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CNN Sunday Morning
Wildfires Devastate Malibu; Post-Holiday Travel
Aired November 25, 2007 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They were cold, many of them were wet, a lot of them were crying. It was a terrible, terrible scene.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN NEWS CO-ANCHOR: Yeah, it was. Just imagine this, stuck in a lifeboat while you watch your cruise ship sink and you're in Antarctica of all places. We're going to hear from someone who was there.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm a registered Republican, I'm a Christian and I'm also gay. My husband Jeff and I are raising two children, but a vote for you is a vote against my family.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
T.J. HOLMES, CNN NEWS CO-ANCHOR: Yes, voters got questions for these candidates who certainly can run, but they cannot hide from the issues that you want to talk about. We're talking about the Republican presidential candidates this time and the CNN YouTube debate. You can find out how to be a part of history. That's going to be coming up this morning, plus we've this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Eggs, cheese, and there's another dumpster where I usually get bread.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Uh yeah. Going to the dumpster to get food? You heard it right. Some people say why let anything go to waste? We're going to talk about the dumpster diners. Hello everybody, that'll get you ready for breakfast. From the CNN Center here in Atlanta, bringing you news from around the world. Good morning, I'm Betty Nguyen.
HOLMES: Yeah, hopefully you are not grabbing your Cheerios out of the dumpster, this morning.
NGUYEN: Hopefully it's in a box, if you are.
HOLMES: It's in a box. But hello to you all. I'm T.J. Holmes, so glad you could start your day with us. And we are going to start with a major story. A story breaking, you saw it right here on CNN SATURDAY MORNING, yesterday. A huge wildfire in Malibu, but and the major effort, we need to tell you about, to get this thing under control.
NGUYEN: Yeah, that's what's going on in Malibu, California, right now. The fire chief said crews will get a better handle a little bit later today, but so far at least 49 homes have been destroyed. Let's get the latest now from Kara Finnstrom in Malibu. She's been watching it.
How are the winds today? Because I know they were a major factor, yesterday.
KARA FINNSTROM, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Actually, not too bad this morning, and hopefully they stay like this. If you take look behind me, you can see the smoke actually billowing out over the ocean, going to be a spectacular sunrise, here this morning and firefighters are hope that this new day really will bring some new hope as far as gaining an upper hand on this fire.
They say they gained some headway late yesterday and we are waiting at this hour for fire crews, who are we are told, are now gathered and coming back in bringing in some new data and will have some new figures for us, just about an hour from now.
Now, as they are continuing to fight this blaze and really kind of ascertain what type of containment or control they may have actually gained overnight, they are investigating how this fire started.
And CNN was actually able to obtain some exclusive video late yesterday that we want to share with you, fire investigators converging on the site where this fire began. It's at the top of a dirt road. What we have learned is that they believe some type of human activity started this fire. What's unclear right now is whether that was accidental or intentional.
This morning, the latest number that we have is that 4,500 acres have been charred. Firefighters, at last report, said they had contained about 25 percent of this fire. But, the fire chief was saying, also at that point, that he hopes by later today to double that number. And here's what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHIEF MICHAEL FREEMAN, LOS ANGELES CO FIRE DEPT: Given the weather conditions, the winds subsiding, that's reason for optimism that the amount of fuel that has been consumed in there, that's certainly reason for optimism. The number of personnel that we have here, the plans we have to continue to operate our aircraft, through the night, as need and is appropriate, those are all reasons for optimism.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FINNSTROM: And Betty, we actually have heard some of those aircraft already up this morning, as well. Back to you.
NGUYEN: Yeah, we've been watching it all day. Thank you so much. Kara Finnstrom joining us live.
Now, we have gotten some just really amazing pictures of the fire from our iReporters. Check it out, this is from Francesca Smith. She took this photo of the advancing fire while she was evacuating from her apartment near Pepperdine University.
And here's another one, from a Pepperdine student. Look at that smoke just billowing in the air. It's a huge plume of smoke over a ridge, there.
Plus, Keegan Gibbs (ph) lives on the edge of the evacuation zone in Point Doom. He took this picture of the neighborhood. And if you have a photo that you want to share with us, all you have to do is go to cnn.com and upload it. But, be careful.
HOLMES: All right, we will turn to the weather, now, even thought you see a lot of weather on your screen, right. Well, we need more than that. We need Bonnie.
BONNIE SCHNEIDER, METEOROLOGIST: Thanks T.J. and Betty. You're right. We're going to talk about the fire threat, right now, and also, of course, we're keeping you up to date with holiday travel. It's a busy day, certainly many of you are heading to the airport and you can see on the right side and also just below, we're giving five- day forecast, as well as, current conditions and airport delays. So far, we only have in Atlanta, but it's still early.
All right, it's early in the morning in California and the good news is the wind threat doesn't exist in terms of wind advisories; however, we are still looking at some strong winds in and around the region.
Here's the latest conditions at Malibu Hills, temperatures about 54 degrees, winds are coming in from the east, gusts of 22 miles-per- hour. That has picked up a little bit since earlier this morning, but we're not expecting the winds to intense by much more than where they are right now. In face, as we head all the way to the south near Oceanside, you can see the winds are coming in out of the east, more so, and some even out of the southeast.
