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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Big Winter Storm Bearing Down on East Coast; Donald Trump Slams "National Review"; Freed Americans Going Back to the U.S.; NFL Championship Games Start Sunday; Aired 5-5:30a ET

Aired January 22, 2016 - 05:00   ET

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

[05:00:01] CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Against Donald Trump. Noted conservatives banding together with scathing critiques of the Republican frontrunner. This morning Trump is striking back.

Good morning. Welcome to EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. And I'm Alison Kosik. It's Friday, January 22nd. It's 5:00 a.m. in the East, and here we go.

Up first this morning -- first this morning, the biggest winter storm of the season bearing down on the East Coast. Seventy-five million people in the path of the storm that's shaping up to be a one for the record books. States of emergency declared in Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee.

Blizzard conditions expected in Washington. That's where more than two feet of snow could fall. Major cities including New York and Philadelphia could also get slammed. More than 4600 flights have already been canceled in the U.S. today and tomorrow.

Derek Van Dam is tracking the storm. We're going to get to him in just a moment. First let's begin with CNN's Rene Marsh. She is talking about the mess at the airport up and down the East Coast.

Good morning, Rene.

RENE MARSH, CNN AVIATION AND GOVERNMENT REGULATION CORRESPONDENT: The potential for more than two feet of snow is threatening to shut down airport operations at major airports in the northeast. We've already seen airlines cancel thousands of flights. And we expect today throughout the weekend, we will continue to see those cancellations build.

What a lot of airlines did ahead of the storm is offer passengers the opportunity to change their flight plans free of charge. But at this point, and if your reservation has not been changed yet, your chances of getting out before the storm, slim to none.

There is no clarity at this point when things will be back up and running smoothly. Normal operations for these airlines.

Back to you.

ROMANS: All right. Thank you so much for that. KOSIK: So the big question, of course, who is going to be getting the

most snow.

Let's get to meteorologist Derek Van Dam. Is it New York or is it D.C.?

DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Let me -- let me check my magic ball really quickly. Washington, D.C., you win or lose depending on which way you look at it, I guess, Alison and Christine.

Take a look at the different computer models we have available to us here at CNN Weather. Over 30 inches of snow potentially in the nation's capital, while New York only receives three inches, Boston zero. It all depends on what you believe in.

Take a look at this. We've compared three different computer models for the three largest cities. One thing is for sure, Washington, D.C., you're in the path of some of the heaviest snowfall but one of our outlined computer models, this is an American model, shows New York City receiving just under two feet of snow.

Not that we believe that here in the CNN Weather Center but regardless I have to show that to you because it's all about the path. Will the storm eject up the East Coast or will it hug the coastline bringing the long prolonged snow event. One thing is for sure, it's developing quickly. Take a look at this storm and all of the available moisture to it. It's really driving in from the Gulf of Mexico. It will transfer that energy to the East Coast.

We have already seen the National Weather Service upgrade the warnings to blizzard warnings status for New York as well as Philadelphia this morning. Of course that continues for the greater Washington, D.C. area. Winter storm warnings extend further west, Little Rock to Nashville, and it's not only heavy snow, it's the potential for hefty amounts of ice in excess of half the three quarters of an inch near the Carolinas.

We got to look on for that treacherous travel conditions to say the least. Here's the storm. As it develops snow over spreads the nation's capital late on Friday becomes heaviest by early Saturday morning. And then depending on which computer model you believe, we'll see that snow over spread to some of the other cities along the New England coast.

We'll have more details coming up later in the show but meantime back to you.

ROMANS: All right. Thanks so much for that, Derek. I'm hoping for three inches here.

KOSIK: Hoping for three, I'm hoping for, like, wouldn't it be funny if it was zero? Through all this?

(LAUGHTER)

ROMANS: All right. Let's turn to politics overnight, guys. Breaking news, Donald Trump fixating on a target. He is slamming the

conservative magazine "The National Review." He's slamming that magazine because it did something quite rare. It has devoted a special issue that it's releasing today, an entire issue opposing Donald Trump and his bid for president. It features an editorial labeling him a threat to conservatives. It includes essays from 22 prominent conservatives opposing his candidacy. Now some of these essays are quite scathing. We're going to have more of that for you in a moment.

Trump speaking after a late-night rally in Vegas. He dismisses "The National Review" entirely.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: "The National Review" is a dying paper. It's got -- its circulation is way down. Not very many people read it anymore. I mean, people don't even think about "The National Review." So I guess they want to get a little publicity. But, you know, that's a dying paper. Really, I mean, it's pretty much -- I got to tell you, David, pretty much of a dead paper.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Overnight the publisher of "The National Review" says the Republican National Committee has disinvited the magazine from its role as a partner in the February 25th GOP debate here on CNN.

