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NEW DAY

Thirty-Six Feared Dead from Eruption in Japan; Jeter Closes Out Career in Style; Manhunt Underway After Officer Shot in Ferguson; Gunman Targeted White House Back in 2011

Aired September 29, 2014 - 06:30   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: Welcome back to NEW DAY.

Let's go to Christine Romans. There is a lot of news to tell you about.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A lot of news to start the week, folks.

President Obama admitting U.S. intelligence officials underestimated ISIS. In an interview on "60 Minutes" last night, the president also acknowledged his intelligence agencies overestimated Iraq's ability to stand up to the terror group. Airstrikes continue throughout the weekend against ISIS targets in northern Syria and Iraq.

Meanwhile, a new CNN/ORC polls shows three out of four Americans approve of the air campaign against ISIS.

Government officials say they have withdrawn riot police from the streets of Hong Kong. They are urging protesters to leave following a weekend of demonstrations. Look at those crowds, huge crowds began filling the streets Saturday, becoming the target of police swinging batons and firing tear gas. Student led pro-democracy protests stem from concerns Beijing have too much influence on local election.

A U.S. Marine who's been in a Mexican prison for almost six months has another hearing today. It's Sergeant Andrew -- here we go -- Tahmooressi's fourth hearing on weapons charges. A House subcommittee will take up his case in D.C. Tahmooressi's mother reportedly says her son is losing hope he'll be released. He insists he crossed the border by mistake.

A drug used to treat breast cancer in a clinical trial appears to prolong lives. Researchers say patients who used Perjeta survived on average nearly 15 months longer than those who did not. Researchers say that's the longest extension for a survival rate for a drug treating breast cancer that spread to other parts of the body.

Exciting, exciting developments there.

CUOMO: Very often, you find out a drug has an unintended application. It's something we wanted to be even more effective. Hopefully, this is one of those.

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: Let's keep our fingers crossed. All right, Christine, thanks so much.

We turn now to Japan where a somber recovery in the central part of that nation is following after terrifying volcanic eruption. Crews began airlifting bodies out of an area near the summit of Mount Ontake after a surprise eruption from that volcano. However, that operation has now been suspended because of growing concern about dangerous gases present. At least 36 people are now presumed dead.

Will Ripley is there for us, joins us with the very latest -- Will.

WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Michaela, just within the past few minutes, a team of Japanese said government investigators arrived here. They are taking satellite photos. We can expect to see more investigators in this area near Japan's second highest volcano, trying to learn more about the eruption and physical out why there was absolutely for the advanced warning in a country with some of the most advanced seismic detection technology in the world.

There were hundreds of hikers on this mountain over the weekend, taking in the peek autumn viewing season when all of a sudden, the mountain blew its top without warning, killing at least 36 people, is what authorities believe, 12 bodies have already been identified. Another two dozen are sitting up there on that mountain right now. But rescue crews are not able to get to them. They were hiking through ash that was up to their knees but they had to turn back because of the dangerous conditions up there.

There was even ash raining on our live location here. We had to wear these masks. At a time, it looked almost like he was snowing and people had protective helmets on because there's a chance we're told of an even larger eruption in this area in the coming days. Meanwhile, so much waiting for these families who are gathered here, sleeping on floors in local evacuation centers waiting to learn about the fate of their loved ones -- Michaela.

PEREIRA: Such grief there and again you say concern about further seismic activity.

Will, stay safe. Bring us the latest when you can. Thank you.

CUOMO: My tie today, Mick. No coincidence. Of course, it looks like 80 percent of my other ties. But it is actually --

PEREIRA: I thought it was darker blue.

CUOMO: No, it is blue and white. Yankee pinstripes for a reason. Derek Jeter's historic career has come to an end.

PEREIRA: Yankees captain shortstop playing in his last game against the Sox at Fenway Stadium yesterday afternoon.

Andy Scholes has more on this morning's "Bleacher Report."

He showed a lot of class, those Red Sox fans.

