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Hurricane Sandy Headed to East Coast; Campaign Changes Plans

Aired October 27, 2012 - 16:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: It is the top of the hour, and you're in the "CNN Newsroom," I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Welcome back.

A monster of a storm is setting its sights on the east coast, and now tens of millions of people from the Carolinas to Maine are bracing for impact. Forecasters say Sandy could be one of the largest, most destructive hurricanes in recent history. And right now it is about 330 miles off the South Carolina coast, and it is expected to make landfall early sometime next week. The national guard has been deployed in Virginia, and seven states, plus the District of Columbia are already under states of emergencies.

We're covering the stories from all angles. In just moments, we'll be joined by Athena Jones who is in Alexandria, Virginia, George Howell is in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina and Bonnie Schneider will have the latest from The Weather Center.

So the hurricane has already forced the presidential candidates to change their plans, as well, both campaigns have decided not to travel to Virginia as scheduled. But today they're in other battleground states. President Obama just wrapped up a rally in New Hampshire, he won that state back in 2008 and wants to keep it in his column. We'll go live to New Hampshire for more in just a couple of moments.

And Mitt Romney, well, he's focusing on Florida, he has already been to Pensacola today, and he's scheduled to hold a rally in Kissimmee. This hour about 40 minutes from now, stay with us, we'll have that entire speech for you, live.

All right. So now back to Hurricane Sandy, which is still a few 100 miles off the East Coast. And we're already seeing some of its effects. Meteorologist Bonnie Schneider is watching Sandy for us, and how potentially damaging and how potentially strong might this storm get?

BONNIE SCHNEIDER, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, strong and damaging for days. And that is really the problem when you're talking about such a widespread storm that is likely to intensify in terms of its scope. And I want to show you the latest now. Let's take a look.

Right now, maximum winds are at 75 miles per hour, but that's not really the most important thing. I think the size of the storm and the millions of people that will be impacted by it really is some of the biggest story of Hurricane Sandy. Landfall looks a little bit more tighter consensus in terms of computer models that we're looking for a landfall sometime Monday, possibly somewhere south of New Jersey or maybe into the Del Mar region but keep in mind, winds will be strong throughout this region. And we're also looking at long lasting flooding rains, a lot of rains. The rains are already beginning now. It is Saturday evening, you can see heavy rain across North Carolina, all the way down to Charleston.

If you're driving I would advise not to do that especially into the overnight. That rain is only going to get worse. So the computer models, we've been updating this, and it's been fascinating watching the colors change and adjust to where the storm is going. Six inches or more, well that includes the city of Norfolk, Virginia. We're also looking at possible 10 inches of rain over the next 48 hours in parts of the Outer banks. That means that rain is just going to keep coming and coming. So is the wind, and the wind is likely to cause a lot of power outages. It will be widespread all the way westward to Pennsylvania, even upstate New York will be impacted by the storm.

So when you're talking about power outages, it could be severe, and it could be long lasting for days. So would say get your supplies ready now, and be prepared, just in case you may lose power. And transportation would likely be impacted. I'll talk more about this and air travel and all the other impact of Sandy in just a bit.

WHITFIELD: OK. We look forward to that. Thanks so much, Bonnie.

All right. Meantime, let's go to the North Carolina coast, that is where our George Howell is. He's in Kill Devil Hills. All right. So it's getting darker there. We've been watching the surf change. It is windy, bring us up to date.

GEORGE HOWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, every hour it seems to get worse and worse, you know, just an hour ago I told you about the side-ways winds, that pelting - rather the sideways rain, that pelting rain that's coming in. We're seeing that. Also the winds have picked up, and that is evidenced by what you see on the water getting rougher and rougher as the day goes on. But when you talk to people here, Fredricka, and this is very interesting. It seems to be business as usual here on the island, along the outer banks. In fact, I talked to a couple of people who are riding out the storm here, at this hotel where we'll be staying. They're here for a wedding that happened today.

WHITFIELD: Oh, no.

