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New Day Sunday

Plane Suddenly Dropping Height; Ebola in Dallas: First Person Dead and First Person Contracted the Virus in U.S., ISIS Getting Dangerously Close to Baghdad and City of Kobane on Turkish Border

Aired October 12, 2014 - 06:30   ET

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

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Christi, Victor, good morning. Imagine this, kids screaming and passengers in pain from their ears popping. That's how one passenger described the rapid dissent to 10,000 feet on a flight from New York to Charlotte, North Carolina, on Saturday. Passenger Danny Lipford shot this video after the oxygen masks deployed simultaneously. He said that it was a very dramatic event. Now after that, the pilot let everyone know that the plane had just gone down from 36,000 feet to 10,000 feet.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everything seemed pretty normal at that point and then all of a sudden everyone's oxygen masks dropped and, you know, I've been on hundreds and hundreds of flights before. And you always hear about that. You get the instructions about it, but never have actually seen that. And so it was a little bit startling when all of them dropped at the exact same time with no real announcement ahead of time. Well, certainly, when the masks are dropped, it was very, very quiet. Nobody really get alarmed. Everybody at the flight was still looking around and the whole crew just handled everything extremely well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FLORES: Danny also says everyone was surprisingly calm. The plane landed normally, airline personnel were at the gate to answer passenger questions. EMTs were also on hand. Now, according to U.S. Airways, 146 passengers were onboard and no one was hurt. The maintenance team is evaluating the plane, no word on the cause of the pressurization issue. Christi, Victor.

CHRISTI PAUL, CNN ANCHOR: We are following breaking news this morning.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Texas health officials have now confirmed a second case of Ebola here in the U.S. If confirmed by the CDC, this would be the first time that someone has actually contracted the deadly virus inside the United States. And here's what we know. The infected patient is a health care worker in Dallas who treated Thomas Eric Duncan.

PAUL: Duncan died Wednesday, remember, after contracting the virus. He did so in Liberia. Now according to Texas health officials, the worker reported a low fever on Friday night and was isolated for testing at that point. The hospital confirmed the preliminary test results overnight and said this, "We knew a second case could be a reality and we've been preparing for this possibility. We're broadening our team in Dallas and working with extreme diligence to prevent further spread."

BLACKWELL: Officials have interviewed the patient and are now trying to identify anyone else who may have been exposed.

PAUL: We're going to have more on this in just a moment. Stay close.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAUL: So glad to have you with us as we follow this breaking news this morning. Texas health officials have confirmed a second case of Ebola here in the U.S. And if confirmed by the CDC, which is where it goes next, this would be the very first time someone has contracted this deadly virus inside America.

BLACKWELL: Yeah, here's what we know this morning. This infected patient is a health care worker in Dallas who treated Thomas Eric Duncan. Duncan died Wednesday after contracting the virus in Liberia.

PAUL: According to Texas health officials, the worker reported a low fever on Friday night and was isolated then for testing at that point. But the hospital confirmed the preliminary test for those overnight with this statement saying "We knew a second case could be a reality and we have been preparing for the possibility. We're broadening our team in Dallas and working with extreme diligence to prevent further spread."

BLACKWELL: CNN senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen has been in Dallas covering the fight against Ebola. She's with us throughout this hour by phone. Elizabeth, we heard from the secretary of HHS. Sylvia Burwell. We heard from the Texas lieutenant governor that Duncan's case and the handling of it was led by county officials. Considering some of the missteps, some of the problems, do we expect the state or the CDC to take a larger role in handling this case?

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: You know what Victor that will be interesting to see. The CDC traditionally has really let state -- state or local governments run investigations. It's not the CDC's place to always take the lead. They really defer to the state. So it will be interesting to see if now the CDC says OK, there are some things that are concerning here. We're going to come in and take more of a commanding presence here.

Now, it is important to remember that it's so important to know when this health care worker took care of Mr. Duncan. Because if it was done before they realized he had Ebola, well, that is a mistake that we knew about. If the contact was after it was known that he had Ebola, that's a whole different ball game. That means that some things didn't go the way it was supposed to.

