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New Day Sunday
Kerry Meets Netanyahu; Russia Reacts to Deal; Syria's Reaction to Deal; Colorado Flooding; Newlywed Bride Charged with Murder; Bleacher Report; Long Lost Ring Returned; Obama Declares Colorado Disaster; Concerns Over Apple's Touch ID
Aired September 15, 2013 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN KERRY, SECRETARY OF STATE: This framework can provide greater protection and security to the world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTI PAUL, CNN ANCHOR: A deal has been reached, but will the Syrians comply. The clock's ticking on Syria's chemical weapon handover.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LT. COL. MITCH UTTERBACK, COLORADO NATIONAL GUARD: In the last 24 hours, it's the greatest number of Americans rescued by helicopter since Hurricane Katrina.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Hundreds have been rescued from the Colorado floodwaters, but hundreds more are missing and now there's the threat of more storms.
PAUL: And new baby, new job, and a brand-new interview with CNN. Prince William sits down with Max Foster for a primetime special tonight.
Wake up. We're waiting for you here on a Sunday morning. So glad to have you company. I'm Christi Paul.
BLACKWELL: I'm Victor Blackwell. 6:00 now on the East Coast. It's NEW DAY SUNDAY.
PAUL: And we want to begin with the deal to destroy Syria's vast chemical arsenal. Syria faces its first deadline to turn over that inventory of its chemical weapons at the end of this week now.
BLACKWELL: Now the plan announced by the United States and Russia 24 hours ago will take months, probably years to complete. But for now, the agreement takes the immediate threat of U.S. air strikes off the table, at least for now. PAUL: Yes, at least for now. Yes, good point. We're covering the deal and reaction to it with chief national security correspondent Jim Sciutto in Israel, our Phil Black is in Moscow, and senior international correspondent Nic Robertson is in Beirut.
BLACKWELL: Let's start with Jim Sciutto in Tel Aviv, where Secretary of State John Kerry is in meetings now with the Israeli prime minister.
PAUL: Yes, Jim, Kerry left Geneva we know with a deal with the Russians on Syria, but what is his focus in Israel now?
JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, he's building confidence in that deal now. He'll be meeting with Netanyahu in Jerusalem as we speak, certainly to talk about his Mideast peace efforts, but also updating him on the Syria deal and why Israel should be confident that it's going to succeed. And from here he's going to go on to Paris, where he's going to meet the French foreign minister, the British foreign minister, the Saudi and Turkish foreign ministers as well. And again, there, this is about building confidence in this deal, letting our allies know that this is something that they can count on. And I think also letting them know how the U.S. and how Russia are going to make sure that Syria follows through on its promises on that very ambitious timeline, Christi, that you described.
BLACKWELL: So Paris is up next on the secretary's itinerary. What are the authorities in France saying about this deal, because they've been the most supportive of a military strike?
SCIUTTO: No question, and good question, they were the first, of course. The British were initially going to be onboard and they couldn't get the support in their parliament. Their initial reactions in public have been that this is a good deal, that it's a positive step forward. That's how the French foreign minister described it. But you have this timeline now, which is ambitious. By November, a complete cataloguing and inspecting of Syria's chemical weapon sites, and the beginning of the destruction of those chemical weapons production facilities, and they aim to have it all done by the middle of next year.
Now, the trouble with a timeline like that is that it has multiple goal posts along the way, which gives multiple opportunities for the Syrians to be late, right? And the first one is going to be next Friday. By next Friday they have to give a full accounting of all their chemical weapons sites, and that will be the first step of how well they're going to keep with their word.
BLACKWELL: All right, Jim Sciutto, traveling with the secretary in Tel Aviv, thank you.
PAUL: Now we want to jump now to Moscow and correspondent Phil Black.
Phil, wondering if there's any word under this Syria chemical weapons deal yet from Russian President Vladimir Putin? PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: President Putin hasn't responded specifically, Christi, but a great deal of responsibility now falls on his shoulders because he has committed so publicly to the diplomatic initiative, and we saw that with that op-ed piece that he wrote in "The New York Times." Russia is seen as the country that has the most influence, the most leverage over Syria. So Russia believes that its prestige, its authority is now to a considerable degree at stake. Russia has made concessions in coming up with an agreement that is acceptable to the United States, so it now falls on Russia and President Putin to insure that Syria complies with this agreement.
PAUL: All right, CNN's Phil Black in Moscow. Phil, good to see you. Thank you so much.
BLACKWELL: Let's go now to Beirut and CNN's senior international correspondent Nic Robertson.
Nic, what is the response to this deal inside Syria from both the Assad regime and the opposition?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, most critically from the Assad regime, they've said that the Geneva talks between Lavrov and Kerry were a good starting point. They haven't made any further comment about meeting this deadline on Friday to inventory and handing over that inventory of what chemical weapons they have, but the indications, until now, have been positive in that direction. They had said last week that they would do it, so nothing negative there.
The opposition are saying that they don't trust Assad. This is like taking the tools away from a criminal without punishing the criminal, Assad in this case. They want him held accountable for the 100,000 deaths in the country and they don't believe that he's going to fully hand over this thousand ton stockpile of chemical weapons that he has.
However, we do hear from sources in the region, and it has been discussed, that the United States has been informed by the Syrians over the preceding months here about the locations of at least some of those weapons.
Christi. Victor.
PAUL: OK. I'm wondering if you can speak to something else we're hearing this morning, a new twist in the civil war that's going on there in Syria. A U.N. report today is alleging that Syrian regime is attacking hospitals and using those hospitals to torture people. Do you know anything about that, Nic?
ROBERTSON: There's certainly a lot of cases over the past couple of years where the regime has targeted hospitals and clinics. I've seen cases where a clinics has been moved because it's been targeted, it's been located in a very, very safe structure, hard to target. This was a tall building between two other tall buildings. The clinic was in the basement. Yet the regime was able to drop a bomb specifically on that one building and collapse it. That was the medical clinic for the rebels in that area.
And this has been repeated across the country. What the regime has tried to do in the past by arresting doctors they believe are working with the rebels by trying to cut off medical supplies to them is really undermined the rebels' ability to fight in the battlefield if they cannot get good, quick and safe medical care, that it makes it much harder for them to treat their injuries and really fight on the battle front.
Back to you, Victor.
BLACKWELL: All right, Nic Robertson there in Beirut for us. Thank you.
We'll, of course, be following the developments around the Syria agreement, the deal, all weekend.
But, still, rescues happening here stateside.
PAUL: Oh my goodness, yes, this disaster in Colorado. I mean we think that it couldn't get worse and yet it can. I'm - there's massive flooding already that's wrecked neighborhoods, as you've seen some of the latest pictures we've been getting in, washing out roads. This is from Denver to Boulder to Ft. Collins. Now those same areas are bracing for as much as four more inches of rain just this afternoon.
