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EARLY START

Epic Flooding Devastates South Carolina; Coast Guard Searching For Missing Container Ship; Oregon Shooter's Father: "Guns Are The Killers"; Oregon Campus Massacre Survivor Speaks Out; Eyewitness Relives Campus Massacre; Doctors Without Borders Demands Investigation; Transportation-Pacific Trade Pact Within Reach; Netanyahu Warns Palestinians. Aired 5:30-6a ET

Aired October 5, 2015 - 05:30   ET

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


CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to EARLY START this Monday morning. I'm Christine Romans.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: I'm John Berman. It's 30 minutes past the hour right now. Deadly unprecedented flooding in South Carolina. Governor Nikki Haley there has deployed 600 members of the National Guard. The state is now experiencing rainfall totals never seen before.

The governor calls it a once in a 1,000-year weather event. Five people dead so far, more than 200 water rescues. Roads all over South Carolina have been shut down by flooding. Cars and trucks have been washed away.

This is an aerial view of Hugee, South Carolina. The levels are rising so fast that the Coast Guard had to airlift this mother and her 15-month-old infant to safety.

And this in Columbia, South Carolina, people rescued after being caught in the raging waters there. Search and rescue operations begin again in the state capital this morning.

I assume they have been going on all night. The rains and flooding have left so many with no choice but to rebuild.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have lost everything. What I have on my body is what we have. Pretty much everybody down that hill has lost everything, our vehicles, our clothes, everything. The best thing is we still have our lives. We still have our lives.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Parts of South Carolina devastated by almost unbelievable to say, 18 inches of rain in a single 24-hour period, catastrophic flash flooding and more rain in the forecast overnight.

I want to get the latest from meteorologist, Pedram Javaheri. In our careers, Pedram, none of us have said more than 18 inches of rain in South Carolina in one night. PEDRAM JAVAHERI, AMS METEOROLOGIST: I get goose bumps when I hear you say that. It sounds like we're talking about a snowfall total, right, 18 inches, 24 inches, but this is all in the way of rain. You have to peel back the data and bring in Claudette. It was a hurricane that made landfall across Southern Texas in 1979. It dropped 45 inches.

The 37 inches was number two, Tropical Storm Allison near the Houston brought that much rainfall. This would be number three indirectly related to Joaquin, of course, not pleasant of 24 inches of rain. Absolutely mind boggling to think the amount of water they came down.

And again not just confined areas around Charleston, you take a look, Charleston located down here by the coast and work to the state capital and into areas around Columbia, a 60-mile stretch with 10 inches of rainfall out to the capital, one in a 500-year event.

You take a look. Here goes Joaquin in place across the Bahamas and as it pulled way, you see moisture and it drew moisture from Joaquin to this region. You look at the flood gauge points. We knew the previous flood gauge in Columbia was at 9.4 feet. We had an observation of 17 feet across this region. The water was so high, it broke off.

We don't know how much higher it got. You talk about a foot of water moving downstream. It has 500 pounds of lateral force behind it so incredible.

You take a moving box, a one yard by one yard. You have 1,700 pounds of weight if you fill it with water. You put a couple of these down on the road. It could easily move a vehicle.

BERMAN: This is very dangerous. It could be a serious flooding situation for days in that part of the country. Pedram, thank you so much.

U.S. Coast Guard had discovered a 225-square mile debris field in the Caribbean in its search for a missing container ship. The Jacksonville based ship was carrying 28 Americans and five Polish nationals on its way to Puerto Rico and went missing near the Bahamas last week.

Search crews have found wood, cargo, stryofoam, life jackets, and oil sheen, but still no positive confirmation that it came from the missing ship. Family members are still holding out hope that their loved ones are alive.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The blame that is to be done on the hurricane. Not the captain. The captain is looking out for his crew.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A lot of people have changed their profile picture to Mike's graduation picture. When I open my Facebook page, I see my post because it is my baby's picture. It has been amazing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: The Air Force and Navy are now assisting the Coast Guard in the search which has covered more than 70,000 square nautical miles.

ROMANS: The father of the gunman who killed nine people and wounded nine others at a community college in Oregon, the father insists he has no idea where his son got his weapons. The father refuses to comment on his son's mental state.

[05:35:02] Ian Mercer says he was stunned to learn his son owned 13 guns. He claims those guns are to blame for last week's campus massacre demanding to know how anyone can get so many weapons so easily.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

IAN MERCER, GUNMAN'S FATHER: It has to change. It has to change. How can it not? Even people that believe in the right to bear arms, you know, what right do you have to take people's lives? That's what guns are, the killers. It is as simple as that. What do you want a gun for?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: A CNN exclusive now. Tracy Hue was inside the classroom where the shooter gunned down his victims one by one. She suffered a bullet wound to her hand. She survived. She spoke about the ordeal to our Sara Sidner.

