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New Day

Record Breaking Snow Buries Boston; Chris Christie Courts Iowa Voters; Rubio Preparing To Decide On A 2016 Run; Matthew Was Charged With Kidnapping Graham

Aired February 10, 2015 - 07:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Well, welcome back to your NEW DAY. Snow no longer fun for the northeast. It's actually the worst kind of record- breaking and the entire region is up against it. Boston has more than five feet of snow. That's a monthly record.

But what matters is it's a real strain on everything, the governor of Massachusetts declaring a state of emergency again. Boston public schools closed again.

And officials now talking about cutting an April break to make up for the snow days. Families are straining to find child care solutions and more snow expected late they are week.

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: Overseas as new fighting rages in Eastern Ukraine. We're hearing from a European diplomat that top rebel leaders will not be represented at the Ukraine peace talks in Minsk, leaders of Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine are scheduled to meet tomorrow. President Obama says he wants to wait to see what comes out of the meeting before deciding whether or not to send arms to Ukraine.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: You remember Drew Peterson? Well, he cannot seem to stay out of trouble. Peterson is the former Illinois cop doing time for killing his third wife. He is also the prime suspect in his fourth wife, Stacy's disappearance.

Well, now he's accused of trying to hire a hit man to kill the lead prosecutor in the 2012 case. Authorities say Peterson tried to organize the hit from his jail cell.

PEREIRA: It's time for CNN Money now, business correspondent, Cristina Alesci, is here with more. What's going on with oil prices, Cristina?

CRISTINA ALESCI, CNN MONEY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it's a big story. Oil prices are bouncing back just a bit almost 20 percent since the start of the month. A lot of people are asking is this rebound for real or just a pause in a seven-month slide that is anybody's guess.

We have the International Energy Agency saying prices will rise. But one very bold Citigroup analyst says we could see oil at $20 very soon. Get this, guys, a new streaming service is shaking up cable TV. Sling TV subscribers get 14 channels, including ESPN, Disney and CNN, for $20 a month. This could be the beginning of the end for traditional cable packages, especially because a lot of people buy them just for the sports.

And the Powerball jackpot is $450 million, that's one of the biggest ever. Don't get too excited. The odds of winning are tiny, just one in 175 million and guys this is a huge point of contention on the CNN Money desk. Christine Romans says stay away. And I say if you're going to buy a latte, maybe forgo that and take a chance.

CAMEROTA: There you go. A good payoff.

ALESCI: Possibly.

CAMEROTA: Chances are against it, but it could pay off. Cristina, thanks so much.

Well, do you feel like reading more than a quarter million emails to and from Jeb Bush? If so today's your lucky day, but you don't have to read all of them for the juicy tidbits, John King has already done that and he will tell you what he's found, "Inside Politics."

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CUOMO: It's 7:39 in the east. You know what that means it's time for "Inside Politics," on NEW DAY with Mr. John king. Good news, good looking.

JOHN KING, CNN HOST, "INSIDE POLITICS": Look at that that's a nice happy toss this morning. Happy Tuesday to you guys. Got nice weather here in D.C., I feel all that stuff in the northeast.

CUOMO: You're from there.

KING: My family is in that snow in Boston. They are loving it up there. My siblings are all up there, they love it. We got a busy morning "Inside Politics," with me this morning to share their reporting and their insight, we've emptied out the "Washington Post" this morning, Nia-Malika Henderson of the "Washington Post" and Ed O'Keefe.

A lot of auction on the 2016 Republican field, let's start with the New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. He's in Iowa and he went out for a forum a couple of weeks ago, now he's back.

He said maybe, look, maybe I'm from New Jersey, maybe people have told you I'm not a conservative. Chris Christie complaints about that a lot, he says, yes, I am. He says as you get to know me, you're going to think I'm just like this guy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOVERNOR CHRIS CHRISTIE (R), NEW JERSEY: One of the great things about President Reagan is the American people felt like we knew him and that if a challenge came up, we'd have a pretty good idea about what Ronald Reagan might say and what he would do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Chris Christie is Ronald Reagan? It's who you want to be if you're running in a Republican primary. No says I'm going to be like George W. Bush or, even like John McCain or Mitt Romney. They all go back to Ronald Reagan.

NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON, "THE WASHINGTON POST": That's right. Not a comparison that would have leaped to the top of my mind and probably not a comparison that would leap to the top of most voters' minds in Iowa. But this is what Chris Christie has to do.

I think he kept saying this. I think his 11th trip to Iowa. He was there before and he keeps telling people in Iowa that eventually they're going to like him. You're going to really like me. It hasn't happened yet at least according to the polls.

I think he's at like 4 percent or something like that, but at some point he's going to have to get past this selling of his personality, right? I think he's in danger of being having a candidacy too wrapped up in his personality.

KING: One of the things he's talking about, you say personality and he has to put some policy in. For the last several months, you've asked him questions and he says I'm not going to talk about it until I'm an official candidate.