ANDY SCHOLES, BLEACHER REPORT: They certainly did, Chris. You know, I'm not a Yankees fan like you, but I even a little sports tear watching this yesterday.

Derek Jeter taking the field for the final time in his historic 20- year career at Fenway Park yesterday.

Before the game, the Red Sox, they showered him with a few more retirement gifts, including a custom made respect Fenway placard. In his second at bat of the game, Jeter hits this chopper. It would go for an RBI single.

That would be the final hit of Jeter's career. He comes out of the game to a standing ovation. The Fenway faithful chanting "Derek Jeter", and then, "thank you, Derek." Jeter's mom in the fans fighting back the tears, just an awesome moment and a perfect ending to an incredible career.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEREK JETER, NEW YORK YANKEES: You know, you want to be known as someone who had respect for the game and respect for your teammates, respect for the fans, respect for the media, played the game hard.

But for me, I'm happy being known as a Yankee. That's all I wanted to be, was a shortstop for the New York Yankees. I had the opportunity to do that for parts of 20 years. So, being remembered as a Yankee is good enough for me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: The Washington Nationals are headed into the post-season. Jordan Zimmerman wrapped up their regular season in style. He was on his game against the Marlin, striking out ten. He was one out away from a no-hitter when this ball is going to get shot into left center field. It looked like it was going to drop, but Steven Souza out of nowhere makes an incredible catch. That gave Zimmerman a no-hitter. I'd say Zimmerman owes Souza a steak dinner for that one.

All right. Trending on to bleacherreport.com this morning is last night's NFL game where the Cowboys absolutely destroyed the Saints. Tony Romo and his surgically repaired back looked just fine. He threw for three touchdowns.

The leading rusher, DeMarco Murray, he ripped through the Saints defense like me with a beignet on Bourbon Street. Cowboys won the game easily, 38-17.

Guys, back to basketball. Post-season tomorrow in our sister network, TBS, the first time since 1993 both the Yankees and Red Sox missed the playoffs. So, not a lot of big fish in this year's post-season. But some interesting stories. You got teams like the Royals and the Pirates trying to get back to the World Series for the first time in a long time.

PEREIRA: You guys are so happy. There is a plethora of sports. Hockey is in pre-season, you got baseball, you got basketball.

SCHOLES: Yes, basketball, pre-season. Best time of the year.

CUOMO: The only drag down is of course the Jets are playing, which means that there is nothing but misery at this point.

SCHOLES: They did not look good yesterday.

PEREIRA: Long suffering Jets fan.

CUOMO: Andy just said in case you missed it. He was whipping along there, they tore through the Saints like me with a beignet on Bourbon Street. That was a very strong reference.

PEREIRA: Stayed up all night for that one, didn't you?

CUOMO: Beignet on Bourbon Street.

SCHOLES: If I go to Now Orleans, it's bad news, an extra ten pounds when I come home.

PEREIRA: You look good, kid. You look good.

CUOMO: Very impressive. Andy Scholes, thank you, my friend, for the "Bleacher Report" this morning.

We are also going to be talking to you about these protests that are going on in Ferguson, because they're not the only problem anymore. Yes. You have to focus on that. But there is now a manhunt under way for a gunman who shot a police officer. Not the only event against the police office recently. Is the city about to erupt again? We'll take you to it and through it.

PEREIRA: Also, a new report about a terrifying shooting at the White House. Was one of the president's daughters in harm's way? We'll take a look coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CUOMO: Ferguson, Missouri, must be on your radar map this morning because the situation there is only getting worse. Yes, more protests overnight some two months after Michael Brown's death, close to 100 demonstrators assembled outside the Ferguson police department. However, there is something else going on there that matters, the manhunt underway for a gunman who shot a police officer in the arm over the weekend.

Let's go to Stephanie Elam live in Ferguson with the latest developments.

Stephanie, the obvious question is: do they believe there is a connection between what happened in Ferguson with Michael Brown in this?

