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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
Colossal Winter Storm Headed East; The Race for President: New Attacks; Flint Water Crisis: New Emails Released; Bills Hire NFL's First Full-Time Female Coach. Aired 5-5:30a ET
Aired January 21, 2016 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now, a monster storm heading for the East Coast. Drivers warned to stay off the roads. Blizzard warnings for major American cities.
[05:00:00] We're live with what you can expect and when.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Attacks sharpening for the race for president. Time running out to get voters on their side. We are breaking down the very latest from the campaign trail.
BERMAN: And President Obama calls the flint water crisis inexcusable. E-mails just released detail the state's mistakes.
Good morning, everyone. Welcome to EARLY START. I'm John Berman.
ROMANS: I'm Christine Romans. It is Thursday, January 21st. It is 5:00 a.m. in the East, right on the nose.
And this morning, as many as 65 million Americans in eastern half of the country, they are bracing for a humongous winter storm. A nor'easter set to start Friday. High winds and heavy snowfall, potentially record-breaking totals bearing down with Washington, D.C. in the bull's-eye.
Already, icy, untreated roads made for a treacherous commute last night. Look at the pictures here. Hundreds of vehicle accidents and pedestrian slip and falls, too.
Joining us with the very latest, meteorologist Pedram Javaheri live in the CNN weather center.
How bad it's going to be, Pedram?
PEDRAM JAVAHERI, AMS METEOROLOGIST: You know, it has the potential to be one of the bigger storms we have seen in a long time, guys. And when it comes to D.C., you don't typically see D.C. as a blockbuster snowstorm city, right?
We get a few inches, a few inches there, an average for the year around 15 inches. This particular storm in the next couple days could easily bring more than in just a few hours time. The heaviest snowfall or best indication we have right now would put it around D.C., parts of the Delmarva, north of that into Baltimore, to Philly, certainly even New York City would be on the moderate end of this.
And then there's a dramatic cutoff line on the northern fringe of this depending on how the storm tracks offshore. But at this point, we are thinking about 15 to 20 inches around areas around D.C. and Philly. It was about 12 to 18 inches. New York could get somewhere between six to 10 inches, and north of that, really sharply drops off again. Boston may not get anything from the storm system, again depending on the track.
And you take a look -- the forecast models have been consistent in the last couple days of what could accumulate. If you bring in 20 inches, you are talking historic storm by any definition when it comes to areas like D.C. where that would put you in the top three of all time and records here for snowfall date back to the 1890s.
Of course, there's a wind element to this. Winds could easily get up to 55 or 60 miles per hour, gusting at times across this region. That with snow on the ground or snow falling could reduce visibility for several hours.
We are talking about blizzard conditions in places. You think about nor'easter. You see them all the time around the eastern United States.
But this particular storm will have a coastal surge and storm surge aspect. The snow comes down. We know a full moon also in place. The flakes are flying. So, you put the elements together and this could cause significant impacts across that area.
Washington around with 20 inches. We go to New York, roughly around six inches in the forecast. Right now, Boston could get a couple of inches.
So, again, we have to follow this over the next couple of hours and fine tune the details of the northern fringe of the system. But any way you slice it, guys, we are talking about an impressive storm system that will have dramatic impact on a very expansive area, and a very populated area, of course, when it comes to the blizzard aspect, guys.
BERMAN: So, Pedram, what I want to know with the snow falling in the studio, how could none get on your hair or suit?
(LAUGHTER)
JAVAHERI: You would be surprised how cold it is in the studio.
ROMANS: I have to tell you, the retailers, to go back to the business part of the story, they have been suffering because it's been so warm in the Northeast. There's not been a run on the gloves, there's not been a run on the shovels yet.
Now, they are finally going get that big snow just in time.
JAVAHERI: We always talk about it in the weather world. Think about the tropical world. 1992. There's only one storm that made landfall. It was Andrew. Everyone remembers in this particular one, of course, could be the one we see all season and it becomes one of the more memorable ones as well. So, it only takes one.
ROMANS: Just in time for the spring merchandise. Thanks so much for that, Pedram Javaheri. Nice to see you.
BERMAN: All right. Donald Trump going to Las Vegas today. This as a new poll shows him with a pretty big lead in New Hampshire.
The CNN/WMUR poll, he's at 34 percent, 20 points ahead of Ted Cruz who has surged eight points in a little over a month.
You know, Cruz had a rough couple days. Sarah Palin endorsed Donald Trump. Iowa Governor Terry Branstad urged Iowans to vote pretty much for anybody but Ted Cruz. And Republican icon Bob Dole warned of cataclysmic losses for the party if Cruz is the nominee.
