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Healthcare Reform Deal; DayQuil Recall; Snowstorm Hits D.C.
Aired December 19, 2009 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Welcome back to the NEWSROOM. Two big stories this hour. Democratic leaders in the Senate reached the magic number that they need to pass the healthcare reform bill. The lone Democratic holdout finally getting on board.
The imperfect storm for millions of holiday travelers and shoppers along the east coast. One of the biggest snowfalls in years is causing a lot of chaos on this weekend before Christmas, and this - wow, creepy or cool, if you're looking for some entertainment over the holidays, we'll check out the latest movies and DVD releases, including the scoop on this one right here, "Avatar," a film that's getting a lot of buzz for its sensational 3-D effects.
You're in the CNN NEWSROOM where the news unfold live this Saturday, December 19th. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.
All right. Our top story, snow. So heavy you can't see a foot ahead of you in some places. That's the scene right there along parts of the east coast. One of the region's biggest snowstorms in years has brought misery from the south to the northeast. And before the storm met a blast of cold air, it actually dumped flooding from Florida, lots of rain from Florida to the Carolinas. The rain turned into snow as it moved north, turning highways and runways into an icy mess.
All right. We got reporters all across the storm zone. Karen Maginnis is tracking the system in the CNN severe weather center. Reynolds Wolf is snowbound in Fredericksburg, Virginia, with a thumb's up on that and Elaine Quijano is keeping an eye on what's happening at Reagan International Airport. Really not a whole lot happening, that's the frustrating part for a lot of travelers. Let's begin with Karen Maginnis. Karen.
KAREN MAGINNIS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: We do have this system that is winding up, it's not winding down. We're going to watch maybe a foot or more of snow fall in New York City. But before that happens, I want to show you what's happening right now, across sections of the northeast. Where you see the red, that's where we have winter storm warnings in effect. This continues across much of northern Virginia, extending into New England.
But where you see this blue, we now have blizzard warnings. This in effect from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 tomorrow morning. Where you see the blue, which includes Long Island into the cape. The Cape Cod region. We could see gusts up to 60 miles an hour. In addition to that, we are looking at eight to 16 inches of snowfall possible. So for Boston, are you in on this as well? Well, it looks like the snowfall is definitely going to be very heavy. You could see gusts between 30 and 40 miles an hour. Right now in some portions of the Rhode Island, they are looking at heavy sleet being reported. Now, this area of low pressure is off the mid-Atlantic coast. It is a classic nor'easter. Meaning it's going to produce powerful amounts of snowfall across this region as it dumps that moisture onshore, it collides with the cold air, and it could rival some of the record snowfalls that we have seen in the past in Washington, D.C..
What kind of snowfall are we looking at in Washington, D.C.? Well, already in some places we have seen as much as 20 inches. Here's a beautiful picture of the capital. Some folks daring to go out as we take a look there. Temperatures staying in the 20s throughout the entire day.
In Roanoke, they've already seen 12 inches of snowfall in the past 24 hours. They are under a winter storm warning still. And on interstate 95 in Fredericksburg, it is slow going. They've already seen about 14 inches of snowfall there. Here is Flight Explorer. There are flights going in and out of Washington. However, we're not seeing a whole lot of that because there's one runway at Dulles and at Reagan. They're trying to clear the runways off to get the flights going.
They say JFK is fine. They've got the snow. But later on this evening, Fred, five to 10 inches of snowfall. More coming tomorrow. In addition to that, it's going to be windy. So you got that reduced visibility, near-blizzard conditions. Fred, it's just a mess. People were going to go out this weekend and shop. This was going to be a big commerce weekend. Well, maybe not so much now.
WHITFIELD: Yes, that's what the retailers were counting on but you're right. Maybe not so much. Maybe that online shopping will see a spike this weekend as a result. All right. Karen, thanks so much.
Let's talk more about the travel in and out of some of the Washington, D.C. area airports. It's slow going or no going. Our Elaine Quijano is at Reagan National Airport. Oh, boy, it's miserable for folks who are kind of people stuck there. You're back outside now. Drag.
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I am. Yes, you know, and the very latest on this situation here, Fredricka, as the wind blows around here, all the runways now at Reagan National Airport are shut down until at least 6:00 a.m. tomorrow morning. That is the latest word from the airport authority spokeswoman that we talked to.
Over at Dulles International Airport in northern Virginia, there is still - at last word - there was one runway that was still operating. Would not be surprised if that situation changes. And really, all morning long, it was not a surprise that things were just getting worse and worse. When you looked at those boards, the list of flights that were delayed and canceled was just growing as this storm was moving in.
Nevertheless, we did see a steady stream of passengers, believe it or not, hoping that they could perhaps make it in, beat the storm. However, a lot of folks are finding themselves just out of luck today. Including that young woman that we talked about the last half hour, a 19-year-old freshman from Georgetown, Fredricka, poor thing. She really hasn't traveled all of that much on her own. And yet, she's taking all of this in stride, being stranded here at the airport, where she's going to, probably have to spend the night. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARISA MORIN, STRANDED PASSENER: This is like the third time I have even traveled in an airport by myself, so it will be interesting.
