Transcripts For CNNW EarlyStart 20131113

0 1776 feet tall, a number symbolizing freedom and a proud day for many new yorkers. anderson? >> isha, thanks very much. that's it for us. thanks for watching. "early start" begins right now. the president should honor the commitment the federal government made those people. >> president obama hitting a new low. his popularity is plummeting, as he faces tough criticism from tough leaders of his own party as well. could the white house do anything to turn this mess around? everything's gone. our houses. everything. there's nothing to eat. there's nothing to drink. >> the devastation is growing in the philippines this morning. the relief moving in so slowly to the typhoon survivors who so badly need it. we're live with the latest developments on the ground there. and a major health alert impacting millions of americans, why if you're not already on cholesterol medication you may soon be. >> it's kind of medical news for everybody. >> yes, it is. good morning, welcome to "early start." i'm john berman. >> and i'm zoraida sambolin. it's wednesday, november 13th, it's 5:00 a.m. in the east. >> we are going to begin with the fallout. the new latest fallout over the affordable care act and president obama's declining popularity. almost immediately, it failed to do what it was designed to do. many americans could not get on to sign up for coverage. the white house has pledged to have it fixed, this website, by the end of this month. but now this morning, "the washington post" says this may not happen. they may not be able to meet that date. the contractors trying to repair the site are apparently running into so many bugs. they're having such a tough time remedying these problems, they say they may miss the deadline. and now hearing from members of his own party who said one promise should would be kept. here's cnn's jim acosta. >> reporter: when it comes to obama care, it's not just the president versus republicans anymore. even the most loyal democrats in congress say it's time to fix it. >> i think we need to look at political reality. we need to be open to constructive changes to make this law better. >> reporter: one immediate proposal from louisiana senator mary landrieu would help the president keep his promise. for fellow democrats including vulnerable incumbents up for re-election next year have signed on. >> it's very supporting for those who supported this bill to have this gummed up but i think it can be fixed. >> reporter: former president bill clinton urged president obama to stick to his pledge. >> so, i personally believe, even if it takes changing the law, the president should honor the commitment the federal government made to those people. >> reporter: white house officials say president obama agrees, but they won't say what changes he will support. >> president agrees even if it takes a change in the law? >> what i just said, jim, is that the president has instructed his team to look at a range of options. >> reporter: the obama care fiasco has damaged the president's image. a new quinnipiac poll finds 39% approve of the job he's doing. what's worse, 52% say they don't think the president is honest and trustworthy, his lowest numbers in both categories. >> he is angry. he is right to be angry. he's not well served by his colleagues in the administration. >> reporter: the president and white house have learned important obama care. >> you need experts, you need to trust, but even more, you need to verify, you can't go rushing the schedule when you get behind. or you end up making more errors. >> reporter: jim acosta, cnn, washington. >> our thanks to jim. now to the situation in the philippines, nearly a week after super typhoon haiyan hit, food, water and medical supplies continue to trickle into the country, as residents desperately search for their loved ones that were lost in the storm. there are reports now of looting. reportings of dentals, as victims try to find what they need to survivor. the death toll now stands at more than 1,800. two of them are americans. the president of the philippines tells cnn, the earlier estimates of 10,000 dead are likely too high. that's what he was saying yesterday. let's go to cnn's andrew stevens in tacloban. andrew, let's talk about the situation here today. we've been seeing the reports that anderson cooper has been sharing with us. and there are people living in makeshift areas surrounded by their dead loved ones. so we're trying to understand, what is the most immediate needs for people there. >> reporter: zoraida, there are so many immediate needs. this is the problem. the authorities here, the relief by local institutions are just not getting a grip on many of the issues. and there are, as i said, living next to dead relatives. body bag have gone missing. 