SARA SIDNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John and Christine, this is the first time we are hearing a firsthand account from someone who is inside of Umpqua Community College in Classroom 15 at Snyder Hall when the gunman came in and started shooting people one by one.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TRACY HUE, SHOOTING SURVIVOR: I was sitting in the front of the classroom facing the teacher when everything happened. He just came in and shot in toward the back of the wall and told everybody to get in the center of the room on the ground.

SIDNER: Did he hit anyone when he first shot that first shot?

HUE: He just got everybody's attention and then everybody looked over to the door and he had guns with him and he was armed and had a bulletproof vest on. He didn't seem like he was anxious or anything. He seemed like he wanted to do that. He seemed happy about it.

He didn't seem stressed. He didn't seem nervous. When he came in, he told everybody to get on the ground. Everybody tried to huddle to the ground. The girl in the wheelchair got off and tried to get down on the ground.

SIDNER: Wait, there was a woman in the wheelchair during all this?

HUE: Yes. She had a dog with her, but the dog was just on the ground. She got off the chair. She went on the ground. Then he told her to get back on the chair. Then she tried to climb back on the chair and he shot her.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SIDNER: She says after she witnessed that, she knew that he would have no mercy, not on anyone. She said she lived because the person next to her was shot in the head and the blood ended up covering her body. He thought she was dead and she played dead so she could live -- Christine, John.

BERMAN: Just an awful story. Thanks, Sara, for that.

Hillary Clinton will release a new plan to curb gun violence today, the proposal that could draw the most discussion using executive action to close loopholes in current gun laws.

The former secretary of state wants to label anyone selling a high number of guns in the business of firearms dealing and subject to the same regulations as retailers.

This closes the so-called gun show loophole. She said she wanted to lead a, quote, "national movement to counter the NRA."

The race to replace John Boehner as House speaker is getting interesting. Utah Congressman Jason Chaffetz is throwing his hat into the ring. Chaffetz says he was recruited by fellow Republicans. Claims there are more than 50 House Republican members who will not back the Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy.

Chaffetz says he wants to bridge the divide within the Republican Party. Current House Speaker John Boehner is stepping down at the end of this month.

ROMANS: The group, Doctors Without Borders, is demanding an independent investigation over the deadly bombing at one of its hospitals in the Afghan city of Kunduz. At least 22 people were killed by the blast, 12 staffers and 10 patients.

The Pentagon acknowledging it may have accidentally hit the facility during a military operation. I want to go right to Kabul, Afghanistan.

I want to bring in CNN's Nic Robertson. Nic, what's the latest on this? Obviously Doctors Without Borders outraged, heartbroken, and calling for an independent investigation. We know the Pentagon already had its own investigation underway.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: NATO said it will have its own quick investigation. They call it a casualty assessment team. They should have some results and earlier testament in a few days they say. That will be conducted by an international group.

That should be important to help get to the concerns that the Doctors Without Borders state the United States should not investigate its own actions. It is not just about the hospital in Kunduz.

It is a rarity in conflicts to see a hospital so destroyed in a conflict. They have many hospitals around the world. So do other NGOs. They say that unless this is a very transparent international independent inquiry, they say then the message, the potential message that is left is, this can happen and it's OK.

[05:40:06] They've said today that the message or the one they heard from the Afghan government saying that the Taliban were inside the compound potentially is combatant. They say that is disgusting and undermines what the United States is saying this may have been collateral damage -- Christine.

ROMANS: All right, Nic, thank you so much for that. It's 40 minutes past the hour. Time for an EARLY START on your money this morning, we start off the week higher. European and Asian stocks higher so are U.S. stock futures. It's all because everyone thinks the fed will hold off on raising rates after that setback in the job market on Friday.

A big company news this morning, American Apparel filed for bankruptcy today, the edgy apparel company plagued by debt, tumbling sales, and a long legal battle with its founder.

A huge trade deal years in the making finally almost done. The U.S. and 11 other countries are hashing out the final terms of the Trans-Pacific Partnership. The TPP would knockdown tariffs and import quotas for these countries that account for about 40 percent of the world's economy would make it cheaper to import from and export to new Asia Pacific markets.

The critics hate it. They warned it is a bad deal for American workers and American unions. They want details, which has been negotiated in private to be revealed.

BERMAN: The supporters say it changes the game against China, though. I mean, you are looking at all the countries who were lined up here. It's basically everyone who trades in the Pacific but China so it would setup trade zone, which is unprecedented.

ROMANS: Detractors say however China originally was opposed to the deal and then they looked at it and said it is fine, which makes unions members worry it means it's bad for American workers.

BERMAN: Tensions running high in Israel, a series of deadly attacks there. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu taking new action, which is causing new controversy. We're live in Jerusalem next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:45:24]

ROMANS: New this morning, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu it threatening a harsh offensive against terrorism after a wave of deadly violence. Four Israelis have been killed in two separate attacks in a matter of days. Now Israeli police are now barring Muslim men under the age of

50 from attending prayer services at the temple mount and historic and revered by both. CNN's Erin McLaughlin live from Jerusalem this morning -- Erin.

