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American Morning
Heavy Rains Hit West Coast and Nevada; START Treaty To Be Considered By Senate; Cast Member of Spiderman Broadway Show Injured; Your Privacy at Risk: Info Being Collected on Many Americans; Mobile Privacy: What's Being Shared, and Should You Be Worried; Bullet Proof Vest for Cabbies; Ginger's Purse on eBay; Reported Food Terror Plot; Healthy Over the Holidays
Aired December 21, 2010 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, and thanks for joining us on this Tuesday the 21st of December. I'm John Roberts.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Kiran Chetry. Glad you're with us, and happy winter officially.
Top stories, it is wet and wild out west. California's been drenched by heavy rains for days, and the rain's still coming. They have floods and mud slides. They've had to close roads and thousands of people living in the area have been forced to evacuate.
We're tracking the extreme weather with a report on the ground in a moment.
ROBERTS: Terrifying moment during a preview performance of the musical "Spiderman, Turn off the Dark." A Spiderman stunt double injured after taking a terrible fall. It's one more stunning setback for the most expensive Broadway show ever produced.
CHETRY: And there's some of the most high-tech anti-terror tools being used by local police departments across the country. And while these tools are tracking potential terrorists, there's also a growing concern that they're infringing on your privacy. We'll explain.
ROBERTS: Up first this morning, it's shaping up as the wettest Christmas on record in southern California. Heavy rains are pounding the region for days now, and there is more on the way. Another five to ten inches of rain is expected by tomorrow, severe flooding, the threat of mudslides that forced thousands of people from their homes.
We're tracking the wild weather this morning. Casey Wian live in Ventura County, California. Rob Marciano is in the Extreme Weather Center. First let's get a check on what's ahead today from Rob.
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: More of the same, guys. Plain and simple, check it out, satellite picture showing this plume of moisture directed right at southern California. It's going to shift over the next 36 to 48 hours. But before it does that, more rain is in store for this area. So same deal as yesterday with the exception that snow levels will be dropping somewhat over the next day or two, and that will help lock in some of the moisture in the mountains as opposed to letting it run down into the canyons.
Here's what we've seen so far, widespread totals, in Santa Barbara, over a foot, and crest line over a foot, as well. So this has been a tremendous event and it's not over yet.
So with places like L.A. seeing several inches of rainfall, that's where the problems occur. Northern California, getting some rain, yes, but the focus is on so-Cal, and the canyons and rough terrain where the hillsides are beginning to give way in some of these areas.
We have flood warnings and watches up, flash flood for San Bernardino County over the next 36 to 48 hours. We'll probably see another three to six inches of rainfall in the lower elevations, some of the higher points, we'll see more widespread accumulation than that and higher amounts, and even in Vegas, one to three inches of rainfall.
So this is a tremendous event with deep moisture we haven't seen in several, several years, guys, and it just doesn't seem to let up. At the end of this week, things will become more sporadic. But right now it just seems to be constant pounding of rain over the same spots.
ROBERTS: Three inches of rain in Vegas, how unusual is that?
MARCIANO: And just an inch of rain does damage. So that amount is going to be scary, as well.
CHETRY: That's the bad part. They need it, but not at all at once. Rob, thanks so much.
We're going to bring in Casey Wian right now in Ventura County, California, where as you said last time we checked in with you, it's been a steady stream of rain.
CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it's starting to get a little colder and rain a little bit harder, sort of a foreshadowing of what we're expecting for the rest of the next day and then perhaps into Wednesday. Southern California has definitely been hammered by this rainstorm since Friday of last week.
I'm here at a road closure, Pacific Coast Highway just north of Los Angeles county. We're in Ventura county, a 20 mile stretch of this road between the communities of Malibu and Oxnard has been closed. Fortunately it's not major thoroughfare, it's just an inconvenience. If this had happened farther south in the Malibu area, it would be a real nightmare.
There has been a nightmare in other parts of the state. In Kern County north of here, they've received record rainfall. The town of McFarland, 2,000 residents were evacuated there because a creek overflowed. Debris had jammed up that creek. Crews were able to get in there and clear that debris and allow those residents to go back to their homes.
In the Sierra Nevada, we've had unbelievable amounts of snowfall in places, nine feet in 24 hours. And we had incredible wind velocities, over 150 miles an hour in the higher elevations.
Back here down at sea level, the biggest impact has been probably on traffic conditions throughout southern California, notoriously bad during the daylight hours. Yesterday between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. there were 150 traffic accidents in Los Angeles county. That's more than three times the amount that they would expect during a normal day without this rain.
We've also had swift water rescue crews deployed throughout the region. And they've had to do several rescues already. People who have fallen in to flood control channels, one woman driving across a creek at San Bernardino County had water coming up to the dash board of her car. We also had scattered power outages and just bracing for more wet weather over the next couple of days. Kiran, John?
