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American Morning

FEMA Housing Deadline; Uncovered Remains; Arab-American Comedy Festival

Aired November 16, 2005 - 09:36   ET

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

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: FEMA is doing something else that's making a lot of people kind of upset and actually making them kind of angry. FEMA, as you know, has been hit with some category-five criticism for its hurricane response this past summer. Now the agency is telling many of those displaced by Katrina and Rita that it's time to consider longer-term housing, and they have to do it now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO (voice-over): FEMA has a message for thousands of hurricane evacuees. The buck stops on December 1st. That's when the agency will stop paying the hotel bills for some 53,000 families. The goal is to get evacuees into more permanent housing before the December holidays, like apartments, trailers or even HUD homes. Acting FEMA director, David Paulison said in a statement, quote, "Across the country there are readily available longer-term housing solutions for these victims, that can give greater privacy and stability than hotel and motel rooms. FEMA has shelled out $274 million on hotel bills since the storm struck. Critics claim the December 1st deadline doesn't give evacuees enough time to find suitable alternatives.

There are some exceptions to the deadline, though. Thousands of families in Louisiana and Mississippi, where there is a shortage of suitable housing, will have until January 7th.

Since Katrina hit, 1.4 million families have been registered as storm victims. A half a million of them are getting housing assistance from the government.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And the mayor wants an extension, a similar extension for his city, as it tries to move more than 19,000 evacuees out of hotels.

Coming up tomorrow, you knew it was just a matter of time before FEMA got sued. We'll hear from storm victims fighting back after their checks were stopped. Oh no, they're continuing to fight. They're not going to lay down with that one.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Where are the trailers? That was the thing, right? And the trailers have not come, and now they're out of hotels. Do they really have alternatives?

COSTELLO: Well, FEMA says they do. They said that in cities, except for those in Mississippi and Louisiana, there should be available housing, and that people should get out of those hotels, because how long can FEMA possibly pay these people to stay in hotels? They're paying hundreds of millions of dollars. So it may be, in part, FEMA's fault, which a lot of people think it is. But when do you stop, like, handing out the checks?

M. O'BRIEN: Tough one. All right, thank you, Carol.

Dozens of families are returning to New Orleans in search of loved ones. Meanwhile they still don't know what happened to them. In some cases, they are making horrifying discoveries.

CNN's Rusty Dornin with that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Susie Eaton worried her mother, Viola, might have been stuck inside her house in the Ninth Ward when Hurricane Katrina hit. Eaton, who lives in Florida, received a death certificate for the wrong person. Upset, she tried, but couldn't get answers from officials in New Orleans.

She ended up calling CNN and told us about her worst fears.

SUSIE EATON, MOTHER MISSING: My feelings are that my mother may be still in the house and she was not able to get out in time before the -- before the levee broke.

DORNIN: We volunteered to go to her mother's house to see what we could find.

(on camera): This is what's left of the block where Susie Eaton's mother lived. We have no idea exactly where the house was. But we did have the address. And we found her mailbox. When we called Eaton, she said she was thankful to know that much, but still wonders what happened to her mother.

(voice-over): Two blocks from where Viola Eaton's house once stood, cadaver dogs continue to search underneath the piles of rubble.

The official search-and-rescue effort was called off October 3, but there was such a backlash, crews resumed searching demolished neighborhoods. They have cleared areas zip code by zip code.

There was no joy for Paul Murphy in this homecoming. When he walked into his house in New Orleans' Ninth Ward last month for the first time since Katrina, it was shock and anger.

PAUL MURPHY, FOUND GRANDMOTHER'S BODY: So, I'm thinking that, OK, I was going to come and salvage a few pictures or something. And I walk in here. I found my grandma on the floor dead.

DORNIN: Since November 1, 10 bodies have been found in the ruins of the Ninth Ward. The last area, known as the Lower Ninth, will open to residents December 1. Coroner Frank Minyard worries about what people will find. (on camera): You're fully expecting that more bodies will come in once they open the Ninth Ward?

FRANK MINYARD, ORLEANS PARISH CORONER: Yes. And I think it's -- it's going to come in for a good while. There's so much rubbish around that they might find people in the rubbish.

DORNIN (voice-over): They already have. And there are still many bodies left unidentified and unclaimed.

MINYARD: We have 150 autopsies left to do, all on unidentified people. Hopefully, that -- that will help us identify that person, if we can find a pacemaker or an artificial hip or something. Then we're into DNA.

DORNIN: Susan Eaton asked if she could send a DNA sample and was told DNA samples were not being accepted. Nearly 80 days after Katrina, not one DNA test has been done.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

M. O'BRIEN: That was from CNN's Rusty Dornin. Now, FEMA tells us they consider DNA tests to be kind of the last resort, but now they say it's their number one priority. What's interesting here is that there was kind of an arbitrary deadline to consider people victims of Katrina, and that deadline has long since passed. They're still finding bodies. Such a mess compounded on top of tragedy.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: It really is. You know, in spite of all the terrible stories that we have told people and reported on out of Hurricane Katrina, and frankly out of all the hurricanes, believe it or not, there are many people who feel very grateful and feel very thankful for some of the help they got.

