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American Morning
Aid Continues to Arrive in Haiti; Massachusetts Senate Seat Election in a Dead Heat; American Buried Alive for 50 Hours Survives; Wyclef Jean Defends His Haiti Charity; Another Boston Tea Party in the Massachusetts Senate Race?
Aired January 18, 2010 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Thanks for being with us on the Most News in the Morning. We're here with you on a Monday. It's January the 18th. I'm John Roberts.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Kiran Chetry. Glad you're with us. Let's take a look now at the big stories we're following for you in the next 15 minutes.
First, situation is growing more tense in Haiti this morning. There is a lack of food, water and security concerns slowing relief operations. Also this morning, a son desperately searching for his father turns to CNN for help. We have -- our live with the emotional outcome.
ROBERTS: We're following breaking news this morning from the war in Afghanistan, Kabul under attack, explosions, a raging inferno, gun battles all in the heart of the city. The Taliban claims 20 militants got into the presidential palace and other governmental buildings as some of President Karzai's cabinet members were being sworn in. NATO says at least two attackers were killed.
CHETRY: It may be hard to imagine in a state that's the bluest of the blue, but Democrats are worried about losing the senate seat that Ted Kennedy held for 46 years. With the special election coming up tomorrow, Polls Show Republican Scott Brown and Democrat Martha Coakley are in a virtual dead heat.
So is there a modern-day Boston Tea Party in the works? Our Jim Acosta taking a look at the race live from Boston.
ROBERTS: First, though, let's get you caught up on all the latest developments from Haiti this morning.
Only now is food and medicine beginning to reach survivors -- 50,000 emergency food packets and a quarter of a million liters of water distributed by aid agencies over the weekend.
But the process is painfully slow. Looting is now a problem in Port-au-Prince, desperate Haitians battling over scraps, crumbs of food. Security forces challenged to keep the piece there.
Amid the chaos, though, a few minor miracles. A U.N. worker pinned for five days pulled from the rubble alive. Five others rescued from the remains of the Caribbean grocery store by teams from New York and Florida.
But doctors -- doctors are in very short supply. Many physicians are ready and willing to volunteer, but they're unable to get clearance to land at Haiti's airport. The United Nations says seven makeshift field hospitals were set up in the capital city by Saturday, but so many people are injured that many of them are being turned away.
CHETRY: But amid all of the suffering, thousands of people across the globe are holding out hope, franticly trying to reach lost loved ones in the devastation and chaos. And for one man, the distance and silence was just unbearable. So he contacted CNN to get some help finding his father.
Our Jason Carroll, live in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. And Jason, you had this picture, and you actually went out looking for this man's dad. How did it turn out?
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, well, you know, Kiran, that's exactly what happened. That's all we were armed with. We had the picture, we had an address, and a little bit of extra time on our hands. And that's all we needed to track down a 73-year-old man whose son was desperately looking for him.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CARROLL: When news of the quake broke and images of destruction poured in, Sachiel Mondesir sat in New York frustrated and worried, unable to reach his father, Jean Serrie (ph), who was in Port-au- Prince, for a funeral.
SACHIEL MONDESIR, FATHER IS IN HAITI: I started to freak out because I knew my dad was down there and I had no idea what happened. So I was very afraid.
CARROLL: Mondesir tried everything, but communications were down, the U.S. embassy out of reach.
MONDESIR: It was a sense of, you know, helplessness, where you can't do anything for the person that you love. So I just -- I didn't know what to do.
CARROLL: So Mondesir took a chance and sent an e-mail to CNN asking for help, attaching his father's picture and address. Armed with the information, we set out to find John Serrie (ph), our local driver snaking through complicated streets, asking questions along the way.
Finally we spot the address. In a neighborhood called "Delma (ph) 24," the Mondesir destroyed, no sign of Sachiel's father. But we did find his aunt.
CARROLL (on camera): Basically what I'm doing right now is I'm showing her a picture that I have of this man on my Blackberry here that was sent to me. This is his picture here. So we've made our way to his -- we found the home in this area, and we found one of his relatives that has his passport.
CARROLL (voice-over): She says Sachiel's father is alive and took us to a small camp where they've been staying with other survivors. We wait. No sign of Jean Serrie (ph). But several hours later --
CARROLL (on camera): That's him! Hi. How are you? How are you? We've been looking for you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How are you?
CARROLL: It's so good to see you. There are a lot of people back in the United States who are looking for you, your son.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. OK.
CARROLL: Yes. Yes. How are you? How are you doing?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm all right.
CARROLL: Yes?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm all right.
CARROLL: This is how we found you. This is a picture, this is you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, that's me.
(LAUGHTER)
CARROLL: That's you, yes?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's me.
CARROLL (voice-over): CNN producer Justin Dial used our satellite phone to make an important call.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sachiel, how are you doing? OK, I'm fine. Are you OK? I'm fine. Everything is OK with me, OK?
CARROLL (on camera): What was it like to finally hear your son's voice? How was that for you? Nice?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, very nice, very nice for me, very nice for me. He's my last son.
