Return to Transcripts main page

EARLY START

Dual Winners for Nobel Peace Prize; Airport Ebola Worries; St. Louis Street Protests over Police Shooting; No Sign of Kim Jong-Un

Aired October 10, 2014 - 05:30   ET

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


JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: An Ebola scare in the air. A passenger joked landing a plane full of people in isolation for hours. As major airports in the United States and the United Kingdom prepare new screenings to try to stop this virus from spreading. We are live with the very latest.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: New protests turning violent in the streets of St. Louis overnight. Demonstrators clashing with police. New video ahead.

BERMAN: And breaking news. Just minutes ago, the winners of the Nobel Peace Prize. Kailash Satyarthi and Malala Yousafzai, 17 years old. The two of them honored for their tireless advocacy for children's rights. What a statement.

ROMANS: Wow. A life just beginning of advocacy and another one, a career spent advocating for children and girls.

Welcome back to EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans.

BERMAN: And I'm John Berman. It is 31 minutes past the hour. And the breaking news at this hour.

Two winners of the Nobel Peace Prize announced just minutes ago. Kailash Satyarthi of India and Malala Yousafzai of Pakistan. They will share the $1.1 million prize for their work in the support of the rights of children to an education.

ROMANS: CNN's Nic Robertson is standing by live in London.

And Nic, the Nobel Committee pointing out this is a Hindu and a Muslim. This is a man who spent his career fighting for children and a young woman who almost lost her life just wanted to get an education. Two very deserving people and this committee sending a message that we need to honor, educate and protect our children if we're going to make the world better.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A Hindu and a Muslim. And a Muslim from Pakistan, a Hindu from India, two countries, nuclear powered nations that have fought three wars in the past 50 or so years.

So there is almost a double message in this as well. You have this common issue that faces all of us, but particularly in your two countries, India and Pakistan. And you have two such great advocates, Malala Yousafzai, who -- you know, essentially took on the Taliban and almost paid the ultimate price, lived to tell the tale and has begun what appears to be a lifelong campaign to make sure that girls get an education. An education that they are denied by the Taliban and others in so many countries around the world.

And Kailash Satyarthi who himself having given up a career as an electrical engineer, spent the last three and a half decades campaigning for -- to take children out of servitude to give them an education. By his own words, he says he believes he's helped save 80,000 children from servitude. One of the things he did, think about those bright, well hand-woven Indian rugs that so many people liked to buy when they go as tourists in India.

Well, he created an organization to put a label, a mark on rugs to show that they haven't been woven by children. To make sure that children weren't being put into servitude stitching rugs. It's campaigns like that that he has championed, that he has helped to push. So he has, as you say, a career now. He was born in 1954. A life spent promoting education.

So really a very big message here from the Nobel Peace Committee that education is important, that this is for the next generation. This is a very significant, it seems, award. Sometimes the Nobel Peace Committee being controversial in the past. This is one I think that is unlikely to see a lot of controversy around it.

BERMAN: Yes. And Malala Yousafzai, all of 17 years old.

Nic, you know, what were you doing when you were 17? You know, this young woman had been shot in the head by the Taliban, stood up, you know, to an entire movement. Risks her life every day to speak out for education, for other young girls and women around the world. And she does it with such poise and such dignity, Nic.

ROBERTSON: She does. And that's really what's become the trademark for her, really. This is somebody who could have -- you know, who has every right in many ways to scream and shout about the Taliban. But she doesn't. She has this energy. She has this passion. She has this sort of vision and drive that you would never associate or rarely associate with a 17-year-old who really sticks to that message. The one that she left the door of a house to go to school in the northwest frontier province of Pakistan in October of 2012. The 9th of October, actually, 2012.

Almost a year -- almost two years ago to the day now that she left to go to school that day. Believing that she should get an education. Knowing that she was challenging the Taliban who were prevalent in the area. Knowing that people were likely to be, you know, killed by the Taliban. They tried to kill her. I mean, she survived, but let's not forget, they were trying to silence her for good.

And she has really channeled that energy and that emotion and that drive into this very clear speaking, very eloquent spokeswoman for girls education and for education of young people.

ROMANS: And, Nic, you know, Christiane made a really excellent point when this announcement was made that her family and her father, in particular, support her and travelled and the world with her, supporting her and her work to allow girls to have something as simple as an education. And I think that's really important. It's not just about women -- supporting women or young girls fighting for what they need, but this prize is about all children, about men and women honoring children.

ROBERTSON: And when we look at how Malala has been treated internationally and how her fame, if you will, has helped the cause, but it has also emboldened people. I mean, the Pakistani government themselves who, many would argue that in parts of Pakistan essentially kowtow, they're unable to suppress the Taliban and the Taliban's efforts to kill people like Malala. They supported Malala. They supported her family.

They helped her family move to Britain. Gave her parents a stability while they were here to help Malala get her treatment, to allow her to finish her education here in Britain and really sort of support the family. Without that international recognition, would the Pakistani government have necessarily given that kind of support and help which is such a strong message to other children in Pakistan.

