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American Morning
Sugar Refinery Fire in Georgia; People Still in Shock in Tennessee; Romney Pulls Out: Will McCain Win?; Weak Dollar Equals European Tourists; Deadly Shooting in Missouri
Aired February 08, 2008 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAPTAIN MATT STANLEY, SAVANNAH FIRE DEPARTMENT: The blast area was sort of in the middle of this factory. It affected three or four large warehouses and mill-type rooms. Most of those buildings are heavily, heavily damaged and have had some collapse. So our crews are having a tough time getting in there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: CNN's Don Lemon is live in Port Wentworth for us just outside of where the plant is.
And Don, a lot of people might not be familiar with the plant but certainly familiar with the product. They produce the Dixie Crystals brand of sugar.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, John, I was going to say that. It's the imperial sort of plant. But most people who live here, long time residents would know it as old Dixie Crystal sugar refinery and as the captain said, this fire started about 7:00 last night.
What someone described here, the wife of the man that we -- you played just before me said when she was at a meeting and came out, it was like walking right into hell. She saw these guys coming out with burns over their bodies. And they just ran right out of a meeting and started to help these guys.
Again, it started about 7:00 last night. A huge explosion and plumes of smoke and flame. They said the top taller than any of the tops of the trees in this area. No cause of this yet, but according to some of my sources and investigators, what preliminarily -- here's what they believe. And this is just information that I'm getting here.
The incident may have been caused by dust-type explosion or some type of overpressure condition in part of their process. That is what conventional wisdom will tell but still no cause to this. And as you said, six people missing.
They've also closed off the Savannah River and the port surrounding the plant looking for workers who are possibly in the river. Again, no fatalities right now. No fatalities. They don't -- they're hoping for the best, but right now they still haven't found those workers. They're hoping maybe they called in sick or they were playing hooky. That's what they're hoping, but not exactly sure here, John.
Several of the victims, about 10 of them, were also flown to a burn unit Augusta, Georgia to try to get some help because they had such severe burns. They were taken to hospitals that could treat those severe burns. So pretty serious condition here. Again, six people missing. At least 42 -- at least 42 taken to the hospital. Initial reports were 200 people possibly inside the plant and they thought that they may have mass casualty here. But so far, that doesn't appear to happen. We're going to continue to update you.
ROBERTS: Don Lemon for us this morning, outside that plant. Don, thanks very much.
And breaking news in Kirkwood, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis this morning. A man apparently out for revenge kills five people at a City Council meeting before being shot dead by police. One officer was killed outside the meeting. Witnesses say the gunman then screamed shoot the mayor as he gunned down another officer and three council members. The mayor was also hit. He is now in critical condition in the hospital.
The shooter, Charles Lee Thornton, his nickname was Cookie, had a history of interrupting meetings. Minutes ago, we spoke with Alan Hopefl who is inside the chambers as the shots rang out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALAN HOPEFL, SHOOTING EYEWITNESS: For a while I was on the floor, I heard three, four, maybe five more shots. And then within a minute or so, he was having an alter case with the City Attorney John Hessel, and while Mr. Hessel, was trying to protect himself and throwing chairs at Cookie, I saw my chance to leave the premises and I bolted for the door.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Hopefl is a frequent attendee of those meetings. He says that this man Thornton was frequently disruptive and actually been banned from attending anymore City Council meetings.
Just last month, a judge threw out a lawsuit that Thornton had filed against the town. His brother says he quote, "Went to war with the people who tormented him" -- Alina?
ALINA CHO, CNN ANCHOR: Some breaking developments on what killed Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. A report released just this morning by Scotland Yard says she died from the bomb blast, not a bullet. British investigators in Pakistan say Bhutto suffered a fatal head injury when a suicide bomber attacked her car. Investigators also shed light on the number of assassins involved.
They now think the same person both shot at Bhutto and blew himself up. Scotland Yard was called in when Bhutto supporters refused to accept the results of the Pakistani investigation.
New this morning in politics. Evangelical Christian leader James Dobson says he's endorsing Mike Huckabee. Dobson is the founder of "Focus on the Family." He says he's strongly opposed to John McCain, the front-runner, because McCain won't support a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage.
The announcement came after Mitt Romney bowed out of the race. Romney spent a year of campaigning for president and $35 million of his own money to finance it.
Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton on the Democratic side furiously raising money since nearly tying in the delegate race on Super Tuesday. Obama has raised more than $7.5 million in just two days. Clinton raised nearly $6.5 million.
And the checks will soon be in the mail. Congress finally passed a $167 billion economic stimulus plan. The bill passed overwhelmingly by both the House and the Senate. Here's how it ended up. Americans who pay no income taxes but earned at least $3,000 and those who earned up to $75,000 a year will get a rebate of $300 to $600.