CARROLL (voice-over): More than 1,000 miles away, a grateful and relieved son.
MONDESIR: It's almost like a dream that, you know, you haven't heard from him, so to speak to him now, again, it's -- it's hard to explain the emotions, but I was extremely happy to hear from him.
CARROLL (on camera): Take care of yourself. Be well and be safe. CARROLL (voice-over): Mondesir was anxious to thank our crew. In a city with so much despair, one family is thankful for the ending they had hoped for.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CARROLL: And you know, Kiran, I hope you get a sense from watching that piece and seeing Jean Serrie (ph) just how happy he was given all that has happened. He's lost -- he lost a cousin, he lost friends, as you can imagine, in the earthquake.
But he was so overjoyed to see us, because what had happened was word had spread throughout the neighborhood that there were some Americans looking for him, and I guess they sort of described what I looked like. And the minute he saw me, he literally just went out there and threw his arms around me.
And given all that had happened, it's really amazing to see that kind of spirit from someone like Jean Serrie (ph) here. So it was a pleasure to be able to find him, and gave us the sort of emotional boost that we needed after seeing so much out here.
But of course most importantly, it was great just to be able to let his family at home know that he was all right here. Kiran?
CHETRY: It was wonderful -- it was wonderful that you guys had an opportunity to capture that from both sides in America and there in Haiti with the cameras. Thanks a lot, Jason.
ROBERTS: Well, everyone wants to know how they can help. So what we've done is we have put all of the resources all in one place for you. It's kind of one-stop shopping here. You can go to CNN.com/Haiti, and there you can find all the things like the number for the Red Cross, or you can text 90999 and type in "Haiti."
You could also get a list of charitable agencies at CNN.com/impact. You'll find stories and images on what's happening down there in Haiti, many of them reported by Haitians themselves at CNNireport.com. And of course stay connected on Twitter.
And coming up tonight at 8:00 p.m. eastern, a special two-hour edition of "LARRY KING LIVE." Celebrities, leaders, and activists will be joining Larry to show you how to take action and be a part of the global outreach.
CHETRY: Well, he represents more Haitian-Americans than any other member of Congress. That's why Kendrick Meek didn't want to wait any longer. The representative from south Florida bought a one- way ticket from Miami to the Dominican Republic, landing Sunday morning just after midnight, then getting a local driver to take him into Haiti, that process taking several hours.
And he is now in Port-au-Prince where he joins us live this morning. Good morning, Congressman Meek.
REP. KENDRICK MEEK, (D) FLORIDA: Good morning. CHETRY: So you've been on the ground for a full day. What have you seen and what's it been like in Haiti?
MEEK: An awful lot, an awful lot. The port is in bad condition. This city needs a lot of work. Security is definitely going to be a priority in the next hours or couple of days, and the rescue workers are still pulling people from brick and mortar.
Last night I was with the Miami-Dade fire and rescue unit, and they saved a young girl and her brother, and before that, a three- year-old baby. So it's truly amazing work general on here by the international community and by a number of our firefighters in the United States.
CHETRY: Absolutely, these people working tirelessly in unthinkable conditions to try to desperately save these survivors.
And Congress, we actually have some video of that rescue you were at where you talked about them being able to pull that small girl from the rubble. You know, doesn't it just -- don't you marvel at the thought that these people can survive five, six days, in some cases, under the rubble?
MEEK: Absolutely. And it's kind of cool, but then it's hot here, and then the fact that people are living under these conditions are truly, truly amazing.
Many of the rescuers, including myself, are very emotional by what's happening here. The resolve of the Haitian people, the fact that the locals flagged us down and they were trying to dig her out by themselves.
CHETRY: Yes, we see her right there.
MEEK: It's amazing.
CHETRY: It is amazing to see her. She has her eyes open there, one of the rescuers holding on to her, or perhaps that's one of her family members. Do you know her condition now?
MEEK: That's her father. That's actually her father. Her father was there.
And I took my iPhone out and took this footage that you're looking at now. And he was so happy to see her. Unfortunately, the mother was still under there, and she expired. But I understand that she's fine, she's in a hospital recovering right now, but she was in pretty good shape and she was responding to her father.
CHETRY: Well, thank god for that small miracle as we talk about -- amidst all of this tragedy.
One of the big issues that we've been talking about, congressman, is the inability of all that aid that has poured in to the country to actually get to many of the people that need it. I mean, as we talked about, people are still waiting, in some cases, for food and water nearly a week after the tragedy.
How do we expedite that process? What are some of the biggest hurdles, and how do they overcome them?
MEEK: Well, the big hurdle is the fact, I believe, that the folks are looking at security for those that are coming out into the field. Right now, people are trying to help you, there's very little security risk on the street right now. Obviously your reporters are moving around without any problems.
But I think that that is going to expire pretty soon. If we don't get water, if we don't get shelter, if we don't get security right behind me, it's going to end up being a situation. I know, because we've seen it before here in Haiti, and now it's exacerbated by the fact that folks don't have homes and they can't get out to provide for themselves.
