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IRS Loses Lois Lerner's E-mails; Cantor Defends Immigration Support; Team USA Takes World Cup Stage; Whooping Cough Epidemic Hits California; Five Hundred Fifty More Marines Heading To Persian Gulf

Aired June 16, 2014 - 07:30   ET


JOHN KING, CNN HOST, "INSIDE POLITICS": Lois Lerner, if you followed the IRS story, she is the key official at the Treasury Department, the IRS, that the Republicans want to know if she was unfairly targeting tea party groups, challenging their tax- exempt status.

Well, investigations have been going on for long. You see that graphic there. Her e-mails from January 2009 to 2011 have, poof, disappeared. The administration saying she put them on a hard drive. That hard drive has crashed. They have recovered some of them by searching the computer for the people she sent those e-mails to. Republicans are very skeptical because they want to know if outside people, people outside the government were influencing her to go after tea party groups.

Here is the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, Dave Kemp. He says this, "The fact, I'm learning about this over a year into the investigation is completely unacceptable." You're either a conspiracy theorist or you think something nefarious happened here or let's assume a horrible accident and this happened. Waiting a year to tell the Congress makes me suspicious.

JULIE PACE, "ASSOCIATED PRESS": Absolute lit. Nothing good about the way this has been handled. It's hard to believe in this era where you is servers and backup servers and all kinds of technology that can recover all kinds of e-mails that these e-mails simply don't exist. If that is true and they don't exist, why wasn't that one of the first things that was told to Congress so we didn't have to go through these questions and raise these suspicions a year in.

MANU RAJU, "POLITICO": I'm not sure what is with this administration and computer problems. It seems to be happening time and again. Now we're going to hear for calls into an investigation, a Justice Department investigation, a forensics audit to make sure that whatever happened to these e-mails, was it evidence that was tampered with, to impede a congressional investigation?

It's going to bring the broader administration into it. Republicans are saying those e-mails exist. They may not be at the IRS. They certainly should be available for Congress.

KING: Raises a lot of questions. You can be sure the administration has said this is partisan to shut it down. You can be certain now it will continue. Let's move on. The vice president is going to go to Central America later this week. He had a trip planned to central and South America. He's going to stop to talk to the leaders of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras.

To try to stop the flood of young children coming to the U.S. border from the south. People ask is there any prospect for immigration reform. Here is the just defeated House Majority Leader Eric Cantor saying a bill, no, but could you do small legislation to deal with the children of undocumented workers? He thinks yes.


REP. ERIC CANTOR (R-VA), MAJORITY LEADER: I have always taken the position that I'm not for a comprehensive amnesty bill. I've always said that we ought to deal with the kids who did not break any laws and themselves came into this country in many cases unbeknownst to them. It's one I think that offers the only plausible way forward.


KING: Only plausible way forward. Do it in small pieces which the administration says it's open to. Is there anyone who thinks they will do that before the election this year?

PACE: It's really hard to imagine. I mean, certainly a big bill off the table for this year, even these smaller pieces. As we saw in Eric Cantor's race, whether you want to blame it on immigration or a whole set of factors, that's been his position on immigration for quite some time. That's a position that got him into trouble.

With this situation with undocumented children crossing the border, you also get politics coming into play with people saying, even if we do smaller things that send signals to people in Central America, so maybe that's not a solution either. So personally I think hard to see --

RAJU: Small bills are very difficult, because it invokes a suspicion from folks on the right, that if you pass a small bill, Democrats are add a whole lot of things into conference and the bill that will emerge will be the amnesty bill that they've been railing against. If you're in the Republican leadership, the question is why invoke this war within your party when you're doing well in an election year and you can take back the Senate.

KING: We'll watch the House leadership elections this week by the end of the week. We might get a few clues on this one. Julie and Manu, thanks for coming up. As we close, we want to go back to the end of this week. We're recycling this funny because we think it's funny.


JIMMY FALLON, HOST, "THE TONIGHT SHOW": During Nevada's Democratic primary for governor this week the option "none of the above" got more votes than any of the real candidates. They had to go with the runner up who only got 25 percent of the vote. That's never good when you elect your governor like he's the last guy left at the bar at 2:00 a.m. What the hell, they're playing, Eric Clapton, let's go.

