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NEW DAY

Nasty In The North Eastern U.S.; NYT: Joe Biden "Dodged A Bullet" In 2012; Teen's Death Gets Federal Review; School Bus Plunges Off Kansas Bridge; Texas Abortion Law Restored; Electronics Clear for Takeoff; Texas Police Officer Shot in the Face

Aired November 1, 2013 - 06:00   ET

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


CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking overnight: deadly monster Halloween storm disrupts the holiday for millions, downing trees, even flipping trucks. And it's not over yet. The northeast bracing for travel chaos this morning.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Power play: new revelations from inside the president's reelection campaign. Did he consider dumping Joe Biden and making Hillary his V.P.? Did Mitt Romney want to pick Chris Christie? The juicy new details ahead.

MICHALEA PEREIRA: Hero cop, the police officer shot in the face, but that doesn't stop her from chasing the suspects through the streets of Texas, and it's all caught on tape.

CUOMO: Your NEW DAY starts right now.

ANNOUNCER: This is NEW DAY with Chris Cuomo, Kate Bolduan and Michaela Pereira.

CUOMO: Good morning. Welcome to NEW DAY. T to the GIF. Halloween took it out of me. I don't know about you. It is November 1st, new month, new day. Let's get after it. Six o'clock in the east.

Coming up, a case that just does not make sense. Kendrick Johnson, the 17-year-old found dead rolled up in a wrestling mat at school. Ten months ago it was ruled an accident, but CNN has stayed on this story from the beginning because there are simply too many questions, not enough answers. Well, the federal government now says it will investigate the case. We will lay out the issues for you.

BOLDUAN: And be prepared for a very different flying experience. The FAA says you can now, or soon will be able to use many of your electronic devices during takeoff and landing. But the question this morning is there any lingering safety concern or did we ever really need to turn them off to begin with? We are going to look into it.

PEREIRA: Also I want to show you a terrifying scene, a school bus overturned after it plunged off a bridge into a creek. School children were inside that bus. Thankfully, nobody was seriously hurt. We're going to hear from one of the kids about that harrowing experience, coming up. CUOMO: We are going to begin this morning with what's expected to be a very rough morning for many of you along the northeast. The monster storm system that tore into a big part of the country on Halloween is moving east. Check out the torrential rains, flooding central Texas, some areas seeing more than a foot of rain. Emergency crews scrambling into action, evacuating dozens of people, stranded in their cars and homes.

Meteorologist Indra Petersons is tracking it for us this morning. Where's it going, Indra?

INDRA PETERSONS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, you know, as you just mentioned, Chris, there's heavy rain with that. But also take a look. They had 150 reports of wind damage with the system and even five reports of tornadoes, both in Louisiana and Illinois.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PETERSONS (voice-over): A massive storm moved through the Midwest overnight, wreaking havoc on Halloween for millions and leaving at least two people dead in its path. Heavy rain and strong winds as high as 40 miles per hour toppled tree after tree, even flipping these semis on their side in Missouri, at least ten structures destroyed in Northern Arkansas.

In Central Texas, more than 1,000 homes were evacuated as rivers and creeks overran their banks. The National Weather Service reported more than a foot of rain across the area. Emergency life boats and helicopters rescued dozens stranded on rooftops.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Water came too fast. There wouldn't have been time to get the people out of the houses.

PETERSONS: Hundreds of homes and cars left partially submerged.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If they don't know how to cross that water, it will get you in the ditch.

PETERSONS: In Austin, rushing waters flooded the roadways. Most drivers played it safe --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK, here we go.

PETERSONS: While others dangerously navigated through streets overtaken by floodwaters.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're pushing them out.

PETERSONS: Even pushing vehicles stalled by the rapid currents. The city's iconic downtown statue up to its waist in water symbolizes the immense power of this Halloween storm. As this large cold front moves east, packing winds as high as 60 miles per hour, it may snarl air travel and cause commuter headaches in cities up and down the I-95 corridor.