And next week on AMERICAN MORNING, we're going to celebrate the week of giving. If you were affected by the season's hurricanes and if you want to thank someone you feel helped you, please send us your story. You can go to CNN.com/am. We'll post your responses on the Web site. And some people will be selected to share their stories right here on AMERICAN MORNING.

We're back right after the short break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

S. O'BRIEN: If you haven't had a chance to catch it, time's running out for the third annual New York Arab-American Comedy Festival. It's been widely successful. And comedian Dean Obeidallah is one of the festival's founder. He's a stand-up comedian who was a lawyer at one point. And he says since 9/11, his comedy has taken a seriously political bent.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN OBEIDALLAH, ARAB-AMERICAN COMEDIAN: Pundits have said Arabs are the new blacks. They've said, Arab is the new black. And when I first heard that, I was like, yes, we're cool. You see white kids acting Arab with their friends. And I'm going, what up, Mustapha (ph)? Where my Arabs at? Arab, please.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

S. O'BRIEN: Very funny. Nice to have you. A couple of days left, today and tomorrow, and then the festival wraps up. We'll talk more about the festival in a moment. But I want to know about the politics. Are you always political now, do you think, in your comedy?

OBEIDALLAH: It's become a big part of all the comics who are of Arab American heritage. Because when you get on stage and you say you're Arab, instantly, it instills this kind of political tone to the comedy. And the audiences really perk up. They want to know what you're going to talk about. They want to know if you're really Arab. I have people come up to me, are you really Arab? Like you would make it up in this climate. No, no, I just like to say I'm Arab. I made up a Muslim last name for fun.

So but, you have people who really listen. And there are amazingly so many Americans who come to our shows who are not Arab, love it. They laugh, they understand. Because it's only written from an American point of view. You know, we're Americans who happen to be of Arab heritage, proud of our heritage, yet suffer this kind of weird suspicion in our own country, which makes you very uncomfortable in your country.

S. O'BRIEN: You must have a lot of people, though, saying to you, you don't look Arab. You could be Italian, you could be whatever. You don't look Arab.

OBEIDALLAH: Well, actually, my father is Palestinian. And my father's side, they're very light-skinned. My mother actually is Italian, so I'm mixed. But in reality, if you saw my cousins on my father's side, are Palestinian, same skin color, same looks.

S. O'BRIEN: Did things change for you after 9/11?

OBEIDALLAH: It did. I mean, I think the whole Arab-American community could use a hug, at this point. We need some kind of aromatherapy, like hummus flavor, just to make us relax a little more. The world has changed. You really truly feel self-conscious or suspicious.

And this is true -- I'm paying with a credit card, true story. Guy picks up my credit card, sees my name, becomes hostile. He's like, buddy, what kind of name is this? Well, it's Arab. He goes, what does this mean? I'm like, well, if you would like the English, it means peaceful, friendly Arab. He's like, yes, what country is your family from? So I think of the most peaceful. I'm like, well, we're from the same country that Aladdin is from.

And you just want to use your sense of humor to diffuse tension, and it comes up. And people who look more Arab or have -- or wear Muslim garb, or cover, headcover, they suffer a lot more. And it's really, for them, we try to do this. Try to garner positive attention, try to foster understanding.

S. O'BRIEN: Who has been coming to the shows?

OBEIDALLAH: Well, a lot of Arab-Americans, a lot of white people, as we call them. I know I look pretty white. But a lot of non-Arabs have been coming. They've been laughing. We love that they're there. You know, it's the third annual New York Arab-American Comedy Festival and it's co-founded by myself Neisoon Zai (ph), another comic. And we're really so proud that's it's blossomed into five nights, a thousand people are attending this year.

S. O'BRIEN: It's been really, really popular. You also perform in the Middle East, too. What kind of jokes...

OBEIDALLAH: I have.

S. O'BRIEN: I mean, obviously, you're not telling the same jokes?

OBEIDALLAH: You do -- no, a lot. You know what's amazing, which united people in laughter in Beirut? Haifa, Dubai, and Ermalla (ph)? Jokes about President Bush. Amazingly, he is uniting the world in laughter. And it's because they know who he is. It's more than -- now, your comedy has evolved. Now we are taking on big issues, like joking about the Patriot Act, talking about President Bush. Because our whole community has evolved. Was under siege, and now it's kind of like, we can define who we are now.

S. O'BRIEN: What's off limits? Or maybe nothing?

OBEIDALLAH: Terrorism.

S. O'BRIEN: Really?

OBEIDALLAH: No, no. Victims of terrorism, the event of 9/11...