HOWELL: Also when you drive up and down the streets here, yeah, you don't find a lot of homes with the boarded up windows. That is because people have homes here, but don't live here. Some people have decided to go to higher ground and stay in hotels. But people - it comes to this, there has been no mandatory evacuation, Fredricka. And when you look back at what happened with Irene, there was a mandatory evacuation, people remember what happened then. They're waiting to hear, you know, if that becomes the case. But people are keeping very close sight to the radar, watching the track of this storm, and just making sure that they have a plan in place, should things get worse here.

WHITFIELD: All right. George Howell, thanks so much, in Kill Devil Hills. Let's head north now to Virginia, and let's go to Old Town, Alexandria where quite the contrast. It is dry there. Looks like great weather. People eating ice cream as they're walking behind you, Athena. However, they are planning, making preparations for what could come next, right?

ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Fredricka. We're here in Old Town, this is an area, a low lying area that floods very, very easily. You know, we've been hearing that figure, $3.2 billion or more in estimated damages from this storm but, that is just focused on wind damages, not even taking into account flooding. And this is one of the areas that floods very, very easily. We were speaking with police earlier here today, they said back in 2003, Hurricane Isabel, this whole street here, up this block, all the way down up until you start seeing the hill go up, flooded. So you can see all of the businesses that could be affected if this area does end up getting several inches of rain for a sustained period of time. We know that local businesses are stocking up on sandbags, and people are going and buying batteries, water and food. In fact, we went and stopped by a local hardware store, this is what the owner there had to tell us.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICHARD HEILMAN, ACE HARDWARE: Last time, people lost power for over a week. So people were a little bit more, hey, maybe I should get my batteries now, instead of waiting until they're all gone.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JONES: And so we saw some empty shelves there, they had a sign posted outside saying they were already out of C and D batteries. We also know that in Washington, D.C., authorities there have been handing out sandbags, so everyone is kind of hunkering down, hoping for the best but preparing for the worst, Fred.

WHITFIELD: I understand, how about in nearby Maryland? OK, looks like we lost each other. All right, Athena Jones there in Old Town, Alexandria. We'll check back with her throughout the evening.

All right, in the meantime, back to the campaign trail. Barack Obama won New Hampshire back in 2008 by nearly 10 points, but can Democrats hang on to that state? It is a tight race and the Obama camp is pinning its hopes on New Hampshire.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. It has been quite a busy Saturday for Mitt Romney, and President Barack Obama, both men campaigning at opposite ends of the east coast, Romney hitting several cities in Florida. He made a stop earlier today in Pensacola, and in just about a half hour or so from now he will be holding a rally in Kissimmee. And then he heads to Land O'Lakes. President Barack Obama just wrapped up a rally in Nashua, New Hampshire, a couple of hours ago. We carried that live for you. And of course, you'll be able to see Mitt Romney's speech from Kissimmee, live right here on CNN. He is scheduled to speak at 4:40 or so Eastern time. So as we count down the last 10 days to election time, CNN has correspondents in every key battleground state. White House correspondent Brianna Keilar is traveling with the president in Nashua, New Hampshire, where he's been down and out. Boy, it was a crowd earlier. Four electoral votes up for grabs. The president grabbed them back in 2008, and he wants them again. How hard is he working that state?

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: He's working very hard, and he has to work harder, quite frankly, Fred, than he did in 2008. He won New Hampshire over John McCain by 10 percent, quite a lead. Right now, polls show that while he has a slight lead, statistically, the race here is tied up between him and Mitt Romney. And that is why this really pretty small battleground state, just four electoral votes out of the 270 needed, is getting an outsized amount of attention from both candidates.

Here today, at this rally, President Obama unveiling a new part of his stump speech, talking about Mitt Romney's record while he was the governor of Massachusetts, adding a little bit of humor in there as well as he talked about fees that the governor put in place, while he was in charge of the state. Here is what the president said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There were higher fees for gas. There were higher fees for milk. There were higher fees for blind people who needed to get a certificate that they were blind. He raised fees to get a birth certificate, which would have been expensive for me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: So that is a line, Fred, that got some laughter here from his crowd of supporters, was not well received. No surprise, by the Romney campaign. A spokesperson calling the attack laughable, saying "as Governor Mitt Romney worked with Democrats to close a $3 billion deficit, balanced four budgets while cutting taxes 19 times, creates tens and thousands of new jobs and lower the Massachusetts unemployment rate to 4.7 percent."