(END VIDEOTAPE) PETERSONS: We already showed you all the storm damage that was in the mid-Atlantic and also the Midwest. We see the spread even farther into the northeast today. Look at the wind advisories and high wind warnings we're expecting today again in the northeast and mid- Atlantic. Also travel delays will be a big concern. Also severe thunderstorm watches are going to be up in the mid-Atlantic today, definitely powerful thunderstorms still in the forecast, especially in the morning hours, as far as rain, though, not as strong.

We're looking about 1 inch to 2 inches of rain farther down towards the southeast and about 1 inch of rain spreading through the northeast. Again, that system won't be a big rainmaker. The bag change we'll be talking about is huge temperature drop as we go through the weekend, temperatures, their highs will be into the 40s in the northeast by the weekend. That's rough, Chris and Kate.

BOLDUAN: Times are changing. Temperatures are changing at least. Thanks so much, Indra.

All right, want to get to Washington now with some surprising news now revealed from the 2012 campaign trail. It seems top Obama aides secretly considered dumping Vice President Biden from the re-election ticket in favor of Hillary Clinton. The bombshell coming from a new book quoted in "The New York Times."

Senior White House correspondent, Brianna Keilar, has been looking into all of this. Talk about setting Washington abuzz this morning, Brianna.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: It sure is, Kate, already. Former top aides to the president are clashing over whether this even happened, but this new book confirms what was once only speculation that an Obama/Clinton ticket was a real possibility for 2012.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR: In the spotlight, a president united with his vice president the year before his re-election.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: My outstanding vice president, Joe Biden is here.

KEILAR: But behind the scenes with Obama's prospects for a second term in doubt, top aides reportedly considered replacing Biden with Hillary Clinton on the 2012 ticket.

ANDERSON COOPER, HOST, CNN'S "AC 360": How serious were they looking into having Hillary Clinton be the vice president?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was serious enough that it was intentionally polled and focus groups.

COOPER: It's possible the president didn't know about them polling and doing focus groups.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Very much possible. Joe Biden didn't know, certainly.

KEILAR: According to the "New York Times," that's one of the explosive revelations in the new book "Double Down" where authors Mark Halperin and John Heilemann said Biden had dodged a bullet he never saw coming and never would know anything about, if the Obamans could keep a secret. The book says these Obama aides commissioned Clinton versus Biden polls and focused groups.

JONATHAN MARTIN, POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT, "NEW YORK TIMES": They don't spend the kind of money on polling and focus groups unless they were seriously exploring something. It was only known about a half dozen of the top Obama senior advisers.

KEILAR: Including then chief of staff, Bill Daly.

MARTIN: He totally confirmed reporting in the book saying that he thought it was for his due diligence as chief of staff to at least explore the possibility of what Hillary on the ticket would mean for President Obama in 2012.

KEILAR: Despite Clinton's popularity, Biden stayed on the ticket.

MARTIN: They concluded after this polling and focus groups that she wouldn't add a substantial effect. She would have helped but not so much that it was worth dumping Biden.

KEILAR: Obama's 2008 campaign manager, David Plouffe, who worked in the White House in 2011 denied the report, tweeting never any consideration of VP HRC switch, not even entertained by the only person who mattered or most of us. Another bombshell in the book, the Romney/Ryan ticket was almost a Romney/Christie ticket. The New Jersey governor was on Mitt Romney short list of running mates not once but --

MARTIN: Twice.

COOPER: The reason it didn't go much farther?

MARTIN: Well, he had Christie on the first short list. He then crosses his name off. He's leaning towards Paul Ryan.