Parents will also get $300 per child. Couples earning up to $150,000 a year will get $1200 rebate checks and millions of Social Security beneficiaries and disabled veterans can expect some kind of check, too.
ROBERTS: Well, right now, people in the Midwest are digging out from a snowstorm that closed highways and stalled travel. Flood warnings right now across four states in the Midwest. Flood warnings issued across Illinois, Indiana in three days after heavy rain and melting snow.
Our Rob Marciano is watching the situation there. We'll get back with him in just a couple of minutes. Apparently, he exchanged the rubber boots he was wearing for chest waders now, because the waters get so deep there -- Alina?
CHO: Well, he's going to need it and a warm hat too, because it's snowing there.
Meanwhile, President Bush will visit storm-damaged Tennessee today. Homeland Security Chief Michael Chertoff is already surveying the damage there and noting the random nature of the storm. Some homes destroyed while others untouched. That's typical.
AMERICAN MORNING's Ed Lavandera is live for us in Huntersville, Tennessee.
So Ed, John, was just in the region yesterday, as you know. He was saying, he wasn't even hearing any of the buzz saws. Are you hearing that sound yet there today?
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, not in this particular neighborhood that we're in right now. There is a little area just down the road where they're actually, we've seen some trees that have already been taken and were being burned. But beyond that, we haven't really seen much in the way of an intense cleanup. And you can imagine, there is a lot of work here to do. This is the home of Regina Cooper and we're here in Madison County, just in the same county where Jackson, Tennessee, is.
And officials here tell us that they've already estimated some $40 million to $45 million worth of damage. That doesn't include a large portion of the damage at Union University. The campus that we've documented has been well-destroyed by these storms. And because of that, it's hard to find anyone around here, who will put any kind of timetables on how long it will take to rebuild all of this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LAVANDERA (voice-over): Regina Cooper spent the last two days in the hospital getting storm debris removed from her body.
REGINA COOPER, STORM SURVIVOR: Yes, I really didn't want to keep it, but the doctor that -- a piece chunk of wood he took out of my arm.
LAVANDERA: At the same time, she was checking out of a Tennessee hospital, Homeland Security chief, Michael Chertoff, was touring the devastation just a few miles away promising help.
MICHAEL CHERTOFF, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: We're all standing shoulder to shoulder with the governor, with local communities, so that we can begin the process of rebuilding.
LAVANDERA: But even before the storm's fury had died down, pressure was building on the government to react swiftly.
SEN. BLANCHE LINCOLN, (D) ARKANSAS: Moral support is important but a commitment to provide financial assistance is absolutely critical. And I hope that we will move forward in that direction.
LAVANDERA: As we rolled in to Regina Cooper's neighborhood, the magnitude of the damage shocked her.
COOPER: Well, that was where the front door was then.
LAVANDERA: This is the first time she's seen what her home looks like.
COOPER: My God, and what people do. They just rebuild here and clean all this up one piece at a time, I don't know.
LAVANDERA: Cooper has reason to worry because rebuilding after a violent storm has proven, time and again, to be a long, slow journey.
COPPER: That was my room.
LAVANDERA: Last year, a twister all but wiped out the town of Greensburg, Kansas. It's population has dropped from 1300 to about 800 and businesses and homes are just now starting to be rebuild. And in places like Deland, Florida, local officials have to fight the Federal Government to get financial help, slowing down the recovery. And of course, thousands of storm victims from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita are still struggling to rebuild their homes.
COPPER: Oh, my goodness.
LAVANDERA: Regina Cooper isn't thinking about the past right now, but she does wonder if she's ever coming back home.
COPPER: We were thinking, may be on May, we can have something else built here. But looking at this now, I don't see how we could. All the cleanup work? I don't see how we could. We lived here all my life. It's hard to imagine not living here.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LAVANDERA: Yes. The idea of Regina Cooper being back here in May just doesn't seem likely. Look, this was the foundation of her home. And this is where her house sits now. So the cleanup process here will take months. President Bush has declared five counties in Tennessee. Federal Disaster Areas that is supposed to help people get the money they need for temporary housing and cleanup -- Alina?
CHO: Looks like they'll need a lot of money there. Ed Lavandera, live for us in Huntersville, Tennessee. Ed, thank you -- John?
ROBERTS: All right. Let's go up to Defiance, Ohio, where the water getting deeper and Rob has exchanged the galoshes for some chest waders this morning to show us how deep it is.
Rob, you're up to your thighs now. Is the water rising or you're just getting deeper?
(WEATHER REPORT)
ROBERTS: Well, with the dollar down, European tourists are coming to America to shop. How much buying power do they have? Well, we'll take you to a shop in New York City that won't take U.S. currency, only euros.
