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NEW DAY

NASA Rocket Explodes on Launch; Ramped Up Security at Federal Buildings; Iraqi Peshmerga Fighters Heading to Kobani; Sources: Ferguson Police Chief to Resign; Lava Inches from Homes in Hawaii

Aired October 29, 2014 - 06:00   ET

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


(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Catastrophic lift off, a cargo rocket that was supposed to carry supplies to the International Space Station explodes just seconds into its mission. Thankfully, it was unmanned, but what caused that rocket to blow up?

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: And high alert, the U.S. stepping up security at federal buildings around the country one week after the attack on Canada's Parliament. Is this precautionary, or is there a specific threat?

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: Stepping down, sources tell CNN that the police chief in Ferguson, Missouri, is expected to step down as part of the city's efforts to reform the embattled department. The mayor and the police chief denying those reports. Will his departure ease tensions as we await a grand jury decision?

CUOMO: Your NEW DAY starts right now.

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

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CUOMO: Good morning. It is Wednesday, October 29th, 6:00 in the East. Chris Cuomo and Alisyn Camerota here with news of a spectacular rocket explosion overnight. It is a major mystery this morning. NASA and its space partners are trying to determine what went wrong. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Man!

(EXPLOSION)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: Oh, so shocking to see it. Of course, it brings up all of those memories of the Challenger.

The rocket blew up just seconds into lift-off, crashing down onto a launch pad and bursting into flames, with fiery debris spewing everywhere. The rocket was developed by a private company, and it was transporting some 5,000 pounds of supplies and experiments to the crew on board the International Space Station.

We are following all of the angles for to you try to get some answers, and we begin with CNN's Tom Foreman live in Washington.

What do we know, Tom?

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We know that at this hour, investigators are spreading out around Wallops Island, Virginia, to start collecting all of the data as the first light of the day comes in. They know that they have to pick up every piece of debris they can, because that's really the only way that they can solve this explosive and amazing mystery.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And we have lift-off.

FOREMAN (voice-over): The first stage was just seconds into a four- minute burn when the Antares rocket stalled, fell backward and exploded. Nearly three-quarters of a million pounds of thrust went haywire, and spectators across the bay say the blast shook the ground even there.

J.D. TAYLOR, WITNESS: We felt the concussion. It was a huge blast. It hit us, and it sounded like a sonic boom.

FOREMAN: It also clearly shook Virginia-based Orbital Sciences. The private contractor that built the rocket under a nearly $2 billion contract with NASA now needs answers.

FRANK CULBERTSON, ORBITAL SCIENCES: The investigation will include evaluating the debris that we will find around the launch pad. If you find anything that washes ashore in the local area or came down in on your farm, definitely do not touch it.

FOREMAN: No one was hurt in the explosion, but gone in a flash, 1,600 pounds of science experiments on everything from meteors to human blood flow. More than 1,600 pounds of hardware, computers, space-walk equipment; and 1400 pounds of food for the ISS crew. That does not create an instant emergency, but it will put extra pressure on upcoming missions to reestablish the supply chain to those astronauts in orbit.

And the explosion could create political pressure, too, in the continuing debate over how much space travel can or should be put into the hands of private companies.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOREMAN (on camera): It is worth noting that a Russian rocket took off this very morning with more supplies for the ISS, and there's another launch here by a private company, SpaceX. Should be taking off on December 9, if all goes properly, also to rendezvous with the ISS. CAMEROTA: OK, Tom, thanks so much.

CUOMO: One of the big concerns is would the people in the space station be OK. We believe all the sources say the same thing: yes, they should be.

It is also a big vote for unmanned missions. That had been a big part of the controversy, as well. God forbid there had been some people...

CAMEROTA: Absolutely.

CUOMO: ... in this rocket.

So why did it exactly happen and how did happen? We know a little bit more than we're reporting so far. So we're going to talk with CNN space analyst Miles O'Brien coming up about what we actually understand about this and what it may mean for the future of privatized space missions.

We also want to get you on this developing story this morning about potential terror attacks on U.S. soil. It turns out the feds are ramping up security at thousands of government buildings. The question is why. We do know the action is coming after the shooting spree in Ottawa last week. You remember that, where this deranged gunman opened fire and killed a soldier and then stormed into the Parliament building before he was shot dead by the very brave sergeant at arms there.