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Chris, that's the most noteworthy part of this. Police at this point don't believe that either shooting that happened Saturday night had anything to do with the protest surrounding Mike Brown's death. However, it does go to show that tensions are still running very high in this town.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELAM (voice-over): Anger and distrust of police in Ferguson is reaching dangerous new levels, after two police officers were shot in separate incidents within hours of each other Saturday night.

First, a Ferguson police officer shot while conducting a building check of the Ferguson community center. He got out of his cruiser to question a male subject. The man ran and the officer gave chase. The suspect then fired shots, hitting the officer in the arm.

As angry crowds gathered at the scene, Missouri Highway Patrol Captain Ron Johnson made this appeal to keep the calm.

CAPT. RON JOHNSON, MISSOURI STATE HIGHWAY PATROL: What I've got to say is all this hate has to stop. A police officer's been shot tonight. That's who's been shot.

I'm going to ask you to leave, and I'm only going to ask you one time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're only going to ask us one time, these are our streets. These are our streets. These ain't your streets. These are our streets.

ELAM: The incident striking a nerve, and the city still reeling from weeks of violent unrest from the shooting death of unarmed teenager Michael Brown.

REPORTER: Is this in any related to the protest, the Michael Brown protest?

CHIEF JON BELMAR, ST. LOUIS COUNTY POLICE: You know, I don't think it is. It didn't happen within the proximity of the protest area. This is an area that's fairly secluded, and I wouldn't have any reason to believe right now it was linked in anyway, shape, manner or form with the protest.

ELAM: Three hours later, a drive by shooting of an off duty officer, not in uniform, and driving his personal vehicle. The gunman passed the officer on Interstate 70 and opened fire. The officer suffered only minor injuries and broken glass. Police are unsure whether he was targeted or the victim of a random act of violence. No suspects have been caught.

THOMAS JACKSON, FERGUSON POLICE: I am truly sorry for the loss of your son. I'm also sorry that it took so long to remove Michael from the streets.

ELAM: The shooting comes just days after police chief Jackson apologized to Michael Brown's parents and the community, hoping for a fresh start in Ferguson.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What are we going to do to get justice? Because you see, the whole Ferguson is (EXPLETIVE DELETED) in an uproar, the whole city is in an uproar.

ELAM: But Jackson, instead, faced infuriated crowds.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ELAM: And, Chris, I was out here Friday night until 11:00 at night, and it seemed to be more journalists out here than there were protesters.

And then you saw Saturday that more people were out here. So that just goes to show that the situation here in Ferguson is fluid, and each night brings a different story.

CUOMO: Stephanie, thank you very much. Obviously, any connection there's going to be investigated, but no matter whether it's related or not, there are troubles in Ferguson that need to be addressed and we'll stay on the story.

PEREIRA: Yes, the tension certainly has not subsided.

Let us turn to weather right now. It is Monday, the beginning of a new week. What does the forecast hold for us? Rain for some folks, Indra?

INDRA PETERSONS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, its kind of ugly in the Southeast. It's beautiful in the Northeast, but if you are in the Southeast, thanks to a stationary front it rained, it rained. And today, a stationary front. Yes, still stationary. Still in place out through Florida, so even more showers are expected into the region, so concerns there for flooding today. We're talking about flood advisories really across the area. So we're talking two to four inches of rain, some places will be seeing even as much as six, possibly seven inches of rain locally.

That is a concern in a place that has already seen so much rain, too much rain. Rain that they cannot handle. Northeast still looks good for a couple of days. By about Wednesday or so, some light showers will be in play. They're actually monitoring that.

But, the big story is really a system that's making its way out of the Rockies. All this cool air today will clash and bring the potential for some severe weather kind of out towards the Rockies today, but what its really going to mean for the rest of us is that cool air is going to start sliding to the East. So much so you're talking about a 30 degree temperature drop. Yes, it's the upper Midwest today, but again that's just one day, right?