And John McCain appears to be a shoo-in for the Republican nomination now. But on the Democratic side, it is far from settled with Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton in it for the long haul. Our John King joins us for a look at busy political weekend, ahead. Next on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Well, get ready for another round of races. There are primaries this weekend in Louisiana, Kansas, Nebraska, Washington State, Maine, and U.S. Virgin Islands. Can't forget about that one. On Tuesday, it's the Potomac Primary. Voters in Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C. go to the polls. The Democrats are in a battle that could go on for months while the Republicans are a giant step closer to a nominee. Our chief national correspondent John King joins us now.
So Romney pulling out yesterday. Do you think it was a matter of him not wanting to get in McCain's way or was it his idea that he's dumped $35.4 million of his own money and then eventually got to say -- wow, is it a losing proposition?
JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It will probably, John, be over $40 million when they filed the reports for the spending in the last couple of weeks. It was this number of issues. Math was one of them. And not just his personal pocketbook math, if you will, but the delegate math. Assume for the stake of argument, Mitt Romney won everything still on the calendar between now and the end of it.
If he won everything and John McCain got about 30 percent, 35 percent of the vote, John McCain would still be the nominee. So the math was impossible. The delegate math was nearly impossible for Mitt Romney. Plus he made a calculation that he wants to have a political future in the Republican Party.
You see the delegates here. There is no way he can catch up to this with that number, unless John McCain gets zero. If John McCain's getting 20-50, so Mitt Romney's calculation was I will get playing if McCain losses. If I stay and then beat him up. His 61-years-old. He wants to have a future in the Republican Party.
ROBERTS: Well, what about Mike Huckabee? What's his game? If you look at the delegate count here, he's even further behind Mitt Romney. I assume it's even more unlikely, by mathematical probability that he could ever become the nominee. So how long does he stay in and why?
KING: I talk to his campaign chairman last night, Ed Rollins. He says he will stay in until somebody gets 1191. Their assumption is 1191 is what clinches the delegates. Their assumption is John McCain will get that. One calculation is to go to the convention with more delegates than Romney. So that would take another couple of weeks.
ROBERTS: To say I beat you.
KING: To say I beat you and to say the guy who spent very little, beat the guy who spent very much. He's had a little bit more leverage at the convention.
ROBERTS: I'm thinking that when Romney got out yesterday he said I don't want to stand in the way of a national campaign, because the longer I stay in, the more it gives a chance to the Democrats so they could win and surrender in Iraq. Well, is Huckabee not thinking the same thing?
KING: Huckabee has that calculation. He does not want to hurt John McCain. But remember the last two weeks at the campaign, Mitt Romney just running around and saying -- John McCain is too liberal. John McCain is too liberal. John McCain is too liberal. Mike Huckabee says I like John McCain. He's a nice guy.
ROBERTS: But Huckabee says I'm still, I'm the only conservative in this race.
KING: Huckabee will draw some contrast on immigration, on some of the social issues, the same-sex marriage amendment. So he could still deepen the fishery, if you will, or at least hurt John McCain's effort to heal the fishery with conservatives in the party. That is a calculation that slight concern the McCain camp. They believe Huckabee will keep it relatively positive, but it will be interesting to watch that.
ROBERTS: Well, some of the people associated with Huckabee like James Dobson now still hammering on John McCain.
What about on the Democratic side? They are only -- if we take a look at the delegate totals here, as of to date, they're within 100. And look at that. Only 23 separated them on Super Tuesday. They keep splitting delegates like this. Could it go all the way to the convention? We got to broke a convention, where the super-delegates -- the so called, you know, super-delegates. The party officials, other high-ranking members of the Democratic Party, governors, members of Congress, they make the decision.
KING: It's a possibility. Wouldn't that be something? If the most Democratic rules. This party has the most Democratic rules. Everything's done proportionally to get to the end of it and because of those Democratic rules; you don't have a winner picked by the people. Then the super-delegates would get that. I think we can show a map of what's still to come if we can't get that up here.
You can sort of say most people think it will break. This is all the way up through April. Now, most people think it will break. But you have, you mentioned, here's Louisiana down here. Most people think African-Americans, Barack Obama territory. A caucus up here in Washington State. Barack Obama done very well with caucuses. Maine is caucuses as well. So when you get through the next contest, something Barack Obama will have caught up.
Then you get down here, the Potomac primaries, we lovingly call it. Again, Maryland and the District of Columbia should be built for Barack Obama. High African-American population involves more than D.C. (INAUDIBLE). Virginia is more of a battleground.
Hillary Clinton with the professional women in the north. Barack Obama African-American's enrichment and a big fight for rural Democrats who might say the old John Edwards vote out there. If it goes on, John, don't confuse everybody. I mean, look at the big states. You had Ohio and Texas coming up after that. Just a couple of week after the Potomac Primary. If we go all the way to April, we're in to Pennsylvania at the end of April. Big states there.
