and Iraqi forces did launch air strikes in two parts of Iraq targeting ISIS leaders, but still no confirmation that al Baghdadi was injured in either attack.

An Egyptian Islamic militant group has now pledged obedience to ISIS. Up until now, that group is focused almost exclusively on attacks against the Egyptian government, I should say.

A lot going on in that region. Our senior international correspondent Arwa Damon live for us this morning in Southern Turkey.

Good morning, Arwa.

ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John. Briefly on the group you are mentioning. They are not the first we

are seeing pledging allegiance to ISIS. In fact, we have been seeing an increasing number of smaller groups throughout the Northern Africa and Middle East, pledging their allegiance to the terrorist organization.

When it comes to the fate of al Baghdadi, a lot of murky information out there. Iraq's ministry of interior claiming that he was wounded in an attack in al Qa'im. That is along the Iraqi-Syrian border.

The minister of defense himself saying, no, he was actually wounded outside of Mosul and his number two, Abu Muslim al-Turkmani was killed. The U.S. saying that they have no information on his fate just yet.

They did, however, launch an airstrike over the weekend, multiple airstrikes against a ten-vehicle ISIS convoy, saying that these strikes were not launched because they have specific intelligence about who may have been in those vehicles, but because they presented a target of opportunity. Why is it difficult to get confirmation? Simply put, the strikes took place in areas not under control of the Iraqi security forces. They can't just drive in there and get eyes on the casualties, nor are they under control obviously of U.S. forces.

In the past, when America was occupying Iraq, they were able to positively identification strikes by getting eyes on the ground. That in today's reality is quite simply not an option.

Those 50 U.S. forces arriving in al Anbar province are at the al Assad Air Base. That is in the heart of Iraq's Sunni terrorist. And this is territory that is very friendly to ISIS. That is why ISIS is able to operate with such impunity. And ISIS does have a certain level of support from the Sunni tribes. So, when we talk about defeating is, getting those Sunni tribes onboard, getting them to once again at least give the Shia-led Iraqi government in Baghdad a chance is going to be vital moving forward.

Now, ISIS in and of itself is an organization that is not going to fall apart just because its top leadership has been taken out. Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has it structured it in such a way and that it will continue to survive. This is an organization that grew out of the ashes of al Qaeda and has since morphed and adapted itself. So, if we look at its current structure, he has deputies. He has an entire cabinet. There is a war office.

In some parts they control, the stronghold of Raqqa and Syria, they have ministries, oil, information to name a few that have been established. They are functioning as a government. So, defeating them is going to take a multilayered approach, and only one of those layers is military action -- John.

BERMAN: Arwa Damon for us this morning in Southern Turkey, thanks so much.

ROMANS: All right. In just about an hour, President Obama has his first one-on-one meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The two presidents will enjoy a walk, private dinner and tea.

Hanging over their meeting, an array of tensions between the two governments. Among them, U.S. concerns that pro-democracy demonstrations in Hong Kong could end in violence. And word emerging Monday that the U.S. Postal Service suspects Chinese government hackers are breaking into its computer system and stealing data on more than 800,000 of its employees.

Turning to CNN's David McKenzie live in Beijing for us.

Good morning, David.

The list of complaints the U.S. has against the Chinese is long, cyber spying. Thief of intellectual property rights, disregard for intellectual property right, human rights violations. The president will be very careful in how he frames those complaints, I'm sure.

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Christine, it will be great to be a fly on the wall of the meetings, Christine, because we don't know how the president, President Obama, is going to bring up these issues.

And throughout this trip to Asia already, we are seeing the U.S. administration trying to push through common ground. A U.S. official telling us that they really are trying to take the opportunity where they can find common ground with China and push any kind of progress on those issues. That news potentially of Chinese hackers hacking into the U.S. Postal Service won't come as welcome news to the Chinese, possibly even to the Americans right now, because they are trying to push through trade agreements with China, trying to make these two world economies more healthy one.

And throughout this trip, both presidents have said that when China and the U.S. work together, they more can be accomplished. But on issues like free press and human rights, those are issues that the Chinese certainly don't like to hear criticism. But the Obama administration has promised they will bring thorny issues up -- Christine.