So right now they need some serious, serious assistance, and I know that the 82nd airborne is grouping themselves to be able to provide that security. But you have the U.N. here, you have the 82nd, and so it's important that they come together to be able to make sure that they bring about, not only security, but also humanitarian -- meet the humanitarian needs of thousands of people that are living on the streets.
CHETRY: Absolutely. Well, you're seeing it firsthand yourself, and represent many Haitian-Americans who are very worried about their loved ones there. Thanks for spending time to talk to us this morning, Representative Kendrick Meek, thanks.
MEEK: Thank you.
ROBERTS: Also new this morning, with a special election coming up tomorrow, President Obama was in Boston trying to save a seat for his party in a key vote for health care reform.
Polls show Republican Scott Brown and Democrat Martha Coakley, in a virtual tie. If Brown were to pull off a win, he would break the filibuster-proof 60-seat majority that Democrats currently hold in the Senate.
We've got Jim Acosta out on the campaign trail for us and he will join us live from snowy Boston this morning taking a look at this critical race. That's coming your way in 25 minutes after the hour.
CHETRY: Breaking news out of Afghanistan this morning, violence and chaos in the heart of the capital city, Kabul, heavily-armed suspected Taliban militants entering the presidential palace and other government buildings in Kabul. Explosions and gunfire heard for several hours.
And now we're learning at least five people were killed and more than 35 others injured. NATO says at least two of the attackers were killed. The attack started as 14 members of Afghan President Hamid Karzai's cabinet were to be sworn in. ROBERTS: Still ahead on the Most News in the Morning, the Hotel Montana in Port-au-Prince, scene of unspeakable destruction. We'll talk to one man who was pulled alive from the rubble, coming right up. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning. It's 14 minutes past the hour now.
It's one of the many miracles coming out of the miserable situation in Haiti. Rick Santos was in Port-au-Prince at the hotel Montana when the earthquake struck. He along with five other colleagues were trapped under the rubble for more than 50 hours, and he survived on only a little bit of chewing gum and sharing a tootsie pop.
He was pulled from the rubble Thursday and reunited with his family over the weekend, and Rick Santos joins us now live from Washington to share his story with us. Thanks so much for joining us this morning, Rick.
RICK SANTOS, SURVIVED 50 HOURS BURIED IN RUBBLE: Good morning, Kiran.
CHETRY: So 50 hours trapped in a space that was probably, what, the size of a coffin. How did you make it?
SANTOS: It was very difficult. We were -- we were in a space that was basically five foot by eight foot, and about three foot high -- rubble, concrete, all around us, pitch-dark. I think we made it because we talked to each other, we helped each other, and we had this hope that we would be rescued at some point.
CHETRY: Yes, and when -- first of all, I can imagine the shock when it first happened. Did you guys realize what happened, and how did those first two hours transpire?
SANTOS: Oh, it was incredible. We were walking through the lobby of the Hotel Montana and then all of a sudden I saw one of the chandeliers swing. And before it even made its way down, just everything crashed and collapsed on top of us.
We -- we were in, I think all fell in about the same direction. And immediately we were looking around talking to each other, trying to see if everyone was OK. Unfortunately, two of my colleagues were pinned down by rubble and were injured. So we did what we could to help kind of ease their pain at that moment.
And then, you know, my biggest fear initially was that there wasn't going to be any air, enough air for the six of us. And so, you know, just as soon as that kind of stabilized and we saw that everybody was alive, then we started talking about what we need to do. And, you know, from the size of the earthquake, from what we heard and what we felt and how fast the building fell, we knew it was a big quake. CHETRY: And even more upsetting, I'm sure, was that there was a time when it seemed like rescuers were coming to you, you felt them hitting with sledgehammers, and then they were gone. And then it was several more hours that transpired before people came back. What was that like?
SANTOS: It was actually more like -- almost 28, maybe 30 hours until somebody came. We had, yes, the first morning we were actually hoping that somebody would come looking for us that first morning. And we did hear those sledgehammers pounding very methodically I think looking for air spaces, looking for people. And we actually ended up screaming and shouting like, help, and banging on the walls and finally we had a response.
And they said, in French, in Haitian-French, they said, you know, how many are you? And we said eight, because it was my group of six and then there were two other gentlemen trapped in the elevator shaft who we had been communicating with. And then they said, are you well? And we said, no, we're hurt. And that was it.
And then it really wasn't until we were rescued, until 7:00 p.m. the next night that actually somebody came. We heard nothing. In fact, the second night was really dark for us. I think we were just -- we were just shattered that nobody came back and said anything to us.
CHETRY: And being a dad of some young kids, you had a tootsie pop and some gum in your bag and that was able to sustain you guys. I mean, it's --
SANTOS: We had no water. You know, I have two young kids. I think anyone with kids know that they have things in their bags and so forth when their kids are crying or they need some motivation to kind of get in the car or do something. So we had one -- we had one tootsie pop and we did share that. And that was it.