CHETRY: Casey Wian for us this morning. Thank you.
It's still a miserable scene in Europe, as well. A winter storm blowing snow and ice, also frigid temperatures causing massive problems with transportation. Dozens of flights in Great Britain, Germany, and France canceled, rail service shut down. In Belgium, there's so much snow on the roads that drivers are literally unable to get around.
ROBERTS: Parts of the northeast in the United States feeling the icy chill, as well. Southern Maine's first snowstorm of the season arrived as the evening commute began. Drivers got a little bit off guard, vehicles sliding off of slippery roads. There was a 17-car pile-up in Portland that we have pictures of here.
And some drivers just abandon their cars and decided, heck, it's better to walk home.
CHETRY: Well, a wet, soggy mess in what is usually bright and sunny this time of year. Heavy rains in Oahu, Hawaii causing flooding problems there. Streets had to be shut down because of the buckling asphalt. Drivers also getting stranded in some that water.
ROBERTS: A tragic accident on Broadway last night during a preview performance of the star-crossed Broadway musical "Spiderman, Turn off the Dark." The show had to be stopped when a Spiderman stunt double fell from a platform and came crashing down into a stage pit. He had to be taken away in an ambulance. No word yet on his condition.
Earlier on "AMERICAN MORNING," we were joined by two men in the audience when the show came to a halt. They shot this video for us. And given all the technical problems, the new musical has experienced, they didn't seem surprised at what happened.
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MICHAEL DEALWIS, AUDIENCE MEMBER: -- something to go wrong, but not this. The whole time -- whenever they were harnessed up going around the thing flying over us, I thought at some point they're going to get stuck and suspended up there, but I didn't really expect this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: "Spiderman, Turn off the Dark" was scheduled to open on Broadway next month, but a series of mishaps has already postponed the debut of the $65 million production until February.
CHETRY: To politics now and a showdown today for the Senate. A critical vote on the Obama administration's nuclear arms treaty with Russia. The Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, or new START as it's called, calls for limits on nuclear arms and launchers as well as new inspections.
Senate Democrats and a few Republicans favor the treaty, but most GOP senators are questioning the timing and questioning what it may mean for national security. Both the president and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff support the treaty.
ROBERTS: President Obama will sign the repeal of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy tomorrow, but the policy is still months away from taking effect. The new law will eventually allow gay people to serve openly in the military. There is a lengthy implementation plan that still needs review. That plan could be put into place 60 days after that's completed and approved.
CHETRY: The Federal Communications Commission will vote on a new set of rules for the Internet. The net neutrality regulations as they're called are designed to make sure Internet providers give everyone equal access to the web. One U.S. senator calls it "the most important free speech issue of our time." The FCC is expected to approve the measure, which would keep broadband providers of being gate keepers of Internet traffic.
We'll also learn more about America's rank and file. The initial results from the 2010 census are being released. Today's numbers will reveal the total U.S. population, the population of each state. Most important to folks in Washington, it will also determine which states gain congressional seats and with it electoral votes, and which states will lose them.
ROBERTS: The Transportation Department says Toyota has agreed to pay $32.4 million in fines. The penalties are the result of two separate investigations into how the automaker handled recalls involving accelerator pedals and loss of steering control. Toyota has already paid $16 million for a violation earlier this year.
And General Motors is recycling 100 miles of plastic booms that were used to clean up the oil spill in the gulf this summer. They'll be turning them into 100,000 pounds of plastic resin, and they'll use the resin to build engine parts for their new electric car, the Chevy Volt. Well, still to come, high-tech equipment used by local police to not only keep an eye on potential criminals, but also you. We'll show it to you.
CHETRY: A homerun for an order of Roman Catholic Nuns in Baltimore. They just collected nearly $250,000 for that one baseball card.
ROBERTS: Plus if you have a phone with applications on it like Pandora or even Facebook, odds are those apps are leaking your personal information to advertisers. We'll take a look at what can be done to protect your privacy just ahead. It's 10 minutes after the hour.
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CHETRY: It's 13 minutes past the hour right now, and a new terror warning. The Department of Homeland Security uncovering a plot by Al Qaeda to poison food at hotels and restaurants at various locations over a single weekend.
According to CBS News, the plot called for the use of ricin and cyanide and is tied to Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. The Department of Homeland Security though tells CNN that it doesn't comment on specific reports of terrorist planning, but that it takes all threats seriously. CNN sources also saying there was no specific intelligence to support the claim.
ROBERTS: It's no surprise that the national security system here in America has grown dramatically in the years since 9/11. But according to an investigation by the "Wall Street Journal," a lot of the technology used to track potential terrorists and criminals is also collecting information on people who have never been accused of a crime.