(END VIDEO CLIP) KING: I like when they play Eric Clapton at 2:00 a.m. in the bar. But it does tell you a lot. We focused on Eric Cantor's defeat in Virginia last week. It does tell you a lot about the bipartisan discussed with politics when "none of the above" actually gets more votes than the other candidates?

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Absolutely. We've been talking about bipartisan disgust has existed for many election cycles at this point. When is it going to change?

ANDREW CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Since roughly 1787. Just the names change. The parties stay the same.

BOLDUAN: Thanks, John.

CUOMO: Coming up on NEW DAY, a whooping cough epidemic. More than 3,000 cases reported in California, two deaths. Why is there all this whooping going on? We're going to break it down for you. There's a real reason and you need to know it.

BOLDUAN: Also ahead, opening night for Team USA at the World Cup. Grudge match against Ghana who handed the U.S. a crushing defeat four years ago. We'll take a look at what Team USA needs to do to chalk up a win.


JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, I could not humanly be more excited, the U.S. makes its World Cup debut facing off against Ghana, the third straight World Cup U.S played Ghana. The last two, not gone well at all, including four years ago when Ghana beat the United States in devastating fashion in the round of 16.

So let's talk about this. Let's talk about U.S. hopes. Can they win tonight? Can they go further? Greg Lawless is editor and chief I think this is one of the biggest games in U.S. soccer history?

GREG LALAS, RETIRED PROFESSIONAL SOCCER DEFENDER: I think considering the history the U.S. has with Ghana, and considering all the pressure and all of the excitement around this team, I would say, yes, this is definitely one of the biggest games we've seen.

BERMAN: For people who are not soccer fans, the U.S. is good. The United States has --

BOLDUAN: Why do you say it like it's a surprise?

BERMAN: I think a lot of people look at U.S. soccer if they're football fans or basketball fans, the U.S. is no good. The Y.s. Is probably one of the best 10, 20 best teams in the world, not the best two or three, what are the prospects in this tournament?

LALAS: At this tournament, I think it's up in the air. First, we have to get through this Ghana game. We need to take this game by game for the U.S. Ghana is a very, very good team. I give it 50/50 that the U.S. gets a win.

CUOMO: What did you make of the whole kerfuffle over the coach coming forward and saying we can't win? I've never heard that before.

LALAS: His next sentence is we need to play the game of our lives seven times. It's a weird coaching tactic. I think he's trying to tamp down expectations. I think --

BOLDUAN: And also not motivate your team?

LALAS: What is he saying behind closed doors? We don't really know. The problem is you're trying to get the fans behind you and you want to get everyone in your camp here. To say that, it seems like it's un-American.

BERMAN: Always a challenge for U.S. soccer to get more U.S. fans because the sport doesn't hold the cachet that some others do in the United States. If the United States does pull it out tonight. Who are the two players we'll be talking about tomorrow? What will be the household names?

LALAS: I think it's pretty basic for me. Clint Dempsey is a tremendous player, world class striker who knows how to finish. Michael Bradley who is probably the most important player. Toronto FC is where he's playing right now. He's the guy at the top of the midfield that will be attacking and running the attack out of the midfield.

BERMAN: Michael Bradley is the son of the last coach of the U.S. soccer team.

BOLDUAN: When we're talking about names, who will be household names tomorrow, one of the only household names going into this would have been Landon Donovan. It's past the point of no return. Where is he? Why not?

LALAS: Right now, he is doing some TV, hanging out in L.A. I think when that happened, it all struck all of us in a strange moment of transition. Change is always hard. I think it was a mistake, but ultimately the coach has made his decision. He's got the players he feels are the right ones from all indications in camp in Brazil, the team is behind him and they've bought into what he's got going on. Ultimately down there, you just need that cohesion and unity and belief. I think they have that right now.

CUOMO: Was the U.S. put in a bad group? There was a little bit of drama about that.

BOLDUAN: Terrible in it's hard?

CUOMO: They play Ghana, then Portugal and then Germany. Obviously big-name teams. Is there a case to be made that they got the screws put to them?

LALAS: I don't think there's a case to be made that they got the screws put to them. It's all in the pots. The U.S. got into what they call the group of death. It's not -- it doesn't sound good. You imagine the skull and cross bones.

