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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

New York State Slammed by Storm; Measles Outbreak Continues to Spread; New Images of Fidel Castro; U.S. May Send Lethal Aid to Ukraine

Aired February 03, 2015 - 05:30   ET

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

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JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now, the northeast digging out from a deadly record-breaking snowstorm. Icy roads creating new, dangerous conditions. This morning, a treacherous commute. Airlines canceling still more flights and guess what? There is a new arctic chill moving in. We are tracking the damage that has already been done and the pain that is still to come.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Measles outbreak. The virus is spreading, new cases popping across the country. We are tracking the latest as politicians now weigh in concerning the medical community.

BERMAN: Breaking overnight, proof of life, new pictures released of Fidel Castro following months of speculation that the former Cuban leader could be dead. We are live in Havana that's coming up.

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

ROMANS: I'm Christine Romans. It's 30 minutes past the hour. Once again, the northeast to the Midwest digging out from a record-breaking deadly snowstorm. Across the region, snow plows struggle to keep up with the heavy wet snowfall, this on top of deep accumulations from last week.

Boston smashing a record for the snowiest seven days in the city's history, 34.2 inches in a week. The giant winter storm blamed for at least ten deaths in seven states. In Massachusetts, a 57-year-old woman hit by a snow plow walking through a parking lot.

The snow caused havoc in the air as well. More than 4,300 flights canceled on top of thousands more scratched on Sunday.

Let's bring in meteorologist, Chad Myers, outside of the CNN's New York studios for the word on whether we've turned the corner? If there are more storms on the way and it is so cold, it feels different as it gets colder. Doesn't it?

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Today, I was standing on a watered down margarita. This is now a full on snow-cone. It has frozen overnight even the areas that have been salted have frozen up again. This is a shiny mess. It looks like it could be black ice. (INAUDIBLE). ROMANS: OK, we can't hear Chad. Darn.

BERMAN: It is so cold that it has frozen his equipment. Chad would say not only is all of the snow on the ground, but it is here to stay for some time because the ice and cold weather will keep it there for a while.

ROMANS: I had a joke for him. That's not a joke.

BERMAN: Yes, that's up in Boston right now. The conditions there are obviously causing a lot of problems. Those guys are on their ATV. They crashed into a car. What do you do? You get back on and drive off.

Also in Massachusetts, take a look at the sea wall in Marshfield, Massachusetts. That's the same sea wall that failed last week causing so much flooding. The storm forced the delay until Wednesday of jury selection of the trial of accused Boston marathon bomber, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.

It also is postponing the victory parade celebrating the New England Patriots fourth Super Bowl championship. This is the Patriots team and families arriving at Foxborough greeted by an enthusiastic crowd.

ROMANS: A big difference from Glendale, Arizona where it's nice and warm.

Two of the deaths in the storm happened on I-95 north of New York City. A car and a shuttle bus collided. The drivers got out to examine the damage from that accident and then were struck and killed by a minivan when that driver lost control on the icy roadway.

One man injured in Brooklyn by a manhole explosion. Likely caused, Con Ed says, melting snow mixed with salt. New York firefighters say the victim was walking by when the first of two underground explosions launched a manhole cover 50-feet in the air striking him as it fell.

Melting snow caused some trouble on Long Island. Roadways flooded and then they are now frozen into black ice. Sheets of ice in many spots as the temperatures plunged overnight. In Western New York, snowfall totals of a foot or more snarling the commute and closing schools and businesses.

BERMAN: So many states in the northeast still dealing with the snow. Some parts of Maine have already received more snow than they normally do in the average year. The icy condition is causing a whole lot of problems on the roads.

In Vermont, just an awful scene, cars lost control and slammed into at least four plows. In Pennsylvania, the roads causing Pittsburgh schools to shut down on Monday. That little girl doesn't too unhappy about it.

The majority of schools have already instituted a delayed opening for today. They want to wait for those road conditions to improve. ROMANS: All right, airports digging out this morning and seeing more flight cancellations in New York, Chicago and Boston. More than 500 flights canceled today with New York LaGuardia and Boston Logan having the most cancellations.

Sunday and Monday winter weather caused almost 7,000 flights to be canceled. That makes this storm almost as bad as last week's blizzard for airlines. That was 9,000 canceled flights.

The back-to-back storms are causing a backlog for travelers that will not be fixed for days and there is a big cost too. Each canceled flight costs airlines about $6,000.

Passengers pay much more than that about $58,000 for each passenger who is supposed to be on board that's because of extra lodging and meals and disruption of their life and lost productivity for missing work and all the expense of those canceled flights.

BERMAN: Yes, the big question is when will this all end? We do have an answer. Meteorologist Chad Myers thawed out his equipment and giving us his forecast -- Chad.

MYERS: As I was saying before my batteries froze, you will notice that too, your power may go from 90 percent to about 20 percent in 10 minutes. The cold is certainly taking its effect on all of the equipment, batteries as well.

It is cold across the northeast. Plattsburg, New York, this morning, I woke up and saw it was 12 below zero and that was not the windchill factor. It's about 12 here in Central Park. Temperatures across the city range from about 8 to 15 depending on where you are.

