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Record Snow in Boston; Deep Freeze from Midwest to Northeast; Hillary Clinton: Science is Clear, Vaccines Work

Aired February 03, 2015 - 06:00   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A monster storm slamming the northeast.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Put safety first, put your family first.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's icy, rain, which makes the roads like impossible.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You can't really see the road right now. Everything is all like blurry.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not arguing vaccines are a bad idea, but I think parents should have an input.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The vaccines can cause severe reactions.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a public health measure. We don't want to wait for a kid to die.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Measles is preventable. You should get your kids vaccinated.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just look at the destruction and how far eastern Ukraine has fallen.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We think the answer is to squeeze Russia. Try to get them to the table with those separatists.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If this is not stopped now, we're going to see the end of a democratic Ukraine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, welcome to your NEW DAY. It is Tuesday, February 3rd, just about 6:00 in the east.

Millions of commuters this morning are taking a risk. The combination of snow, sleet and freezing temperatures are dangerous and record snowfall is everywhere you look. Boston and outlying areas have seen the brunt. School has been closed five out of the last seven days.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Let's talk more about Boston, because the back-to-back snowstorms breaking records once again. This is the snowiest week ever in Boston. That's saying a lot. It got more than 40 inches in the last seven days. The heavy snow and frigid temperatures forcing officials to postpone the Patriots victory parade. This while hundreds of flights are canceled this morning and another snowstorm is on the way.

Let's begin our team coverage with Alexandra Field. She is in Boston.

What's the latest there, Alexandra?

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Alisyn.

Look, the celebrations simply have to wait, because the situation is still serious: another foot of snow dumped on the city. There are now concerns about ice. This is a storm that has killed at least ten people nationwide, according to authorities.

In Boston it isn't just the snow that they're dealing with, but now they are concerned about the dangers that could happen with these dropping temperatures.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FIELD (voice-over): Overnight a fatal deep freeze stunning the Northeast. A dangerous trifecta of high winds, over a foot of snow in some parts, and below-freezing temperatures from New Jersey to Maine.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're asking people, if you can, stay off the roads.

FIELD: Boston declared a snow emergency once again, setting the record for the snowiest week in the city's history. The new fear: ice as accidents litter the roadways.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In New Jersey it's icy rain, which makes the roads, like, impossible.

FIELD: The New England Patriots parade postponed. And scores of schools closed. Many not for snow, but...

TODD O'SHELL (PH), PRESIDENT, R.A. (PH) SCHOOL DISTRICT: It's more of an ice day, concerned about the driveways, sidewalks, the areas the students are getting on the bus.

FIELD: In Maine, wind gusts produced bitterly cold wind chills, up to 20 degrees below zero.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've seen a lot of people slip and fall. I've seen the buses slip back down the street.

FIELD: Other states dropped to the single digits.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can't really see the road right now. Everything is all, like, blurry.

FIELD: West of Boston... UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh!

FIELD: Treacherous conditions on the roads, causing these teens to lose control of their ATV, sliding into a parked car.

In Rye, New York, a minivan losing control on a major highway, careening into a previous ice-related accident, killing the other two drivers.

LEON PAVONE, NEW YORK MOTORIST: Horrible, horrible. People have to slow down.

FIELD: In Vermont, several snowplows were hit while trying to clear roadways. One slammed by a passing 18-wheeler. Another driver was trapped for 40 minutes after hitting a plow truck and had to be removed with the jaws of life.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Treat the roads with caution. If you have to go out, go slow.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FIELD: There's still a lot of work to be done here in Boston. But even before this storm set in, the city was making efforts to clear the roads on its parade route, just in case they would, in fact, be welcoming home the Super Bowl champions, which they plan to do tomorrow.

Now, for a long time yesterday, they felt they were going to be able to go ahead with this parade for the Patriots. Finally, last night the mayor made a decision. Conditions just too dangerous to bring so many people out here to celebrate in a safe way -- Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: Alexandra, so many examples of just how treacherous the roads are. Thank you for that reminder.

Also, the deep freeze being felt in more than just the Northeast. You may remember Martin Savidge's dramatic live shots from Cleveland yesterday here on NEW DAY. That city got walloped by strong winds and more than a foot of snow. That was Martin trying to tell us about it yesterday.

So let's check back in with Martin now. He's in Cleveland, where wind chills are well below zero this morning.

Martin, how you doing?

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Alisyn.

So kind of you to check back on me. What a difference 24 hours has made. It has finally stopped snowing, and the best news of all is that wind has finally stopped blowing. But as you point out, it is just absolutely bitter cold.