QUIJANO (on camera): Wow. You seem to be in a pretty good mood, though, considering all of the hassle.
MORIN: Yes. I mean, I've kind of gotten through the kind of freaking out point and just kind of going with the flow.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
QUIJANO: Going with the flow. And, you know, there's nothing going at all here at the airport right now. No flights and certainly no trains coming in or out either. That is the other part of the story. Here in the Washington, D.C. area, the metro system has decided that all of the above-ground stations, Fredricka, shut down because the snow, the ice, is just playing havoc with the tracks.
So that is the situation. The roads, of course, we have seen the video, it's just very sloppy and slow going. And I can tell you there are a lot of folks inside the airport terminal who are just hoping all of this moves out very quickly, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Yes. And ordinarily that big swath of white behind you, right now covered with snow, usually that's teeming with cars picking up people, dropping them off, taxicabs. None of that right now. So if you are stuck, you - we know you can't get on Metro rail, you just explained that but you can't catch a cab. You're just simply stuck.
QUIJANO: Exactly right. You're stuck. You're not going anywhere for a long, long time.
WHITFIELD: Oh, too bad. Well, hopefully by 6:00 a.m., things will be looking up for folks, including those planes with people on them. All right. Thanks a lot. Elaine Quijano making that snow look good, even though it's very cold.
All right. Snow has been piling up all day in Fredericksburg, Virginia as well. Not that far away from the Washington, D.C. area. Reynolds Wolf is there. He, too has got a smile in his face.
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes. I mean, making the very best of it. Trying to get my mouth to work in these freezing conditions, it's tough. I tell you one thing that hasn't been working is the sidewalks. A lot of people, quite a lot of people coming through here and actually doing some shopping, which is some great news. Especially for store owners like this nice lady.
Hi, I'm Reynolds. How are you doing.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Nice to meet you.
WOLF: What's your name?
PEGGY: Peggy.
WOLF: Peggy, why don't you hold on to this and you hold on to this mike like this and I'm going to start doing a little bit of your work.
PEGGY: Oh, thank you.
WOLF: How was the drive in today?
PEGGY: Well, I was able to get a lift in from a friend about two hours ago.
WOLF: Really.
PEGGY: And that was a big help.
WOLF: I mean, you just opened, right? The store just opened.
PEGGY: Yes, yes.
WOLF: But you don't want to waste a big weekend like this?
PEGGY: Exactly. This is our biggest day of the year. So every customer counts. It's a little tough but maybe tomorrow will be better.
WOLF: Well, you have been handling this mike really well. I'm going to come back and help you shovel a little bit. So don't do too much. Let me show you a few other people that we've met around here. Everybody's out here, and their spirits are really high.
I mean, let's be honest. It's been a really rough day for a lot of folks, a lot of people stranded around the country. But the people who are here who aren't getting on the roads are certainly enjoying themselves. Hey, guys, what's up? What are you guys doing?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're enjoying the weather.
WOLF: Look at this for a second. Child, what are you doing out in the snow wearing a t-shirt. What's your name?
JESSICA: Jessica.
WOLF: Jessica, are you from here?
JESSICA: I'm actually not. I'm visiting these people. I'm from Charlotte, North Carolina.
WOLF: I would have thought you would say you're from Florida or some place like that.
JESSICA: Actually, I left my jacket in Roanoke on the way up. Not intentionally. Just kind of left it there.
WOLF: Mom, send the jacket as fast as you possibly can. All right. They're enjoying themselves the best they possibly can. I'm here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have a gift from you here from University Cafe.
WOLF: That's very kind of you. But you put it on as well as a jacket.
JESSICA: I have one. This one's for you.
WOLF: OK. You hold it on. See guys, giving t-shirts and doing shoveling and all that kind of fun stuff. One big good news we've had here, Fredricka is they've done a really good job on the roads.
You see people passing here very carefully, though. We have seen a lot of people get stuck. And a great thing about a town like Fredericksburg and there are so many people like this across America is that when someone gets stuck on one of these turns, everybody hops out and pitches in and helps move. And what's really cool about it is it doesn't matter if it's a big job or a small job, everybody pitches in.
And I mean big jobs, we had a snowplow actually come through here that they actually needed to push. So the machine is helping clear the snow and itself got stuck. But I would tell you, it's a beautiful thing. You see, still, it will be a lot of trouble for a lot of people. We were talking earlier about the airports. The widespread delays we've had. We've had issues on many of the interstates including 81 and 77.
If you're going out there on the roadways, please be extremely careful. The number one plan the governor mentioned, the mayor here has mentioned, and of course, for anyone up and down the seaboard, if you don't have to go out, if you don't have to drive, by all means, stay off the roadways. The situation should improve as we get through tomorrow and certainly through tomorrow afternoon.
And then when the airports start resuming regular business, remember you got to backup. A lot of customers are going to be frustrated trying to get to where they need to go for the holidays. So we got a lot of troubles and a lot of hurdles yet. And of course, the brunt of the storm, as Karen Maginnis was saying, is really headed to the northeast. So a true nor'easter is going to be an awful lot to millions of people. Let's send it back to you.