PAUL: Elizabeth, if I recall correctly, you sometimes had a hard time extracting information about how Thomas Eric Duncan had been treated. Do we know, does he ever get that experimental treatment? And do you think that same treatment will be available to this next case?

COHEN: He did eventually get an experimental treatment. It was six- six days into his hospitalization, and it was about ten days into his illness. Getting a treatment ten days into Ebola is not ideal. You want it to be much earlier than that. And other patients in the United States got their experimental treatment much earlier than that. It will be interesting, first of all, we don't know where the second case is hospitalized. We don't know, there is Presbyterian, or there is somewhere else. It really becomes a decision that the patient has to make with the doctor. Do you want an experimental treatment and if so, which one do you want?

I know that sounds a little strange to say do you want an experimental treatment, you would think that everyone would raise their hands. But it's important to remember, these experimental treatments have not been proven to work in people. They, in fact, could do harm to people. So it's really the decision that people have to make. The problematic part of Duncan's care is that Duncan's family told me they wanted an experimental treatment. That they begged for one. And it took six days in the hospital to get one.

PAUL: All right. Elizabeth Cohen, she's getting by with us here. Thank you, Elizabeth, so much. We're going to take a quick break and have more for you in just a moment.

COHEN: OK, thanks.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLACKWELL: ISIS fighters are developing now a stranglehold on two key areas in Iraq. Anbar province in Iraq, leaders are pleading for U.S. ground troops to stop a relentless assault by ISIS, if it's overrun. The terrorist would be dangerously close to Baghdad. And Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel insists Iraqi forces are in full control of the capital. But --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHUCK HAGEL, U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY: Anbar province is in trouble. We know that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: And if ISIS threatens Baghdad airports, the situation could deteriorate quickly. Today, the Iraqi head of the Anbar police force was killed in the roadside bombing. Now let's go across the border into Syria in Kobane there on the Turkey border. ISIS fighters already control a large chunk of the city. U.S. airstrikes have not stopped the advance. The U.N. special envoy warns of a massacre if this city falls.

Our Arwa Damon is there. Arwa, what is the situation like there? Can the Kurds pull out and do they have the resources to do that?

ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: At this stage, it's been oddly quiet for most of the morning. One of the fighters inside Kobane, one of the Kurdish fighters is telling us that there were some pretty fierce clashes happening in the early hours of the morning. He and the number of other people told us that at least keep calling (ph) some airstrikes (INAUDIBLE). They believe, these fighters are saying that the concern was that ISIS was perhaps planning some sort of an attack, some sort of major assault since they seem to be at this stage. Those clashes (INAUDIBLE) their positions (INAUDIBLE). Turkish military seek position on the (INAUDIBLE). Just right before we were coming up. (INAUDIBLE).

But Turkey is one of the (INAUDIBLE) of the border. Because they (INAUDIBLE) hundreds of ISIS targets in Kobane and on the hillside and on the open (INAUDIBLE) overlooking Kobane, Turkey, does have the legal cover it needs to (INAUDIBLE) a military operation. Perhaps in a regulation not too long ago, authorizing cross border military operations. Turkey, however, at this stage saying that it is not going to be militarily involved. It wants to see a broader operation being put together. They're not only (INAUDIBLE) with the threat that ISIS poses, but also on the heels with the Syrian regime. That at this stage is not something that the U.S. and its allies are willing to consider going after the regime of Bashar al-Assad. We have this situation where when it comes to Kobane, when it comes to the plight of the Syrian Kurdish population, what they're increasingly doing as if they're pawns in the broader political game that is being played out here.

BLACKWELL: All right, Arwa Damon there at the Turkey -- Syria border. We'll try to get a better connection and get some answers to the questions about the humanitarian crisis there. Arwa, thank you so much.

PAUL: We are staying on top of the breaking news this morning, yes, a second case now of Ebola confirmed here in the U.S. Now health officials are racing to try to figure out who else might have been exposed. Stay close.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NED NORTON: When I'm running, I feel limitless. Being in motion makes me feel free. When you are really pushing yourself, that's when you really feel alive. But there are millions of people around the world that are facing severe physical limitations. They can't be independent, they can't live their lives.

I've spent years training Olympic athletes, football players, body builders. One day, a young guy, spinal cord injured came to the gym asking for help. At first, I didn't know what to do. But just worked together. He made tremendous progress.