Slight breeze, which means with the temperature we've got right now, we're about 6 degrees below zero. But it just feels downright balmy compared to what I was enduring yesterday.

We should say that, in the end, the total of snow in Cleveland came from anywhere to 8 inches to almost 13 inches. And then on top of that, it appears that the weather is going to improve slightly today. But it's only going to be a short respite. Because as you've already heard, more snow is on the way.

Cleveland is on the plus side, no surprise when it comes to seasonal snowfall. They're up by about five inches.

Today, though, the schools are back open. The airport is going to be more normal, except for flights coming from the east. It should be just a typical winter's day here in Cleveland.

Let me show you what's got people really excited. If you look to the top of that brilliantly-lit terminal tower, those colors are wine and gold. The reason for that: the Cavs have now won 11 in a row with LeBron James' help and that's got Clevelanders this morning feeling toasty warm on an otherwise bitter morning.

And every time I touch this side of the face, I remember yesterday very well. Wind burn.

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: Well, you look -- you look a whole lot better today, my goodness. I think it's that Cleveland wind, though, that warmed the cockles of your heart. It's still -- what, it feels like minus 6 out there, Martin?

SAVIDGE: Oh!

PEREIRA: OK, we need to get you a hat, my friend. We need to get you a hat.

SAVIDGE: I can do that. Up, right here.

PEREIRA: OK.

SAVIDGE: Right here, right here, my hat.

PEREIRA: All right.

SAVIDGE: Fear not. Next time you'll see me with this.

PEREIRA: OK. Stay warm.

So here's the question: we saw this last week. We saw this this week. How long is this cold going to last? We're hearing talk there might be another snowstorm -- Don't shoot the messenger -- later this week. Let's bring in CNN meteorologist Chad Myers in Columbus Circle.

People are getting tired of this Groundhog Day storyline that we have here.

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: I know. I've heard about the snowstorm other networks are talking about. I don't believe it.

PEREIRA: You don't?

MYERS: We'll get -- not at all.

Let me get to something else. You know, I went to Chris Cuomo's dry cleaner yesterday, and I asked them for light starch, and this is what I got. Chris? Ha do you do with these dry cleaners, man? Look at this. This is just a t-shirt.

CUOMO: It looks about right, though. You've got -- you want a little bit of stiffness in you there, Chad, especially when you're out there. You know, you want to feel a little upright.

MYERS: We put this on the hood of the car about an hour ago, poured some water on it, and it honestly looks like -- I don't know -- a frozen piece of cardboard. Thanks for your shirt, J.J.

Anyway, temperatures are cold enough to freeze a shirt and cold enough to freeze you and cold enough to freeze your pets, so please take care of them this morning. Temperatures are in the single digits to the teens. Plattsburg, New York, when I woke up this morning was 10 below zero.

Look at the snow cover. The snow cover now goes all the way from Chicago right through Detroit and back into Buffalo and all the way through Boston, and the deepest stuff is about Worcester. I've seen reports in the past seven days, Worcester County about 60 inches of snow.

Here's the next storm that I believe is a clipper coming on by. There's another computer model that's saying a lot more for Boston here again. But right now I'm thinking two to three inches of snow, and that comes in about 48-72 hours. We will have to look to see if something can combine.

But right now, we're always talking about these models. Are they right, are they wrong? Some are right, some are wrong. Two are saying absolutely nothing. The one, the European is saying yes, it could be something. And we'll take a look at it as it gets closer. Right now still too many days away to make a definitive answer. And the temperatures are very, very cold.

If we get any type of precip, with temperatures like this, it will be frozen, of course. We're not going to get rain any time soon, and I don't see -- I don't see us warming up significantly here in the east for the next 30 days. So maybe Punxsutawney Phil was slightly correct. Warm in the west, cold in the east.

Chris, I'd have a talk with your dry cleaner.

CUOMO: I've got to talk with you. Thirty days, no rise in temperatures? Don't kill hope. Don't kill hope, Chad Myers.

MYERS: I'm sorry.

CUOMO: I was going to tell you to come in, but now you stay out here.

MYERS: No, I'll be out here. I'll -- I'm playing out here all week.

CUOMO: You're the best. We'll check back with you in a little bit.

So we're talking about what is to come. But you know, right now there's plenty to deal with. So let's get the latest from the frost- fighting front. That's not easy to say. That's not easy to do, either.