KEILAR: Romney's advisers pressured him to reconsider Chris Christie. In the end there were two obstacles. Christie couldn't keep his day job and also fundraise due to New Jersey law, and the book says he wasn't as forthcoming in the vetting process as other candidates.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR: Now, Beth Meyers, a long-time aide to Mitt Romney said to the "New York Times" that Chris Christie complied fully in the vetting process, Chris, but when you look at what "The New York Times" is reporting about this book, the unanswered questions just kind of go on and on, about a defamation lawsuit against the governor from earlier in his political career as well as the names and documentation of his household employees, as well as information about his medical history. There's even more than that -- Chris. CUOMO: Boy, that book probably going to sell for those who love the inside game. Brianna, have a very good weekend. I'm sure I'll see you again in the show. Appreciate the reporting.

All right, we want to talk to you about something now to a major new step in an investigation into a mysterious death. The 17-year-old Kendrick Johnson was found dead inside a rolled up gym mat at his high school. His death was ruled an accident. His parents say he was murdered. There have been odd things here with evidence collection and autopsy that doesn't make sense, organ removal, all of this has made the family insist the case be reviewed.

They've now gotten their wish. CNN's Victor Blackwell has been investigating the case for months. Victor, as you know, there's an expression among investigators, clarity in process gives confidence in conclusions, hasn't been the case here. I know that's what's driven your interest. Now a big step, what do we think?

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And the U.S. attorney says that he has worked meticulously over the last four months so that the Johnsons would have confidence in the process. You know, the Johnsons in about three hours go back out to a street corner in downtown Valdosta with pictures and signs that read, what happened to Kendrick Johnson. They will know, for the first time in months, that law enforcement, no less than the FBI, is actively working to get an answer to that question, too.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL (voice-over): After months of rallies and protests, an announcement that the family of Kendrick Johnson hopes will lead to what they consider to be justice.

MICHAEL MOORE, U.S. ATTORNEY FOR THE MIDDLE DISTRICT OF GEORGIA: At this time, however, I am of the opinion that a base exists for my office to conduct a formal review of the facts and investigation surrounding the death of Kendrick Johnson.

BLACKWELL: U.S. Attorney Michael Moore supported by the FBI will soon head to Valdosta, Georgia to conduct a federal investigation into the death of 17-year-old Kendrick Johnson.

MOORE: I will follow the facts wherever -- wherever they lead. My objective is to discover the truth.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hallelujah!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you, Jesus.

BLACKWELL: Kendrick's grandmother watched at announcement on a portable TV on the street corner where the family continues its eight- month sit-in, demanding answers.

BARBARA ENGLISH, KENDRICK JOHNSON'S GRANDMOTHER: I'm so happy and I know we trust in the Lord and we just had been down here rallying for 32 weeks for nothing. BLACKWELL: The Johnson family never believed the local sheriff's explanation that Kendrick suffocated after squeezing his 19-inch shoulders into the 14 and 0.5 inch center of a rolled gym mat to reach for a shoe in the middle of a school day.

BENJAMIN CRUMP, JOHNSON FAMILY ATTORNEY: His parents have always maintained that their son was killed. The only question we want to know so why they are covering up for whoever killed their son.

KENNETH JOHNSON, KENDRICK JOHNSON'S FATHER: I believe, indeed, that he was murdered.

WOLF BLITZER, HOST, CNN'S "THE SITUATION ROOM": Do you have any idea who may have murdered him?

JOHNSON: No, I don't. That's what we wanted to get the truth.

BLACKWELL: CNN has been reporting on this case for months, uncovering details of the sheriff's investigation. Like why these shoes found yards from Kendrick's body were not collected as evidence and how this blood stain got on this wall in the gym and why investigators never found whose blood it was.

BLITZER: And you don't believe there was a thorough investigation by local authorities, Mr. Johnson?

JOHNSON: No, I don't.

BLACKWELL: In a statement to CNN the attorney for the Lawns County Sheriff's Office writes in part, while Sheriff Brine has every confidence that his officer's investigation was handled with the necessary diligence to assure that all leaders were examined and exhausted, he welcomes the U.S. attorney's further review of the case. On Wednesday, a judge ordered Lawns County Sheriff's Office to hand over its full investigative file including never before seen surveillance video from inside the gym where Kendrick died.

