american comedy festival and at ted talk masoon also proved comedy is right. >> i've got 99 problems and palsy is just one. >> dr. sanjay gupta, cnn, reporting. >> very talented woman, no doubt about it. thank you so much for starting your morning with us. >> your "new day" starts right now. new concerns this morning about ebola right here in the united states. ten americans being put under quarantine after coming into contact with an ebola patient in sierra leone. so how concerned should we be? plus, fragile nuclear negotiations in tehran. the white house is hitting back at one senator who wants to make sure he has a say in the deal. falling back. israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu fighting to keep his job just two days before the polls open. what should we be looking for now? your "new day" continues.

all right. 8:00 here and we're so grateful for your company as always. i'm christi paul. >> good to be with you. i'm victor blackwell. we have ten americans possibly exposed to ebola. >> they've been taken to the university of nebraska in omaha. six more patients are expected to arrive today or tomorrow and they will immediately be transferred to either emory in atlanta or the national institutes of health in maryland. >> none of these individuals has been diagnosed with ebola but health officials are concerned they may have been exposed while in sierra leone after an american health care worker indeed, contracted it there. that patient is now being treated in maryland and is listed in serious condition. we've got cnn senior medical correspondent elizabeth cohen on the phone with us. elizabeth, let's start with the four people who are in nebraska. >> reporter: victor, those four,

they have the highest -- they had the highest exposure to ebola so you consider them -- you can consider them the highest risk patients. those patients are being watched, they're being monitored and they've self-quarantined. so they are in their housing on the campus of the university of nebraska medical center. they're not in hospital, they are in housing on campus and officials are watching them to make sure that they don't leave. now it will take some time, you know, several weeks will have to pass by before we know if they have ebola or not. now others, those going to atlanta or going to the nih, not all of those folks will be quarantined. some of them will and some won't. some will be allowed to be out and about while they're in the community while being watched for signs of ebola. >> how do they determine who is able to leave and be out and about? i'm assuming it's because of the seriousness because of the potential for them. how can you determine that in this period of waiting to see if

symptoms show up. >> right, christi. the most important thing is you're only contagious with ebola if you're showing signs of ebola. if you're not showing signs, then you're not contagious. the way the cdc has put it, we're making individual decisions based on each person's circumstances. what you just said makes sense. the people with the highest exposure, those folks in nebraska are quarantined. maybe those without as much high risk are out and about. this wouldn't be the first time. there are people who arrived back from africa who had a possible exposure, maybe, were allowed out and about. for example, we can think back to dr. craig spencer in new york. before he showed signs in ebola, he was at a bowling alley and he was on a sub way and he can't get anyone sick. you can't get anyone sick if you don't have signs. >> i imagine there are lots of people waking up this morning

and seeing ebola again. maybe they thought because it wasn't front of mind here in the u.s. in headlines here, that that had been controlled in some way, but this is still killing so many people in these three west african countries. what's the latest on the status of the fight there? >> it certainly is, victor. now it certainly has gotten better. i was there in september when the numbers were so high. and it's gotten better since then, but there is still ebola in west africa. they are still struggling to bring it under control. and as long as there's ebola in west africa, that means that there's a really good chance that we're going to see patients with ebola come here because, of course, americans and their great generosity have gone to west africa to help people there. there's a risk of getting ebola when you're taking care of ebola patients. ebola is certainly better but it is not gone and out of our headlines but it is not o you the of their headlines. >> elizabeth cohen, thanks for being with us this morning.

>> thanks. as the march 24th deadline for a deal on iran's nuclear program is getting closer, john kerry is returning to switzerland today. ahead of the trip kerry took a swipe at senate republicans. remember, they made headlines after sending a letter to the iranian government recently asserting that they have to approve any agreement president obama makes. here's what the secretary of state said about their actions and the potential influence on negotiations. >> i can tell you from common sense that when the united states senate sends a letter such as 47 senators chose to send the other day, it is a direct interference. >> so could a new bill, one that would allow congress to vote on any bill, really pose another threat to the iranian talks. the obama administration says yes. it's issuing a sharp warning to