ROMANS: The former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton used to like to say the United States and China are in a row boat, the same row boat. They have to be paddling in the same direction or no one goes anywhere. And both are in that same row for good.

You know, we are hearing President Obama also had a one-on-one with the Russian President Vladimir Putin. News this morning, a meeting with Putin and President Obama. Any idea what they discussed?

MCKENZIE: Well, we know they discussed according to a U.S. official, the Iran, Syria and Ukraine. Certainly, the latter is a touchy subject with the seeming cease-fire breaking down in the Ukraine, and the U.S. continuing to point the finger at Putin's regime as backing those rebels. You know, President Xi Jinping and President Obama having tea and dinner and walk in the park.

But they described these meeting just what -- sort of 15 or 20 minutes, maybe three times briefly on the sidelines of the APEC meeting. The fact they can grab these moments shows how bad the relationship between Russia and the U.S. is right now, and how the Chinese and U.S. relationship might be improving.

But, certainly, it is impossible to know whether they got anywhere with those discussions. The Obama administration has said they are trying to persuade Putin to listen to their point of view and step back from the very dangerous situation in the Ukraine -- Christine.

ROMANS: And certainly, the Chinese and Russian relationship gets warmer as the U.S. and Russian relationship gets cooler. So, certainly, some interesting dynamics there.

David McKenzie, thank you.

BERMAN: Eight minutes after the hour.

Some big news this morning: President Obama taking his most aggressive stand in favor of net neutrality. That is a free and open internet. He called on the FCC to adopt the strictest rules possible to regulate Internet service providers such as Verizon and Comcast, basically treating broadband as an essential public utility. Think about electricity.

The president endorses a popular proposal that would provide Internet service providers to treat all web traffic equally and not charge content provider for better access.

ROMANS: Obamacare enrolments are likely to be significantly lower than the White House expected by the end of next year. Administration officials now project between 9 million and 9.9 million people will be insured under the Affordable Care Act by the end of 2015. The Congressional Budget Office had been predicting 13 million enrollments. The sign up for the exchanges begins Saturday, everyday.

BERMAN: On this Veterans Day, there is an overhaul on the way at the V.A. Veterans Affairs officials announcing plans for a new customer service bureau that will train employees to focus on customer satisfaction. The idea is to make the V.A. more accountable to the millions of veterans it serves. The department is also looking to consolidate wide range of functions under a handful of regional offices. No timetable for the proposed changes.

ROMANS: No timetable for proposed changes. We need some customer service, folks, at the V.A., because these aren't just customers. These are people who are doing the ultimate job for this country.

Nine minutes after the hour. Time for an early start on your money.

Stocks had record highs. Futures pointing higher right now. That would mean another record day if it holds. Yesterday, the Dow notched 40 points to close at the high for the 23rd record high of the year. The S&P also record high. The NASDAQ, John Berman, highest level since the dot-com boom.

BERMAN: I told you. I told you it was going to happen. ROMANS: What was the most popular song? "Say My Name"?

BERMAN: "Say My Name".

ROMANS: "Say My Name", that was a long time ago.

All right. It's been a great run for stocks in the last few weeks. Most companies reported solid earnings this quarter. The economy is steadily improving. The Dow, look at this, scorecard, folks. The Dow is up 6 percent this year.

S&P 500, more than 10 percent. NASDAQ up more than 11 percent. All of that is very good for your 401(k). Wipes away that scary, scary stuff on October.

All right. Breaking news overnight: the captain of the South Korean ferry disaster sentenced in court for his role in the deaths of more than 300 people. We are live in South Korea next.

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ROMANS: Breaking overnight: a court in South Korea has sentenced the captain of the ferry that capsized in April to 36 years in prison. More than 300 passengers died in that disaster, many of them were high school students on a school outing. The captain was convicted of negligence, but he was acquitted of homicide.

I want to turn to CNN's Paula Hancocks. She is live in Seoul.

And, Paula, this was -- this is a national tragedy for South Korea. And these parents are not satisfied with the verdict.