BLACKWELL: Yes. Let's get you up to speed on this. Rescue crews are still working right now. They've saved more than 1,700 people so far, a lot of them by helicopter. Officials also now say another person, a 60-year-old woman, is presumed dead, more than 500 people - that number has just crept up over the last 24-hours -- 500 people unaccounted for. Authorities say they think a lot of them just don't have phone service. They're OK, they hope, but they just can't get in contact with anyone. But the sheriff of Boulder County is bracing for the worst.
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SHERIFF JOE PELLE, BOULDER COUNTY, COLORADO: We're assuming that there may be further loss of life or injuries. We have to assume that. I hope and pray that's not the case, but given the devastation of some of those closed canyons, it's certainly a high probability.
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PAUL: And you know the raging water is just racking up a huge price tag. Early this morning, President Obama did sign a major disaster declaration so Colorado can get federal aid for recovery. But in Boulder alone, we're hearing officials say they're going to need $150 million just to repair scores of washed out roads and bridges.
BLACKWELL: Wow. Our Nick Valencia is in north Boulder.
Nick, we're seeing these newer pictures from the last 24 hours of all the destruction and damage there. What is the scene there this morning? Has it gotten worst where you are? NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We're in a residential area in Boulder. And just a couple of days ago, if can you imagine, Victor, this was a nice residential street. But that force of flood waters tore through here, creating this trench in this asphalt road. This is the road right here. And this is an extreme example, yes, but it is an example, nevertheless, of what people are dealing with in the hardest hit areas.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VALENCIA (voice-over): Days of intense rain have left swollen creeks, flooded roads and damaged bridges in the state of Colorado. Dealing with the weather and its aftermath is proving to be difficult and dangerous. In Aurora, water and hail trapped drivers in a parking lot.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My car just stopped. So I told my son and my daughter, I was like, you know, we got to get out. So we opened up the car door and water just started rushing in and I threw my son on my shoulders.
VALENCIA: Most people there were able to walk out. But for many others in the Boulder area, the only way out, by helicopters. Hundreds have been picked up.
LT. COL. MITCH UTTERBACK, COLORADO NATIONAL GUARD: I think what we have going on here in the last 24 hours, is the greatest number of Americans rescued by helicopter since Hurricane Katrina.
VALENCIA: Many of those are trapped in towns where severe flooding shut down roads, leaving them stranded.
Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper and other officials saw the damage from the air. Their tour turned into another rescue mission.
GOVERNOR JOHN HICKENLOOPER, COLORADO: (INAUDIBLE). Where are we, you know? Is this - you know, who designed this skit. But I think they were -- most importantly, they were just glad to be out of there.
VALENCIA: This morning, it's still a desperate effort to get people out of the inaccessible areas. The Boulder County sheriff says search and rescue resumes, but it will be difficult.
SHERIFF JOE PELLE, BOULDER COUNTY, COLORADO: The problem with this event is that it's affected every drainage and every road in the county that goes west, and so, you know, it's a sinking feeling when you realize that if someone above or if someone in the peak to peak area calls 911, we are not going to be able to help them.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VALENCIA: And this trench here, Victor and Christi, it goes even deeper and wider the farther you get back into the neighborhood. And although this is a very terrible situation for the residents here, the governor has said the top priority is to reach those that are stranded in those hard-to-reach areas. Victor. Christi.
PAUL: I certainly hope they all get to all of them. Hey, Nick, thank you so much. We appreciate it.
BLACKWELL: With all the trouble there in Colorado, the storms are also pounding New Mexico. New this morning, a flash flood warning in effect in Albuquerque. In just one week the central and eastern parts of the state got almost six months' worth of rain. That's just one week.
PAUL: Oh.
BLACKWELL: It's caused severe flooding and now the body of a driver, swept away by the raging water, has been recovered. The man whose car had California plates has not yet been identified. But look at this water. You can see that last photo had the water up to the window on that car.
PAUL: Oh, my goodness.
And in the tropics, we haven't talked about Hurricane Ingrid yet and that's already proving to be deadly. This is a category one storm and it's already killed two people in Mexico.
BLACKWELL: Let's bring in meteorologist Alexandra Steele in the CNN Severe Weather Center.
Alexandra, we went for so many months without a hurricane and now they're popping up.
ALEXANDRA STEELE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I know, kind of a bust of a season thus far with a big expectation that it was supposed to be a really robust year, but not over yet. Actually, the peak of hurricane season was Tuesday.
Second hurricane of the season in the Atlantic and it is Ingrid. Here is the Bay of Campeche. This is the Gulf of Mexico here. This is Mexico and Texas is to the north. Right now, 85-mile-per-hour sustained winds, gusts at 105. It's moving northwest. It's a compact but really aggressive system that does have its act together.
So it's expected to make landfall here in the Mexican coast, just north of Tampico, as a category two with 100 mile per hour winds, and then moving west. So, you think, oh, it won't impact the U.S., but it will. One thing that we will see from Brownsville south of Tampico, is an inordinate amount of rain. Ten to 15 inches, even locally 25.
But north of that, from Corpus Christi down to South Padre Island and Brownsville, very strong rip currents. So people heading to the beaches. It's a Mexican independence holiday. A lot of people are off. And the rain and flooding, because it's been so dry there, an inch of rain an hour, runoff and flash flooding. So a flash flooding story here, as well as what we've been talking about out west, guys.
BLACKWELL: Oh, more trouble. STEELE: Yes.
BLACKWELL: All right, Alexandra, thank you.
STEELE: Sure.
BLACKWELL: Still to come on NEW DAY, she's back, Paula Deen. She's making her first public appearance in months and she's getting a standing ovation.
PAUL: You say she's back and we're all wondering, who's he talking about? There's so many people that could be, right?
BLACKWELL: Yes.
PAUL: Plus, former vice presidential candidate, maybe I could say it about her, she's back, Sarah Palin, but she's being sued. We'll give you the details.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PAUL: Sixteen minutes past the hour.
For you right now, is Paula Deen making a comeback? Well, the embattled southern cooking diva made her first public appearance in three months at a Houston cooking show yesterday, and a standing ovation from 1,500 foodies just brought her to tears. Remember, Deen lost her popular show on The Food Network and several endorsement deals following the scandal that erupted over her past use of the "n" word.
BLACKWELL: Sarah Palin and her political action committee, they are being sued. According to the North Jersey Media Group, the former Alaska governor used this iconic 9/11 photo, this one -- you remember this photo with the firefighters raising that flag - well, they say they used it without permission. She's accused of posting it on her FaceBook page and on the website for her political action committee, SarahPAC. CNN has reached out to Palin for a comment. We're still waiting to hear back.
PAUL: Well, it was a wild night for New York police. Investigators say officers fired off their weapon when an erratic man made a threatening move with his hands. Now, instead of shooting him, they shot two bystanders.
