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Christmas in Baghdad; Ed Henry Covers Christmas in Hawaii; Blizzards Hit Midwest; Woman Assaults Pope; Opera Diva Makes Converts; Tsunami Survivors Remember
Aired December 25, 2009 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: All right, time now for your top of the hour reset on this Christmas day. I'm Tony Harris in the CNN NEWSROOM. It is 11 a.m. in Oklahoma where a statewide emergency is in effect. A winter storm brings blizzard warnings to much of the Midwest.
It is 6:00 p.m. in Vatican City, after a bizarre incident, Pope Benedict grabbed and knocked down during Christmas Eve mass. And it is 8:00 PM in Baghdad, a live look at how U.S. troops are spending this Christmas in the war zone.
Let's get started. Take a look at this 50-car smashup in Oklahoma. It is a pretty clear message, look, to stay off the roads. A major blizzard has turned highways into icy death traps. At least 18 people have died. Countless other people have been stranded. Oklahoma's governor has shut down all state highway and interstates.
In Arkansas, the story is record rainfall. The National Weather Service says more than nine inches of rain fell at Little Rock airport since Wednesday. the deluge briefly shut down interstate 30 between Little Rock and Dallas.
Let's quickly get to Chad Myers here. Chad, if you would, put all this into some kind of context and perspective for us.
CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: The perspective, Tony, is the size of the system, all the way from Canada all the way down, and it was even snowing just to the west of El Paso, Texas. I mean, that's as far as you can go north to south. And the winds are the problem now. It's still snowing. Don't get me wrong. The snow's still coming down. But the wind in Red Wing and Council Bluffs and Omaha, we're talking gusts now to still 40 miles per hour.
And I don't know if you've been monitoring these pictures out of KWTV out of Oklahoma City, but this is some dangerous stuff. I've been seeing -- I can't even count how many cars off the road, stranded in a ditch, and literally almost covered up with snow. This one here getting pulled out right now. But I can't imagine maybe how many people are still stuck in this event. Are they still stuck in their cars? Because I don't see tracks from some of these cars. And the snow is completely packed around the doors. You couldn't even try to open the door if you tried. And this is so very dangerous.
We've got a helicopter going up in Tulsa, this one obviously up in Oklahoma City. There are still planes flying around. We're still trying to get people in and out of the airports, but not too many out of Oklahoma (INAUDIBLE) at least at this point. And Dallas was for a while very, very slow. So we'll get to it -- here -- here's a car. Look at that. There's a car with a boat. This guy thought he was going boating. He was in the wrong state.
HARRIS: Let me know how that works out.
(LAUGHTER)
MYERS: I hope they're all OK, you know? I mean, you can see steam inside the car, like somebody was actually in there for a long time waiting for this blizzard -- literally it was a whiteout, it was zero visibility, windchill factor at 5 degrees below zero.
It's why we say all the time, take that survival kit with you. And it sounds like you just kind of, like, just...
HARRIS: Right.
MYERS: ... just talking. It seems like you're just talking. But people, we really are trying to save your lives sometimes. We'll be back later with all this, and we're going to keep getting more helicopters up in the sky, Tony.
HARRIS: All right, Chad. Thanks, man.
And checking the wire now with the day's other big stories. We expect an update this hour on a shocking crime, a tragic story out of Arkansas, a Salvation Army major shot dead in front of his three children on Christmas Eve. Authorities say Major Philip Wise (ph) was found lying by the back entrance of the Salvation Army facility in north Little Rock. Can you imagine? They say two men approached Wise and his children, ages 4, 6 and 8. The men demanded money before shooting Wise.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GARLAND CAMPER, PULASKI COUNTY, ARKANSAS, CORONER: My heart goes out for the family losing their dad, and I guess to have to witness it during this time of the year, it's definitely going to be hard on the kids.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Man. David Goldman and his 9-year-old son, Sean, are back in the states. They're in the Orlando area. They returned yesterday from Brazil, capping a long custody battle Goldman had with his former in-laws. The boy's Brazilian grandparents say they will not try to overturn the custody ruling.
