Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
Prisoners Escape from New Jersey Jail; Snow Blankets Northeast; Joe Lieberman Endorses John McCain; Saudi Woman Pardoned of Controversial Sentence
Aired December 17, 2007 - 13:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CO-HOST: It sounds like a plot from a movie. Two inmates break out of this jail, using tools readily available to them. But wait until you hear how it went down.
DON LEMON, CO-HOST: Oh, and Betty, piled up, plowing through. Severe weather blankets the northeast. And probably, like...
NGUYEN: In between, yes.
LEMON: Absolutely.
Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon, live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.
NGUYEN: Yes, hi, everybody. I'm Betty Nguyen in for Kyra Phillips today. And you are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Check it out. Up to 18 inches of snow from the Great Lakes to New England. At least eight people have died on slippery roads. Schools are closed, plenty of flights delayed. One Michigan woman just shrugged and said, "Hey, it's winter." N
Well, not quite. Winter doesn't officially arrive until Saturday. Tens of thousands from Pennsylvania to Maine hope to have power back on by then. About 126,000 homes in Oklahoma are still waiting, a week after a devastating ice storm.
LEMON: We're going to get to that weather blanketing much of the country. But first, we want to take a moment to break away for this. Let's go straight to the newsroom. T.J. Holmes working the details of a developing story of a jail break in New Jersey -- T.J.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Yes. This is crazy. Inmates are out there running around somewhere. Authorities are looking for them. But kind of the strange thing is how they actually escaped.
Those are the two, Otis Blunt and Jose Espinosa you see there. Escaped from a jail in Elizabeth, New Jersey. This is a Union County jail there. The hunt is on for these two.
But this is how they got away. This sound familiar? They removed cement blocks from two walls. They squeezed through those openings. They jumped to the rooftop, leaped to freedom over a 25- foot-high metal fence on Saturday, is when this happened. They left behind dummies made of pillows and sheets in their beds, and then they covered the holes that they had put in the wall with pictures of bikini-wearing women. If this sounds familiar, it's because you probably saw it in a movie. This is how we are often used to seeing inmates escape in the movies. Didn't think this stuff actually worked but yes, it apparently does.
They made dummies, left them in the beds to try to fool the authorities, and the holes in the wall they left, they just replaced it with some pin-ups.
So now the hunt is on for Espinosa, who has actually pleaded guilty to manslaughter back in 2005 in a drive-by shooting, and Blunt, who is awaiting trial for robbery and weapons charges in connection with a 2005 hooting at a convenience store.
The hunt is on for those two. Been going since Saturday. And now they are actually changing the policy at the jail to where inmates are no longer allowed to put pin-ups on the wall. See if that helps.
We are expecting a press conference sometime within the hour. We will monitor that and bring you any developments that come out of that.
LEMON: Yes. We were calling this story this morning, so a press conference within the hour. Right, T.J.?
HOLMES: Yes.
LEMON: All right. Thank you, sir.
HOLMES: All right.
NGUYEN: Well, for thousands of kids it is a snow day but not necessarily a play day. First, they have to dig their way out.
Our own Reynolds Wolf is right in the middle of it in Syracuse, New York. And he's doing a little digging of his own.
Reynolds, how much snow did they get?
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: A lot, especially right here. You know, they say that if you happen to lift with your legs, it makes a world of a difference. Seventeen inches, a world of a difference. That's basically what they got in parts of Syracuse.
Some places may be a little bit more, other places a little bit less. Hi, I'm the snow king. How you doing? That's what they call me anyway.
What we're going to see for the rest of the day, though, is basically a few scattered snow showers, but the heavy stuff's gone for now. But I'll tell you what may happen is they may get a break for a couple days, and then there's a chance they may see more scattered snow showers.
How's it going?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How are you?
WOLF: It's that kind of town. They're great here. They're wonderful here.
And I'll tell you, one thing about Syracuse, it's not unusual to get snow here. There's no question about that. This certainly isn't record-breaking snowfall. But still, it's certainly their first big winter test of winter weather this season. And they've done a great job with it.
In fact, look at the road behind me. I mean, it's certainly slushy now, but with all of that snow they did a really good job, nonstop. They had plows up and down the road, a lot of cars that were spreading the salt. So they really made a world of a difference.
They were also very fortunate. One way they were fortunate is that the bulk of the snow came down on Sunday so they really didn't have to deal with rush hour.
Come on through. We do traffic work here, too. Come on through. Come on through. Here you go. Minivan, come on. You got room. Come on. Yes, it's the long, skinny pedal on the right. That makes it go forward. There you go. There you go. Good times.
