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American Morning
Frigid Temperatures Sweep Across U.S.; Party Complaints: Heavyweights Tell Clinton To Stop Attacks; Black Church Vote: Clinton/Obama Reach Out; Markets Tumble; Freeze Factor: Warning Signs
Aired January 21, 2008 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, John, I'm Kiran Chetry. We're out here Central Park this morning in a very chilly New York City, 15 degrees. Of course, it feels like below zero with the wind chill. What are you looking at temperature wise out there in South Carolina, John?
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Oh, we're about 26 degrees right now. Wind chill of about 16, which is very atypical for South Carolina even at this time of the year, and the fact that we're so close to the coast as well. After all, we're at the beach and Atlantic Ocean just bringing that damp air in here. It's like a wet, cold blanket over you.
We're here this morning because right behind us here at the Palace Theater, tonight, 8:00 Eastern time, the Democrats debate, their last debate before that all-important South Carolina primary. Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards tonight for two hours taking Wolf Blitzer's questions. It's going to be a very interesting debate because this state is shaping up to be so crucial in this contest. Lots more headed your way here from Myrtle Beach this morning as we talk politics for the next three hours. But right now, let's talk cold and here's Kiran in New York.
CHETRY: That's right, and deadly cold in some instances, John. We're talking about extreme cold weather across much of the country. Temperatures hitting below freezing in some spots overnight, actually in many spots overnight and at least one weather-related death has been reported over the weekend. Forecasters warning that the dangerously cold temperatures can lead to hypothermia, lead to frostbite, especially for people who make their living being outside all day long. Of course, the obvious, don't forget, hats, gloves, and scarves, but there are other things that you can do to make sure if you are somebody who has to work or be out in the cold weather for long periods of time to protect yourself from the cold. And we're going to be speaking actually with an emergency room doctor coming up in just a few minutes.
By the way, if we think it's bad here, let's check out Syracuse, New York. They were walloped with 35 inches of snow over the weekend. Also, more rain and snow stretching across California in to the Midwest and all the way up to the northeast. So, a lot going on, and Rob Marciano tracking all of it for us from the weather desk in Atlanta. We also have Reynolds Wolf with us. He's actually standing by in chilly Green Bay, Wisconsin, site of the big game last night. But first, we're going to start off with Rob. Rob, you know what? It's some camaraderie out here this morning. You are usually the one that gets set out in the freezing cold. So I'm suffering below zero out here in Central Park this morning, at least for a couple of minutes.
ROB MARCIANO, METEOROLOGIST: Well, yes, you're doing it in style and it gives me great pleasure to sit here in the 70-degree studio and see you and Reynolds out in the cold. But you're not the only ones freezing across the country, that's for sure. A good swathe of it really at or several degrees below average here for this Monday (ph).
Look at the upper Midwest and some of the northern mountains there. Minus 30 or 30 below, what you would typically see for this time of year. Saw quickly about what happened yesterday. Kickoff temperature was zero. Winds at 21. It felt like minus 22. Lowest temperature out there during the game was minus four. So Reynolds will have more on that, but certainly a cold, cold championship game.
Current temperatures right now. Well, their warming up. Look at that. It's minus 11 in Duluth -- minus three in Green Bay. One degree in Minneapolis and five degrees in Milwaukee. Nine degrees in Chicago. So, the wind chill not as big of a difference today. The winds are dying down a little bit, but the cold has shifting off to the north. It has definitely -- or to the east I should say and the south.
Currently, it's seven in Pittsburgh. It's 15 in New York City. It's 19 degrees in D.C., seven in Cincinnati, and not a whole lot warmer down across the deep south. So we're going to continue to see that kind of stuff. And there is a little bit of snow forecasted for the Midwest and upstate New York. You mentioned Syracuse, Kiran. As we go right around Syracuse, they have also seen three feet of snow. You could see another foot of snow today to make for a total one and a half day total of four feet. Good times in the winter.
CHETRY: Yes. Good times. You know, they're used to getting a good bit of snow, but it's that really above average for Syracuse?
MARCIANO: Well, it's an above average event, that's for sure. But they haven't seen a pileup quite as much as what we saw last year. But we're still early on into the season. Give them a little bit of a chance I'm sure the white stuff will continue to pile up out there in upstate New York just near the Great Lakes -- Kiran.
CHETRY: All right, Rob. We'll check in with you throughout the morning. Thanks so much. You know, there are football fans and then there are football fans. And the people that came out yesterday to watch the Packers play the New York Giants in Lambeau field in Green Bay, Wisconsin, are certainly the hardy type. It was freezing. They're, in fact, I believe it was the second coldest game on record. They called it the Ice Bowl Two.
Green Bay Packers fans braving wind chills of 19 degrees to 23 degrees below zero. There was talk that, of course, the Giants wouldn't be able to handle the icy temperatures. In the end, though, it was the home team that ended up freezing up. Packers losing in overtime, 23-20, missing out on the Super Bowl by less than a touchdown. So, clearly, we're showing some before video because I'm sure it was not that type of party for Green Bay fans after given that tough loss.