BLACKWELL: Now, here's one of the injured bystanders. And you see this woman here. She's on the ground. None of the injuries are said to be life-threatening. That's good. The man that they were after is now in custody.
That newlywed bride accused of killing her husband of eight days, just eight days, she'll be able to sleep in her own bed until a trial. She'll remain on house arrest.
PAUL: Yes, prosecutors say Jordan Graham pushed her husband to his death in Montana's Glacier National Park. That was back in July. BLACKWELL: Now friends and family want to know how young love turned tragic. CNN's Paul Vercammen visited the park where the couple spent their last moments together.
PAUL VERCAMMEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm walking right along the Loop Trail here in Glacier National Park. We're right on the continental divide. And many people wondering aloud, how could such an immense tragedy take place in this cathedral to mother nature's wonder.
It was here, along this trail, that Jordon Graham said she was hiking with her new husband, Cody Johnson. They stopped reportedly near a stump and some rocks. At one point she said in a court affidavit that she pushed him in the back with both hands, but she backed away from that through her lawyer, who said in court that this was all just a terrible accident. And supporters of her will tell you that she was a church goer and a nanny and worked at a daycare center, that this was a tremendous accident.
But his friends and family, Cody Johnsons, saying how in the world could she not call the authorities when he fell around here? How could she not call paramedics or the park rangers? That is the mystery in all of this. And one quote that is somewhat haunting. In an affidavit, she reportedly told a park ranger, this is a place that he would want to go before he died.
Christi, Victor, back to you.
PAUL: We'll obviously keep you informed as that trial draws closer, but want to thank Paul Vercammen there for the story.
And still to come on NEW DAY, the big question is, did he do it?
BLACKWELL: Did he do it?
PAUL: Did he do it?
BLACKWELL: Floyd "Money" Mayweather undefeated last night. Was he able to pull it off? Highlights from one of the most hyped boxing matches in recent history.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLACKWELL: The game of the year in college football lived up to its hype all over Twitter. I was getting every second of the game from all my friends.
PAUL: But weren't you sitting in front of the TV watching it?
BLACKWELL: No, I was actually napping in the middle of the afternoon.
PAUL: He depending on you, on Twitter, to tell him what was going on.
BLACKWELL: Yes. PAUL: Texas A&M showed no quit in a shootout loss to Alabama and Joe Carter has more on in this "Bleacher Report."
Hey, Joe.
JOE CARTER, BLEACHER REPORT: Hey, good morning, guys.
Yes, it was a game of streaks and surges, you could say. Texas A&M jumped out to an early 14 nothing lead, much like they did last year. But then Alabama settled in and took back the lead by scoring 35 unanswered points. And Johnny Manziel, the Heisman trophy winner, put up monster numbers, 98 yards rushing, 464 yards passing. Texas A&M cut the lead to seven right here, but then Alabama chewed up the clock late in the fourth quarter with a long touchdown drive that ended with this pass right here from A.J. McCarron. Bama would go on to win 49-42 was the final.
Now, bragging rights in the Manning household are at stake this afternoon when the Denver Broncos play the New York Giants. And we're talking, of course, about two of the biggest names in the NFL, who also just happen to be brothers. Now Payton had a series of neck surgeries a couple of years ago and there were doubts if he would ever play again.
Now, on the front page of bleacherreport.com this morning, it was fight night in Vegas. And for the 45th time in a row, Floyd "Money" Mayweather walks out of the ring as the winner. The consensus pound for pound champ beat Canelo Alvarez in a majority decision. And, of course, it wouldn't be boxing if there wasn't a little controversy. One of the judges actually scored this fight as a draw. Now, Mayweather has made more than $73 million in his last two fights.
And finally, a great story to end on. Eric LeGrand, the former Rutgers University football player who was paralyzed during a game three years ago, received a great honor yesterday. He's the first player in the program's 144 year history to have his jersey retired. LeGrand was also given a sword with the number 52 on it, and the word "believe" on the sword. Guys, his goal has not changed. Eric LeGrand says that he plans to walk again someday and his overall goal is to stand up from the same spot on the field where he was paralyzed.
BLACKWELL: Wow.
PAUL: That kid has been so inspirational.
CARTER: So positive.
PAUL: (INAUDIBLE). That whole family. I mean his family and - it's remarkable.
BLACKWELL: And he deserved the honor.
PAUL: Yes.
BLACKWELL: All right, Joe Carter, thank you. Hey, still to come on NEW DAY, summer might be almost over, almost, but it's expected to heat up on Capitol Hill. Will lawmakers find some common ground and avoid a government shutdown?
PAUL: Plus, a long lost treasure gone for decades. How one man's discovery took him on an unforgettable journey.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PAUL: Well, it's half past the hour right now and we're so glad to see you on a Sunday morning. Just grab your coffee, sit back and relax. I'm Christi Paul. We'll get you informed.
BLACKWELL: I'm Victor Blackwell.
Here are five things you need to know for your new day.
First up, check out this time lapse video, just how quickly the floodwaters rose yesterday in Ft. Morgan, Colorado. You see this traffic there and then the water starts moving. Rescue efforts are still underway right now across the northern part of the state. And as much as four more inches of rain are predicted today.
Now, this was the scene yesterday in Aurora, Colorado. That's hail floating on top of the standing water.
PAUL: Number two, destructive storms on both sides of Mexico, too, have left five people dead. Tropical storm Manuel is in the Pacific, Hurricane Ingrid in the gulf. The National Weather Service warned that Ingrid could bring up to 25 inches of rain to parts of Mexico, prompting massive evacuations and slash flooding, destructive waves and mudslides are all predicted. It's expected to make landfall tomorrow.
BLACKWELL: Vice president Joe Biden will be shaking some hands and slapping some backs at a steak fry in Iowa today. I could go for a good fried steak right now.
PAUL: Really? At 6:30 in the morning?
BLACKWELL: Anytime of the day or night.
(LAUGHTER)
BLACKWELL: Predictably, that's whipped (ph) up a lot of talk of a Biden presidential bid in 2016, now the annual (inaudible) has a history of drawing potential presidential candidates.
PAUL: Here we go again, people. The Powerball jackpot can be in the neighborhood of 400 million buckaroos come Wednesday. Nobody got the winning numbers obviously last night lottery drawing, so I'm not even going to bother to look at my tickets.
(LAUGHTER)
PAUL: It was just five weeks ago that seven New Jersey workers split a $448 million jackpot, so get with your co-workers.
BLACKWELL: Neighborhood of 400 million, that's a good neighborhood to live in.
Number five, beauty queens face off in Atlantic City tonight, in the Miss America pageant. All eyes will be on Mrs. Kansas who serves in the Army National Guard. Theresa Vail is expected to be the first pageant contestant to show off her ink. Here it is. She revealed the tattoos during Tuesday's preliminary swimsuit competition.
