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Thanksgiving Travel Threatened For Millions; U.S. Allies, Lawmakers Blast Iran Deal; Six-month Deal Lifts Come Sanctions; Boeing Warns On Engine For Some Planes; U.S. Allies, Lawmakers Blast Iran Deal; Olympic Skier Bode Miller In Custody Fight

Aired November 25, 2013 - 10:00   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning. I'm Kyra Phillips. Carol Costello is off today. Forty three million Americans including many of you are getting ready to travel for Thanksgiving. But a deadly storm system that's marching east and bringing ice, sleet and know could disrupt your plans, driving in some places just downright dangerous.

In Oklahoma, this SUV spins out, flips over, tumbles off the road. Treacherous conditions blamed for ten traffic related deaths so far. In Dallas, planes are being de-iced, hundreds of flights pre-canceled and it's not just the timing, but many travelers didn't even expect to see conditions like this in Texas.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's kind of a bummer. Of all states Texas, the weather is insane.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is not Texas weather, this is Alaska or Idaho.

PHILLIPS: CNN's Nick Valencia joining us there live at Dallas-Ft. Worth International Airport. What do you see, Nick?

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the good could have been a lot worse. The bad news, in anticipation for that severe weather, lots of flights were canceled. About 300 flights canceled yet here at Dallas-Fort Worth international airport. And that impacts places like Center Pennsylvania, upstates New York. You saw the mess it created. All throughout Texas and Oklahoma

And today, another 180 flights departing this airport canceled again. Largely having to do with those planes being canceled yesterday not being in place today. Earlier, I spoke with passengers who were affected by the delays and they told me how they were impacted.

(BEGN VIDEO CLIP)

MARQUEZ: Did you guys prepare differently because of the weather out here? Is it making you take different precautions?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, our original flight was canceled so we're up here a little earlier, so, yes, traveling light. (END VIDEOTAPE)

MARQUEZ: About 300 flights canceled yesterday and another 86 canceled today. Were you guys affected? You were saying you're affected by that.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We were. We were affected. Our first flight was canceled. And we had to call and get back on.

MARQUEZ: So are you happy with the communication between the airlines? Do you feel like they are giving you enough of a heads up?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. We had at least 24 hours. It was good, plenty of time to reschedule.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MARQUEZ: Some passengers are a little bit more upset about their delays than others. We are spoke to a couple earlier that said they didn't get enough head's up from the airlines and they were out $400. Other people not quite as effective and if you look behind my, the lines pretty empty here.

A lot of that has to do with the pre-cancellations. They wanted to limit the amount of passengers stranded in the airport on Monday. But this is a very, very busy travel week with about 40 million Americans expected to travel 50 miles or more. It's a busy holiday week. So it's the last thing that people need to be dealing with is more severe weather -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: We'll be keeping everybody on that severe weather. Nick Valencia in Dallas this morning. Thanks so much.

CNN will keep you updated on this massive storm every 15 minutes. What do you think, Indra?

Unfortunately, this thing is going to be heading to the east. Just take a look at Arkansas and you could see all the freezing rain that is currently out there. Look at what Indra Peterson is joining me now from New York with more on where it's headed next.

INDRA PETERSONS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: This thing is heading to the east. Take a look at Arkansas and you can see all of the freezing rain. Look at all of the reports heavy snow in through New Mexico and Oklahoma. Look at all the freezing Rain they saw back in Texas. And now here comes that system push pushing farther to the east but clearing out to the west.

Today if you're from Arkansas in through Texas, there are the winter advisories out there and then a big rain maker. All of the moisture is going to be pulled out of the gulf. And then it's going to intersect with all the cold air moving over the lake. These two systems will combine and that's the reason we're so concerned about the travel especially Tuesday in through Wednesday. Heavy rain in through the gulf by tomorrow spreading into the Carolinas and then that same system makes its way up the eastern seaboard. And if you are traveling tomorrow, look in the mid-Atlantic. We're talking about sleet and ice and even know snow behind that and closer to the east coast, talking about mostly rain. But even heavy winds can cause the delays. Tuesday night in through Wednesday, heaviest rain bands will be falling closer to the Coastline.