How's it going? Hey. Doing OK? Just want to see how you're doing today. Just saying hi. Doing just fine. Enjoy your day.
NGUYEN: I think the freezing cold temperatures...
WOLF: We're going to have to have you go on.
Not doing so great on the traffic job, but you know, we're doing the best we can on snow removal.
As I mentioned, they did a really good job dealing with the snowfall because they, again, had crews on the road nonstop. They didn't have to do the rush hour.
However, today a lot of that slush may turn to ice, so there are some concerns about the rush-hour traffic, people heading home. So, they advise everybody to use caution.
That's the latest here from Syracuse. The heavy snow is gone. The ice and goo all remains.
Let's send it back to you in the studio.
NGUYEN: I think you can...
WOLF: Come on through, guys.
NGUYEN: ... shoveling that off the sidewalk. You know, it's holiday time, you might need it.
WOLF: Well, we can do that very well.
Hi. How's it going?
We do really well removing the snow. The problem is when it comes to dealing with traffic you want to guide them, not scare them.
NGUYEN: That's true.
WOLF: That's what I have to work on. Yes.
NGUYEN: All right. Try not to scare the folks there in Syracuse. And you might want to get some hot chocolate, get in out of the cold. It's apparently affecting you.
Thank you, Reynolds. We'll talk with you later.
LEMON: And Chad, you can understand people don't have a sense of humor when they've gotten this much snow and they're trudging through it like this. Right?
Chad Myers -- Chad, you there? OK, we'll wait.
NGUYEN: He's there. There you go. Can we hear you, Chad?
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes.
LEMON: There you go.
MYERS: I lived in Buffalo for the first 13 years of my life. And I remember snow where you'd have to put the orange flag from a bicycle on your bumper, because you couldn't see anybody around the corner because the snow was piled so high.
So, this is just the start. I mean, OK, maybe an early start. But people are ready for snow in Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo. Let me tell you.
But not ready for the wind in New York City today. This is kind of an ugly day for travel. Yesterday was, too. Winds were 40, 50 miles per hour, and the winds aren't doing better today.
We do see a little bit of light snow still coming off the lakes, lake-effect snow is what we're calling it here, from the Buffalo to south town on up to about Niagara Falls, but nothing really getting into Rochester or Syracuse at this point. May pick up a little bit later on today.
It just depends on how the winds shift in the atmosphere. If you get the winds from the southwest, right through Buffalo, you can really get it to pile up. Now, if it comes in more from the west, it's down to the south towns, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua counties and the like.
But we start to blow that snow into Buffalo, into places a little bit more populated than Chautauqua and Cattaraugus counties. Right now, it's into Batavia, snowing right now. But those areas are getting the show.
We have Julie Fine, one of our reporters from WKBW, in Buffalo, New York, at the airport at this point in time. You know what? To me that looks like, well, the 3rd of January maybe. But people are saying how cold it was here in Atlanta yesterday. It was down to 40. I said hey, that's the 3rd of July. I mean, that's not so bad in Buffalo.
JULIE FINE, WKBW REPORTER: Forty degrees, Chad. We're talking bathing suits here.
However, it's actually a much better day here in Buffalo than it was yesterday. Western New Yorkers, as you know, are very, very tough, but at the airport there were a lot of problems.
But if you take a look at the roads now, people are getting off their planes and getting right into their cars.
But this was the scene here yesterday. Dozens of flights canceled and delayed because of the bad weather. Chad, what really caused the problem was the ice slowing down the air traffic.
We did speak to people this morning who are very relieved, who finally made it back to Buffalo. I actually spoke to one college student. He was leaving from South Carolina to come home for the break. He got all the way to Pittsburgh. His flight was turned around. He went back to Charlotte and finally made it here this morning.
Now, the airport's in much better shape here today. We've only seen one plane canceled, a few delays, travelers getting in and out of town. And again, Buffalo looking a lot better than it did yesterday. We can handle a foot of snow -- Chad.
MYERS: How long have you been in Buffalo?
FINE: Chad, I was born and raised here.
MYERS: No kidding?
FINE: So I was gone for a few years, and I came back. But it's interesting. I mean, people here are really prepared. They can handle it. They really can.
So, yesterday being a Sunday, I think that was helpful, because the plows were out on the road, getting everything cleared up. Buffalo schools were canceled today, but the spokesman said they basically did it as a precaution, in case they didn't get to a lot of the side streets.
But again, you know, this is Buffalo weather, and people here know how to handle it.
MYERS: I knew you were from there, because you said car, and that "R" has been in my vocabulary since I've been that high. And I get teased about that "car," that "R," all the time. I don't know whether it's a Buffalo "R," but have a good day. Stay warm out there.