So, the offshore flow will continue at least through the mid- afternoon. That'll leave us in critical fire danger for southern California. Not so much because of these winds, which will bring about some gusts, but it's really because conditions have been so dry for this region. Note the relative humidity in the single digits, once again.
So, it's the dry conditions we're watching so closely, here. We're also hoping to get some rain in, but it looks like any rain that we have will stick around for northern California, though, we are going to get a moist layer of air coming in in the coming days, temperatures are colder, right now, than where they were just a month ago. And that's really helping firefighters, as well, to have cooler temperatures rather than those really hot daytime highs that we saw just a month ago -- T.J., Betty.
NGUYEN: All right Betty, we thank you.
HOLMES: Well, more than 10,000 marchers hit the streets today in the capital of Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur police hit back with water cannons and teargas. Protesters are ethnic Indians and they say the Muslim-dominated government is discriminating against them.
NGUYEN: Back home after years in exile, former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif landed in Pakistan less than an hour ago. Here's a new video of him arriving at the airport in Lahore. Sharif was ousted by President Pervez Musharraf in a bloodless coup eight years ago. He's returning to a country under emergency rule imposed by President Musharraf. Witnesses say police arrested several hundred Sharif supporters ahead of his arrival.
HOLMES: Well, Aruban authorities now holding a third suspect in the disappearance of an American teenager, Natalee Holloway.
NGUYEN: Joran van der Sloot was arrested in the Netherlands and flown back to the Dutch island, yesterday. Prosecutors say they have new evidence, though, linking van der Sloot and two of his friends to Holloway's 2005 disappearance. Van der Sloot is scheduled for a hearing tomorrow.
HOLMES: The FBI now joining the search for the wife of an Illinois police sergeant. Stacy Peterson has been missing now almost a month. Right now, police say her husband, Drew, is in fact a suspect. Since her disappearance, authorities have begun questioning the death of Peterson's third wife, his last wife. Peterson denies involvement in both of those cases and he says his current wife, Stacy, actually ran off with another man.
Well, we do have another beef recall to tell you about this morning. American Foods Group in Wisconsin, recalling 96,000 pounds of bulk beef. Bulk beef is repackaged at grocery stores into those shrink-wrap packs that you see in the meat department. Two people, so far, have gotten sick possibly from e.coli bacteria. Well, bulk beef was sold at stores and distributors in seven states. Some of meat may already be past the sell by date, but still could be in your freezer.
NGUYEN: You'll defiantly want to check that. Listen to this, though. An adventure turned nightmare for more than 150 people rescued in Antarctica, their ship hit ice and then it went down.
HOLMES: Yeah, but not before everybody was rescued and half of them have now been flown to South America, the first leg of their journey home. But what did it really look like out there on the freezing seas? We get that story from CTV's James McDonald.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JAMES MCDONALD, CTV REPORTER (voice-over): On board the MS Nord Norge, Taylor Echlin was enjoying an Antarctic adventure at sea. An experienced sailor, the Mississauga man is no stranger to open water, but when the voyage turned into a rescue mission, nothing could have prepared him for what he saw next.
TAYLOR ECHLIN, WITNESSED RESCUE: It was just one of the awfullest (ph) things you'd ever want to see. These four open life boats with 30 to 35 people in each one. You just can't believe it.
MCDONALD: The Canadian-owned Explorer hit a chunk of ice, creating a small gash in its hull. Even though the tear was small, the ship was taking on water fast. Luckily, the Nord Norge was in the area and coordinated the emergency measures. Many rescued passengers were in shock after hours floating in lifeboats.
ECHLIN: They were all cold, many of them were wet, a lot of them were crying. It was a terrible, terrible scene. They were confused, they were worried, they were anxious. None of them had anything with them. Some of them weren't dressed properly.
MCDONALD: Passengers aboard the Nord Norge offered blankets and dry clothes. Echlin says the rescue was textbook and credits his ships captain and crew with preventing a tragedy.
ECHLIN: The most wonderful thing, of course, is that not one person lost their life.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Yeah, that's good news. I imagine some of those folks are going to try to be continuing with part of the cruise. Some of them will go on, but a lot of them saying forget it, I'm done with this one.
HOLMES: They might actually consider a Caribbean cruise next time.
NGUYEN: Next time, instead of Antarctica?
HOLMES: Possibly.
NGUYEN: Nice. OK, so, are you heading home after the Thanksgiving holiday? Because if you are, get ready for the crowds.
HOLMES: Yes, when CNN SUNDAY MORNING continues, we will take you back there, live, Reagan National Airport. Not too bad right now, as it appears, but certainly going to get busier. Already a few delays to report at airport around the country, expected to get worse throughout this day. Stay here.
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ANNOUNCER: This is CNN, trusted by more Americans than any other news channel. Now, back to CNN SUNDAY MORNING>
HOLMES: Well yeah, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING, 15 past the hour, now. "Quick Hits" for you giving you more news in a little less time.