700 body bags have disappeared. this is according to the mayor of the city. he said they can due in. they never turned up, that's the sort of things we're dealing with. there are body bags here. bodies are now being taken from the streets. just walking around, you see a lot of bodies in various piles and part of the city. to give you an idea, the stench is now covering jut about the entire city. the stench of death. apart from that, people still don't have enough food to eat. they still don't have access to clean water. medical supplies are still very much in short supply. add that all together, and the crisis is still a very, very intense here. i can say, at the airport where i am, there has been a definite increase in the level of activity, emboldening relief. the world food program, three trucks of theirs have joined operation with the local government. got out of the airport today and got into the city. our reporter paula hancocks is on one of those trucks and she said she saw six or seven coming back the other way. another 21 coming in over land from the world food program. so, yes, relief is on the way. but it's desperately slow. and desperately sad to see people living thoond mouth. i was at an orphanage today, they will run out of water in 24 hours. that is the sort of scale, the humanitarian crisis going on at the moment. >> we know there were lines of people, miles long, actually, waiting tour airlifted out of that area. how is that situation going? >> reporter: i wouldn't say those lines were miles long. i saw the line this morning, it was probably about 300 or 400 yards long. the airport is basically home now to hundreds and hundreds of people. remember, there's no electricity here. there's no running water here. and hundreds of people are having to find wherever they can to go to the lavatory. there's a battle now to get the slots working to the best and most efficient use which is relief. so people have been getting out. but the number of people getting out, compared with the number of people arriving to get out. i would have to say it is not -- it's chaotic, but there's no hint of panic here yet. but people are waiting and waiting and waiting to get out. it's almost like a lottery. there is a bit of tension here. basically, that the flights out can't deal eye were the number of people hoping to escape. >> well, that's completely understandable. andrew stevens live for us. thank you so much. >> it is a difficult, difficult process. >> it's so sad to watch, the mothers holding their babies over their head so they can be the first ones in the plane to get airlifted out. and then you see the elderly that also need medical attention. it's a devastating situation. a house intelligence committee kicks off two days of closed-door hearings as republicans dig for details on the terror attack in benghazi. security officers on the ground that day, they are the ones testifying, we're told they're marines and special forces all under contract to guard that embassy. >> and tough new sanctions to not be imposed on iran. the u.s. is set to resume negotiations with the iran this month. >> i court has ordered the rule lifted two days before it was set to expire. but security forces say they will continue to enforce it because they have not yet received the ruling. the state of emergency, this has been in effect since july when president morsi was ousted from power. now released. the two americans kidnapped off the ship in nigeria. that was back on october 23rd. the state department is not releasing any details of how they were released or their names or even their conditions. there are reports, however, the ship's owner did pay a ransom and that the men are on their way back to the united states. republicans have blocked one of president obama's appointees to a key florida court. pullard was blocked. in effort to gain an ideological edge on that court which hears many appeals on that court considered the court second most important court of the land. caroline kennedy has officially become the u.s. ambassador to japan. she was sworn in tuesday afternoon by secretary of state john kerry. kennedy say lawyer, an author and key backer of both campaigns. she's the daughter of president john f. kennedy. on that note, we invite you to cnn films "the '60s: the assassination of john f. kennedy." that's thursday. >> so interesting. 10 minutes after the hour. if you can hear the sound of whining across the nation -- >> it begins with me. >> -- it begins right here. people are cold. the coldest temperatures of the season. we're talking about the great lakes all the way down to the south in north carolina. temperatures started in the 60s but turned to flurries. >> i walked out this morning, indra, i thought, oh, my goodness, let me go back inside. i need a gloves and hat. >> i'm the one who tried to wear a dress and walk out the door quickly. it never works. it's bad enough, it's cold. but then you add in the wind and it's a whole other level. let's play a game here. notice chicago, 21, new york, 29. now, let's add in the wind. this is what it feels like -- oh, yeah. kind of feels like 12. we're talking single difficults in kansas city. so that is the story that we're dealing with today. thanks to, yes, that pressure that has parked itself over the region, bringing that cold air all the way into the south. that's what we're going to be talking about, temperatures dropping below normal with highs in new york city in the 30s. boston, highs in the 30s, down in the south, also looking at just 20s. into the south, we're talking about freeze warnings in effect and even a hard freeze around oklahoma. yes, we're definitely dealing with the tough conditions. here's the good news, high pressure will build in bit end of the week, and temperatures will go up as early as tomorrow. just hang in there. >> you can do