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New Day Sunday
Third Measles Case Hits New York; Countdown to Super Bowl XLIX; Scott Walker Tops New Iowa Poll
Aired February 01, 2015 - 07:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Here are some of the stories we are watching this morning.
Japan says it will continue and would like to expand aid to ISIS opponents after the Islamist militants killed a second Japanese hostage in just one week. Kenji Goto had gone into Syria to try to save his friend who was also killed by ISIS. ISIS has said it will also kill a captured Jordanian military pilot if Jordan does not release a jailed woman terrorist. Now, right now, it's not clear if the pilot is alive or dead.
CHRISTI PAUL, CNN ANCHOR: And the daughter of singer Bobbi Brown and the late pop star Whitney Houston is in a medically induced coma this morning. Twenty-one-year-old Bobbi Kristina Brown was found face down and unresponsive in a bathtub full of water at her home near Atlanta yesterday. This incident is eerily similar to her mother's death. As you might remember, Houston was found in a bathtub at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, and that was almost three years ago to this date.
Officials are putting the residents in New York on a high alert this morning after a college student confirmed to have a case of the measles. They found out rode an Amtrak train that travels from New York's Penn Station to Upstate New York.
BLACKWELL: This latest case is putting the outbreak to the forefront here, and reminding everyone of the dangers this virus can pose.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BLACKWELL (voice-over): Officials say a Bard College student got on Amtrak 283 at New York's Penn Station on January 25th. The student got off the train in Rhinecliff, New York, and the train went to Albany and Niagara Falls. Dutchess County was notified Friday that the student tested positive for measles and now, the New York State Department of Health is on high alert, concerned that college student may have exposed other passengers. Health officials have asked anyone on that train who has not been immunized and has a fever to call their doctor or emergency room before going in for care. That has some passengers concerned. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I do have my mask with me and I intend to
be careful.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's something to be concerned about and something to be aware of.
BLACKWELL: A disease that almost eliminated in this country is on the move again. The current outbreak has spread to at least 14 states, beginning in California in mid-December.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let me tell you, measles is the most infectious disease known to man. That's why we are paying so much attention to it.
BLACKWELL: That causes extra caution for places like New York with millions of people commuting daily or events with large crowds like the Super Bowl where, today, teams will be looking for signs of this highly contagious disease.
Because the disease is so highly contagious, the CDC is warning parents not to take chances with their children.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think most parents think measles is gone. But it's forgotten, but not gone. And the outbreaks that we are seeing so far this year are a reminder that measles is a plane ride away.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLACKWELL: Some startling statistics and descriptions there.
Let's bring in infectious disease and public health specialist, Dr. Celine Gounder.
Doctor, I wonder -- with all of these people who were on this train likely, how intimate does the contact with a person who has measles need to be to contract this disease?
DR. CELINE GOUNDER, INFECTIOUS DISEASE AND PUBLIC HEALTH SPECIALIST: Measles is an airborne virus. So, you don't actually need to be in direct contact with somebody who has measles in order to be infected. And, in fact, the measles virus will remain in the environment a couple of hours even that person has left the train car. So, it's not just sitting next to somebody or being in the same train car at the same time.
If you were in that train car with that person with measles was at any point during that day after they were there, you are at risk.
BLACKWELL: So, it's airborne. Is a good cleaning of these train cars enough? How do you stamp out this threat after they have now realized that this person was on the train?
GOUNDER: Well, it's not just a question of cleaning surfaces. You also have to air out the train car itself and so that takes some time. BLACKWELL: One of the -- we were talking about this in our
meeting about this story and about the spread is that one of the victims of the vaccination and eradicating this to almost oblivion, is that people don't know what to look for. They don't know the symptoms of the measles.
What should people, especially parents, be looking for?
GOUNDER: Well, the early symptoms of measles are fever and rash. But I think the misconception that is all the measles is. And measles can be much more severe. In fact, in young kids, about one in three children would be hospitalized if they got the measles, and some of the complications include a severe pneumonia which would put you on a ventilator, brain damage that could be lifelong, and it's a leading cause of blindness still worldwide.
BLACKWELL: Wow. Now across 14 states.
Dr. Celine Gounder, thank you.
GOUNDER: My pleasure are.
PAUL: They've been talking about the measles in Arizona, too, amongst other things.
BLACKWELL: Uh-huh.
PAUL: Primary primarily, I don't know, a little football game going on there?