FINE: I will. Thanks so much.
MYERS: And just get down to my old town, Cheektowaga (ph), if you will. Julie Fine reporting.
FINE: I'm sure we'll be heading there on the way back from the airport.
MYERS: All right. Fair enough. Thank you, Julie.
You know, people in Buffalo just deal with it. It's just -- they expect it.
We're going to show you pictures in the next hour of the Cleveland football game where the Bills were playing yesterday in a snowstorm, basically. Couldn't see the sidelines. For that matter, certainly couldn't see the yard lines. I don't even know how they could tell it was a first down or not. I'll show you those pictures.
NGUYEN: Yes. It was great. It looked like a blizzard. The game goes on.
LEMON: He sounds like a pirate, "R."
MYERS: "R." I got teased about that "car" all my life. Still, it still comes back every once in a while. The Buffalo "R."
LEMON: All right, Chad, thank you. We'll check back in with you.
When weather is the news, you can count on CNN to bring it to you first. And if you see severe weather happening in your area, make sure to send us an I-Report. Go to CNN.com and click on "I-Report." Or type ireport@CNN.com right into your cell phone and share your photos and also your video.
NGUYEN: He once ran for vice president as a Democrat and still caucuses with that party, but now he is backing a Republican.
Independent Senator Joe Lieberman officially endorsed Senator John McCain's GOP presidential bid today. For Lieberman, he says it's another case of putting country before party. For McCain, it bolsters his hopes of swaying independent voters in New Hampshire.
So let's go straight to Concord and CNN's Mary Snow. Mary, how important is this endorsement?
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Betty, for John McCain it's an important endorsement, because he is really hoping to light a fire under his campaign in these final weeks before the January 8 primary here in New Hampshire. It is critical that he wins here.
And he asked for the endorsement and won that endorsement from Senator Joseph Lieberman of nearby Connecticut. They came here to New Hampshire to make that announcement this morning. Senator Lieberman acknowledging that, you know, it is kind of an unusual endorsement, but there are two key things that he is stressing. He's saying he's supporting John McCain because of bipartisan efforts that he wants to encourage, but mainly because of foreign policy and national security. Of course, the war in Iraq.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOSEPH LIEBERMAN (I), CONNECTICUT: When it comes to leading America to victory against the Islamist terrorists who attacked us on 9/11, there's no one better prepared than John McCain.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Joe Lieberman and I will look back some day with pride at the fact that we were able to work together and reach across the aisle to work for the betterment of future generations of Americans.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SNOW: And Senator McCain is hoping to repeat here what he did in 2000 when he won the New Hampshire primary, largely based on the support of independents. And he has been touring around the state, hoping to galvanize that support once again.
He has not been a front-runner here. He has been gaining some momentum, though, in the polls. He's hoping that will be enough to push him to victory here in New Hampshire -- Betty.
NGUYEN: All right. Mary Snow joining us live. Thank you for that.
And you can hear more from John McCain and Joe Lieberman. That is tonight. They will appear on "THE SITUATION ROOM" at 6 p.m. Eastern only on CNN.
LEMON: Well, polls show her rivals are closing in, but Hillary Clinton hopes to gain some distance with a new endorsement in Iowa. She continues a five-day swing across the state today with the backing of "The Des Moines Register."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D-NY), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm pumped up, and I'm very excited, because the editorial board of "The Des Moines Register" put all of the candidates through a very grueling process, asking a lot of tough questions, evaluating us, doing independent research.
And their editorial makes the case for my candidacy, that I'm ready to lead, I've got a proven track record of making positive change in people's live. And that's what I'm seeing reflected as I travel around Iowa, New Hampshire and elsewhere in the country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: And the most recent surveys of Iowa Democrats show Clinton now in a tight race with Barack Obama, with John Edwards close behind. The Iowa caucuses are January 3.
Iowa's first lady is choosing sides, even if it isn't her husband, or her husband isn't, I should say. This hour, Mari Culver announcing she's endorsing John Edwards' Democratic presidential campaign, and she's joining him on the trail, as well.
Culver's husband, Iowa governor Chet Culver, is staying neutral. And his wife says her endorsement does not imply the governor is also supporting Edwards.
Mary Culver's predecessor as first lady, Christie Vilsack, endorsed John Kerry ahead of the 2004 Iowa caucuses. Kerry won that contest.
We'll go back live to Iowa next hour right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Her case sparked international outrage. Now a Saudi gang-rape victim's ordeal may finally be over.
LEMON: And he was only 56, but the disease that took him does not discriminate by age. Dan Fogelberg's losing battle with prostate cancer.