We really -- I did have also some painkillers, some Aleve which we gave to the friends who are pinned down. But really that was it.
You know, to illuminate the small space, we used, you know, cell phones, our iPhones and BlackBerries. My colleague from IMA World Health, Sarla Chand (ph) was in another compartment. In some ways she was the one -- she's a lovely person, 65 years old, crawling around the rubble because she was the only one who could actually move and was looking for air spaces and looking for light. And, you know, we could hear helicopters going above us.
And, you know, we didn't really hear sounds close to us. And, you know, every time we might have heard a voice or something like a saw or something, we would scream and yell, but there was no response.
And really, at the end of the situation, we -- Sarla (ph) had kind of found her way to the kind of a new place. I don't know how she did it because she had no light. She was completely in the dark. She heard a voice and we all started to scream and shout really at the top of our lungs. And we heard a voice come back to us saying, you know, hello, we're here. We're going to rescue you.
CHETRY: Must have been the best sound in the world.
SANTOS: Oh, it really was. I mean, we were -- it was elation, and we -- they took another four hours actually to get us out, to cut through all the concrete. And even then, the way we got out was we were pulled out essentially by our feet and we had to go through like a layer of about two feet wide of concrete that was really pressing against us, and then we had to go through another layer.
And we were in the lobby and we were only yards away from the entrance of the hotel.
CHETRY: Right.
SANTOS: So to see all this rubble between us and what was formerly the entrance, I'm just amazed that we actually survived. I'm sad, actually. I'm grieving actually right now because two of the colleagues who were with me didn't make it. We found that out yesterday.
CHETRY: That's just heartbreaking.
SANTOS: And it's heartbreaking and -- you know, I have to say, you know, the group around us, we -- you know, we are humanitarian workers, all of us, and some of them were ministers and -- you know, during -- as much as we were praying for ourselves, we were also praying for the people of Haiti and of Port-au-Prince because we knew how bad this was going to be. And just by the way the building fell and the aftershocks which were just tremendous...
CHETRY: Right.
SANTOS: ... that, you know, my concern now is doing what we can for the folks there. Because it's going to take -- I mean, this is the initial emergency phase, but it's going to take years, if not decades, to really, really help that country.
CHETRY: Absolutely. And you witnessed it firsthand, and I bet your wife and kids were so happy to see you.
Well, thanks so much, Rick Santos, the president and CEO of IMA World Health. You were doing humanitarian work there when this happened. Thanks so much for joining us this morning.
SANTOS: Thank you, Kiran.
ROBERTS: Wow, what a story. Can't imagine, 50 hours under rubble.
CHETRY: I know.
ROBERTS: There's controversy that is now surrounding a major Haiti charity. Christine Romans has got your business coming up. Talking about Wyclef John's Yele Haiti charity. Charges of corruption being leveled at it. She breaks it all down for you this morning. Twenty-one minutes now after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Twenty-four minutes after the hour. Christine Romans "Minding Your Business."
All these charities that are dedicated toward delivering aid to Haiti, and now one of them surrounding some controversy.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: That's right. This is the Wyclef Jean charity called Yele Haiti or Yele Haiti. According to smokinggun.com, there's a whole bunch of documents they have on there showing $410,000 in rent payments to a recording studio owned by him, money to him to perform at a benefit concert raising the question that not enough money goes to direct relief but there's a lot of money that seems to be moving around to the artist himself.
Wyclef Jean is coming out very strongly and very emotionally against any kind of criticism about his charity. Listen to what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WYCLEF JEAN, MUSICIAN: I never and would ever take money from my personal pocket when it comes to Yele. I myself have put $1 million inside of my own foundation. So not only do I denounce all of that, I'm disgusted by that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: He's very angry at any suggestion that not enough money is going to relief efforts and he's very angry that the suggestion that he would enrich himself here.
A couple of things I wan to tell you. A lot of money coming in through text messages, through online. The Better Business Bureau reminding again, this issue aside, reminding you again, confirm the number with the charity. They haven't had any major problems with this yet, but make sure as the days and months progress, if you're giving money via text, make sure you're really giving money to the charity.
Text donations remember could take 30 to 60 days. View the fine print and also research your charity. You want a charity that gives 75 cents on the dollar to actual programs and relief. Many of them do not. Many small charities do not. The Red Cross I think is 90 cents.
ROBERTS: Yes.
ROMANS: Save the children is 92 cents.
ROBERTS: And be careful what e-mails you believe, too.
ROMANS: Yes.
ROBERTS: Because there's a lot of scammers out there.
ROMANS: Oh, yes.
ROBERTS: Christine, thanks so much. Christine Romans "Minding Your Business."
CHETRY: We want to take a quick break. We'll be right back with our top stories.
It's 26 minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Twenty-eight minutes past the hour right now. We're taking a look at what happens tomorrow in Massachusetts and how it could really affect the entire nation and the president's entire future domestic agenda -- yes, including health care.
ROBERTS: Yes, that's why he was in Boston yesterday trying to recapture the energy from the 2008 campaign, drive voters to the polls for his party.