So now Homeland Security secretary Jeh Johnson is calling the enhanced security a precautionary measure following ongoing terror threats.

So let's get the latest from CNN's justice correspondent Pamela Brown live from Washington.

Pamela, the obvious confusion is do you have new information fueling these threats? Is it just precautionary? Why is it targeted to one part of the security agency? Curious stuff.

PAMELA BROWN, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Right, Chris. And that is the big question. We are told by an official that this is not in response to any new intelligence indicating additional threats to the homeland. But that Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson is stepping up security at these government buildings in D.C. and other cities after a series of events that have U.S. authorities on high alert.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BROWN (voice-over): This morning, concerns about terror attacks on the homeland continue. The U.S. now beefing up federal security in more than 9,500 government buildings in Washington, D.C., and across the country.

These photos taken late Tuesday reveal a much higher police presence near the White House. The Department of Homeland Security secretary, Jeh Johnson, says the new security measures are a precautionary step against terrorist organizations.

JEH JOHNSON, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: It's simply being safe rather than sorry.

BROWN: This move comes in response to continued calls for attacks against government officials on U.S. soil from groups like ISIS.

REP. ED ROYCE (R), CALIFORNIA: There was a specific request made about a month ago, by ISIS. They're looking now at lone wolves to attack instruments of -- that represent western governments, basically.

BROWN: This, as the al Qaeda offshoot, Khorasan, poses an imminent threat, according to officials.

Also raising fears, the most recent terror attacks right across the U.S. border.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Guys, there is a shooter on the loose.

BROWN: Last Wednesday, a 32-year-old Muslim convert who officials say had connections with other extremists, killed a Canadian soldier, then opened fire inside Canada's Parliament.

And two days before that, Canadian authorities say a radicalized Islamist struck and killed a Canadian soldier with his car.

The federal facilities at risk see some 1.4 million visitors daily. Officials not disclosing those locations.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BROWN(on camera): And Johnson says state and local governments need to be equally vigilant, particularly in guarding against small-scale attacks by lone offenders. He also urges the public to be on the lookout. But bottom line, Alisyn, officials don't want to take chances, and that's why they're stepping up security, it appears.

CAMEROTA: All right, Pamela. Thanks so much for all of that background.

Let's bring in now Tom Fuentes. He's a CNN law enforcement analyst and former FBI assistant director. He is in Washington.

Tom, good morning.

TOM FUENTES, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Good morning, Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: So is all this a response to what happened in Parliament in Ottawa?

FUENTES: I think it must be, Alisyn, because it's so nonspecific. I mean, when you're talking 10,000 buildings across the country, you know, to me, where does this end? You put more security guards in front of the buildings, well it's those very guards that are the targets. So I guess if we want to make more targets available for ISIS to shoot at, that's one way to do it.

But I don't know how you call this off. You know, we've had these threats this -- these threats that ISIS has put out on the Internet, asking for people to, you know, attack soldiers or police or the government or anybody else. And I just think -- you know at some point, it's going to be difficult to stop it in either event, whether you have 10,000 additional buildings enhanced or not.

CAMEROTA: So, it sounds like you're not a fan of this concept. But can't you just look at what's been happening here at home? I mean, two fence-jumpers have made it over the fence at the White House, one of them all the way into the White House. Isn't it time for a security tune-up here?

FUENTES: Well, you can tune it up. But if you look around, you know how? I walk around downtown Washington all the time, and the buildings are right up to the sidewalk, most of them. And, you know, busy streets where people can do like what happened in Oklahoma City. You know, use a truck bomb, drive up on the sidewalks. People are eating lunch and having coffee at sidewalk cafes. They're vulnerable. Pedestrians are crossing walks, all of the federal buildings, obviously. And this is Washington, you know, a prime target for ISIS or for anybody else that wants to make a terrorist statement.

But when you talk 10,000 buildings across the country, you know, which buildings and what type of security? And on the other side, when do you call it off? You know, once you dial these threats up, and enhance the security, you know, it's kind of like the embassy closings a year or so ago. When you close 25 embassies, when do you decide not to close them when it's not a specific threat? When it is a specific threat, they'll eliminate it. They'll go after that group, and they will do the investigation that's necessary to disrupt and dismantle a specific organization doing a specific threat.