So just that small amount of, if you will, notoriety. But now imagine what she can do, what they both can do with the support of the now being Nobel laureates.

BERMAN: Just the beginning, Nic.

Nic Robertson for us in London. Thank you so much.

ROMANS: All right. This morning government officials urging people to stay calm in the face of the current Ebola scare. The mayor of New York and the governor of New Jersey, both places where travelers from West Africa enter the U.S., they offered reassurance, everything possible is being done to protect public health.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO (D), NEW YORK: We faced terrorism, we faced natural disasters. We now face the possibility of being affected by a pandemic. But the fact is, all of those other moments prepared us to handle whatever is thrown at us.

GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE (R), NEW JERSEY: Of course, we're concerned. But that concern is being moved into action. I hope the federal government moves even more quickly to get Newark Airport up and ready to go from that perspective because they are in charge of that aspect of providing security at our -- at our airports. And so -- but I got assurance yesterday directly from the White House in a private conversation that they are moving and moving as quickly as they can and that we'll continue to coordinate together.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Airports -- the airplane cleaners at New York LaGuardia airport walked out Thursday. Angry they say that they are not being protected from Ebola with specific training and with protective gear. Now the Port Authority which operates LaGuardia and the contractor providing the cleaning services both said they will review those concerns raised by the workers.

As U.S. officials press ahead with preparations to begin passenger screening for Ebola at five major U.S. airports, Britain on Thursday announced its own plans for screening at London's Heathrow and Gatwick airports.

I want to bring in our Erin McLaughlin who's live at Heathrow for us this morning.

So we know this is going to happen in the U.S. Now Britain announcing new measures.

ERIN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Christine. The enhanced screening expected to take place here at Heathrow as well as Gatwick airport in London, as well as the Eurostar train terminals, although airports and train officials telling me they have yet to receive the precise protocols from public health officials here in the United Kingdom. So it's not clear when this enhanced screening will begin exactly. But it is expected to have an effect on passengers traveling from the three main Ebola afflicted countries Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone.

They'll be asked question upon entering the United Kingdom such as where they are traveling from, where they're going to, who they may have come in contact with. They also may be subject to some additional medical screening by medical professionals. And this morning, there are questions here in the United Kingdom about the timing of this announcement and effectiveness of the screening.

After all it was just yesterday that ministers here were questioning and saying that the effectiveness was not clear for some of the screenings. And scientists that I have been talking to are saying that -- they think in part this could be a response to political pressure. That government officials perhaps are responding, trying to show that -- demonstrate that they are taking concrete steps to address the Ebola outbreak.

An outbreak which has yet to -- reach the United Kingdom. And scientists also saying that it's very unlikely that an Ebola outbreak will take place in Europe -- Christine.

ROMANS: All right. Erin McLaughlin in London for us. Thank you, Erin.

BERMAN: Passengers on the flight to the Dominican Republic went through an Ebola scare on Wednesday. A man on US Airways Flight 845 reportedly joked that he had Ebola. A Hazmat team was called in. On a video posted to YouTube a flight attendant tells passengers it's going to look worse than it is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FLIGHT ATTENDANT: I have done this for 36 years. I think the man that has said this is an idiot. And I'll say that straight out. You hear me?

I want to you keep your wits about you. We have people coming on that are involved in watching the news. So they look like they are in a bubble -- you know, a little bubble machine. They're going to look like they are in a -- you know, what is that (INAUDIBLE).

Please stay out of their way. Let them do their job.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I didn't do nothing. (EXPLETIVE DELETED)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: All right. As the guy was escorted off the plane, you could hear him say, quote, "I was just kidding." So far CNN has been unable to confirm the man's identity or whether he is in custody. But we can confirm that the flight attendant you heard there --

ROMANS: Is awesome.

BERMAN: Is awesome.

(LAUGHTER)

ROMANS: 41 minutes past the hour. Breaking news overnight. Protests turning violent in St. Louis. Demonstrators angry over a deadly officer-involved shooting. We've got new video for you ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: New demonstrations in St. Louis overnight turning violent. Protesters on the streets in the wake of the police shooting of 17- year-old Vonderrit Myers on Wednesday. Police say a knife was thrown at an officer. That knife missed its target and landed on the ground. A police car also had the windows smashed in.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF SAM DOTSON, ST. LOUIS POLICE: They surrounded a police car and tried to break the windows out of the police car. I understand the emotions, but there are some things you just cannot tolerate. And that's one of them. We have to have respect for each other. We respect the protesters. They certainly have to respect us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: Now officials say two people were arrested. One officer suffered minor injuries Thursday night.

CNN's Jason Carroll is in St. Louis with more on the shooting and the city's reaction to it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The candlelight vigil taking place in the same neighborhood on the same corner where the shooting took place on Wednesday night. Vonderrit Myers' uncle saying you can wash away the blood, but you cannot wash away what happened out here.

According to police, it all started when Myers went to a sandwich shop with a few of his friends. Shortly thereafter, they ran into an off- duty St. Louis police officer. There was some sort of an altercation. Police say Myers fired at the officer first, firing three times. The officer then fired 17 shots. The medical examiner saying that Myers was hit seven, possibly eight times.