PAUL: It's the serenity prayer, by the way, which is why it's so big.
BLACKWELL: Yeah. A lot of words.
PAUL: A lot to say.
All right, let's get you back to the crisis in Syria right now. Because the clock is ticking for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The regime has one week at this point to hand over a list of its chemical weapons.
BLACKWELL: And that announcement came yesterday after the U.S. and Russia reached a ground-breaking deal on a framework to destroy Syria's chemical arsenal.
PAUL: As part of the agreement, Secretary of State John Kerry says inspectors have to be on the ground no later than November, and all chemical weapons have to be destroyed by the middle of 2014.
BLACKWELL: Now, President Obama issued a statement Saturday insisting that if diplomacy fails the U.S. stands ready to act in Syria.
PAUL: But before Syria took center stage, we should point out, Congress was hard at work debating some pretty big-ticket issues.
BLACKWELL: Yeah, from Obamacare to the budget to the threat of a possible government shutdown, it has been a juggling act for lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
PAUL: Yeah, now his members position himself from midterm elections, the debates are expected to really heat up. CNN's Joe Johns tells us what we can expect. Good morning, Joe.
JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Christi and Victor, we have seen this movie before, as how one senator put it, and not too long ago. Congress is tied up in knots over federal spending, the deficit, the debt ceiling and Obamacare and the day of reckoning is near.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHNS: In "Groundhog Day," weather man Bill Murray lives the same day over and over, and Capitol Hill is starting to look like that now, as Congress heads toward what could be another train wreck over spending the debt ceiling and Obama care. It's all about looming deadlines, check out the calendar. September 30th, the end of the fiscal year, Congress has to pass a money bill to keep the government operating or it will shut down.
Democrats promised to fight Republican budget hawks.
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), MINORITY LEADER: This is nasty. It has tentacles that affect in a negative way many aspects of American life.
JOHNS: On top of that, on October 1st, a key part of the president's healthcare plan is scheduled to start going into effect. Republicans who despise Obamacare see that as a chance to cut off money needed to make it happen.
REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R ) HOUSE SPEAKER: We will continue to do everything we can to repeal, dismantle and defund Obamacare.
JOHNS: And as soon as October 18th, Treasury Secretary Jack Lou says the government will run out of money to pay its bills unless Congress raises the debt ceiling, Tea Party Republicans threaten another fight, but the president says he won't negotiate.
RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: It's really remarkable, the confluence of events that e are seeing here is almost unimaginable.
JOHNS: We asked CNN senior political analyst Ron Brownstein about this political triple witching hour.
(on camera): How bad is this in your view?
BROWNSTEIN: I think we are facing an extraordinary few weeks of potential turmoil at the least and crisis at the worst, where no one really has a clear idea of how to navigate through the minefield of a potential government shutdown and then a potential default on the debt. We are really seeing the same issues that have divided President Obama and the Republican House since January of 2011, coming back yet again almost in this kind of circular loop.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
JOHNS: What makes this a little unusual is the fact that Democrats control both the Senate and the White House making it extremely unlikely they would give much ground on the president's signature domestic accomplishment. Some Republicans say it's more of a symbolic fight to show supporters back home they are not giving up what's become a rallying cry on the right to reduce government spending and defund Obamacare. Christi and Victor.
PAUL: Already. Joe Johns, thanks so much, we appreciate it. And early this morning, President Obama signed a major disaster declaration for the state of Colorado.
BLACKWELL: Yes, so help is on the way, even as rescue efforts continue in the flooded areas, and people there are bracing for more rain today. Officials are starting to think about this long road to recovery, and our Katie Murray has the latest.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I thought there was a tornado. Lightning was going crazy.
KATIE MURRAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's a frightening sight in northern Colorado. Raging waters, collapsed roadways, and scary evacuations. Colorado's Governor John Hickenlooper toured the flood- damaged zones on a black hawk Saturday, and was involved in two rescues. He also discussed Colorado rebuilding after severe damage to the state's infrastructure.
GOV. JOHN HICKENLOOPER, COLORADO: We're going to come back and we're going to rebuild better than it was before.
MURRAY: Emergency responders are continuing to rescue people trapped in Boulder County, and other remote towns.
LT. COL. MITCH UTTERBACK, COLORADO NATIONAL GUARD: I think what we have going on here in the last 24 hours is the greatest number of Americans rescued by helicopter since Hurricane Katrina. And that's going to continue.
MURRAY: This video shot by the Longman (ph) fire department shows you what first responders are up against on the ground. National Guard troops are also on scene to help local officials move people out of harm's way. They saved a life of mother Melinda Via (ph). She was trapped with her one month-old inside their home with no phone service, no water and little formula for her baby.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's all like I was in the -- literally a horror movie.
MURRAY: Sadly, the flooding nightmare is far from over. The state awaits more rainfall, which threatens to send swollen rivers gushing through streets with debris. As for residents like Via who had to leave behind a home and belongings, she is just thankful to be alive.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am glad that we are here and these are (inaudible)
MURRAY: Heading into Sunday, rainfall is expected, which will only make rescue conditions more challenging.
I'm Katie Murray reporting.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PAUL: Keeping all those folks in our thoughts today and we'll be keeping you informed of what is going on there, too. Because things are going to be happening by the minute.
BLACKWELL: Yeah.
PAUL: A lot still to come, though.
BLACKWELL: Yeah, 20 months after it crashed of Italy's coast, crews will try to lift the Costa Concordia off its side tomorrow. Can you believe it's been there this whole time?
PAUL: Oh gush!
BLACKWELL: They had just one chance to get it right or risk disaster.
PAUL: And he's the world's most famous new father. Coming up, Prince William sits down with CNN to talk about fatherhood. And how he escaped the stresses of being in the royal spotlight.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLACKWELL: Good to have you with us. 50 years ago this morning, during the middle of a church service, a Ku Klux Klan bomb ripped through the 60th Street Baptist church in Birmingham, Alabama. Four girls were killed. Birmingham is remembering them with a sculpture unveiled yesterday afternoon, here's the sculpture, between 1977 and 2002. Jurors convicted three klansmen murdering the girls, and Congress presented the four -- Denise McNair, Carole Robertson, Cynthia Wesley and Addie Mae Collins with the Congressional Gold Medal this week.
PAUL: Let's take a trip around the world right now. Starting in Geneva, Switzerland, where the U.S. and Russia have reached a deal on Syria's chemical weapons. CNN's Matthew Chance is there now. Matthew?