ENGLISH: We have to continue to fight on until justice is done for K.J.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: Let's look forward over the next couple of days and towards Monday. There could be a couple more major developments in this story. First, the attorney for the sheriff's office is working on a way to transfer the hours and hours, maybe 2,000 hours of surveillance video from in and around the gym to some type of DVD or hard drive to deliver it to the Johnsons and to CNN as a result of a lawsuit.

Second, the coroner said in the next day or so with the emphasis or so, he'll make an announcement about his decision to open an inquest. That inquest could change the official cause of death from accident to homicide, which could then open a local investigation into what happened to Kendrick Johnson -- Chris, Kate. BOLDUAN: That would be a huge step for this family and in this case, obviously, victor. Thank you so much and thank you so much for all of your reporting, doggedly chasing this down for months now.

BLACKWELL: Yes.

BOLDUAN: That's great. All right, let's get over to Michaela.

PEREIRA: Yes, we've got some headlines to look at. Here we go. Making news, the launch of the Obamacare website apparently looked even worse from the inside. Now this is according to an internal memo from a war room meeting released by House Republicans, revealing that after day one, healthcare.gov had only six successful enrollments. By the end of day two, the site received 248 insurance enrollments. The Health and Human Services spokesman says the notes are not official data.

Ten children from Kansas, very, very lucky to be alive this morning, their school bus taking them home from school Thursday suddenly plunged off a bridge flipping on its side and into the frigid waters of the creek below. The children all managed to climb out through a hatch and were safely rescued from atop the bus.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LOGAN PARKER, SURVIVED BUS CRASH: A couple of kids were yelling and a couple kids were crying. I thought I was beginning to die.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What was going through your mind?

PARKER: That I would never ever see my grandma again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PEREIRA: The child is still trembling. None of the children were injured, thankfully. The bus driver was trapped for more than an hour before a swift water rescue team pulled him to safety. He is now being treated for hypothermia.

A federal appeals court restoring most of Texas's controversial new abortion restrictions, just days after a lower court judge ruled they were unconstitutional. That decision means at least a dozen clinics will have to stop performing abortions immediately. The law requires doctors to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital. The Texas attorney general calls the ruling a vindication of the law.

Cause of death, undetermined, that from Utah's chief medical examiner testifying at the murder trial of Dr. Martin MacNeill. This is a blow to prosecutors who claim MacNeill drugged his wife and drown her in a bathtub so he could be with his mistress. Today, the state plans to call inmates MacNeill met in prison who claimed he admitted to them that he killed his wife.

Is holiday shopping on your mind? Well, Wal-Mart is already out to get a jump on black Friday and cybermonday. They're kicking off their online deals today, people. That is a full three weeks before the traditional Black Friday. That seems crazy, doesn't it? Not so much when you consider thanksgiving falls on the 28th. There are six fewer shopping days this year. They're pushing it up. It's making my anxiety rise.

CUOMO: Six fewer?

PEREIRA: Six fewer.

CUOMO: Good.

PEREIRA: I understand where you're going with it, but people make hay while the sun shines.

CUOMO: Less is more when it comes to shopping.

PEREIRA: You know how shoppers are.

BOLDUAN: Still I will shop on the very last day.

PEREIRA: I agree. Are you a last-minute shopper?

BOLDUAN: Absolutely, nothing like a deadline.

CUOMO: Less is more.

Coming up on NEW DAY, going above and beyond, a police officer seriously hurt, chases down the person who shot her, a remarkable story. We'll bring it to you coming up, video of it.

BOLDUAN: Get ready to leave your phones, tablets on when you take to the skies. The FAA says it will soon be OK to use certain electronic devices during takeoff and landing, but was it ever necessary to make them be turned off in the first place?

CUOMO: Slow clap

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CUOMO: Welcome back to NEW DAY.