But to be just generally on guard because somebody, some deranged person in his head will take an ISIS order and carry it out, it just seems to be in a way mission impossible.

CAMEROTA: Well, here's what Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson says is the reason for this, beyond what happened in Canada. He said the reason for this action -- "The reasons," I should say, "are self- evident. The continued public calls by terrorist organizations for attacks on the homeland, including against law enforcement and other government officials." So that's the reason that he's giving.

But Tom, I hear what you're saying. You're basically saying it's an exercise in futility. So what is the answer?

FUENTES: Well, I think the answer is what it has been, is to try to defeat the ideology in the long run. And we're not making, really, efforts at that. If we catch these terrorists, we catch people trying to join ISIS and fly out of the United States, we lock them up, and that's fine. Except then they're in prison, able to recruit more converts and increase that effort.

And I think that, you know, right now, what we're trying to do is really, you know, trying to work on the symptom instead of the cause. And until we really defeat the ideology and defeat the recruiting ability of ISIS, you know, we're really not going to be successful at this. And this will go on for decades.

CAMEROTA: Of course, it is much harder to defeat the ideology than it is to add some security officers to various federal buildings so it sounds like we will be seeing the latter happen in the next few weeks. Tom Fuentes, thanks so much. It's great to get your perspective.

FUENTES: You're welcome.

CAMEROTA: Let's go to Christ.

CUOMO: To that point of what's happening on the ground, the question is has there been a turn in the battle against ISIS? Kobani, which was once an after-thought, is now seemingly the key battleground.

And there was a surprise this morning in the form of reinforcements for Kurdish fighters besieged by ISIS. More recruit -- reinforcements are coming today. But the surprise is who came first and why. Let's get to senior international correspondent Nick Paton Walsh, joining us with that latest information from the Turkey/Syria border.

Nick, what do we know?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Chris, very volatile morning. Behind me here, we have just seen the second large airstrikes since we arrived here this morning to go in a lot of gunfire.

Of course, the Syrian Kurds fighting for that city, expecting to see Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga, who have been traveling across Turkey in a large convoy and flying in separately, as well. Them to arrive at dawn.

But they got a surprise. Instead, they got more Syrian rebel fighters coming in. Potentially over 50, maybe as many as 200, according to their commander. That's Turkey's idea, to send in Syrian rebel enforcements into Syria here.

Now the fighting was intense since they moved in at about 5:30 this morning. And yet more will still come, too, potentially, and then there's the Peshmerga, as well. Their convoy expected in the hours ahead. Some of them already, we understand, very close to the border. They're waiting for their motorized component to join up with them. They then, we understand, will go through the official Turkish border crossing behind me here, in fact quite close to where that plume from the airstrike is at the moment.

A lot of fighting happening right now. I think morale is high, because you heard the Kurds just behind me, playing loud music behind me in the last few minutes. Things are changing fast. The resupply they've wanted is on its way. The reinforcements are on their way. But the real question, Chris, is what is ISIS's role in this? What's their vote? They can still fight back -- Chris. CUOMO: And they certainly are. So we're going to have to see how the

reinforcements come in and how the state of play changes on the ground. Nick, be safe and keep us informed.

CAMEROTA: Let's get over to Michaela for some more news.

PEREIRA: Good morning, guys and good morning to you at home. Here's a check of your headlines at this hour.

Developing overnight, a potentially devastating oil spill in Sweden. Officials say a large ship hauling 52 tons of oil has run aground in Stockholm's scenic archipelago, and it is spilling oil into the Baltic Sea. There are some 30,000 islands and inlets in that area. Right now we're told two environmental protection vessels are steaming to the area. Strong winds and waves have been reported there. We'll keep an eye on this for you.

The White House shut down its computer network after it discovered suspicious cyber-activity. Now officials aren't saying what exactly happened. But they are not calling this a hack. They say the computer systems were not damaged, and that no classified information was compromised. Yet the "Washington Post" says hackers working for the Kremlin are to blame.