Reynolds Wolf, by the way, is live in Green Bay. Nineteen to 23 degrees below zero as wind chills yesterday. What's it like out there today, Reynolds?
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It is still pretty much the same. Take a look at what we have right now. Just in terms of temperatures -- forget about the wind chill for just a moment. Take a look at this.
The current reading -- about two degrees below zero. Now when we do get occasional wind gusts, obviously, it feels much cooler anywhere from 10 to 15 degrees below zero. But I must say, the wind not quite as strong as it was yesterday. We're seeing a few changes in the forecast today. More moisture moving again, which could mean some snowfall. In fact, anywhere from one to four inches of snowfall will be possible here in the Green Bay area. Certainly, nothing significant for this area, but still snow nonetheless.
Take a look what I have behind me. It's really a beautiful setting. We're in the heart of Green Bay. Got the Fox River behind me. Just a beautiful sheet of ice. You can even see the channel marker right there. It is just poking up right out of the ice. All the way across the river, you can see, again, just stretching as far as you can glimpse, just ice, a little dusting of snowfall. I would not expect that to change.
Although, Kiran, we are going to see some changes in the forecast. When I'm talking about changes in the forecast, we're going to see a balmy, possibly 12 degrees by tomorrow. So things are going to be going on the upswing. But a little bit of a break in terms of the precipitation as we get to midweek. And then, another shot of snowfall as we get to Thursday and Friday. Let's send it back to you, Kiran.
CHETRY: All right. Reynolds Wolf out there in Green Bay for us this morning. Thanks. Now we head back to South Carolina and John. Hey, John.
ROBERTS: Hey, Kiran. You can see -- you can see usually the effects of the cold on people, and Reynolds is doing quite well. That upper lip that begins to freeze up and the words start to come out a little strange. So, kudos for Reynolds for pulling out that report for us this morning.
Hey, today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, national holiday honoring the life and legacy of the civil rights leader. Here's a live picture this morning from the King's Center in Atlanta, where dozens of events are playing for King Day. Former President Bill Clinton is scheduled to speak at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta where Dr. King preached. The annual commemorative service begins this morning at 10:00 a.m. Eastern. Senator Barack Obama spoke there yesterday, tried to draw parallels between King's message and his own presidential campaign.
On the campaign trail today, Senator Obama is fed up and ready to take on former President Clinton. He is complaining that his record is being distorted in campaign attacks. Obama speaks out about it on ABC.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The former president, who I think all of us have a lot of regard for, has taken his advocacy on behalf of his wife to a level that I think is pretty troubling. He continues to make statements that aren't supported by the facts, whether it's about my record of opposition to the war in Iraq, or our approach to organizing in Las Vegas. You know, this has become a habit, and one of the things that I think we're going to have to do is directly confront Bill Clinton when he's not making statements that are factually accurate.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: And it looks like there could be some confrontation ahead because Hillary Clinton's campaign says the former president will continue his role, speaking out as he does on the road.
Obama is not the only Democrat telling former President Clinton to tone it down. Some in the party think that it's inappropriate for a former president and a party leader to be so aggressive. "Newsweek" magazine reports there have been heated phone calls from Senator Edward Kennedy and Congressman Rahm Emanuel, a former Clinton advisor, telling him to stop the attacks on Obama.
Today's Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday underscores the battle between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama for the support of African- Americans. They make up nearly half of primary voters here in South Carolina. For both candidates, the church has been a conduit to black communities. Our Jason Carroll visited one South Carolina congregation and found a house divided. Jason joins me now. Good morning.
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And good morning to you, John. You know, we went all across the state looking for the ideal church to tell the story. And what we found was one of those so-called megachurches, a church with 10,000 parishioners, and it really symbolized how divided African-Americans are over the top two candidates.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CARROLL (voice-over): The church has always been a place where pastors preach to the converted. But here at the Bible Wake Church in Columbia, South Carolina, there's a push to convert the undecided.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You need to go out and vote. Amen.
CARROLL: The leading Democratic candidates know half of all primary voters in the state are African-American. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's give Mrs. Obama, by the way, a welcome.
CARROLL: That's why Senator Barack Obama's wife, Michelle, sat on one side of the church --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is where you stand, Ms. Chelsea Clinton.
CARROLL: While Chelsea Clinton and close family friend, Vernon Jordan, sat on the other.
VERNON JORDAN, CLINTON SUPPORTER: Black people have never been in a voting situation before where the choice was between good and good.
CARROLL: The church's pastor, State Senator Darrell Jackson, is a paid consultant for the Clinton campaign. Long-time parishioner, Anton Gunn, works for the Obama campaign.
ANTON GUNN, OBAMA STAFFER: You have a campaign and a candidate that has the ability to be able to unify and bring people together from so many different walks of life matters so much, and that is what churches are about as well.
DARRELL JACKSON, CLINTON STAFFER: You have that tug-of-war going on, even within our own church. But when it really boils down to it, it was to me who do I think is ready to lead right now.
CARROLL: And while both candidates claim support from prominent African-American ministers, it's their parishioners they must reach.