Overnight, both Cruz and Trump had a lot to say, including in an interview with our very own Don Lemon.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE (via telephone): They don't like him. I mean, he didn't have one senator stick up for him recently because now, people are saying he is a real problem with running because he was born in Canada.
He was born in Canada and he was a citizen of Canada until 15 months ago. And he said he didn't know that.
So, he didn't about his loans. He didn't know about Goldman Sachs. He didn't know he was a citizen of Canada and now he's running for president.
SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Republican voters want a conservative. They don't want a deal maker who has written checks and supported Hillary Clinton and Mitch McConnell and John Boehner and Chuck Schumer. They want instead a principled Reagan conservative.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[05:05:00] BERMAN: Donald Trump and Sarah Palin, they were together for a second day with Trump calling her a very special wonderful person.
CNN's Sunlen Serfaty has the latest.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John and Christine.
Well, Donald Trump and Sarah Palin hitting the campaign trail together in Oklahoma, rallying supporters at Christian University Oral Roberts.
And Sarah Palin wasting no time for a lot of red meat to conservatives in the crowd.
SARAH PALIN (R), FORMER VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We got a red head from the big red apple running for president and yet, the GOP machine, all of a sudden, they are saying we're not red enough. We're not conservative enough. And I say what in the world do they know about conservatism.
SERFATY: And Ted Cruz trying to recover from a rough 48 hours for his campaign, really taking a triplicate of hits. Not only Sarah Palin's endorsement but her hitting the campaign trail for Donald Trump, also some criticism coming from two Republican leaders, the Iowa governor and now Bob Dole.
Here is how Ted Cruz responded in Hollis, New Hampshire.
CRUZ: Right now, the Washington establishment is abandoning Marco Rubio. They've made the assessment that Marco can't win the race. And the Washington establishment is rushing over to support Donald Trump.
We are seeing that happen every day. And Mr. Trump is welcoming the support of the Washington establishment. Indeed, Mr. Trump said they should support him because he said Ted won't go along to get along. He won't make deals with the Democrats.
SERFATY: And there you saw Ted Cruz really try to cleverly tie both Marco Rubio and Donald Trump in the same hit to the Republican establishment wing of the party. This is a comfort zone for Ted Cruz. One that I think we'll continue to see him argue about on the campaign trail holding himself up and hits up as proof that he is the anti- establishment candidate among all the Republicans -- John and Christine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROMANS: All right, Sunlen. Thank you for that.
Sarah Palin surprising many when she linked her son's arrest this week on domestic violence charges to President Obama and his policies on veterans. Addressing what she called the elephant in the room, Palin accused the president of neglecting vets, including her son. She says she relates to families feeling the ramifications of PTSD.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PALIN: But my son like so many others, they come back a bit different. They come back hardened. They come back wondering if there is that respect for what it is that their fellow soldiers and airmen and every other member of the military so sacrificially have given to the country. And that starts from that, at the top.
It's a shame that our military personnel even have to wonder, if they have to question if they are respected anymore. It starts from the top. The question, though, that comes from our own president where they have to look at him and wonder, do you know what we go through?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: CNN's Don Lemon asked Donald Trump about the arrest. And he says it was his idea for Palin to address the issue.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Did you ask her to address her son's arrest?
TRUMP: I told her it would be absolutely fine. I thought it would be appropriate. There is tremendous press. I think it's something that's very important to discuss, not even for her son, but for so many other sons and daughters coming back from the Middle East where they have, you know, traumatic problems. They have tremendous problems.
And I told here, I actually suggested it. I think -- I said I think it would be a great forum.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Palin's oldest son Track faces assault and other charges. His girlfriend reportedly says he punched her and threatened to use a rifle.
BERMAN: All right. Let's talk about the political action right now. What's going on with the race?
We are joined by CNN political reporter Tom LoBianco. He's in our Washington bureau.
And, Tom, it seems like every day is a new chapter in this campaign. The chapter has lasted two days right now and that seems to be everyone pile on Ted Cruz.
TOM LOBIANCO, CNN POLITICAL REPORTER: Right. Absolutely. You know, with Palin coming out and then Branstad and now Bob Dole. It is interesting, if you look at Palin and dole and Branstad, you could not have two further apart wings of the party right there. And yet, they all see Cruz as a threat right now.
I think what is underlying for Branstad and possibly Dole is the ethanol position. You've got to remember, in Iowa, ethanol has always been seen as the third rail, at least Iowa politics. Definitely mid- Western politics.
