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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Obama's Immigration Reform Takes Shape; ISIS Leader's New Message; Nebraska Hospital Prepares for Ebola Patient; Russia Denies Sending Forces Into Ukraine

Aired November 14, 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: New this morning: big changes for millions of immigrants living in the U.S. illegally. President Obama plans a major overhaul to the system, one that has Republicans in Congress fuming. We're live with how things may soon change.

A chilling new message believed to be from the leader of ISIS as the top U.S. general admits, American troops may be needed on the ground to beat back those terrorists. We are live with all the latest developments.

Ebola returns to the U.S. A new infected patient is expected to arrive soon at the Nebraska hospital. New details on who the patient is and how they'll treat him.

Welcome back to EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans. Thirty minutes past the hour this Friday morning. John Berman has the morning off.

The White House this morning gearing up for a showdown with Republicans over immigration. An administration official tells CNN, a range of options is being prepared for President Obama. They could include possibly giving legal status to the parents of green card holders and U.S. citizens. Congressional Republicans furious this morning, demanding the White House slow down and negotiate.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY), SENATE MAJORITY LEADER-ELECT: We'd like for the president to recognize the reality that he has the government that he has, not the one that he wishes he had.

REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-OH), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: We're going to fight the president tooth and nail if he continues down this path.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: An executive order on immigration could be announced as soon as next week once the president returns from his eight-day trip to Asia.

With the president in Myanmar this morning is CNN's Jim Acosta.

Good morning, Jim.

The president has moved on immigration suspending some of the procedures for some immigrant children in the country illegally. This would be, among the range of options, a much, much bigger group. Tell us about it.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's right. We should point out the president at a news conference today here in Myanmar with the opposition leader in this country, Aung San Suu Kyi, vowed once again that he's going to take executive action on immigration. And as you mentioned, Christine, he has already acted to defer to deportations for those undocumented children who are already in this country, the so-called DREAMer kids.

The president is talking about doing what White House officials are talking about doing now and what we're hearing from sources is that the president is going to extend that deferment to the parents of the undocumented parents, the parents of those DREAM kids, and the undocumented parents of U.S. citizen children who are already here in the country already.

So, the motivation here on the part of the White House is to not split up families, deport some family members, but leaves others in the United States. And as I mentioned at this conference earlier today, the president said because Republicans have not acted on immigration reform in the Congress, he's going to act on his own and he says that's going to happen by the end of the year.

Here's what the president had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I indicated to Speaker Boehner several months ago if, in fact, Congress failed to act, I would use the lawful authority that I possess to try to make the system work better. That's going to happen. That's going to happen before the end of the year.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Now, a senior White House official told us earlier today that the president has not received the final recommendations from his administration on what will be in this executive action. So, the president still has to review this, still has to make a decision. He has not made a decision yet according to the senior White House official.

But, Christine, the details of this plan are pretty well-known inside the White House in words of the one official I was talking to earlier today. It's not like this is an Academy Awards and when they open the envelope, it's going to be a surprise to everybody. They pretty much know what they're going to do at this point. But the president still has to make that final decision, Christine.

ROMANS: Oh, yes. I mean, they have been working on immigration reform since 1986 when Ronald Reagan had this first big amnesty and said illegal immigration will be dead after that it. And, of course, it wasn't over the years. 2005, you know, a failed attempt to try to get some sort of immigration reform through.

What's interesting to me, this president has been criticized by liberals from his enforcement, for all of the enforcement they have been doing. The president clearly laying the ground work if you give, quote/unquote, "amnesty" to a group of people, you have to enforce the laws for criminals, illegal aliens, for example, and getting people arrested for crimes out of the country.

ACOSTA: Right. That's right. You know, according to sources who talk to CNN, that is a component in all of this. That they want to go after criminal illegal immigrants, illegal immigrants who have a criminal record or suspected of crimes. Those are the people that the White House should be really on the priority list in terms of being, you know, booted from the country.