Most people assume it will break at some point and one of them will get there. But so far, you're right. It's a trade. Every so often. So it is a wacky Democratic race and some think that's potentially destructive. Others think you'll get a stronger nominee at the end because of a tough battle.
ROBERTS: And we should also point out too that Kansas is actually a Republican contest on the weekends.
KING: That's right and you mentioned Virgin Islands. There's a diner down here with your name on it. I can see it.
ROBERTS: There's also one out here in Hawaii that we're hoping to go to as well. And then maybe Guam over here.
KING: Let's flip a coin and we'll go.
ROBERTS: All right. John, thanks very much.
That brings us to this morning's "Quick Vote" question, with McCain looking more and more like the presumptive nominee. Would he fair better against Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama?
Right now, 54 percent say Clinton, 46 percent say Obama. Cast your vote at cnn.com/am. We'll continue to tall the votes throughout the morning.
And be sure to join me on primetime tonight for CNN's election center. We'll be talking with conservative leaders about the shake up in the Republican race. CNN election center starts at 8:00 Eastern -- Alina?
CHO: Long day for you. All right, we'll be watching, John.
Plus, just ahead. While some cities are taking desperate measures in the subprime mortgage mess, a new pitch says you can actually make money in real estate right now. We sent personal finance editor Gerri Willis to check it out.
ROBERTS: Coming up on AMERICAN MORNING.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You got euros?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: A new low for the dollar.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's fine. Just makes it easier to make a sale.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Inside a shop in New York, where the only cash they want is euros, ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: Welcome back, everybody. Here's a news flash for you. We're getting less and less for the once almighty dollar. But the falling dollar is a windfall for tourists coming to the United States who love to shop. All you have to do is walk around the streets of New York to find out. 100 euros are now worth about 145 dollars. Here's what it means for deals. The Nintendo Wii, if you can find one, cost about $250, but cost 173 euros.
Want some new Ugg boots? A pair of Uggs goes for about $150. In euros, that's just 104 euros. Store owners, right here, in New York say they're now accepting euros only. They even have signs up. CNN's Richard Roth went shopping.
Really, incredible. Euros only? You see this a lot on border town, but New York City, the big deal.
RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, not so fast on that only but there are so many Europeans in New York, Alina, right now. Loving every minute, for these European values they get for not having euros in their pocket, but dollars.
Here's what happen, stores accepting the European currency payment.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BILLY LEROY, STORE OWNER: It's probably 70-years-old.
ROTH (voice-over): Billy Leroy sells antiques and props but his economic philosophy is definitely a sign of the times. That's right. Only euros accepted.
LEROY: It started as a tongue and cheek kind of funny thing. But it became very serious because this neighborhood is so full of Europeans that have euros and that sign just makes it easier to make a sale.
ROTH: OK. Billy still accepts the lowly U.S. dollar but he knows what his clients are packing.
LEROY: OK. We'll make a deal. We'll make a deal.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Make me some good deal on this.
LEROY: You got euros?
ROTH: This is not the U.S.-Canadian border or the Mexican frontier. This is the east village in New York City and the euro has landed.
LEROY: Accumulate the euros and then I don't have to go through the exchange places in Paris and I can just bring the euros right there. So it's actually good for me.
ROTH: And good for European travelers who are normally eaten alive by exchange fees. Stuffs also cheaper.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everything's cheaper for them. Eating out, clothing, going to theater shows. Anything they want to do.
ROTH: So the Europeans and Billy are giving props to the mighty euro.
LEROY: I went to Paris and there were like -- dollars, get out of here! Get out of the way. Crazy, you know. I couldn't believe, because before it's like -- Oh, the Americans are coming. They have dollars. And now we're like, third world, you know? It's different.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROTH: But euro haters, relax. So far, it's only just a handful of stores. We checked with 40 Times Square establishments and none were taking the euro. But it's something, Alina, to keep an eye out for as the dollar slump and the economy weaken. I know, by the way, here...
(CROSSTALK)
CHO: Thank you. It's worth a lot more. Thank you, 15 euros?
ROTH: Well, I haven't been on in a while.
CHO: Well, the other side of it, too, is that a lot of Americans are reluctant to travel to Europe, because of the reverse is true. I mean, it's much more expensive, while it's cheaper for the Europeans. Much more expensive for us to go over there.
ROTH: It's very convenient for this Europeans. Definitely. And so, can I be paid? Here, I have my satchel to take euros. I demand euros for my payment, sort of.
CHO: You want them back?
ROTH: No, that's all right.
CHO: All right. Great story. We'll see if this is the beginning of a trend. All right -- John?
ROBERTS: Well, conflicting signs in the housing market. Did the foreclosure crisis is still raging. Why are we seeing advertisements about how to make money in real estate? We'll ask our personal finance editor, Gerri Willis.