it, you can make it. it's very impressive. we built a snowman yesterday. >> really? >> there was that much snow. coming up, a woman's desperate plea for freedom. >> this is my life i'm fighting for. is this my life. >> imprisoned for protecting herself, she says, against an abusive husband. how a controversial law invoked in the trayvon martin murder case could help set her free. and a major health alert this morning, why doctors want tens of millions more americans put on cholesterol medication. this is news that really affects everybody. plus, it is time for your morning rhyme. tweet us with your own original verse, it could be anything you so desire. make sure it's #earlystart. #morningrhyme. my customers can shop around. but it doesn't usually work that way with health care. with unitedhealthcare, i get information on quality rated doctors, treatment options and cost estimates, so we can make better health decisions. that's health in numbers. unitedhealthcare. it's hard to see opportunity in today's challenging environment. unless you have the right perspective. bny mellon wealth management has the vision and experience to look beyond the obvious. we'll uncover opportunities, find hidden risk, and make success a reality. bny mellon wealth management. wout of landfills each year? 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[ male announcer ] that's great, big world friendly. ♪ welcome back to "early start," everyone. another controversial stand your ground case from florida, this time involving a woman convicted of firing what she called a warning shot at her husband. marissa alexander's case is drawing comparison to george zimmerman, except she's in jail. >> this is my life i'm fighting for. this is my life. >> reporter: but marissa alexander's immediate fight now is for her temporary freedom while he situates for a new trial. alexander has been behind bars for more than 1,000 days on aggravated assault charges after firing a single bullet into the wall. she says to scare off her abusive husband. she was found guilty, but the conviction was reversed in september and she's since been granted a new trial. in this motion, alexander's attorneys call her pretrial release urgent. in part, because the 33-year-old woman has not had regular access to her 3 1/2-year-old daughter since she was 6 months old. lawyers for her estranged husband have concern. >> she had bond, she went over to my client's place and got arrested. >> reporter: even if alexander is set free, she still faces three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. a felony that carries ace mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison. prosecutors say alexander is a criminal. a woman who driven by anger, shot at her husband gray in front of his two snoon in a fitf rage. alexander claims she is the victim. to fire a warning shot in the middle of an altercation is the only thing she had to save her life. >> i believe when he made the threat to kill me, that's exactly what he had intended to do. if i not discharged my weapon at that points are i would not be here. >> reporter: an appellate court reversed the jury's guilty verdict earlier this year, kriegt an error with guilty instructions on self-defense. 18 minutes past the hour. clear for takeoff. a major airline merger is one step closer to reality. us airways and american airlines have reached a deal blocking their joining forces. as part of the agreement, the airlines will give competitors greater access to some key airports. in exchange, they'll get to create the world's largest airline. controversial new guidelines likely to change the number of americans taking cholesterol lowering drugs. they urged patients to take drugs based on overall risk. even with statins of normal cholesterol numbers if the risk is high enough. researchers believe up to 31% of all americans may be eligible under these rules for statin treatment. again, this is a big, big change. people have looked at the levels and said to to be given drugs but under those levels could be a much broader swath of people. >> head to your doctor to get more information on that. >> if they understand it already. a lot of doctors are confused. a new report for the most expense you have piece of art ever sold at auction. this painting, francis bacon's three studies of lucian freud went on the block at christy's in new york sold, listen to this, more than $142 million. that's almost double the original $85 million estimate. and is obliterated the $120 million record set last year. the works by warhol kuehne pollen among others took in nearly $700 million. >> that's a lot of money. >> that's a lot of dough. >> all right, coming up, the miami dolphins owner appalled over team hazing. but he's now postponing the meeting with the player who says he was bullied. andy scholes explains why this meeting is now on hold. that's next in the "bleacher report." it's not the "i only earn decent rewards at the gas station" card. it's the no-games, no-signing up, everyday-rewarding, kung-fu-fighting, silver-lightning-in-a-bottle, bringing-home-the-bacon cash back card. this is the quicksilver card from capital one. unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, everywhere, every single day. so ask yourself, what's in your wallet? 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