CNN's Andy Scholes is live outside Super Bowl stadium in Phoenix.
Hi, Andy.
ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Christi. You can see, it's kind of foggy out here right now, but it's supposed to be beautiful later on for the Super Bowl, 70 degrees and sunny. Coming up, we'll hear what Tom Brady has to say about today's big game.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The 2014 A.P. most valuable player is Aaron Rodgers.
(CHEERS)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL: Yes, congratulations to Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, taking home the NFL highest award, his second of his career, by the way. Rodgers threw 48 touchdowns and only five interceptions. Congratulations.
BLACKWELL: Congrats to him. Have you figured out where you're going to watch the game tonight? You're going to watch it at home.
PAUL: Really? I just want to see Katy Perry, I'm sorry.
BLACKWELL: OK. All right. Well, there is that. If you haven't figured out, then figure it out quick.
PAUL: Yes, the kickoff is, what, 12 hours? Less than 12 hours away at this point.
New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks, they want that coveted title.
Andy Scholes has a preview for us. He is live outside the Super Bowl stadium right now. I know that it's really early there. What, 5:40 almost?
But what is it like? I mean, are you feeling the energy already?
SCHOLES: Oh, absolutely, guys. On paper, this couldn't be a better matchup. You know, the sports books in Las Vegas, they have the Patriots as one-point favorite. This should be a great game.
Now, the last time the Patriots were here in Arizona for the Super Bowl in 2008, let's just say they don't have very fond memories from that game. The New York Giants crushed them in dramatic fashion and winning it to the last second, to end all of Patriots' hopes and dreams of 19-0 season. That would have been Tom Brady's fourth Super Bowl win.
But win or lose today, Brady is going to make history becoming just the first quarterback ever to start in six Super Bowls.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOM BRADY, PATRIOTS QUARTERBACK: You know, it's amazing sitting here, you know, thinking that this is the sixth time I'll be doing this, and it's really a privilege. I've been very lucky over the years to play on great teams and you really want to be as best you possibly can be because the margin of error against these teams that you're playing and certainly against the Seahawks is -- there is no real margin for error. So, we are going to have to play our best.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHOLES: Now, Brady does have the most playoff wins by a quarterback with 20, but he is just 11-8 since his last Super Bowl win a decade ago.
Now, if you're still looking to come to today's game, you don't have a ticket yet, good luck! Super bowl ticket prices are absolutely through the roof! The cheapest ticket right now on StubHub, the worst seat in the house would cost you around $8,000.
BLACKWELL: Come on.
SCHOLES: The average ticket price was more than $10,000. Guys, this could go down as the most expensive ticket in U.S. pro sports history. Just incredible.
I have to tell you, walking around downtown Phoenix, the majority of the fans I've seen are Seahawks fans. They probably outnumber the Patriots fans 10-1. So, you're going to hear a lot more cheers for Seahawks tonight than the Patriots.
PAUL: Well, geographically, it is closer for them, you know? It's an easier trip, I suppose.
SCHOLES: It is closer. The Patriots they have been to six Super Bowls, you know, in the recent past, so it's not like this is something new for their fans.
PAUL: Right.
BLACKWELL: I haven't heard anything since $8,000 for the worst seat in the house. If I'm sitting behind the pole and it's 8 grand!
SCHOLES: Unbelievable.
PAUL: That is not doing it for me.
BLACKWELL: No, no, even if Katy Perry is doing the halftime show.
PAUL: You are right about that. Oh, my gosh.
Hey, Andy, enjoy it. There's a reason they have it in Phoenix at this time of the year.
BLACKWELL: Yes, warmer.
PAUL: Like he said, 70 degrees and sunny. Back to you, Andy. We'll see you later.
BLACKWELL: Thanks, Andy.
SCHOLES: I'm looking forward to it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Big game? Have fun. Cheer on your team and keep it in no drone zone. Don't spoil the game. Leave your drone at home.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLACKWELL: Talk about a sign of the times. An odd reminder from the FAA for people going to the Super Bowl, drones, along with other unmanned aircraft, will not be allowed within 30 miles of the stadium during the game.
All right. So, if you've checked the calendar, it's February 1st, but it's still not too early to start thinking about the race for the White House. Scott Walker, the governor of Wisconsin, may be the one to watch. The conservative governor is leading fellow Republicans in a brand-new closely watched poll.