Jack Fowler says the RNC cited this special edition of the magazine as a reason. Fowler says "The National Review," they expected this. They expected to lose their seat at that table. And said, quote, "It's a small price to pay for speaking the truth about the Donald."

[05:05:09] Meantime, 10 days to the Iowa caucuses and Trump firming up his lead in a new CNN poll. Thirty-seven percent of likely caucus- goers say they are behind Trump. Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, the only other candidates in double digits.

Big caveat here, if you factor in people who actually attended the caucus in 2012, Ted Cruz actually takes a narrow lead. But that lead is very much within the poll's margin of error.

CNN's Sara Murray has the latest from the campaign trail.

SARA MURRAY, CNN POLITICAL REPORTER: Good morning.

Donald Trump took a break from the campaign trail in Iowa last night to rally crowds here in Las Vegas and launch a spate of new attacks against Ted Cruz. With just about a week to go until the Iowa caucuses, he said Cruz has missed his moment and his campaign is going down the toilet.

All this happening as more Republican leaders are distancing themselves from Ted Cruz. And Ted Cruz is trying to paint Donald Trump as the establishment candidate. SEN. TED CRUZ (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: There is a bunch of big

money in this race. The Washington establishment right now, they are abandoning Marco Rubio and they're rushing to Donald Trump.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MURRAY: And Donald Trump seemed to be relishing in Ted Cruz's latest attack, even saying it's OK to be a little establishment.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: There's a point at which let's get to be a little establishment. We got to get things done, folks, OK? There is total gridlock. Guys like Ted Cruz will never make a deal because he's a strident guy, no, you cannot have that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MURRAY: Now Donald Trump isn't taking a long break from Iowa. He will be back there on the trail this weekend with three events and not much longer until the Iowa caucuses.

ROMANS: All right. So fun for that, Sara Murray, it's just been a very fun last couple of days.

Let's bring in Tal Kopan, CNN Politics reporter.

KOSIK: Tal, you're joining us on the phone. I know we're having technical difficulties. But we're going to talk about everything going on. You know, this "National Review" special anti-Trump issue. Really amazing when you think about it. This is -- this is a conservative journal and it's got 22 conservative pundits speaking in stunning rare form against Donald Trump. I want to go through some of what they've been saying.

Good morning to you first of all.

TAL KOPAN, CNN POLITICS REPORTER: Good morning. Thanks for having me.

KOSIK: OK. So here's one here from Mark Halperin, saying he has like a tapeworm invaded this schismatically weakened body of the Republican Party. He's got hair like tinsel on a discarded Christmas tree. We have Bill Kristol saying, he is the very epitome of vulgarity. And then Mona Charen saying, "The man has demonstrated an emotional immaturity bordering on personality disorder."

And wait there's more. Glenn Beck coming out and saying, this is a crisis for conservatism. Dana Lowe saying popularity over principle. Is this the new right? And David McIntosh saying he'll say anything to get a vote. And one more, a political con man.

Let me get your opinion on this. Do you think that this is a ploy to get people to read "The National Review," which, you know, maybe is not on the forefront of --

(CROSSTALK)

ROMANS: That's what Trump said. That's what Trump said.

KOSIK: People's reading list? Let's give her a chance to answer. Is this a ploy or is this going to have an impact on Trump in a negative way?

KOPAN: Well, that's an interesting question. I mean, anytime a for- profit institution does anything, I'm sure it's designed to improve their standing a little bit. And that's certainly Trump's attack on the "National Review" is brushing them off as struggling. But it definitely reflects sort of unsettledness among the GOP establishment. That despite all their best efforts, despite all their beliefs, Trump has only gotten stronger as this race has progressed.

There was this belief he would flame out, he would commit some sort of unrecoverable error. That, you know, as a result, he would come down. Nothing has managed to dent his support. And you might be seeing a little bit of a hail Mary at this point as the folks who don't want him as the nominee are really sort of trying anything to convince voters that he shouldn't be the party's standard bearer.

ROMANS: This idea, a tapeworm. I mean, you think of some of the visuals of some of these talented writers, of course, you know, talented writers with the very strong opinions about the direction of their party and conservatism, but a tapeworm invading this schismatically weakened body of the Republican Party, there are some -- there are some conservatives, I would say, middle of the road mainstream conservatives who are starting to become resigned to the fact that Donald Trump could be their nominee.

But what some of these folks are saying in the "National Review" is that he has exploited a fact about the GOP and that it has been kind of changing or losing its identity for some time.

KOPAN: Yes, and you know, one of the really interesting things that you're starting to see is there's this split now between some of these -- we call them GOP establishment folks, with some are saying, OK, well, at least Donald Trump is better than Ted Cruz.

[05:10:05] I mean, there is this real strong internal debate about how the Republican Party should move forward and who the face of that forward movement should be. And there are some who are really concerned if it's Donald Trump or if it's Ted Cruz, it could really weaken the party and be unrecoverable.