WHITFIELD: And you mentioned, you know, how everybody will pitch in there in Fredericksburg and help out, you know, the folks in cars that are stalled, et cetera, well, everyone there needs to pitch in and get Jessica a coat or something. She's got to be cold.
WOLF: Absolutely. We're going to pass a hat and see what we can possibly do to help her out. WHITFIELD: Good idea.
WOLF: Help the cause.
WHITFIELD: Good idea. All right.
WOLF: Give Jessica the coat.
WHITFIELD: I know.
WOLF: Dreams do come true.
WHITFIELD: I know, it's crazy. I think there's going to be a spike in cold medicine, too, as a result of seeing those kids with just t- shirts on.
WOLF: Oh, yes.
WHITFIELD: Reynolds Wolf, thanks so much.
All right. Tracking other big stories as well, U.S. Senate Democrats, a step closer to getting health care reform passed. CNN's Brianna Keilar and Dan Lothian will be with us when we come right back. And Josh Levs is also tracking something for us.
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I am indeed. Take a look at this whole idea - I like that. Where are you stuck today? That's what we are calling it, where are you stuck? Your pictures are helping us paint a picture of what's going on in much of the country today. For example, here's one. It's pretty powerful and someone trying to do something very good. But it is nothing compared to what I am about to show you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right. Despite the snow in the nation's capital, lots of action. U.S. Senate Democrats have cleared, in fact, a major hurdle in their drive to pass health care reform. The lone democratic holdout dropped his opposition to the bill today. The magic number of 60 votes seems to be at hand.
CNN's Brianna Keilar is on Capitol Hill where she watched it all play out. Brianna.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, there, Fredricka. What was so interesting as we watch this play out was what we really couldn't see. Because all of this came out because of a deal that was brokered behind closed doors that allowed Senate Democrats to finally say, OK, we're all on board in this, paving the way for a very key vote that is really the key to the success of the Democrats' health care bill, the success of it clearing the Senate in a very early morning vote on Monday morning.
Basically Sunday night/Monday morning. But so what we see now, Democrats celebrating and Republicans hitting them very hard.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. HARRY REID (D), MAJORITY LEADER: Some were progressives. They feel that this bill doesn't go far enough and there are others who say why didn't we get a public option? I think the public option, I spoke out loudly and strongly on it. But this bill, this bill, will do so many good things for so many people, and we explained that in some detail to the caucus just a few minutes ago.
SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R), MINORITY LEADER: This bill will reshape our nation and our lives. And Democrats are forcing a vote on it, as I indicated over the weekend, counting on the fact that the American people are preoccupied with Christmas and not paying much attention to what they're doing.
And the reason for that, obviously, is we know from all of the survey data that Americans are overwhelmingly opposed to this bill. This bill is the legislative train wreck of historic proportions.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: Republicans are unanimously opposed to Democrats' health care reform efforts here in the Senate, and actually what they've done today is insist on all of these changes to the health care bill. They've insisted that they be read out loud on the Senate floor. Almost 400 pages. So it's taking quite a long time. But let's talk about that lone democratic holdout, who really had so much clout as to what he wanted change in this health care bill.
Senator Ben Nelson, a moderate from Nebraska. You know, normally when you think about it, Fred, you think about Democrats being for abortion rights. He is anti-abortion rights Democrat. And what he wanted was really some toughened-up language in this Senate bill to make sure that no federal dollars, no taxpayer dollars would go to pay for abortion.
And that is what he got in some closed-door negotiations with Senate majority leader Harry Reid, with liberal Senate Democrats and also with White House officials. He was able to secure something that he said that would allow him to vote in this key vote early on Monday morning, Fred.
WHITFIELD: All right. Brianna Keilar, thanks so much. Of course, we'll be covering that as it happens early Monday morning, about 1:00 a.m. last Sunday night.
In the meantime, President Obama, he reacted rather quickly today. Our White House correspondent Dan Lothian is on top of that. We heard from the president who didn't necessarily call this a victory but he said it was an important step towards progress.
DAN LOTHIAN, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: It really was. You know, the president was expecting to have a quiet day but instead he threw on a blazer, left his tie behind and stepped before the mikes to praise the Democratic leadership for the leadership that they took in making sure that all 60 Democrats could line up behind each other on health care reform. The president also said that it now appears that the American people will have the vote they deserve but he also laid out in very clear terms how in any legislative progress, there's always compromise that has to be made. He says there was compromise here but then the compromise made the bill much stronger. Certainly, there is still a lot more work that needs to be done but the president today, but the president said today there was major progress.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Under this bill, family will save on their premiums, businesses that will see their costs rise if we don't act will save money now and in the future. This bill will strengthen Medicare and extend the life of the program. Because it's paid for and gets rid of waste and inefficiency in our health care system, this will be the largest deficit reduction plan in over a decade.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LOTHIAN: So the president there pointing out how this reform will reduce the deficit, how it will hold insurance companies accountable, and for some 30 million Americans who don't have insurance, it will provide affordable insurance for them as well.