SCOTT HUFFMON, WINTHROP UNIVERSITY: In the civil rights era, going to the church was the first place you went to organize for African-Americans in the south to fight for their rights, and that has continued into modern politics today.
CARROLL: This church like many across the country is clearly divided. The end of Sunday's sermon, half the congregation greets Chelsea Clinton. The other half, Michelle Obama. The atmosphere -- cordial.
CHELSEA CLINTON, HILLARY CLINTON'S DAUGHTER: Good luck to you.
MICHELLE OBAMA, SEN. BARACK OBAMA'S WIFE: All right.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CARROLL: And it was quite a moment to see those two standing there as you can imagine. I still had the opportunity to speak to a few undecided voters who were there at the church even after this very emotional sermon, even after seeing Chelsea Clinton and Michelle Obama, still undecided.
ROBERTS: You know, if we look at the results from Nevada and also Michigan, the majority of African-Americans did not vote for Hillary Clinton. Do we expect that it will it be the same here in South Carolina? CARROLL: That's certainly what the Obama people are hoping. But from some of the folks that we talked to, there's definitely some people here who are still loyal to the Clintons. But there's definitely a huge chunk who just simply cannot make up their minds at this time.
ROBERTS: Well, they still got a week to do it.
CARROLL: Yes.
ROBERTS: So plenty of time to shop around the candidates. Jason Carroll for us this morning. Thanks very much.
The Democratic candidates face off tonight here in South Carolina in a CNN debate before the Congressional Back Caucus. That's 8:00 Eastern tonight. And stay tuned because after the debate, "AC 360" a special coming your way. Soledad O'Brien and Anderson Cooper look at race and politics.
On now from the relatively balmy climbs (ph) of South Carolina, let's head back up to the frigid northeast, and here's Kiran.
CHETRY: Yes. Who thought you ever describe 26 degrees as balmy, but when it's 15 here at NYC, I really get your point literally. Let's check in with Alina Cho right now. She's keeping a look at some of the other stories that have been developing overnight. Good morning, Alina.
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, Kiran, good morning. Stay warm if you can. New this morning.
New clues in the search for missing British girl, Madeleine McCann. Her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, are releasing new images of a man they say may be involved in young Madeleine's disappearance. Now, this new sketch is similar to a previous description of a man they say was seen carrying a child on the night Madeleine vanished. The little girl disappeared from a Portuguese resort back in May, just days before her 4th birthday.
A tourist who was on vacation in Portugal told police she saw the man walking by himself in heavy rain on a deserted beach. He says he also approached her and said he was collecting money for a local orphanage. Now, Madeleine's parents have been named formal suspects in the case. They have denied having anything to do with it. But they're calling the release of a new sketch a "stunning breakthrough in the case."
Gaza City is still in the dark this morning. The Palestinian territory's main power plant was shut down after recent rocket attacks by Hamas militants. Palestinian residents are now buying up batteries, candles and food supplies. Palestinian officials say the plant shut down because Israel blocked a fuel shipment. But Israeli officials say criticism should be aimed at the militants. Gaza gets about two-thirds of its power directly from Israel.
Mix messages from Iran. The U.S. military says there's been a dramatic drop in Iranian-made weapons reaching Iraq, but the military is accusing Tehran of continuing to train and finance Shiite militants. Washington says the weapons called explosively formed penetrators or EFPs have killed hundreds of U.S. soldiers in Iraq. The top U.S. commander there, General David Petraeus, says EFP attacks have increase in recent weeks but a drop in recent days.
He's made movies about Presidents Kennedy and Nixon, now the Oscar winning director Oliver Stone has set his sights on the current president. Stone tells the "Daily Variety," a trade publication, that Bush, as it's called, will focus on the president's relationship with his father, his wild youth and his conversion to Christianity. The man you just saw there, actor Josh Brolin, is in talks to play the lead. That's Oliver Stone there on the left. The script was finished, by the way, before the writers strike. And if financing comes through, production could begin in April and the movie could be in theaters in time for the November election.
At the weekend box office, a monster hit sets a record. "Cloverfield," a film about a giant reptile causing chaos in New York City, earned $41 million this weekend. That's the most ever for a January debut. Typically, a quiet time for new releases.
And in sports, the New York Giants are heading to the Super Bowl. Big Blue hit the Green Bay Packers in overtime last night, 23-20. The key play -- Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes, 47-yard field goal in O.T. He had missed two earlier attempts.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAWRENCE TYNES, GIANTS KICKER: Now the Giants. Who would have thought that in two weeks that we can win Super Bowl.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: The Giants will face the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. That's on February 3rd. The Patriots beat the San Diego Chargers, by the way, 21 to 12, keeping their perfect record of 18-0. If the Patriots beat the Giants in the Super Bowl, it would be their fourth Super Bowl win in seven years. I think it's time to give it up to the Giants.
So, Kiran, the Giants, you know, not expected to win at zero degrees minus 22, with the wind chill which is about what it probably feels like outside for you, right?