the senator. cnn's erin mcpike is in washington. what have you learned about the letter, first of all? >> reporter: christie, let's say the white house has been stern this year. they do not want congress medaling in these negotiations with iran. they really do believe they are inching closer to a deal. the president has said consistently if a bill was passed, they would veto it. republican bob corker, he's the chairman of the foreign relations committee. he has legislation moving through the chamber right now. the white house is urging him to stand down telling him that would impair these negotiations. dennis mcdonagh sent him a letter, i have it right here, pressing him to stop. let me read part of that to you. he writes, we believe that the legislation would likely have a profoundly negative impact on the ongoing negotiations. emboldening iranian hard liners, inviting a counter production response from the iran yaj

majiles, differentiating the u.s. position in from our allies in the negotiations and once again calling into question our ability to negotiate this deal. the deadline is in two more weeks, christi. >> is there any likelihood congress will back off? >> not necessarily, no. christi, throughout this letter mcdonagh dayze -- does say that he believes the white house has played fair on this. at the end of the letter he says, just let us complete the negotiations before the congress acts on legislation. so they do agree that congress should have some sort of rule but the white house really wants to get through this deal first. >> erin mcpike, always appreciated. thank you. still to be determined if congress will back away from those negotiations, but president obama may back away from his plan to draw down u.s. troops in afghanistan by year's end. that's according to a senior white house official who says

afghanistan's new president is asking for, quote, flexibility in that time line citing a developing strategy. the current proposal calls for a reduction to 5500 troops, nearly half the number now. that administration official says no final decisions have been made. israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu is fighting for his political survival just two days now before voters actually go to the polls. >> could his u.s. speech actually come back to haunt him?

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11 minutes past the hour. benjamin netanyahu facing a tough election in two days. in one of the final polls the israeli prime minister and his party trailing four seats behind his biggest rival, isaac herzog. this comes a week after thousands of protesters rallied in tel aviv. their message, israel wants some change. netanyahu has some broad support intact. in a few hours thousands are expected to rally in support of bebe. aaron david miller is the vice president of new initiatives. aaron, good to see you. >> good to see you, too. >> most of the polls echo that four-seat margin that we were talking about that he needs to make up. is there anything he can do in the next couple of days or at

this rally tonight that you would think might help him gain some momentum? >> what he has been doing is making it unmistake bli who his base is. if they don't go to the lekou, the next prime minister will be isaac herzog. from the right that's not a good development. so we're in for the last several days. 1/5 of the israeli electorate, 1/5 is probably undecided. i'm not making any predictions. the last time i predicted it which was in 1996. bill clinton invited simon perez to the white house. most of us were persuaded that netanyahu would never become the prime minister of israel. now with the except of david

bengorian, he's the third longest running prime minister in israeli history. >> if there is a change, what might happen with the american/israeli relationship if netanyahu loses? >> you know, i think if isaac herzog is in a position to form a government and can form a government, i think one of the most striking things, contrasts, will be a fundamental in the u.s./israeli relationship. herzog has talked about the centrality of our relationship to israel's security. it's clear they'll be popping champaign corks at the white house if herzog can form the next government. i think they're persuaded on several issues, at least his party's views, forget his coalition partners, his party's views are much more in line with obama administration policy. >> i know that you wrote an

article for the wall street journal outlining five things to watch in this tuesday's election. what are they? what should be on our radar? >> well, the most important thing is that this isn't really a beauty contest. it may well be that the head of the party that gets the most seats at the end of march 17 or by march 18, even though they have a majority, will not be in a position to form the next israeli government. we're going to enter. i looked at the last three israeli elections. 2013, 2009 and 2006 and 2003 it was an average of four to five weeks before a prime minister emerged. it's a process of coalition formation. that's the critically important thing. it really depends on what the interests of the other parties are and who can put together 61 plus in order to form that

government. that i think is the most important thing. one other point, you know, i dot if this is going to be a transformative election. that is to say, on many issues it's likely, regardless of whether herzog is elected, you're not going to see a fundamental change. it's more a transactional arrangement. could turn into something more significant, but the first year for a new israeli prime minister will be extremely tough. >> interesting. aaron david miller, really appreciate your voice on this. thank you. >> thank you. >> victor. question here, was the letter the republican lawmakers sent to iran illegal? and are some having buyer's remorse? that conversation with cnn's dana bash next. okay, listen up! i'm re-workin' the menu.