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely not, Christine. One mother described the verdict as outrageous.

Now, as you say 36 years behind bars for the captain. He is approaching 70 years old now. He knows he won't be freed anytime within his lifetime. But the fact is these families want the death penalty for the captain and all crew members who were on trial.

Now, it worth mentioning, in this country, death doesn't actually mean death. There haven't been an execution carried out since 1977. It's effectively life imprisonment.

Bu the three judges decided to acquit the captain of murder. And they also said they believed his account he did give the order for evacuation of the ship. It wasn't carried out by those under him. This is the main criticism in the country that the passengers were told to stay where they were as the ship went down and the captain and crew escaped.

This is obviously one of the reasons why the death toll was so high. More than 300 people, most of them high school students. The prosecutor have said that they will appeal. They are trying to decide to appeal the captain's verdict or all verdicts. Only one of the crew members charged with murder. And that was not

for murder of passengers. That was because he saw two fellow crew members injured, but did nothing to try to save them. He then just escaped himself.

And also some other devastating news for some families. Nine victims have not been found seven months on. The underwater search has officially ended today. The families say it was a painful decision to make, but they said it was too dangerous for the divers. The ship is starting to crumble after seven months under water. The search now on hold. Nine victims still haven't been found -- Christine.

ROMANS: Certainly a sad and tragic chapter for South Korea -- thank you so much for that, Paula.

BERMAN: Sixteen minutes after the hour for us.

The United States is now Ebola free. A New York City doctor has fully recovered from the deadly virus. He will be released from the hospital today. Health officials say Dr. Craig Spencer poses no public health risk and how that he has recovered, there are no known Ebola cases in America. Now, Spencer's case was, of course, so controversial. It touched off a national debate the governors of several states to update quarantine policies for travelers, including medical workers who had been doing services in West Africa.

ROMANS: All right. The Canadian government is tightening air travelers from West Africa to try to prevent any Ebola outbreak there. High risk travels are now being required to self quarantine at home or in a designated facility for 21 days. Low risk travelers will have to self-monitor for 21 days and check your temperature twice a day.

Now, officials say returning Canadian health care workers will not automatically be characterized as high risk.

BERMAN: Beginning next week, in New York City, if you're caught possessing a small amount of marijuana, the penalty will not be an automatic arrest. It will be a ticket to be paid later.

Under the new policy, anyone found with less than 25 grams will be issued a summon by police. New York's mayor says African-Americans and Latinos have been disproportionately affected by marijuana arrest.

ROMANS: Lava from Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano has claimed its first home. Look at that. This is the outskirts of the village Pahoa. Now, the residents have already evacuated already.

Officials say no other houses are in immediate danger, but it is still not clear what path the lave flow will take. The molten rock destroyed that structure in less than half an hour. The lava has been inching towards towns since June.

BERMAN: All right. Seventeen minutes after the hour.

Millions of Americans are in the grips of arctic blast this morning. Heavy snow hitting Wisconsin, Montana, Minnesota, shutting down schools and air travel. Look at this -- this is in central Minnesota, that St. Cloud. This could be hit by 16 inches of snow when all is said and done by this afternoon. Police in the area have responded to nearly 400 car accidents. Nearly 200 flights canceled at Minneapolis- St. Paul Airport.

ROMANS: Slick roads also making it dangerous for drivers in Wisconsin. The woman who flipped this SUV, she was able to walk away uninjured. Police says they can't keep up with all the accidents.

BERMAN: South Dakota also eight inches of snow along with freezing rain shutdown roads and regional airport in rapid city. The temperature fell from 53 degrees to 16 degrees in a matter of minutes.

ROMANS: Wow. They are breaking out the shovels in Billings, Montana, after 14 inches of snow falling parts of that state. Temperatures dipping into the single digit. It will get colder tonight. Below zero temperatures in the forecast.

Shovels, chains, you know, we go to work in the Northeast, we bring gloves. They go to work in the Midwest and Great Plains, they bring chains on the tires.

BERMAN: One person has to take responsibility for all of this. It's Indra Petersons here with an early start of our forecast. Good morning.

