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New Day Sunday

Japan: "We Will Never, Never Forgive" ISIS; Whitney Houston's Daughter in Medically Induced Coma; 50 Million People in Storm's Path

Aired February 01, 2015 - 07:00   ET

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

IVAN CABRERA, AMS METEOROLOGIST: A good foot to 16 inches in some areas. But as we take you farther to the east by the time we get into Monday, there will be warm enough air, guys, where I think New York is going to mix and turn over to rain and freezing rain and that is a mess for the morning commute and Boston does get several more inches of accumulation and winter storm warnings posted there as well. I think New York will be OK. They have to be careful as you're traveling and probably not need the shovels there.

CHRISTI PAUL, CNN ANCHOR: Good to know.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Enough for Boston. Enough for Boston.

CABRERA: Enough, but it's more.

BLACKWELL: Yes. All right. Thank you, Ivan.

PAUL: We have so much more starting. We are so glad you're starting your morning with us here at NEW DAY.

BLACKWELL: Next hour of your NEW DAY starts now.

PAUL: We will never forgive -- forget or forgive, rather. That is the message from Japan as the nation mourns the apparent beheading of a Japanese journalist. The question now is what will happen to the Jordanian fighter pilot also in ISIS hands.

BLACKWELL: It was almost three years ago that her mother was found dead in a hotel bathtub. Now, the daughter of Whitney Houston is found in similar conditions as the young woman now fights for her life this morning.

PAUL: Plus, just days after Mitt Romney bows out of the 2016 presidential race, a new front-runner could be emerging. Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker is finding himself in the top of a key battleground state.

Your NEW DAY starts now.

Always so grateful for your company. Good morning. I'm Christi Paul.

BLACKWELL: I'm Victor Blackwell. Good to be with you.

The silent grieving protesters -- they are filling the streets in Japan.

PAUL: And world leaders in the U.S., France, Britain, they all say they will not let ISIS get away with its latest killing of an innocent hostage. ISIS latest victim, this man, Japanese freelance journalist Kenji Goto. A video released by ISIS appears to show his decapitated body. He is the second Japanese hostage killed by ISIS in just a week.

BLACKWELL: We're covering this from all angles. CNN's Will Ripley is in Tokyo.

PAUL: And CNN's Erin McPike is at the White House for us.

But, Will, we do want to start with you. Talk about what's happening in Tokyo as to the reaction of this beheading.

WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There was -- this was not surprising for people here in Japan who had feared that this was going to happen when the latest ISIS deadline passed and there was silence from that terror group as we have seen throughout this hostage crisis. Those periods of silence and, quite quickly, when ISIS posts another video and given that their last threat was that they were going to take the life of Kenji Goto and the Jordanian pilot as well Muath al- Kasasbeh, people here did fear the worse, but that did not mitigate the tremendous shock and grief at the brutality of this video, especially considering the fact that the journalist who was murdered, Kenji Goto, is somebody who people in Japan have really grown to know over the last week.

Every major network here has shown his picture and told his story about the work that he did, his passion for going to some of the most dangerous places in the world and telling the stories of innocent people whose lives were in turmoil. And so, the outrage is shared by not only the people, but also Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as well.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHINZO ABE, JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER (through translator): I feel the strongest anger against this atrocious despicable act. I will never forgive the terrorists. Japan will expand further humanitarian support which is food and medical support to the region.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RIPLEY: Japan, as you know, pledged $200 million to the coalition that fights ISIS. Some have said that his very public announcement of that may have put the two Japanese hostages Haruna Yukawa and Kenji Goto in danger. Both men are now gone.

But the one thing that this video doesn't answer, the big question, what has happened to the Jordanian pilot? He is not mentioned in this ISIS video. So, of course, there is also concern and compassion here for the family of that man as well, al-Kasasbeh.

BLACKWELL: All right. Will, thank you.

Let's go to Erin now. Erin, what's the response from the White House?

ERIN MCPIKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Victor, we did get a statement from President Obama last night. I want to read part of that statement with you. He says, our thoughts are with Mr. Goto's family and loved ones. And we stand today in solidarity with Prime Minister Abe and the Japanese people in denouncing this barbaric act. We applaud Japan's steadfast commitment to advancing peace and prosperity in the Middle East and globally, including his generous assistance for innocent people affected by the conflict in the region."