I'm going to take you day by day, you can actually see the green. Here's where the cool air is, right? Watch this pool of green as we make our way in through tomorrow. The Midwest starts to see those temperatures. Notice Chicago starts to go down to the 60's, and the concern there is Wednesday into Thursday showers potentially could mean more delays. Delays they do not need after the compounding delays from last Friday. And, of course, that cool air eventually makes its way into the Northeast here by the end of the week. So, it was so nice. We get, like, one more day of it and then see you later. PEREIRA: Because it's officially fall now, I just want to remind people of that.

PETERSONS: It is official, but no need to go there just yet. Right, Michaela?

Are you in a rush? Canada changed you?

PEREIRA: It did, as always.

Alright. Thanks so much, Indra

New concerns this morning about White House security after a disturbing report about a gunman who opened fire back in 2011, putting the president's family at risk. It is leaving critics wondering if the Secret Service is asleep at the wheel.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK).

PEREIRA: Welcome back to NEW DAY. More trouble for the Secret Service as details emerge about a 2011 shooting at the White House.

"The Washington Post" reports that it took Secret Service four days to realize that seven bullets had hit the upstairs residence of the White House while the president's daughter, Sasha, and his mother-in-law were inside.

These revelations, of course, come on the heels of several security incidents at the White House, including one where an intruder raced inside bearing a knife.

We want to bring in Ronald Kessler. He is an investigative reporter and author of "The First Family Detail" where he actually published some of the very details of this incident before "The Washington Post."

Mr. Kessler, thanks so much for joining us this morning.

RONALD KESSLER, INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER, AUTHOR, "THE FIRST FAMILY DETAIL": Hey, my pleasure.

PEREIRA: So, in your book you detail so many of the events of this 2011 incident. I think many of us are wondering how on earth it could have taken the Secret Service four days to realize that seven shots hit, some of them even entered, the White House.

KESSLER: And "The Washington Post" claims it has a scoop, but as you say it was in my book and it goes back to a really rotten management culture that is based on arrogance. That is what connects all of these scandals.

The management promotes agents who don't point out deficiencies, and so the way to get ahead is to cover up. It's just safer. And, therefore, the, for example, the uniformed officers who led this (inaudible), into the White House, even though they were not on the guest list, felt it was just safer to let them in as opposed to possibly upsetting the White House.

In the case of the gunshots, the uniformed officer who reported the gunshots felt it was safer to not keep insisting that she had heard them, even though a supervisor overruled her. In the case of the White House intrusion recently, it was safer for the uniformed officers to not take out that intruder who was carrying a knife and went into the White House, even though he could have had an explosive or he could have unleashed weapons of mass destruction.

And so the agents who perpetuate the myth that the Secret Service is invincible are the ones who get ahead, and that is understood. Those who don't do that, who point out problems are literally punished. And that is -- goes back to really the safety of the president, who keeps insisting that there is no problem in the Secret Service. Michelle Obama, according to "The Washington Post," was angry at the Secret Service over the fact that they did not detect the gunshots.

PEREIRA: Right, right, right.

KESSLER: And yet the president does nothing.

PEREIRA: I want to talk to you about that in a second, because we understand the first lady and the president understandably were quite livid about this situation.

I want to talk about this. You talk about it being an issue of culture. I want to also understand if this is a question, too, of our men and women in the Secret Service who are charged with protecting the president of the United States and the president's family, are they given enough tools and resources to adequately do their job? For example, in the incident in 2011 and even in this latest incident, one has to wonder if the tools for surveillance were readily available to them.

KESSLER: Absolutely not. You know, the Secret Service is absolutely crumbling. As part of this culture, they have the attitude we make do with less. They're actually proud of not spending money.

In the case of the gunshots, for example, the Secret Service should have devices to detect gunshots. You know, the D.C. police have that but the Secret Service doesn't. On and on they cut corners, they're not keeping up to date with the latest surveillance devices, they will let people into events without magnetometer screening or metal detection screening under pressure from White House staffs.