But listen to him in this speech in West Des Moines last night, talking about the ISIS threat and turning his attention to President Obama, who he describes here as quite weak.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTIE: You see the president taking bows, saying he has terrorism on the run. Yet ISIS is beheading people and burning foreign soldiers alive.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: This one I think is going to be interesting over the next couple of weeks. You have the candidates out there, OK, perfectly fine, you want to criticize the president, what would you do?

Ted Cruz over the weekend saying you have to get tougher but no boots on the ground, at least not yet. You're going to have on the capital behind me, a debate in the next couple of weeks when the president asks for a formal authorization of military force.

Senator Paul, Senator Rubio, Senator Cruz are going to have to vote on that, Senator Warren people talking about maybe on the Democratic side. We'll get to see who the future would-be presidents, ask them more specifics on this.

ED O'KEEFE, "THE WASHINGTON POST": Yes, and you say weeks, it will be months of debate on this. I think what he's doing here is bringing up a real popular concern among Republicans about the president. We have it on our front page today, the idea that the president slow walks things, whether it's ISIS or Ukraine.

On the campaign trail, very easy to quickly respond to things and I think the president thinks differently about that, but you're right, the fact that this debate will be happening and a majority of those running for president are not directly involved in the debate.

It will be interesting to see what level they're willing to engage in providing specifics, while three Republicans will have to cast a vote.

KING: Someone who has been rather hawkish is Marco Rubio. He is more on the John McCain, Lindsey Graham camp saying we got to be more aggressive. We'll watch how that plays out.

A lot of people thought when Jeb Bush got so active in running that Marco Rubio, the freshmen senator from Florida, a Jeb Bush prodigy would step back. Instead he said no, says I won't criticize my friend, Governor Bush, but maybe it's time for a younger generation.

He's just hired a big name in New Hampshire, Jim Merrell, to help him out in New Hampshire. Listen to him here, talking about why he thinks that he's a little different than the current president.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SENATOR MARCO RUBIO (R), FLORIDA: I think that also hopefully look for someone who has more of a track record than just a handful of years as back bench anywhere the state legislature followed by a handful of years in the Senate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Criticizing President Obama who was in the Illinois State Senate, then he came to Washington, was in the United States Senate briefly. Marco Rubio was the speaker of the Florida House before he came to the United States Senate.

Is that just about President Obama, though, or your head is shaking, am I supposed to read hello, Senator Cruz?

HENDERSON: Yes, I mean, I think you can read that into, yes, Senator Cruz, comparing himself in Rubio comes out more favorably in this. But I think he's still got a hard sell there. This idea of that the Republican Party, that so criticized Obama for being a lightweight, for only being in the Senate for one term.

How he comes in as the young fresh face, who doesn't have that much experience, either, I think he's trying to combat that by seeming to be very serious. He's had his head down. He's been studying. And in some ways he's emerged as a more credible contender than some of the other folks who are in many ways looked at as more front-runners.

O'KEEFE: Rand Paul also, I think you're right. He's very much meticulously, very studiously preparing for this, hiring big-name staffers. Jim Merrill was a guy who was with Romney, sought after by everyone, that that's a very big pick-up for Rubio.

And he's full steam ahead. He's got money events scheduled. He's preparing policy statements and looks as if he's preparing to go probably trying to emerge as the congressional alternative, or at least the more serious alternative coming out of Congress.

HENDERSON: Congressional alternative, younger generation, let's end on Jeb Bush's release, 275,000 emails, you're about to take a trip to Boston. Likely to sit on the tarmac for a long time, you get to read all 275,000. Smart on his part.

You can get them under public records laws, put them out there. Say I'm transparent. I've had some funny email exchanges with Governor Bush over the years. What's the main goal here for Jeb?

HENDERSON: I think it's transparency. That's the thing, get to know me, I'm going to get out here with 275,000 emails and also sort of tweaking Clinton because there's lots of discussion about when she's going to release the State Department emails so he's trying to set the pace.

O'KEEFE: Chris Christie's emails are tied up in federal investigations right now. And others don't have as big a trail. It's a demonstration that this is how a candidate who came about in a different era can start to put out his vision of what he should be doing, an example of what he did in the past.

I've been reading through them. There's nothing terribly interesting so far. But it gives you a good example of how frequently and how willing he was to engage people, not just his staff, but the public on email.

KING: Alisyn, how quick he was to use technology. He said governor of big state, be in touch with your constituents. We'll learn about his policy decisions and mindset. We'll learn about his emails about a raccoon in the tree. What do you think about that?

CAMEROTA: Wow, governors have to do really govern the gamut of issues, that's incredible. All right, John, thanks for breaking it down for us.

All right, we have some breaking developments for you in the killing of the University of Virginia student, Hannah Graham. There are reports this morning that someone has been charged with her murder. Is it the man she was last seen with? We'll explain when we come back.