CHETRY: Minus -- well, I guess it's zero out here with the wind chill. But, man, good job Giants.
CHO: That's right.
CHETRY: You're right. And they're also favored to lose this Super Bowl unfortunately by 13 points. But, hey...
CHO: Don't count them out.
CHETRY: No one thought they could beat Green Bay. CHO: That's right.
CHETRY: Exactly. All right. Alina, thanks.
CHO: You bet.
CHETRY: We'll be standing outside here a little longer because coming up, we're going to be talking about how you protect yourself when the weather is this cold, especially if you're in a job that requires you to be outside a lot. Also, people that are very susceptible to the cold like the elderly and children.
We're going to be talking to an emergency room doctor coming up in just a couple of minutes about what they usually see this time of year, when it comes to cold-related illnesses and emergencies. We're going to take a quick break, and we'll be right back. You're watching "The Most News in the Morning."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Welcome back to AMERICAN MORNING. We're out here in Central Park this morning right here in the heart of New York City. Boy, it is a bone-chilling 15 degrees outside. Factor in the wind chill, and it feels like about zero. What about people who have to work or find themselves outside in this type of weather?
Well, we're going to be talking right now with an emergency room doctor who's seen a lot of cold weather-related illnesses. Dr. Tamara Kuittinen joins us now. You're from New York Presbyterian Columbia. Thanks for being with us.
DR. TAMARA KUITTINEN, NEW YORK PRESBYTERIAN: Good morning, Kiran.
CHETRY: The first one I think of is boy, when you look at the homeless population as well, how do they do it? Because these are people who don't necessarily have a place to go. This is where they sleep, where they live.
KUITTINEN: Right, in Manhattan, oftentimes you do see a lot of homeless, and people who have alcohol and drug problems who come into the emergency department who are hypothermic. Just for definition sake, hypothermia is when your temperature drops below 95 degrees Fahrenheit. The average temperature is 98.6.
CHETRY: How long would you have to be outside in, let's say, this 15-degree weather even if you have a coat before you probably start to see that?
KUITTINEN: You know, it's difficult to say. I mean, there are better numbers about being in cold immersion water. But depending on what you're wearing, what the wind chill is because you lose temperature. I like to think the wind just kind of sweeps the heat off of your body because it just -- it moves by convection.
CHETRY: If you are outside and, you know, you feel yourself getting cold, you know you're cold, how do you know if it's just you're cold or you're actually starting to get hypothermia?
KUITTINEN: Right. Early signs of hypothermia include shivering, but it's the body's way of like warming yourself up. And basically what the body does is kind of speeds everything up at first, and then if that doesn't work at keeping you warm, it slows down. So you get shivering. You get rapid heart rate, rapid respiration rate, and then you start to have difficulty like picking up things and lack of coordination. And then as things progress and your temperature goes lower and lower, you get some confusion and stupor, and then you can actually have cardiac effects when your temperature drops below 82 degrees which is pretty low.
CHETRY: Wow. In terms of other problems related to the cold, not just hypothermia, but frost bite, also a big concern. How do you protect against that and how can you tell if it's setting in?
KUITTINEN: For hypothermia and frostbite, I think the important thing is to be won't be hydrated. So the more hydrated you are, the more efficiently your body works and it's able to generate heat. Two, dress warmly. Hat, mittens are warmer than gloves which I'm wearing, and a scarf. Actually, a lot of people just use a scarf as like an adornment. It is not, and actually it keeps your neck warm and keeps your core warm. What happens with hypothermia and frostbite is your fingers sort of constrict. The blood vessels in your fingers start to constrict in order to keep your core warm. And that's what happens, you get lack of blood flow to your fingers.
CHETRY: I think that's actually happening to me right now.
KUITTINEN: Yes. Definitely. And the way to keep that wrong is basically, when you start to feel your fingers getting numb, tingly and painful...
CHETRY: Right.
KUITTINEN: ... go inside. Get warm. Re-warm yourself. If it's really cold, the way to re-warm yourself at home is to dip your hands in warm water, not hot boiling water. Don't rub them. Bad idea. But warm water. And then if you find you still are having pain or you have discoloration, seek medical care.
CHETRY: The other thing that probably is smart that neither one of us is doing this morning because of hair concerns, we really should wear a hat, especially babies, infants, they lose a lot of heat through their head.
(CROSSTALK)
KUITTINEN: That's right. That's right. And those are the two people at risk or groups of people at risk for hypothermia are the elderly and children, very young children. But babies have big heads relative to their bodies, and you lose a lot of heat. Adults should wear hats, too. I know, we're out here for fashion and beauty. But definitely, a hat keeps your head and your ears warm. And even with a lot of hair, you lose heat there.
CHETRY: Right. Well, thanks for giving us this tips. We appreciate it.
(CROSSTALK)
KUITTINEN: Stay warm.
CHETRY: Next time, we'll go inside and get a nice cup of coffee for you. Dr. Tamara Kuittinen from the -- the E.R. doctor from New York Presbyterian in Columbia, thanks.
KUITTINEN: Thank you.