Take a breath -- reach out. Reach out. Bring it out.

Before you knew it, my phone rang off and --

With people asking for help -- bring it up.

So, I opened the gym designed to fit their needs.

Ready to go to work?

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: Yes!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For the past 25 years, I've provided strength and conditioning training for people with disabilities, plus --

Stretch up! Nice job!

People come to me when they are at their lows.

Up, up, up, up. Hold it. Bracket.

(INAUDIBLE)

NORTON: You come to the gym, and all of a sudden, you have a natural support network.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In 1971, I broke my back and I've been in the wheel chair ever since.

NORTON: That's it, Tom.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thanks to Ned, I keep my upper body strength at a maximum -- I've been able to live a full life.

NORTON: I never worry about what they can't do. I worry about what they can do.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can do it, Ned.

NORTON: Yes, you can. Good job.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I did up to 10.

NORTON: I'm building them up, building them stronger so they can live and live life like they're supposed to.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAUL: Already, following breaking news this morning about the second case of Ebola here on American soil in Texas. We will talk more about that in a moment. Because we're also learning this morning that the NBC News crew who worked with infected Ebola patient Ashoko Mukpo is under a mandatory quarantine after violating a voluntary agreement to stay in isolation for 21 days.

BLACKWELL: Mukpo contracted a virus while working as a freelance cameraman for the network in Liberia. Now, according to hospital officials, Mukpo's health is improving. He is now able to eat solid food and has been given an experimental drug and blood transfusion.

PAUL: Meanwhile, a nurse's assistant in Spain who is the first person to contract the deadly virus outside of Africa is now listed in stable but serious condition. This is according to hospital officials there. Sources tell CNN the woman is conscious and she is talking.

BLACKWELL: And five of the nation's busiest airports, they're all scheduled to unveil enhanced Ebola screening by Thursday. JFK became the first airport in the country yesterday to unveil the new screening measures. CNN's Alison Kosik has more for us.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Victor, Christi, additional screening for Ebola has begun here at JFK International Airport. It means that passengers coming from Ebola customs in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia will be walked to a different area and screened. Here's how the process will work. They will be brought to a designated area.

So, each of the passengers will have their temperatures taken. They'll be asked questions about their travel. They'll be asked even if they've been in contact with someone who is sick with Ebola. If given the all clear, they will be asked to leave their contact information with officials. They'll also be asked to leave to go ahead when they leave, to keep a log of their temperatures for 21 days. Now if there are any red flags, passengers will be taken to a quarantine zone for further evaluation. But interestingly enough, even as this screening begins, the CDC recognizes that it's not foolproof.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. MARTIN CETRON, CDC INFECTIOUS DISEASE SPECIALIST: No matter how many of the procedures are put into place, we can't get the risk to zero. That will not be the case. But this additional layer should add a measure of security and assurance to the American public.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSIK: The enhanced screening here at JFK International Airport is considered a pilot program that will be rolled out to four other airports here in the U.S. on Thursday. Those include Dulles International, Newark, O'Hare International and Hartsfield Jackson in Atlanta.

Christi and Victor.

PAUL: All right. Alison Kosik, thank you so much.

And thank you for starting your morning with us.

BLACKWELL: We've got much more on the breaking news coming up in the next hour of your "NEW DAY." It starts right now.

PAUL: Wishing you all a good morning. I'm Christi Paul.

BLACKWELL: I'm Victor Blackwell. Almost 7:00 here on the East Coast.

PAUL: Yeah, and let's talk about that breaking news out of Texas, because health officials there have confirmed the second case of Ebola here in the U.S. and if confirmed by the CDC, here's what is important about this, it would be the first time someone has contracted the deadly virus inside the United States.

BLACKWELL: And here's what we are learning, the infected patient is a health care worker in Dallas who worked to treat Thomas Eric Duncan. Now, you know, Duncan died Wednesday after contracting Ebola in Liberia.

PAUL: According to Texas health officials, the worker reported a low fever on Friday night and at that point was isolated so they could do more testing. The hospital confirmed the preliminary test results overnight with this statement. "We knew a second case could be a reality and we've been preparing for this possibility.