BOLDUAN: Sorry. I did. I did.

LALAS: I don't think they got screwed. The thing is that the United States, because of where they play in North America what they do when they set up these groups is try to set teams from different continents into the groups. Because the U.S. is so good, basically any time they go into groups it becomes the group of death because they're probably the best team in North America. They end in a group with Germany. They're always in the group of death it seems.

BERMAN: So this has been an incredibly entertaining world cup so far. Every game has given us something wonderful to see, but not without controversy. Even in the first few games and this goal line technology. How is there even a debate over this?

BOLDUAN: Why is there controversy?

LALAS: The technology being a controversy and why they're using it and all that so?


LALAS: Because the game -- there are a lot of traditionalists in this game.

BOLDUAN: Are you one of them?

LALAS: Somewhat. I think certain technologies -- I think goal line technology is a great thing. They should have brought it in years ago to make sure that that's -- it's such a black and white thing. It's either over the line or it's not. I'm not a fan of instant replay in the game. I they slows it down. It's going to take a long time --

BOLDUAN: If it's on the line, is it in or not in.

LALAS: That's not in.

BERMAN: If it's over the line. Greg Lalas, it's great to have you here. Thank you for coming in. I love watching this World Cup.

BOLDUAN: What is the USA cheer?

LALAS: I believe that we will win. You should hear it. It's amazing. Lots of bouncing. It's an incredible experience.

BOLDUAN: We'll hear a lot of it today. Thanks, Greg.

CUOMO: I believe that we will win. I like it.

Coming up on NEW DAY, we thought it had been beaten. It should be beaten. We shouldn't be talking about whooping cough. It's coming back with a vengeance in California. It's about how certain things seem to cycle through. There's a reason this is happening. You and your family need to know about it, to help keep your family safe.


BOLDUAN: Welcome back to NEW DAY, everyone. California is facing a statewide epidemic from whooping cough. There have been 800 cases reported in the last two weeks, more than 3,000 cases since the start of the year including two infant deaths. Health officials are urging parents to vaccinate newborns as soon as possible for protection from this potentially fatal disease.

Joining us to discuss and what you need to know is Dr. Alexander Van Tulleken, the senior fellow at Fordham University. Good morning.


BOLDUAN: I can't believe this epidemic, 800 cases in the last two weeks. That should get every parent's attention, right?

TULLEKEN: Absolutely. This is a disease, which is potentially fatal in newborns. It's preventable where a vaccination.

BOLDUAN: First of all, let's go back before we go forward. Why is it happening? We've talked about whooping cough forever it seems like. Why are we seeing this uptick?

TULLEKEN: This is a disease that's in Victorian England, that type of thing.

BOLDUAN: That's why we booked you, you bring the accent.

TULLEKEN: I think we do see research every few years that immunity seems to die away and the vaccines don't last as long as they used to. Additionally we do have a modern phenomenon of these non-medical examinations from exemptions so parents are reluctant.

CUOMO: The facts are these, you have the cycling. It's not like this is new, some kind of pandemic, but there is a big, big cut of the country that suffers from -- subject to your opinion, misinformation about vaccines. People aren't doing it, they think it's the new way toward wellness, get away from the old thinking. Hasn't the science that suggested you don't need vaccines in debunk? Isn't it very clear that you need vaccines?

TULLEKEN: The science is very clear, but what I'd say is these people are not monsters and they're really demonized in the press. You do have -- modern medicine is very confusing. Big pharma has been cynical and lots of modern medicine doesn't work as well as you would think. I can see why people are suspicious, very confusing.

But we know that vaccines work. They're not side effect free, but they don't cause side effects that people are worried about, autism being the headline one. It has been incredibly well researched and the original paper that was published by Andrew Wakefield that suggested that was completely debunked.

BERMAN: The passion and the fear is so enormous. You barely whisper the word autism, almost as if you're scared to say it out loud. But that's what driving this for so many parents.

TULLEKEN: I'm an MD, I have a degree in public health and I have a 5- year-old son and I worry about all these things. They're confusing, if you have medical degrees. He's vaccinated and I would urge everybody to do the same.

BOLDUAN: Because it is particularly dangerous for infants.

TULLEKEN: Absolutely. Absolutely.