At the Vatican this Christmas Day, Pope Benedict delivered his annual message of peace and hope to the world.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) POPE BENEDICT XVI: (INAUDIBLE) prince of peace reminds the world that true happiness lies (INAUDIBLE) hope and joy (INAUDIBLE) has been born for us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: The pope expressed sympathy for those who lost their homes due to disaster and poverty. He sent Christmas greetings in 65 languages. The pope's Christmas address came just hours after he was violently accosted during mass on Christmas Eve. This is new video just in to CNN showing the assailant rushing toward the pope. CNN's Colleen McEdwards explains how this happened.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COLLEEN MCEDWARDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A woman in red clears a barricade and lunges toward Pope Benedict XVI. In this amateur video, you see him fall forward, a moment of high drama before Christmas Eve mass. Watch again and you'll see security rush to surround him. The woman appears to touch the pope but is quickly moved away. A Texas family on a trip to Rome caught the incident on video.
MARY BETH BURNS, EYEWITNESS: All of a sudden, this person sort of flew over the barricade and the Holy Father went down. And all of a sudden, all the security people were all on top of it, you know, the whole pile there, getting her off and pulling him back up.
MCEDWARDS: Moments later, you see the pope continue down the aisle towards the main altar, where he celebrated mass. The Vatican confirms he was not hurt and describes the woman as unstable. CNN's Vatican analyst says, traditionally, authorities take no action against people who try to touch the pope.
JOHN ALLEN, CNN SENIOR VATICAN ANALYST (via telephone): Usually, they're not -- there's no malicious intent involved. They just want to either touch the pope or say something to him. But it's a reminder, actually, that as compared to other world leaders, presidents and prime ministers, the security penumbra around the pope is actually fairly thin.
MCEDWARDS: That is by design. The Vatican wants the pope to remain accessible, enough security to keep him safe but not so much he seems out of reach. So these incidents happen quite often.
ALLEN: I think, in the wake of these now, you know, repeated incidents, there probably will be a meeting in the Vatican some time soon to ask the question of whether they need to tighten up on the security.
MCEDWARDS: A mass interrupted and major relief on one of Christianity's holiest days.
Colleen McEdwards, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE) HARRIS: We're headed live to Baghdad, where U.S. forces are doing whatever they can to make Christmas feel a little bit like home. Plus, an opera star's quest to spread the sound of music.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANGELA BROWN, OPERA SINGER (SINGING): Oh, your daddy's rich and your mama's good looking, so hush little baby, don't you cry...
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: I can do that! First, though, a "Random Moment" in 90 seconds.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: I certainly hope you're having a good Christmas Day because we're having a ball around here. Let's get you to our random moment of the day. Why? No reason, really. We've got air time, some pretty wacky pictures and editing equipment. Later today, when your friends and family are looking for something to do, you could try creating your own beer bottle band. Check it out.
(VIDEO CLIP)
How good is that? Think you can do better? I don't think so! There you go, your Christmas Day random moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANGELA BROWN, OPERA SINGER: The biggest misconception about opera is that it's only geared towards elitist audiences. Anybody can really enjoy an opera, if they choose to.
My mission today is to introduce opera to those who normally don't like opera. Opera is about rich and poor people. It's about brown and black people. It's about yellow and white people. I hope you'll learn a little something today and you'll go away from here loving opera, OK, because this is opera as Dean Dixon (ph) almost had it right. It is not a sister's point of view, it's a sistah's point of view. All right! You got to lean back on it!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think that it's really cool that she's going and telling people that you don't have to be rich to do opera. You can be anyone to do opera.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think that it was really amazing that she could sing opera like that because I have never heard opera in that tone and pitch before.
BROWN: The next aria I would like to sing for is you from "Tosca." And the heroine's name is Florida Tosca, and she...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She told us what's happening in the opera. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's really cool to see all the characters act out the scenes.
BROWN: And I'll be singing the lullaby.
