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American Morning
Europe's Travel Trouble; 9/11 Health Care Bill; $1 Million Proposal; Suspected Carcinogen in Tap Water; Bomb Found in Rome Metro Station
Aired December 21, 2010 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Kiran Chetry.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you. I'm John Roberts. Thanks for being with us.
Lots to talk about today, let's get right to it.
Europe in an awful state right now, a winter storm turning London's Heathrow Airport into "Hotel Heathrow." Thousands of passengers are stranded, many of them since Saturday. Commuter rail has shut down many lines and there are blocked roadways in both Germany and Belgium.
CHETRY: Well, there are still so much to be done in the Congress today and it includes more wrangling in the Senate over the 9/11 first responders bill. The GOP is saying the price tag, $7.4 billion, is too costly.
New York Senator Schumer has worked on a scaled-down version, but is warning against more delays.
ROBERTS: And net neutrality. It doesn't sound terribly sexy, but it may just be the most important free speech issue of this generation. The FCC votes today on new rules on the Internet. We'll let you know why you should care if you spend any time on online.
CHETRY: First, though, a new terror threat. Department of Homeland Security reportedly uncovered the al Qaeda plot to poison food at hotels and restaurants across the country. They apparently planned to hit several spots over a single weekend.
ROBERTS: According to CBS News, the plot calls for the use of ricin and cyanide, and it's tied to the al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula group.
The Department of Homeland Security tells CNN that it doesn't comment on reports of specific terrorist planning but they do take all threats seriously. CNN sources say there is no specific intelligence to support this latest claim.
CHETRY: Well, it is still brutal trying to get anywhere across Europe. They're dealing with a winter storm that forced hundreds of flights to be canceled, heavy, wet snow shutting down commuter rail service. In fact, check out the train platforms. Many of them crammed with people waiting in line.
ROBERTS: Yes, mile-long lines. People are just waiting for hours trying to get on a train -- any train. But it's just not happening.
The picture just as dismal at London's Heathrow Airport -- and that's where our Atika Shubert is now and joins us now.
Do they still only have one runway open there?
ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. There's only one runway out of the two. And we're actually in front of the one that is working and some long-haul flights are getting through. You can hear one flight just above me now. But almost all of the short- haul and domestic flights have been canceled.
In fact, they said today that only one third of the flights operating out of Heathrow actually going ahead as scheduled. That means two thirds have been absolutely canceled and that's really bad news for travelers.
There have been travelers camped out at Heathrow terminal now since Saturday, thousands of people and it's literally a camp. They're using their luggage to sort of make a little fortress there and try to have a bed there. They're getting handouts of food and blankets.
Heathrow Airport authorities are trying to cope with it, but basically, people are just queuing up at the terminals hoping to get on any flight out of here to make it back home, but they say there are few flights that are going to make it before Christmas and say -- in fact, they're saying it could go on until after Christmas, as well, John.
ROBERTS: So, what's the deal there? They just don't have the equipment to clear the snow?
SHUBERT: No, they don't. Basically, they invested about more than $700,000 into snowplows and deicers and so forth. But, clearly, they just didn't expect the amount of snow that came through.
And one of the problems was that the jets that were in the parking stands actually froze over and they couldn't de-ice the runway until they moved the jets.
CHETRY: And we're looking at the situation at the train stations. Obviously, not much better, these people who are just trying to find some way to continue on with their travel if their flights have gotten canceled. Or what's the deal with the rail trouble?
SHUBERT: Well, exactly. There's a reduced service on the Eurostar because of the cold weather means they have to slow down the trains. They're not able to run as many and they have the additional problem of everyone who is trying to get to Europe by flying is now trying to get on to the Eurostar. And that's why we now literally see hundreds of people in a queue waiting for hours overnight trying to get on a train.
But even then, Eurostar says if you don't have a confirmation, you are just not going to get on the train.
CHETRY: Yikes!
ROBERTS: Pretty amazing stuff. Atika Shubert for us at Heathrow -- Atika, thanks.
And, right now, here at home, people in southern California are bracing for, if you can believe it, even more rain. Authorities are going door to door to get people to leave their homes because of flooding and possible mudslides. Southern California has been taking a beating from a relentless storm. Pineapple express that's flooded in.
More than a foot of rain fallen in some areas. And in the higher elevations, they could get as much as 15 feet of snow by the time this is all over.
CHETRY: Yes, a lot of these areas were affected by the wildfires. There's no vegetation. There's no brush. And then when the rain comes down, it just turns into a mudslide.
ROBERTS: It just picks up all that dirt and washes it down the hill.
CHETRY: Well, there's a possibility that this storm that we're talking about could end up snarling travel for the holidays as it moves east. Rob Marciano in the extreme weather center with more on the forecast for us.
Hey, Rob.