CHETRY: Our Brian Todd has more now on the growing controversy over your privacy.
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BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: On the streets of Memphis, a futuristic crime fighting tool, squad cars equipped with license plate recognition cameras. Turning on swivels, they scan plates, the images processed on laptops inside the police cars and in what's called a real-time crime center. In seconds, a display on his dashboard screen tells an officer if the car's been stolen, if there are warrants connected to it, maybe if the driver's a convicted felon.
Surveillance cameras with real-time transmission back to the crime center are popping up all over Memphis. They're credited with a drastic crime drop in Memphis in recent years. Some of the money for this whiz-bang comes from the Department of Homeland Security.
DANA PRIEST, "WASHINGTON POST": DHS has helped them with the funding in the hopes that some day they will be using this also to, again, look for, you know, possible terrorism. TODD (voice-over): Dana Priest co-wrote a lengthy investigative story for the "Washington Post" on new high-tech tools and data sharing used by homeland security and law enforcement. According to the article, more information is being collected on many of us and shared among more law enforcement agencies than ever before. It's part of an often heard post 9/11 mantra to catch potential terrorists.
PRIEST: To help the federal government find the dots. To find people who might be acting suspiciously.
TODD: The information goes to so-called fusion centers run by state and local law enforcement. That's where data on suspicious behavior is shared with DHS, the FBI, and other agencies. With an uptick in terror plots in recent years, a DHS official says this system has led to more arrests. But privacy advocates say it also carries huge potential for abuse. Former FBI agent Michael German, now with the American Civil Liberties Union, says it empowers police to intervene more deeply into people's private lives.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The behaviors they have described as inherently suspicious include things like taking notes, drawing diagrams, taking measurements, taking photographs or video, which are ubiquitous activities that all of us do.
TODD (on camera): But terrorists also do that, right?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm sure they do, but terrorists also put shoes on. But that doesn't mean that somehow tracking every person who puts shoes on or every person who takes notes or every person who takes photographs is somehow useful practice.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS: That's CNN's Brian Todd reporting for us this morning.
CHETRY: Well, still ahead, a dramatic escape from a burning bus. We have the video to show you right now of passengers jumping out of windows in an attempt to escape the flames. Look at that. It happened on a highway outside of Indianapolis yesterday morning. You look at the flames, you think people had to have gotten hurt, at least, but they say everyone was able to get off of the bus safely. Obviously, though, quite traumatic for many.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Probably one of the most intense things I've been through in my life.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's disarming. I was, you know, like I was asleep. Like, oh, wow, you know, this is something very strange going on.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Open the side window, jumped out, got that front open and just got everyone off the bus.
(END VIDEO CLIP) CHETRY: Wow. Well, investigators say it was a mechanical problem that likely caused the fire. Another bus ended up bringing the passengers to Indianapolis safely.
ROBERTS: A Florida church is hoping that this surveillance tape will help them put a burglar behind bars. Last month, a thief stole Christmas gifts and equipment from the Wesley Hispanic United Methodist Church in Coral Gables. The toys were supposed to go to needy children in the community. On all of this, though, the media attention is helping spur donations to the church.
CHETRY: Wow.
"30 Rock" star Tracy Morgan is recovering after undergoing a kidney transplant. We're going to tell you how's he doing and what it may mean for his character on the show.
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ROBERTS: Twenty minutes after the hour. Time for your "Morning Talkers," stories that got us talking in the newsroom.
"30 Rock" star Tracy Morgan said to be doing well after undergoing a kidney transplant earlier this month. Morgan is going to miss at least two tapings of the NBC sitcom. He was diagnosed with diabetes back in 1996 and says he didn't take the disease seriously until he got sick and almost had a foot amputated.
CHETRY: Wow, very scary for him. Hope he makes a quick recovery.
Well, salvation for an order of Roman Catholic nuns in Baltimore. They received -- they recently sold a rare baseball Honus Wagner baseball card at auction for $220,000, only to have the winning bidder back out when it came time to pay up. Well, now a cardiologist from Philadelphia has stepped up. He wired the $220,000 to the school's sisters of Notre Dame. He now owns the card and they now have enough money to continue their charity work.
ROBERTS: It shows you how valuable those cards are. That one was pretty beaten up and still got $220,000.
Well, this holiday, retailers are pitting man against the machine. According to the "Wall Street Journal," about 10 percent of the top 100 online retailers are using robots to help fill orders. At a Crate and Barrel warehouse, for instance, the robots do the work of six people. Wow.
CHETRY: They never want to take a break either.
ROBERTS: Like the invisible people just pushing that stuff all around.