CHETRY: And it brings us also to this morning's "Quick Vote" question. I don't know, you got to be really die hard to think you're going to exercise out in this weather. We wanted to ask you, you know, when is it time to take your exercise indoors? Would you hop to the gym instead of the park if it was, let's say, colder than 50 degrees? Colder than 32 degrees? Below zero? Or are you one who thinks maybe it's never too cold to exercise outside?
Cast your vote for us this morning, CNN.com/am. We're going get a tally of the votes coming up a little later in this hour. John Roberts, when do you think it's time to hang up the bike?
ROBERTS: Well, considering it is -- you know, cycling, if you hit a patch of ice, you're down in a heartbeat. So when ice starts to form 32, 34 degrees, is about the lowest that I'll go. But I see lots of people out there running below 30. So, you know, I guess it's up to the individual there. Listen. You get yourself back inside. Get warmed up. We'll see you inside in just a couple of minutes.
The price of success after his big victory in South Carolina, John McCain's opponents aren't holding back. What they're saying about McCain's qualifications to end the economic slump, coming up.
And caffeine is being linked to miscarriage. We'll tell you in just a little bit that it takes just -- or just how little it takes to double a woman's risk of miscarriage. We'll tell you all about that important news for you coming up on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Twenty-six minutes after the hour. Stephanie Elam in this morning for Ali Velshi "Minding Your Business". Stock market tumbled on Friday. Stephanie, what's happening overseas and what might happen on the markets in New York today?
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I can guarantee the markets will not drop or go up today, John, because the markets are closed for the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. There is no trading today, but that does not mean overseas we're not going to see some trading.
But let me tell you exactly what happened last week for us. It was another down day for the Dow on Friday. So basically, that means we've had four straight down days and the market has been off for four weeks in a row. The Dow off four percent last week. Nasdaq losing 4.1. The S&P off 5.4 percent last week.
This is just -- it puts more things in perspective here. This is the worst week for the S&P in 5 1/2 years. It's had a 16-month low. Taking a look at the Nasdaq, it's had a 14-month low. So over a year now, they're really, really weak.
In fact, taking a look at the year-to-date so far, if you take a look at what we've seen for the Dow, it's off 8.75 percent so far this year. Nasdaq off 11.75 percent, and the S&P off 9.75 percent. That more than wipes out what we saw as far as gains last year. So, obviously, it's been a rough start to the year.
We did get that economic stimulus plan coming out from President Bush, but the markets wanted more and they also want to know when the bottom is coming. Recession fears freaking out the markets overseas today, and that's probably the reason why -- it's probably a good thing we're not open today. Take a look at that. All right, John, back to you.
ROBERTS: All right. Thanks. It's one of those 6:25 in the morning, sitting outside here, freezing, brain-freeze things. We just figure, Stephanie, because we're working, everybody else should be.
ELAM: Should be. Right.
ROBERTS: Hey, exactly. All right. We'll see you soon.
Hey, some fire fighters putting in overtime this morning up in Lawrence, Massachusetts, north of Boston. Take a look at this, and pictures coming in. Huge blaze up there. It's a multi-alarm fire near the corner of Parker and Market Streets. Apparently, 14 buildings involved in those buildings are some 27 apartments, including some special needs apartments, apparently.
Everybody got out safely at this point. We don't know if anybody who might have been trapped inside, any potential death or injuries. We're watching this for you this morning. We'll bring you the latest update in just a couple of minutes. We'll be right back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to AMERICAN MORNING on this Monday, January 21st. I'm Kiran Chetry here in New York following some breaking news this morning.
John?
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, good morning. I'm John Roberts in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Let's take you up to Massachusetts. It's about 30 miles north of Boston. Breaking news just coming in to AMERICAN MORNING now.
A massive fire burning out of control in the town of Lawrence. Video just coming in now, 14 buildings are ablaze. And you can see the extent and the ferocity of that fire from these pictures. Again, it's about 30 miles north of Boston. Everyone made it out according to officials. But WCBB television says one person was taken to the hospital. It was a six-alarm fire. It broke out about four hours ago.
Firefighters say that it started in an empty nightclub that was being renovated and then spread to several other buildings including a home for mentally disabled patients. We'll keep an eye on this and we'll bring you the latest on it just as soon as we have it. Right now, back to Karen.
CHETRY: All right. Thanks a lot, John. Also new this morning, investigators in Los Angeles say that the number of dead is now rising this morning in a midair crash near Los Angeles. They now say at least five people were killed in the accident.
It happened yesterday afternoon in Corona, about 40 miles east of downtown L.A. Both planes were single-engine Cessnas. The debris crashed through a car dealership roof killing an employee inside. Both pilots and the passenger in each plane were killed. The lead investigator says there may be more victims.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WAYNE POLLACK, NSTB LEAD INVESTIGATOR: The -- the severity of the impact was fairly high. And there are significant areas of the Cessna 172 that are deformed and until we open that aircraft up, we really cannot be certain how many people are onboard.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: The FBI also on the scene helping to speed the process of documenting the wreckage.