It takes nothing to understand the story, and hopefully, you'll enjoy the beautiful sounds coming off the stage and be immersed into a fantasy world.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: "Opera From a Sistah's Point of View" is what we're talking about in our "What Matters" segment. Opera sensation Angela Brown has commanded standing ovations on the world's most famous stages, and now she's on a mission to share her love of opera with everyone. She travels to churches, schools and nursing homes to perform her one-woman show, "Opera from a Sistah's Point of View." I talked with the soprano about her career, including the night her star was born. Check it out.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
What was the breakthrough moment for you in your career?
BROWN: Oh, I would say that happened in 2004 when I did my Metropolitan Opera debut as "Aida." Even now, I'm still trying to absorb what happened. One moment I was standing outside, looking at the marquee, and this little couple comes up and they see my name and they go, Angela Brown? Who the hell is Angela Brown? And then the next day, I sang. Front page of "The New York Times," they knew who the hell Angela Brown was then! So -- can I say "hell" on CNN?
HARRIS: You just did.
BROWN: Three times!
(LAUGHTER)
HARRIS: Yes, you did!
For so many people, they're going to get to know you for the first time, thanks to our time together, and yet you are one of the leading female voices in opera right now. So where did you come from?
BROWN: Well, I always say that opera chose me, I didn't choose it, because I never wanted to be that screechy soprano. But it wasn't until I went to Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama, and studied with Ginger Beasley (ph) that I found out that I had this voice in me and that the technique just came to me so easy.
Little did he know that Scarpia, who is the policeman in town...
HARRIS: Talk to us about your work to make sure that opera becomes more accessible to more people.
BROWN: Well, what you're speaking of is my baby, called "Opera from a Sistah's Point of View." Basically, it's just the concert that I do that demystifies opera for audiences that normally wouldn't go and see opera. It's a concert that can be geared towards any audience. When I'm talking with the children, that's what I really like because they want to know -- you know, they were just like me. I was in their seats one day. And I was saying, you know, I can't understand this music.
HARRIS: Yes.
BROWN: I don't like it. You know, She looks funny. She's loud. A lot of them sit there and put their hands in their ears when I start singing high and -- but it wasn't until I was exposed to it and certain things that were broken down for me that I really began to under -- to get an appreciation for opera. So that's all "Opera from a Sistah's Point of View" is.
HARRIS: Miss Angela, give me -- give me a little something, something.
BROWN: OK, I've got to give you a little something.
HARRIS: Let me feel a little something.
BROWN (SINGING): Summertime and the livin' is easy, fish are jumpin' and the cotton is high. Well, your daddy's rich and your mama's good lookin', so hush little baby, don't you cry...
Now that was my arrangement, but, you know...
HARRIS: Wow! Wow! Thank you, honey.
BROWN: Thank you! Now I understand you want a little voice lesson, a little something, something?
HARRIS: No, I'm good.
BROWN: You're -- can you sing, Tony?
HARRIS: Of course I can sing!
BROWN: Let me hear you do a little something.
HARRIS: What do you want? What do you want?
BROWN: Whatever you do, Booboo (ph), in the shower, at church.
HARRIS: (INAUDIBLE) Hold on, hold on. Let me start again. (SINGING) With the high heels on...
BROWN: OK, we've got to give him a reclear (ph) here for that.
HARRIS: What -- what's wrong? No, that was good.
BROWN: No.
HARRIS: That was tight. BROWN: Oh. OK. Thank you, CNN. God bless.
(LAUGHTER)
HARRIS: Thank you, baby.
BROWN: Thank you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: That was tight, wasn't it? And how about this, a little postscript to last week's "What Matters" segment. You'll recall we introduced you to Ty Hobson Powell (ph), a 14-year-old attending Howard University. He is a terrific basketball player and a political science major. He is, of course, lobbying to join the best political team in television. Now, I'm told that at the end to the segment, Ty issued a bit of a challenge to me. I'm not sure what it is, but let's take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TY HOBSON POWELL, HOWARD UNIVERSITY: Mr. Harris, next time you're in D.C., how about a game of basketball, you and me?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Oh, really? Ty, come on. So young and so -- so young. Ty, if you would, a bit of advice, and it's free. Stick with the books, young man, and let's get you down here to Atlanta for a bit of a tour of the facilities. But if you feel strongly about this one-on- one thing, I'm easy to find.