Peter Judge is with the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency. It's good to have you with us, Peter. How is it going right now where you are?

PETER JUDGE, MASSACHUSETTS EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY (via phone): Well, right now we've still got a lot of work to do. I know the governor has asked nonemergency state workers to not bother to come in until 11 a.m. this morning. Still, a lot of work on the roads right now to get caught up, and the temperatures aren't helping. The wind- chill factors are about minus 15 degrees right now. So it's -- it's going to be a challenge.

CUOMO: I have people who are hitting me on social media and saying, "Wow, it's really hard driving here." The snow that's still on road, plus the temperatures has made this some of the most difficult driving they've seen so far. What are you hearing?

JUDGE: That's correct. What happened late yesterday afternoon is the temperatures dropped about 20 degrees in about two hours. So we had a slash freeze. So the snowy surfaces or the wet surfaces instantly froze. So we had ice skating rinks out there for a period of time. And very difficult for the crews to crack and get things, you know, down to the pavement.

CUOMO: There is a lot of pressure among business to get back to work. How are you reaching out to them? And are they responsive about trying to keep their schedules light during this period?

JUDGE: Absolutely. Efforts are made. We're encouraging folks to take public transportation. That being said, our Red Line, one of our commuter lines, is having difficulty today, which is not helping.

There are a few major areas, city of Boston, the city of Worcester and some other communities still don't have schools open. But other schools are slowly opening up. As I said, the communities are trying to get back on their feet; and I think businesses are making an effort. And I think there's action out there.

CUOMO: Is it true that you are running out of room for where to put snow?

JUDGE: That's probably the biggest problem, particularly with the cities, which have the -- you know, the congested small streets to start with. Literally, they're trucking snow out to snow farms at this point just to make room. Environmentally, you can't dump it into the river. You can't dump it into the harbor, so you've got to move it somewhere. And that's been the effort. There's been a lot of front-loaders coming in from you'll across the state to assist those cities just to make room for cars and have folks get the sidewalks cleaned up. Particularly planning for the Patriots victory parade tomorrow. You figure downtown, at least accessible to people.

CUOMO: Snow farms, I guess you can find a way to make money in any situation. That's one of those unintended opportunities that come out of this one.

Now you mentioned the parade tomorrow. How popular or unpopular was it to move the parade? And what are you looking forward to there?

JUDGE: Well, I think common sense kicked in. You know, the streets weren't quite ready. I think that when the city announced it originally, I think they were expecting probably six less inches of snow than what they got yesterday.

And plus, the fact is the temperatures are going to be so bitterly cold today. I think it wouldn't have been a wise idea to get a lot of kids and folks, you know, standing out on the streets for hours on end, while you know, the -- as I said, the negative 15 degrees wind- chill factors were out there.

CUOMO: Well, look, I mean, the whole point is celebration. You want to do it the right way. One day is not going to make that big a difference, especially with the way everything's shut down up there.

Let me ask you one last thing. Going forward, more snow is coming. Chad Myers, our meteorologist, just said the worst thing I've heard in a long time, which is that it's going to be cold for, like, the next month. Do you have the resources and assets you need to keep going?

JUDGE: So far, so good. Nice thing is, though, if we have problems, we've got great relationships with surrounding states and also the Canadian provinces, so if we have to reach out for equipment or reach out for assets, we know that they can be available, if necessary.

But right now we're still in pretty good shape relative to sand and salt and chemicals and machinery out there. The only thing right now is our people are starting to run out of gas a little bit. So we need a break for a while to kind of let these people recharge their batteries.

CUOMO: Right. And let suppliers get in, as well. Peter Judge, thank you very much for giving us the latest. We are here to get information out as you need it.

JUDGE: OK, Chris.

CUOMO: All right. Take care. Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: Chris, that ripple effect of the massive storm is still grounding air travelers. This morning hundreds of flights already canceled. This on the heels of thousands of cancellations yesterday. CNN's Jean Casarez joins us live from New York's LaGuardia Airport with the latest.

How's it looking, Jean?

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, this airport is bustling with passengers today. I mean, so unlike yesterday. But the big question, just like you said, that domino effect. Are they all going to be able to get on planes today?

Now currently right now, across the country, there's 515 cancellations. And that's a far cry from yesterday: 2,400 cancellations at this time.

But let's look at the airports that have the major cancellations. No. 1 on the list, right here where I am, LaGuardia with 84 cancellations; Boston Logan at 66; and Chicago-O'Hare at 26.