This is really going to be a tough race here, Fred, and you can tell by how many times the president has visited. Two times in two weeks. And we're expecting vice president Joe Biden, barring the storm causing problems or affecting his schedule to be here on Monday.

WHITFIELD: And then from New Hampshire, the president is on to quite a few other battleground states, Ohio being one of them. Virginia, where else?

KEILAR: He goes to Ohio a few times actually. He is heading tomorrow to Florida, a day early in anticipation of the storm. You got Florida, Virginia, Ohio, Wisconsin, Colorado, then back to Ohio, and then we'll see - he is expected to continue on his travels through Tuesday, election day, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Brianna Keilar, thanks so much, traveling with the president there in Nashua, New Hampshire.

So while Mitt Romney's quest for the White House has been well- documented, and Romney's journey has been fascinating, as well, with a series of interviews with CNN's Gloria Borger. You will get a glimpse at her role in the campaign, and how it evolved. "The Journey of Ann Romney," tonight, 7:30 Eastern time.

All right. One independent filmmaker is firing up black cinema once more. The journey of Eva (INAUDIBLE) from publicist to award-winning filmmaker.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't think you have to teach innovation, I just think you have to coax people out of their fear of trying to innovate. Everybody has creative abilities, but people just don't express them. I see people come in here that are afraid to try anything. You give them some process, and some encouragement, they have some success with their problems and you see them just change, you see them light up. You see them say oh, I really can do this, this is stunning. They're stunning.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A 10-day field trip goes a little too far, gets a little too risque and now finds its way in the court system. Our legal guys are with us in 90 seconds. Avery, where is this going?

AVERY FRIEDMAN, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: Yes, this young man had sex in "Casablanca" Fredricka. Does that violate the Constitution if the school doesn't give them a hearing? We got the answers for you and more.

WHITFIELD: And Richard?

RICHARD HERMAN: I don't know, the guy goes to the school, says "Help me, I was surreptitiously recorded. Shades of (INAUDIBLE) What happens? He gets suspended.

WHITFIELD:: All right, we'll find out more, 90 seconds away.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A high school student in Pennsylvania is suing the school district to clear his record after being disciplined for a sexual encounter secretly recorded during a 10-day field trip. Let's bring in our legal guides, Avery Friedman, a civil rights attorney and law professor, joining us from Cleveland, good to see you.

FRIEDMAN: Hi.

WHITFIELD: And Richard Herman, a New York criminal defense attorney and law professor joining us from Miami, today. Good to see you, as well. HERMAN: Hi, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, gentlemen, this young man, a junior at (INAUDIBLE) High School in Pennsylvania has filed this civil rights suit because he says he was the one who was violated. A sexual encounter he had with someone on a 10-day field trip was videotaped. The school ended up suspending him for "inappropriate behavior." So Richard, how will he go about saying he was not the one who should have been disciplined, only those who carried out the videotaping should be disciplined.

HERMAN: Right, Fred. This was - the someone was his girlfriend of two years, the last week or last day of their trip, they had relations, which were scrumptiously recorded by a friend, who then turned them over to everyone on the school there. Shades of Tyler Clemente in Rutgers, the student comes home. He's humiliated. He goes to the school and says "Please help me, do something here." And they do. They suspend him. They suspend his girlfriend and they suspend the videographer, who now has charges pending in family court, juvenile court.

In any event, the school district did not step back for a moment. They did not appreciate or understand what happened here. They acted insanely, and some moron made the decision to suspend him and his girlfriend. They're going to pay the price for this one, Fred, trust me. This case will be settled. It's not going to go to trial. It's going to end very quickly in a confidential settlement. The school was absolutely wrong here. He did the right thing by seeking protection from the school and help and they turned their back on him.

WHITFIELD: So Avery, you heard Richard's beef is the school didn't handle this inappropriately, insanely, his words. How do you think it should have been handled or what is the recourse that will take place, likely?