And, you know, as you have been talking about this all morning, you know, this was something that wasn't just Democrats against Republicans. Certainly this White House and Democrats wanted to get Republicans on board but this was also very much about getting democrats to line up, those conservative, those moderate Democrats to line up behind this who had many concerns. They were able apparently to do that today. So it's one big step forward.
Now, on a lighter note, the president, before he began his remarks today, pointed out obviously that he's from Chicago, and he said with all of the snow around him here at the White House, it's finally starting to feel like home. So he feels like home in the snow and also settling in a little bit, enjoying not a victory yet but certainly progress on health care reform today.
WHITFIELD: And something tells me, Dan, given that you're living in Boston, maybe you feel the same way. Now, it's feeling nice and chilly.
LOTHIAN: Yes. But you know, this is pretty bad. You know, we always kind of talk these things down, oh, it's just a little bit of a snow. But I went outside, and this was real snow.
WHITFIELD: This is big time.
LOTHIAN: Nothing you can laugh at. That's right.
WHITFIELD: This is the real deal. All right. Well, thanks so much. Well, stay inside as long as you can.
LOTHIAN: OK. WHITFIELD: Dan Lothian, appreciate it, at the White House.
WHITFIELD: Of course, we'll have another check of the top stories coming up.
And interested in some movies this holiday season? How about "Avatar"? It's the big one that everybody's talking about.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're not in Kansas anymore. You're on Pandora.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You should see your faces.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have an indigenous population called the Nabi (ph). They are very ...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right. A look at the top stories right now. Brutal winter storm is blasting parts of the east coast. Up to 20 inches of snow predicted from the mid-Atlantic states all the way up to New York. Strong winds have created near whiteout conditions in many areas as you see right there. That's the Baltimore area. Authorities are asking drivers to simply stay off the roads.
And check your medicine cabinet. Procter & Gamble is recalling some Vicks' DayQuil cold medicine. The recall affects about 700,000 packages of Vicks' DayQuil cold and flu 24-count liquid caps. The government says that packaging is not childproof.
And President Barack Obama calls the climate agreement reached in Copenhagen a breakthrough for action but he said more must be done. President Obama brokered a deal with China and other key nations that requires more transparency in climate change actions.
All right. The massive snowstorm pounding the east coast today has left millions of people stuck at home, more perhaps even elsewhere. Some of you are sending in dramatic images what it's like around you. Our Josh Levs is following some of them, some of them are actually very beautiful.
LEVS: Yes. I know. I was just thinking about that. It's just too bad.
WHITFIELD: I like these still images.
LEVS: Yes, they're really nice. It's frustrating for a lot of people and you know, there's danger on the roads and all that. But most people from what we're hearing from are saying, you know, I'm camped out at my house, looking outside and in some cases taking pictures of what's going on around them.
Let's get straight to it. I want to start off with these i-report. We're getting a lot of i-report photos today. I'll show you (INAUDIBLE) do that. This coming to us from Sherry Ellis, who took that at her house. And then take a look at a couple others. She's in West Virginia, Daniels, West Virginia. She said she was amazed by how much snow they got there.
Take a look at the next picture. She couldn't believe it, the Jeep that we're going to see here, that's her mother's vehicle. She said she never seen anything like that.
WHITFIELD: Staying in with her.
LEVS: I mean, talk about not being able to go anywhere, right? And then the next one you're actually going to see where she proves how incredibly much there is. Look at the next shot here. She stuck that ruler in the ground. You can tell it's a foot and a half there. She said she hasn't seen anything like that at all ever. So certainly getting wallop in that area.
Take a look at this one. This is interesting. From Sophia Chumpitaz who says - she's in Alexandria. She sent this from right near her house. Now what she sees there - it actually look like cars but she said all these cars are stuck up the road. In fact, one of them is a cab that someone just abandoned because they couldn't move and it's now covered in snow and there's no one even trying to deal with it. People got out of those cars and walked away.
Now talk about beautiful. Take a look at this one. One of the most beautiful ones we have gotten in this next shot from Ian Bradshaw, Dover, Pennsylvania. This rare breed of dales ponies.
WHITFIELD: I love that?
LEVS: Isn't that beautiful? Beautiful.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
LEVS: This is actually his family's. He said these ponies came with them in 1999 from England when they moved over here. He said they originally used them to take lead down from the mine to the docks and carried 200-pound hay bales through the snow. So these are tough ponies little ponies. They know what they're doing.
And finally, let's look at this, Erica Anderson in D.C.. This is really nice. Mailman got stuck. So what happens in the next shot. Someone else comes along to help the mailman -
WHITFIELD: Oh, of course.
LEVS: -- get unstuck and try to get away.
WHITFIELD: That's nice.
LEVS: You know what, I think I still have a few seconds left, which means I do. I get to get in one more. Take a look over here. I want you to see some of these. We have a whole bunch of pictures that are coming in to us. But look, we'll end on this one. Hot dog meets the snow. Javier Garcia sent us these. He's out in Washington, D.C. and he saw this little dog out there stuck. So see, to some extent while it's really frustrating and there's a lot of serious parts to it, there's also a winter wonderland.
WHITFIELD: Try to have a little fun.