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it works on fine lines and even deep wrinkles. you'll see younger looking skin in just one week. stop hoping for results, and start seeing them. rapid wrinkle repair... ...and for dark spots rapid tone repair. from neutrogena®. 20 after the hour now. wisconsin governor scott walker wants you to know he's not a flip-flopper and so doesn't florida governor jeb bush. that's what they were both pushing in new hampshire as they edged towards a possible presidential race. walker said he has changed positions on immigration reform but he says he's consistent on all other issues. former governor bush said he was consistent on all issues. as secretary of state john kerry heads back to geneva trying to hammer out a deal with iran over the nuclear weapons program,

here at home some are questioning the legality of that letter that 47 senators sent to iran. one former bush aide is questioning the republican's ability to govern. cnn's dana bash has more on the story on today's "state of the union." there are letters popping up everywhere but this is the most controversial. >> it sure does. i'm going to be talking at the top of the hour with the senate majority leader, the top republican in the senate looks exclusively. he is one of the 47 senators who signed this. there's a lot to talk about how this happened, why this happened and what the consequences are. not just with regards to the talks but also with regards to the state of partisanship, getting anything done in the senate. this particular letter seems to have sparked not just international issues but also domestic partisan issues which is hard to imagine getting worse, but it seems to have hardened even more. >> we know that senator corker

sent a letter and then the white house chief of staff responded in another open letter. those making big news this weekend as well. who else is coming up. >> we're going to be talking -- first of all, we're going to be talking to the former white house counsel during the clinton presidential years, jack quinn. he went through the ringer with the clintons legally. he has a lot to say about what is going on now and has legal and political recommendations. we're going to have an interesting discussion. i'm really excited for this, about the state of race in america and particularly on college campuses. we have four of the youngest and brightest leaders from schools across the country who will come to this table and tell us what they're seeing, the realities of what they're seeing. >> looking forward to that. dana bash. thank you so much. >> thank you. >> "state of the union" starts at the top of the hour right here on cnn. we'll be right back. [ male announcer ] you wouldn't ignore signs of damage in your home.

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26 after the hour now. take a look at other developing stories. recovery efforts are underway

after a tropical cyclone pam ravaged the islands of vanuatu. it's one of the most powerful storms to ever make landfall. >> at least six people are dead. that number expected to climb though. it's not clear how many thousands are displaced by this massive storm. this had the might of a category 5 hurricane pounding the island for nearly 24 hours. indonesian military jets crashed after a mid-air collision during a practice session for an upcoming air show in malaysia. the two jets are part of the aerobatic team. they clipped each other head on while on a high speed pass over the airport. one witness said at least one of the pilots was able to eject. another witness said that one of the planes crashed into a nearby home. cincinnati's bracing for more heavy flooding today. look at this, the ohio level

expected to crest at its highest mark since 1997 when they saw a major flood there. the national weather service has flood warnings out for several other rivers in ohio as all of that snow continues to melt. do take care. the public has donated more than $75,000 for the care of a baby girl in utah who lost her mother in a car accident. 25-year-old lynn jennifer bosek's car flipped upside down in the river and that's where the story starts. >> baby lily survived 14 hours upside down in the car seat. the father is, of course, thankful the police were able to pull her from the river alive. >> i put my finger in her hand and i told her her dad was here, i love her. she squeezed my hand. >> it's unbelievable video. if you have a minute and a half, watch it. shasta darlington shows us the first responder body cam.

the footage here of the race to save baby lily. >> reporter: new body cam video from one of the spanish fork officers as he rushes to the overturned car. >> what have you got? what have you got? >> reporter: you can hear their desperation as they try to flip the car. they soon discovered 25-year-old lynn jennifer grossbeck dead in the driver's seat, but they do find a survivor. >> hello. >> oh, my good. god. >> reporter: they pull a tiny body from the wreckage and run up the hill. >> definitely hypothermic. she's freezing. >> patting her back and willing her to live. >> come on, sweetie. >> reporter: they perform baby cpr and rush her into the hospital. 18-month-old lily was submerged in the car in the frigid spanish fork river in utah for about 14 hours. she had survived hanging upside down in freezing temperatures in the upper 20s with no food or

water. >> if anything had been different she might not have made it. >> brock royal was the emergency room doctor who saw lily when she was rushed in. >> you can see just how pale she is and how cold and stiff her arm is. >> reporter: four days later baby lily playing along as her father sings old macdonald in the hospital. the best reward possible for those who fought so hard to save her. shasta darlington, cnn, new york. >> we hope that gives you good smiles to get flew the rest of your day. make some good memories. >> "inside politics" with john king starts right now. an explanation that satisfied almost no one. >> i opted for convenience to use my personal e-mail account. >> hillary clinton on defense just when she had hoped to jump start her white house bid. >> there is no