And to read more stories that matter to all of us, pick up the latest issue of "Essence" magazine on newsstands now or go on line to CNN.com/whatmatters.
And some tweaking for the military's no pregnancy rule. But first, remember the Georgia boy choir live on our program yesterday? Roger, play it again for everyone.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is Alison (ph) and Molly Santis (ph) (INAUDIBLE) NCD-74, Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan. I would like to wish a happy holiday season to all my family and friends in San Jose and also Fresno, California.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: OK, let's get a check of our top stories now. Police in Arkansas are searching for the man who shot and killed a Salvation Army worker in front of his three young children on Christmas Eve. Authorities say two men approached Major Philip Wise and demanding money before shooting him.
There's been a change in policy for troops in northern Iraq. The U.S. military will no longer punish soldiers for becoming pregnant or impregnating another. The policy, in effect only since November, had allowed for the possibility of court-martial and jail time for offenders.
And take a look at this dented badge. It helped save the life of a Oakland, Tennessee, police officer. Officer Joshua Smith (ph) had pulled over an SUV with expired tags when the drive pulled a gun and fired, knocking Smith down. Man! Smith is bruised but otherwise doing just fine. The shooter got away.
We will get another check of our top stories in 20 minutes.
You know, the pictures couldn't help but tear at your heart. Remember this scene, five years ago, about a quarter of a million people killed in a tsunami? It's time for a trip back to the scene.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Almost a quarter million people swept away by the sea, a quarter million, that staggering death toll still hard to comprehend five years after the Indian Ocean tsunami. Our Dan Rivers takes us back.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAN RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This was the moment of impact in Indonesia's remote Aceh province. The black swirling water choked with rubble is unstoppable. It has the power of the entire Indian Ocean behind it. In some places, the destruction was total. From the air, it looked like a sandy riverbed. This used to be a thriving town, scoured down to its foundations by the ocean.
It's difficult to comprehend how anyone could have survived this, but they did. Fitrie Ani was three months pregnant when the tsunami hit. Five years on, we found her again. She tells me what happened that day.
FITRIE ANI, TSUNAMI SURVIVOR (through translator): We saw a huge wave. It was black. We ran and fell. And when we reached the main road, we went to the upper level of a two-story shop. The water hit me there and dragged me far to sea.
RIVERS: By some miracle, she was picked up in the open ocean after 10 hours adrift. Fitrie lost 10 members of her family, including her husband. She has no idea where his remains ended up. But it's possible he ended up in a mass grave. There were so many bodies decaying in the tropical heat that the authorities had no choice but to unceremoniously dump them in grave pits. For the relatives looking on, it was too much to bear.
(on camera): I remember being here five years ago, and the smell and the sights were just overpowering. There were thousands upon thousands of dead bodies arriving by the truckload. They started burying them where that flagpole is. And by the time they'd finished, this entire field was full of corpses. Fifty thousand people were interred here and they were buried 12 meters deep.
(voice-over): These pictures helped to generate an unprecedented aid effort. More than $7 billion U.S. were donated by people who were appalled by what they were seeing that Christmas.
ANDREW MORRIS, UNICEF: I think the tsunami had really touched people's hearts. I think it was the timing. A lot of people were celebrating. It was Christmas. And I think people were really, really touched when they saw those pictures.
RIVERS: Since, then $3.2 billion have been spent on reconstruction in Aceh alone, according to the government agency responsible. The BKRA says that means 150,000 houses totally rebuilt with aid money.
But not all the rebuilding has been done properly. In this neighborhood, the houses are empty. They were built with no running water, and the standard of construction is poor. But overall, the BKRA insists the rebuilding has been successful. Fitrie and her mother are not totally happy with their rebuilt house, but life for them now is so much better than it was five years ago, and that's thanks largely to the money donated.