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PEREIRA: Breaking overnight, reports this morning that Jesse Matthew, the man accused of kidnapping University of Virginia student, Hannah Graham, has been charged in her murder.

Want to bring in Jeffrey Toobin, CNN senior legal analyst and former federal prosecutor and Joey Jackson, HLN legal analyst and criminal defense attorney for the prosecution and the defense. This is a great conversation for us to have.

Jeffrey, let's talk about this because, again, this press conference coming at around 11:00 today. We're expecting to hear that he already has been charged, an upgrade from what he was charged with, abduction with attempt to defile in Graham's case. Talk us what kind of evidence upgrade the charge like this. Help us understand that.

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: Well, it could be DNA evidence. It could be some sort of forensic evidence. What's been striking about this case is that this man appears to be a suspect in multiple cases, including a sexual assault, the death of a Virginia tech student several years earlier.

What's curious is that apparently there was forensic evidence tying him to those two cases, but not the Hannah Graham case. Perhaps the announcement today will suggest that there is forensic evidence in this case.

PEREIRA: So as a defense attorney, what is the challenge then for the defense if this kind of forensic evidence exists? What poses -- what challenges does this --

JOEY JACKSON, HLN LEGAL ANALYST: A couple of things, Michaela. Remember, it's a difficult case and the reason I say that there is a lot more than. Remember that they had Jesse Matthew. He went into the police station. He actually left the police station. He's found 1300 miles away in Galveston.

He needs to be extradited back and the prosecutors will use that as consciousness of guilt. Remember this also, Michaela, there are also limitations with DNA. It doesn't tell us when it got there or how it got there.

I think what you'll see defense attorneys do is certainly challenge that in addition to challenging the DNA, you know, based upon its reliability and any contamination, they could also can see the point.

We know, Michaela, that there is surveillance of Jesse Matthew with her and certainly to the extent that you may have interaction with someone based on the nature of the interaction, your DNA might be there. Does it make you a killer? No. So I would suspect as the case goes on you'll see the defense challenging it in that regard.

PEREIRA: So to you, Jeffrey, then the prosecution has to prove the intent, has to prove that he was there, has to prove all of this. Talk about the challenge for them.

TOOBIN: Well, one of the big legal issues in this case is can the prosecution introduce evidence of the other accusations against him? Because certainly in a case like this the jury would think where there's smoke there's fire.

If this guy keeps being tied to all these different disappearances and crimes against women, that would be extremely devastating. Judges are sometimes hesitant to introduce evidence of other accusations if it hasn't been proved. But if it does the prosecution can establish a pattern of behavior then it might be introduced. I don't know how you would respond to that.

PEREIRA: As a refresher for those at home, in that area there has been a string of murders and missing persons, young women going missing and being found dead later. We do know that on Friday investigators said the case of the missing 17-year-old Alexis Murphy is not linked to Matthews so that is at least one case that they can separate --

JACKSON: Yes.

PEREIRA: -- but there is this other case, what, a sexual assault of another woman back in 2005.

JACKSON: Yes, that's true.

PEREIRA: The behavior seemingly is there.

JACKSON: Right. In terms of the one that you mentioned, which is the 2000 -- the Murphy case, in that case, of course, her killer, Randy Allen, has been convicted, sentenced for two life sentences. He's not on hook for that.

However in 2009, there's Morgan Harrington and there's a link with respect to DNA found on a shirt as to her. And of course, the 2005 case which he's going on trial for, Michaela, in March, that relates to an attempted murder, an actual sexual assault, a rape.

And so the issue that Jeff brought up, very good one, whether that will be able to be used, I say no, because even if legally you establish that it's a motive. It's a common scheme. It's a plan which would legally make it admissible, it's overly prejudicial.

And finally in concluding that, the lawyers will say, if you believe he's done anything in the past of that variety then clearly he did this and trials have to be based on the merits of that trial, not presumptions about what you did at some other time and place.

PEREIRA: Good point. Again, we'll find out this information. It's supposed to happen around 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time, a press conference. We'll wait and of course CNN will be watching you and bringing you that news. Our thanks to you, Joey and Jeffrey as always -- Chris.

CUOMO: All right, thanks, Mich. Each new record for the northeast in snow marks a real problem. Schools, roads, families, we're going to take you live to Boston and give you a first-hand look at what they're going through.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Boston has been pummeled.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's only been 14 days, folks, and we've gotten 70 to 80 inches of snow around the commonwealth.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If we don't get moving, this will bury us quickly.

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: The wind is so hard so it makes it worse.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ISIS still has not offered any proof to back up their claim that Mueller was killed in the Jordanian airstrike.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It has been a living hell for the family. You go numb. You don't want to hear it. You don't want to believe it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Married and in love. You may kiss one another.

(CHEERS)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What may have worked 10 years ago --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is not going to work anymore.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Supreme Court has said by a vote of seven to two same-sex marriages can proceed in Alabama.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is NEW DAY with Chris Cuomo, Alisyn Camerota, and Michaela Pereira.

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