It is cold in Boston. Temperatures ranging around zero in many parts especially around Worcester, which have now picked up 60 inches of snow in the past ten days. The next storm system may be coming on through. You heard about that. I believe this is a clipper.

This is a piece of cake. This is just frosting on the cake. Not really a problem. We will continue to see the very cold temperatures right here through the northeast and through the southeast all next week. Possibly for the next 30 days.

Long-range models are about as accurate as Punxsutawney Phil say there is going to be the warm weather in the west and very cold weather in the east at least for the next 30 days. That is not six weeks of winter, but that's at least about four and a half.

BERMAN: Four and a half weeks, too long. Chad Myers, thanks very much.

ROMANS: Chad, I had a joke for you. Someone in Florida yesterday said to me, where we are in Florida, the only thing that is salted is the margaritas.

MYERS: These are called hand warmers, but they are nose warmers. They are cheek warmers. They are ear warmers. They do all kinds of things.

ROMANS: Come in and get warm.

BERMAN: Chad Myers and Christine Romans, you guys know how to party.

It's 36 minutes after the hour right now. Developing this morning, new cases of the measles reported and new concern as this is spreading all over the country.

Fourteen infants have now been quarantined in a child care center on a Santa Monica High School campus after one infant came down with measles. No word yet on whether health authorities have linked that case to Disneyland as dozens of earlier measles cases have been.

This has spread now far beyond Disneyland. Senior medical correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen, is tracking the outbreak for us.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: John and Christine, the Centers for Disease Control has come out with new measles numbers. They say that in the month of January, 102 people have had the measles and that spread out over 14 states.

Now 92 percent of those cases were related to Disneyland, however, obviously some were not. One of them is a New York college student. This college student got on an Amtrak train from New York City's Penn Station and there is concern that that student might have spread measles to other people on the train.

So many people are asking what do I do if I was on that train, you really have to do is talk to your doctor. Some people have full immunity from the measles because if they were born after 1990, they got two doses of the vaccine. They almost certainly have full immunity.

Other people who were born before 1990 might not have full immunity and that's because back then they only give people one shot. That worked fine for some people, but didn't work fine for everybody. So you have to talk to your doctor to figure out your particular situation.

Now it is important to remember measles is an incredibly contagious disease. It spreads through the air. If someone walked into a room and had measles and then walked out and you were to walk in an hour later and you hadn't been vaccinated, you could get measles. It is very, very contagious.

So it is a disease that really needs to be taken seriously. Before vaccines, 400 to 500 Americans every year died from the measles, and about 4,000 would get encephalitis or brain swelling. So certainly the CDC is keeping an eye on this and expecting this to grow even bigger. So we'll stay on it for you -- John, Christine.

ROMANS: Thanks to Elizabeth Cohen for that. So medical officials are concerned about the spread of this virus, they are also concerned about the mixed signals being sent by some political leaders. Two potential Republican presidential candidates, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie talked about vaccines. Both potential candidates say they've had their children vaccinated. They favor parents doing it in general, but?

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GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE (R), NEW JERSEY: Much more important what you think as a parent than what you think as a public official. That is what we do. But I also understand that parents need to have some measure of choice in things as well. That is the balance the government has to decide.

SEN. RAND PAUL (R), KENTUCKY: For most of the history, they have been voluntary. So the only thing I'm arguing for anything out of the ordinary, we are arguing for what most of our history has had.

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BERMAN: And back in 2008, President Obama then Candidate Obama said he had questions about the vaccines. He no longer has those questions. He says the science has proven that they are effective and worth getting.

Hillary Clinton left no doubt where she stands, the would-be Democratic frontrunner tweeted, "The science is clear, the earth is round and the sky is blue, and vaccines work. Let's protect all our kids #grandmothersknowbest."

ROMANS: All right, breaking overnight, the first glimpse of Fidel Castro in five months. Cuba releasing these new photos of the former dictator so why now? What does it mean for the new or the budding new U.S. and Cuba relations? We are live in Havana next.

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ROMANS: It's 44 minutes past the hour. Welcome back. Breaking overnight, new images have surfaced of long time Cuban leader Fidel Castro. Cuba's state-run media claims these pictures were taken late last month.

Castro is seen holding a newspaper reporting on December events surrounding the restoration of diplomatic ties between the U.S. and Cuba. The photos appear as rumors swirl about the health of the former leader.

How is Cuba reacting as the country tries delicately to restore ties to the U.S.? Let's ask Patrick Oppenheim. He is live in Havana for us this morning. Good morning, Patrick.

PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good Morning, Christine. This is what Cubans are waking up to this morning. It doesn't get to be bigger news than this in Cuba. When you are on the front page of not one, but both of the state run newspapers.

This is Cuban officials responding to these months of rumors that something happened to Fidel Castro. He hadn't been heard from since the deal between Cuba and the United States. That struck many people, including many Cubans as frankly bizarre.