Now, I would also point out, Victor and Christi, that we heard this past week from the White House that they are reviewing their policies and protocol in dealing with U.S. hostages abroad because there have been increasing numbers of them.

Of course, in this latest case, the Japanese have been involved in negotiations with ISIS and also the Jordanians in the last few weeks, Christi and Victor.

PAUL: So, Erin, when we hear, you know, the U.S. and Japan and Jordan and Britain all condemning this and vowing to fight, have you heard anything more from the White House regarding ground troops in this battle against ISIS?

MCPIKE: You know, Christi, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest was asked this question on Thursday. And he reiterated at the time that President Obama does not think there need to be ground troops. I also was speaking with White House official just yesterday who said that White House policy has not changed on this. And this in light of Barbara Starr's interview with outgoing Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel this past week in which he said there may need to be some presence of ground troops overseas in Iraq and Syria, at least for the purpose of intelligence gathering. We also heard that last weekend from John McCain and Dianne Feinstein as well.

But again, White House officials are saying no ground troops, that American troops will be in Iraq to train foreign fighters there to take the fight to ISIS and continue with air strikes, but no more ground troops or no ground troops at all rather, Christi and Victor.

PAUL: All righty. Will Ripley and Erin McPike, we appreciate it. Thank you.

BLACKWELL: All right. Let's bring in CNN law enforcement analyst Tom Fuentes and CNN military analyst, Lieutenant General Mark Hertling.

And, General, I want to start with you and the discussion of the negotiations for this pilot. What kind of back channel discussions could the Jordanian government be involved with ISIS? Is there maybe liaison working here? Are they having direct talks? How does it work?

LT. GEN. MARK HERTLING (RET), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: There would certainly be interlocutors, Victor. I think they are continuing to attempt to discuss the things that Jordan is very interested in and that is primarily the safety of their pilot. They have to find that out.

Again, it's dealing with an organization that you can't trust. So, there has to be some kind of commitment that the continuing negotiation will bring about some kind of change, Victor.

BLACKWELL: General, this new video of the beheading of Kenji Goto, the background different from the earlier ones. Earlier, there was this video that was indoors with Goto holding the photo of the other man who was beheaded. What can we learn from this latest video and does it mean anything to the negotiations with Jordan?

HERTLING: Well, in talking to several of my old friends in the intelligence communities, they think it means a lot, because it shows that ISIS is attempting to continue with the type of operations that they have continued -- that they have done in the past. But, in fact, they have been affected. So, they have to move the locations around, they have to change their production facility and all of those things in terms of even the quality of the video give indicators of the shape that ISIS is in.

BLACKWELL: Tom, I want to get your thoughts on a conversation we started with General Hertling just a few moments ago, that some people say that swapping prisoners for hostages is better than paying for the release, paying these ransoms. What do you think?

TOM FUENTES, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: I think they are both difficult decisions. Paying the ransom, obviously, the money goes into being able to buy more weaponry and fund their operations and just lead to more attacks by them. So, I think that one we know is a very, very difficult choice for anybody to make. And a lot of European countries have been paying ransoms for the hostages that they have had.

In terms of a prisoner swap, we have had prisoner swaps, you know, in the military for centuries, although normally those kind of prisoner swaps are done when the hostilities are over. I think the problem here is, when will they ever be over in the Middle East or with Islamic extremism? We don't know. So, does that mean we hold people forever, hold Gitmo open forever, have Jordan hold this person, you know, forever? That is where the difficulty comes in. You don't have a point to really say, OK, all of the hostilities are over, nobody is going to be a combatant any more in the future. Therefore, it's safe to exchange prisoners.

BLACKWELL: Tom, I wonder if any indicators pointing in one direct or another, whether ISIS ever really expected to pull off this exchange, or are they simply highlighting the story of a woman they believe to be a heroine here and this Jordanian pilot isn't even alive? FUENTES: Well, I think many people have trouble figuring out

what ISIS true objectives are. You know, my personal thought is that one of their objectives is to extend media coverage as far as they can possibly do it. They just dragged this out for several weeks with the two Japanese hostages. They get it to where all of Japan comes to respect and love Kenji Goto and know all about him and his family and his wife and children, and then they get maximum savagery out of that, maximum terror effect by then killing somebody that everybody has fallen in love with.

And I think that here, this Jordanian officer, we have not seen this pilot since he has been captured and taken away somewhere. He's not been used in these most recent videos, especially the ones with the Japanese hostages. So, we really don't know and Jordan doesn't know how well he is, if he is well and alive. Haven't seen any proof of life but they just don't know.