ERIN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Christine. Well, people here in Jerusalem certainly are bracing for the possibility of more violence. This is according to Israeli media reports, authorities are considering additional security measures. That is expected from the Israeli cabinet meeting this evening.

It all comes, of course, after what was a bloody weekend in Jerusalem. On Saturday, a 19-year-old Palestinian man entered the old city and stabbed and killed two Israeli men, injuring a woman and an infant before Israeli police shot him dead.

Hours later, Israeli police say they shot and killed a 19-year- old Palestinian man outside the old city. They say he had wounded and stabbed a 15-year-old Israeli boy, an account Palestinians deny.

Palestinians saying that he was being chased by an Israeli mob seeking revenge. All of this is culminating and really extraordinary restrictions placed on the old city.

Palestinians today not allowed to enter the old city, this on top of restrictions already in place in the nearby holy sites so tensions are mounting.

ROMANS: All right, thank you so much, Erin McLaughlin. Thank you for that.

BERMAN: I want to look at what is coming up on "NEW DAY." Alisyn Camerota joins us now. Good morning, Alisyn.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, guys. Great to see you. So we will have the latest on the historic flooding that is devastating parts of South Carolina. Thousands remain without power at this hour and many even without drinking water.

So we are talking with emergency officials about the desperate rescue efforts that are underway this morning. We are also keeping an eye on the forecast for all of you.

Also, what happens next in the wake of the deadly shooting at that Oregon college? Hillary Clinton proposing new gun control measures overnight. We are going to talk about those with the GOP presidential candidate, Mike Huckabee, as well as a senator who lost a relative in the shooting. What does he want to happen? We have so much to talk about in 13 minutes.

BERMAN: Very interesting.

Live from New York, can you tell which one is the real Hillary Clinton!

ROMANS: Yes. BERMAN: It's almost impossible. She was on "Saturday Night Live" with her doppelganger. They were lampooning each other. You don't want to miss this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:51:45]

BERMAN: All right. Did you miss Hillary Clinton on the season premiere of "Saturday Night Live?" The real Hillary Clinton, which one is she? She is not Kate McKinnon. They were both on screen at the same time. Hillary Clinton playing the bartender named Val.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It is great how long you supported gay marriage.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I could have supported it sooner.

CLINTON: Well, you did it pretty soon.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Could have been sooner.

CLINTON: Fair point.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Val, I'm so darn bummed. All anyone wants to talk about is Donald Trump.

CLINTON: Donald Trump? Isn't he is the one that's like, you're all losers! Maybe you should take a vacation.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A vacation? Vatican change?

CLINTON: Vacation!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did somebody say vacation? My God, they're multiplying.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: By the way, Darrell Hammonds has been playing Bill Clinton since 1996. It ended with Kate and Hillary singing "Lean On Me."

ROMANS: It's 53 minutes past the hour. Grabbing cash from an ATM, if it is not your bank's ATM, it will cost you big. Why the fees are soaring next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:57:22]

ROMANS: I'm Christine Romans. Let's get an EARLY START on your money. Watching Wall Street futures this morning, stocks around the world are higher. It looks like a bounce in the U.S. too here's why. The conventional wisdom now is a weak jobs report means the fed will not raise interest rates this year.

Big company news this morning, American Apparel files for bankruptcy today. The edgy apparel company is plagued by debt, tumbling sales and a long legal battle with its founder.

ATM fees soaring. A new survey from Bank Rate finds the average fee for using an ATM not tied your bank account rose to $4.52 per transaction.

BERMAN: That is $5 to get your own money.

ROMANS: It is up over 21 percent over the past five years. Banks are under pressure to reduce other fees like overdraft charges so the ATM fees are easy money. People are not using ATMs as much as they use to so the burden of maintaining the machine falls to fewer users.

BERMAN: It never stops.

ROMANS: Walk a block out of your way if you can save $4.5.

Disney may be taking a cue from Uber. Disney is considering a demand-based pricing structure. Tickets would cost less on slower days and because more or have more restrictions on busy days.

In recent years, Disney has raised prices well above inflation and still attendance keeps breaking records. This scheme could help middle class families want to visit if they are flexible plus make the experience more magical and less crowded.

BERMAN: Flooding catastrophe in South Carolina, officials there responding to the historic rainfall. We will give you the forecast and much more. "NEW DAY" picks up right now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They made a mistake. There he goes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have not seen this level of rain in 1,000 years.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Every ambulance in the city is out attending to emergencies.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have lost everything. What I got on my body is what we have.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He shot the professor and he started shooting everybody.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She played dead so she could live.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't know how I survived. I was probably one of the lucky ones.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you know he had 13 guns?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I had no idea he had any gun.

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm killing the governor and senator from Florida. It's been amazing.

CLINTON: Donald Trump? Isn't he the one that's like, you're all losers!

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Welcome to your NEW DAY. It's Monday, October 5th, 6:00 in the east. We have breaking news, a 1,000-year flood in South Carolina.

First responders resuming search and rescue operations this morning, over the weekend, they've already been hundreds of saves in deadly rushing water.