CHETRY: Well, it could be the last Brett Favre sighting in an NFL game. Brett Favre started last night for the Minnesota Vikings against the Chicago Bears but he didn't last long. He was slammed to the ground in the second quarter and suffered a possible concussion. Favre did throw what's likely to be the final touchdown pass of his career, as well. The Bears ended up beating the Vikings 40-14, and they clinched the NFC North division title.
ROBERTS: You get slammed against the frozen turf like that --
CHETRY: Yes.
ROBERTS: -- it's going to ring your bell, no question about that.
Well, check out this collection. You're looking at 5,000 Santa Clauses. Nancy Laier started collecting back in the 1960s. She has turned her hobby into a popular attraction in Eustis, Nebraska. She starts putting together the display in November and keeps them out through February. She also offers off-season tours of her basement display.
CHETRY: See, I often wonder what the heck do you do with all of your chotskies, your seasonal ones?
ROBERTS: You put them out on display and charge people three bucks to come and see them.
CHETRY: When it's over --
ROBERTS: It pays for itself.
CHETRY: When it's over, where do you put them all? Your basement, in the attic?
ROBERTS: You invited people over to see them in the off season. Makes perfect sense.
CHETRY: Rock on. All right. Well, your favorite smartphone apps may actually be sharing your personal information and you don't know a thing about it. Well, that's changing what's being done about it. We're "Minding Your Business" coming up.
ROBERTS: And it's being called the greatest bowl game you'll never see. We'll talk to a couple of former NFL players, including Hall of Famer Jim Kelly, who are teaming up to help troops in Iraq connect to home. We've got that story coming right up.
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CHETRY: Well, if you have a smartphone, like an iPhone or an android, of course, you've downloaded apps on it. But you may be also giving away your privacy in the process and not even know it. Christine Romans is "Minding Your Business" this morning. We love the free apps.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: We do. We do. But look, your smartphone apps are watching you. Not all of them, but many of them are watching you. And now a key trade association is trying to develop some rules for the road because there have been a lot of concerns about online privacy. It's like jumbo shrimp, an oxy- moron. Online privacy doesn't exist.
A key trade group is calling for new rules on mobile privacy. This just days after a "Wall Street Journal" investigation found of a 100 apps, 47 were transmitting your information unknowingly to third parties. And this month the FTC also called for a "do not track list" to try to keep your privacy safe.
Here's what we know. This trade group developing new guidelines for text messages, e-mails, phone calls so that your information isn't being broadcast out there. Smartphone applications are exploding. It is the wild west. All of this information being shared out there so people can make money off of you, presumably.
Here, let me give you an example. Pandora, it's a popular iPhone application for music. Your location, your age, your gender, your phone I.D., some of your personal details. Not your name, but just about everything else about your phone has become your identity transmitted to third party -- third party marketers. So this is a serious problem. And this particular trade association is saying, OK, let's try to develop some sort of guidelines.
CHETRY: Almost like a do-not-call list, you know, a do-not-call list.
ROMANS: Right.
CHETRY: Or having an unlisted phone number. I mean, that's also passe now.
ROMANS: It's absolutely passe. And your information is being shared in so many different ways. And that your phone has become, you know, that Orwellian thing that tracks you everywhere is something that really concerns a lot of people. They don't realize how much of their information is being passed along.
ROBERTS: You don't need the microchip in your head. You've got it in your hand.
ROMANS: I know. You're willingly carrying around all this information. And a lot of these application developers say no, we're not linking to your name or social security number, but it's you. The phone has become you.
ROBERTS: And you know what's interesting is that young people, those in their late teens and 20s have far less concerns about their privacy and sharing things on Facebook --
ROMANS: Right.
ROBERTS: -- MySpace, apps, than older people do.
ROMANS: I know. I find that really interesting. One thing that I think might be a saving grace about all this. There's so much information about us out there, so much, some of it conflicting, that at some point, what good is it, I mean, to a marketer or someone who's trying to buy my information when it's available in so many different places? You know, we're drowning in all of this information. But there are definite needs for more rules for privacy. How is our privacy going to be protected with all of this technology? And that's what we're just beginning at that process now.
CHETRY: Interesting stuff, Christine, thank you.
ROBERTS: Well, we're coming up to the half hour. It's time for this morning's top stories on this Tuesday morning.
A new terror threat to tell you about. The Department of Homeland Security uncovering a plot by Al Qaeda to poison food at hotels and restaurants at various locations over a single weekend. According to CBS News, the plot calls for the use of ricin and cyanide and is tied to Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. CNN sources say there is no specific intelligence to support this claim.
CHETRY: Well, no word this morning on the condition of an actor who took a terrible fall last night, a stunt gone wrong at the performance of the Broadway musical "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark." It was a preview show, had to be stopped and the audience was asked to go home. The actor was rushed to a hospital. The opening of the $65 million production has already been delayed by a month because of a host of technical problems.