People here are drawing comparisons to what happened with Michael Brown. But the cases are very, very different. Michael Brown, as you know by all accounts was unarmed and police once again say that Myers was armed. A .9 millimeter gun was recovered from the scene.

This comes on the heels as a weekend of resistance is planned for the city of St. Louis and Ferguson. Demonstrators will be gathering at a number of spots on Friday, on Saturday, on Sunday drawing attention to the Michael Brown case calling for justice for Michael Brown.

As for the Myers case, that investigation is now under way.

Jason Carroll, CNN, St. Louis, Missouri.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: All right. Jason, thanks for that.

North Korea's leader missing in action. Not seen in public now for more than a month. Missing another important ceremony this morning. Has the North Korean dynasty fallen? We are live with the very latest from Seoul next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: All right. Breaking news. South Korea's Yonhap news agency reporting that the South and North Korea are exchanging artillery fire. The wire services touting South Korean military sources is particularly important right now because as we sit here there is no sign of Kim Jong-Un.

Overnight, the 31-year-old North Korean leader was conspicuously absent from a ceremonial visit to the remains of his late father and grandfather. According to North Korea's agency, flowers were presented in his name. Still no one has seen this guy in a long, long time. And this is unprecedented and the conspiracy theories, they are swirling.

I want to bring in Paula Hancocks live in Seoul. Good morning, Paula.

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John. Well, we're on the phone to the Defense Ministry. Right now they say they are working to confirm that report from local media that North and South Korea are in fact exchanging fire.

Now what we understand from YTN here in South Korea is that earlier today there were a number of defectors and activists launching so- called propaganda balloons. These are big helium balloons that they launched filled with DVDs, telling the truth they say about the Kim dynasty, Kim Jong-Un and his father and grandfather. And also with money in and they try and send those over the border into North Korea so that the ordinary people can find out, they say, what is really going within that country.

This infuriates the North Koreans. They had threatened that they would retaliate. And certainly it appears according to local media that that is what has happened now. That North Korea has fired shots into the air. Some of those shells have actually landed in South Korea, according to local media so we're trying to get confirmation on that right now. But as you say it comes at a very crucial time where we are five weeks now without seeing the North Korean leader.

Nobody knows where he is. The assumption is that he has health issues. We know he has been limping in recent footage. We know that also the state-run media has said that he was suffering discomfort. Quite unprecedented admission that there were something wrong with the North Korean leader.

But of course we don't know exactly what is wrong with him. There are rumors of a coup, there are rumors he's being deposed. Most experts here in South Korea believe that is overplayed. They believe he is likely still in control because we did see that high profile visit from North Korean officials here to Seoul over the weekend saying that there wouldn't be a case where the number two, three and four of the country would leave North Korea if there had been a coup. So they believe Kim Jong-Un is still in control. But of course no one knows what is wrong with him and how ill he is -- John.

BERMAN: Hence the intrigue. All right, Paula Hancocks for us live from Seoul. Thanks so much.

ROMANS: All right. The Dow belly flops. The worst day of the year. Look at that. Actually don't look at that number.

BERMAN: Look away. Look away.

ROMANS: We're going to get --

BERMAN: Avert your eyes.

ROMANS: An EARLY START on your money next.

BERMAN: Avert your eyes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROMANS: An EARLY START on your money this Friday morning. The market had its best and worst day this year all within 24 hours. The Dow plunged 335 points yesterday. The worst drop in more than a year.

Look at the Nasdaq and the S&P 500. Both down 2 percent. October has seen the Dow move more than 200 points five days this month. So whiplash, yes.

Here is what's wrong. Concerns about sluggish global growth. The Fed is going to stop stimulating the economy this month. You've got real concerns that there hasn't been a correction, a 10 percent market correction in a couple of years now. Could that happen? Futures are a little bit lower this morning. If you look at the numbers, we haven't -- look at those numbers.

We have not seen the two correction since 2011. So a lot of people are saying this could be the time with Germany stalled, Europe stalled. China growth slowing. The Fed is going to stop its stimulus this month. And you haven't had a pullback in the market. There are a lot of reasons people think that this could be the beginning of one.

BERMAN: On that happy note, have a great weekend. "NEW DAY" starts right now.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking news, the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize just announced, it is 17-year-old Malala. The youngest winner ever. Sharing the prize just years after she was shot by the Taliban.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking overnight, protests, anger and arrests in St. Louis. A peaceful vigil for a black teenager shot and killed by police turns ugly. Flags burned, windows smashed. Police in riot gear. They say the teenager shot first, the family claims he was just carrying a sandwich.

MICHAEL PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: Missing. North Korea; leader Kim Jong- Un a no-show at an important celebration honoring his late father. The leader now not seen for a month, his absence launching new speculations. Is he still in charge of that nation?

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, it's Friday, October 10th, 6:00 in the East. Alisyn Camerota by my side.

CAMEROTA: Good to be here.

CUOMO: Good to have you.

And we do have breaking news.