FRIEDMAN: Well, the recourse here is actually under the due process clause of the 14th amendment. I am so impressed with this young man. I mean, yes, he had sex in Casablanca and I looked at the seven-page rule book of what you're allowed to do in school, and you know what? It is not there. All they had to do, Fredricka, is give the kid a hearing. They refused to give him a hearing and that violates the due process clause. So it's a principled case, pending in federal court. I agree he's going to prevail in this case, and it's only because the school district never gave him a hearing. If they did -

WHITFIELD: So if he had that disciplinary hearing - if that disciplinary hearing may have taken place, then the dialogue would be very different at this juncture, in your view.

FRIEDMAN: I believe it would. I believe there is no federal case, it's over. But because they didn't give him a hearing, now the school district is in trouble. The kid has to be responsible for his behavior, so do the adults. And that is why the case is in federal court.

WHITFIELD: And we did reach out to the school district superintendent, no comment. No one wants to call us up.

FRIEDMAN: Oh, no, never called back.

WHITFIELD: Well, the case will proceed and I'm sure we'll be able to follow up on it. Avery, Richard, always good to see you. Thanks so much, gentlemen.

Our bonus case with the legal guys, don't forget you can catch the legal guys every Saturday, at noon Eastern, and then with a bonus case 4:00 Eastern time on Saturdays right here on CNN.

All right. She was a publicist who was fed up with the way black people were portrayed in films. So she did something about it. And she's getting huge honors for it. Her story, in "Black in America" next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Ava Duvernay is the first African-American woman to win a best acting award at the Sundance Film Festival. She said she had to overcome a lot of obstacles to become an independent black filmmaker.

Our "Black in America" series has the story of how she got there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AVA DUVERNAY, FILMMAKER: My name is Ava Duvernay, and I'm a black woman filmmaker.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can't believe it, 10 months early. It is great news. You got everything going for you. You are coming home.

DUVERNAY: At this point I have made films that I have written. It takes a lot to make a film. It is lot of brain power, a lot of heart, a lot of your spirit goes into these films. The framing of the shots in my film, the twist of the music, the cadence and rhythm of the editing, all of that I am very aware coming through who I am. And I'm a sister. So I wear that very proudly.

I made a career change from publicist to filmmaker. For me, as a publicist I had a really great job. But I would be on these film sets like in pain, wanting to make my own. I would be asked to work on movies, that were caricatures, of women as black people. Who is not going to not laugh at the film publicist who wants to be a filmmaker. So for me it was really just about pushing through all of that fear.

I think the only thing that drove me was the idea of (INAUDIBLE), was never to stay still. Like there was something very powerful and something amazing (INAUDIBLE).

My next film "Middle of Nowhere," we are pushing that out and excited about the life that it was having since we debuted at Sundance. The fact that it is touching people and changing things. So I am really excited about that right now.

I think it has really been a beautiful journey. Because it has all gotten me to where I am right now, which is a place that feels really beautiful and supported and comfortable and fulfilled.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And we're also going to continue our coverage of Hurricane Sandy, it is marching towards the East coast. Let's check in again with meteorologist Bonnie Schneider. Bonnie.

SCHNEIDER: Well, right now, Fredricka, we're still monitoring Hurricane Sandy, even though landfall hasn't occurred. We're feeling the effects already. Heavy rain from Wilmington down through Charleston, and it's only going to get worse. So the question is what can we expect from Hurricane Sandy? Well, many things, and they're going to last for a long time, including coastal and inland flooding, I want to emphasize that, just not the beaches. Large waves, beach erosion, widespread power outages, and this will probably go well into the millions of people losing power, flights delayed and cancelled, particularly on Monday. Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks for the heads-up on that one, Bonnie. I know you'll be covering it throughout the evening.

Meantime, at 4:40 Eastern time, just about 10 or 11 minutes from now, Mitt Romney is scheduled to address a crowd at a campaign rally in Kissimmee, Florida. We'll bring that to you live. Until then, we bring you "Sanjay Gupta, MD" which starts right now.