Plus breaking news out of Missouri today. Why did a man break into a City Council meeting and start shooting? His brother is speaking out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He went to war with the people that was causing strife in his life and he ended it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Five people killed and the mayor is in a fight for his life. The breaking developments coming up next.
And we are watching the waters rise in northwest Ohio. Rob Marciano out in the thick of it. A live report just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Just in to CNN. Pictures there of President Bush coming off of Marine One at Andrews Air Force Base, making the walk over to Air Force One. He'll be heading for Tennessee this morning. He is going actually to Lafayette, Tennessee about 35, 40 miles northeast of Nashville which is where we were yesterday. An incredible amount of destruction there, and in Macon county, which is where Lafayette is, 13 people, at least 13 people dead from the series of tornado that swept through there on Tuesday night.
So, we'll be following the president's trip today and bring you more on that.
Welcome back to AMERICAN MORNING, Friday, February 8th. I'm John Roberts.
CHO: Good morning, everybody. So glad you're with us. I'm Alina Cho. Kiran has the morning off.
ROBERTS: In addition to President Bush's trip to Tennessee, we continue to follow two breaking stories right now.
First in Kirkwood, Missouri, just outside of St. Louis, we're learning that the man who shot five people dead at the city council meeting was apparently out for revenge. After shooting one police officer witnesses say the gunman screamed "shoot the mayor" and opened fire on the meeting. Four others were killed. The mayor now in critical condition. The shooter, Charles Lee Thornton, also known at Cookie, had a history of interrupting council meetings.
Minutes ago, we spoke with Alan Hopefl who was there as shots rang out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HOPEFL: For a while I was on the floor, I heard three, four, maybe five more shots, and then within a minute or so he was having an altercation with the city attorney John Hessel, and while Mr. Hessel was trying to protect himself and throwing chairs at Cookie, I saw my chance to leave the premises and I bolted for the door.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Last month, a judge threw out a lawsuit that Thornton had filed against the town. His brother says Thornton "went to war with the people who tormented him."
And we're also watching breaking news this morning near Savannah, Georgia, where six workers are still missing after an explosion and fire last night at a sugar refinery plant in Fort Wentworth. That's just northwest of Savannah. Dozens of people are critically hurt.
In the last hour of AMERICAN MORNING, we spoke with a Port Wentworth police officer and his wife, who were nearby at the time of the blast. Joyce Baker described the scene.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOYCE BAKER, WITNESSED SUGAR PLANT EXPLOSION: It was like walking in hell. We had approximately 13 men that were coming out and they were burned, third-degree burns on their upper bodies, and they were trying to sit down and the only thing that they wanted was to know where their friends were.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: There was no official word yet on what caused the explosion, but officials suspect that volatile sugar dust may have triggered it.
Water, waist deep in some parts of Ohio this morning. The flooding is especially heavy in the northwestern part of the state after three days of heavy rain and melting snow. The Monty River in Defiance County doubled its level, and reached nearly 7.5 feet over flood stage. Rob Marciano is in Defiance, this morning, southwest of Toledo, by the way, if you're looking for a location there.
What's is like there this morning, Rob?
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, it's cold, and on top of that, it's wet. For the folks who actually live in these homes it's a nightmare. 69 percent, or 69 homes here in Defiance have been evacuated. Their gas cut off. Their electricity cut off and the people are in either shelters or with their families. I'm about knee- deep in water but I could easily get chest deep -- I just can't get too far away from the camera. You start to lose my microphone.
We are on Glaze Street here in downtown Defiance. Right now, the Glaze River. Today though, your Glaze Street is the old Glaze River and really it should be a couple hundred yards beyond, back of this house.
In a normal day, but that's not the case. It meets up with the Maumee River which today in this area will be pretty much -- hoping for it to crest now. Looks like it just started to do that and the folks here are breathing a bit of a sigh of relief, saying it's the worst they've seen since January of 2005, and in some cases, even worse than that. All this from the same system that brought the tornadoes down in the south.
That brought the snow to Chicago. Brought tremendous amount of rain here in parts of northwestern Ohio. 17 rivers just in this state alone are in some sort of flood stage. Check out the flood warnings, not only here in Ohio but across parts of the other pats the Midwest. Indiana, the map painted entirely in green. Flood warnings out for some rivers there. Southern Michigan, parts of Illinois as well.
Everybody getting a little piece of this. Take a look at the cold air that's coming down the pipe, though. We have got some of the coldest air of the season that will drive south. That's problem when you have this much water lying around, because you may remember from your schooling, below 32 degrees, this stuff starts to freeze, and we expect temperatures to get well below 30, well below 20 in some cases well below zero here by Saturday night.
We're trying to get this water out of here. You know there's going to be some ponding. You know there's going to be still standing water around, John. So, that's going to be an issue.
You kind of have surreal sight, don't you think, to see snow on top of the roofs and then a home flooded. That's just -- it's not just very pleasant, and I feel really bad for these folks who are going to have to deal with this over the next several days -- John.