Now, it appears that ISIS will drag this out and extend this as long as it goes. We are trying to apply rational thought, well, they are going to get this and they will get money and get a prisoner. They want publicity first and foremost and we are giving it to them.

BLACKWELL: Yes, we are.

Tom Fuentes, Lieutenant General Hertling, thank you so much.

FUENTES: Thank you.

HERTLING: Thanks.

PAUL: Another story that has really caught people off guard. A scene that is early similar to the death of Whitney Houston three years ago but this time it's her daughter. Bobbi Kristina Brown found face-first in her bathtub. We're going to tell you what we've learned about her condition.

Also, New York City is the latest state on high alert because of the measles, after thousands of people could have been infected. We are talking to a public health expert about that. Stay close.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAUL: Fourteen minutes past the hour right now.

And this morning, the daughter of singer Bobby Brown and late pop star Whitney Houston is in a medically induced coma. Twenty-one-year- old Bobbi Kristina Brown was found face down and unresponsive in a bathtub full of water.

BLACKWELL: She was not breathing when she was discovered near her home in Atlanta yesterday. And, of course, this incident echoes her mother's death. Houston was found in a bathtub at the Beverly Hilton Hotel almost three years ago.

CNN's Nick Valencia is outside the hospital where Bobbi Kristina Brown is being treated. Nick, good morning.

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Victor and Christi.

It has been, unfortunately, a lifetime for the 21-year-old Bobbi Kristina Brown. And yesterday, another tragic chapter to that life, when she was found unconscious and unresponsive at her home in Roswell, Georgia.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VALENCIA (voice-over): It was eerily familiar. Bobbi Kristina Brown found unresponsive face down in a bathtub at her home early Saturday morning, the only daughter of deceived pop star Whitney Houston and singer Bobbi Brown. Her mother died in a similar scene almost three years ago.

OFFCER LISA HOLLAND, ROSWELL, GEORGIA POLICE: Bobbi Kristina's husband found her face down in a bathtub in the bathroom of their home. She was unresponsive, meaning not breathing, no heartbeat he immediately started CPR on her.

VALENCIA (on camera): Brown was taken to North Fulton Hospital where police say she is alive and breathing. But the hospital says they cannot say what her current condition is. Police are treating the case as a medical incident.

Is there any indication that perhaps medication was a factor at all, prescribed medication?

HOLLAND: Right now, they did not see anything on the scene that would indicate that. No alcohol or drugs laying around that would indicate that.

VALENCIA: Since her mother's death in February of 2012, there has been concern about the 21-year-old's well-being.

"People" magazine editor Mary Margaret.

MARY MARGARET, SENIOR EDITOR, PEOPLE MAGAZINE: There has been growing concerns. People have wondered about the money she was given when she turned 21, how that would play into her increasing dependence and what she would do with that. This is sort of worst fears realized.

VALENCIA: Recently, there were signs that Brown had made positive changes in her life. She tweeted about get healthier, working out and resurrecting her acting career. Her supporters say they hope this is a tragic accident and just a horrible coincidence.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VALENCIA: Police are continuing their investigation this morning. They say, so far, everyone that they've spoken to is cooperating. As for that latest round of search warrants, there's no word yet on what if anything was discovered in the home -- Victor, Christi.

BLACKWELL: All right. Nick Valencia reporting in Atlanta for us -- Nick, thanks.

PAUL: Thanks, Nick.

OK. Let's talk more about Bobbi Kristina's condition. CNN senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen is with us by phone.

Good morning, Elizabeth.

And I think a lot of people hear and one of the first things they wonder is, why would doctors put Brown into a medically induced coma. Help us understand that.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Christi, we heard a report that Brown was found not breathing. So her brain wasn't getting enough blood and wasn't getting enough oxygen. So, what you do when you put somebody in a medically induced coma is that you're reducing their need for oxygen. They are not getting enough so you reduce the brain's need for oxygen.

When you put someone in a medically induced coma, you're slowing everything down so that the brain is functioning at a much slower state and so it doesn't need that oxygen. This is often used with traumatic brain injury, for example. It's often very successful. It's really sort of in theory a simple thing that they are doing here and often it works quite well.

PAUL: So, at what point do doctors determine they need to continue this kind of treatment as opposed to making a switch?