But, Christine, you bring up a good point, and that is, you know, the Democratic Party, a core constituency in the Democratic Party would be Latinos, and they have been pressuring this president for a long time. One key Latino leader referred to the president as the deporter-in- chief. And that stung. The president was angry at that particular Latino leader.

So, a lot of that is really driving what is happening over the White House right now. They do not want to see in 2016 Hispanic voters turning against Hillary Clinton because they did not act during this administration. It's also been a promise that this president has wanted to keep ever since he ran for president back in 2008. And this might be his last chance.

ROMANS: All right. Jim Acosta, traveling with the president this morning in Myanmar, thanks, Jim.

A Secret Service official trying to explain the series of blunders that allowed fence jumper Omar Gonzalez into the White House in September. A devastating report released Thursday describing confusion, training break downs and communication failures.

CNN's Joe Johns is at the White House with more.

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JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: It's a disturbing new report for the Secret Service. The story of what happened here on September 19th when Omar Gonzalez comes over the fence and proceeds to go all the way into the East Room of the White House.

Among other things, the report says a canine technician was stationed inside a van with his dog parked on the White House driveway when Gonzalez jumped the north fence. The canine officer was on a call on his personal cell phone, on speaker, without his earpiece and he had left his second tactical radio in his locker.

But there were other problems when Gonzalez got to the north portico, he had to go through bushes. Authorities did not think anybody could go through the bushes, but Gonzalez did. He proceeded to go through the doors of the portico and on into the building, pushing back a female Secret Service officer who tried to tackle him, but he was too big.

Authorities say there were at least three encounters between Gonzalez and law enforcement officers this year -- July 19, July 21st and August 25th. He had guns and ammunition and at least four hatchets. This investigation is continuing. Authorities say no one has been disciplined and no one has been fired because that can't happen. And so, all of the investigations have been completed.

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ROMANS: All right. Joe Johns at the White House this morning for us.

U.S. military leaders trying their best to convince skeptical lawmakers the president's strategy in the war against ISIS can work. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel telling the House Armed Services Committee Thursday that months of coalition airstrikes have stalled, and in some places, reversed ISIS advances.

Joint Chiefs Chairman Martin Dempsey, refusing to rule out, asking the president to send ground troops to Iraq.

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GEN. MARTIN DEMPSEY, JOINT CHIEFS CHAIRMAN: -- at this point, I recommend that those forces in Mosul and along the border would need to be accompanied by U.S. forces. But we're certainly considering it.

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ROMANS: The speaker on the new audio message posted by ISIS claims he is ISIS leader Abu Bakr al Baghdadi. This just days after Iraqi officials claim al Baghdadi was injured in an airstrike.

With the latest on the fight against ISIS, we are joined now by senior correspondent Arwa Damon.

Arwa, let's begin with the audio recording of what appears to be al Baghdadi.

ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That audio recording, Christine, came out yesterday, posted on an official ISIS Web site, though we cannot independently verify its authenticity.

It comes about a week after there were widespread reports that al Baghdadi had been injured in air strikes. Those air strikes have taken place last weekend. This is the first time we are hearing from him since the very public appearance from him in Mosul back over this summer.

Now, there are indications in the audio as to when it was recorded. Amongst those direct reference that the 1,500 troops the U.S. is sending into Iraq, part of an effort, of course, to try to bolster the Iraqi security forces. He also makes reference to a number of other organizations that have

pledged allegiance to ISIS. These are organizations that are in Libya, Egypt, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, just to name a few. He had a direct message for some of them. Saudi Arabia, for example, calling on extremists there to launch attacks against the Saudi royal family and, broadly speaking, to all of his supporters -- a call to create volcanoes of jihad.

Now, whether or not he was wounded at this point, we do not know. But what is clear of all of this is that ISIS is trying to make a very solid statement. And that is that its leader is alive and well and no matter what the U.S. or coalition is saying, when it comes to at least the perspective of ISIS, they believe they are the ones that are defeating the coalition at this stage and they do continue despite those ongoing air strikes to be able to control vast swaths of both Iraq and Syria, Christine.

ROMANS: All right. Arwa Damon for us this morning in Turkey, thank you for that, Iraq.