Voters are going to go to the polls to choose between Democratic state Attorney General Martha Coakley and Republican state Senator Scott Brown. They are fighting for a seat that Senator Ted Kennedy held for 46 years. They thought there was a Democratic lock, but there was no guarantee, even in New England, that a Democrat is going to fill that seat.
Our Jim Acosta is following this critical race. He's live for us in snowy Boston this morning.
And, Jim, you know, five months ago to think that a Republican might ever challenge for this race, you really have to shake your head.
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, John. And the entire Obama agenda is sort of like us this morning, out in the cold, if Martha Coakley loses. And in a huge sign of political weakness, the president is scrambling to hold on to this seat that used to belong to the late Senator Ted Kennedy. And polls show the Republican in this race, Scott Brown, is tapping into voter outrage in the hopes of pulling off his own Boston tea party.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ACOSTA (voice-over): Facing a volcano of voter anger, President Obama dashed to Boston to prevent a Massachusetts meltdown. How important is Tuesday's election here?
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If you were fired up in the last election, I need you more fired up in this election.
ACOSTA: So important the president parachuted into this campaign rally on the first lady's birthday.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Happy birthday to you.
OBAMA: Where we don't want to go right now is backwards to the same policies that got us into this mess in the first place.
ACOSTA: Mr. Obama was out to rescue Massachusetts attorney general Martha Coakley who polls show could actually do the unthinkable for democrats and lose Ted Kennedy's Senate seat. Kennedy's widow was on hand to support Coakley, who concedes the nation's top issue, the economy is not on her side.
MARTHA COAKLEY (D), MASS. SENATE CANDIDATE: People deserve to be angry, but we can't let that anger get in the way of remembering where it came from.
SCOTT BROWN, REPUBLICAN SENATE CANDIDATE: This is my truck. I put a lot of miles on it during this campaign.
ACOSTA: Coakley's challenger, the pickup driving Republican state lawmaker Scott Brown has the backing of frustrated tea party voters.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We don't like the health care, the bill that's in Congress right now. I thin it's going to be very dangerous control of our rights.
ACOSTA: Brown's vowing to deny Democrats the 60th vote in the Senate needed to pass health care reform.
BROWN: I want to be the person to go down there and send the health care back to its drawing board.
ACOSTA: This ultimate blue state is seeing red in part because some independents and conservatives who supported Democrats in the past are having second thoughts.
DENIS FITZGERALD, INDEPENDENT VOTER: I don't think it's particularly the president. I don't think it's particularly Coakley. I think it's the direction that this country is taking. We need to send a message to the people, the people are very angry.
ACOSTA: Even die-hard Democrats accused Coakley, who once had a double-digit lead here, of running a lack luster campaign.
SCOTT OLSON, UNDECIDED DEMOCRATIC: She was more likeable as a candidate, but there are some things that are turning me off about her as a candidate.
ACOSTA: The race is so close Democrats are now trying to figure out if they can pass health care reform if Coakley loses. And before Brown would take office. A scenario Republicans welcome.
MARY MATALIN, GOP POLITICAL STRATEGIST: They slow walk the certification and they warp speed the vote, that is it. That is it. You're -- we will win the House for sure and probably take over the Senate.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ACOSTA: Now we're drawing up some baseball cards for you this morning so you can track this race that is happening tomorrow. Scott Brown, we mentioned, is a Republican state senator here in Massachusetts. He served in the House here in Massachusetts. Before that, he is also a member of the Massachusetts National Guard. As for Martha Coakley, as we mentioned, she's the attorney general here. Before that, she was the district attorney in Middlesex County. She is also the former president of the Women's Bar Association.
And we should mention, there is a Kennedy in the race, not related to the Kennedy clan, but Joseph Kennedy is the libertarian in this case. He is a guy who has worked for some information technology firms here in Massachusetts. He's on leave from his job to run in this race, and he has the backing of some tea party folks as well.
But John, some very big worries here in Massachusetts privately from Democrats even though publicly they are saying they're still confident. John.
ROBERTS: Jim Acosta for us in Boston this morning. Jim, thanks. So how worried are the Democrats? How did they let Senator Kennedy's seat get this close to slipping away. We'll ask Scott Helmann. He's the political editor with the "Boston Globe," someone who knows this race better than almost anyone. He'll be joining us about an hour from now at 8:30 Eastern.
CHETRY: 33 minutes past the hour. Right now, time now for a check of our top stories. There is breaking news from the war in Afghanistan, the capital of Kabul under attack. Smoke pouring from buildings in Kabul after a group of alleged suicide bombers assaulted the city. Taliban claiming 20 militants got into the presidential palace as well as other government buildings. Some of President Karzai's cabinet members were being sworn in. NATO says at least two of the attackers were killed.
ROBERTS: The man who shot Pope John Paul II was out of prison. Mehmet Ali Agca was released this morning and taken to a military facility. He served 19 years in prison in Italy for the 1981 attack. In 2000, Italy pardoned him and he was then extradited to Turkey where he served 10 years for crimes there including the murder of a Turkish journalist.