And so the question is, who do they move forward with and even if, you know, obviously they want to win in November, but beyond winning in November, who presents a risk for all those down ballot races who could potentially be a risk they might lose the Senate? I mean, there is very real concern about the future of the party being -- questioning whether, you know, the concern is accurate, whether those candidates would ultimately irreparably damage the GOP, you know, I think we're going to have to see.

KOSIK: You know, Tal, one of the buzz phrases of this campaign suddenly seems to be the phrase establishment candidate. Of course, it's more appealing to be the outsider than non-establishment candidate. We are seeing Clinton and Sanders banter about this back and forth. I want you to hear what Hillary Clinton had to say. And we'll come back and get your reaction.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He's been elected to office a lot longer than I have. I was in the senate for eight wonderful years representing New York. He's been in the Congress for 25.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSIK: So she's saying he's more of an insider than I am. And meantime, Sanders is -- at least in the polls -- is gaining on Hillary Clinton. Is this an effort to really try to act like she's more of an outsider even though she seems to be more of a career politician?

KOPAN: Yes, it's a pretty funny statement, of course. She left out of the fact that she was first lady for eight years and also secretary of state for four years. She spoke solely on elected office. But you know rather than say that she's an outsider which I don't think is something she could possibly run on and she understands that, it's more that she's trying to point out that Sanders, even though he's taking on this outsider label, and the label of shaking things up, he's been in Washington for, you know, over two decades.

And so -- I mean, I think it's more of an attempt to blunt the attack than necessarily, you know, turn it around. But you're seeing her show on the trail that she is actually very concerned about his surge in the polls. He's going on attack against Sanders any which way she can. And she has to beat back some of the things that seems to be working if she wants to have a shot at the nomination.

ROMANS: All right. Tal Kopan, we'll talk to you a little bit -- a little bit later. We hope to get your pretty face on television next time we talk to you. I want to ask about the Jeb Bush video. The mom video, we'll ask you about that in a few minutes. Thanks, Tal. Thanks for getting up early.

KOSIK: Breaking this morning. An American student has been arrested in North Korea. That's according to state media which identified the student as Otto Frederick Warmbier. He's said to be from a university in Virginia. Pyongyang said he was planning to carry out a hostile act against the regime but this isn't the first time North Korea has held a Westerner on these types of charges.

We're going to have more information as we get it.

ROMANS: Time for an EARLY START on your money. Stock futures in the U.S. are pointing higher this morning. Europe also posted gains. The stocks in the Asia rallying. Look at Tokyo. That is a big one-day move. Tokyo almost up 6 percent. The optimism coming from oil prices. Oil prices higher right now. Also comments from the European Central Bank president Mario Draghi that he will push more stimulus into the EU economy if needed.

The Dow closed higher on Thursday. 116 points higher. Look at the week so far. If the Dow can gain about 105 points today, then you'd have a positive finish for a wild holiday shortened week. Wednesday was really a rotten day, wasn't it?

Stocks have a lot of ground to make up so far this year. The Dow is still down 8.8 percent. The Nasdaq more than 10 percent. The S&P 500, down 8.5 percent. And we're heading into just the 14th trading day of the year.

KOSIK: I'm exhausted already watching those numbers.

ROMANS: All right. 14 minutes past the hour. Two of the Americans freed from prison in Iran back in the U.S. as we hear a third is now on his way home. We'll bring an update next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:15:21] ROMANS: Two of the Americans freed in a prisoner swap with Iran now back on U.S. soil. Saeed Abedini reunited with family in Asheville, North Carolina. The pastor from Boise, he had spent more than three years in an Iranian prison.

Also back home, Amir Hekmati, he landed in Michigan. The former U.S. Marine was accused of spying five years ago. Five years ago. He said, he's just happy to be back.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AMIR HEKMATI, FREED FROM IRAN: Thank God, thanks for everyone's support. Everybody from the president, Congressman Kildee, everyday Americans. I'm standing here healthy, tall, and with my head held high.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: And breaking this morning, Jason Rezaian, "The Washington Post" reporter released by Iran, he is now headed back to the United States.

CNN's Phil Black is live in Landstuhl, Germany with more -- Phil.

PHIL BLACK, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Christine, so all three of those Americans have now left the medical center here in Landstuhl, Germany. The American medical center that specializes in treating, assessing, helping people who have undergone experience these sorts of long ordeals, experienced the sorts of isolation, pressure and hardship these three men have received.

They only arrived here I think it was last Sunday night. So over the course of a week, they have all been assessed now, they have been deemed ready and able to return to the --

ROMANS: All right. Looks like we've lost Phil's signal. You are seeing there some of the pictures of those folks who have been in captivity there for so long.

KOSIK: And the scenes of everybody getting off the plane, there you have the statement from Jason Rezaian on his way back to the U.S.