The police chief in Ferguson, Missouri, says he's not quitting, that he has not been asked to quit and that he has not been fired yet. Sources tell CNN that Thomas Jackson could be out as soon as next week. As the St. Louis suburb looks to move past the fatal shooting that's made it a tense new epicenter of the national debate on race. Our justice reporter Evan Perez is in Washington with details this morning for us.

So is he in or is he out?

EVAN PEREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Michaela.

Well, Ferguson Police Chief Tom Jackson is expected to step down as part of a plan to reform the police department there. Now, this is as part of a plan being discussed by local, state and federal officials, and we expect an announcement could come as soon as next week.

Now, the local officials are hoping that this could help reduce tensions as they wait for a decision by a St. Louis County grand jury on whether to bring charges against Darren Wilson. That's the officer who shot Michael Brown.

Now the plan is for the St. Louis County police to temporarily take over running the Ferguson Police.

The Ferguson chief has been under pressure to quit for some time. And he tells CNN, quote, "Nobody in my chain of command has asked me to resign. Nor have I been terminated."

In addition to the local investigation, there are two federal probes still going on. One into the shooting itself and one into the Ferguson Police Department's practices -- Michaela. PEREIRA: A lot of questions swirling. Is this going to happen? What

will it mean for Ferguson?

PEREZ: We shall see.

PEREIRA: And the conversation going on there. Evan, that's exactly it, we shall see. We'll follow it here on CNN. Thanks so much.

An update for you now on a story that we brought you yesterday. Police in Denver say a Broncos fan who mysteriously disappeared during a game last week has been found safe and sound. Fifty-three-year-old Paul Kitterman had gone to the game with his step-son and a group of friends but vanished, seemingly, at halftime. Well, he was located Tuesday in pueblo, Colorado, some 112 miles away. Police say there's no reason to believe any crime was committed. But what exactly happened is still a mystery, and many people want some answers.

So -- so first and foremost, he's alive and well, and we're very glad to hear that. But again, what happened?

CAMEROTA: We need to find that out. Because that really gripped us for a few days.

PEREIRA: It really did.

CAMEROTA: We thought that he had met some foul play, of course.

PEREIRA: I know. I know.

CAMEROTA: He left behind his cell phone and everything. We will try to find out what happened over the next couple of hours and bring it to you.

Meanwhile a volcano erupts, sending lava creeping closer to homes. How many people are at risk at this hour as people evacuate?

CUOMO: And news of an explosion that looked like a volcano, but it took place on a launch pad. Look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The main engine is at 108 percent.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CUOMO: Unmanned rocket is what you're looking at, luckily unmanned. It became a fireball just seconds after takeoff. It was on its way to resupply the International Space Station. So what went wrong? And does NASA have to rethink its reliance on private companies to carry vital payloads into space? We'll take you through it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CUOMO: Welcome back to NEW DAY. I don't know if you've been following the situation in Hawaii with the lava, but you should be. They now have to evacuate a town. You have to remember: This is molten rock, and we have no way to stop it. These people are all helpless to what the natural course of events are here.

So right now we have CNN's Martin Savidge, who is following this situation. But literally, people are just watching and waiting right now. Here's what we know so far.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This has been a slow-motion disaster. Officials have actually had months to prepare for it. But they admit, now that it's here, it's a whole different emotional chapter.

(voice-over): The day residents have been fearing is finally here. The town of Pahoa is burning. A 2,000-degree river of molten lava that's been approaching for months is now searing the town, and it's just the beginning. Overnight, the first official evacuation notices went out.

DARRYL OLIVERA, HAWAII COUNTY CIVIL DEFENSE CONTRACTOR: Face to face, knock on the door, by a public safety official.

SAVIDGE: The lava is moving at about 30 feet an hour. And at its current speed, it will cut the town's main street in less than two days.

In a helicopter, I could follow the trail of destruction from the slopes of the Kilauea volcano to the edge of town.

(on camera): There it is. That's the lava field, and most of the lava is moving underground. You can see how it transforms the landscape. It just wipes out the vegetation.

(voice-over): On its way, the lava invaded a local cemetery, surrounding the white tombstones.

(on camera): There's nothing that can be done. In other words, if you're thinking why don't they divert it or why don't they try to dig a channel to go around the town? Hawaii has tried all that in the past. It's never been effective.