NGUYEN: A vigil overnight for a groom-to-be gunned down on his wedding day. Shawn Bell, remember that name? He was killed in a barrage of bullets a year ago today. Three police officers face charges in the shooting. Bell's friends and relatives say they just want justice.
Well, her tragic story shed light on the problem of cyber bullying. Last night, family and friends lit candles in remembrance of Megan Meier. The 13-year-old Missouri girl committed suicide after receiving cruel messages online, and according to a police report, a mother down the block posed as a 16-year-old boy who was sending messages to Megan.
HOLMES: All right, well, millions of folks, millions of you, on the move, right now. The Sunday after Thanksgiving, typically one of the busiest travel days of the year, if not the busiest. About 2.5 million people expected to hit the air today by some estimates. CNN's Kathleen Koch monitoring the activity at Reagan National Airport.
Good morning to you, ma'am. How are things? I know earlier there were only a few planes that were delayed. Is that still the case, just a few?
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Still the case, T.J. There are some 150 flights on the board here, right now, at Reagan National, and still only three delays. But again, the day is very young. As you can see behind me, not a lot of crowds here at Reagan National, but there has been a steady flow. And I'm sure the federal government would like to claim some the credit for how well things have gone because they tried something unusual, set it up last week, to make sure that despite the record delays we've had the rest of the year, there would be smoother sailing for Thanksgiving.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): President Bush insists he felt the flying public's pain and wanted to do something about it.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Business as usual is not good enough for travelers.
KOCH: So, the federal government opened two East Coast military air corridors, the blue lines on this map, to commercial planes from Wednesday through Sunday. Airlines say they've been running 10 to 15 flights an hour through the military airspace.
DAVID CASTLEVETER, AIR TRANSPORT ASSN: It helped. At the end of the day, what causes delays is weather and volume and we have volume, clearly, over Thanksgiving, but what we didn't have was weather. If we would have had weather, the highest levels of preparedness would not have reduced delays.
KOCH: The Federal Aviation Administration also suspended nonessential maintenance projects to further eliminate slowdowns. But, air traffic controllers and pilots are skeptical about the government's Thanksgiving fixes.
CAPT TERRY MCVENES, AIRLINE PILOTS ASSN: These band-aid-type approaches. While they offer some short-term benefits, what really needs to be done is to find long-term solutions for the congestion that we have in our airspace, today.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KOCH: Solutions like more runways, more gate space, more air traffic controllers and a modern satellite-based aviation system. But, T.J. those solutions are going to take years. Back to you.
HOLMES: Years. Gee. We need something that's going to help today, Kathleen.
NGUYEN: All right, she's doing the best she can out there.
HOLMES: All right, thank you so much, Kathleen.
NGUYEN: Well, a toy safety situation is a hot topic, these days, especially now because it's up to patients to make sure toys are really safe when they're buying them for their children.
HOLMES: Yeah, but should the government be getting involved? Well, when we return, we'll show you how one country's government is doing just that. We will also show you now, Josh Levs.
Good morning to you, sir.
JOSH LEVS, CNN.COM DESK: And good morning to you guy. You know, something today is the deadline for everybody to submit your questions for the CNN YouTube debate for the Republican candidates that's coming up next week -- midnight, tonight. That's it. So, coming up, I'm going to show you everything you need to know in order to do that, and play for you some of the questions we've receive -- some of them are sharp, some a little wacky. It's coming up, right after this.
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NGUYEN: All right, here's a question for you. So, what's in your child's toy box? Well, thanks to the recent wave of toy recalls from China, some of you are taking a much closer look at what you buy for your kids.
HOLMES: Yeah, but should the government be getting involved here? Well, in Germany it has. CNN's Diana Magnay follows the toy police.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DIANA MAGNAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is the sort of visit that many retailers dread, a routine, but unannounced control inspection of their process. Matthias Bilz is here to make sure toys in this shop meet European safety standards.
And this one doesn't, the cord is too long, A real concern for authority here after two babies strangled themselves with key chains in the Brandenburg area.
MATTHIAS BILZ, HEALTH & SAFETY OFFICIAL (through translator): Once we've establish the results of the test, we'll inform the responsible authority, where the producer is based, and then they'll take the necessary steps against the producer.
ROBERT RATH, HEALTH & SAFETY OFFICIAL, BERLIN: Looks very nice, looks very sweet.
MAGNAY: These toys, mostly from China, were all selling well in Germany before they were picked up in a controlled inspection and pulled from the market.
RATH: And if it turns, it won't be able to come up again, because all the weight of the baby or the little child is under the water.
MAGNAY: Most carry the "CE" sign, but authorities say it's easily faked and provides no guarantee for consumers.
RATH: "CE" just means "Conformite Europeene" and it's a sign of decoration, of conformation, of technical standards. The producer declares something, no one ever -- no third party as ever checked it.
MAGNAY: In Germany, toymakers can opt to have their product independently certified by one of just a handful of government- approved laboratories. The "GS" sign on product means it's gone through these special tests, a much better guarantee for worried parents, though, again, it can be faked.