INDRA PETERSONS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: How do you feel the pain guys?

I don't know what is worse. Knowing the cold air is coming or already being in it, because so many of us are bracing for the storm that is making its way to the east.

Let's take a look at some of these totals. I mean, over a foot of snow has already fallen in places like Minnesota, even in Wisconsin, seeing over a foot of snow. Thirteen inches falling this early in the season.

Yes, there is still snow expected today. Most of that will be falling in northern portions of Wisconsin, but now comes the cold behind the cold front. It is this guy's fault. Not mine. Look at the dome of high pressure sink all the way down.

This is going to be the new story. Just take a look at the wind chills this morning for the places that have cooled down. Denver sitting at 2 degrees. Yesterday at 9:00 in the morning, they were 62 degrees. Look at that temperature difference in one day.

So, here we go. Look at the spread across the country, Miami, beautiful, right, 81 degrees. Try Billings, 9 degrees. You're talking about a good temperature drop across the country.

Here we go with day by day. Yes, it's already cooler in Chicago, but you are not done yet. You're still going to be talking about another 20 degrees cooler before the week is over. Pittsburgh, beautiful, 66 today. Going down about 35 by Thursday. Let's slide to the east. Same

thing, New York City, 65 degrees. Don't worry. We are getting in the action down to the 40s.

But hardly the action they are talking about in Minnesota. Perspective is the key word.

ROMANS: Perspective. All right. Thanks, Indra.

BERMAN: All right. Monday night football. The Philadelphia Eagles, they crushed Carolina. Who did it? A quarterback named Mark Sanchez. Who did Mark Sanchez play for? I can't remember. Oh, the New York Jets.

Andy Scholes explains it in the "Bleacher Report" next.

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BERMAN: Yes. So, the Mark Sanchez era in Philadelphia is underway, got up with the pretty start.

ROMANS: Andy Scholes has more in this morning's "Bleacher Report". Hey, Andy.

ANDY SCHOLES, BLEACHER REPORT: Hey, good morning, guys.

Yes, the return of the Sanchez. Filling in for Eagles' quarterback Nick Noles while he is out with injury. Hey, he looked pretty good last night against the Panthers. Sanchez throwing for more than 300 yards and two touchdowns as he led the Eagles to a 45-21 win.

Now, on the other side of the ball, Cam Newton. He threw three interceptions in the game, including a pick six. It's very disappointing for the Panthers thus far. My fantasy team. Thanks a lot, Cam.

All right. The NFL players association is demanding the immediate reinstatement of Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson. He has been on the commissioner's exempt list since being indicted for felony child abuse in Texas. Peterson last week pleaded no contest to a lesser charge. The league says it's reviewing the case and determine what if any discipline Peterson should receive as soon as possible.

All right. It looks like LeBron and cavaliers are in form. King James doing it all last night, finishing with a triple-double against the Pelicans. The big three of LeBron and Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love combining to score 86 points on this one. The Cavs are now back to .500 on the season at 3-3.

A University of Michigan basketball player stepped on the court last night and scored his first point. Now, the amazing thing is he survived two separate plane crashes. Austin Hatch lost his mom and two siblings nine years ago in the first crash. Then he lost his father in another crash six years later, just ten days after he committed to Michigan to play basketball. Hatch was badly hurt in that accident. He worked hard and back on the

court. Hatch says he considers this team his family.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AUSTIN HATCH, MICHIGAN BASKETBALL PLAYER: The guys you work out with late in the morning and in the evening and you sweat with and run suicides with and long hours, those guys are your brothers. I have a lot more to do here. I mean, my goals are high. Not a bad way to start a career.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: Guys, such an amazing story. Hatch spent eight weeks in a coma after the second plane crash. Just to see him on the court is just astonishing.

BERMAN: What an accomplishment. Congratulations to that young man.

ROMANS: All right. Thanks, Andy.

SCHOLES: All right.

ROMANS: Happening now: more U.S. troops arrive in Iraq to help in the fight against ISIS. What will their role be as the American strategy shifts? After the break.

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