ROBERTS: Did you catch the lunar eclipse this morning? Here's what it looked like. It's been nearly 400 years since the moon was eclipsed by the earth at the time of the winter solstice. Astronomers say that's not going to happen again, until at least 2094.
CHETRY: Well, over the weekend, Congress approved a stopgap spending bill that was meant to keep the government from shutting down until Tuesday. Well, it's Tuesday. There's still a lot going on and a lot of irons in the fire.
ROBERTS: There's this stalled S.T.A.R.T. treaty, the debate over a nuclear arms agreement with Russia continues but Republicans insisting Democrats are pushing too hard too fast. Democrats counter the details have been available out there in the public for eight months.
CHETRY: Well, next on the list is the health care bill that benefits 9/11 rescue workers. Democrats are keeping the measure alive. They say they've cut costs to try to win Republican approval. We're going to be speaking with New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand coming up in the next hour.
ROBERTS: And finally after the Senate voted for sweeping legislation on food safety yesterday, a new bill is expected to get a final nod in the House today before it goes to the president for his signature.
CHETRY: And as long as Congress is in session, President Obama remains in Washington, D.C. not on the Hawaiian vacation.
ROBERTS: Now, the first lady and his daughters, of course, are already there and so is our intrepid correspondent Ed Henry. ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: John and Kiran, President Obama's Hawaiian vacation has been delayed because of all of that action back there on Capitol Hill. But we expect later this week that he'll join his wife and two daughters who are already there behind me in the vacation rental. And when the president gets here he's going to find out that this beach which is normally pretty private and quiet is even going to be even more quiet because it's been raining for days now.
And forecasters say it's probably going to rain until Thursday or Friday. That's why you see there's just a couple of lone surfers out there braving the waters. The bottom line is that people here on the beach are telling me they have all kinds of advice about how the first family should pass the time.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEEYEON BARNES, FOURTH GRADER FROM AUSTIN, TEXAS: We're still having fun.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're still having fun.
HENRY (on camera): What are you doing?
JEEYEON BARNES: We're swimming, we're going to snorkel, and - we're going to have fun.
HENRY (voice-over): On Waikiki Beach, these sisters from Texas refuse to be stuck in a hotel room. So they had some simple advice for the Obama girls.
(on camera): What would you do?
JEEYEON BARNES: Annoy your parents.
HENRY (voice-over): Or the grandparents.
CHUCK MCCLELLAND, GRANDFATHER FROM LAGUNA BEACH, CALIF.: Hopefully she gets tired out and takes a nap. So we're trying to tire her out a little bit now and get her swimming.
HENRY: Parents on Kailua Beach closer to the president's house could feel their pain. Their own kids were stir crazy too.
(on camera): Now, we were on Waikiki Beach and we asked some kids down there, what advice they had for the first daughters to do and they said annoy your parents.
GRAY HORTON, FATHER FROM KAILUA, HAWAII: Well, that's what these two guys have been doing. It's been raining, they're on Christmas break. And that one said let's go surfing and I said anything to get them out of the house.
HENRY (voice-over): And if you're already wet from the ocean, a little rain won't even cramp this surfer's style.
FRITZ BELMORO, SURFER FROM HONOLULU: Well, it's better than going to work.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HENRY: Now before the president can reunite with his family here on Oahu, he has to sign the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell" into law on Wednesday at the White House. And then he's waiting around in Washington to see whether or not the Senate ratifies the new S.T.A.R.T. treaty. He's hoping to get that done so he can get here as early as Wednesday night or Thursday the latest. Then hopefully the sun will return, as well. John, Kiran?
CHETRY: That's right. The native sun and the actual sun.
Well, NFL greats coming out of retirement to play again and just for one game. Flag football with soldiers in Iraq. Coming up, we're going to talk to super star Rodney Pete and Hall of Famer Jim Kelly.
ROBERTS: Plus several feet of snow, mud slides, record rainfall, a massive storm is raging out west. And it's moving east. Rob Marciano tracking it all for us this morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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CHETRY: Thirty-six minutes past the hour right now. U.S. troops in Iraq won't be home for the holidays sadly. So a group of football greats, players and coaches want to try to bring a little bit of fun to them. The bowl game experience. Of course, a favorite this time of year. Well, tonight, they'll be playing alongside American soldiers in a game of flag football. It's called "Connect to Home" bowl. It's a way to boost troop morale among other things.
And joining us to talk more about it NFL Hall of Famer Jim Kelly joins us now from Iraq and for the safety of everyone, no specifics. And you've got some troops with you, as well. Jim, welcome. Thanks for being with us this morning.