Listen to this. Tray tables will still have to return to their upright position but the FAA is loosening rules on the use of portable electronic devices which will make the skies a little bit friendlier on your next flight.

Chief business correspondent Christine Romans has the details.

Can I get an amen? Have I been asking for this?

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: I'm telling you --

CUOMO: Have I said this is justice in the world of the sky.

ROMANS: Anyone who has flown with rowdy children are just praising the Lord this morning that they'll let them continue to look at Curious George or whatever they're watching. This is a big change. It means probably by the end of the year you're going to be able to use your device on takeoff even.

Here's what you can use: tablets, laptops, e-readers. Cell phones must be in airplane mode. You can't, like John Berman, be sending emails right there until the very last minute -- Wi-Fi, blue tooth accessories. It's not OK to be chatting on your cell phone, however. That is what's really important for me. The moment when we're all talking to people on a plane is a very, very bad day. That is not going to happen.

So, basically, Wi-Fi is enabled above 10,000 feet. Above 10,000 feet, you'll be able to use Wi-Fi; you'll be able to send e-mails do work and all that. But when you're taking off and landing, as long as you're holding the device -- they might have you stow - if you have two things, if you have a book and an e-reader, you have to stow one of the things in front of you.

BOLDUAN: So is there any lingering safety concern? Was there ever a real safety concern?

ROMANS: It's interesting because the FAA does make this point, in certain circumstances you will be asked to turn it off in flight.

BOLDUAN: Do they tell you what those are.

ROMANS: That circumstance is in some instances of low visibility. It's about 1 percent of flights, they're going to tell you that landing systems may not be proven to be as they call them PED tolerant, personal electronic device tolerant. So they'll have you turned off your stuff in a very low visibility situation?

PEREIRA: How soon until this all happen? If you're flying today, you shouldn't expect these changes --

(CROSSTALK)

ROMANS: What, are they going to yell at you today if you're like, no, I'm going to use it today?

No, probably by the end of the year. I'm guessing by the end of the year. We've got major airlines have been moving in this direction. They've actually been hardening up their communication systems for new planes for some years now, knowing this day could come.

BOLDUAN: They knew it was coming.

ROMANS: They were hoping it was going to come.

CUOMO: The cell phone thing is a should, not a could. It's not you can't talk in flight because that messes with the communications, it's an etiquette issue right now, right?

ROMANS: It is wrong to do it because it would irritate me very badly.

CUOMO: I think that's what they're saying also. From the beginning I believe these are more etiquette things, questions. We've been asking these for years. It's right there with me about seats in the upright position. I think you need that.

(CROSSTALK)

PEREIRA: The safety aspect in takeoff and landing, don't the flight attendants want your sort of attention, your eyes forward, and not have your hands full of stuff?

ROMANS: So, there's a little bit of a distraction issue where you're going to be listening to all of the announcements and stuff, you know?

CUOMO: That's fine. And say that. Don't say they mess up and everybody will die if they use it. That's what they've been telling us for years.

BOLDUAN: Maybe there is an issue.

CUOMO: Why would they make the change?

PEREIRA: Have we just made more questions than answers here?

CUOMO: If there's such an issue, why would they make a change?

(CROSSTALK)

CUOMO: Why would they make a change?

BOLDUAN: I'm loving that, Christine. Well, it's a "NEW DAY.

PEREIRA: It's a "NEW DAY.

BOLDUAN: When you fly in the skies.

Thanks, Christine.

ROMANS: You're welcome.

CUOMO: Welcome change. Thank you, Christine.

Be sure to join Christine Romans on "YOUR MONEY", tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Eastern. So nice you see it twice here on CNN.

We're going to take a quick break on NEW DAY. When we come back, we have the story of a police officer jumping into action even though she was seriously hurt. Shot in the face during a traffic stop, still, chases down the gunman, yes.

BOLDUAN: Doesn't even sound possible.