Well, it's a new job in the works for General David Petraeus. According to the "New York Times," the Pentagon is considering nominating Petraeus for the top command in NATO. The move would give him position even after President Bush leaves office. 55-year-old Petraeus is currently the top American commander in Iraq where he has overseen the wildly called successful troop buildup.
Breaking medical news overnight and a new warning for expectant mothers. There's a new research out today confirming a link between miscarriage and caffeine. Doctors say women who drink large amounts of coffee, soda, tea, or hot chocolate can double their risk compared of miscarriage to women who consume no caffeine.
According to the study, more than 200 milligrams of caffeine a day was what they considered in the study to be too much. That's equal to about two cups of coffee or five 12-ounce cans of soda. We're going to be learning more about the effects of caffeine on pregnancy. How women should read this study when we talk to an obstetrician coming up later in our next hour.
Also, one more precaution to take this morning. Dress for the weather. That's a live look at the building right in front of our own building, actually, here in Columbus Circle. It shows the time and temperature. And that just said 15 with the wind chill. It's about Zero. Trust me, I can tell you firsthand it feels like its zero.
Cold temperatures hitting much of the country today. And New York, not alone. A lot of cold weather out there. The thermometers in the teens right now here. And in other places, it's even colder. Our Rob Marciano keeping track of all of it for us at 34 minutes past 6:00. It feels so much better to be inside the studio.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: You look happier.
CHETRY: Do I still have ears, because I can't feel them.
(WEATHER REPORT)
ROBERTS: The struggle, Kiran, of Dr. Martin Luther King and the issue of race is playing out the presidential campaign. Senator Barack Obama spoke at the Ebenezer Baptist Church yesterday using Dr. King's words to describe his own campaign.
He told an overflowed crowd that unity is the great need of the hour. Senator Hillary Clinton also quoted Martin Luther King Jr. Speaking at Harlem, New York's Abyssinian Baptist Church, Clinton said we all suffer when people are not treated with respect and dignity. The church's pastor Reverend Calvin Butts endorsed Clinton over Obama.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PASTOR CALVIN BUTTS, ABYSSINIAN BAPTIST CHURCH: This was not and is not and will not become a race-based decision for me. And I hope that it has not and will not become a race-based decision for you either. I respect Senator Obama. I applaud him. And I love him as my brother. But a vote for Hillary is not a vote against Barack Obama.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Both candidates are campaigning in South Carolina today. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are vying for the large African-American vote in Saturday's South Carolina primary. Nationwide, it appears the support of black leaders is split along generational lines, with older ones going for Clinton and younger ones going for Obama. We get more on that now from AMERICAN MORNING's Ed Lavandera.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Andre Young fought the Civil Rights battle. A friend of Martin Luther King, he organized black voters and Civil Rights demonstration. Some might have expected him to support Barack Obama in this year's race for the White House, he decided to get on the Hillary Clinton bandwagon instead.
ANDREW YOUNG, CIVIL RIGHTS VETERAN: Politics is a dirty game. And I just think you -- you don't want to risk the future of the world on somebody that hasn't played this game before and doesn't know the rules. LAVANDERA: Atlanta mayor Shirley Franklin is a protege of the black political establishment. Mentored by politicians like Andrew Young, she's backing Obama.
SHIRLEY FRANKLIN, ATLANTA MAYOR: And I think that Barack Obama is the best candidate for bringing America together, for building a coalition.
LAVANDERA: Barack Obama's popularity has exploded almost entirely without help from such high-profiled Civil Rights activists Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton. Though Jackson has said he will support his candidacy. History professor Jelani Cobb sees the generational divide, the old guard of the Civil Rights Movement tied closely to the Clinton political machine and younger generations open to a candidate like Obama.
JELANI COBB, HISTORY PROFESSOR: What were seeing now is a revolt from below in essence that there's an array of people who were saying irrespective of what the leadership is saying about Barack Obama. I really think he's an interesting candidate.
LAVANDERA: But with many long-time black leaders are saying that the Clintons understand black America better. Andrew Young even suggested they're literally just like black Americans.
YOUNG: Bill is every bit as black as Barack.
LAVANDERA: How is Bill Clinton blacker than Barack Obama?
YOUNG: Bill Clinton grew up in Arkansas as a teenager and was surrounded by black people.
LAVANDERA: Shirley Franklin is drawn to Obama's multicultural roots and the ability to connect with a new generation of voters.
FRANKLIN: What he's been able to do in a short period of time as a candidate and as a young man is stunning to me.
LAVANDERA: The political divide is a battle over who can best carry the torch for black America. Ed Lavandera, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
And the two candidates will face off tonight along with John Edwards in a CNN debate before the congressional black caucus. That's at 8:00 Eastern (INAUDIBLE) right here in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
He won the South Carolina primary on Saturday. So it is no surprise that Senator John McCain is now the target of attacks by his Republican rivals.