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, guys. Yes, this is going to eventually will get away from the West Coast and head to the east. The question is: who gets the snow and doesn't? It's pretty much going to slide right across the central part of the country and kind of cruise out towards the Atlantic. It shouldn't be a tremendous storm by then but right now it is.
And we're looking at amazing amounts of moisture. You mentioned the amount of rain coming down with this and the pineapple express. It's been raining in Hawaii and they have -- they have flood watches out there because of the rain and it's all connected with the same system.
Over a foot of rain has fallen so far in places like Santa Barbara and we do expect to see a little bit more before this is done and it will wrap up I think on Thursday morning. But until then, we're in it from northern California, southern California. But So Cal is certainly getting the brunt of it from just north of Los Angeles to just north of San Diego this morning and where it was yesterday.
Notice a little bit of white coming in there, we're starting to see colder air move in, that will help a little bit. But in the meantime, three to six inches more of rain expected and flash flood warnings out right now for San Bernardino County and a number of watch flood watches that are posted until further notice. Until we get this storm to kick out to the east.
As it does so, we'll see a tremendous amount of snow not only in the Sierras, but it will to the Wasatch. It will get into the San Juan. It will get into the Western Colorado Rockies, as well, three to six feet potentially.
You got a foot of snow yesterday in eastern Massachusetts. It's still snowing there. Boston seeing temperatures in the 20s and New York, same deal, but less in the way of snowfall. You also have the messy weather map for today. And again, we'll watch this system traverse the east, across the mid-section of the country throughout the next couple of days.
Eighty degrees in Dallas. I can tell you this: no snow expected in Dallas, at least in the next two days. But you may get a white Christmas up there in New York or additional snow. We'll talk more about the details of that forecast as the storm makes the way east in about 30 minutes -- John and Kiran.
ROBERTS: Rob, thanks. We'll see you then.
MARCIANO: All right.
CHETRY: Thanks, Rob.
Well, a tragic accident on Broadway last night happened during a preview performance of the much-anticipated and troubled musical "Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark." The show had to be stopped when a Spiderman stunt double fell from a platform, came crashing down on the stage.
This is video taken by one of the people in the audience who had to be -- who happened to be filming the aftermath. The stunt double had to be taken away in the ambulance. We don't have his name at this point. We also don't have r an update on his condition.
Earlier on AMERICAN MORNING, though, we were joined by two of the men, one who shot the video, brothers that were there when the show came to a halt. They say they didn't seem very surprised because of all the technical problems surrounding this new musical.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Expected something to go wrong but not this. I mean, the whole time whenever they were harnessed up going around the thing, flying over us, I thought, OK, AT some point, they're going to get stopped and suspended up there. But I didn't really expect this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: "Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark" was scheduled to open on Broadway early next month and again, as we've said, a series of mishaps postponing the debut of the $60 million production until February. There were some in the audience who said it just appeared that the harness just came loose as the guy was jumping.
ROBERTS: Yes, there's some video of it. It looked like he was supposed to go up the edge and the harness gets him and he swings underneath. But just the harness and the tailing rope just kind of went over the edge with him. Hope he's OK this morning.
"30 Rock" star Tracy Morgan said to be doing well after undergoing a kidney transplant earlier this month. Morgan will 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 to have his foot amputated.
CHETRY: Well, it could be the last Brett Favre sighting in a NFL game. Last night, he started for the Minnesota Vikings against the Bears, but didn't last long. He was slammed to the turf in the second quarter. That hard hit possibly a concussion. Favre did throw what's likely to be the final touchdown pass of his careers with the Bears ended up beating the Vikings 40-14, clenching the NFC North division title.
ROBERTS: Yes, it was frozen field, so he got his bell rung. And -- watch when his head comes up. Ka-bam! And the --
(CROSSTALK)
CHETRY: Ouch!
ROBERTS: -- just wasn't giving up anything.
Thousands of firefighters, police rescue and clean-up workers have respiratory problems and other illnesses from working at the World Trade Center site in the aftermath of September the 11th. New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand says the votes are there for Congress to approve a medical benefits bill. But some Republicans have raised concerns over the bill's cost and how to pay for it.
Senator Gillibrand responds when she joins us live coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Twelve minutes after the hour.
The Transportation Department said 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.
CHETRY: And Apple may not be known for offering deep discounts. Wal-Mart is, and this morning, they're giving customers a $50 gift card when they purchase an iPhone 4. The world's biggest retailer already sells that phone for 197 bucks. So, it's now going to be $147. $2 -- wait. More than $2, obviously -- $50 less than if you're buying it from AT&T and Apple.
ROBERTS: I think that they are typical list price -- $197 is $2 less than Apple. It's $199 at Apple.
CHETRY: I got you. So -- but now, you got $50 gift card --
ROBERTS: Now, it's $52.
CHETRY: Not bad. And I think Christine Romans told us what Sam's Club also offering it for $147. So can get a discount club if you're a member. You can get it cheap at Wal-Mart, undercutting AT&T and Apple.