LEMON: He is rich, he is famous, but did you know he was once homeless? We'll get serious with comedian Tyler Perry here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Let's get you now to T.J. Holmes with an interesting and developing story out of New York City.
What do you have, T.J.?
HOLMES: Yes, I got the update here from a story we were following the last couple of hours about a chemical explosion at that building. This is the building that houses FOX News. This is the News Corp building, where they had a small chemical explosion there. You're seeing some of the aftermath.
Fire officials getting it worked out, and several people had to be evacuated on several floors. But it happened on the 45th floor, which is where the heating and cooling systems are and other utilities for that building.
So, no offices there, no FOX employees. Also, "New York Post" is housed in this building. It's on Sixth Avenue, the Avenue of Americas there.
But a small chemical explosion. One person was burned. People have been let back onto other floors. There were four floors that were evacuated earlier. Everybody's been left back on except for one floor, the 45th floor where this small chemical explosion actually happened. We don't know the extent of the injuries to the one individual who was burned, how badly or anything like that, but that person was transferred to a hospital.
But -- but again, now it looks like pretty much the all-clear and not too serious of injuries reported for others. At least we just know that one person was injured. But -- but small chemical explosion there. Looks like everything is taken care of now. But chemical explosion at the building that houses FOX News.
And they are still -- never affected them. FOX News stayed on the air. Wasn't an issue or anything like that. But in that particular building. So it looks like everything is back to being about normal over there.
NGUYEN: Good to hear. Thank you, T.J.
HOLMES: All right.
NGUYEN: We do appreciate it.
Well, the victim of a gang rape that sparked international outcry won't be punished by the Saudi justice system.
Saudi King Abdullah stepped in today, pardoning the 19-year-old woman. She was sentenced to 200 lashes and six months in prison for being alone with an unrelated man when seven men attacked them. The seven were sentenced up to nine years in prison.
President Bush says the Saudi king made the right decision. The White House had earlier called the sentence outrageous.
LEMON: And here's the big question. What is the reaction in Saudi Arabia, where millions of Muslims are gathering for the start of the Hajj? There has been no word from the victim, but her husband, well, he is speaking out. And our Isha Sesay is in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ISHA SESAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is a case that has sparked widespread international criticism and really shone the spotlight of the treatment of women under Saudi Arabia's strict Islamic law.
Widespread global media coverage of this story, last month it was reported that Saudi authorities would review the verdict. Now, according to media reports here in the kingdom, the justice minister is quoted as saying this move by the king does not mean he doesn't have faith in his judges and the justice system. Rather, it is a move he's taking because he's looking after the well-being of his subjects. And so that is the view on that situation.
Now, we haven't heard from the victim herself, the woman at the center of this storm. But we have heard from her husband. She tells -- he tells CNN, rather, that he hasn't received an official letter from any -- anyone in the government. But bearing in mind, this pardon was reported in what is considered to be an official newspaper, he considers this situation to be confirmed, that his wife has now been pardoned.
He also wanted to express thanks to the king on his behalf and his wife's behalf, saying that this pardon really does lift the emotional and psychological stress that has been laying heavily on his family since this case, you know, really got out there into the public domain.
Some people we have spoken to have said that the move by the king does not go far enough. There are concerns that this move is really a pardon. It's not an overturning of the verdict. And concerns that for other victims of sexual assault in the future, they, too, may face equally harsh treatment under Saudi law.
Isha Sesay, CNN, Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(EXPLOSIONS)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Those thunderous blasts are air attacks by Turkey some 60 miles deep in northern Iraq. Iraq says a woman was killed in the strikes, the biggest wave of bombings in years against Iraqi Kurdish rebels who are blamed for attacks against Turkey.
The Turks reportedly received U.S. clearance to send warplanes over Iraq. We're going to have much more later in a live report from the Pentagon.
LEMON: And it was a jail escape right out of the movies. Now authorities are looking for these two men, these two former jail-birds who are on the run. We have a press conference coming up. We're going to share that with you right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Twenty-five past the hour. Three of the stories we're working on for you right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
It's like something out of a movie. New -- New Jersey authorities now hunting for these two escaped Union County jail inmates. The two left dummies made of pillows and sheets in their beds, squeezed through holes they made in the walls, and covered them with pin-ups.
There's a news conference happening now. We'll let you know what authorities reveal about the plot and the search for the two men in just a moment. Winter hasn't even officially arrived, but you wouldn't know it looking at this. Check it out. From the Great Lakes to New England, a massive storm has dumped up to a foot and a half of snow. Eight people have died on icy roads.
And good news for you night owls. NBC says Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien will return with new shows on January 2, despite the ongoing writers' strike.