CHETRY: Also former president Clinton will be in Haiti today, delivering supplies and visiting volunteers as the U.N. special envoy to Haiti. The former president will also be meeting with President Rene Preval and other leaders coordinating the post quake relief efforts. President Obama asked former presidents Clinton and George W. Bush to lead a massive fund raising campaign for disaster victims.
And we're following the latest on the developments on the Haiti earthquake right now. We have video that is exclusive to us of the disaster as it unfolded. Here's a look at a home, you see the shaking start and the woman jump up from the bed. Everyone in this home survived and they had this camera rolling inside the bedroom when the ground began to shake. And a young Haitian father was driving home to his wife and one- year-old son when the quake hit last Tuesday. He was forced to abandon his car, so he pulled out his phone and started recording his hour-long walk home. Three days hater, later Jean-Marie Altema managed to escape Haiti through the Dominican Republican. He is with his family in Florida now and our Ed Lavandera caught up with him there.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The earthquake strikes and Jean Marie Altema is in a car driving home.
(on camera): On your cell phone camera, you started recording video, basically documented your hour-long walk home.
JEAN MARIE ALTEMA, SURVIVED THE EARTHQUAKE: Yes, exactly.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): His wife and one-year-old son were home on the other side of Port-au-Prince. Jean Marie starts recording this video seconds after the shaking ends. The nightmare will quickly unfold before his eyes.
(on camera): At this point you still don't have an understanding of how bad this is.
ALTEMA: No. No. No. Because I wanted to go home.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): Emotional cries are the first thing you here in the seconds after the quake.
(on camera): What was she saying?
ALTEMA: She's crying, in Haiti, you say, (INAUDIBLE), my friends in English but it's a cry from the heart. Someone said we are nothing. Nothing. Because around 40 seconds, everything is going away.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): The despair, the confusion, the fear is now everywhere. The wounded walk the streets, but then Jean Marie sees the body of a young boy crushed by concrete.
(on camera): At this point is it starting to sink in?
ALTEMA: Yes. Yes. Sink in -- yes. So --
LAVANDERA: Will you ever forget that image?
ALTEMA: No. No. No. That's -- that's the first time that I see something like this.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): Jean Marie is now overwhelmed by what he sees.
ALTEMA: No.
LAVANDERA (on camera): It's almost like you couldn't believe what you were seeing.
ALTEMA: Exactly. I couldn't believe. I couldn't believe. I say to myself, is it a dream. (speaking in a foreign language)
LAVANDERA: What were you saying?
ALTEMA: I was saying, thanks, god. Thanks, god. I said, I could be anywhere. I could be anywhere. I could be somewhere in the market. I could be -- I could be in the -- in the streets. I could be anywhere.
LAVANDERA: What do you think the people around you are thinking at this point?
ALTEMA: The end. The end. The end of the end.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): An hour after he started walking, the journey home is over.
(on camera): How happy were you to be home?
ALTEMA: Oh, I saw my wife with my son, the only one that we have. And I kiss her, and I say, praise god. I say, praise god.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): Jean Marie Altema is back in the arms of his family.
Ed Lavandera, CNN, Lake Worth, Florida.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHETRY: Amazing he was able to capture all of that. It will be forever in his mind as well.
ROBERTS: Yes, pretty incredible. So many incredible stories coming out of this earthquake.
Thirty-eight minutes after the hour. In just a moment, we're going to talk with the U.S. ambassador to Haiti, Ken Merten. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Forty-two minutes after the hour. We're back with the most news in the morning. Six days after the devastating earthquake in Haiti now, the focus beginning to shift from search and recovery to making sure that the people who survived last week's earthquake survive the aftermath.
Joining me now is the U.S. ambassador to Haiti, Kenneth Merten. He is live in Port-au-Prince for us. Mr. Ambassador, good to see you. As we head into day six here, where is the need most urgent and how is the United States addressing that?
KENNETH MERTEN, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO HAITI: Well, I think the needs in central Port-au-Prince are still critical. There are some provincial towns where that have been all but flattened where the needs are serious as well. The United States and our international partners, though, are -- with every day that passes, getting out more and more food, more and more water, more and more medication. So I think today will be a reasonably good day, as was yesterday.
ROBERTS: Mr. Ambassador, we see lots of food aid coming in, but much of it still not getting out to where it needs to be. What's the real issue there?
MERTEN: I think people need to understand that out in Port-au- Prince, it looks -- I think like Tokyo probably did after World War II. It's flat. It looks like an atomic bomb went off. The streets are completely blocked. There are rescue efforts going on. It's just difficult to physically get there. We're doing the best we can. On Saturday, we delivered 140,000 food rations, 130,000 sanitary packages to people help themselves get clean and stay clean. So I mean, it's happening.
ROBERTS: There's also substantial backlog at the airport. It is an airport designed to handle about 35 flights a day. The U.S. military with its air traffic control capabilities has got that up to about 100 flights, but some other countries are complaining that they can't get their people in.