ROBERTS: And we'll see if Apple and AT&T stores follow suit. Not like, but we'll see.
Today, the Senate is expected to take up a bill that will give medical benefits to 9/11 first responders. It's been stuck in Congress for years while both parties argue over entitlements and whether it is one, and above all, the price tag.
Joining us this morning is Democratic Senator Kristen Gillibrand of New York. She helped to work on a trimmed down version of the bill.
Senator, great to see you this morning.
For some folk who may not fully understand why this 9/11 first responders are in need of these benefits, they go, well, a lot of them are members of unions, don't they already have coverage? Why is it so important for them to get this coverage in this bill?
SEN. KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND (D), NEW YORK: Well, this is the coverage of last resort. This is the coverage that's going to be there for them when their insurance runs out, when the workman's comp runs out, when any settlements that they make run out. This is to be there so that when they're suffering from the grave diseases, that if they reached their cap in the regular insurance, they will have the health care they desperately need just to survive.
ROBERTS: We should point out, too, that at noon today, you're holding an event with some of these first responders who are suffering from illnesses.
Who's going to be there? And what are they suffering from?
GILLIBRAND: Well, we've invited first responders from many states across the country. We have a number coming from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut. And they're going to tell their stories. They're going to tell how they were the ones who rushed up those towers with people were coming down and they were the ones who are looking for survivors and remains and stayed there hours and hours, days and months to do the cleanup and they breathed in the very, very awful toxins that were released when the towers fell.
And now, so many of them are dying. They're dying of lung diseases, of cancers, of throat cancers, G.I. tract cancers -- just unbelievable disease that frankly has never seen in young men and women. And we had one of the most moving displays you can imagine here in the rotunda, of 29 police badges, NYPD badges, of men and women who have died since 9/11 from these diseases. The average age of those men and women was 46.
So, you can understand that these are men and women in the prime that are getting cut down by these very tough health effects because of the toxic nature of what was released when the towers fell.
ROBERTS: Now, let's talk about opposition to this bill. And some Republicans -- we should point out not all Republicans -- are really balking at the cost here. Originally, it was $7.4 million. You together with Senator Schumer have managed to knock about $1.2 billion out of that cost bringing it down to roughly about $6.2 billion, but there is still a lot of concerns over how you're going to pay for this. So, how would you pay for it?
KIRSTEN: Well, we've come up with some solutions. The initial pay for it (ph) that was passed in the House, many of the Senate Republicans did not like, so we decided to change it. Right now, it's a fee. When the U.S. government has a procurement contract with a foreign company, we're putting a 2 percent on that company if their company won't sign the procurement agreements. Meaning, they won't let us trade with their companies under favorable terms.
And so, that's a fee there. And then, there's a fee on visas for H1B and L1 visas of foreign workers that come into this country for companies that employ more than 50 percent of foreign workers. So, these are companies that really aren't helping to create jobs here in America for Americans.
ROBERTS: So, that brings you up to about, if I got the figures correctly, $4.5 billion. So, where does the other money come from?
GILLIBRAND: The last fee is on foreigners that come to visit this country. There's a fee in place that overwhelmingly supported the Senate. We're just continuing that fee to 2021. And that gets us to our 6.2.
ROBERTS: Now, you got three senators on the Republican side, in particular, senators Kyl, Enzi and Coburn who are complaining that this bill didn't come up through committee the way that it should have. It's a moving target in Senator Kyl's words. What do you say to Senator Kyl and the others about the way that the process of this bill following?
GILLIBRAND: Well, this is a House bill, and this bill has been through 21 hearings in the House, all of the committees of jurisdiction in the house, many Republican amendments added and passed overwhelmingly in the house with 17 Republican votes. So, we brought this bill over to the Senate. I introduced this bill last year, and since that time, we had a hearing in the Senate, in the health committee where people could ask any questions.
They could make any changes to the bill. I invited changes from all the Republican supporters. The only change they asked for from me over this last year was a change on how to pay for the bill which is why we've changed how we're paying for the bill to try to win those last few Republican senators.
ROBERTS: Yes. There's one other criticism to this bill, Senator Gillibrand, and that is that this represents a fairly substantial new entitlement. How would you respond to those criticisms?
GILLIBRAND: It's not an entitlement. In fact, it is a capped fund. We know exactly who's eligible. There's about 100,000 people eligible. No one knew that (ph) can be eligible. All the people who worked at 9/11 are known. All the families that live right at ground zero are known. And so, it's capped fund. Exact number of people.
We know exactly what number of diseases are eligible. There's 22 diseases that are eligible. So, this is not an entitlement. This is something it doesn't go on forever. It's ten-year fund with a set amount and a set number of people who are eligible.
ROBERTS: All right. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand for us this morning. We'll see if this passes the Senate and know if there's time to get it re-voted on the House before the Christmas break.