Can he sustain the momentum here? We will dig into it, next.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. SCOTT WALKER (R), WISCONSIN: Thank you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PAUL: Well, the Republican race for 2016 is getting a little more interesting this morning.
BLACKWELL: It is.
PAUL: A new "Des Moines Register" pole puts Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker the top choice of caucus goers in Iowa. He is followed by Rand Paul and Mitt Romney who said on Friday he is not even running and Mike Huckabee, leaving big names like Jeb Bush, Chris Christie and Marco Rubio trailing further below there.
BLACKWELL: Let's bring in CNN Politics senior reporter, Stephen Collinson.
Stephen, Scott Walker that said he sees, quote, "gaps" in the potential Republican presidential field for 2016. Does this poll indicate that there are gaps?
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS SENIOR REPORTER: Yes, this is actually a really interesting poll. It shows, I think, that conservatives who are very important to the electorate in Iowa where the first polling place takes in exactly a year's time. You talk to grassroots conservatives, they feel the nominee the last two presidential cycles, John McCain and Mitt Romney, weren't conservative enough so they are looking for a candidate who can push the social conservative message in a general election, but also win against the Democrats.
So, this poll I think shows that the people taking attention to this race already in Iowa really do like Scott Walker. He had great weekend last week at the first candidate cattle call.
The knock against him has always been that he is conservative. He's won elections three statewide races in Wisconsin which has gone Democratic in recent presidential elections, but didn't have a great deal of charisma. He seemed to almost lay that to rest a little bit last week.
But, you know, one caveat, we are still a year away. Most of the major candidates haven't really started campaigning at all in Iowa and in a year's time, no one is going to remember this poll but it does show, I think, early momentum for Walker -- put it that way.
BLACKWELL: Yes. And with your front-runner according to this poll. Let's put it up on the screen. With your front-runner with 15 percent the biggest winner is undecided and everybody else in single digits.
But I want to look at fourth here with 10 percent, Mike Huckabee won the Iowa caucuses in 2008. He just gave up his FOX show. Does this prove he is having trouble with the conservative base?
COLLINSON: I'm not sure.
BLACKWELL: Or just --
(CROSSTALK)
COLLINSON: Right now, he is a popular candidate in Iowa. He probably has a sort of base around 10 percent. It's a question of whether Huckabee is seen by Iowa caucus goers as a person of the past or a person of the future. There are a lot of attractive conservative candidates running right now. Ted Cruz, Rubio is going to take a look at running. You know?
So I don't know if Mike Huckabee has really sort of made too much of an entrance in the race up there. He has not done much campaigning up there. It's going to be very interesting to see if he still has that kind of magic in Iowa that helped him in 2008.
BLACKWELL: Chris Christie is going to meet with Prime Minister David Cameron when he goes to the U.K. for a trade mission.
Is foreign policy something he's having trouble with it? Is that something that he has to shore up over the next year?
COLLINSON: Yes, well, it's always a question for governors, especially in presidential races, what kind of credentials do they have to serve as commander in chief? You often see them go off on trips.
Barack Obama, for example, in 2008 went on a trip to the Middle East and Europe. Christie has been having sort of sessions with well- known Republican foreign policy gurus. It's a question also that Scott Walker is going to face. You know, the governor of Wisconsin, he says he's the commander of chief of the national guard but he doesn't have much experience on the world stage.
Someone like Marco Rubio has sort of adopted a role for himself in the Senate as a foreign policy expert, and I think you're going to find that national security is going to be a big issue in this race given the turmoil around the world, especially in the Middle East, the sort showdown with Russia and the Ukraine and President Putin. So, the Republican nominee, whoever it is in this cycle, is going to have to show some competency on foreign policy, perhaps more than in the past.
BLACKWELL: Yes. And I'd like to see that poll again, one to three aligned, now that Romney has pulled himself out of the running for 2016.
CNN Politics senior reporter Stephen Collinson, thank you. PAUL: Well, President Obama says he will not meet with Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when he visits the U.S. in March. CNN's Fareed Zakaria sat down with the president during his trip to India and asked him if this had anything to do with House Speaker John Boehner inviting Prime Minister Netanyahu to address Congress.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FAREED ZAKARIA, CNN HOST: Last week, when it was announced that the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is going to come to Washington and do a joint session of Congress at the invitation of the Republican speaker of the house, many people are saying this is a rebuttal of your arguments about negotiations with Iran, the possible deal with Iran.