Behind it heavy snow, maybe four to eight inches. And of course the wintry mix. How much we see in each of these areas. That will depend on how these systems all come together. As you move through again, Wednesday things will look better later in the day.

Still a lot of heavy rain and snow behind it in the morning, but it looks like the big hubs in the east coast will be talking about rain and wind. Then you make your way to Thanksgiving, things start to look better. By Thursday, we're left with most likely with light snow and backing up all the way in through Maine.

And the big things to take away from this, these models are continually changing. All of these things factor into how much snow, sleet, rain, ice all of these things that can be affecting us can change.

PHILLIPS: And CNN is all over this story, your next detailed forecast just 15 minutes away. But on the bottom of the screen, we'll have temperatures across the country, also flight delays right there on that bottom part of the screen.

All right, President Obama is praising a deal between six world power leaders and Iran to slow that nation's nuclear program in exchange for lifting some sanctions. But a key U.S. ally is slamming the agreement. Benjamin Netanyahu says it's a historic mistake.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: We cannot and will not allow a regime that calls for the destruction of Israel to obtain the means to achieve this goal. We will not allow Iran to have a nuclear weapons capability.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: CNN's Jim SCIUTTO, CNN chief national security.

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY: Well, Kyra, no time to celebrate, the ink was barely dry on the agreement before we started hearing stiff opposition to it from Saudi Arabia, from Israeli and also from Washington Hill, both Republican and Democratic lawmakers who say they will pursuit new sanctions against Iran. Even as this deal gets underway, but I'll tell you is the deal has the story now from Geneva.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SCIUTTO (voice-over): No time to celebrate. The ink was barely dry on the agreement before we started hearing stiff opposition to it. They're going to pursue new sanctions against Iran even as this deal gets underway. Being the deal was signed in the early hours Sunday morning, you had a sense that history was being made. A historic agreement in Geneva early Sunday sealed with a hug.

This agreement could have been reached without the decision of the Iranian Government to come to the table and negotiate. But by later Sunday morning back home in the U.S., some politicians on both sides of the aisle sharply criticized the deal.

REPRESENTATIVE MIKE ROGERS (R), CHAIRMAN, HOUSE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE: We have just rewarded very bad and dangerous behavior. Think about what this agreement does. It says that you can continue to enrich and they have made no changes, no changes in the development of their nuclear weapon program.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's disappointing to me that Iran is still going to be allowed to enrich while they're talking. I would have thought that that should be a prerequisite to any kind of talks.

SCIUTTO: After three weeks of talks, the deal puts unprecedented limits on Iran's nuclear program. Iran dilutes its existing stockpile of highly enriched uranium. And it allowed intrusive daily monitoring of all of its nuclear sites. In exchange, the sanctions will be eased, in all about $7 billion in relief. But in a case of diplomatic ambiguity, it allows for very of different interpretations of Iran's rights.

KERRY: It is not in this document. There is no right to enrich.

SCIUTTO: Iran's foreign minister said the deal gave Iran what it has long sought, formal recognition of its freedom to develop a peaceful nuclear program. The deal will only last for six months. It presses the pause button, but doesn't press delete. And it all happens in the faces of bitter difference between the U.S. and America's closest ally in the region.

NETANYAHU: What was concluded in Geneva last night is not a historic agreement, it's a historic mistake. It's not made the world a safer place. Like the agreement with North Korea in 2005, this agreement has made the world a much more dangerous place.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SCIUTTO: During the six months of this interim agreement, Iran and the west will begin to negotiate a longer term agreement on Iran's nuclear program. And the White House tells CNN that has that's happening and starting, it's going to be consulting with Israel very closely on the outlines on the longer term deal to try to get Israel on board.