GILLIBRAND: And just -- just to close, I mean, people have to remember what this is about. This is about our heroes who literally answered the call of duty when we ask them to and came there and have now sacrificed their lives for answering that call. This is the right thing to do. It's the clearest case of right versus wrong I've seen in Washington.
ROBERTS: We'll keep watching this, Senator. Thanks so much. Appreciate your time.
GILLIBRAND: Thank you.
CHETRY: We also should mention that we did try to reach out to some of GOP senators opposed to this bill, and nobody wanted to come on and talk about it.
ROBERTS: Yes. Even some Republicans are criticizing the Republicans who are standing in the way of this.
CHETRY: Yes.
ROBERTS: We'll see where it goes.
CHETRY: Yes, it's important to remember. Also, in the days after 9/11, the federal government said the air was safe to breathe.
ROBERTS: Yes and --
CHETRY: (INAUDIBLE) Ground Zero.
ROBERTS: And that with the first responders knew that it was risky down there, but there were a lot of civilians who moved back in at the government's recommendation who now may be suffering from these diseases, as well. And so, they're included in all of this.
CHETRY: All right. Well, we'll see where it goes, as you said.
Meantime, real-life Hollywood imitating Hollywood. Well, A-list actors and stars of boxing movies, Mark Wahlberg and Will Smith are now being offered big bucks to actually fight each other in the ring. Details and morning talker still ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: There is a very pertinent question to ask as we get to our morning talkers this morning, stories that had us talking in the newsroom. Country music star, Shania Twain, is ready to tie the knot again. And wait until you hear who she plans to marry. Remember, back in 2008, when the singer has been to 14 years music/producer, Robert Mutt Lange, had his boots under (INAUDIBLE).
Well, now, Shania is engaged to that woman's -- you ready for this? Ex-husband. Seems that after Mutt at his boots under somebody else's bed, they have been consoling each other for the past two years and decided, hey, we're great friends, let's see if we can hit it off for the relationship.
CHETRY: Well, hopefully, she'll have better luck this time. Wish her the best.
You could call it an indecent proposal. A million bucks for Mark Wahlberg and Will Smith to actually face off in the boxing ring. Radar Online is reporting that the CEO of the Hollywood Boxing Federation says that the match would generate millions for charity. Smith played, as you know, Mohammed Ali in the movie "Ali". And, of course, Wahlberg is playing pro-boxer in his new film, "The Fighter."
The fight would call for three, one-minute rounds. Oh, come on! Three, one-minute rounds? Anyone can do that, right? It's pretty easy. Three, one-minute rounds? It's not that bad. No? It looks hard? OK. Well, neither actor has responded. The only to do is sort of just dance around with your fists up.
ROBERTS: I expect that neither Mark nor Will would hit each other really hard.
CHETRY: They can all wear the protective head gear.
ROBERTS: Here's the thing, too, is that Wahlberg actually was a fighter. So, he may have the upper hand here.
CHETRY: Although, Will Smith's bigger.
ROBERTS: Yes. But, you know -- the bigger they are, the harder they fall.
(LAUGHTER)
CHETRY: OK.
ROBERTS: There you go.
Governor Ryan says the all the holiday decorations on television were beginning to look the same to him, so he hired an artist from Palm Springs to think outside the box and decorate his set. Behold the greatest Christmas decorations in the history of television according to Conan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CONAN O'BRIEN, HOST: Three, two, one! Yes! Yes! Behold, Godzilla with a candy cane! King Kong holding Santa's sled. And now, the Christmas UFO, rise robo-Santa, rise!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Pretty amazing stuff.
CHETRY: Took a lot of effort. Certainly thinking outside the box. Although, I think that if regular Santa makes kids cry, Conan's robo-Santa rising will make them bawl.
ROBERTS: It's pretty fascinating, that robo-Santa. And you don't think that NBC would ever let him do anything like that, do you?
CHETRY: No way! No way. He's free to do what he wants now.
Well, still ahead, tragedy on Broadway last night. An actor rushed to the hospital by ambulance after taking a terrible fall during one of the stunts in the new musical, "Spiderman." We have some brand new video of the actual fall.
ROBERTS: And teens and their cell phone obsessions. School tell kids not to text in class, but we found out two thirds of students do that anyways. So, how do teachers battle back against the temptation to text? Well, up next, one school in New York City is saying, if you can't beat them, join them.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: All right. Again, we're putting up the address for operation Santa. Fulfilling wishes for people who, otherwise, may not (ph) get present this year. USPS.com/holidaynewsroom and then click on the operation letters to Santa button.
Well, using cell phones is a tool for learning. It's a pilot program in one school. And so far, it seems like students are really responding.
ROBERTS: But most teachers are working to keep phones out of the classroom, and students focused on the task at hand. Our Deb Feyerick is here with more, and it's not just about "if you can't beat them, join them," it's really setting up a whole different environment for learning, isn't it?