Cruz did something for a candidate earlier in the primary cycle, saying that he would oppose ethanol subsidies. He wants to roll those back. That is something typically you don't do in Iowa. I think this is one of the reasons why.
ROMANS: Can I ask you something? Do you think that the Republican establishment is now starting to become more resigned to the fact that Donald Trump could be their nominee?
[05:10:05] He is still the frontrunner here. There was this hope that one of these other candidates and establishment candidates was going to breakout, was going to move.
Are they still hoping an establishment candidate, Kasich, or Jeb Bush is going to breakout in the next two states, three states, and be able to, you know, put Donald Trump on his heels? What are they feeling among the GOP right now?
LOBIANCO: I think especially if you look at what happens with Branstad and Dole -- look at it -- it was not an endorsement of Trump, but specifically beating down on Cruz. That leaves the door open for a couple of things. First of all, you are not really sure if the establishment endorsement of Trump would be a very good thing for him.
The other thing is it leaves the door open for somebody like Rubio to punch through or Christie. They are not down and out yet. A lot of us like to talk about the final four. The field is wide open at this point, but a lot of people are looking at Christie and Rubio.
BERMAN: The one thing about the Dole comment, he said he is endorsing Jeb Bush. Bob Dole basically flat out said that Donald Trump would be better than Ted Cruz. That's the kind of thing you are hearing I think from some establishment folks right now. Spencer Wick, who is Mitt Romney's big fundraiser said he has seen donors trying to curry favor with Donald Trump. Finding ways to get close to Trump and Trump's people because they think he is viable going forward.
Tom, I want to ask about a moment that a lot of people found to be fascinating right now. And that's the body language with Donald Trump and Sarah Palin, over these last two events, particularly the first event where Palin gave her official endorsement. Some people suggested Trump looked uncomfortable behind her.
Don Lemon had a chance to ask Trump last night if he was feeling, you know, a little awkward standing there. Listen to that exchange.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: You did seem to be uncomfortable. Other people had said. Am I wrong? Are they wrong? Were you uncomfortable there for a bit watching Sarah Palin?
TRUMP: No, not at all. I was there. I didn't know it would be quite that long, but she made a beautiful -- you know, she made a very good speech.
No, I wasn't -- I was very happy. I would have normally left the stage and let her speak. But I thought it would be nice. I thought it would be, you know, frankly nice if I was there. I thought it would be disrespectful to her if I left the stage. So, no, I wasn't uncomfortable at all.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BERMAN: The one sentence that jumped out there that everyone hears is I didn't know it would be so long.
(LAUGHTER) LOBIANCO: You know what is funny about this, there are few people who can rival Donald Trump for star power on the populist right. And he brought her on stage. He brought the one person who can yank away the spotlight like that, hat the first day he had her out, she pulls away the spotlight. She owns it.
You know, this is Sarah Palin we're talking about. You know, this is no small endorsement. You have to think that was part of the calculation. They had to have seen some possible downside in sharing the stage with her like that.
You know, I thought what was funny the next day out in Iowa, she does not show up for the first event that she was supposed to do with Trump. That becomes the news. So, even off stage, she pulls in the spotlight.
ROMANS: Interesting. So rare to see either of them share the spotlight. And there they are together.
Tom LoBianco, thank you so much. Thanks for getting up early for us. We'll talk to you again in a few minutes.
Time for an early start on your money this morning. Investors, wow, they need relief after the trading day yesterday.
OK, Dow futures right now are down a bit. Europe is higher, thank goodness. But check out Asia, steep drops in Asia.
We are watching oil. Oil is lower again today. That has been the driver. Financial fear spreading around the globe.
Check this out. The stock markets in these countries in red are now in a bear market. That is trader jargon for a 20 percent drop from recent highs, Canada, Germany, France, England, China and Japan.
Those countries in yellow, those are in a correction. They are down 10 percent of their peaks. That's the U.S., Switzerland, Russia, India and Australia.
BERMAN: The countries in beige are just desert, right?
ROMANS: The countries in beige have other issues.
BERMAN: OK.
ROMANS: This is a bad start to the year for investors. Really bad. The S&P, worst start since 1929.
BERMAN: That is an awful thing. When you can say worse than 1929, that's awful.
ROMANS: I got to tell you, Russia's currency is at the record low, too, against the dollar. Russia has been hurting. A lot of the countries that produce oil, think cheap oil is good for consumers, it is destabilizing. So many of these emerging markets. Now, people are wondering what will those emerging markets and effect to the global financial.
BERMAN: So, you feel guilty when you go to fill up.