But I'm talking to people have these nightmare stories. They're really taking it in their strides this morning. But one couple, dream vacation to St. Thomas. They were canceled all day yesterday. They are told they're going to be on a flight today, but here's the issue. They've got a hotel room in St. Thomas that is vacant, and they're having to pay for it night after night because they're not there.

Another student from Florida missed a big exam yesterday. A lot of people going to Florida, they tell me they want to get out of here. It's just too cold -- Michaela.

PEREIRA: Yes, we don't blame them. All right, Jean, we'll keep watching that with you.

Breaking overnight in Egypt, Cairo is on alert this morning after police found a pair of bombs inside that city's airport. The devices were found in separate terminals. No arrests have yet been made. We're told security officials are reviewing video footage. It all comes after a homemade bomb detonated at a busy square in central Cairo. There were no reports of any injuries.

CUOMO: Is Cuba's former leader, Fidel Castro, in declining health? Judge for yourself. Cuba's communist party newspaper published a gallery of photos that they say show the 88-year-old talking to a university student alongside his wife. These are the first supposedly new images we've seen of Castro in nearly six months. The truth: Castro is seen holding a newspaper, reporting the release of three Cuban spies in December. Castro has rarely been seen in public since handing over power to his brother Raul in 2006.

CAMEROTA: Well, the Super Bowl ratings are in: a record 114 million people watched the Patriots and Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX. It is now the most-watched televised event in U.S. history. Viewership peaked at 120 million during the game's dramatic fourth-quarter finish. It was also the most tweeted Super Bowl, with 28.4 million tweets related to the game and halftime shows.

PEREIRA: Alisyn, I have three theories.

CAMEROTA: Go right ahead. PEREIRA: They're threefold. Was it the weather? We couldn't go anywhere. Most of the Northeast was snowed in. Second of all, was it the match-up? Hawks fans are rabid; Patriots fans are rabid.

CUOMO: Both close (ph).

PEREIRA: Or was it the halftime show?

CAMEROTA: I know that last year's was the second-most watched television event in history and this one exceeded it.

CUOMO: It's impressive, as we see the slicing of the pie of things you can watch and how, that something winds up creating a record all- time.

CAMEROTA: Absolutely.

CUOMO: So take it as success.

CAMEROTA: Yes, it's amazing when the nation comes together to do one thing.

CUOMO: Watch football.

CAMEROTA: All right. Exactly.

PEREIRA: Well, the debate over measles vaccinations is getting political. We'll tell you the controversial things the potential presidential front-runners are saying about vaccines.

CUOMO: I hope you're listening. So much snow they don't know where to put it. That is the dilemma in Boston. Another storm possibly coming? We're going to tell you where it could be headed. Is it coming near you? And how bad it might be.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CAMEROTA: Hillary Clinton, wading into the debate about vaccines and measles, overnight she tweeted this, quote, "The science is clear: The earth is round, the sky is blue, and" -- hash tag -- "#vaccineswork. Let's protect all our kids." Hash tag -- "#GrandmothersKnowBest."

Her comments follow controversial statements from top Republicans, Governor Chris Christie and Senator Rand Paul about vaccines.

So let's bring in Dr. Amesh Adalja. He's an infectious disease physician at the University of Pittsburgh Center for Health Security.

Dr. Adalja, thanks so much for being here. Let's start with the science and the developments that have happened overnight, and then we'll move onto the politics of the vaccine debate.

But a couple of interesting things have happened. The CDC has come out and said that they don't know the origin of this latest outbreak of 102 cases. They don't know who started this. But they believe it might have been a tourist from overseas who visited Disneyland in December. So how can the U.S. protect itself from incoming tourists who may be carrying measles?

DR. AMESH ADALJA, INFECTIOUS DISEASE PHYSICIAN, UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH CENTER FOR HEALTH SECURITY: The best way for the U.S. to protect itself from incoming measles from all over the world, because measles may be eliminated from the Americas, but it still spreads in Asia, Africa and Europe, is to have a high level of vaccination. So we have that what's called herd immunity built up. So when we do get an infected tourist, it -- that virus can't really find a home in another host, and it doesn't really start off the chain of transmission. So it's really our vaccination rates that keep this disease from breaching our walls.

CAMEROTA: Now, interestingly, the CDC on their web site also says that, of those 102 cases, known cases of measles, that they believe somewhere between 12 percent and 31 percent of those newest cases were people who were vaccinated. So what does that tell us?