Authorities across Europe are now looking to see whether this is a model they'll apply elsewhere.
(on camera): It's at discount stores and at street markets like this where you're most likely to find potentially dangerous goods imported from countries from countries like China. The advice from consumer watchdogs is not to think with your wallet. Cheapness can come at a price.
Diana Magnay, CNN, Berlin.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Later today, CNN presents an hour-long special report, "Trouble in Toyland." Our Fredricka Whitefield examines toy recalls, fears and those important solutions. That's this afternoon at 1:00 Pacific and 4:00 Eastern. Don't miss it.
HOLMES: Wednesday, big day. Martha's taking -- excuse me.
NGUYEN: All choked up over it, huh?
HOLMES: You know, the YouTube debates are big. I don't like the politics. I just get worked up about it. But, this one's going to be for the GOP candidates.
NGUYEN: Yeah, this is your chance to ask the candidates what you want to know.
HOLMES: Yeah, and if you want to be a part of the action, you need to hurry up and be a part of the action, only a limited time left. CNN's Josh Levs is here to explain why you need to get on it, right now.
LEVS: Yeah, I'm sorry you got all worked up, but I understand why. It is very exciting you know, and it's just a matter of hours away, we can start the countdown right. And literally hours left for you to send in your questions. So we're going to talk you through that process, but first, so you can get a sense of the kind of thing we're getting. Here's a look at some of the questions.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): Republican candidates can run, but they cannot hide from your questions in the CNN-YouTube Debate, which may include some sharp jabs.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What are you going to do to return the civil liberties to the American people and stop these outrageous acts on our security and our privacy?
LEVS: Some offer personal stories, like this man who says he's a gay registered Republican.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But a vote for you is a vote against my family.
LEVS: A few bring up some of the wackier topics on earth...or beyond.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: UFOs and aliens...
LEVS: Maybe he ought to be asking this YouTuber.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am one of many from another dimension...
LEVS (on camera): Around 4,000 questions are in, more than the 3,000 send in for the Democratic debate in July.
(voice-over): All the questions are viewable online and we're not saying which may be used, just giving you a taste of what we're getting.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What will you do, as president, to ensure diversity in your administration?
LEVS: There unique spins on expected subjects, like Iraq, taxes and the national debt. Some want specifics.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Would you be willing to open up Guantanamo Bay for viewing?
LEVS: There are serious subjects that don't often make the headlines.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But what about the war going on in our own country -- black-on-black crime?
LEVS: And questions all about character. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And what is your one greatest strength, your one grittiest weakness?
LEVS: Getting candidates to admit weaknesses? Good luck. Maybe he's in cahoots with this guy, who apparently wants to lull the candidates into some form of hypnoses. Though, there are plenty of characters to keep them on their toes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you. Thank you very much.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEVS: He left the building. OK, so if you want to know what to do to submit your own questions in the hours that you've got left, here's all you need to do. Go to cnn.com and click on "politics" and it will bring you to this YouTube page that traces you through, step- by-step, what you have to do, even if you're not text savvy, it'll tell you how you can one of these videoed and sent in. also, you'll see guidelines, there, some ideas for the kinds of things CNN is looking for. That should trace you through. In the end it's pretty sort and sweet, quick and to the point. I think it's maximum, about 30 seconds. We are going to be taking a look at all of these guys and they'll be making the final decision by Wednesday.
NGUYEN: Well, you know, for some for some of them, 30 seconds is really all you need, please. We've seen some of those videos and just, you know, to note here, the ones you showed aren't necessarily the ones that will be used during the debate.
LEVS: Right, it's a tiny, little group of people that are getting to decide this stuff. None of us here knows what it is...
NGUYEN: Above our pay level.
LEVS: Yeah, way -- not even comparable. Many, many more digits.
NGUYEN: Thank you, Josh.
LEVS: Thanks guys.
NGUYEN: Well hey, coming up next, an update on those fires still burning in Malibu, California.
HOLMES: Hey, thousands forced from their homes. Nearly 50 homes destroyed. Our Bonnie Schneider will joins us with the latest on the weather conditions in that area.
NGUYEN: And in politics, if Florida is considered an important state in the race for the presidency, why is it that some candidates are staying away from the Sunshine State?
HOLMES: But first, Chick-Fil-A celebrating 40 years of business this year on this week's "Tips from the Top" has how the company has remained successful. Erica Hill has that story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) ERICA HILL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Dan Cathy's commit to hospitality has led him to run Chick-Fil-A, one of the nation's largest fast food restaurants.
DAN CATHY, CHICK-FIL-A PRES & COO: Find something that's out there that really resonates deep within you and then you can commit yourself to being excellent at what you do. So, set your standards high, go after it.
HILL: Known as the place to "Eat Nor Chikin," Chick-Fil-A opened in Atlanta 40 years ago by Dan's father, Truett Cathy. Today, the chain has over 1,300 locations and annual sales above $2 billion. Cathy says the company's success is based on its beliefs in going the extra mile for customers.