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: (inaudible) intense negotiations at this Geneva hotel, finally an agreement on Syria's chemical weapons. In just a week, the country must hand over the list of its stockpiles. U.N. inspectors are to be on the ground by November, and the weapons themselves are to be removed from Syria or destroyed by the middle of next year. The agreement between the U.S. and Russia is being cast as a diplomatic breakthrough, but critics say the timetable is incredibly ambitious in any country, let alone one ravished by such a brutal civil war, Christine.
PAUL: Matthew, thank you so much. We want to head to CNN's Nic Robertson, in Beirut, and has reaction from Syrian rebels on that deal here. Hi, Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Moderate rebel commanders say they will work with the U.N., the United States and the chemical weapons teams going into Syria, but they say they won't work with Bashar al-Assad, they don't trust him to hand over his entire 1,000- ton chemical weapons stockpile. They say there should be an enforcement of a no-fly zone, and they are also saying that taking away the chemicals weapons is like taking a (inaudible) from a criminal. The crimes will still continue, they say. Back to you, Christie.
PAUL: All right, Nic Robertson, thank you so much, we appreciate it. Let's go to Italy now, where crews, do you believe tomorrow, are finally going to try and lift a wrecked cruise ship off of its side. We have CNN's Erin McLaughlin there, reporting. Hi, Erin.
ERIN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: After months of preparation, the Costa Concordia is finally ready to be lifted off of its side. The plan began with field platforms built under the water. 36 cables will help hoist the ship upright, and a series of enormous floatation devices attached to the ship's side will eventually help it float away. What makes this maneuver so risky, engineers say they only have one shot to get it right, or risk environmental disaster. Back to you.
PAUL: Erin, thank you so much. And while we're traveling around the world, Anthony Bourdain is back with an all-new season tonight. "Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown" explores Jerusalem, Gaza and the West Bank. You can watch tonight, 9:00 Eastern and Pacific, right here on CNN.
BLACKWELL: He's got the best job on television.
PAUL: I know, how did he get that one?
BLACKWELL: Travel around, eat and just talk.
Next on New Day, a man dying of cancer reunited with the long lost symbol that had connected him to his mother. This is a story you will remember. You won't want to miss it. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PAUL: Good morning. I know it's Sunday, so you are looking at your calendar wondering what is ahead. We want to help you out with that. Let's look at Monday, because all eyes are on the U.N. This crucial chemicals weapons report is expected at 11:00 a.m. It's pretty clear the report is going to argue chemical weapons were used. U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon says Syria's president, has quote, "committed many crimes against humanity."
Moving on to Tuesday, you gamers have been waiting for this, I know. The official release of the controversial video game, "Grand Theft Auto V," also known as GTA 5. By the way, if your boyfriend does not call or skips work, this might be what he does, too. Wednesday, is the big question, will the Fed raise or keep interest rates the same? Stay tuned to CNN for Ben Bernanke's announcement. It's at 2:30 Eastern. We will have it for you. Could be a big day for the markets, and for your 401(k), of course.
Friday, you gadget fans have been waiting for this. Apple's new iPhones, 5s and 5c, go on sale, so have at it on Friday. And then next Sunday, Emmy night. It is an especially big night, because three Netflix original series are among the nominees, that's a first for the industry, Victor.
BLACKWELL: I tried to do that with the YouTouch (ph) there, and I am really bad at it.
PAUL: No, you're not.
BLACKWELL: And you just seem to reach back and tap it, and the thing flips. I'm there punching it back and forth and I end up somewhere in October.
PAUL: The producer just got in my ear and said, he really is.
BLACKWELL: I really am.
PAUL: I will give you a tutorial.
BLACKWELL: Thank you for that. Next break.
PAUL: I can't do much, but I can do the YouTouch.
BLACKWELL: And I will take that. Thank you, Christi.
So a miracle? Luck? A coincidence? You decide after you watch this story. It's about a dying man's long lost treasure. It was found against really all odds. CNN's Ed Lavandera has details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESOPONDENT: This dark river in South Carolina holds ancient secrets. Scuba divers like Brian Togan (ph) come here to uncover long lost treasures, but he had no idea this river would send him on an unforgettable journey.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This was filled in with gravel, so I'm just looking at the periphery of the ring.
LAVANDERA: Three weeks ago, Togan found the most priceless treasure of all hidden 40 feet under water in a gravel bed. A 1974 College of Charleston class ring, with the initials RLP engraved on the inside.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We figured, you know what, let's do some investigating, let's follow this path and see where it leads us.
LAVANDERA: Togan set out to find the mystery College of Charleston graduate. When he called the school, he was told only two people in that graduating class had those initials, RLP; one was a woman, the other was this man in his college photo. Robert Levon Phillips (ph). Through social networks, Togan found Phillips' son and learned just how special the ring was.
ERIC PHILLIPS, SON: He talked about it all the time I think because it came from his mother, and you know, it's just one of the stories that kind of epitomized a season of his life.
LAVANDERA: It was 1974, and Robert Phillips and his future wife decided to come spend the day out here on the Cooper River near Charlestown, South Carolina. They were out on the boat, and Mr. Phillips reaches for a beer, and when he pops open the tab, the tab gets stuck on his finger, and when he tries to fling it off, the ring goes flying right into the water. It sank to the bottom of the river. Robert Phillips never got over losing the ring. It was the last gift his mother ever gave him. She died of cancer years later, which makes this moment all the more profound.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Phillips? I'm Brian Togan.
ROBERT PHILLIPS: Hey, Mr. Togan, how are you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Very nice to meet you. You have been waiting for something for a while, huh?
R. PHILLIPS: I have been.
LAVANDERA: 39 years later, it's Robert Phillips who is dying of cancer now, and he doesn't have long to live.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I know this is going to look like I am proposing to you, so please don't tell my wife, OK.
R. PHILLIPS: I promise I won't.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here it is. Let me take it out there for you.
R. PHILLIPS: Oh, wow. That is awesome.
LAVANDERA: Tears trickle down his cheek.
You have spent a lot of time thinking about why 39 years later this ring is back in your life?
R. PHILLIPS: Yeah, I have thought about that. I just -- I just thank you, Lord, that I got it back.
LAVANDERA: Robert Phillips feels his mother had a hand in bringing back this long-long treasure, reunited with a symbol of love when he needs it most.
Mama still is looking after you.
R. PHILLIPS: I think mama is.
LAVANDERA: Ed Lavandera, CNN, Charleston, South Carolina.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLACKWELL: That has got to make you feel something. Ed, thank you for the story.
PAUL: Bless his heart. Victor, thank you.
Hollywood and Hitler? Sound like an unlikely pairing? According to a new book, the movie studios of the 1930s and the Nazis were business partners, we'll explain coming up in our 7:00 hour. Stay close. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLACKWELL: Humanitarian. New father. Future king. He is Prince William of England.