LEVS: Yes, you know, lighten up a little bit.
WHITFIELD: It's a good thing it's over the weekend.
LEVS: Right.
WHITFIELD: You know, that's kind of the upside to all of this. At least it's not happening, you know, rush hour during the week, people really trying to get from point A to point B in a very aggressive way. Makes us all slow down on the weekend, doesn't it?
LEVS: Yes, you know, if you're in a position where you can slow down, you can take advantage of the beauty, then you're in luck.
WHITFIELD: Yes. All right. Thanks, Josh.
LEVS: That's right.
WHITFIELD: All right. Of course, it is the Saturday before Christmas, so there's some magnificent places to go. If you can get there, of course.
Also, check in to see about - a little more about this winter storm and how it's also affecting holiday shoppers.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR, CNN NEWSROOM: Weather is huge, and so is the snow. This was last night when the president was returning from Copenhagen. That was the scene at Andrews Air Force Base. Under most circumstances, most planes probably wouldn't land but Air Force One did. You see this was the snowfall all night long and the accumulation today has meant that flights are just simply not going in and out of the Washington, D.C. airports, like Reagan National, nor Dulles International Airport.
Our Karen Maginnis is in the Severe Weather Center.
I guess the message is, get used to it. There's a lot more where this came from.
KAREN MAGINNIS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Fred, that sounds nice coming from you. That sounds like a very nice thing to say.
But, yeah, unfortunately, I think folks will have to get used to it for about 24 hours. This is Flight Explorer. This is the United Airlines flight. There are about six flights allegedly heading for Dulles. All right, were going to --allegedly, is supposed to land around 6:30. I keep saying that because the snow keeps coming down and the visibility is about a quarter of a mile and the snow is blowing around. It's just kind of miserable.
So I'm going to watch this flight. It's supposed to go into Dulles. There are about six flights headed towards Dulles. I'm going to see what happens to those flights if they get diverted someplace else. That's Flight Explorer for right now headed into Dulles.
D.C., Reagan National is not much better. This is coming out of Philly. We have some pictures of Philly and, Fred, here's the latest information, the latest observations as we watched these people earlier today cleaning off their car.
Right now, there is heavy snow in Philly. There's blowing snow in Philly, and there's freezing fog in Philly, and the visibility is a quarter mile. So Philadelphia, I wouldn't go out on the roads. I really would pretty much be staying indoors.
All right. This is the view of the Northeast, New England. Where you see the red, there's winter storm warnings. Where you see the blue, Long Island through the Cape, Rhode Island. We had a report coming out of Rhode Island of heavy sleet. So that will tell you as well those roads are not going to be very safe to get on. Not just there but interstate 77 through Virginia and into Maryland and Interstate 85 and that 95 corridor. These airports are really going to be slowing down as we go towards the evening.
You think a Saturday night, Fred, those would be picking up but they're really not going to be doing that. Here's what happens. Washington, D.C., 19 22, Knickerbocker storm. They had really 100 deaths there. It was in a theater. They saw 28 to 33 inches of snow. This is going to rival that. I don't know that it will be a record breaker.
WHITFIELD: In terms of accumulation?
MAGINNIS: Yeah, this is significant. This is really a bad storm right now, a Nor'easter for this year.
WHITFIELD: Wow. As I said, I'm glad it's on the weekend. I know folks are trying to get -- to see grandma, or go shopping and all of that. But, gosh, at least for the most part fewer people would be on the roads, right? Or something?
MAGINNIS: Well, the weekend before Christmas.
WHITFIELD: Ouch. Never mind. I'm trying to find a bright side. Forget it.
MAGINNIS: I know.
WHITFIELD: It's bad. All right, Karen, thanks so much.
So the big winter storm sweeping the East Coast happens to be hitting, just as Karen just said, on the big shopping weekend before Christmas. Susan Candiotti is in Manhattan where it doesn't seem to be stopping people there. Yeah.
How are you doing?
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fred. Pretty good.
Actually, we had a steady stream of people all afternoon but we haven't had much snow yet. It's 27 degrees, like I said, kind of like light snow flurries now. Corner of 34th Street, the heart of the area where Macy's is located, JC Penney's, and a bunch of other stores.
There's a group of local merchants and they do a survey. Last year and they did a survey, this year, at the very same location, very same time, on this corner from 7:00 until noontime and they stand there with counters and they count shopping bags. Last year they counted 12,000 during that time period. This year, less than half that, about 5,000 or so. They take that to mean people were scared off about bad weather forecasts and that's why they had fewer people here they counted with shopping bags.
You can give as much credence as you want to that survey but retailers are certainly watching this weekend very, very closely.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CANDIOTTI (voice over): With the pre-winter blast of white stuff keep shoppers from laying out the green?
SCOTT KRUGMAN, NATIONAL RETAIL FEDERATION: This is crunch time for the retail industry.
CANDIOTTI: Shoppers are expected to dive in their wallets this weekend, even if they have to get out a shovel to do it.
ELLEN DUKES, SHOPPER: We'll be out shopping even in the snow, yes. Six to ten inches, but we will be shopping.