CUOMO: If you have a kid, who is playing with kids who haven't been vaccinated --

BOLDUAN: Even if your kids are vaccinated.

CUOMO: The kid is vaccinated but his playmates are not.

TULLEKEN: This pertussis is the medical name for whooping cough is highly contagious, 80 percent of exposed people will get it. It is highly contagious. So if you are in contact with newborns, you should have the sack seen, full stop. If you're a grandparent, a sibling, you should be up to date with your vaccines. All pregnant women should be vaccinated and all health care workers should be vaccinated. If you have a kid who is symptomatic.

BOLDUAN: It is not a lifetime vaccination, right?

TULLEKEN: If you're a grandparent, a sibling, a close relative, spending lots of time with kids, especially with the infants, the infants we worry about, get the booster shot.

BOLDUAN: What do you do once you get it? Especially for an infant.

TULLEKEN: The first six weeks of life they can't be vaccinated. You want a ring of protection of vaccinated people around the infant. Once you get -- there is a first week or two where you're highly contagious and not very symptomatic. You may feel like you a cold or a cough. This is not a reason to go to the emergency room, but it is a reason to see your family physician.

Based on whether you've been in contact with people, what region of the country you're in, up to date with your vaccines, they may or may not treat you with antibiotics. If you have a sick child, if they got a runny nose, a bit of a cough, you'll know if it is whooping cough, full blown, you'll go to the emergency room. It is very distressing to see.

If they have a runny nose and you think there has been an exposure, don't want to flood the emergency rooms, but you should go and see your family physician if you're concerned.

CUOMO: And do all the common sense things, washing your hands down, get coughing into your elbow down.

TULLEKEN: Most of it is coughing and sneezing, droplet infection. BOLDUAN: Eight hundred cases in just the past two weeks in California. Those numbers are staggering. And that 80 percent infection rate is pretty startling as well. Doctor, great to see you. Thanks so much.

TULLEKEN: Thank you.

BOLDUAN: All right.

CUOMO: Coming up on NEW DAY, hundreds of Marines now headed to the Persian Gulf as the situation gets worse in Iraq. Will they be forced to go in? We have Christiane Amanpour joining us with the latest.

BOLDUAN: Also ahead, a new CNN/ORC poll shows very favorable numbers for Hillary Clinton coming out this morning. Even besting President Obama in every category. What's behind this groundswell of support? We're going to break down the numbers for you.


CUOMO: Breaking this morning, 550 marines headed near Iraq, ready to evacuate Americans if necessary. As U.S. Marines move in to fortify the American embassy as well, is the U.S. sending enough help?

BOLDUAN: Hitting home, the fighting in Iraq is now pushing oil prices up. So what does that mean then for the prices of the pump for you? We're going to break it down.

BERMAN: Legendary voice, the man behind America's top 40, the man who gave voice to "Shaggy" has passed. We celebrate the life in the extraordinary career of Casey Kasem.

CUOMO: Your NEW DAY continues right now.

BOLDUAN: Good morning and welcome once again to NEW DAY. It is Monday, June 16th, 8:00 in the east. We have breaking news this morning. Hundreds more U.S. Marines are heading to the Persian Gulf to potentially evacuate more Americans from the turmoil in Iraq. Some staffers of the U.S. Embassy there in Baghdad have already been moved out.

Overnight, ISIS militants continued its takeovers seizing another city and two villages. But Iraq's government has been fighting back, launching air strikes against them. Well, now the Obama administration has to decide if it will get involved and perhaps even work with Iran to fight back the ISIS threat.

We have complete coverage for you this morning. Let's start once again with senior international correspondent Nic Robertson live on the ground in Baghdad. What's the very latest -- Nic?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kate, the Iraqi government is saying that they're pushing ISIS back. They released video that purports to show that. The reality is, ISIS continues to make gains across the country.


ROBERTSON (voice-over): This morning, ISIS gaining more ground, moving closer to Baghdad. The U.S. Embassy there fortified security. More U.S. Marines being brought in. Some staffers being evacuated. Taken into other safer Iraqi cities. The imminent threat from the north leaves the Iraqi government desperate for soldiers, calling on volunteers. Hundreds of civilians, young and old, marching through the streets of Baghdad, now having to defend their country.