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, absolutely and really is. You have so many kids, so many cell phones. The question is, how do you harness the energy of that combination to really make sure that kids, if they do have cell phones, are using them most effectively?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FEYERICK (on-camera): Seventh grader, Caleb Coin (ph), has texting in class down to a science.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Open it up. Put the phone in there and act like I'm looking for something and send a text message.
FEYERICK: Hallways are also good.
UNIDENTIFIED KID: It's harder to get caught (INAUDIBLE) class.
FEYERICK: Because you're moving?
UNIDENTIFIED KID: Hmm.
FEYERICK: Like a shark, always moving?
UNIDENTIFIED KID: Yes.
(LAUGHTER)
FEYERICK: Coin (ph) says his cell phone has been confiscated six times in six months, and he's not the only one despite constant reminders from his principal at Haverstraw Middle School.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Your cell phones are supposed to be where? Yes, in your locker. Not in class.
FEYERICK: The class is exactly where they end up, according to the Pew Research Center, even in schools that ban cell phone use nearly 60 percent of all students admit texting during class, a growing problem in schools across the country.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why are you so addicted to this technology?
FEYERICK: At Bayside High School in Florida, students risk being suspended if their phone is confiscated more than once. So far this year, 200 kids had had their phones taken away.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Students need to be fully 100 percent authentically engaged in the classroom and pulling out a cell phone and texting their friends about whatever it is they might be talking about is not the learning environment that I, as a principal, want to promote.
FEYERICK: And despite that zero tolerance policy --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We still daily collect cell phones from students that have them out when they're supposed to be learning in the classroom.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't think we're going to stop the tsunami. FEYERICK: But pediatrician and media expert Michael Rich says the reality is kids use more than seven hours of media a day. Depriving them of it could backfire.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pandora's box is open here. The technologies are here. What we need to do is take control of them instead of letting them control us.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You can't put the genie back in the bottle. The cell phones are here.
FEYERICK: And Haberstraw middle school teachers like Ronald Royster have decided if you can't beat them, join them.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is not really a phone. It is their computer for class.
FEYERICK: The school handed out 75 cell phones to fifth graders as part of a unique pilot program.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Click on Ellis Island.
FEYERICK: Texting and calling features are disabled, and Internet sites are filtered. Phones are used for things like note taking and research.
For 11-year-olds Kiara, Ryan, and Naya learning is different now d.
FEYERICK (on camera): Did you make a movie during homeroom?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. This is actually in math, decimals. You can sync it, which mean the teachers will get it and they grade you on it.
FEYERICK: So it really is helping reinforce the lessons?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because we're, like, memorizing things so much easier on here.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's almost like you want to look at the screen, like a mini TV and you want to look at it, not a piece of paper.
FEYERICK (voice-over): The district superintendent says dollar for dollar buying phones is more efficient than new computers.
FEYERICK (on camera): There are some educators who just say these should not be in school. What is your response to them?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think we are in the middle of a new revolution. It's part of who they are today, and why not use it in a positive way?
FEYERICK (voice-over): As for these fifth graders --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I actually started texting less when I have had this.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Now that I have this, it is more fun to go on the Internet on this and experiment with it at home instead of texting all day, like, doing nothing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's like, bye, phone.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FEYERICK: Now, the kids who use this, they're really getting a big advantage out of it. The kids who don't have the devices and are not allowed to used cell phones in class, they're really eager to get their hands on it to use in it a positive way and want to be able to go to Ellis Island as you heard on the little mobile devices. They don't call them cell phones. They're mobile devices to let kids know that you can make movies, you can Google information.
And so they're being streamlined, they're being guided through this maze of the Internet. It is not about staying away from it but using in it a way where you get maximum benefit.
ROBERTS: Any idea how much money the school board saves by using smart phones as opposed to having to buy computers?
FEYERICK: That's a great question because smart phones can be given to everybody at a fraction of the price. Computer labs, which we'll look back on and laugh, you buy a big computer, only one child can use it at a time. You have to slate the time. So cost-wise this is so much more effective than the old computers.
And they last longer, or if you lose them or break, you can replace them more easily.
CHETRY: Hopefully the kids won't lose them.
FEYERICK: Exactly. If they do, they risk being kicked out of the program, so it's good. Good lesson.
ROBERTS: Take care of it. That's a good lesson to learn, too. Thanks, Deb.
CHETRY: We're crossing the half hour right now, time for a look at the top stories.
Storms in southern California expected to continue into the weekend. It's the last thing they need. Already a foot of rain falling there. Thousands of residents have had to evacuate homes due to severe flooding and the potential of mud or rockslides. A portion of the Pacific Coast Highway in Ventura County forced to close because of a mud slide.
ROBERTS: No word yet this morning on the condition of an actor that took a terrible fall last night. Here it is from inside the theater. There he is -- down. The harness he had on either broke or didn't hold or whatever and he tumbles into a stage pit. He might have fallen as much as 15 feet.