NGUYEN: Well, what is worse than a recession? It could be something called stagflation. What is that? Susan Lisovicz is on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange to tell us why this is a real concern. But first of all, she's going to explain what exactly is this?
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we can break it down by syllables, basically, Betty. It's a word we don't like, first of all. But "stag" as in "stagnant," as the economy is stagnant or slowing down. "Flation" as in "inflation." Prices are going up. So it's really the worst of both worlds. The economy is slowing down while prices are going up.
And no other than Alan Greenspan, a very influential figure, the former chairman of the Federal Reserve, says that the U.S. economy is at risk of going into stagflation. He says wholesale prices have seen the biggest jump in a generation.
And one of the big, difficult things about stagflation it's so hard to fight. Because, for instance, the Federal Reserve last week cut interest rates. That's to stimulate the slowing economy. But to fight inflation, it usually raises interest rates. So it really puts the Fed in a bind if that's, in fact, what's happening.
In the meantime, Alan Greenspan had more words about the housing crisis. He says more needs to be done, and he suggests tax cuts and increased government spending -- Betty.
NGUYEN: Well, Susan, what is Greenspan seeing and saying about stagflation that believes -- leads him to believe that it's in play?
LISOVICZ: Well, it's something, frankly, that we're all seeing. We see it every time we go to the gas pump. Gas prices through the roof. Energy prices in general, and lots of other price increases.
For instance, food prices, whether it's because of all of the corn that's being used for ethanol or just because of high energy prices to process food, we're seeing it. In fact, wheat prices topped $10 a bushel for the first time ever. So that's pure inflation.
In terms of the economy slowing down, we've got a housing crisis, and that is a real risk to the economy.
In the meantime, a lot of concerns about holiday spending. MasterCard said that women spent 6 percent less on apparel in the first half of Christmas, and that is very tough, because women are the ones who spend the most. So, if spending in general slows down, then the U.S. economy is at risk.
(STOCK REPORT)
LISOVICZ: So there's a lot of concerns about the state of the economy right now. No Santa Claus rally, not just yet, Betty. Back to you.
NGUYEN: All right, Susan. I learned a new word, and I don't even like it. Thank you.
LEMON: Actor Tyler Perry's famous straight-talking character Medea, you know her. Medea doesn't pull any punches. We all know that. And now Tyler is taking off his dress -- that's right -- and he's getting serious to help America deal with a shortage hitting particularly hard -- hitting everyone particularly hard at this time of the holidays. He'll join us live in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.
NGUYEN: Hi, everybody. I'm Betty Nguyen, in for Kyra Phillips today. And you are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
LEMON: Well, just a short time ago we mentioned the big series of airstrikes in northern Iraq, carried out by Turkey. We promised you more on that story, and from the Pentagon now we go to CNN's Jamie McIntyre.
Jamie, was the U.S. surprised about this?
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, not exactly, Don. You know the Iraqi government has been protesting loudly about these airstrikes into its northern territory yesterday by Turkish warplanes. As many as 50 warplanes are said to have taken part in the strikes against 10 different border camps, where PKK rebels are said to be holed up. The Pentagon is not saying much about whether it played any part in this at all, although Turkish officials have indicated that they got the go ahead to open up the airspace over northern Iraq to carry out the strikes against the PKK rebels, and some intelligence from the United States.
And today a Pentagon spokesman being very cagey seemed to confirm that the U.S. had provided some actionable intelligence, that is, locations of some of these targets hit by the Turkish airstrikes when he said the following in response to a question. He said, quote, "The U.S. continues to assist with information to the Turkish government that will help them deal with the insurgent situation that they have up there. That's the words of a Pentagon spokesman.
The key here is that the United States wanted to avoid a full- scale Turkish incursion into northern Iraq, which they think would have been destabilizing. In return for Turkey holding off on that the Pentagon has agreed to cooperate with Turkey in trying to root out these rebels. It appears some of that cooperation was in the form of intelligence that led to these airstrikes. Again, they're being condemned by the Iraqi government. The U.S. is simply saying it hopes the airstrikes are being carried out in a way that would minimize civilian casualties -- Don.
LEMON: Senior Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre on top of it for us. Jamie, we appreciate that report.
NGUYEN: Let's get you back to the severe weather outside right now. From Massachusetts it is the second wintry blast in just four days. The storm's moved on, but the digging out has only just begun. Here's Gail Huff with Boston's WCVB.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GAIL HUFF, WCVB REPORTER (voice-over): Good afternoon. The Rite Aide pharmacy here in Brighton has not reopened since the roof partially collapsed.