Also this ahead: it is being called the ultimate case of Facebook stalking. The social network is making moves to keep an even closer eye on you if it's possible, when you login. We're going to talk about it, coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) PEREIRA: Welcome back to NEW DAY.

Making news this morning, a massive storm system wreaking havoc for parts of the country. It dumped more than a foot of rain in central Texas, prompting dozens of dramatic rescues and evacuations.

Near Austin, two men were killed when they were swept into rushing floodwaters. It was so bad. Scores of cities from Kansas to Tennessee postponed Halloween until today.

Israeli warplanes attacking a military base in Syria this week. That information coming from the Obama administration, although Israeli officials will not confirm it. Officials in Washington telling CNN that Israel targeted missiles and other military equipment they fear could have been given to Hezbollah militants in Lebanon.

A federal appeals court blocking a previous judge's order to change the NYPD stop and frisk practices. Not only that, the appeals court criticized the earlier judge's conduct and removed her from the case. The ruling puts off a battery of changes for the police department and it also postpones the planned use of a monitor to oversee reforms of stop and frisk practices.

The FBI investigating an apparent security threat that forced the United Express flight to be diverted to Phoenix. The commuter plane with 47 passengers aboard was headed from San Francisco to San Antonio when it was forced to land at sky harbor airport yesterday afternoon. Bomb squad, police dogs all searched the plane. They found nothing suspicious and passengers resumed their trip several hours later.

Banksy bidding adieu to the New York area with balloons. The anonymous British graffiti artist ended his month-long residency on the streets of New York. His final piece, black and white balloons on the side of a warehouse in Queens. On his website, he called this an inflatable throw up on the Long Island expressway.

He also wrote, "That's it, thanks for your patience. It's been fun." And I add, Banksy out.

BOLDUAN: As he would as well.

PEREIRA: I don't know if he would.

BOLDUAN: It's a perfect ending.

Thanks, Michaela.

PEREIRA: No problem.

CUOMO: All right. Listen to this story about what a cop fought through. A Texas police officer takes two bullets at point blank range while approaching a car with three men inside. Seconds into it, literally shot in the face, then bleeding and in severe pain, the mother of two, which may be the key to her resilience, sets off after the suspects.

CNN's Pamela Brown joins with us this story.

I mean, you know what? It doesn't matter how much I tell because I can't give it away. It gets more and more amazing.

PAMELA BROWN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's unbelievable, and there's actually dash cam video that shows everything taking place after the horrific incident this woman went through.

It was supposed to be a routine traffic stop, and it turned into a near-death experience for this police officer Carrizales. That did not stop her from bravely embarking on a high-speed police chase. And was we mentioned, it was captured on dash cam video. And she recovers from her injury, she is pleading with the public to help find who men who are still on the loose.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANN CARRIZALES, POLICE OFFICER: Shots fired, shots fired, I'm hit.

BROWN (voice-over): This dramatic dash cam video shows the terrifying moments after Stafford Police Officer Ann K. Carrizales made a routine traffic stop at 4:00 a.m. Saturday. As he approaches the car, a passenger suddenly pulls out his gun and shoots her twice, according to police.

CARRIZALES: I'm still conscious.

BROWN: One bullet hit her police vest, the other pierced her face, wounded and in serious pain. Police say she managed to return fire before getting back in her car and pursuing the suspects in a high- speed car chase.

CARRIZALES: We went over Greenbriar (ph) on to --

BROWN: Despite her injuries, a former Marine, chased the suspects for seven minutes through the streets near Houston.

CARRIZALES: I was born to be a protector. I always have been a protector.

I was shot by the driver's side passenger.

BROWN: Ending when the three men in the car ran into an apartment building. The alleged 21-year-old shooter, Sergio Rodriguez was taken into custody. Police say the other two men on the run are 28-year-old Freddie Henriquez, a suspected gang member and a man who goes by the name Daniel Cruz.