COHEN: So, they look at brain function and when they see that the brain function is starting to improve, if they have been able to, you know, obviously, I'm sure they are giving her oxygen, when they say that the brain is starting to come back to normal, that's when they start to back off on the drugs that put her in that coma. Sometimes it's found that it's not possible, it's found that even with the coma, even with other treatments, that nothing can resurrect this brain so to speak and there's really nothing else you can do at that point.

PAUL: You know, you mentioned that there are reports that it took a while for her to start breathing again. Knowing that, how can they or how well are doctors able to gauge what kind of damage might have been done based on how long she wasn't breathing?

COHEN: Right. We don't know -- we are told she is breathing now but we don't know if she is breathing on her own or if a ventilator is breathing for her. And so, there are various tests and measurements that the doctors can do of her brain activity to decide what's -- to figure out what state it's in, to figure out what level of brain function she has.

And we can -- we can only hope that she was deprived of oxygen for a very short period of time when she had her incident and that it's reversible. If it's for a longer period of time, sometimes it's not reversible.

PAUL: Right, right. CNN senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen, thank you for walking us through that, Elizabeth.

BLACKWELL: Sixty-five million people. That's how many people could be impacted by the latest major winter storm. And, right now, it's impacting the Midwest, but it is heading east. More than a thousand flights already cancelled. Ryan Young is out in all of it -- Ryan.

RYAN YOUNG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The snow is coming down in Chicago and I can tell you, everyone is getting ready for Monday morning. We'll have the latest coming up in a live report.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAUL: Listen, if you really want to get a good gauge of how cold it's been, look at this! Firefighters in New York City literally, as they fought a fire, in frigid temperatures yesterday. Fire hoses froze. Their helmets, protective clothing encrusted with ice. They were enduring temperatures around 10 degrees.

Thankfully, no injuries reported and thank you so much to those men and women who are out there doing the job.

BLACKWELL: It's even tougher when you're encased in ice.

PAUL: I would think so.

BLACKWELL: It is, absolutely. It's going to be tough couple of days for people in the Northeast and the Midwest. Sixty-five million people across 18 states, that's how many people are in the path of a major snowstorm. More than a thousand flights have already been cancelled as Chicago especially. You know that airport is so busy, gets ready for as much as two feet of snow.

PAUL: So, let's bring in CNN correspondent Ryan Young who is in Chicago. Remember, what we are seeing in Chicago is just the beginning what have is going to continue to pass east.

So, Ryan, welcome to CNN, buddy!

YOUNG: Well, thank you, thank you.

You're talking about that 65 million people. I can tell you what a difference so far just in the last hour or so. This is really the Windy City. You feel it coming down. It's all over our faces at this point.

Look, we shot video overnight and show some of it to you as workers starting to clear the streets here.

But as you look back this way at the river, you can see that it has not frozen over just yet. But it's been steady coming down all night long. We've still seen people negotiating the streets. Right now, we haven't heard any idea, or have no information about any power outages or anything like that. If you look out this way you can see everyone has been handling the streets very well.

We haven't seen any slow down in traffic as people have been getting out here on the streets making sure everything stays moving. Of course, that Monday morning commute that will be when the big conversation starts with all of that snow headed for this area.

PAUL: Yes, but at the end of the day, we know Chicago knows how to handle all of this. I hear the people were crowding stores yesterday buying shovels and food. This is coming on the four-year anniversary of the 2011 blizzard. So, you've seen the salt trucks out, right?

YOUNG: We have seen the salt trucks out all morning long. In fact, we're going to talk you back this way. We've seen some workers who just started coming out to clear some of the snow. You can see these people walking through the snow with their umbrella right now.

But in the distance there, you can see the guy right there clearing the snow off the pathways here. People haven't stopped moving. In fact, I did go to the grocery store yesterday and it was packed with people. They were trying to buy their supplies just in case this got worse. I talked to a taxi cab driver. His plan was to get off the road by early evening. He wanted to make as much money as possible to make sure if this got really bad, he would be out of the storm.

BLACKWELL: All right. Ryan, head back inside and stay warm until we see you next hour.

New York state is the latest state on the high alert now for the measles. A college student who took a busy Amtrak train now has the disease. Thousands of people could have been infected.

But this scare is not just in New York. It's across 13 other states as well. We will tell you what you need to know about the measles. That's coming up.

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