Outside their home, this little boy is the very embodiment of their newfound hope. Fitrie was pregnant with Zachri (ph) when the tsunami swept her away. Somehow, they both survived. Zachri will never meet his father. He was just one of the 245,000 people who disappeared or died that day, the day the sea swallowed their town and changed millions of lives forever.
Dan Rivers, CNN, Aceh.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Boy! You know, it's days like today that make a soldier's life even tougher than usual, Christmas thousands of miles away from home. We're headed live to Baghdad. Plus, a tearful surprise for one of our own.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PFC RONNIE LASHLEY, U.S. ARMY: Hello. I'm PFC Ronnie Lashley (ph) with Alpha Company 615, Camp Taji, Iraq. I'd like to say happy holidays to my family back home in Sherman, Texas. I love you. See you soon.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Here is a reunion between a soldier dad and his daughter that you have just got to see.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You had no idea I was coming home?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Nope!
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Wow. That is Sergeant First Class John Kuchin (ph) surprising his daughter Hannah (ph) at her kindergarten class in Bellingham, Massachusetts. Kuchin (ph) serves with a military police unit and has been in Iraq since August. The sergeant has two weeks to spend with his family. Look at that face.
So let's see how this Christmas day has played out for our troops in Iraq. Our Diana Magnay has been talking to them at a base near Baghdad. Diana, good to see you. My understanding here is the cooks were up early this Christmas day and that from what I gather they prepared quite the feast.
DIANA MAGNAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They certainly did, Tony. They were up at 8 a.m. They put on their Santa hats to start cooking up eight turkeys, four hams and a lot of corn on the cob, greens, stuffing, cranberry sauce. It was very good. I had a bit myself. And after this, everyone was presented with a stocking. I'll just show you what is in this Christmas stocking. There is some candy, there is a copy -- a very small copy of the New Testament and some noodle soup for the troops.
I want to bring in Private Thomas Odette whose first Christmas it is in Iraq.
PRIVATE THOMAS ODETTE, U.S. ARMY: Yes.
MAGNAY: Your first tour and your first Christmas. How has it been for you?
ODETTE: It is definitely different. I'll say that much. I miss my family like anyone else does. It just helps to keep my mind on what we are doing here to get through.
MAGNAY: And have you been in touch with them today?
ODETTE: Yes. I talked to some of my family earlier this morning around 3:00 a.m.
MAGNAY: That is pretty early. You had a big dinner, you had a stocking, have your presents from your family arrived yet?
ODETTE: I'm still waiting on them in the mail. They'll get here eventually. Snail mail so it takes a while.
MAGNAY: And how was the food? How was your Christmas dinner?
ODETTE: The way I look at it, food is food to me. I eat any kind of food.
MAGNAY: Are you glad they put on a bit of a feast for you? ODETTE: Oh yes, I love to eat.
MAGNAY: Thank you very much. So someone happy here with the food and generally quite a lot of festive spirits this Christmas, stockings, turkey and the chefs still have their Santa hats on, Tony.
HARRIS: That's wonderful. Love to hear it. All right, Diana, appreciate it, Diana Magnay for us in Baghdad.
You know, our thoughts and prayers are with tens of thousands of American men and women serving our country in the Iraq and Afghanistan war zone. But I've got to tell you, we can't help but say a few extra prayers for one soldier in particular today, Senior Master Sergeant Sidney McIntosh. You see, Sergeant McIntosh is the father of our beloved Sydney McIntosh, our ready for primetime associate producer. We surprised Sydney last hour with a phone call from her dad in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Here is a piece of it because it is real good.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Sergeant McIntosh is on the phone with us from Kandahar, Afghanistan. Sergeant, good to speak with you. You know something, I think we actually managed to do this. We pulled this off, merry Christmas to you.
SIDNEY MCINTOSH, U.S. AIR FORCE (on phone): Merry Christmas to y'all, too. Thank you, sir, I appreciate you doing this.
HARRIS: Wow.