That's from the performance of the Broadway musical "Spiderman, Turn off the Dark." It was an audience member was rolling with her smart phone at the time. And just we play it over and over again. You can see he falls. He tumbles into the pit.
They have not released his name yet or his condition. He was taken away in an ambulance with a neck brace. He did manage to give a little wave to the crowd outside the theater, and they responded with a big cheer. So it looks like in the long run he may be OK.
CHETRY: Hopefully he's all right.
Meantime, a showdown set for today in the Senate, a critical vote on the Obama administration's nuclear arms treaty with Russia, the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty or new START calls for limits on nuclear arms and launchers and new inspections.
Senate Democrats and a few Republicans favor the treaty, but most GOP senators are questioning the timing and what it may mean for national security. Both the president as well as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff support the treaty.
ROBERTS: Later on today, the Federal Communications Commission is going to vote on a new set of rules for the Internet. They're 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, "Simply put, if you use the Internet, you should care about what happens today." And Poppy Harlow joins us with a "A.M." original, and a story you'll only see on "AMERICAN MORNING." Trying to break down, first of all, why this is so divisive, and also what it means.
POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: It's very divisive, and it's a very political issue pretty much split between party lines here. We're talking about net neutrality. You probably haven't heard of it, but for more than six years the FCC has been trying to dramatically reshape what the future of the Internet looks like. Today, that issue takes center stage.
And it might sound like policy out of Washington, but this could and will mean huge changes for all of us. Bottom line, folks, this is the biggest government move yet into regulating the web.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HARLOW: It's a virtual fist fight, media giants duking it out over something you've probably never even heard of -- net neutrality.
DANIEL ROTH, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Without net neutrality, you might not be able to get to the sites you want or they will be blocked or really slow. HARLOW: Right now, all online content is treated equally no matter who the service provider is. But a battle is brewing between the providers and content companies that is provide things like online video. Think of the Internet as a super highway maintained by the cable telecom companies.
HARLOW (on camera): If I'm watching an HD show online at a site like Hulu, that's kind of like driving a semi-truck. But if I'm just sending an email, that's more like a smart car, less wear and tear on the road. So if I'm a gas guzzler or a data hog, should I have to pay more? And if I do will that stifle innovation?
BARRY DILLER, CHAIRMAN AND CEO, IAC: This is for the person who's in a garage, the proverbial inventor, entrepreneur in a garage.
HARLOW (voice-over): And if access for the next big start up becomes challenged, could we miss out on the next Google or Facebook? Barry Diller's IAC runs more than 50 Internet companies and he is a adamant supporter of net neutrality.
DILLER: Twenty years ago, you really didn't hear the word entrepreneur very much. Our endless use of this in the last 20 years came from essentially technology and came from the Internet.
HARLOW (on camera): It seems like you're saying, Barry, that the big media folks are pushing the inventers into the dust.
DILLER: We have enjoyed something in this country that's a miracle which is you press a button and on your computer or whatever and publish to the world and there's no interference. There's nobody in the middle of the road taking a toll.
HARLOW (voice-over): But carriers want the freedom to maintain their networks as they see fit, even if it means additional charges.
ROTH: The days of the all you can eat buffet that is the Internet now are over. You are going to have different tiers of pricing. People are going to pay to be able to get more data.
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HARLOW: All right, so like it or not, get ready for the government's hand to reach even further into the web of the future. The chairman of the FCC has said Internet distributors should not be allowed, for example, to block or slow down content coming from their competitors.
But here's where he's cutting down the middle. He suggested perhaps we have a tiered pricing model, that that could be the answer. You use more of the Internet, pay more.
Guys, this really comes front and center. The meeting starts at 10:30 in Washington, wraps up at 12:30. We will have a vote by then, and essentially the decision will be made and expected that these rules will pass. And some liberals really don't like it and some Republicans really don't like it. It's very political right to the core of the government's hand in American businesses.
CHETRY: All right. And perhaps up for court challenges even if they decide.
HARLOW: Those are coming, absolutely, absolutely.
CHETRY: Poppy Harlow for us this morning, thanks.
HARLOW: You got it.
CHETRY: Coming up, some troubling questions of the safety water after high levels of a cancer-causing chemical in water samples across the board. We'll have more on what you can do about it coming up.
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ROBERTS: It's 42 minutes after the hour now. A troubling report just released about our drinking water. An analysis of tap water in 35 cities found high levels of a suspected carcinogen in 31 of them. The chemical is the same one that Erin Brockovich exposed in groundwater in Hinckley, California.
CHETRY: So what do you do if indeed you're one of the cities and how do you know if your water is safe? Ken Cook is the president and cofounder of the Environmental Working Group. This is the group behind the study. He joins us from Washington this morning.
First of all, just on the face of it, stunning to see that the majority of areas where you tested drinking water, it contains this solvent. I mean, first question, how can this be?