JIM KELLY, NFL HALL OF FAMER: My pleasure. Thank you for having us.
CHETRY: I see you got Rodney Pete next to you, as well. But you'll be doing the talking for now. Tell us a little bit about why you wanted to go there. What does it mean to you personally to be able to be out there and play this game with the troops in Iraq?
KELLY: Well, it's awesome. Number one, when they asked me to go I said just tell me the date. We've all been excited. I mean, since we got here, we were treated almost like royalty. These people that we totally understand what they go through now. I mean, back in the States when you see everything on TV, you really don't have a feeling of what they go through each and every day.
And my father was in the Navy, my uncle was in the Army. And for me, it was very, very special, especially when we came over. We started shaking hands with everybody and getting to experience some of the things that they're doing each and every day. Not much sleep, these guys won't get much sleep, but what a great time it is.
CHETRY: No, I often wonder how they do it. I mean, you've got to catch your sleep when you can. You never know when you're going to be jolted awake and called, you know, into a fire fight. It's just amazing and our hats are off to everyone. What was the reaction when they found out they were actually going to be playing a bowl game with you guys?
KELLY: Well, they - the guys were pretty excited. They had a big competition, a flag football tournament to really find out what team was going to be representing the Air Force and the Army over here. So they got to split up a little bit. But both Rodney and myself are the quarterbacks. We have Coach Bobby Bowden and Gene Stallings as our coaches, but unfortunately they only have one quarterback on my team and that's me.
I'm 50 years old and these guys are like 20, 21 years old. They are really treating us like almost like a Super Bowl game over here. They're pumped, they're excited, and they've been practicing.
CHETRY: So did you and Rodney do any conditioning for this?
KELLY: Look at us. Do we look like we're conditioned and ready to play flag football with a bunch of 20-year-olds?
I'm 50 years old and I know Rodney is pushing at least 60 or 70. No, but I mean, we haven't done a lot, but we got to practice yesterday with them. We've already had two injuries on my team, one guy was trying to dive for a pass. And wait until you see later on down the road what this field is made of. Dirt and gravel.
CHETRY: I know.
KELLY: There's no grass - I've already thrown a pass through a guy's hand. And unfortunately he's over here and he's one of the soldiers with a Purple Heart. And not only he has a Purple Heart now he has a black eye.
CHETRY: Oh, man.
KELLY: The ball went through his hands, black eye, cut across his eye.
CHETRY: Oh, man. Well, you know what they'll play anyway. You know, that's one little black eye's not going to keep them down. Hey, I just saw a shot, we had some video that we are rolling of you guys practicing. Rodney's still got an arm on him. I just saw that throw. You know, the other thing about this is football.
I mean, this time of year, this is, you know, such a unifying thing. Families get together. We watch the bowl games, we watch the NFL. And these guys are far from home. I mean, how are they keeping their spirits up? You know, how does football sort of help bring a little taste of home to them?
KELLY: Well, number one, we went and we already had a tailgate party. We had a big ceremony, big pep rally last night. Getting the troops excited about what's come up, not only were we able to watch a bunch of the NFL games the last couple of days, but getting them excited about the playoffs and of course, college football with the Tostitos, the U.S. bowl coming up, the national championship game, which is going to be an exciting one.
Just to give them a little feel and a little taste of what they're missing back home. And trust me, every man and woman over here understands what they're missing over there. But number one thing for us, as guys coming over here, we appreciate and we thank each and every day for our country and our freedom but we also understand why these guys are fighting over here each and every day.
CHETRY: Amen. I mean, they're putting their lives on the line, their families are without them this time of year. We should all take a pause and think about that.
One good thing, by the way, Jim, is that people are going to get to see a little bit of this. I understand that the highlights of your game, I saw the pressure's own are going to be shown during halftime of the fiesta bowl January 1. So we'll all be watching you guys. Still trying to figure out who to root for, but it'll be a good game.
KELLY: It's going to be a great game. I mean, the competition - even though some of us (INAUDIBLE) tonight we'll have a couple of teammates (INAUDIBLE) with me. But unfortunately, I don't know why, but they're on Rodney's team and not my team. I got some pretty good guys on mine but we're excited about that. And I know, you know, come game time, these guys are going to be running around. But more importantly for us is trying to get the ball to some of these soldiers. Let them have a little fun. Let them do the real training, the real activity. We'll sit back and toss a couple of passes. And I already told (INAUDIBLE) Javon Kirst to slow down. He's like ready to play and easy, he's on the other team. Take it easy on me, I'm an old man.
CHETRY: I think in the end you and Rodney are going to be the ones that are glad it's flag football, right? No one's getting hurt. Flag football.