ROBERTS: And as we all know, snow, of course, just more water coming down there. Could add to the flooding as well. And Rob, don't go any deeper there. We get the point. Lots of water. All right, thanks.
MARCIANO: All right.
CHO: You can really see it on that wide shot there.
Moving on now, desperate times for some cities. The subprime mortgage meltdown sinking housing prices, kicking families out of their homes. In Cleveland, they even started to bulldoze foreclosed homes rather than try to re-sell them and so sad and at the same time there were ads on TV now that say, now's the time to make money in real estate. Are they for real?
CNN's personal financial editor Gerri Willis joins us now. So that's a big question. I was talking to my friends about this a lot. Is now a good time to buy?
GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Well, Alina, you know, it is a fascinating question right now. You probably heard real estate agents say it before, hey now is a great time to buy, but some are questioning this ad campaign saying, you know what the market's in turmoil.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILLIS (voice-over): A new ad campaign from a real estate trade group encouraging Americans to buy homes. Making the claim, a home is the key to building long-term wealth. But is now a good time to tell consumers to buy? Housing analysts Nic Retsinas say it's OK, if you're buying for the long term. But beware of buying just for profits.
NIC RETSINAS, HOUSING ANALYST: If they're buying a home because they think it's a way to maximize their wealth and make some kind of real estate play on the investment, this is probably not a good time.
WILLIS: One thing is for sure, home prices have dropped over the last year according to industry groups. Countless homeowners are upside down in their homes owing more than their houses are worth.
BRUCE MARKS, NEIGHBORHOOD ASSN. CORP. OF AMERICA: Put this ad now out there implying that you can generate wealth in a reasonable time frame is a lie. Because there's no economist out there that says, prices are going up.
WILLIS: A spokesman for the National Association of Realtors told us in a voicemail, we do stand by our ads. The existing data clearly shows that over the long-term, owning a home is one of the best ways to build wealth.
RETSINAS: Over the long run, it is an important source of wealth creation. However, we're not in the middle of the long run right now. We're in a period where most people as we look through 2008 see a continued decline in prices.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WILLIS: All right. So if you're in the market right now and you want to know whether you can make money or not, you need to evaluate your local market. Prices are going up and down differently in different parts of the country. In some places prices are actually going up and in some places they're going down.
A key thing for buyers, you need to understand what's going on with loans. It's very difficult to get the money that you might want to buy the house. Bankers are very stingy with their money. So, it takes a lot of planning and a lot of thinking about whether this is the right time to get in the cycle in your area or whether prices are going to fall further.
CHO: A lot of my friends were saying, you know, they're trying to get a loan for a house and they are requiring them so much more paperwork now. It's just a mess. Takes a lot longer.
WILLIS: More money down, a better credit score.
CHO: All right. Thank you very much, Gerri Willis. Watching it all for us. Gerri works around the clock. Join her tomorrow for "OPEN HOUSE," Saturday mornings, every Saturday, 9:30 Eastern right here on CNN. Gerri, we'll be watching. Thanks.
ROBERTS: It's an altruism here at CNN. A half day is 12 hours. Right?
CHO: You know that well.
ROBERTS: Very strange scene in New York's Grand Central terminal. What in the world is going on here? It's part of our Friday viral video. We'll have the answer for you coming up.
CHO: You know her hitch, you don't know her story. Chaka Khan opens up.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHAKA KHAN, SINGER: In my 20s, I'm a runaway carriage. No rein. Now, I got both of it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: Her Grammy nod, her Broadway debut, her struggles revealed. Lola, one on one with a music legend, today on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) ROBERTS: Is your weight keeping you from doing what you truly love? Dr. Sanjay Gupta introduces us to i-Reporter Lyn Bearing who fought here weigh battle one step at a time in this amazing "Fit Nation" success story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Lyn Bearing was never overweight but a sluggish thyroid gland quickly changed that. In four months, she gained 100 pounds.
LYN BEARING: I was the features editor at a local newspaper and I was becoming increasingly uncomfortable with how I looked and I was giving up stories, actually, to intern so I didn't have to be out in public as much.
GUPTA: When a local antique store went up for sale, Lyn jumped at the chance.
BEARING: I became basically a hermit for about three, four years. I didn't want to be seen. My antique store had 19 stairs. I thought what if I got sick? How would they get me down the stairs?
GUPTA: Her doctors were concerned about her health. But beyond Lyn's almost 300 pounds it was those 19 stairs that motivated her.
BEARING: I was 296 pound at my highest weight and I had had enough. I was tired of being fat. Tired of not taking care of myself.
GUPTA: She joined Weight Watchers, participated in online forums, started her own weight-loss clause and began walking at the local school.