SYDNEY MCINTOSH, CNN EMPLOYEE: Hi, daddy.
HARRIS: Well, sergeant, if you would - what would you -- let me turn it over to you and what would you like to say to your wife, what would you like to say to your daughter?
SIDNEY MCINTOSH: All right. Hey, Sydney, you know I miss you guys.
SYDNEY MCINTOSH: Hi, daddy. We miss you, too.
SIDNEY MCINTOSH: First Christmas in a while we not going to be together. So, I don't know what else to say to you. You know, my heart is with you. And I'm keeping your memory. I enjoy the pictures that you send me, so y'all enjoy your time there together, OK? I know you crying, aren't you?
SYDNEY MCINTOSH: Yes. I love you. We miss you.
SIDNEY MCINTOSH: I love you, too, girl.
SYDNEY MCINTOSH: And stay safe.
SIDNEY MCINTOSH: All right.
HARRIS: Hey, sergeant, a couple of questions for you, just because I want to keep this shot up as long as I can, how difficult is it for you to be away from this wonderful family during the holidays?
SIDNEY MCINTOSH: It's tough. I mean, it has been a long journey. I have been in the service now for 23 years and I got to be honest to say this is pretty much the first time that I had to spend a Christmas holiday away from my family. So it is kind of tough. I mean, the days are long just because of it.
HARRIS: And oh, Sydney, anything you want to say to your dad before we go?
SYDNEY MCINTOSH: We miss and we wish you were here and I love you so much and I can't wait till you come home in April.
SIDNEY MCINTOSH: Right.
SYDNEY MCINTOSH: And thank you to my team. This is the best gift you could have given me. So happy right now.
SIDNEY MCINTOSH: Don't you start making me cry, OK? Hey, do me a favor, tell everybody I said hi, OK? Tell them I miss them and make sure you wish them a merry Christmas from me.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Well Sydney was a pretty big gift for us, too. And for all you anglophiles, a message from her majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. It is a message we could all use on this holiday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
QUEEN ELIZABETH II, UNITED KINGDOM: Christians are taught to love their neighbors, having compassion and concern and being ready to undertake charity and voluntary work to ease the burden of deprivation and disadvantage. We may ourselves be confronted by a bewildering array of difficulties and challenges. But we must never cease to work for a better future for ourselves and for others. I wish you all wherever you may be a very happy Christmas.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Elizabeth also paid tribute to Britain's troops in Afghanistan. Her first Christmas Day message was 1957, 52 years ago.
If you live near Pasadena, Maryland, we have a train ride you simply have to take this holiday season. And you never have to leave the station.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hello, my name is Lieutenant Anita Baez (ph) from Baghdad, Iraq. And I want to send season's greetings to my son Michael in San Antonio, Texas. Merry Christmas.
(END VIDEO CLIP) HARRIS: And checking our top stories now, police in Arkansas are searching for the men who shot and killed a Salvation Army worker in front of his three young children on Christmas Eve. Authorities say two men approached Major Philip Wise and demanded money before shooting him.
In Rome, the Vatican says the woman who attacked Pope Benedict at Christmas Eve mass has been taken to a mental hospital. She managed to drag the pope to the floor, but the Vatican says he was not injured. A cardinal however broke a leg in the incident.
And parts of the Midwest are paralyzed this holiday by a powerful blizzard. This 50-car pileup in Oklahoma shows how treacherous driving conditions are. The governor shut down the state highways and interstates to keep people off the roads. At least 18 highway deaths have been reported across the region.