KEN COOK, PRESIDENT AND COFOUNDER, ENVIRONMENTAL WORKING GROUP: Well, for one thing, it was stunning that no one looked until we did. This is the kind of problem that you worry might be there, but if you don't look, of course, there's no reason to worry because you haven't found anything yet.
We did studies in these 35 cities because we had assembled a large database to look across the country at a wide range of contaminants. We picked chromium-six because it has emerged amongst scientists recently as something that's of fairly serious concern at low levels in water. So when we did our test results we were very disappointed to find out that across those 35 cities, 31 of them had detection levels that we were concerned about.
ROBERTS: Let's put up a graphic, Ken, so people at home see what we're talking about in terms of levels. Highest levels in Norman, Oklahoma, where the levels of chromium-six, were 200 times what is thought to be the safe level. Do you have any idea where the chemical is coming from? Officials questioned the methodology. They say you came in and took one sample from one tap in every city and that doesn't necessarily represent what's going on across the board.
COOK: We certainly agree that. We were only able to do one sample. But the fact of the matter is when you find it in 31 out of 35 cities, that tells you that you ought to be looking more carefully. This chemical is widely used in industry. It's used for metal plating. It is used for a variety of manufacturing processes. Some of it occurs naturally, but that's not believed to be the main source of these contamination problems.
And to be honest, I think what we're looking at here is not a reason for panic. This is a long-term exposure concern, low levels. The health risk is cancer. That takes a long time to develop. So this is an early indication, I think, of the need for the government to take a closer look.
And then need to do a couple of things. One, we need to do more testing. Right now, no water utilities outside of California are required to test for this chemical.
KEN COOK, PRESIDENT & CO-FOUNDER, ENVIRONMENTAL WORKING GROUP: The health risk is cancer. That takes a long time to develop. So this is an early indication, I think, of the need for the government to take a closer look.
And they need to do a couple of things. One, we need to do more testing. Right now, no water utilities outside of California are required to test for this chemical. Two, we need to try and identify where we find it in water, locations where we might have a contamination problem that we could clean up. And then, three, we need the government to set a standard so that utilities will know just how much they need to do in order to clean it up.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: Right. Because you're saying I mean, at this point the EPA doesn't even regulate -- regulate this at all, this Chromium-6.
COOK: That's correct.
CHETRY: The other thing is, you think, ok, well, I have a filter in my house or my refrigerator has a filter or I use a Brita filter that doesn't get this out, right?
COOK: That's correct. This is a very tough contaminant to scrub out of drinking water. It requires a fairly expensive system in the home. Most people I think can't afford it and to be honest we have let too much of our water supplies get contaminated to the point where we're having to take some heroic action.
This might be one of those instances where in order to deal with a carcinogen in tap water we're going to have to spend some money. We should have prevented the pollution to begin with.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: And let's -- let's just come back to this idea of regulation. The EPA does have recommended safe levels for total chromium but that includes -- (CROSSTALK)
COOK: Correct.
ROBERTS: -- those hexavalent chromium and trivalent chromium which is actually something that your body needs. So without separating out the hexavalent chromium from the total toxic chemical in the -- in the -- in the water, can you really know what you're getting?
COOK: Well, I think we need tests that specifically look for the Erin Brockovich version of chromium. That's what we were able to do. Right now, EPA is not requiring that of water utilities around the country. So we need a -- a much more rigorous testing program to just see how extensive the problem is. How common it is. Is it happening day in and day out in some of these cities?
CHETRY: Right.
COOK: Those are basic questions that we need to have answers for.
CHETRY: And -- and Ken if you're drinking bottled water from non-municipal sources, are you safe?
COOK: Well, you know, we always say test and -- and -- and verify. Right now, there's no reason to believe that bottled water necessarily does not have hexavalent chromium in it.
CHETRY: Wow.
COOK: Most of these bottled water companies do filter the water pretty rigorously --
(CROSSTALK)
ROBERTS: Wow.
COOK: But sometimes it comes from municipal sources. So once again I think the -- the question is we really just need to know what's in the water. People have a right to know that.
CHETRY: Right.
COOK: And take it from there.
ROBERTS: And we should point out, too, that the EPA is now taking another look at hexavalent chromium and its potential health effects and they will be considering the results of your studies. So we'll see where all of this is going.
(CROSSTALK)
COOK: That's correct.
ROBERTS: Ken Cook, it's great to have you with us this morning. Thanks so much.
COOK: My pleasure, thank you.
CHETRY: So you're dreaming of a wet Christmas? Head west if you can actually get out there. Our extreme weather forecast with Rob coming up.
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CHETRY: Well, we're following some breaking news right now.
Reuters is reporting that the Rome Transport Authority says they found an explosive device in an underground train station in Rome. They're working right now to confirm more details about exactly what it may be. But again, a big alert in Rome because of this explosive device found at an underground rail station.