France, for example, had a medical team that tried to fly in over the weekend. They were denied permission to land. They had to land in the Dominican Republic and come through that way. They filed a complaint saying that the airport there in Port-au-Prince has become, "an annex of Washington." Obviously there's a lot of people who are trying to fly things in there. How do you deal with all of that? How do you clear up that back log at the airport and make sure everybody who's trying to get something in to Haiti can get it in to the best of their ability?
MERTEN: Well, I think people have to appreciate, this is a single runway airport here, which you gave the figure of 30 flights a day. I think that may be generous. So it's not used to that. I've really got to take my hat off to the folks from Centcom who came down here to open this place up, allow it to run 24/7. The capability it doesn't have under the best of times, you know.
Are things moving here as quickly as everybody would like? Maybe not, but it's happening as best as it possibly can. You know, we regret that there are people that are upset about that, but we've been able to address those concerns. I was -- I got in touch with the folks here and we got the French planes in the very next day. So we're dealing with them as quickly as we can.
ROBERTS: Well, much of the food and water distribution that we have seen so far, and we --we have a correspondent, Our Brian Todd is on the USS Carl Vinson, ran a couple of helicopter missions. Much of the food distribution has been orderly. There have been some scenes of chaos. We've also seen scenes of looting as well. There are those prisoners who escaped from the penitentiary when the jail there collapsed.
How concerned are you that we could see a real uptick in the violence there in Port-au-Prince?
MERTEN: Well, I'd ask people to remember the security situation here isn't super at the best of times. I would say that, overall, people are very calm. I -- I got out myself a lot yesterday. People are waiting in line pretty orderly for food, going about their business. They were trying to go to church and so forth yesterday, going to the market.
Are there incidence of -- of problems? Yes, there are, but I think the Haitian police, the UN force here has thus far been able to keep those more or less under control. Obviously it's something we're concerned about, we're monitoring very carefully, but thus far it seems to have been pretty manageable.
ROBERTS: You know, an incident, Mr. Ambassador, we saw over the weekend, a group of Belgian doctors and then their medical technicians were told by the United Nations they couldn't stay out at this field hospital. There just wasn't enough security. Our own Dr. Sanjay Gupta and a CNN team stayed there and Dr. Gupta took care of all of those patients.
So there's -- there's still a big security concern. Do you -- do you think that the US Military may have to step in and provide greater security? We've -- we've actually seen it in -- in very small cases in the last couple of days, step in and do that. Do you think it will have to take on a greater role?
MERTEN: You know, I don't know. We'll have to -- we'll have to watch how things unfold here. As I said, we're watching it very carefully.
We did have a new -- a case yesterday where -- where the US was asked to go provide security at a -- at a hospital downtown. But I want to emphasize that, you know, the first line of -- of law and order here is, number one, the Haitian police, number two, the UN forces. The US forces are standing by to provide security as needed.
ROBERTS: Right. You know, I -- I also saw this morning that one of the USAR, Urban Search and Rescue teams, out of California that have been standing by at March Air Force Base was demobilized and sent home. There are five heavy urban search and rescue teams in Canada who have been on stand by to go down but they haven't been called down.
Are there still thousands of people trapped down there that these teams could be of use and -- and try to assist, or is -- is that phase of the operation really winding down? I'm just trying to figure out why if you've got all of this help that's willing to come down there why they wouldn't have been mobilized.
MERTEN: I'll be honest with you, I haven't heard those stories about the -- the search and rescue teams not being mobilized down here. But the folks that are here are still doing good work. They've got over 75 people rescued thus far. They're continuing to find people yesterday. I'm going to check into what you've just reported, but, you know, there is -- there are also limitations as to physically where these people could go, where they can -- where they can set up, where they can bed down. So we'll look into that.
ROBERTS: All right. Yes. It was one team out of Orange County, California, I think five teams in Canada.
Mr. Ambassador, thanks for joining us this morning. We really appreciate it.
MERTEN: My pleasure. Thank you very much.
ROBERTS: OK.
Find everything you need to know, by the way, on the relief effort in Haiti at cnn.com/haiti. There's also information on how you can help and a list of charitable agencies at cnn.com/impact -- Kiran.
CHETRY: All right.
Well, Haiti takes center stage at the Golden Globes as well. The awards show was on last night, and Haiti a big focus for Hollywood's A-listers.
Forty-nine minutes past the hour.
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CHETRY: A shot of New York City this morning, where it is cloudy, 38 degrees and it was raining a lot yesterday. We're expecting some drizzle, some light drizzle today as well, going up to a high of 46 degrees, at 52 minutes past the hour.
We check in with our Rob Marciano. So that's unseasonably warm for this time of year.
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It is a little bit on the toasty side, but nothing too crazy. What they're getting up in Boston, a little bit more crazy. We've got delays at the airports here.
The storm that was in New York, Philly and -- and DC over the weekend has moved into New England, and it's starting to intensify off the coastline as it typically is (ph). The windy conditions along the coast, temperatures dropping from Boston down to Warwick into the 30s and below that, into the 20s, and we're seeing a winter storm warning that's been posted for interior sections. Five to 10 inches of snow, possible. We've already seen 4, 5, 6 inches in some spots, 1 to 3 possible in -- in Boston, maybe up to 4 of wet snow.