LILLY DUKES, SHOPPER: Got to do what you got to do. Wait the last minute, I guess.
CANDIOTTI: Weather Forecasters suggest using your head before hitting the road.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: In the three, four hours your shopping in some of these spots, you can get six to eight inches of snow on the car, then you can't get out of the parking lot.
CANDIOTTI: Retailers are counting on last-minute shoppers to help save another year of sinking sales. Expected to drop 1 percent this year, a slight improvement over a 3 percent decrease last year. Customers may think the longer they wait, the better they deal.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Probably after Christmas will be better.
CANDIOTTI: Don't be too sure. To head off drastic price cuts again, retailers say inventories were kept down on purpose.
KRUGMAN: This is not the year to play chicken with the retailer. If you wait too long to purchase your merchandise, that striped sweater you wanted might only be available with polka dots.
CANDIOTTI: And if the weather gets too bad to hit the mall, there's an app for that, too. Retailers say you can always go online.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CANDIOTTI: Now, forecasters are predicting up to 15 inches of snow in the New York City region. Whether that will happen, we'll find out. But there is this bit of good news, the storm is supposed to be over by tomorrow so that still gives people a few more shopping days if you're cutting corners a little too close. Fred, back to you.
WHITFIELD: I'm kind of hanging on the last bit in your piece there, something tells me, I bet that online shopping will get a nice little spike over the next 24 hours. But of course, then, the stuff has to get shipped off, right?
CANDIOTTI: I'll be right behind you on that, Fred.
WHITFIELD: Yeah. All right. Thanks so much.
CANDIOTTI: That's right. That is the thing, though, will you be able to get it delivered on time, if you buy on line?
WHITFIELD: Yeah, right. Happy shopping in between live shots, Susan.
CANDIOTTI: Thanks, Fred.
WHITFIELD: From Manhattan, thanks so much.
It's not just the Northeast that's getting an early white Christmas. The storm is also dropping snow on western North Carolina. And that's where America's largest privately owned home is located. About a quarter of a million people actually visit the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. It usually happens this time of year. So, what greets them is a spectacular holiday display and our Reynolds Wolf has signed up to be your guide.
That was before he got to Fredericksburg.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Fifty-eight trees, miles of garland, and thousands of twinkling lights. Christmas celebrations in at Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina, date back to 1895. Christmas Eve 114 years ago, George Vanderbilt opened his American castle to friends for the very first time. A 30-foot tall real Frazier fir decorated the home's grand banquet hall, which is a tradition which continues today.
Cathy Barnhardt has worked on the display for 32 years, but she doesn't do it alone.
CATHY BARNHARDT, BILTMORE FLORAL DISPLAYS MANAGER: We got it down to real art and science. It does take about 35 men to hoist that tree into place. It is all done by manpower, and it is steered on the floor with other ropes, to go around chandeliers and moose heads and flags and things like that.
WOLF (on camera): I think just about anybody who is tuning in can handle something on the bottom, but way up there, shoot, you need oxygen tanks up there to survive.
BARNHARDT: And scaffolding.
WOLF: And scaffolding.
How much water is that thing drinking in?
BARNHARDT: It's hard to water a tree that size. A tree over about 15 or 16 feet doesn't really draw water very well. This tree is 34 feet. So, we don't try to put it in water.
WOLF (voice over): Instead, half way through the Christmas season, her team brings in a new tree and they decorate it all over again. George Vanderbilt wouldn't have had it any other way. And the 18,000 people on staff of the estate agree, including Bill Alexander, Biltmore's landscape and forest historian.
(On camera): So, essentially stepping onto this property, stepping through those doors is like stepping back in time?
BILL ALEXANDER, BILTMORE LANDSCAPE HISTORIAN: Is like stepping back a century in time.
WOLF: I'll be darned.
ALEXANER: Absolutely.
WOLF: What better way to celebrate Christmas?
Reynolds Wolf, CNN, Asheville, North Carolina.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Gorgeous. That explains why it's such a tradition.
Also a tradition, going to the movies over the holiday season. You probably already recognized that one on the screen. "Avatar," it's hot. A lot of people are talking about it. And our Ben Mankiewicz is going weigh in also.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Another look at our top stories right now. U.S. Senate Democrats have secured a 60th vote for their health care reform plan. That's enough to stop a Republican filibuster. The 60th vote comes from Nebraska Democrat Ben Nelson, who said he won assurances the plan would not fund abortions.
Delegates at the climate summit in Copenhagen have reached a deal, although it's not legally binding, it said companies should reduce their carbon emissions enough to keep global temperatures from rising more than 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit. It promises $30 billion in emergency aid to poor nations over the next 3 years to help achieve that.
And a massive winter storm is disrupting the last Saturday before Christmas, travelers are stranded on roads and in airports from the mid-Atlantic all the way up to New England. Tens of thousands are also without power. Forecasters say some areas could get 20 inches of snow. Already three deaths have been reported in Virginia.
So with that winter weather out there, you may want to stay inside, and maybe if you can venture to a theater, actually catch a film, it's time to see what's new at the movie this weekend. Film critic and host of Turner Classic Movies, Ben Mankiewicz.