BEARING: The one thing that's really helped me is journalling (ph), and I'm not talking of just journalling but it's journalling your journey. Journalling how you're feeling, journalling why you eat, journalling why you don't eat. It's taken a lot of work to get to where I am, but I love it. I love that feeling. I think about those 19 steps a lot. I'm Lyn Bearing and I lost 168 pounds.
GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN reporting.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS: Incredible transformation. Head to our "Fit Nation" Web site to send us your own story. That's cnn.com/fitnation and don't forget, you can catch Sanjay on his own show, "HOUSE CALL." Saturday and Sunday morning, 8:30 Eastern.
CHO: Talk about inspiring. That's incredible. Time to look at what's being passed around the internet this week. Our Veronica de la Cruz...
ROBERTS: Definitely. She's here with our "Viral Video" Friday. Good morning to you. VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN INTERNET CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. I know you guys love this segment. Did you hear about this? It's happening literally like in our own backyard? A New York impostor. They got together to do this. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're going to be doing today. We're going to be freezing in place and hold that five minutes and then we're going to unfreeze and then we're out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DE LA CRUZ: All right. So about 200 people turned out in Grand Central Station amidst all the hustle and all the bustle and then they froze dead in their tracks for five minutes. Just watch the reaction from the people around them. I mean -- people have no idea what to think.
CHO: Oh, my gosh.
DE LA CRUZ: I know. I know. Pretty involved, some people. I think there's a girl, I think she's in the middle of eating a banana. There's another guy who is bending down to tie his shoelaces. People are just shocked. But 2 million views is what that video has received on YouTube. You might think how does a video become viral? Well, here's an example how. The other day Ellen Degeneres featured the Hawaii chair in her show. It's a chair. I don't know if you heard of this.
CHO: We love it.
DE LA CRUZ: It's a chair with a hula motor underneath, which is supposed to work on your abs. Well, after the show they posted a video on the internet. A lot of people -- look at original infomercial.
CHO: You can work off the diner food doing that. You've been on the road so much.
DE LA CRUZ: You know, there's something about the Hawaii chair that makes me feel very uncomfortable. I don't know. it's just a little bit too weird and very silly. So the infomercial again getting lots of clicks on YouTube.
So, definitely don't ever try that. Definitely you don't want try this at home. Some truly amazing video to show you now from Brazil to promote a video game ahead of Euro cup. So for all you soccer and football fans, take a look at this. Because this video is definitely for you. We have some mix of kapuera, that form of Brazilian martial arts and definitely mixing it up with some pretty slick soccer skills.
CHO: They have exercises classes like that in New York City, apparently.
DE LA CRUZ: Doing this? CHO: Not quite like that, but -- inside a gym.
DE LA CRUZ: Yes. John, a big surprise. We pulled it together and we got you a Hawaii chair. It's in your office.
ROBERTS:: Oh, thank you. Appreciate that. Guys doing that bicycle kick, very well though.
DE LA CRUZ: I know, it's absolutely amazing.
ROBERTS: Folks in Grand Central station.
CHO: Incredible.
ROBERTS: So great at standing still.
DE LA CRUZ: Why didn't we hear about that I would have been doing one of these as well.
ROBERTS: I was also kind of surprised at people in New York actually paying attention.
CHO: Yes. Jaded New Yorkers. Veronica, thanks.
DE LA CRUZ: Of course.
CHO: CNN NEWSROOM just minutes away. Tony Harris at the CNN Center with a look at what's ahead. Hey, Tony. Great to see you, buddy.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Alina, good Friday to you. Great to see you, as always. On the NEWSROOM rundown for you, the city council shooting. Police may give us new details at their briefing this morning. See it live. Six people dead in that rampage near St. Louis.
Crews in Georgia searching for six people in what's left of a sugar refinery. Did sugar dust -- yes, sugar dust, perhaps. Was that the cause? The presidential campaign post Romney, as later primaries and caucuses this weekend. Our guest with a preview. President Bush on the ground in Tennessee shortly to see tornado damage. NEWSROOM, we get started in a just a couple of minutes at the top of the hour on CNN.
Have a great weekend, Alina.
CHO: Hey, you too. We'll be watching, just 13 minutes away, at the top of the hour.
HARRIS: We'll be here.
CHO: Thanks, great to see you. All right.
She made it through the fire Chaka Khan is back, a new album, a new role on stage and a Grammy nomination and new wisdom about her early struggles. Lola goes one on one next with Chaka Khan. That's next on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: I've been waiting for this story all morning long. She's an R&B legend, and eight-time Grammy winner and she's starring on Broadway now. Who could forget her? Chaka Khan had a her groove back after more than three decades in the business and a reputation as a serious party girl. Her first album in ten years, "Funk This" is nominated for two Grammys this weekend.
Chaka Khan cat down with our own Lola Ogunnaike to talk about her life, career and that unforgettable name.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LOLA OGUNNAIKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Chaka Khan. Chaka Khan. Tell me why you had to do it?