(on camera): That happened around 5:00 in the afternoon. The weight of the rain-soaked snow on top of the flat roof caused a portion to cave in. An air-conditioner on top of the roof added to the weight. Five people escaped safely, but a customer was hit on the head. Other businesses, like this restaurant, are now taking precautions.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We shovelled it off last night after what happened next door, so just in case.
HUFF (voice-over): At the Brighton police station this morning, they're doing the same thing. State emergency officials have issued a roof-collapse alert. They offered these suggestions: Shovel off flat roofs if they are safe to stand on. A snow rake is a good idea for a slanted roof. Icicles overhanging doorways and walkways should be removed. And drains whether on the roof or the ground should be kept clear. That minimizes ponding and flooding.
It is still slippery on Boston's streets. Tow trucks are getting rid of cars blocking plows. Many of the vehicles are still buried in the snow. But driving is a cinch compared to walking.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's like just you have to just watch for, like, the real sheet of ice you'll see is shining up at you, so just keep off it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Real slippery and kind of dangerous if you really can't manage walking on them.
HUFF: Just wait until the melting starts and this snow gets very heavy.
(on camera): Certainly what happened here in Brighton is a warning to all of us, to be careful and to check our rooftops to make there's no heavy snow.
For News Center 5, I'm Gail Huff.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: And when weather becomes the news you can count on CNN to bring it to you first. And if you see severe weather happening in your area, send us an i-Report. Go to CNN.com and click on i-Report or type i-Report at cnn.com into your cell phone and share your photos or video.
LEMON: We are less than one month away from the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary. And the endorsements, well, they are piling up. The latest is from independent senator and former Democratic president, vice presidential candidate, Joe Lieberman. He's backing Republican John McCain's presidential bid. Will that make a difference in how they vote, whether you're a Democrat, or Republican or an independent? That's the question we want to ask our senior political analyst Bill Schneider. And this question as well. McCain is not topping the polls, Bill, nationally or in the early contest states. Will this push him up in the voters' minds in New Hampshire or nationally at all?
WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POL. ANALYST: Well, he's had a couple of boosts in New Hampshire. Probably the more important was the endorsement by "The New Hampshire Union Leader," which is a very influential newspaper among Republicans in New Hampshire, where -- among whom it's widely read. I think this enrages Democrats, I mean, the idea that someone who ran for vice president with Al Gore on the Democratic ticket is now endorsing a Republican, it's got Democrats really in an outrage, though they can't be terribly vocal about it, because they need that 51st vote to hold their majority in the Senate.
And as long as he caucuses with the Democrats they have their majority, but they're very angry about it. Will it convince independents who can vote in the Republican primary in New Hampshire to vote for John McCain? Well, he's hoping it will. I'll not sure it will make a lot of difference, because many of those independents are attracted to other candidates, including Democrats, they can vote in either party's primary, and a lot of them are very critical of McCain on the Iraq War.
LEMON: Yes, and Lieberman caused a bit stink when he changed parties to run. So that's going to be interesting.
SCHNEIDER: Yes, he was elected as an independent who caucuses with the Democrats.
LEMON: Yes, that's going to be interesting to see what happens there. OK, let's talk about this now. John Edwards getting an endorsement from Iowa's first lady today. He's perennially come in third in the polls. Will this push him beyond Obama and Clinton, Bill?
SCHNEIDER: Well, it's really a three-way tie in Iowa. The polls are all within statistical margin of error for Hillary Clinton, and Barack Obama and John Edwards. He does usually come in third, but by the narrowest of margins. So it's really anybody's game. And he has a very strong organization, he spent a lot of time in Iowa. It's so close there that any endorsement matters, even if it's worth only a point or two.
Probably the more important endorsement was the one for Hillary Clinton by "The Des Moines Register," which is a newspaper widely read and very influential among Democrats in New Hampshire -- I'm sorry, in Iowa. And that, too, made a big difference. But you know, endorsements don't win many votes these days, but in a close race anything counts.
LEMON: Absolutely. Let's talk about Ron Paul now breaking single day online fund-raising records over the weekend. What was it, $6 million, that's a record. Could that be a spoiler for anybody, Bill?
SCHNEIDER: Well, he doesn't show up in the polls; nobody knows what's going on here. He has a fervent following on the Internet. He has supporters all over the country. There is a constituency of libertarians and a constituency of anti-war Republicans. That's not a majority of Republicans, but they're out there. And he has a real following out there. You encounter them wherever you go. I was in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, they're everywhere. But they just don't show up much in the polls.
I'd say they have passion, and clearly they're willing to give their money where their passion is. But there may not be enough of them to make a real dent. The big question is New Hampshire. That's the kind of state that can go for a libertarian, given their state motto. And that's a state where he could win a lot of votes from independent voters, who can vote in the Republican primary. That can be a real test for Ron Paul.