Aren't you lucky you're far away from the snow? How are you?
BEN MANKIEWICZ, FILM CRITIC: I am. I do feel very fortunate I'm far away from the storm. My family is all back in Washington, D.C. They are all stranded at home, but they can walk to the movie theater. There's some choices for them.
WHITFIELD: OK, good. That means you're not getting home any time soon to Washington.
MANKIEWICZ: No.
WHITFIELD: Let's talk about what folks may want to check out. So many folks are talking about "Avatar." it's creepy, it's cool. All of the above, in your view?
MANKIEWICZ: Yeah. I don't know that it's creepy.
WHITFIELD: Really? Gosh, it struck me as creepy, the makeup and all of that.
MANKIEWICZ: This is a very inventive film. Those are completely computer-generated character and you don't sense that at all. You do quickly get lost in the fact that these Pandorans, the Navi, who live on Pandora.
You are seeing, obviously, a clip of regular humans.
But you have seen the ads. These are the 10-foot tall people who move so quickly and effortlessly. It is very impressive, you know, James Cameron, who directed this, really this is his first major motion picture since "Titanic". He sort of bet the bank that people would be interested in "Terminator 2" despite its cost, and "Titanic" despite its cost. And I think he's right again. This is a very creative film.
WHITFIELD: Ew, what a setup. Let's listen in to a little, if we can, to a little sample of "Avatar."
(BEGIN MOVIE CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The ground is not coarse.
(END MOVIE CLIP) WHITFIELD: Ew, yuck. I'm sorry. I think it's creepy. But, you know, it's cool. And I know there are some great names in this. We're talking about Sigourney Weaver and Zooey Zaldona (ph) and Michelle Rodriguez. You think this will be a big ol' hit, despite the fact snow will keep a lot of people from the theaters, at leas in the Northeast.
MANKIEWICZ: It made $27 million yesterday. Those are not "Twilight: New Moon" numbers, but they are still pretty good numbers. This is a film that cost, some say, $400 million. The studio says $237 million. And they are going to spend at least $150 marketing it. Meaning this might cost half a billion dollars to make and get people to see it. But it's James Cameron. I'm sure it is going to make a lot of money. The 3D is inventive, it's different. There's a lot of Iraq war metaphors in the movie. It's a little long, a little repetitive at the end. But certainly a tent pole picture. It's a one of every fan of movies is going to want to have seen. I liked it, gave it a B- plus.
WHITFIELD: Oh, good. Let's zoom through a couple of others. "Crazy heart," Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and "The Morgans," romantic comedy with Hugh Grant, of the two, what do you like?
"Crazy Heart" will get Jeff Bridges, I suspect, an Oscar nomination, already got Film Critics Association and Golden Globe nominations. He is good. It's a lot like "The Wrestler" we are reminded of "Tender Mercies" from 1983. He's good. Never bought for a second the relationship with he and Maggie Gyllenhaal.
MANKIEWICZ: Not for a half a second.
WHITFIELD: No.
MANKIEWICZ: That knocked it down to a B minus. But Bridges is impressive.
WHITFIELD: OK. "What About Morgans" did you like? I mean, Hugh Grant, he is perfect for romantic comedy. Is this a hit in the making?
MANKIEWICZ: Look, I'm comfortable enough with myself to say I find Hugh Grant delightful. Everything he says is funny. Sadly, nothing anyone else says in this movie is funny.
WHITFIELD: Not even Sarah Jessica Parker?
MANKIEWICZ: I like Sarah Jessica Parker, too. But this is really slow. This movie commits a cardinal sin. This is a dull, dull, romantic comedy.
WHITFIELD: You don't strike me as a romantic comedy type.
MANKIEWICZ: No, no, no. "Notting Hill"
WHITFIELD: Do you even like romantic comedies?
MANKIEWICZ: "Notting Hill" with Hugh Grant, one of my 10 favorite movies of all time.
WHITFIELD: Ok. We're going to talk about another romantic comedy that is in the form of a DVD. I want to see if you like it when we come right back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: OK, so you probably want to check out a movie this holiday season, or maybe you want to buy some DVDs to perhaps stuff those stockings, et cetera. How about these two romantic comedies, "500 Days of Summer." It's been getting a lot of buzz since it came out. Sandra Bullock and Bradley Cooper star in "All About Steve." So, let's check in with our romantic comedy king. Ben Mankiewicz, he says he loves romantic comedies. Let's start with "500 Days of Summer." Did you love?
MANKIEWICZ: I like, I did not love. Although a lot of other critics loved. It is really inventive. It is told in this sort of nonlinear way of storytelling. You know that they have broken up in the beginning and it is sort of piece by piece, jumping all over the place, Joseph Gordon Levitt's relationship with Zooey Deschanel.
I did like it. It is certainly engaging. Sometimes it felt a little bit too cute deliberately too cute. But I liked it. I gave it a B. I think it's worth seeing.
"All About Steve." Everybody loves Sandra Bullock, Bradley Cooper. Will they love this flick, too?