Do you think it's appropriate for him to come in this manner at this time to Washington?
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, you know, I'll let Mr. Boehner answer that and Mr. Netanyahu. I speak with Prime Minister Netanyahu all the time.
You know, we're declining to meet with him. I'm declining to meet with him simply because our general policy is we don't meet with any world leader two weeks before their election. I think that's inappropriate, and that's true with some of our closest allies. David Cameron who's got an election coming up recently came to visit because we insisted that if he wants to come and it was a very important meeting, he needs to be far and away enough from the election that it doesn't look like in some ways we're medaling or putting our thumbs on the scale.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL: So, to watch the full interview with President Obama, watch "FAREED ZAKARIA GPS", it's this morning at 10:00 a.m. Eastern, right here on CNN.
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PAUL: So, a walking quadriplegic is something you don't hear about every day, right? That's how a Boston man describes himself after breaking his neck and eventually getting out of his wheelchair to walk again.
CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Doctors told Dan Cummings he would never walk again. With each step, the 34-year-old proves them wrong.
DAN CUMMINGS, WALKING QUADRIPLEGIC: You want to motivate me, tell me I can't do something, then do I it.
GUPTA: At 19, Dan was left paralyzed from the chest down after he dove into shallow water.
CUMMINGS: I truly believed, as long as I took one day at a time, that there was going to come a day that I got up and walked again.
GUPTA: He got frustrated after doing three years of traditional physical therapy.
CUMMINGS: I felt that I was being taught how to live in my wheelchair, and I wanted to be taught how to get out of my wheelchair.
GUPTA: Dan moved from Boston to San Diego. He wanted to take part in an intense exercise program for people who suffered spinal cord injuries. Four years later, he walked out the door.
CUMMINGS: That left me with a new mission. I wanted to bring that program here to Boston.
GUPTA: He did just that with the opening of Journey Forward. It's a nonprofit dedicated to helping paralyzed people become more mobile.
CUMMINGS: We're retraining the nervous system, and then hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of repetitions, something clicks and you build off of that. We give our clients the proper tools necessary to get independence, giving people their life back, quality of life.
GUPTA: Dan's next challenge now is to get insurance companies to cover the $100 an hour cost of therapy. That would allow more patients access to the treatment. He would also like to open even more facilities around the country.
CUMMINGS: Took me seven years before I took my first steps. It's a game of inches. Give it everything you have.
GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN reporting.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLACKWELL: Wow.
Hey, these numbers are growing by the hour. Now nearly 100 million people, 100 million people in the path of this winter storm. Take a look at this.
PAUL: The winter scene moving in on Chicago this morning. A blizzard warning is in effect for the Chicago metro area now. More than 1,300 flights already canceled, and this is just starting in Chicago. It's going to continue to push east.
And for that we go to Ivan Cabrera who has all the details for us.
Good morning, sir. IVAN CABRERA, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, good to see you.
The blizzard warnings take effect this afternoon. That's when I think snow fall rates are going to be coming down two to three inches an hour. That's going to pile up the snow pretty quickly here, 10 to 15 inches your blizzard warning in Chicago.
Winter storm warnings stretch all the way into the East Coast. This is where things are going to get tricky. But that will be an event that will be with us Sunday night through the day on Monday especially. Look at the radar in Chicago. That rain line is going nowhere near you. You're going to stay all snow. So, that's what we're talking about accumulations.
Take a look at this right now. This very heavy band beginning to move into Chicago. So, things are getting going here and I think it's only going to get worse by later on.
So, here's the clock Sunday morning. By Sunday afternoon, things begin to improve Sunday evening and then the storm heads east.
This is what gives me an ulcer. Look at this. Pink. We do not want to see pink across New York City because basically that puts the rain line very close. We're talking about a period of sleet, some freezing rain, perhaps accumulating ice especially in the early morning hours and the temperatures are below 32 and it's going to be snow event for Boston. Here, accumulations likely from 8 to as much as 12 additional inches of snowfall.
I know you don't want to hear that, Boston. It is coming. Patriots are in the Super Bowl and, of course, they're going to win, right?
PAUL: There you go. Nice spin, nice spin to put on that. Thank you, Ivan. Appreciate it.
BLACKWELL: Thanks.
PAUL: And thank you so much for starting your morning with us.
BLACKWELL: The next hour of your NEW DAY starts right now.