PAUL: And CNN correspondent Max Foster sat down for an exclusive interview. I asked Max what surprised him most about what William had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAX FOSTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The thing I liked about it, is that it was the real Prince William, he was really relaxed, he was in his garden and he was dressed casually. This was William just really comfortable. And I think the world got a sense of that. So I was surprised he was like that all the way through, really, because he does tense up with the cameras, but he was just comfortable on that particular occasion. He was just elated after he'd just had the baby.
And, you know, the interesting thing for me was really when he talked about that scene outside the hospital, and me asking him was that intentional, were you trying to project a modern monarchy, and he was saying, no, it was just me, doing it my own way, and nothing to be read into it, it's just William as he is, trying, as he gets older, just to get to know himself and be himself as much as possible, and that's how he does it.
PAUL: You mean he drove off in the car himself and he put the baby seat in the car himself and that kind of thing?
FOSTER: Yeah, exactly. He did that because he wanted to do it himself. He says he doesn't like any fuss around all of those things. And the machine takes over. But the main sort of focus of the documentary, the rest of it really is about Africa, and what is surprising about Africa is the role it plays in the British monarchy, because he struggles a bit with the idea of monarchy, because he is just there because he is born into it, I mean, why does he qualify, when he doesn't really, he was just born into it. So the way he sort of rationalizes that, is by going away and being himself every so often, and getting to know himself. And he says he escapes to Africa, that's what he says in the documentary, and he can be himself, he can have his own sense of humor. Everyone treats him as a normal guy, lots of people don't even know who he is, so if he gets a dose of that every so often, he can come back to the UK and be the prince.
PAUL: Well, Max Foster, we can't wait to watch more of it tonight. Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us.
FOSTER: Thank you, Christi.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL: And a reminder to you that you can see the special, "Prince William's Passion: new father, new hope," tonight, 10:00 Eastern and Pacific, right here on CNN.
BLACKWELL: Looking forward to that one.
PAUL; Yeah, going to be a good one. Definitely.
All right, we're so glad that you've been spending some time with us this morning. We have more for you.
BLACKWELL: We've got live coverage of the big stories here stateside and around the world. And the next hour of your "New Day" starts right now.
PAUL: If you are just joining us, we want to wish you a happy Sunday morning and thank you for sharing a little bit of your morning with us. I am Christi Paul.
BLACKWELL: I am Victor Blackwell.
Now, 7:00 on the East Coast here at CNN World Headquarters, this is New Day Sunday.
PAUL: And we have got to start with that still fresh deal to get rid of Syria's chemical weapons. Now, today, Secretary of State John Kerry is in Israel, and he is apparently trying to soothe some concerns there.
BLACKWELL: Yes, Damascus is closer to Jerusalem than Washington is to New York, just to give you an idea of the distance. So Israel has a tremendous stake in the destruction of Syria's chemical arsenal, understandably.
PAUL: Yes, chief national security correspondent Jim Sciutto is traveling with the secretary in Tel Aviv.
So, Jim, what specifically is Kerry telling the Israelis today?
JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, addressing those concerns that you mentioned. Israel borders Syria. They are possibly other than Assad's own people, Syria's number one target for its chemical weapons, they just begun lunch now, Prime Minister Netanyahu and Secretary Kerry. And what he'll be talking to him about is how is the U.S., how is Russia, how is the international community going to enforce this very ambitious timeline for the inspection and the destruction for Syria's chemical weapons. And that's really the question here.
And America, American officials have their own questions about it. As we have been traveling with them, they have been saying, listen, we are going into this with a healthy dose of skepticism. And we believe we have the measures here to keep the Syrians honest, but it will only be certain when we see the Syrians deliver.
BLACKWELL: Well, Kerry heads off to Paris, next, after talks in Israel. What are the French saying about this? The French have been the most supportive of this military strike, possibly taking some role if it were to happen.
SCIUTTO: No question. Well, the public comments from the French foreign minister have been this has been a positive step forward, but like here in Israel, Secretary Kerry will meet with the French foreign minister in Paris, the British foreign minister, the Turkish, the Saudis as well, again, to build confidence, to let them how is this going to be monitored. The first test is going to be next week.
The Syrians have one week to give a full accounting of their chemical weapons. We're already six days away from that. That will be the first test to see if the Syrians are keeping to the word and the Russians as well, because remember, the Russians are the key enforcers here as Syria's main ally, main backer in this civil war. So, we're going to have a lot of test, a lot of goal posts in the coming months to see how well this deal is going to work.
BLACKWELL: Less than a week to the first goal post. Chief national security correspondent Jim Sciutto in Tel Aviv for us this morning -- thanks.
PAUL: And this all comes as the United Nations, remember, is expected to release findings from its report on the use of chemical weapons in Syria and they're to do that tomorrow.
BLACKWELL: Yes.
CNN's Nick Paton Walsh is following the story from New York.
Nick, what do we expect to hear from this report? What do we expect to learn?
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, in many ways, because it seems inadvertent statement by the U.N. secretary general yesterday. So, on Friday, we already know it seems what's going to be in that report, which is confirmation that chemical weapons were used. But the key point here is the level of detail that report goes into. Many are asking is it going to dissect enough of the information about what happened, how it happened, when it happened, where potentially weapons were fired from in 21st of August, around Damascus, people are able to work out from that who may have been responsible.
But let's hear from the comments of the secretary general as he spoke a couple of days ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BAN KI-MOON, U.N. SECRETARY OF GENERAL: What happened is that he has committed many crimes against humanity. And therefore, I'm sure that there will be surely the process of accountability when everything is over.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALSH: Now, what he was not actually saying there was that Assad was responsible for the use of chemical weapons, but he was more broadly sort of politicizing what we're going to see on Monday, 11:00, the detailed report given to the Security Council. There's something else happening here, though, Christi, and that we are also seeing the Syrians now finally joining the Chemical Weapons Convention. That puts in place a timeline that's a little more relaxed than the one agreed between the U.S. and Syria, but technically, legally that is Syria saying it wants to give up its chemical weapons. And the organization in charge of enforcing that says in history, nobody has gone back on that step. They were totally on unprecedented turf there.
BLACKWELL: Nick, there's this deal between the U.S. and Russia to head off the potential for military action in Syria. Russia was going to be the potential veto vote on the Security Council. The other potential veto vote was China.
Are we hearing from the Chinese, their views on this deal reached?
WALSH: The Chinese are quite optimistic about this. In many ways, I suppose, it satisfies everyone. China's main problem with all of the military interventions is they're against outsiders intervening in the internal affairs of countries. So, they are going along with this at this point. They were always the less vocal opponent of Western moves against the Damascus.
But it's more of a complex road ahead because what a deal in Geneva does not do is say precisely what will happen if Syria doesn't go along with this timetable fast enough. It then has to be referred back to the Security Council, and then you face the problem people have always had that Russia could veto the attempt for use of force against Syria.