MANKIEWICZ: This has certainly been the year of Sandra Bullock. She's picking up a Golden Globe nomination for -- for her role in "The Proposal," yeah, that's right. And she obviously in "The Blind Side," she has a nomination there. I think it's only fitting that we knock Sandra Bullock down to size, just a little bit.
WHITFIELD: OK, well, let's listen to that clip a little bit so we can get a little taste of that clip.
MANKIEWICZ: All right.
(BEGIN MOVIE CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Something's wrong with her. You didn't see that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You fell down. Boo-hoo.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I fell down! My legs were taken out from under me. What are you talking about! She's stalking me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She's not stalking you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, guys.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hello, Mary.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi. So sorry I was detained. I was questioned by a authorities about an apparent crime against one of your co- workers.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ask her why she's following me, please.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why are you stalking him?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm not stalking. Stalking is an obsessive pursuit of prey.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, well, you are kind of following me.
(END MOVIE CLIP)
WHITFIELD: OK, well, it looks kind of cute.
MANKIEWICZ: OK, yeah, everything looks kind of cute in a 30-second clip.
Here's the deal. So, Sandra Bullock plays a woman, she makes crossword puzzles. She goes on a blind date with Bradley Cooper. He is a TV reporter. And she instantly falls for him. She's incredibly taken with him and he's not so taken with her, so she pursues him across the country. What is supposed to be engaging clearly turns into stalking, and then it clearly seems like she's unstable. Like there's an untreated mental illness.
Fredricka, this movie is at 6 percent on the wonderful web site Rotten Tomatoes, for critics.
WHITFIELD: Oh. Some of the stars in that flick, I saw that were also in "Hangover," and you talked about "Hangover" last week, which is laugh out loud, crazy fun.
MANKIEWICZ: Yes.
WHITFIELD: If you like some of those stars maybe you could dig this.
MANKIEWICZ: Bradley Cooper is fun. And Thomas Haden Church is great. I like Sandra Bullock, too. She had a great year. This movie is a bit of a disaster. This is an F. If there's ever an F, for romantic comedy it is "All About Steve."
WHITFIELD: I kind of wasn't sold on that clip. I can tell a hit -- give me 10 seconds of a clip.
MANKIEWICZ: Really, you can?
WHITFIELD: I can nail it. I feel like I can.
MANKIEWICZ: You're in the wrong business, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: I know. Maybe you'll give me a few pointers, Ben.
MANKIEWICZ: All right.
WHITFIELD: Ben Mankiewicz. Thanks so much. Good to see you. Have a great holiday. MANKIEWICZ: Thank you, you, too.
WHITFIELD: Take care.
Limos, horse-drawn carriages. That's how you might expect the queen of England to get around, right? What is she doing boarding a public train out of London? We're tracking the monarch's commuter move.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right, nasty weather and pretty, all at the same time. That's the White House. Live pictures right now. It's already getting kind of dark in D.C. and a very snowy covered nation's capital.
We're keeping a close watch on this storm, which is very troublesome, especially if you're trying to get around. Travel along the Eastern Seaboard and it's a very dangerous. Already three deaths reported in Virginia alone.
And it's not just the United States that has some bad weather. Let's go to Europe right now. Pictures of folks stranded, train passengers in London. Eurostar service was shut down because of the severe weather in northern France. It won't be fully restored until Monday at the very earliest. Five trains making the run from Britain to France got stuck in the chunnel. More than 2,000 passengers were stranded without heat, without lights. They were finally evacuated.
All right, no such trouble, of course, for the queen of England when she decided to go public transportation. She found it a breeze actually. It happened earlier in the week. ITN reporter Annabel Roberts has the pictures of a frugal monarch on the move.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANNABEL ROBERTS, INT REPORTER (voice over): Is that really the queen strolling towards the 10:45 from King's Cross to King's Lynn? The head staff was one giveaway of her identity and the lack of luggage, setting her apart rather from the rest of us at the start of a long winter holiday.
For the monarch, this is a rare outing on public transport as she headed to Sandringham for Christmas.
(On camera): The queen's journey in a first-class compartment like this lasted 95 minutes, rattling through the countryside to King's Lynn in comparative peace. But what would she have made of the rush hour?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It would be nice to see her. Maybe look forward to seeing her more often during the recession.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's excellent. First it gives her a chance to identify with her subjects, but also to experience how it is for us. Sadly, she didn't take it in the rush hour. Then she would have gotten the experience that it is for us. And getting the elbows up. But I'm really happy that she tried it at all.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think quite positive that she's taking public transport. It's quite the good role model. Too bad she's in first class, maybe we can see her in cattle class with the rest of us.
ROBERRS: In one stroke, the queen as shown respect for the public purse and the environment. Pictured here through the carriage window, it's hard to be sure she enjoyed it enough to make a habit of it. Annabel Roberts, ITN NEWS, King's Cross.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: All right CNN's live coverage expands tonight. Drew Griffin will be anchoring starting in two minutes from now. We know Virginia has been hit hard by the snowstorm. Drew will be talking to the head of emergency management in that state.
I'm Fredricka Whitfield have a -- there he is standing by. He's ready to go. Come on, Fred, get out of the seat!
Have a great night, everyone.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