ADALJA: Well, vaccination isn't 100 percent. It's the best way we have to prevent measles, and it is a highly effective vaccine, as opposed to, for example, the influenza vaccine. But we do have non- responders who will -- who won't mount a response to the vaccine, and there are always going to be those non-responders with any vaccine. And that's why, again, herd immunity is so important, that they're all protected by the immune population as a whole.

CAMEROTA: OK, let's move to the politics of this, because I want to play you a statement from Rand Paul. He is considered to be a possible presidential candidate in 2016. He's also a practicing physician. Here's what he just said about vaccines.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. RAND PAUL (R), KENTUCKY: I've heard of many tragic cases of walking, talking, normal children who wound up with profound mental disorders after vaccines. I'm not arguing vaccines are bad idea. I think they're a good thing. But I think the parents should have some input. the state doesn't own your children. parents own the children, and it is an issue of freedom.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: Dr. Adalja, I mean, he is just touching on exactly what parents fear, rational or irrational, but he's talking about it. Can parents ever have a choice when it comes to vaccines? Or is that a bad idea?

ADALJA: It depends upon the context and what disease you're talking about. Surely every child in the United States doesn't need to be vaccinated against Japanese encephalitis, for example, or typhoid fever. But for certain communicable diseases like measles, which are highly contagious and can be fatal -- remember, measles kills 145,000 children every year -- there comes a point where your liberty to raise your child as you wish kind of doesn't include the liberty to willfully neglect the child. And that can happen in a setting of a communicable disease outbreak, and certain disease do fall into that category. CAMEROTA: So I mean, Dr. Adalja, do you think pediatricians should

ever say to parents, "Listen, here are the facts. There's an infinitesimal chance that your child may suffer a vaccine injury. It does happen, but it's a very, very small fraction of people. But there is a chance that there could be a measles outbreak and, for the public good, you should have your child vaccinated."

I mean, can pediatricians have those conversations? Because it seems as though right now you just have to say you must get vaccinated.

ADALJA: Pediatricians should have those kind of risk/benefit discussions with their parents on almost every medical decision, including vaccines.

And I wouldn't say it's just for the public good that people get a measles vaccine. You actually -- this is a very self-interested action, because you are protecting yourself from a disease that kills one in 1,000, that puts 1 in 20 in the hospital with pneumonia. So this isn't something that you're only doing for other people. You're doing this for yourself and your own child to protect them against this deadly disease.

CAMEROTA: Here is what another possible presidential candidate, Chris Christie, had to say about vaccines, and he got himself into a little bit of trouble. Listen to the governor of New Jersey.

All right. I'll read to you what it says. "All I can say is that vaccines -- that we vaccinate our children. So that's the best I can give you is my opinion." Here he is now. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE (R), NEW JERSEY: All I can say is that we vaccinate ours. And so you know, that's the best expression I can give you my opinion. You know, it's much more important, I think, what you think as a parent than what you think as a public official. And that's what we do.

But I also understand that parents need to have some measure of choice in things, as well. So that's the balance that the government has to decide.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: Dr. Adalja, what you heard Chris Christie say is it's important to have parents have some measure of choice, as well. But really parents cannot have any measure of choice when it comes to vaccines, right?

ADALJA: Well, schools have a right to set their -- in terms of enrollment. And if you're going to enroll your children in a public school or a private school with a certain vaccination policy, you have to follow that policy.

Like I said, choice doesn't -- doesn't give someone the ability to neglect their child from -- from contracting a communicable disease. And we've seen cases of parents refraining from giving children antibiotics, and they're successfully prosecuted for manslaughter. And I do think, with certain communicable diseases, it rises to the level of neglect if you don't vaccinate your child.

CAMEROTA: Dr. Amesh Adalja, thanks so much for your opinion and giving us all the stats on this. It's great to talk to you.

This is an ongoing debate, of course. And we want to know how you feel about it and also what questions do you still have about the measles outbreak and vaccinations? We're going to get some answers for you from Dr. Sanjay Gupta in the next hour. So please send your questions to us at Facebook.com/NewDay. Or you can tweet us, @NewDay. Use the hash tag #vaccines, and we'll get you those answers.

Meanwhile, from the Midwest to the Northeast, people are still digging out from a round of major storms. Mother Nature ready to unleash her wrath again? Details on the deep freeze and the next storm. That's next.

CUOMO: Alisyn, yesterday I called a groundhog a rodent, which it is. Some of you didn't like it, saying they're little bundles of cuteness. Well, after this break, I will show you what a furry fugazi (ph) Chad Myers is actually capable of.

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