PAUL: All righty. Nick Paton Walsh, we so appreciate you keeping us up-to-date. Thank you.
All right. Moving to the disaster in Colorado, because believe it or not, it could get even worst today -- and I know that sounds ridiculous based on some of the things we are already seeing. Take a look at some of the newest pictures we are getting in. It's already devastated, as can you see. As much as four more inches of rain could fall just by this afternoon. And an official says it could hamper on going rescue efforts which already have been exhausted.
BLACKWELL: And what's worse -- officials now say another person, a 60-year-old woman, is presumed dead. That would bring the death toll to five. It's standing at four. Again, she is presumed dead. And more than 500 people still unaccounted for. Rescuers already have saved more than 1,700 people.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LT. COL. MITCH UTTERBACK, COLORADO NATIONAL GUARD: I think what we have going on here in the last 24 hours is the greatest number of Americans rescued by helicopter since Hurricane Katrina.
(END VIDEO CLIP) PAUL: Early this morning, President Obama did sign a major disaster declaration, so Colorado can get federal aid for recovery, and it looks like they are going to need it.
BLACKWELL: Our Nick Valencia is in North Boulder.
Nick, we've seen a lot of the pictures. We've seen a lot of the destruction. But what are you hearing from the people there in Boulder?
NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They are very anxious right now, Victor, and it gives you a sense of why this perspective here. The floodwater came to this neighborhood. Just a couple days ago, this was a nice and residential street, and this is the asphalt here, and the power and the force of the water that came from behind our camera straight through here, took a short pivot through this area.
Yesterday, when I was walking to this area, I shot some video that sort of gives you an extent of the damage, and it created a kind of mote around this residential community, and some of the residents from what I'm today were stranded and couldn't get their cars out of here. And part of the problem is the light rain comes down in Boulder County, and it's visibility for the aircraft that is trying to reach the harder hit areas for those stranded today.
Earlier, I spoke to the Office of Emergency Management in Boulder and they said it's a chance the aircraft won't be able to reach the stranded areas because of a lack of visibility. And that determination will be made later today. But yesterday, during the governor of Colorado's tour, he took a plane over some of the more harder hit areas, his tour, in fact, turn into the a rescue mission. Afterwards, he spoke to the media, and he said as terrible as the communities, look, the main priority is reaching those stranded people.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. JOHN HICKENLOOPER (D), COLORADO: Once we make sure we have everybody accounted for, and, you know, everybody is safe, and clearly just as we saw, there are a lot of people that have been stranded and marooned for many days. Once we get them all accounted for, we will put a full-court press on making sure that we get the resources here so that we rebuild.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VALENCIA: We've seen so many dramatic scenes, so many dramatic images from this flood disaster, this natural disaster here in the state. I want to show you a time lapse from Ft. Morgan.
Yesterday, over the course of 24 hours, you get a sense of how fast moving and how fast these waters were rising there in Ft. Morgan. It's just incredible when you look at it and this is going to be the problem throughout the day over the course of the next 12 hours, we're going to see one to two inches of rain here in Boulder County. Christi was about earlier, as much as four inches of rain in some of these areas. So, the slightest bit of rain, I mean, that might not seem like that much, but the slightest bit of rain to these already saturated areas could cause a really big problem going forward -- Victor, Christi.
PAUL: All righty. Nick Valencia, standing, if I understand it, in the rain. It is starting to rain there a little bit right now. We appreciate it so much, Nick. Thanks.
BLACKWELL: The storms pounding New Mexico as well. And new this morning, there's a flash flood warning. It's in effect in Albuquerque. Check this map. In just one week -- one week -- the central and eastern part of the state got nearly six months worth of rain.
It's caused severe flooding. You can see the pictures here. And now, the body of a driver swept away by raging water has been recovered and the man's who car had California plates, well, he has not yet been identified.
PAUL: And have you heard about what's going on in the tropics. Hurricane Ingrid is proving deadly already. The category one storm has killed two people in Mexico.
BLACKWELL: Let's bring Alexandra Steele in the CNN severe weather center.
We are around peak time, right?
ALEXANDRA STEELE, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, peak actually statistically was yesterday. But, you know, what we are seeing, it was a less than robust hurricane season, second hurricane in the Atlantic thus far. Usually by mid-September, we have about three or so. But hey, a less than robust start is fine.
So, here is the deal, hurricane Ingrid, right now category one, maximum sustained winds at 85. Here it is. Here's Mexico, the Gulf of Mexico, and you can see pretty tightly wound, pretty organized. It is moving northwest at 7, and the expectation to shift northwesterly, and then come ashore tomorrow morning at 100-mile-per-hour center, a cat 2.
So, certainly, very significant, but what we're going to see, yes, we'll see strong winds, no question about it. But the biggest scenario here will be a very similar scenario to what we are seeing in Colorado, flash flooding. Eastern areas of Mexico, between 10 and 15, where the mountains are and there's the extra lift, that orographic lift, 25 inches is expected, flash floods and mudslides from Brownsville South. But from Brownsville to Corpus here in Texas, we could see periods of very heavy rain, maybe three to five inches, significant flooding because this area has been in such a drought, so even an inch of hour will cause runoff and thus, flash flooding. So that really is a big concern.
And also, guys, Padre Island will be impacted with strong rip currents. So, it's the weekend, it's Monday. It's actually a Mexican holiday, independence weekend. So, may be a lot of people there. So, just kind of be mindful of that.
BLACKWELL: All right. Alexandra Steel, thank you.
PAUL: Still to come on NEW DAY: the queen of Southern cooking steps back into the spotlight. And it's a pretty emotional reunion with her fans.
BLACKWELL: Plus, Apple's new iPhone could be using one of the best passwords ever, your fingerprint. There's not another one like it. But is it safe from hackers and the government? We'll talk about that.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLACKWELL: Paula Deen is stepping back into the spotlight. The embattled Southern cooking queen made her first appearance since June. This was at a Houston cooking show. It was yesterday.
After a standing ovation, Deen thanked the Texas foodies, and you see her wiping tears. She says they were tears of joy.
You know, Deen's empire came under fire earlier this summer after she admitted to using the "N" word in the past.
When Apple announced a fingerprint scanner as a security feature on its new iPhone, people had a lot of questions. Of course, you could understand that. Some people wondered if it's safe from hackers.
PAUL: Yes, first of all that. And others wondered, if your fingerprints are going to be scored in a government database. Well, CNN's Margaret Conley looks for answers for us.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAN RICCIO, APPLE SR. VP, HARDWARE ENGINEERING: Touch ID sensor quickly read your fingerprint and automatically unlocks your phone. You can even use it to authorize purchases to our stores.
MARGARET CONLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): But is finger printing safe from hackers and the growing risk of identity theft?
Hollywood movies like "National Treasure" make lifting prints look easy.
Security researcher Marc Rogers warns that it depends on how the software giant implements the technology.