LEMON: Will that make a difference though, even if New Hampshire did choose a libertarian? Would that make a difference?
SCHNEIDER: Well, money makes a difference. You can buy a lot of ads with that money. You can put him on the radar screen. Whether it's a message that will go with Republicans, so far it hasn't.
LEMON: All right. Bill Schneider, always appreciate your perspective. Thank you very much, sir.
SCHNEIDER: Sure.
LEMON: And for all the day's political stories, go to cnnpolitics.com. Who is endorsing who, who is surging ahead and who's falling behind. Again the address is cnnpolitics.com.
BETTY NGUYEN: Take a look. A staple of the soft rock era, singer Dan Fogelberg loses his battle with prostate cancer. We'll have more on his death and the disease.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: If you listened to popular radio in the late 70's and early 80's, you will remember Dan Fogelberg's voice, his lyrics, his delivery. You also may be old enough to be concerned about the disease that killed him this weekend, at the age of 56. Medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen has some important information on prostate cancer.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Eight out of ten men who get prostate cancer are over age 65. So 56 is indeed a young age to die from prostate cancer. That's why Dan Fogelberg, on his Web site, urges men to be screened for prostate cancer on the schedule experts have set out. At age 50 or even at age 40 if you're considered high risk. Now prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers around the world.
Let's take a look at a list from the American Cancer Society. According to this new report, the most common cancers in developed countries like the United States are prostate, breast, lung and colorectal. Now lets take a look in developing countries, that list is different. Lung, stomach, liver, breast, and cervical and uterine. Now what accounts for the differences on these lists is that many of the cancers in developing countries are caused actually by viruses.
In developed countries like the United States, many cancers are caused by lifestyle issues, by eating a diet that's too high in fat or not getting enough exercise or sometimes by smoking. According to this report, more than half of all cancers are potentially preventable if people make the right lifestyle choices.
Back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: You know that face. Sometimes he dresses like a woman, too. He is rich, he's famous, but did you know this, he was once homeless. We'll get serious with comedian Tyler Perry. Straight ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.
But right now let's talk shopping, shall we. I'm sure that video games are on a lot of your gift lists this year. But do you really know what you're getting your kids? CNN's Fredricka Whitfield takes a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Flying off the shelves, Play Station, Wii and Halo. When you by any one of the hottest items on America's holiday wish list...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The orange box game.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Halo and the heavenly games.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, it's the Mario.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't remember the names, I just know it's something something and grab it.
WHITFIELD: Is it clear to you the images and the messages on these video games before the purchase?
It's pretty overwhelming, yes?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Especially for us.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why is that?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, we don't play video games.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's why they have the ratings and stuff like that, I guess, on them. So that you know what to get, right?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When I purchase a game, I always let my brother or their dad watch the game actually, or they'll play the game first, to make sure it's not X rated or anything.
WHITFIELD: A national poll indicates 72 percent of parents don't know what's inside the packaging of these games. Fingers firmly on the controller, 12-year-old Reginald Miller, along with his 9-year-old sister Diamond, are hooked. The reason, shockingly clear.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So, tell me about this game. Why do you like it?
REGINALD MILLER: Because you get to kill people.
WHITFIELD: Speaking of making a killing, this is an $8 billion a year industry, outpacing the movie business. Game editor for Paste Magazine, Jason Killingsworth, no kidding, Killingsworth, says this is hugely popular among all ages.
JASON KILLINGSWORTH, PASTE MAGAZINE: The entertainment software association did a demographic test a little while back and they found that the average gamer age was 33. The people who are making these games are, you know, older and you get the sense that they are making them for their peers, that they're not necessarily making them for their younger nephew, per se.
WHITFIELD: He showed me...
All right, this is video gaming for the novice one. That would be me.
Why it's all so in demand.
KILLINGSWORTH: Some of these games are so realistic it's incredible.
WHITFIELD: Oh, my.
KILLINGSWORTH: Yes. That was -
WHITFIELD: That was rough. KILLINGSWORTH: You can learn a lot just by looking at the rating on the game.
WHITFIELD: Oh, yes? Labels, mostly on front, marked E for everybody, M for mature and T for teens. Sounds simple enough.
KILLINGSWORTH: In some of the games, you can actually turn the gore on and off. And a lot of parents probably don't realize that. With Assassin's Creed, probably the most popular game this holiday season, you can actually turn the blood off.
WHITFIELD: But you won't know that until you make the purchase and open the package.
KILLINGSWORTH: Right. I mean, it's true. So, it's not advertised.
WHITFIELD: Despite some of the fail-safes, there are still a few kinks to work out. But for now, choosy consumers can still deliver this holiday without anyone calling them a video killjoy.