U.S. airplanes have just finished a third round of strikes against Khorasan al Qaeda cell in Syria. U.S. officials tell CNN the targets included at least one top Khorasan operative. A law enforcement official says the strikes have taken a toll on the terror group. U.S. officials are concerned about Khorasan's ability to make bombs that get past airport security.

Time for an early start on your money.

European stocks looking cautious this morning before data on Europe's economic growth later this morning. Asian shares ending the day mostly higher, as you can see there. U.S. stock futures pointing higher. It could be another record day if that holds.

Yesterday, the Dow climbed 40 points higher, ended the day with 25 record high close of the year. Stocks are encouraged by solid earnings from Walmart.

Today, we'll have one more stock to watch -- Virgin America, the airline formed by billionaire Sir Richard Branson priced its IPO at $23 a share last night, raising $300 million. Shares start trading today at NASDAQ under the ticker VA.

Breaking overnight: a Nebraska hospital preparing for a new Ebola patient. Who it is and the treatment he may soon receive, ahead.

Plus, a tiger on the loose near Disneyland in France. We are live with the desperate search this morning.

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ROMANS: Welcome back.

A new Ebola patient due to arrive in the United States. The Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha preparing to receive a surgeon born in Sierra Leone who was treating Ebola patients. This identified patient also a permanent U.S. resident. Officials expect him to get to Omaha sometime this weekend. But they say it depends if he is healthy enough to make the trip.

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DR. MARK RUPP, NEBRASKA MEDICAL CENTER: They're evaluating this patient, trying to make sure that they are stable enough for transfer. And if that's the case, then they probably will be coming to us. We're hoping that this patient is stable enough, healthy enough where they can get them to us, and then, hopefully we can do what we have been doing with the last two patients and care for them appropriately.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Doctors at Nebraska Medical Center say the patient will have access to a new experimental Ebola treatment. The Omaha hospital is one of four in the U.S. designated to treat Ebola patients.

Lawyers with the family of Michael Brown appealing for peace in Ferguson once a grand jury decides the fate of Officer Darren Wilson. Now, the family made it clear, they do not condone any active rioting or looting or violence that has marred the Missouri town since a white police officer shot and killed their son. Earlier this week, the governor said he'd have the National Guard on standby as a precaution.

Later this morning, the man suspected in the kidnapping and murder of the University of Virginia student Hannah Graham, he will be in court to hear the charges in a different crime. Jesse Matthew is charged in an unrelated sexual assault case from 2005. It is expected the judge will set a trial date in that case. Forensic evidence from the rape victim has linked Matthew to the Hannah Graham case and the disappearance and death of Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington in 2009.

Two terrorism counts have been added now to the charges against suspected cop killer Eric Frein. Attorneys in Pennsylvania say it's related to comments he made following his arrest about a revolution and wanting to change the government. Frein was captured after a 48- day manhunt in Northeast Pennsylvania. He is accused of ambushing two state troopers, killing one, wounding another. Prosecutors have said they plan to seek the death penalty.

ROMANS: Right now, a massive search under way for a tiger on the loose in France. French officials say the tiger was last spotted near Disneyland Paris. Residents in three local towns have been warned to stay indoors. Disneyland told "The Associated Press" that it has no tiger in the theme park. So, where the tiger wandered off from is still quite a mystery.

Jim Bittermann is live in Paris with the very latest.

Very mysterious. I mean, they are sure it is a tiger that was spotted, yes?

JIM BITTERMANN, CNN SENIOR EUROPEAN CORRESPONDENT: They are sure. They have a photo that's kind of blurry, but it does show what looks to be a tiger. And also, animal control officers checked the paw prints left in various places by the animal. And they confirm it is tiger paw prints.

So, that's what they're looking for. The question is where did the tiger come from and the fact is, no one seems to know. There was a circus in the area, but they did not have tigers in the circus. There is a theme park, not Disneyland, but other theme park that does have animals about 30 kilometers away, about 18 miles away. They say they are not missing animals.