ROBERTS: And we'll have more information for you. We'll keep watching the story.
Meantime, let's go to Rob Marciano. He is in Atlanta this morning at the Extreme Weather Center where he has got a lot to talk about, particularly in California. Good morning, Rob.
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, guys. We'll start in California and then we'll take this system east and see where it goes. Obviously, the moisture plumes still across southern California, that's where it's going to be for the next day and a half. We will turn the spigot off Thursday morning and then move the whole thing off to the east but it will be a different form once it does that.
It'll slice across the midsection of the country through the Corn Belt, the Ohio River Valley. And then, towards the northeast, the track here is going to be difficult to predict at least at this point but it will throw in some snow across the mid-Atlantic. How far north it gets to Boston and New York will be another story. But right now, at least there's a chance of seeing more snow accumulation.
Not this kind of accumulation. We have seen over 13 feet at Mammoth Mountain and then a little bit further north and North Star, across Tahoe and Heavenly, seeing almost 100 inches and of course, there's more on the way. We've seen over a foot of rain so far. And these are not numbers to be taken lightly; it is certainly is going to be a historic storm. We haven't seen one like this in several years if not decades.
Still the western half under the gun and -- but the most intense rain, of course, across southern California. We're starting to see now some snows at the higher elevations that will help lock up some of that moisture as colder air begins to move in. But nonetheless, flash flood watches and some warnings out, three to six inches of additional rainfall potentially across parts of southern California.
And then one to three feet of snow in the Wasatch, maybe three to six feet of snow in western Colorado. And speaking of snow, a little bit of snow across parts of Eastern Mass yesterday, actually a foot on Cape Cod and it will continue to be blustery across New York City with a high temperature of about 37 degrees.
If you want to warm up, go to Dallas where today's highs will be 80 -- John and Kiran.
ROBERTS: All right. Rob, thanks so much.
We've got an update for you on the break news we told you about just a moment ago.
A suspected explosive device found in the Rome underground. This was found at the Rabibia Station (ph). Unclear whether at this point whether or not it was actually in a train or if it was at a station but it was found by authorities underneath a seat according to the press people at the city hall in Rome.
CHETRY: Yes they are confirming that to CNN right now they say that it was found by train officials and that it was under a seat around 10:00 local time this morning. And they say that right now they have the Italian fire brigade as well as the bomb squad on the scene right now trying to, I guess, secure this, to figure out what it is.
They say it's not clear at this point if it was ready to explode or not and they're also not saying whether or not they suspect -- who they may suspect is behind this.
ROBERTS: But they do say -- and potentially some of this got lost a little bit in translation -- they say that a package containing a bomb -- they do not say that -- well, it's a suspicious package. They believe that it's containing a bomb according to the spokesperson from the city hall.
So we'll have more on that story, we're working on our sources and we'll be right back. Stay with us.
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CHETRY: Trying to get a clarification right now on a story for you out of Rome this morning. Police are confirming that they've found an explosive device in a package in the Rabibia station in Rome this morning. No word on exactly whether or not it exploded, whether or not they think it could have exploded or who may be behind it but they are right now on the scene trying to figure this out.
ROBERTS: Yes. According to a spokesperson from city hall and, of course, there are a number of officials who are being quoted as the story unfolds, the person from city hall says a quote, "bomb" was found under a seat in one of the trains at the Rabibia Station which was northeast of downtown.
But unclear whether or not it's a suspected device or if it was found in a station as opposed to on the train. Depending to who you talk to, you're getting different stories. So in the early minutes of this unfolding, a lot of conflicting information, but we tell you according to a spokesperson from city hall, a bomb found under a seat in a train at the Rabibia Station. And now they're responding of course with all the appropriate authorities.
CHETRY: Yes. They say this is a heavily secured area because a prison is nearby and so, again, the bomb squad's on the scene right now. Italian fire departments, as well, are trying to get the situation under control. That's what we know right now.
We'll, of course, continue to follow it throughout the morning. We're speaking with people from our Rome bureau, as well. And we'll update it for you in just a couple of minutes.
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ROBERTS: Want to update you just before we leave on our breaking news story we will be following throughout the day. Suspected explosive device found in the Rome subway in the Rabibia Station. It could have been on the train, according to one person, it was. According to other sources it was actually in the station.
We're working to confirm exactly where the device was but it was found under a seat at Rabibia's in the Northeastern part of Rome. And obviously, if this were an explosive device, it could have caused a lot of damage had it exploded.
CHETRY: Right. Italian fire officials and also the police bomb squad on the scene. We're just getting an update. I'm just making sure -- it says, yes, parcel bomb found by transport workers in an empty train in the metro station. And they're also saying, at least according to AFP, that it was defused. So again, we're still working this information.
And of course "CNN NEWSROOM" continues now. Kyra Phillips will have updates for you throughout the morning as well.
Hi, Kyra.