PEREIRA: Are you at all convinced that the president, and the first lady, and his mother-in-law, and their children that they're safe inside the White House?

KESSLER: They are not safe. Absolutely not. The agents I talked to say it's a miracle that there has not been an assassination so far and, you know, it seems obvious to all of us that the Secret Service needs a major overhaul.

What they need is a new director from the outside who is not part of this culture. Somehow, President Obama really recklessly keeps disregarding all the warning signs, keeps defending the Secret Service, and then yesterday you had Tony Blinken, the deputy national security advisor again defending the Secret Service.

PEREIRA: Yes.

KESSLER: And the result is going to be an assassination. I'm afraid that's the only way we're going to have a change.

PEREIRA: You think that's the only thing that's going to change. Listen, we know that Tony Blinken spoke with CNN yesterday, and he tried to put things in perspective, saying the task that the Secret Service is given is incredible, and the burden that they bear in incredible, and that the director, this newish director, is looking into the incident.

But you believe that these changes are not enough, that more fundamental changes need to come?

KESSLER: Yes, you know, the director always says I'm reviewing this, there are going to be hearings, nothing will happen. That's not the way you change any organization.

You change an organization by bringing in a new CEO who's not beholden to the interests, who's not part of the culture, who will shake things up as Bob Mueller did when he became FBI director, made the FBI more prevention (inaudible).

So this is a colossal lack of management, judgment, on the part of President Obama because he is the one who is at risk here. He's the only one who can do anything about it.

PEREIRA: And he is certainly the one that has the ultimate power there to change things there, for his family and, obviously, for the White House and his administration.

Ronald Kessler, thank you so much for joining us this morning to give us your perspective.

KESSLER: Sure.

PEREIRA: You can check out his book, it is called "The First Family Detail." There it is on your screen right now. Certainly following a whole lot of news this morning. Let's get to it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: I think they underestimated what had been taking place in Syria.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It could take two weeks to restore full service to Chicago's fire damaged air traffic control center.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There appears to be a fire that was set by a contract employee. There is no terrorist act.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My lungs were tired of all the coughing. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He started coughing and I noticed he was getting

blue around his mouth.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The similarities of symptoms of the enterovirus, and flu symptoms, and cold symptoms are going to look the same.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Severe wheezing, some of them need supplemental oxygen.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CUOMO: Good morning, welcome back to NEW DAY.

We start with President Obama's new admission about ISIS.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CUOMO (voice-over): The president says intelligence agencies underestimated the extremists, and overestimated Iraq's will and ability to fight them in this candid "60 Minutes" interview he gave yesterday. No one is more surprised to hear this than intelligence officials who disagree. We'll get into it.

PEREIRA (voice-over): Meanwhile, U.S. led air strikes continue to pound ISIS targets in northern Syria and in Iraq. Air strikes that three out of four Americans support according to a new CNN/ORC poll.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PEREIRA (on camera): However, the president's approval rating is still low.

Michelle Kosinski is live from the White House this morning with all of this, and so much more. Good morning, Michelle..

MICHELLE KOSINSKI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi guys, right. So we have air strikes continuing and then we have President Obama going on CBS' "60 Minutes" and openly acknowledging now, that yes, the U.S. absolutely underestimated ISIS in the past, while overestimating the ability and will of the locals to fight it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: They were able reconstitute themselves, and take advantage of that chaos, and attract foreign fighters who believed in their jihadist nonsense and traveled everywhere from Europe, to the United States, to Australia, to other parts of the Muslim world, converging on Syria. So this became ground zero for jihadists around the world.

KOSINSKI: And so the president says the U.S. continues to be the one to lead this effort, because America has the unique capacity to do so. So how do Americans feel like that? Well, this new CNN/ORC poll just released this morning shows that 73 percent approve of the air strikes. But about that same number also feels that it is likely the U.S. will end up having to send in ground troops and fewer, only 61 percent, feel confident that the U.S. will succeed in its goal of degrading and defeating ISIS.