So Fidel Castro has come out today and shared his opinion on many issues, everything from U.S.-Cuba relations to new animals in the Havana zoo. It is a conversation that according to the state press went on for three hours. Fidel Castro is apparently alive and talking -- Christine.

ROMANS: All right, Patrick Oppmann for us this morning in Havana. Thank you for that.

BERMAN: It's a quarter until the hour right nowtestimony resumes this morning in the Aaron Hernandez trial. Court was postponed Monday because of the snow storm in the northeast. The girlfriend of Odin Lloyd, the man that Hernandez is accused of killing, is expected back on the witness stand today.

Last week, she testified the two men were in the early stages of friendship when Lloyd was killed. The former NFL star Hernandez has pleaded not guilty to murder and weapons charges.

ROMANS: This morning, the family of Bobbi Kristina Brown says she is fighting for her life in a Georgia hospital. The 21-year-old daughter of Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown is on a ventilator in intensive care this morning.

She was found unresponsive in the bathtub in her home over the weekend. Almost three years to the day where her mother was found in a hotel bathtub. The family has asked for privacy while thanking everyone for their prayers and support.

BERMAN: The United States now considering new help for Ukraine. Possibly arming Ukrainians for the battle against Russian separatists, what will this mean for U.S.-Russian relations? We are live breaking down all of the implications next.

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BERMAN: New this morning, the Obama administration is now considering sending anti-tank systems and other lethal aid to help Ukraine defend attacks from pro-Russian rebels in the eastern part of that country.

A U.S. official says that the Pentagon favors defensive lethal aid. The White House is still trying to assess what the reaction would be in Moscow. Secretary of State John Kerry is headed to Ukraine on Thursday to meet with Ukrainian President Poroshenko and also other Ukrainian officials.

I want to bring in senior international correspondent, Matthew Chance live in Moscow this morning for sort of the Russian reaction. The Russian view, Matthew, of what an increased U.S. level of aid might be.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: John, they will not like that. That is for sure. Certainly the kremlin already believes that Washington is bias on the side of the Ukrainian government in this conflict inside Ukraine. This would merely reaffirm their belief in that.

The bigger point is what would the Russian reaction in terms of the support for the pro-Russian rebels, already alleged to supply weapons and even personnel to bolster the forces of the rebels.

If the U.S. were to arm the other side, that support may actually be increased. So, that could have a devastating impact on the war zone in Ukraine instead of stopping the conflict. The big risk of flying arms to the Ukrainian government by the U.S. would to escalate.

The fighting is limited to a relatively small area in the east of the country. If the conflict were to expand, the consequences could be profound for many hundreds of thousands of people in that part of the world.

BERMAN: You know, the complicating factor, Matthew, it is difficult to out-arm the Russians here. If the Russians are intent on keeping the Ukrainian separatists battle ready, how can the U.S. possibly send in more arms than the Russians can right on the border?

CHANCE: That's a question that the administration in Washington has to grapple with. Where does it end? They are talking about anti-tank missiles to Ukraine and possibly other weaponry as well. The Russians will be more than prepared to match that.

And from everything we have seen from the kremlin so far, Vladimir Putin's commitment to the cause of the pro-Russian rebels, sanctions have not stopped him from moving forward in support.

We have not seen any evidence that weaponry will stop him. He could just again go all-in and match that weaponry on the ground. That would have terrible consequences.

BERMAN: We have seen the devastation on the ground in that part of Ukraine, which does not seem to be abating anytime soon. Matthew Chance for us in Moscow, thanks so much.

ROMANS: All right, 53 minutes past the hour. Gas prices as know have been falling for months. That trend could be over. An early start on your money is next.

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ROMANS: All right, let's get an EARLY START on your money. Rebounding oil prices are giving stocks a lift this morning, Asian and European stocks higher. U.S. stock futures are higher. The Dow gained 200 points for the first day of February. The S&P rallied with energy stocks.

Crude oil is above $50 a barrel for the first time in a month. Price is falling since last summer. This bounce could mean prices finally found a bottom. That means gas prices may have found a bottom. Gas prices fell for 120 days in a row. Last week, bottomed out at $2.03, $2.07 for gas prices now, the average price is below $2 a gallon in 23 states and half of the nation's gas stations. You still have extra money.

Rents are rising faster than wages. Homeownership is at the lowest level since 1994. The president's right hand man on housing, Julian Castro says this is the year to reverse that trend.

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JULIAN CASTRO, HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT SECRETARY: I see 2015 as the year of housing opportunity and particularly homeownership. The example is the FHA mortgage insurance premium reduction. That will mean a savings of $900 for 2 million borrowers annually for 2 million borrowers out there.

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ROMANS: He says this is your year to buy a house. He says the premium reduction won't cause the same problems that created the housing bubble. We have to make it easier for people to responsibly buy a home.

To see how Castro responded to rumors, he could be Hillary Clinton's vice presidential running mate. Visit the all new CNNmoney.com. Check out our new look of CNN Money and you could see that interview there.

BERMAN: I'm clicking on that. All right, a deep freeze sets in and it is not going anywhere following the deadly record breaking snow. "NEW DAY" starts right now.