CATHY: If you give people what they pay for, than it's just a transaction. But if you're willing to step beyond, do more than what people pay you for, then you can build relationships.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Checking out our top stories, right now, the wildfires in Malibu. Officials now think those fires will be under control by Tuesday. We'll have to wait a couple days for that. Firefighters worked all night, though, along those frontlines.
HOLMES: Hey, the fire has already caused come major damage, at least 49 homes destroyed, six firefighters injured, as well, none seriously, however. More then 4,600 acres have burned and that's the same size as the Canyon Fire that ripped through Malibu last month.
NGUYEN: We're also getting a unique perspective on the Malibu fires thanks to CNN viewers sending in their iReports. Look at this, Nancy Jackson says could see and smell the smoke in Pacific Palisades, which is about 10 minutes from Malibu.
Here's another great picture for you. You can see one of the firefighting planes picking up water. More than 20 planes and helicopters have been used so far. And here's that same plane headed to the fire with a full load. We appreciate these pictures, though, coming from our iReporters. We do want to ask you to keep them coming, but do stay out of harm's way to get the shots.
HOLMES: All right, we got...
NGUYEN: And you were saying?
HOLMES: I was saying eight candidates, that was very important, the animation, the America Votes makes the story, it makes all the difference. We have to get that on there. But yes, eight candidates, so far more than 3,500 questions have been submitted. Wednesday, GOP debate puts the electronic electorates in the driver's seat thanks to YouTube, and CNN Bill Schneider taking you in for us from Saint Petersburg, Florida with a preview and more on Florida's unique role in the '08 race.
Bill, always good to see you. Good morning, sir.
BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN SR POLITICAL ANALYST: Good morning, T.J.
HOLMES: What is happening there in Florida? There are a lot of things happening on the Democratic side. But, we'll talk about the debate first of all. What's key there for Republicans and what can we expect in this debate coming up on Wednesday?
SCHNEIDER: Well, I think the most sensitive issue in this debate, Wednesday, is going to be illegal immigration. Republicans have been debating that issue for a long time. It's a No. 1 issue for a lot of Republicans, especially, those in Iowa in that crucial first in the nation contest.
But here in the Florida, the issue look's a little different because there's huge population of minorities, particularly Latinos and a lot of immigrants, here in Florida, a lot of them do oppose illegal immigration, but they're sensitive to any remarks any of the Republican candidates might make that seem to be insensitive to immigrants. So, they're going to have to tread very carefully on the illegal immigration issue to avoid offending a large constituency of Florida voters.
HOLMES: Who needs to do well? I mean, who has really a lot on the line there in Florida and in this debate?
SCHNEIDER: Rudy Giuliani is the answer to that question. Rudy Giuliani is not winning Iowa, he's not winning New Hampshire, he's close to the top, but not clearly ahead in Michigan and South Carolina. Those all come before Florida, they're the first contests. If he doesn't win anything, then he'll really be on the line to win the Florida primary, January 29, before most of the rest of the country votes on February 5. He's got to have a breakthrough victory here in Florida. He has a lot at stake; he's got to make a strong showing, here, because if he doesn't win Florida, his campaign could be in serious trouble.
HOLMES: All right, let's turn to the Democrats here for a second. And Florida, being ignored by some Democrats, possibly? Is that possible? Florida, we all know how crucial Florida is, who wants to ignore this state?
SCHNEIDER: Well, the Democrats are ignoring this state, Florida, because Florida broke the rules. The party said you couldn't have a primary before February and Florida went and scheduled its primary January 29. So, the result is, the Democrats and the Republicans are depriving Florida of some or all of their delegates at the convention. We'll see if that actually happens and the Democratic candidates have agreed not to campaign here.
Oh, they'll raise money in Florida, there's a lot of money here, but they're not gong to campaign openly in Florida, no rallying, no big public speeches. So, the result is Democrats are taking a little bit of a risk because Florida could feel insulted, offended that the Democrats aren't showing up for their primary. My guess is, at least they're betting, that by the time the election rolls around, there'll be a hot and heavy campaign here in Florida and even at that convention, at the end of August, somehow the Democratic nominee will find it in his or her heart to say why all is forgiven, Florida delegates are welcome to come into the Democratic convention and we're very happy to see you.
HOLMES: OK, they'll have to kiss and makeup later, but for now, maybe some hard feelings there in Florida between them and the candidates.
Finally, let me ask you about this. Barack Obama getting hot, if you will, he got a question, as you know here, we've seen this in the campaigns past, certainly famously with Bill Clinton, but a questioning about did you inhale. He actually answered this question saying, yes, in fact he did. On a question on marijuana, please tell us what happened here and I guess the fallout from this comment he made.
SCHNEIDER: Well, he's been -- talked about his youthful indiscretions, his drug use in his book. He did it earlier this week in New Hampshire and now he's done it again in Iowa.
He said that when he was young he tried marijuana, it's not news because he wrote it in his autobiography some time ago. He doesn't recommend it, he said it was a mistake. But when asked, he was asked: "did you inhale?" Instead of answering the Bill Clinton answer, a long time ago in '92, he said, "yes, I did. That was the point." So, he didn't manage to sound rather foolish, the way Bill Clinton did, but he did say it was a youthful indiscretion, he doesn't recommend it. Mitt Romney, one of the Republicans has said, you know, we are not to talk about these things because it sets a bad example for kids. And you know, George Bush, I think, had a pretty good answer, some time ago, when he was asked about what he did as a young man and he said: "when I was young and foolish, I was young and foolish. End of discussion."