Rudy Giuliani says McCain lacks experience of making executive decisions. He also railed against the Arizona senator, for voting against President Bush's tax cuts. McCain didn't take the criticism lying down. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm running on my record. I'm a fiscal conservative. Everybody knows that. Everybody knows that I was part of the Reagan revolution where we had tax cuts when frankly Mayor Giuliani was supporting a Democrat for governor of the state of New York. So I'm proud of my fiscal record. I'm proud of the efforts to cut spending.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: McCain says Giuliani has not won a state yet so he can understand why he is making the attacks.
McCain wasn't the only winner this weekend. Mitt Romney hit the Republicans' jackpot in Nevada. We'll be talking with him coming up live at 7:30 Eastern. He's now down in Florida.
Kiran?
CHETRY: All right, well, still ahead, the world's most wanted man needs to change. That's what the son of Osama Bin Laden tells CNN. Coming up, our Aneesh Raman goes one-on-one with Omar Bin Laden on why he wants his father to stop killing and why he thinks his father will never be caught.
Plus, how old is today too old? We will tell who is saying 71- year-old John McCain is too old to be president. That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
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ROBERTS: 60 minutes to the top of the hour. Shot at the Palace Theatre here at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The scene of tonight's congressional black caucus debate and here we are. There's our nice little tent this morning. We got the heaters going, sitting on a heating pad. We got the hand warmers going as well trying to stay warm in the 16-degree wind chill this morning. Very unusual for South Carolina.
Chuck Norris says he thinks 71-year-old John McCain is too old to handle the pressures of being president. The actor is on the campaign trail with Mike Huckabee. He had this to say during a fundraiser that he hosted at his Texas Ranch for Huckabee.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHUCK NORRIS, HUCKABEE SUPPORTER: That can he handle that kind of pressure in that job? And so that's why I didn't pick John to support because I'm afraid that the vice president will wind up taking over his job within that four-year presidency.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: So Huckabee is 52 years old. Chuck Norris is 67. Huckabee is distancing himself from Norris' comments. He says McCain has a lot of inner strength and good genetics on his side. Kiran, I would hazard to say that Chuck Norris has got some good genetics on his side as well. He does not look 67 years old.
CHETRY: No. He looks fantastic. But what can you say; he also works at it, doesn't he? Works pretty hard.
ROBERTS: He certainly does. Yes, no question about that.
CHETRY: We're going to switch gears here. We're going to be talking about Democracy. But John, a different kind of Democracy. Democracy in the work place perhaps.
You know, we vote for our leader, we vote for our laws, but at work, most of us don't have a say in office politics. Well, one company is changing that giving employees a voice in how things are done. And Polly Labarre joins us now to talk about work place democracy. It's her latest in a series of reports called "Work Place Solutions." Polly, great to see you this morning.
POLLY LABARRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good to see you.
We're talking about Whole Foods and its very interesting, employee's right down to the clerks and right up to the company brass, all have a say in how things get done. Explain that.
LABARRE: Well, Whole Foods is known for reinventing the grocery shopping with its dazzling displays of high-quality produce. But it's not just about line hooked fish, it's about a really radical experiment in how work works. So they've taken all those buzz words teamwork, empowerment, autonomy. And turn them into experiment running democratic capitalism.
So here's how it works. It works every unit of work inside Whole Foods is done inside a team. Every store is composed of eight to ten teams. All the store leaders are a team. The national leadership is a 24 person team that makes decisions based on majority vote. Those frontline teams has incredible decision making authority. They even had veto power over who they hire.
So colleagues are not hired to the company, but to a particular team in a particular store for a 30-day trial period. And at the end of that period, the colleagues look at them and say, do we want them on our team.
CHETRY: So you would say, if you were like part of the produce or the fresh seafood counter, you would all be part of the team and the side who comes there.
LABARRE: Exactly. And you get to decide by 2/3 majority vote if you want this person on your team. The logic is really simple. You know, you can fool the boss most of the time, but you cannot fool your rank and file colleagues.
CHETRY: That's very interesting. The other thing that's also interesting about this is that salaries from top down are also an open book. How's does that work? LABARRE: So now they have unprecedented freedom, and rights, and responsibilities, they have a lot of openness. So unprecedented financial information is shared, even salaries. Every single store has a binder with the gross pay of every single employee at Whole Foods from the previous year.
And the point is, you know, most companies, sort of, horde information to control people. Whole Foods' mantra is shares information to a line and gets rid of that toxic grumbling around. I wonder how much efforts this makes.
CHETRY: How do you get pay raises?
LABARRE: Well, pay is very much based on performance. They measure everything there, especially labor productivity. Every four weeks, if you hit performance targets or exceed them, that shows up in your paycheck in a gain sharing bonus every four weeks.
CHETRY: Wow, every month you can see the fruits of your labor.
LABARRE: Exactly.
CHETRY: I guess, if you want to put it that way. This is all very interesting. How does it impact results? I mean, how are they -- are they far more successful? Do they have a higher retention rate?
LABARRE: Well, Whole Foods is a remarkable success financially in terms of innovation, in terms of retention. I mean, this is a company that went public in 1992. The stock has been up 3,000 percent.