PHILLIPS: Jim, thanks so much, and still to come, Boeing about some of its planes and their engines. A live report from the New York Stock Exchange is next.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: A live report from the New York Stock Exchange is next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: So we got a pretty disturbing warning from Boeing this morning. The aircraft maker is saying that some of its plain including the Dreamliner could have engine icing problems and now Boeing is recommending that those planes stay away from certain storms. Alison Kosik is at the New York Stock Exchange. Good morning, Alison and not good news.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: This isn't good news for Boeing. As you said, Boeing is warning several carriers that fly these Dreamliner planes they're warning several carriers that fly these Dreamliner planes. Here is what the issue is. Ice crystals can build up in the plane's mechanisms if they fly near thunderstorms.

And what happens is that impacts the engine's performance. What Boeing is doing is telling these air lines not to apply the 747 or 787 within 50 nautical miles of a thunderstorm. Boeing also stressing that there's only been a handful of insurance departments with this and that those planes lapsed safely.

But these airlines aren't taking any chances. Japan air is telling us it's pulling them from some of its routes. Tokyo to New Delhi and Singapore is one of them. And that at this point is a short-term plan. Delta is telling us it got a warning from Boeing. We're waiting to hear back from other airlines. But there are reports that united add others have been warned about this problem from Boeing as well -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, I just want to emphasize again it's just the 747 and 787. What about a fix?

KOSIK: Yes, that's the question. What's happening is General Electric, which makes the engines of these planes. General and Boeing are working to address this problem, but here's the thing. There are reports that a fix may not happen until March. Now the Dreamliner hasn't been shy about these problems. Lots of problems in the past.

The entire fleet was temporarily grounded earlier this year because of battery problems. This problem isn't as large scale as that. But you've got to understand that confidence is key. You can't feel real confident get on one of these planes. And you can see that playing out with its stock. Boeing shares are down almost 3 percent today so investors are reacting.

PHILLIPS: I think storm or not people would be freaked out to fly these. Alison Kosik from the New York stock exchange. Thanks so much.

PHILLIPS: Just three days ago until Thanksgiving and a blast of snow, ice, sleet moving toward the east coast and threatening to discorrupt travel plans for millions, freezing rain hitting parts of Texas and Arkansas. And tomorrow, snow will begin to fall in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. And we'll have your detailed forecast every 15 minutes. At the bottom of your screen, we've got temperatures and flight delays. We're awaiting, quote, "new developments" in the special grand jury investigation into the Steubenville rape case. It's the 2012 rape of a 16-year-old girl that made headlines. In March, two men were convicted of that rape.

And seven cars of an Amtrak passenger plane derailed 6789 Spartanburg, South Carolina early this morning. All the cars stayed upright and no reports of serious injuries. That train was headed from New Orleans to New York. Buses are taking passengers to their destinations now.

And Michele Knight one of the three women held captive for more than a decade has signed a book deal. She promises to tell the full story of what we want on inside that home. Night says that she hopes to give victims of violence a new outlook on life.

Still to come, an Olympic superstar caught in a nasty custody battle. Getting the custody of his son and then a New York court overturned it. We're going to tell you why right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, Olympic skier, Bode Miller, is fighting to keep custody of his nine month old son. First a California court granted him temporary custody. But last week a New York City court placed the boy back with his mother. The story now from our Zoraida Sambolin.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ZORAIDA SAMBOLIN, CNN ANCHOR: Conceived in California and born in New York City, this baby boy, now 9 months old, seen in this Facebook photo, is at a heart of a high profile bicoastal custody battle. His father, Olympic skier and gold medalist Bode Miller briefly dated this woman, Sara McKenna in California. McKenna became pregnant and decided to keep the baby despite her relationship with Miller turning sour.

After extending Miller an invitation to the ultrasound, which McKenna later shared on Facebook, he sent her this text. "You made this against my wish and gave my no say. You are going to do this on your own." At 7 months pregnant, the former Marine and firefighter moved to New York City to study at Columbia University. She spoke to CNN's Ashleigh Banfield in June.