One man has found a way to turn his love for trains into a holiday tradition his entire community can enjoy. He has been collecting trains since his father gave him one 50, make that 60 years ago. CNN photojournalist Bethany Swain takes us to Pasadena, Maryland, to show us how John Sturgeon (ph) shares his elaborate collection with friends and neighbors.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I didn't think my collection would grow this big.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It started out little section, little section, little section.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Twelve hundred people came through last year.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He has been collecting since he was a child and he just decided he wanted to build a train garden and I said OK.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I had quite a collection at the time so I wanted to share it. So we built this building so we could set the trains up and give her back her closets.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's Thomas and Percy.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Where?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right there.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It took me several years to put them up.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It basically is an all year thing.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And there it comes again.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Each year, I put at least 100 hours in here.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's James. He's right there with his eyes moving.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We leave it up all year long.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Grammy look.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We control the heat in here. In the summertime we have a dehumidifier to take the moisture out.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: See, it's snowing on it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is built better than the house.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Santa Claus is here every night until Christmas.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We come every year at least once a week. They have been looking forward it for about three months now.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is a tradition with them.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is our first time. It is absolutely wonderful. I just can't imagine the effort and the time that Mr. and Mrs. Sturgeon (ph) have put into this.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There is a train we added this year. It has 30 cars on it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That is a long train.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So it runs the whole length of the board.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And the outside decorations are as beautiful as the inside decorations.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And they know when this thing is lit and it starts flashing, they can come in and have a good time.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We love it. That's why we do it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Lights my heart up.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just such a wonderful thing to do for the community.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: In just a couple of minutes here, right after this newscast, tune into CNN's hour long special "Giving in Focus." You can catch an encore presentation tomorrow December 26 at 3:00 p.m.
Take a look at this. Ponder on it for a second. There is something terribly wrong with this picture. That is just not right.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Boy, I didn't see that coming. President Obama and the first family have traded the winter chill of Washington for the sunny beaches of Hawaii. Our senior White House correspondent Ed Henry landed the plum assignment of covering the president on vacation.
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ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Merry Christmas from Honolulu where I have to tell you, the water is just a little bit chilly. But I don't want to rub it in, because I know in large parts of America and around the world, it is pretty cold on Christmas.
It is a balmy 80 degrees or so here on Waikiki Beach where I am going to spend two weeks covering President Obama's holiday vacation with his family. And I have to tell you, the people are always poking fun at me for being here for two whole weeks, but I say, after covering many holidays and vacations in Crawford, Texas, with President Bush, Honolulu is change I can believe in, even though I never pick sides between the political parties.
And before he left Washington, the president hailed his Senate victory on health care reform although his aides say he's got a lot of work to do, they know, in 2010, pushing through final passage on his signature domestic initiative.
But for Christmas, he is on the north side of Oahu. A pretty remote area, a very quiet Christmas with his family, so I'm going to do pretty much the same, sit down here on my towel, put on a little suntan lotion and make sure that I'm catching some rays. And I've even got some spam sushi which is sort of an interesting local delicacy here in Hawaii. Have some of that for breakfast. Throw on my cap and say merry Christmas. Ed Henry, CNN, Honolulu.
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HARRIS: That is craziness. The students at Baltimore's Highlandtown Elementary and Middle School have been busy working on a little assignment for us. I visited Ms. Gordon's fourth grade class two weeks ago, and I asked the students to tell us what Christmas means to them.
Dashawn Benton says, "On Christmas Day, you get to open presents, play in the snow and build snowmen. Merry Christmas!"
And Michael Dennis says, "Christmas is the greatest day of the year. I enjoy singing Christmas carols, having snowball fights, drinking hot chocolate and playing with my toys. I think about all of the poor kids who can't have a Christmas and I try to help in any way that I can. As I have grown up, I have learned to be thankful for what you have."
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CROWD: (SINGING)
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is Major Tim Hyde (ph) in Iraq and I'd like to say happy holidays, merry Christmas, happy New Year's to my friends and family in Flint and Grand Lake, Michigan. Miss you guys, see you soon.
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HARRIS: Boy, merry Christmas. How about that Michael Jackson back in the day. Big stars, big giving all this week. CNN's "American Morning" has been profiling American celebrities who are using their name and fame to help others. Alina Cho talks with Sir Elton John, a man who has raised millions of dollars for AIDS research.
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ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Tony. When we came up with the idea of doing a series on celebrity philanthropy my first thought was Elton John. Sir Elton John has been an advocate for AIDS awareness for as long as we can remember. So after all these years of working so tirelessly for the cause, we wanted to know, what keeps him going. He says just like writing music, philanthropy is part of his life.