(LAUGHTER)
HOLMES: Bill, that's one way to put. But, some people might say, hey, Barack Obama did answer the question honestly and maybe they find that refreshing. So, who knows. Bill Schneider, there, going to be there for the debate, sir, we appreciate you this morning, look forward to seeing you here the next few days.
SCHNEIDER: My pleasure. OK.
HOLMES: All right. Well, folks, you know, you've some burning questions for these candidates. Well, you can get them in to us by midnight and you might get your question answered live on Wednesday night. Just go to cnn.com/youtubedebates, post your questions for the candidates.
NGUYEN: We have some sad news to tell you, today, about 69-year- old Indiana congresswoman, Julia Carson. Carson, a Democrat, was first elected to the U.S. House in 1996. Well, she took a leave of absence in September to be treated for a leg infection, but doctors found something else. In today's "Indianapolis Star," Carson reports that her lung cancer, which went into remission years ago, is back with "a terminal vengeance."
HOLMES: We certainly wish the best for her.
Well, of course, the big story we've been covering this weekend, the fires out in Southern California, in Malibu, the weather playing a big role in those fires. Our Bonnie Schneider has been keeping an eye on the winds out there, specifically those Santa Ana winds.
How are things -- Bonnie.
SCHNEIDER: Well, it looks like, T.J. we're looking at some better conditions in terms of wind because this time yesterday, we had numerous wind advisories up and down the California Coast. But today, those wind advisories are not in play, but we still have red flag warnings, meaning fire danger exists pretty much throughout the day today.
In Malibu Hills, right now, the winds are gusting up to 22 miles- per-hour, so there still pretty strong. We're also looking at winds, not too bad, all the way down to the south near San Diego, much calmer again today than yesterday.
What's happening is we still have that offshore flow, but eventually this high pressure system that's up towards the Great Basin, the Rockies, will retreat further to the east and that will weaken pressure gradient. I think overall the winds start to die down by later this afternoon, they're already a lot less, today. The problem is the relative humidity is five to 10 percent and that's going to be a problem for those of you that are going to be out there because it's going to be so dry, that's why we still have the risk for critical fire danger.
Today, of course, is a busy travel day and look at the rain on the map, here across the nation's midsection, wet weather slowing you down. We did have an airport delay in Atlanta, but that has improved. We're going to keep you up to date with holiday travel here on the right side and on the bottom of your screen, here on CNN. I hope everyone gets to where they're going safely -- T.J., Betty.
NGUYEN: Yeah, but bring patience because you may be a little frustrated waiting in those lines, wherever you're headed to.
Well, one woman's trash -- listen to this -- is another woman's dinner.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Eggs, cheese, and there's another dumpster where I usually get bread.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: OK, we see this happen sometimes, people do have to dumpster dive, if you will, for food.
NGUYEN: For necessity.
HOLMES: Yes. But this woman, we're going to introduce you to, eats out of the trash by choice.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: All right, about 40 minutes past the hour on this Sunday morning, got us some "Quick Hits," here to show you.
NGUYEN: A rescue operation is underway right now in the middle of the North Sea. A team of helicopters fighting strong winds to rescue dozens of workers stranded on a burning oil platform. The "Associated Press" reports most of the 159 workers have been taken off that platform. Less than 50 remain waiting for removal. There's no injuries, thought, that's the good news in this.
HOLMES: Well, lights, action, and let's negotiate. Contract talks continue resume today in the Broadway strike. Stagehands and producers are at odds over labor quotas. The holiday is usually a pretty lucrative time for Broadway, but the strikes, certainly right now, eating into profit.
NGUYEN: And, A-Rod he could certainly use a little more cash, couldn't he?
Oh, you think?
HOLMES: How about $30 million? The man's got to eat. Well, it's part of a marking strategy built into Alex Rodriguez's new contract with the New York Yankees.
NGUYEN: Basically, this how...
HOLMES: Yeah, how's this go down, Betty please, because I can't even read it or fathom this.
NGUYEN: Let me set it straight for you, because he's getting $6 million bonus each time he passes a home run milestone. We need that in our contracts. OK, starting with Willie Mays and ending with Barry Bonds, that could put the total value of his deal at $305 million -- $305 million.
HOLMES: I guess he got an invitation to that millionaire fair we were talking about.
NGUYEN: The one that we did not.
HOLMES: A-Rod has to be a Yankee. Boy, love the Yankees. Alex Rodriguez.
All right. Got the pick of the litter here, to tell you about, so to say, that's how you can describe the newest in addition to the White House. NGUYEN: No, it's a playmate for "Barney," the dog, but the president's dog may actually like it even better. It's the Christmas tree for the White House. More now from Alex Reed with affiliate WCNC.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALEX REED, WCNC REPORTER: The White House has very specific requirements for their Christmas trees and there are thousands across the country which did not make the cut, but one tree, right here in Laurel Springs, did.