ROMANS: "At some point I may be ready to discuss my ordeal but for now I just want to express my profound appreciation for the tremendous support I have received. I am humbled by all I have learned about the efforts undertaken on my behalf."

It's really emotional to see these people come up here the airplane and be embraced by their mothers or by their friends and by their families.

It's also interesting, the former Marine, Amir Hekmati, five years ago, he was accused of spying by the Iranians. He said that he thought he was going to spend 10 years in prison. Interesting that his story kind of dovetails with another big story we're watching in the United States right now. He's going home to Flint, Michigan, where there's been another story unfolding about the water crisis. You know? So.

KOSIK: Yes.

ROMANS: We wish him well as he gets home. He's headed back to Flint right now.

KOSIK: All right. And speaking of the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, now actually is claiming a political casualty. This is Susan Hedman. She was the EPA director of the region that includes Flint. She submitted her resignation. She allegedly shot down inquiries about water contamination in Flint including from the city's former mayor.

Meantime, e-mails released by the Michigan's governor revealed the state was concerned about Flint's water infrastructure, but deflected blame to local officials.

[05:20:10] ROMANS: A legal victory for protesting public school teachers in Detroit. A judge rejecting their request for a temporary restraining order to end the mass sickouts that have forced dozens of schools to close in recent weeks. The teachers are protesting building conditions. They say those buildings present health and safety hazards. Detroit public school officials will have another chance to make their case at a hearing on Monday.

KOSIK: Will the big snowstorm turn out to be kryptonite for the Carolina Panthers. Sunday's NFC championship games could be played in snow and ice. But big question, will it cost Carolina? Coy Wire has this morning's "Bleacher Report" coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROMANS: Tom Brady versus Peyton Manning, the best quarterbacks of their generation, going at it for possibly the final time this weekend.

KOSIK: Coy Wire has more in this morning's "Bleacher Report." Good morning.

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS: Good morning, guys. When you think of the best rivalries in sports over the years, match-ups like Magic versus Bird, Ali versus Frazier, Nicholas versus Palmer. Those are the standard bearers, right?

Well, now you get to see Brady versus Manning one more time in Sunday's AFC championship game. Brady holds the head-to-head edge. He's 11-5 all time versus Manning but they're 2-2 in the playoffs with Manning winning the last match-up in the AFC title game two years ago. Now these guys obviously know the history involved here, but they are just trying to stay focused on the game.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PEYTON MANNING, BRONCOS QUARTERBACK: I guess I've learned that when you get ready to play the Patriots in a championship game. It's hard to get too reflective on the -- on the entire season.

[05:25:06] TOM BRADY, PATRIOTS QUARTERBACK: There's a lot of great quarterbacks in the NFL. Peyton has been, you know, one of the best to ever play so, you know, you got to be at your best. You know, we can't show anything less than your best and expect to win.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WIRE: All right. Bundle up, the Carolina Panthers bracing for extreme weather as they prepare to host the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC Championship game. The team already canceled a fan rally scheduled for today. And the governor has declared a state of emergency for the state. Charlotte expected to get up to three inches of snow and a half inch of ice before Sunday's NFC title game. But that game is still expected to be played as scheduled with kickoff at 6:40 Eastern.

The Patriots and Broncos are that early game Sunday. Kicking things off at 3:00 p.m. Eastern in AFC action.

Now really cool number before yesterday's L.A. Kings and Minnesota Wild games, Alisa and James Miller got married on the ice at the Staples Center. But after the ceremony, the wedding party in the tunnel, near the locker room, the groom grabs Alisa's favorite player, Tyler Toffoli who poses for pictures with the bride. But you have to check out her face. I think we see tears there. And I didn't see any during the ceremony.

All right. Finally, quite possibly the best student section distraction skit ever. Sheridan High School, Thornville, Ohio, a special delivery and it works to perfection. The opposing team misses the free throw. Guys, I was expecting a fake baby like a little big doll or something. But no. This is a full grown baby.

KOSIK: Those fans are creative, aren't they?

ROMANS: I don't know if that's hilarious or offensive. That's what makes it a great prank. KOSIK: But I love your little -- I love your little report that

you've got. You got the wedding, you've got the delivery fake. You've got it all, don't you?

ROMANS: I think --

WIRE: I was hoping you would approve.

ROMANS: That bride, Coy, for that groom, that is a risky move to have your bride thinking of her favorite player on your wedding day. That's -- I don't know. Risky move.

WIRE: That's exactly right. I agree with you completely.

ROMANS: All right. Thanks so much, nice to see you, Coy.

WIRE: You too.

ROMANS: Bracing for a monster blizzard. 75 million people from the Deep South to the East Coast in its path. Thousands of flights. Folks, check your flight schedules. Thousands of flights have been canceled this morning. We're tracking when and where it will hit next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)