(voice-over): His music is iconic, but Sir Elton John has another talent that may surprise you, tennis.
CHO (on camera): Who knew you had a mean forehand.
ELTON JOHN, SINGER: I got a good forehand.
CHO (voice-over): And he is using it for a good cause. Teaming up with his long-time friend, Billie Jean King at this celebrity tennis tournament to raise money for AIDS. A constant fight on the court and off.
CHO (on camera): I know you say that AIDS is difficult.
JOHN: Yes.
CHO: What do you mean by that?
JOHN: Well, it seems like every 10 years, another generation goes up that you have to reeducate.
CHO: Is that frustrating for you?
JOHN: It is. You have to go back and start all over again, and say, no, no, no, you can't do this, you must have safe sex. You must use a condom.
CHO (voice-over): The 62-year-old openly gay music legend was not an active AIDS advocate until he met 14-year-old Ryan White in 1986. The Indiana teen was expelled from his school because he had AIDS. John became so close to the White family he gave them financial assistance and was at Ryan's bedside when he died.
CHO (on camera): What was it about that little boy?
JOHN: Well because you know I never heard Ryan complain about having AIDS, I never heard him whine or be miserable. He carried everything with such dignity and he just taught me about humility, how my life was completely out of whack. About six months after Ryan died, I began to change my life.
CHO: Was there a certain point at which a light bulb then went off in your head?
JOHNS: You know I wanted to give something back. I mean I've lived a charmed life. Taking drugs and drinking, you know, having unsafe sex, at a time when I should have been so much more well- behaved. I should have had more morals. After Ryan died, I thought that I could give something back. I have come out of this HIV negative. I have got to do something positive.
CHO (voice-over): That something positive was the Elton John AIDS Foundation. In 17 years, EJAF has started programs in 55 countries and has raised more than $150 million.
CHO (on camera): You are Elton John. You could easily take a publicity photo, write a check and call it a day. But you are out there, as you say in your own words, getting your hands dirty.
JOHN: Yes.
CHO: Why?
JOHN: Well people are so grateful for the smallest things. It doesn't take a lot of money to run a project in Africa. If you have $15,000 $20,000 -- this is you know, this is something that's never go away in my lifetime. And so I'm off to try each year to step up and do a little bit more.
CHO (voice over): Even when it means supporting other causes, like Andy Roddick's foundation to help needy children.
ANDY RODDICK, TENNIS SUPERSTAR: He doesn't want to just come and play, he wants to know exactly where the money we raised is going, how it's going, you know, he always calls two or three days later and says what's the total tally. How much did we raise?
CHO: Really?
RODDIC: Yes, he's just really involved in the whole process.
CHO: Why? John says, why not?
CHO (on camera): You are in the trenches, you are traveling all around the world, not to mention you have a day job already. You know at a certain point do you ever think maybe I can pass the torch?
JOHN: No way, I mean I have the greatest life style. I have the most incredible life. I do what I love to do. I play music. I write music. This is part of my life now. Once you have you seen people suffer like this, you just don't ever think of stopping. I will be doing this until the day -- they put me into the ground because I love doing it. And I love, you know -- I just want to try and make a difference.
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CHO: One of the big missions of the Elton John AIDS Foundation is helping programs with the underserved, prisoners, even prostitutes. Sir Elton John says without the right education, the right medical care and good advice, these are the people that go out and make the infection rate even higher. He calls them the forgotten ones, Tony, people who in some cases need help the most but who are often ignored.
HARRIS: All right, Alina, appreciate it, thank you.
Wishing for a white Christmas is one thing, what they got in Oklahoma is, well, a mess.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm here with combat battalion 46 here in Al- Asad in Iraq. I just want to wish a happy holidays to all my family and friends back in Youngstown, Ohio.
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HARRIS: Very quickly before we get to the top of the hour, let's get back to Chad Myers in the Severe Weather Center. And Chad, what are you following for the rest of the day for us?
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