(voice-over): Sporting a red,white,and blue ribbon with 50 loops for the 50 states, this was selected as the official Christmas tree of the White House.
JOE FREEMAN, TREE OWNER: It's a big honor to be able to present the tree to the country.
REED: The tree's owner, Joe Freeman, watched carefully as a team workers bailed or mapped the tree for its 350-mile journey. A crowd of people from the community did the same.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's an exciting time for the area and for the state and for the family here and for our family to come see, it's just a once in a lifetime opportunity.
REED: The Fraser fir is 18.5 feet tall by 13 feet wide. Freeman says those are the exact specifications the White House is looking for. And Fraser firs have been extremely popular recently, says Freeman, because of their strong, full branches which make them well- suited for the holidays.
FREEMAN: The keepability, how long they are last after they're put in the home and they fact that they hold on so well.
REED: Freeman went through two chain saws trying to cut down the 2,000 pound tree. When it eventually fell, so did a piece of Freeman's heart.
FREEMAN: I've always said I'd never have any regrets on cutting Christmas trees, because that's what they're planted for. But this one's a little more special.
REED: It took more than a dozen men to lift the tree on to a trailer. An Annapolis man says he's been told to deliver the precious cargo to the famous South Lawn of the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: And the 18-foot tree goes inside the White House. Yeah, they're going to make room for it in the Blue Room, to be exact. The tree arrived in Washington -- I thought you were going to say something -- it will be presented to first lady, Laura Bush, tomorrow.
HOLMES: One of the questions we had was if they actually paid for the tree or they just donate it to the White House? Just kind of curious, there. Well, the capital Christmas tree, the other one, you know, the one that the president lights, that one's coming from Vermont, supposed to arrive tomorrow, that one's going to be 55 feet tall.
Well, straight ahead here...
NGUYEN: That's bigger than your tree.
HOLMES: Yeah, it's seven foot.
NGUYEN: What'd you get, like a seven-footer?
HOLMES: Yeah.
NGUYEN: Well, it's big than mine. Mine's about this big.
HOLMES: Yeah, and when she says "this big," folks, not from the floor here.
NGUYEN: Literally.
HOLMES: The table. It's this big.
NGUYEN: It's easy to put up once Christmas is over.
HOLMES: Obviously, yes.
All right, folks. Well, you need a new ride? A lot of people do. Need diamonds? People do, as well. How about a diamond-studded ride.
NGUYEN: Now, Moscow's newly rich are flaunting it. And I don't mean it don't mean a thing if ain't got a bling to it. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: A developing story here this morning. Back home after years in exile, former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif landed back in Pakistan less than an hour ago.
NGUYEN: This is some new video of him arriving at the airport in Lahore. Sharif was ousted by President Pervez Musharraf in a bloodless coup some eight years ago. Let's get the latest on the situation, there. CNN international correspondent, Karl Penhaul, is in Lahore Pakistan and joins us by phone. We saw the crowds at the airport, has there been any violence so far -- Karl.
KARL PENHAUL, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Currently no violence, Betty, what we have seen on the perimeter of the airport have been scuffles between supporters of the returning exiled, former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, and riot police. There was pushing at the barricade and at stages, the riot police was waiting with those bamboo canes and try and force the supporters back.
But then, several hundred supporters did make their way into the airport and then what ensued there was chaotic scenes as Nawaz Sharif returned home and then again as his motorcade had tried to move away from the airport to try and get to his home here in Lahore again, that motorcade has been swamped by thousands of supporters, thousands of well-wishers, but no signs of violence. (INAUDIBLE) want both his supporters and the security forces will be trying to avoid any repeat of the attack of the kind that we saw on the motorcade of Benazir Bhutto when she returned to Pakistan after exile in October -- Betty.
NGUYEN: Exactly. All right, Karl Penhaul, watching it for us, of course, we'll be joining you should there any more developments. Thank you, Karl.
HOLMES: Well, now it's time for us to check in with Howard Kurtz in Washington to see what's ahead on CNN's RELIABLE SOURCES.
HOWARD KURTZ, RELIABLE SOURCES: Coming up, a special sit-down with Tom Brokaw, who weighs in on everything from the presidential race and the Iraq, to Katie Couric, Don Imus, and "Saturday Night Live."
Is the Hillary campaign sitting on explosive information about Barack Obama or as that just reckless reporting by Robert Novak. We'll take a look.
Plus, another husband makes the TV rounds while his wife is missing. Why are the network morning shows going nuts over the Stacy Peterson case?
That and more ahead on RELIABLE SOURCES.
NGUYEN: Looking forward to that. OK, let me ask you this. Have you every heard of a Freegan?
HOLMES: Actually, no. Some people call them dumpster divers, they are not homeless, but they choose to get their food out of the garbage. Stick around for this one, even if you are eating breakfast wherever yours may have come from.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: All right, so here are the facts. They're not homeless, they are not starving. So, why do they dig through dumpsters looking for food? Well, they're called Freegans and for woman it beats shopping at the grocery store. Liz Tuft of affiliate WSHM explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RUTHY WOODRING, FREEGAN: I'm going to get a few more of these.