MARC ROGERS, PRINCIPAL, SECURITY RESEARCHER, LOOKOUT: Apple clearly has thought about this because the data is not going to be stored in the Cloud. So, there isn't going to be a giant database of lots of sensitive information. There'd be a prized target of hackers or enemy state actors.
CONLEY: He says finger printing is convenient for users and will be a boost to the mobile industry.
ROGERS: It could open up a really huge universe of opportunities.
CONLEY: New biotech mapping opportunities are already in the making.
Vascular technology uses infrared light to reflect patterns of blood vessels, and iris recognition developed by companies like MorphoTrust.
ROLAND FOURNIER, V.P. BUSINESS OPERATIONS, MORPHOTRUST: So, the goggles will go ahead and automatically look at the irises.
CONLEY: Eye mapping is said to be faster and more accurate.
FOURNIER: Yes, fingers that are 1 in like 64 billion. And iris accuracy is you have 1 in about 1 trillion.
CONLEY: Margaret Conley, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PAUL: Thank you, Margaret.
BLACKWELL: A lot of folks will try it.
Up next, some shocking new claims about Hollywood and Hitler. I'll talk with the author of a new book about how American movie moguls may have collaborated with the Nazi regime.
PAUL: What?
BLACKWELL: Yes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLACKWELL: Good to have you this NEW DAY.
The 1930s, it was Hollywood's golden age.
The decade of Marlene Dietrich and Clark Gable, Joan Crawford, Fred Astaire.
But a new book is exposing the glamorous dark side. "The Collaboration" draws on original documents, including scripts that never made it to the silver screen to reveal how some of the era's biggest studio executives systematically edited their films, including the Oscar winner "All Quiet on the Western Front," to comply with Nazi demands and maintain their hold of the German movie market.
Joining me now from Boston is Ben Urwand. He's the author of "The Collaboration: Hollywood's Pact with Hitler."
Ben, this is a fascinating book. I've started to read it, and admittedly I have not finished it, but you are right that the collaboration gained traction during the protest in Germany in 1930. First, tell us, how did you find the story?
BEN URWAND, AUTHOR, "THE COLLABORATION": Well, I had started out exploring Hitler's opinions of American movies. I heard that Hitler watched movies every night and I wanted to find out if it was true. So, I went to the German state archive and I looked through Hitler's personal collection, and I was looking at his opinions of American movies which were fascination. I found out he loved Laurel and Hardy. He thought that these movies contained a lot of very nice ideas and clever jokes, and he would cry through Greta Garbo movies, and he hated Tarzan, and things like this.
And as I was going through Hitler's notes, his opinions of American movies, I find a letter from 20th Century Fox, the German brand of 20th Century Fox, and the letter says will the fuehrer be so kind to give his opinion of the value of American movies in Germany, and we would be honored if Hitler would provide us with just a short description of what he thinks about American movies. And this letter which was on the 20th Century Fox letterhead was signed Heil Hitler.
And I read this letter. It was dated January 1938, and I thought this is not the story that we're aware of. This is something that needs to be brought to light.
BLACKWELL: So, what was the deal between the Nazi regime and the studios?
URWAND: All through the 1930s, Hollywood studio executives would invite the Nazi German console in Los Angeles to the studio lot, and they would screen movies to him that they thought might be offensive to Germany audiences, movies about German during the World War, the First World War, and movies about Hitler's persecution of the Jews, and they would ask him -- the Nazi consul -- what he thought of certain movies, and the Nazi would make cuts to films and sometimes he would tell them you cannot make this film.
And the studio heads in order to keep the market for films over in Germany would agree to make these cuts or cancel entire productions.
BLACKWELL: It's amazing because many of the heads of these studios were Jewish and they had deals with the Nazis to get this made. Do you think that there was or was there any evidence in all the documents you found, any evidence of inner turmoil of making those deals?
URWAND: The studio heads were pretty clear in their opinion on this. I will explain one story. Back in 1933, the screenwriter Herman Mankiewicz, who would write "Citizen Kane," the great American movie, came up with an idea to write a movie, a movie script about Hitler's prosecution of the Jews, and he wrote that six months after Hitler came to power and it predicted that Hitler would kill Jews.
And he tried to have this movie made in Hollywood and he was a famous Jewish screenwriter, he tried to have the movie made and the Nazi German consul in Los Angeles went around Hollywood, to the studio executives and he said if you make this movie, if any studio makes this movie, then all of the Hollywood studios would be banned from Germany. And Louis B. Mayer soon declared, Louis B. Mayer was the head of MGM, the biggest movie studio at the time, Louis B. Mayer declared, we make tremendous profits in Germany, and as far as I'm concerned, this picture will never be made.
BLACKWELL: So, what ended this pact? The war?
URWAND: The war. In 1939, Warner Brothers made the first anti- Nazi film, "Confessions of a Nazi Spy." But, in fact, the business dealings between MGM, Paramount, 20th Century Fox and the Nazis continued for another year, and only in the middle of 1940, a year after the war has started, did MGM, Paramount and 20th Century Fox reassessed their position. And this was only because they lost the market for their films, not just in Germany but in England and France as well. And at this point, they decided it was worth making a couple anti-Nazi films.
BLACKWELL: Wow.
URWAND: The minute they made those films, they were kicked out of the German market and that ended the collaboration.
BLACKWELL: Ben Urwand, the book is "The Collaboration: Hollywood's Pact with Hitler." I am now reading it every free moment I get. I'm on a plane after this. It will be with me in that seat. It's an amazing read. Thank you so much.
URWAND: Thanks for having me.
BLACKWELL: A quick break, and we continue your NEW DAY after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLACKWELL: You know the music. It's time for the good stuff. It's part of the show where we feature stories about some of the good news out there.
PAUL: Yes. Because we need that, don't we?
BLACKWELL: Yes.
PAUL: A Utah man owes his life to a home front ball. The 62- year-old's man wheelchair crashed into an irrigation ditch near Willow Park, sending him face down into the water. Now, park's worker, Bart Griffith stumbled upon a man when he went searching for a home run ball, and pulled the guy's head out of the war, called 911 and the guy survived. Good for him.
BLACKWELL: Back to school time. That means a lot of school expenses, between clothes and supply. You know, parents know which were hard to afford and caused a lot of people to usually layaway plans.
Well, now, imagine if your layaway was paid off by a mystery donor? She wanted no credit and she had to leave quickly. The donor needed to leave because as she told the clerk, she is terminally ill, and she refused to give her name. She just she said she wanted to do something good before she died.
PAUL: Bless her heart.
BLACKWELL: Yes.
PAUL: That's some good news, inspires I say.
We're going to be back here at the top of the hour, 8:00 Eastern for you.
Up first, "SANJAY GUPTA, M.D." starts right now.