Since then, you know, there's some really incredible results in terms of the growth -- 54,000 employees, 265 stores. Their productivity per square foot per store. Same store sales all much better than the big competitors like Wal-Mart, like Safeway, and like Kroger. And I think the point is that if you want more creativity, if you want more productivity, you need to think about unleashing more Democracy as opposed to imposing all that top-down control that organizations are so good at.
CHETRY: Very interesting. The funny part is everyone knows your salary. Should you really be going to Hawaii, Polly? I saw the binder that you make. I don't know if you can afford that?
LABARRE: Exactly.
CHETRY: Very neat though. Thanks for showing us. You've been showing us all these companies that are doing neat things and we continue to look forward to that series. Thanks, Polly.
LABARRE: Thanks, Kiran.
CHETRY: John?
ROBERTS: 11 minutes to the top of the hour. He's the world's most wanted man and his son wants him to stop fighting. Coming up, we go one-on-one with the son of Osama Bin Laden. What he thinks of his father and what he's doing to stop Bin Laden's violence. That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: He is the son of the world's most wanted man. And he is pleading with his father to stop fighting. Omar Bin Laden is organizing a horse race for peace. It's an effort to get his father to stop the violence that he began years ago. But the younger Bin Laden stops short of calling his father, a terrorist.
CNN's Middle East correspondent Aneesh Raman joins us now live from Cairo, Egypt, with a closer look at the man who is trying to remake his family name.
Good morning, Aneesh.
ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John. As you mention, Omar Bin Laden in his first extensive TV interview stopping short of calling his father a terrorist. Saying back when Osama was fighting the soviets, he was labeled by some in the west a hero. Of course, 9/11 changed that forever, linking the Bin Laden name with mass murder and terror. And that is why the bar is so high for what Omar is trying to do.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RAMAN (voice-over): At first glance, 26-year-old Omar seems the image of a modern Middle East. He drives a jeep, has dread locks, and his wife is a British national. You'd never guess this is Osama Bin Laden's son.
What age did you start training with al Qaeda?
OMAR OSAMA BIN LADEN, BIN LADEN'S SON: I was training maybe 14.
RAMAN: As a child, Omar was a soldier in his father's army, training in Afghanistan like so many others. But by 2000, Omar felt al Qaeda was heading for a fight he didn't want any part of.
BIN LADEN: After few years, they started the war, the fight got bigger and bigger. And I see a lot of things are being bigger and my eyes was open on a lot of things. And I think it's better if I go outside and see how the life outside.
RAMAN: It was a decision, Omar says, his father accepted. So father and son went their separate ways, but for Omar, there was no running from the Bin Laden name, not after September 11, 2001. Did you immediately think your father was behind it when you saw the news?
BIN LADEN: Yes, maybe.
RAMAN: What went through your mind?
BIN LADEN: That time, I didn't know how I have to feel. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He was only 18, 19.
BIN LADEN: Sure, when I see somebody killed, I feel sad.
RAMAN: Seven years later, his father is now the world's most wanted man.
Are you in touch with your father at all, right now?
BIN LADEN: Sure not.
RAMAN: Do you have any idea where he is?
BIN LADEN: No.
RAMAN: Do you think that he will ever get caught?
BIN LADEN: I don't think so.
RAMAN: As for Omar, he's caught between love of a father. Do you think that your father is a terrorist?
BIN LADEN: No, I don't think my father is a terrorist.
RAMAN: And the hatred of tactics that kill innocent civilians.
BIN LADEN: I like to say to my father, try to find another way to help or to find your goal.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
RAMAN: It is though perhaps an impossible task as the son tries to re-brand the name his father has made synonymous with terror.
John?
ROBERTS: Fascinating interview. Aneesh Raman for us this morning from Cairo. Aneesh, thanks. And now, let's take it up to New York and here's Kiran.
CHETRY: All right. Thanks, John. There's a new development in the search for missing Madeleine McCann, the 4-year-old who disappeared on vacation with her parents in Portugal. We're going to tell you why her parents think a new sketch of a suspect may help them find her. That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Battle lines. Which Democrat will lock up South Carolina's crucial black vote? The fight over Bill Clinton's role in the presidential campaign. The "Most Politics in the Morning," on the road in Myrtle Beach.
Less than zero. A winter blitz leaves million shivering and flights grounded across the country. Live this morning from the deep freeze. And, face of fear?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We want to know who he is and where he is.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: One woman who saw him says he made her blood run cold. Is this the man who took Madeleine McCann? New details on this AMERICAN MORNING.
And good morning to you. Thanks very much for being with us on this Monday, the 21st of January. I'm John Roberts in chilling Myrtle Beach, South Carolina this morning.
CHETRY: You know, what I realize, I'm Kiran Chetry here in New York. I was outside the last hour were felt -- because of the wind chills to be about zero degrees. But for some reason, behind you, the palm tree makes it seem like it's warmer than it really is.
ROBERTS: If only that were true. But I can tell you, it's cold. We've got ice on the ground here which is unusual for this part of South Carolina. You know, this is Myrtle Beach. This is spring break territory and it better warm up pretty soon.
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