LIZ TUFT, WSHM AFFILIATE: It's shopping time for Ruthy Woodring and today she's on the hunt for bread.
WOODRING: Oh, pastries.
TUFT: Once a week, she hops on her bike at the wee hours of the morning and travels through the land of dumpsters hoping to snatch up any unwanted food from local stores.
WOODRING: I like the hunt, the chase, the treasure.
TUFT: And Ruthy has been forging for food inside garbage cans and dumpsters the past 15 years.
WOODRING: This is full of bread.
TUFT: She can tell you the best dumpster to look in for vegetables. Where to find fresh fruit and even where the best baked goods may be laying around.
WOODRING: There's one dumpster that I hit regularly where I can get eggs, cheese and there's another dumpster where I usually get bread and other dumpsters where I get produce.
TUFT: And it's not because Ruthy can't afford food from the grocery store.
WOODRING: I really hate to go shopping inside stores. I go inside and the fluorescent lights and the bright colors and the packages on the wall just screaming at me, I feel like my senses are assaulted, but in the dumpster I feel like I'm more in control.
TUFT: It's because she can't stand seeing food like this going to waste.
WOODRING: I recycle that food in my body and bodies of my friends and divert it from the landfill.
TUFT (on camera): As I stand in the middle of this dumpster here, you're probably thinking about the smell or the filth, but believe it or not Ruth says you actually have to bring your manners here at the dumpster just as you would to the dinner table.
WOODRING: You want to try to leave it neat for the next person. You also want to try to leave it neat so that the store people don't get upset.
TUFT (voice-over): And if you're thinking about how someone could eat food out of a dumpster, Ruthy says she is not worried about getting sick. She says most of the food they find comes free packaged and what's not, they take home and clean.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whoa, this is very heavy.
WOODRING: The stuff that I find in a dumpster is usually fresher than most people have in their fridge that they've forgotten about.
TUFT: At one dumpster we stop by, Ruthy left with a few loaves of bread, bagels, and a dozen pastries.
WOODRING: Oh, there's three times as much as this in there.
TUFT: So, what may seem look like a dumpster full of trash to some people, could actually be a dumpster full of dinner. WOODRING: I want to leave it somewhat nice to the next dumpster diver.
TUFT: Or what Ruthy called a Freegan feast.
WOODRING: So, dumpster diving is kind of like, well, as long as it's there, in this economy, yeah, OK, I'll take it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: All right, so she'll take it and in fact, we're curious about what it's like to be a Freegan, and better yet than just to ask, how about we talk to one. Cindy Rosin is with us from New York, she's been dumpster diving for at least eight years and has identified herself as a Freegan for the last three.
What does it truly mean for you to be a Freegan?
CINDY ROSIN, FREEGAN: It means to be someone who steps up to the capitalist economy and is taking steps to just reject all of the oppression that's tied into all of the products in our capitalist culture.
NGUYEN: Well hold on, let me ask you this, because critics will look at you and say you know, you're saying that, but on the other hand, the products that you're taking from these dumpsters had to be bought on the market, therefore it was part of this capitalist system so therefore it's kind of hypocritical to say that.
ROSIN: Absolutely, but what that doesn't take into account that Freeganism isn't just dumpster diving. There's all sorts of ways to sustain yourself not only with food, but with housing, with transportation, with entertainment in ways that are outside the system. So, not only are we recovering the waste of the corporations and cooperate grocery stores, but we're also growing foods in guerrilla gardens and we're discovering wild foods that are available right in our own neighborhood through foraging.
NGUYEN: And you know, when you talk about foraging and specifically dumpster diving, a lot of people had looked at that, and even though we saw the piece (INAUDIBLE) there are some items that come from businesses that are perfectly sanitary. Do you worry about diving in those dumpsters and finding food with the bacteria? I mean, how safe is that?
ROSIN: I worry about our entire system's food safety because corporations control that. And as long as that's happened, their products are going to come before our safety and our wellbeing. We can see that with all the food recalls that have happened recently. The fact that it's on the curb for two hours doesn't make it less than it was in the stores.
NGUYEN: Well, I was going to say, obviously there is a lot of waste in the U.S., you're finding it, in fact, you're making meals out of it. How much are people really throwing away? What are you finding there, especially during the holidays? ROSIN: We're finding anything and everything that you can find in the stores. Studies have shown that 40 to 50 percent of the food ready for harvest in the U.S. are actually going to waste and not all of that is waste that's coming out of the stores, but waste all along the stream.
There are fruit and vegetable growers who will actually plow under their crops because their prices have dropped. And so, you can just find anything. Certainly anything that's in the store they will eventually throw out on the curb and usually in perfectly good condition.
NGUYEN: All right, Cindy Rosin, a Freegan, joining us live to talk to us about what it's like -- what life is like dealing with that and trying to save, in a way. Thanks for your time.
ROSIN: Thank you.
HOLMES: Well, certainly interesting, there. I'm glad we got that in.
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