KELLY: Flag football. We're going to sit in the pocket, no running around. They know where we're going to be. We're not getting outside, we'll just be tossing to the guys, let them have all the fun.
CHETRY: All right. Well, listen, god bless. We're glad you're there. We're glad Rodney is there. Hats off to everyone that's serving overseas in Iraq and everywhere across the world this holiday season. Thanks so much. Good to talk to you, Jim Kelly and Rodney Pete.
KELLY: Thank you very much, and god bless the U.S.A..
CHETRY: Absolutely.
ROBERTS: That's great they get to do that. Looking forward to the highlights of the Fiesta Bowl, right? CHETRY: Yes, January 1. It's going to be cool.
ROBERTS: The West Coast getting pummeled with several feet of snow, mud slides, and record rain. Coming up next, Rob Marciano watching a possible Christmas storm for the East.
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ROBERTS: Good morning, Washington, D.C. where right now it's -- got some fair skies out there. Later on today, some clouds are going to move in. It'll be 38 degrees so all in all, not a bad day there.
CHETRY: It's not bad they're stuck there. They're all waiting to get home, though.
ROBERTS: Nice to see they're doing some work.
CHETRY: Yes, get to it, guys. It's 46 minutes past the hour. Our Rob Marciano keeping track of the weather, you know, east and west. We're dealing with a lot of rough weather out there across the United States.
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: And a lot of folks are asking me, is that storm out west going to come east? And the answer is, yes, but I think the last part of the storm is going to do that. Not in the same capacity or form, of course.
But we'll get some of this energy and there is a ton of energy. The main plume continues into southern California. See how this little piece of energy here is just kind of shifting and kicking down to the south? That's the last thing. That'll shift this weather pattern and kick everything out, but it's not going to happen for another day and a half.
So in the meantime, we've got still more steady rain across southern California. Focussed right on that same spot from Santa Barbara down to San Diego and we're starting to see snows pop up in the mountains. The cold air is beginning to roll in. That will help somewhat in locking some of that moisture in the form of snow up in the mountains.
But still, we've got flash flood warnings out for San Bernadino County. We have flood watches for another 3 to 6 inches on top of what we've already seen, which has been over a foot in some spots. And even in parts of Nevada and Utah, we could see 3 inches on top of what we've seen.
You get a half inch of rain that we've seen already in Vegas. That's enough to do some damage. Meanwhile, winter storm warnings are posted for Utah and western parts of Colorado anywhere from 1 to 6 feet, especially above 8,000, 9,000 feet. So that would include most of the San Juan's and Elk Mountains there in western Colorado. It's going to be unbelievable start to the holiday. They had a great Thanksgiving week and they're going to have a good Christmas week, as well, but avalanche danger is extremely high.
It will be very high for the next couple of days. So they're going to have their hands full keeping that under control, as well. Little snow yesterday in Minneapolis that's moving across the northern Great Lakes, a little bit of snow across parts of eastern Massachusetts. I don't know if we have this video loaded, but it was pretty white and treacherous across parts of eastern mass yesterday.
They had some issues there getting over to Cape Cod, plow going over the bridge, messed up the roadway and caused some traffic accidents and it's still snowing across parts of eastern Mass today. It's 25 degrees in Boston right now and brazing winds gusting 30- miles-an hour, kind of nasty.
And the breezy conditions continue in New York. You've kind of gotten all the winter weather the past couple of weeks and not a ton of snow. And that's, I think, going to be the case as we go through the next week, as well. Might get a little snow as we get to Christmas, 30 to 60-minute delays -- expected delays in Boston, New York City could see over an hour.
Chicago, you've got over two-hour delays right now because of winter riff weather moving through and Los Angeles and San Francisco, of course, the ongoing storm out there is going to be an issue. A couple of showers through the southeast. Just enough cloud cover to shroud or dull the lunar eclipse.
Not many people got a good poke at that. It's 36 degrees in New York for a high temperature today, 78 in Dallas and 80 degrees in Houston. How about that? I want to show you one other graphic, I think -- there it is, check it out.
Record highs yesterday -- Loredo's a beautiful city this time of year, 89 degrees. So if you're shivering in your shoes, head to the Rio Grande and enjoy life. John and Kiran back up to you.
ROBERTS: Great. Always a lovely place, but I dare say any city with a high in the 80s is a good place to be this time of year, Rob.
MARCIANO: Definitely, definitely guys.
CHETRY: Well, sad sign of the times. They're passing out bulletproof vests to cab drivers in New York City. The same vest that policemen wear.
The New York Federation of Taxi Drivers started this as a pilot program. Union leaders though say want to offer a vest to any driver who asks for one. It's proven to be a dangerous job. One cab driver was shot and critically injured earlier this month, another killed back in June.