New e-mails revealing critical mistakes made in the handling of the Flint's water crisis.
[05:15:01] Why the complaints of contaminated water were ignored for so long. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BERMAN: New this morning, the e-mails between Michigan Governor Rick Snyder ands officials discussing what was wrong and who is to blame for the water crisis in Flint. The just released messages suggest the top aides were telling him the real responsibility lies with local officials in Flint.
Yesterday, state law makers approved $28 million in emergency funding. This happened on a day that the President Obama was in Michigan and was discussing the dire situation in Flint.
Let's get more from CNN's Sara Ganim.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SARA GANIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John and Christine, President Obama visiting the Detroit Auto Show on Wednesday commented on the ongoing crisis in Flint.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I know that if I was a parent up there, I would be beside myself that my kids' health could be at risk.
GANIM: Also, today, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder's office releasing almost 250 pages of e-mails between his staff over the last two years related to this crisis. Those e-mails showing the state did have concerns about Flint's water infrastructure even before this crisis began, but they kept deflecting blame, even at times blaming the people who lived here in Flint.
The governor's former chief of staff saying this in one e-mail, "The water certainly has less than savory aspects like color because of the apparently more corrosive aspects of the hard water coming from the river. Some of the Flint people respond by looking for someone to blame instead of working to reduce anxiety. We can't tolerate increased lead levels in any event, but the city's water system needs to deal with it."
Of course, we now know it wasn't the city.
[05:20:00] It was the state that was making those decisions. The governor earlier this week admitting that, apologizing for the crisis saying that it was not unfair to call this his Hurricane Katrina -- John and Christine.
(END VIDEOTAPE) ROMANS: All right, Sara Ganim. Thank you, Sara.
The Buffalo Bills going where no NFL team has gone before: hiring the league's first full-time female coach. Andy Scholes has the details in the bleacher report. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BERMAN: The Buffalo Bills making history, hiring Kathryn Smith as the first female full-time coach.
ROMANS: Andy Scholes has more in this morning's bleacher report.
Hey, Andy.
ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Hey, good morning, guys.
Kathryn Smith worked for the Bills this season and, yesterday, they announced that they were promoting her to a special team's quality control coach. That position was previously held by a former NFL player.
Now, Smith is expected to help run the scout team at practice and then help breakdown film. She has worked with Bills head coach Rex Ryan for years going back to his time with the Jets. Ryan said Smith that she deserves this promotion based on her knowledge and strong commitment. And he thinks she will to an outstanding job.
Bills tweeted about the hiring. It read, "Shattering the glass ceiling. Congrats, Kathryn."
All right. Coming off the beat down of the Cavs, Steph Curry and the Warriors back in action last night, taking on the Bulls and they were moving the ball around all night, finishing with 38 assists for the game.
In the third quarter, check this out. Steph Curry splits the defenders and throws it down. He was pumped. He never dunks. The Warriors beat the Bulls by 31 points.
[05:25:01] They are now 39-4 on the season. On pace to break Michael Jordan's Bulls all time record of 72-10.
All right. At the Australian Open, a ball girl got drilled right in the face with the ball and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga goes to check on her and escorts her off the court. She would be fine. Tsonga now the gentleman of the year with that move right there. He would win his match in straight sets.
Patriots linebacker Darius Fleming played against the Chiefs in the divisional round of the playoffs with 22 stitches in his leg. It turns out Fleming got those stitches kicking out a window in order to rescue a woman from a burning car.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DARIUS FLEMING, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: The windows would not open. I said I had to get her out of here somehow. She was actually -- when I started kicking the window. She was kicking the window. It wasn't doing damage. So, I started kicking the window and then it broke. I pulled her out.
I was a freaking situation. I wasn't expecting to be in that situation. I'm glad I was. I'm glad I was able to help her.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHOLES: The car accident happened as Fleming was leaving Gillette Stadium. He saw it unfold. How cool is it that he did not bring attention to it whatsoever. He was going about his business as like it never happened.
BERMAN: Just for that reason and that reason alone, it is enough to pull for the Patriots this coming --
(LAUGHTER)
SCHOLES: Absolutely, right?
ROMANS: All right. Thanks, Andy Scholes.
SCHOLES: All right.
ROMANS: All right. The Northeast bracing for a monster storm. When and where it will hit, right after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROMANS: Happening now: the Northeast bracing for a monster snowstorm that could be one for the record books. We are tracking when and where it will hit.
BERMAN: New overnight: Donald Trump explains why he was surprised during Sarah Palin's endorsement speech.