And this morning, the very latest is that the animal was spotted again, this time at an expressway, south of Paris, about five miles away from where it was spotted yesterday.

So, that's got the authorities very worried because they don't think they localized it yet. And the animal may be roaming around. They have a couple of hundred police officers and firearm and helicopters up in the air with thermal sensing devices. They are trying to track the animal down. But they have no success just yet, Christine.

ROMANS: All right. Telling the people, resident of the town to stay indoors, if they can't track it, they don't know where they are going next.

Jim Bittermann what an interesting story. Let us know if there's any development.

All right. Happening, the fighting intensifies in Ukraine. Russian tanks and troops moving into the country. Is Vladimir Putin planning a takeover? We are live with the very latest in this increasingly tense situation. That's next.

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ROMANS: Russia loudly denying Thursday that it is sending military forces into Ukraine to help separatist rebels. Ukraine, NATO and American officials say Russian tanks and artillery and air defense systems are, in fact, crossing the border into Ukraine. The U.S. officials have stopped short of calling it an invasion, but they say those troops and material are on the move.

International correspondent Phil Black live for us now from Eastern Ukraine.

Good morning, Phil.

What do we know is happening here? I mean, for almost a year now, you had NATO and Ukraine and U.S. officials saying Russia is heavily involved inside sovereign territory in Ukraine and the Russians just deny it.

PHIL BLACK, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Christine. Now, once again, it is happening again. And that is why the Ukrainian government doesn't put a lot of faith in the Russian denial. It believes through its experience with Russia, with the events over the last year, it believes it knows whenever you get a large group of soldiers looking professional with sophisticated heavy weapons wearing unmarked uniforms showing up, it believes that it points to some sort of action.

And over the course of the year, whenever this has happened, it is intended to turn out poorly for Ukrainian government. We saw that in Crimea with that territory, that peninsula that was annexed by Russia. We've seen it across the Eastern Ukraine, in the battle that's been going on there through much of the year, in the battle that's been going on there through much of the year as well.

And so, now, as you say these reports from NATO, from the Ukrainian government, from European observers who have teams on the ground in this territory, they all point to a sudden influx of soldiers and heavy weapons. And the Ukrainian government says this points to a military action of some sort. They don't know the scale or intent. They don't know what the goal is here, whether it is limited to take key infrastructure like the airport in Donetsk where there is still daily fighting going on between the government and separatist forces or it could be something much bigger. Perhaps a drive through the south of Ukraine to establish something Russia doesn't have, that is a direct land connection with the Crimea peninsula and the Russian mainland itself.

These are the scenarios that had the Ukrainian government very worried. They say they are preparing for the worst, which is a large full-scale invasion of some kind, Christine.

ROMANS: All right. Phil Black for us this morning in Ukraine -- thank you, Phil.

College tuition rising, but there are some good news for students. Some rare good news for college students. We'll explain with an early start on your money, next.

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ROMANS: Let's get an early start on your money, Friday edition.

U.S. stock futures are higher. It would be another record if that holds. Yesterday, the Dow climbed 40 points. Ended the day with the 25th record high close of the year.

Stocks like the solid earnings report from Walmart.

Twitter stock moving lower before the bell this morning. Standard & Poor's rated Twitter as junk. Twitter is investing aggressively and still doesn't make any money.

The job market is steadily improving. There were 4.7 million job openings in September. That means for every job opening, there are fewer than two people looking for work. That is the lowest since early 2008.

That number climbed to seven unemployed people per job opening during the recession. That was a terrible, terrible number. That peak has tapered off. New government data also show people quitting their jobs at the

fastest pace in six years. That means people feel confident enough to quit and find higher paying or better jobs.

College tuition at public schools is still rising, but slowest pace since the 1970s. In-state tuition at public four-year schools climbed to about $9,000. That's a 2.9 percent increase from last year. And tuition at private schools rose 3.7 percent to $31,000. That's tuition, that's not room and board.

Even more good news. Most students pay much less than that sticker price and they're borrowing less. The total amount borrowed has fallen 13 percent in past three years.

All right. EARLY START continues right now.

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