(voice-over): On the ground, crews race to construct new roads around the lava, to keep an evacuation route open and businesses connected to the nearby city of Hilo.

CHARLENE EWING, LOCAL BUSINESS OWNERS: Hopefully, we'll be able to always stay open. Hopefully, Pahoa will still be viable.

SAVIDGE: Even as the danger creeps ever closer, some residents say they will stay, if only to watch their homes burn.

OLIVERA: When the lava flow comes through their subdivision or through their area, there will be an opportunity for them to remain on site, provided it's safe to do so. SAVIDGE (on camera): Later today, members of the Hawaii National

Guard are expected to show up, bolstering the security forces that are already here. They will patrol the streets, even as parts of the town burn.

Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CUOMO: it's good to have Martin there. But boy, it really does give you some perspective of the helplessness there. And remember, the entire island is, you know, cooled-off molten lava.

CAMEROTA: Lava, right. And to hear him say there's nothing that can be done. That's not in our vocabulary, usually.

CUOMO: Imagine that: sitting around just to watch your house burn.

CAMEROTA: Right.

CUOMO: Let's get over to meteorologist Indra Petersons, keeping track of the latest forecast. Got some hot and cold play here, as well.

INDRA PETERSONS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It's been hot for a while, and we all are loving this, but we know -- just take a look at the map -- how quickly this weather is going to change.

As long as you're ahead of the cold front, temperatures feel very nice. You're talking about 78 degrees out towards Raleigh today. But look just behind the front, and you know exactly what is coming your way. And you probably don't like it.

More and more of that cool air and even some rain showers today, really all of the entire Eastern Seaboard. Now, this is the best it's going to be over the next several days. Why? Because we're going to be talking about those temperatures dipping even further. You're talking about temperatures that felt like they were in the 80s just a day or so ago going down to the 50s.

But that's not even the big story. I mean, so what, 50s, right, this time of year? It is maybe this factor: snow and, by the way, Halloween coming on Friday. No one wants their first snowfall. But Thursday, Friday, Saturday, here we go. Many of you will be seeing those first flurries as early as this weekend.

So what is going on? Here comes the first thing we're talking about" some lake-effect snow, tiny flurries in the Midwest and also out towards the Ohio valley. Then that low continues to develop, make its way up the coastline so the northeast could be talking about some flurries overnight Saturday night in through Sunday. So Halloween, I'm sorry, the kiddies definitely need extra layers, because you're talking about these overnight hours, temperatures finally dipping back down to the 30s.

I was really hoping it was going to stay. Right? Seventies, like a day or two ago? CAMEROTA: Why not?

PEREIRA: I remember every year as a kid. Like, you had this great elaborate costume and then having to opt for face paint and a parka.

CAMEROTA: You were in Canada as a kid. Right?

PEREIRA: I remember that. So depressing.

CAMEROTA: For real snow.

CUOMO: Saskatchewan. The real deal.

PEREIRA: Exactly.

CAMEROTA: Thanks, Indra.

CUOMO: I just got that. That was good.

CAMEROTA: All right. Wait till you see this. It is a massive fireball moments after takeoff. An unmanned rocket explodes seconds after takeoff. It was on its way to resupply the International Space Station. What went wrong?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PEREIRA: The man who led the investigation into the Secret Service prostitution scandal in Colombia, he stepped down after he was linked to a prostitution sting earlier this year. Now according the "The New York Times," David Nieland was caught on video during a probe in Florida and later identified by a woman who says he paid her for sex. Nieland resigned from the Department of Homeland Security, citing health problems. For his part, he denies the allegations and has not been charged.

Federal regulators say a sleep-deprived engineer nodded off at the controls of a Metro North train that derailed in the Bronx last year. You'll recall four people were killed. More than 70 others were injured in that disaster. Investigators say the engineer, William Rockefeller, suffered from a combination of an undiagnosed sleep apnea disorder and a drastic work schedule change. He fell asleep just before taking a 30-mile-an-hour turn at 82 miles an hour.

You know, diversity is not generally a word associated with superhero movies, but it is on display in Marvel's new wave of films, including "Captain Marvel," the studio's first female superhero movie, and "Black Panther."

Marvel also announcing the third installment in the "Avengers" franchise will be broken into two films.