ROBERTS: The Florida school board member who tried to stop a gunman last week by whacking him with her purse is a auctioning of the handbag in eBay. Before you say, wow, that's terribly bad taste.
The proceeds from the sale of Ginger Littleton's handbag are going to go to a charity in Florida's Panhandle that restores old bicycles and toys for kids in need. A lot of people apparently want their hands on Ginger's faux crocodile bag. It's going for $11,700. The bidding doesn't end until tomorrow afternoon either.
CHETRY: All of that for a hand me down she got from her mother- in-law.
ROBERTS: Incredible. Great, money's going to go to a good cause.
CHETRY: Yes, it's interesting that somebody wants that little piece of memorabilia.
ROBERTS: There's such a market for memorabilia. Do you have any fingernail clippings or anything?
CHETRY: No. I got 5,000 Santas in the basement though. I can give you a tour.
ROBERTS: I'm telling you off season tours that's the way to go.
CHETRY: Well, Operation Santa's helping to grant thousands of wishes across the country this holiday season. Last week we interviewed one of the program's organizers, a big supporter in New York City. They were saying that they see that requests have been up.
People have been asking for help this year and they also say that people willing to step up to the plate has gone down this year because of the tough economic times. They say that after we did the story last week, they have seen twice as many people interested in helping out.
If you would like to be one of those people, you can go to usps.com. We cannot win today. Usps.com. Throw that down, please. Usps.com/holidaynewsroom. OK?
ROBERTS: Usps.com/holidaynewsroom -
CHETRY: Yes, you get a cute little form like this. I just printed it out and then you'll receive a letter from a family and it's not too late to do it.
ROBERTS: Very good and we'll work on that graphic problem.
Boston pops are coming under a Shaq attack these days. The Boston Celtics Center took to the podium yesterday to lead the famous orchestra in a performance of "Sleigh Ride." As a guest conductor, Shaquille O'Neil made it look easy, but he told reporters before taking the podium that after rehearsal, his arms were literally shot. Because he's used to putting up points single handedly or dropping them from the side, but this two-handed thing like this --
CHETRY: Yes, all the repetition. Those little micro-movements. It's not easy. Conductors have to be in shape.
ROBERTS: They do. CHETRY: Well, this morning's top stories just a few minutes away including reports this morning for a plot - of a plot to poison food at hotels and restaurant. The threat said to be tied to al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. We'll tell you what the Department of Homeland Security is saying.
ROBERTS: Democrats try to lock up the votes needed to pass a bill to help the 9/11 first responders. We're going to talk to Senator Kirsten Gillibrand about whether a trimmed down, less expensive bill could eventually make it to the president's desk.
CHETRY: Cell phones in school. Educators trying to find the right balance. Phones are a huge distraction and some schools finding a way to turn them into a learning tool. More stories at the top of the hour. We'll be right back.
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CHETRY: Bless you, Phil. Maybe you need some Echinacea. A lot of folks trying to treat the common cold, but in fact it's reported that Americans spend $132 million on the herbal remedy and it maybe for not.
Here's a new research out that suggest that you may be wasting your money. They did a study of 700 people with a cold and found out that those who took Echinacea only shaved a half of a day of a week-long cold. Researchers say that benefit as well could have just occurred by chance.
ROBERTS: Well, the holidays are supposed to be filled with laughter and cheer, but it's also a time when many of us get sick so how can you keep healthy?
Doctors have four tips for you, including use common sense. That's always a great preventive. Avoid hugging or kissing someone sick, practice frequent hand washing and more likely to be indoors with crowds of people.
Get a flu shot in the remaining days before the holidays an entry to get enough sleep. Since the times can be a bit stressful with shopping and exams if you're a student.
CHETRY: I have one other tip. Keep your fingers out of your mouth, nose and eyes.
ROBERTS: And your nose full of Neosporin.
CHETRY: That's a trick flying. It helps, but if you don't bite your nails, wipe your eyes or pick your nose, the chances of getting bacteria into your body are slim.
ROBERTS: Well, other than the wiping your eyes thing, I would recommend not doing the other two at any time.
CHETRY: In general?
ROBERTS: Yes, in general.
CHETRY: If you're healthy, pick away. We all have our thing. I'm just kidding! Don't pick -- just don't.
ROBERTS: Noted.
CHETRY: Men, pack your parka. The best place for you to live in the United States, Madison, Wisconsin. For women, Plano, Texas. Why? Well, men and women's "Health" magazine say that the cities happened to have 139 single men for every 100 unattached women.
ROBERTS: Now the worse place for men to live is St. Louis and for the ladies, Philadelphia. The magazine considers factors like healthy eating and exercise and cost of living and even cancer rates.
CHETRY: We're going to take a quick break. When we come back, your top stories.
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