SARA MCKENNA, FIGHTING FOR CUSTODY OF SON: He never actually wanted very much to do with my son. And he initially asked if he could sign over his rights and he would pay off his child support in a lump sum.

SAMBOLIN: Instead, Miller filed for custody. Concerned that McKenna was fleeing California for a more sympathetic venue to gain custody herself, he requested that she return to California. In May, a New York judge agreed saying while McKenna did not abduct the child, her appropriation of the child while in utero was irresponsible and reprehensible the custody was granted to Miller.

KENNETH EIGES, SARA MCKENNA'S ATTORNEY: Whether or not this proceeding was started in California or not, it makes no difference. New York is clearly the home state. And this state is where the case should be heard.

SAMBOLIN: This month a New York appeals panel reversed the controversial ruling. Family court will resume today to re-examine parental custody of this baby boy.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: The couple hasn't even agreed on a name for their son yet. McKenna calls the little boy, Samuel and millers him Nathaniel.

After a year of the shooting tragedy at Sandy Hook, a new report is being released. What we expect to learn about the shooter and the emergency response. Straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Happening right now in the "NEWSROOM". It's been almost a year since the horrific shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. And now, later, we're getting new insight into the investigation and learning what families are saying about this new report.

And falling numbers, more Americans losing confidence in their president. So how worried should President Obama be?

Plus -- Miley Cyrus and a lip-synching cat, one of the more bizarre moments at the American Music Awards. What were they thinking? We're not quite sure.

And welcome back. I'm Kyra Phillips in for Carol Costello. This morning, 43 million of you are planning to travel this Thanksgiving for the weekend almost all of us watching a massive winter storm that could paralyze our plans. This is what it looks like in Oklahoma. Ten people already been killed. CNN is keeping up updated on the storm. But let's get right to Indra Petersen for where we stand now - Indra.

PETERSONS: Take a look at what we've seen from the storm system. This is Oklahoma. Dangerous conditions on the road, but also in the air. Lots of delays will be expected. Let's walk you over to the map. You can see all of the storm reports we've seen. This is heavy snow we've seen in New Mexico and also through Oklahoma.

Then we have a lot of freezing rain that we have seen. That's caused all of the delaying in Texas. And currently we're seeing that freezing rain pushing in through Arkansas. Let's talk about what's going on as the system makes its way east, we're going to continue to see conditions worsening through Arkansas as we're seeing and starting to improve back to the west.

Here is what is going on. We're looking at the low making its way across the gulf and picking up that moisture from the gulf. Then it's expected to intersect with a cold system making its way across the lakes. Then you have the abundant moisture and mix it in with cold air, never a good thing.

I'm going to walk you through this and give you a better idea of what you're expecting. Take a look down into the southeast. Now, today we're talking about two to four inches around the gulf. By tomorrow, heavier rain spreads into the Carolinas. Then it makes its way up to the eastern seaboard. Notice in the mid-Atlantic, we're talking about icy conditions, freezing rain, never good for air travel.

And of course, sleet behind that some snow, especially into the Ohio Valley. Conditions worsen as we go in through Tuesday night and in through Wednesday. This is when the heaviest amount of rain, again, closest to the coastline. Strongest winds will be out there. So with that, traffic and air traffic delays will be expected on those major hubs on the east coast.

Still looking at icing delays and even heavy snow, again, especially, think about Pittsburgh; think about the Ohio valley, looking for that heavy snow. Going into Wednesday, the system is still here but tapering off as you go throughout the day. Conditions will slowly start to improve. We're still talking about rain close to the coastline and snow will start to wind down back there in the Ohio Valley.

But again, Thursday, conditions will be better and once we go in towards Thanksgiving Day, things will taper off. We keep talking about these two systems merging awful these things can impact what is going to happen. All of that is up for change. And it continues to change as we get closer in time. We will keep you updated here.

PHILLIPS: All right, Indra Petersons, thanks so much. Around the clock talks in Geneva ending with what is being called a historic deal. Iran is going to -- the six-month deal, seen as a critical first step toward a permanent guarantee that Iran will not develop nukes.