We are seeing a ground stop into Boston at -- until 8:00, and over two-hour delays trying to get out of there because of the snow and the ice, and New York City right now seeing 30-minute delays with this storm that will have some wind behind it. Now, the middle part of the country, not a whole lot of wind. There's a fair amount of snow with some subfreezing temperatures, fog, and, in some cases, freezing fog, and that includes Chicago. And then all eyes out to the West Coast, John and Kiran. This is going to be a big weather story over the next several days, several storms coming in, flooding rains, potentially some mudslides and heavy mountain snows for pretty much the entire state of California. (INAUDIBLE).
CHETRY: All right. Rob Marciano for us this morning. Thanks.
ROBERTS: Snow in the mountains, not bad, but, you know, the -- the rain, particularly with the denuded hills after the fires could cause big problems.
Real tragedy on the movie industry's mind at the Global -- Golden Globes last night.
CHETRY: Yes. A lot of stars actually making a big commitment to the relief effort in Haiti, and our Kareen Wynter has more from Hollywood.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KAREEN WYNTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A few showers couldn't wash out the 67th Annual Golden Globes, as Hollywood's biggest stars ducked under umbrellas and dodged raindrops. And on this year's red carpet, awards weren't the only things on their minds.
OLIVIA WILDE, "HOUSE, MD": We're also auctioning off my dress, Meryl Streep's dress, Jenna Fischer, Amy Poehler, Gerard Butler's tux so that we can raise money, 100 percent of which goes directly to the program in Haiti.
KYRA SEDGWICK, "THE CLOSER": It feels strange to dress up and, you know, play fantasy, but, you know, I'm glad we're talking about it.
DAVID 'THE EDGE' EVANS, GUITARIST, U2: Tonight is the perfect platform to spread the word.
WYNTER (on camera): The Golden Globe Awards mark the kickoff to Hollywood's awards season, but this year's show was bittersweet, as many celebrities remember those suffering in Haiti.
NICOLE KIDMAN, ACTRESS: Tonight, a lot of people are wearing ribbons tonight, in support of the people of Haiti.
MAGGIE GYLLENHAAL, ACTRESS: Give as generously as you possibly can.
WYNTER (voice-over): While many were urged to give during the ceremony, others received.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "Glee." WYNTER: The cast of "Glee" had something to sing about. The series earned a Globe for Best TV Comedy or Musical after its first season. And "Mad Men" won Best Drama Series for the third year in a row.
REESE WITHERSPOON, ACTRESS: "The Hangover."
WYNTER: As for the movie categories, Hollywood still hasn't found a cure for "The Hangover." The summer blockbuster about Vegas debauchery earned the Best Comedy or Musical trophy, while "Precious'" Mo'Nique and "Inglorious Basterds'" Christoph Waltz took home Globes for their supporting roles.
MICKEY ROURKE, ACTOR: Sandra Bullock, "Blind Side."
WYNTER: Sandra Bullock scored a Best Actress win for the football drama, "The Blind Side," and Jeff Bridges was named Best Actor for his role as a struggling country singer in "Crazy Heart."
JEFF BRIDGES, BEST ACTOR WINNER, "CRAZY HEART": You're really screwing up my underappreciated status here.
COLIN FARREL, ACTOR: Meryl Streep for "Julie & Julia."
WYNTER: From under appreciated to very appreciated, Best Actress in a Comedy went to "Julie & Julia's" Meryl Streep, who won her seventh career Golden Globe. The Best Actor award in that category went to Mr. Sherlock Holmes, Robert Downey Jr., who had an early prediction for the night's big movie award.
ROBERT DOWNEY JR., BEST ACTOR WINNER, "SHERLOCK HOLMES"" "Avatar" was going to take us to the cleaners.
JULIA ROBERTS, ACTRESS: "Avatar."
WYNTER: The sci-fi blockbuster "Avatar" already has more than a billion reasons to celebrate. Now, James Cameron's adventure is Golden after winning Best Drama.
JAMES CAMERON, DIRECTOR, "AVATAR": This is the best job in the world.
WYNTER: Kareen Wynter, CNN, Beverly Hills, California.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS: You saw it. You enjoyed it?
CHETRY: Yes. I mean -- I didn't think I would, but it was pretty amazing.
ROBERTS: I -- I have to carve three hours out of my schedule and try to see it.
CHETRY: I know. You're going to fall asleep. But the 3D glasses will keep you just queasy enough that you'll be able to make it through.
ROBERTS: That's what my daughter said. The first few minutes of the movie she was, "Oh, I don't know if I'm going to make it." But (INAUDIBLE) through.
CHETRY: I felt the same way. Yes.
ROBERTS: Well, more Marines are heading into Haiti today, and the Taliban targets government buildings in Afghanistan. We're back with the top stories in two minutes. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