How many times do you hear, Chaka Khan, Chaka Khan?
CHAKA KHAN, SINGER: About a thousand times.
OGUNNAIKE: She's of course referring to the '80s classic "I feel for you." But that's just one of several hits including "Tell me something good," "Ain't nobody "and "I'm every woman."
Today her powerful voice can be heard in the Broadway musical "the Color Purple."
It's a song about physical abuse, which Chaka writes honestly about in her autobiography "Through the Fire." In the book, she also talks really about her years of drug and alcohol abuse.
KHAN: I've wrecked some cars, wrecked some lives. I wrecked you know -- some stuff. You know?
OGUNNAIKE: She says her life isn't nearly as wild now.
KHAN: Used to be, in my 20s, a runaway carriage. No reins. And now I got full range.
OGUNNAIKE: What do you think changed? What made you decide that you were going to grab the rein?
KHAN: Well, I sobered up.
OGUNNAIKE: She says she's been sober now for two years but getting to that place wasn't easy. Her 1985 hit "Through the fire" has become a personal anthem. One she is happy to sing.
KHAN: For a chance to be with you. I'd gladly risk it all. Through the fire, through the limits, come what may.
I feel as if I'm onstage, that a green laser beam comes straight down into the top of my head and comes out of my mouth like that then spreads out and touches everybody about here. I feel for you. I think I love you. I feel for you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: Boy, that voice. That voice. Lola Ogunnaike joins us now. So, great story, by the way. Must have been great to talk to her. Let's talk about "The Color Purple," her latest role. You have an interesting story about how she got this role.
OGUNNAIKE: Well, she didn't want to be on Broadway at all. Had no desires. The producers of "The Color Purple" reached out to her and then Oprah got involved. Of course, when Madam O got involved she had to say yes. The producers thought she was perfect. Oprah called her, so it was a no brainer. She started seeing signs. She started seeing "the color purple" everywhere and she says OK, I'm going to do it. The universe is just telling me to do it. I'm going to do it.
CHO: The same role Oprah played in the movie?
OGUNNAIKE: Exactly.
CHO: Kind of a no brainer. You know, as you say. Ms. O tells to you do it you do it. So, she's up for two Grammy this weekend? Is she going to win anything?
OGUNNAIKE: She may. For her collaboration with Mary J. Blige. It's actually a very good song. She may come up with best R&B album as well. But you know, the great thing about Chaka is she's just got this irrepressible spirit and she's been in the industry for decades. She's been there, done that, seen everything.
CHO: She's been around the block.
OGUNNAIKE: She's got marvelous stories. One of my favorite stories is the song, "Chaka Khan, Chaka Khan." That was actually a mistake, Alina. The producer had is hand on the tweeter and it slipped. They thought, this actually sounds pretty good.
CHO: And to this day people come up to her all the time, right, all singing her name?
OGUNNAIKE: She can't walk down the street. She says, you know what? It's OK. I only need to hear my name once. I don't need to hear it three or four times in a row.
CHO: Well,you hear it a million times in the song. All right. Lola Ogunnaike thanks for bringing that to us. That was really great.
OGUNNAIKE: Thank you.
CHO: John.
ROBERTS: Sometimes the best artistry is a mistake.
A quick look now at what CNN NEWSROOM is working on for the top of the hour.
HARRIS: See these stories in the CNN NEWSROOM. What drove a man to shoot up a city council meeting outside St. Louis.
The search for those missing in a sugar refinery explosion in Georgia.
Was there a plot to open fire outside last Sunday's "Super Bowl?"
Flooding in northwestern Ohio.
And a baby tossed 100 yards by a tornado found alive. NEWSROOM just minutes away at the top of the hour on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Well, a final check of this morning's "Quick Vote" question, we ask you, would John McCain fair better against Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama? 51 percent of you say Clinton. 49 percent say Obama. Very close this morning.
CHO: Just like the race.
ROBERTS: To everyone who voted. Thanks very much. And a reminder, join me on prime time tonight for CNN's Election Center. We'll be talking with conservative leaders about the shakeup in the republican race. CNN Election Center, 8:00 Eastern tonight. Hope to see you then.
And thanks so much for joining us on this American weekend. Have yourself a great weekend.
CHO: Yes. We got a lot of politics this weekend. So, keep it here, right here at CNN. Thanks for joining us, everybody. I'm Alina Cho. CNN NEWSROOM with Tony Harris and Heidi Collins begins right now.
HARRIS: And good morning, everyone. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM. Good Friday to you. I'm Tony Harris.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you, everybody. I'm Heidi Collins. Watch events come into the NEWSROOM live on this Friday morning, February 8th. Here's what on the rundown, what set this man off? Five people gun downed at a city council meeting.
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