Fredricka Whitfield, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Well, take a look at this. It is not a white Christmas, more like a snowy nightmare. The latest on the ugly start to the work week.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Well today hungry families in the United States are getting a bag of groceries just to get through the week. Every year, about 25 million people in the United States turn to food banks for help. And they need it. But some of them may find there's no help there. Second Harvest, a nonprofit network of food banks, says it's short -- get this -- 15 million pounds of food.
And it estimates that it could be short more than 11 million meals by the end of the year. The problem -- well, need is up and donations are down. They are getting some high profile help from actor and writer and producer Tyler Perry. He joins us from an Atlanta food bank.
Tyler, thank you for joining us today. You are usually smiling. You're not smiling about this one today.
TYLER PERRY, ACTOR, WRITER: No, Don, this is pretty serious so I'm just trying to do whatever I can to make it work here. So, I'm here at the Atlanta Food Bank. And we want to do what we can to help so many people who are deserving of it.
LEMON: Yes, you were saying -- we were talking just a little bit on the break. People feel, I would imagine, that the donations are down, the giving is down, because people feel that they need the stuff for themselves. How much does the economy have to do with this? PERRY: You know, I would think a large part of it would have to do with. You have to make choices between am I going to be able to fill up my car or buy lunch today. Gas is very expensive, so it has a lot to do with it. So I thought by being here today, I could absolutely just bring some attention to a lot of things that are needed.
Because a lot of people who are receiving these gifts of food are not -- homelessness is only a very small part of this. But these are a lot of hard working people who work every day who just need a little hand to make ends meet.
LEMON: Yes, and again it's no secret, just reading about you, knowing about you, you were homeless at one point and you faced dire poverty as well. I'm sure that played into your getting out there today and doing this, because you're a big star. People say you're a big star, you have lots of money now, and they don't understand why you're doing this.
PERRY: No, no. Because I wanted -- I think that you have a level of responsibility when you have been given things. The place that I'm at now in my life, I feel like there's a huge responsibility to give back and to make sure that a lot of people -- there is attention brought to this situation, so that a lot of people are being fed.
It's really thing, you know I know a lot of people may be embarrassed about having to come to get the food. But what's so great about it, looking at the thousands of volunteers that come through here, to make sure that so many people are getting food, so many people are eating, it's a great thing, it really is. Especially during this holiday season.
LEMON: OK, Tyler, let's talk about what people need. You told me peanut butter, right? Stuff with protein, like canned tuna, canned soup, dry soup packets. Go ahead.
PERRY: Yes. A lot of things, sardines, a lot of things with protein so that -- because a lot of people are giving a lot of things but there's a lot of people who have childhood obesity, a lot of children, so what we're trying to do is bring in as much protein as we can to make sure that we're spreading it out, so that the food is healthy as well as filling.
LEMON: And maybe some folks will -- everybody knows who you are, but I want people who may be at home going Tyler Perry, I'm not used to see him...
PERRY: Where is this going?
LEMON: You know where it's going, come on man. You already know where it's going, right? So I want people -- I'm just going to play a little clip about what you're known best, besides for giving, you're a charitable person we know that. But we want to show what you're known best for. Let's take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
"MEDEA": This here is a friend of mine, and she been telling me that a few of you all been saying some stuff about her. I'm going to tell you right now, if I catch one of you saying something, it's going to be me and you. You hear me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Shut up, old lady.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Tyler, I see you laughing. Come on. That has to make you laugh.
What would Medea say today to get people out there?
PERRY: Get down here and bring some food to these people right now. LEMON: That's what she would say.
PERRY: That's absolutely what she would say. You got me with that one Don, yes you did.
LEMON: You know what, you're absolutely right. Tyler Perry is at the food bank today. And this is something that is very much needed, especially at this time of the year.
Tyler, have just a little bit of time here. Anything else you want to say -- because you're doing such a great thing -- that you want to say to folks out there?
PERRY: I just think that everybody who can give, you should. You can go on line and find out a whole lot about this. I'm sure you have the information there, Don. There's a lot of help that is needed. If you do a little bit, that's doing a whole lot for a lot of people.
LEMON: All right, absolutely. And they can get the information from our Web site, just go to cnn.com.
PERRY: Or secondharvest.org.
LEMON: Secondharvest.org or we'll have the information on cnn.com for you.
Tyler Perry, thank you very much for that. You have a nice holiday season.
If you want to know more about all these initiatives you can go to cnn.com/impact. We'll tell you how you can help with this organization as well as others. The next hour of the CNN NEWSROOM starts right now.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.voxant.com