S. O'BRIEN: Not funny.

OBEIDALLAH: Those aren't. We're talking about things from the American point of view, like the Patriot Act, which any book you take out of the library, the government can find it out. Our question, mine, is, do you think guys in al Qaeda are that short on money they're going to public libraries? Are there books that give them, like, "I'm al Qaeda, You're al Qaeda," or "Chicken Soup for the Terrorist Soul." It scares us. You know, we're Americans first, and all our rights are evolved or eroded away, but especially Arab- Americans are suspicious in this world.

S. O'BRIEN: You have a very funny joke, which I'd like you tell on our remaining time, about identity theft.

OBEIDALLAH: Well, it's hard having a Arab or Muslim name. And people are like, oh, it's difficult, my name's a Muslim last name. But the one benefit, in this world of identity theft, which seven million lost their identity last year, people pretended to be them, take their credit cards. Who's going to pretend to be an Arab or Muslim in this world? Let's see, I can be a Mr. Reynolds, or Abdul Nasr Aman Abdullah (ph). I think I'll be John Reynolds.

S. O'BRIEN: You're safe! See a silver lining right there.

OBEIDALLAH: Yes, that's right. That's what we try to find through comedy, we do.

S. O'BRIEN: We should mention that the Arab-American Comedy Festival continues right here in New York and that's through Thursday night. Today and tomorrow, so you got to run out and see it right now.

OBEIDALLAH: Yes, you do. Please come out.

S. O'BRIEN: Comedian and the festival co-founder Dean Obeidallah. Nice to see you. Thank you very much.

OBEIDALLAH: Thank you. Thank you very much.

S. O'BRIEN: My pleasure. It's great having you -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: Good stuff. Thanks.

CNN LIVE TODAY is coming up next. Fredricka Whitfield is in for Daryn. Hello, Fred.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Miles, how are you?

M. O'BRIEN: Good.

WHITFIELD: More on Tuesday's twisters. As cold weather approaches, you winterize your home and wardrobe. Why not your car? Our top five tips will keep your motor running.

Plus -- health news. Tibetan monks have done it for centuries. It could be good for you as well. Find out how to boost your brain power without lifting a finger. You can lift a finger. You can just do your pincers like this, Miles. Do it like this. Repeat after me. Ommm.

M. O'BRIEN: OK. Is this the meditation thing.

WHITFIELD: Feeling better, aren't we?

M. O'BRIEN: Coming up is Andy with "Minding Your Business."

A battle over beer is brewing. That's quality writing, folks. A battle over beer is brewing. Company is accusing a rival of changing its formula. That is next on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

M. O'BRIEN: You might say a beer company is hopping mad.

ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" COLUMNIST: The puns just never stop here on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING." M. O'BRIEN: Andy Serwer is here to fill us in ...

SERWER: Less filling in.

M. O'BRIEN: ... tastes great. Less filling in.

SERWER: We'll stop now or start now actually. Let's talk about the markets. Go down to the big board. Up 11 on the Dow Jones Industrial. CPI came out, that's consumer inflation for the month of October. And I think the word is benign, just 2 percent, down from 1.2 percent when gas prices soared. Gas prices falling right now. That's the big story I think you can say in the economy overall right now.

O'BRIEN: Just benign.

SERWER: Benign, yes.

Let's talk about this beer situation here. You know negative campaign ads. How about negative beer ads. A major brew-haha going on -- I told you it wasn't going to stop -- going on between Miller and Budweiser. Of course, these two are fierce rivals. Basically, Miller suggesting that Bud light's formula has been changed. New TV commercials -- and they're controversial. Let's check out one here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LAWYER: What's this?

REFEREE: That's a challenge flag. It was thrown at that beer.

SECOND LAWYER: Objection.

JUDGE: Overruled.

LAWYER: Why didn't you throw your usual yellow flag?

REFEREE: The Bud Light product changed. We needed a review.

LAWYER: And upon further review, isn't it true that Miller Lite still has more taste.

REFEREE: It was conclusive.

LAWYER: I guess Miller Lite just tastes great.

CROWD: Less filling.

LAWYER: Oh, no, you didn't.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SERWER: You've heard that before. Basically, what they said, though, Miles, is they've altered the formula of Bud Light that is more bitter and more bubbly and some cable networks have pulled this ad, waiting for Miller to substantiate its claims. Anheuser Busch says, "We haven't changed the formula. However, our brew masters are constantly making small adjustments to address seasonal changes in raw ingredients." A little wiggle room there perhaps.

O'BRIEN: A little confirmation, you might say. Some pretty heady stuff.

SERWER: Okay. You know, Soledad, this is just giving him an opportunity. It is a license to pun. I think we should just pull the plug.

S. O'BRIEN: And you just aided and abetted. Which one came up with hopping mad? Brew-haha?

SERWER: That was Miles. That was me.

S. O'BRIEN: I'm taking notes.

M. O'BRIEN: He's a punabler. Back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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