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Hawaii's Big Island Active Volcano; Clues Sought in Rocket Explosion; Gas Prices Slump; Lioness Baby Bump
Aired October 29, 2014 - 10:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Crazy, right? A 2,000 degree river of lava moving inch by inch closer to homes on Hawaii's Big Island. The lava flow started four months ago from the Kilauea volcano and could reach the town of Pahoa today.
Pictures taken from a drone shows smoke billowing from that molten rock. Residents have been evacuating the area while others have been flocking to it to get a view of the lava. Some schools have been closed and do not plan to reopen for at least two weeks. That lava is chest high in some places, as high as this fence marking the boundaries between two properties on the outskirts of that tiny town. No word on whether the lava has reached homes on those properties.
Joining me now Peter Cervelli, he's a geophysicist with the USGS Volcano Science Center.
Welcome, sir.
PETER CERVELLI, GEOPHYSICIST, VOLCANO SCIENCE CENTER: Hi.
COSTELLO: I have to admit, you know, I have this picture of Pompeii in my mind where the volcano will just violently blow and the whole entire town will be buried under ash. Is that possible?
CERVELLI: It's extremely unlikely for this particular volcano. It's much more of a -- what we call an effusive lava emitter, sort of slow lava flows, they can certainly cause problems to property but it's very rare, almost unheard of, for somebody to get killed by it.
COSTELLO: Normally the lava flows into the ocean from this volcano but it changed direction for some reason. Can you explain that for us?
CERVELLI: Sure. The place where the lava is actually coming out of the ground is a vent or a cone called Pu'u O. And for most of this eruption which began back in 1983 the flows have actually gone south, as you point out. And Pu'u O is at the crest of a ridge so if anything comes out up the south it all goes to the south. But very rarely something pops out to the north and then it can't get back over that ridge so it has to go wherever the downhill direction is and that's where it's going now.
COSTELLO: Is there any way to stop it?
CERVELLI: Not really, no. There's always a chance that it will stop naturally. You know, flows take different paths and they stop and they start. But in terms of human intervention, you might be able to divert it but then you're just making it somebody else's problem.
COSTELLO: I would imagine -- you know, it's hard to imagine how hot this lava is.
CERVELLI: Yes, it is. I can certainly imagine it because I've been up quite close to it and had my hairs on my eyebrows burned off.
COSTELLO: Oh, my gosh. So as a scientist, as you're looking at this, are you learning anything?
CERVELLI: Well, we are. We're studying the way the lava progresses. You know, it's going in fits and starts. And we're really trying to understand how lava flows work. So we can better forecast how quickly they're going to move and give better dates about when lava might affect human infrastructure.
COSTELLO: That would be very helpful.
Peter Cervelli, thank you so much for being with me. I appreciate it.
CERVELLI: You're welcome.
COSTELLO: Thanks.
Still to come in the NEWSROOM, should NASA get back into the spacecraft building business as a $200 million rocket built by a private company blows up?
We'll talk about that next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Investigators from NASA and a private company are searching the eastern Virginia coastline for clues into what led to the explosion of an unmanned NASA contracted rocket.
That's just incredible pictures. The rocket actually exploded in air and then it fell to the ground and exploded again. Luckily it was unmanned.
This rocket made by Orbital Sciences Corporation. It was destroyed six seconds after liftoff. The rocket had just cleared the launch tower when it's believed safety crew were forced to send a destructive signal after the rocket encountered a catastrophic failure.
You can see that for yourself.
The cargo ship supplies equipment and experiments headed to the International Space Station, all destroyed with this rocket.
Rachel Crane joins me now.
Let's talk about private companies making these rockets.
RACHEL CRANE, CNN DIGITAL CORRESPONDENT: Right.
COSTELLO: And in charge of sending supplies in one day astronauts to the International Space Station.
CRANE: Right. A big responsibility.
COSTELLO: Big responsibility. So what happened with Orbital?
CRANE: Well, what people don't realize, actually, is that NASA has worked with the private sector since the genesis of the space agency. Actually, Boeing is the main contractor on the International Space Station. So this reliance on the private sector by NASA is nothing new. And we're not going to see that relationship change just as a result of an accident like this.
COSTELLO: But Orbital has to be sitting back today and just -- I mean, they have to be devastated.
CRANE: Right. Of course.
COSTELLO: Not just financially, right?
CRANE: Right. No, I mean, this is certainly tarnishing their reputation. SpaceX has successfully flown all of their missions to the International Space Station. This was certainly a high-profile accident. But luckily it was unmanned, it was simply cargo, yes, 5,000 pounds of it but, you know, no one was injured. No deaths occurred.
COSTELLO: Well, I do think it's interesting that Orbital depends on old technology to build its rockets.
CRANE: Yes.
COSTELLO: SpaceX is the other company that NASA is under contract with.
CRANE: Contracted.
COSTELLO: And actually SpaceX is going to be responsible for sending astronauts up into space.
CRANE: Right. Along with Boeing.
COSTELLO: So why is Orbital using this old technology. Why wouldn't it say, "Wow, this is our chance to show what we can do"?
CRANE: Right. Well, it's interesting. You know, there's sort of like this space trash talk that happens within the aerospace industry and back in 2012 Elon Musk actually referred to the Orbital science system as a joke. Now he tweeted out yesterday his condolences for the company so certainly no one's rooting for anybody to have some sort of explosion. The industry wins when everybody wins but it's certainly a competitive spirit out there to say the least.
COSTELLO: So what will happen now with Orbital? They'll -- CRANE: So this was the third of eight missions that NASA has
contracted with them to run cargo back and forth for the International Space Station. There are stipulations for accidents like this to occur. There's no reason to believe that this contract is in jeopardy as a result of this accident and certainly Boeing and SpaceX's contract is not in jeopardy in terms of their manned space explorations. That's supposed to happen in about 2017.
COSTELLO: Huge contract. $1.8 billion, right?
CRANE: Yes. We're talking major dollars.
COSTELLO: Yes.
Rachel Crane, thank you so much. Appreciate it.
CRANE: Thank you so much.
COSTELLO: Less than 12 hours after that failed launch in Virginia, a Russian cargo ship left Kazakhstan headed for the International Space Station. It will deliver supplies and cargo to the crew already in space.
This launch was scheduled before yesterday's explosion and, as you can see, there it goes. It went off without a hitch. Here it goes. Up into space.
Still to come in the NEWSROOM, prices at the pump dropping. Under $3 a gallon in many states. How low can those prices go?
CNN's Christine Romans is at a gas station in New Jersey to tell us.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: 85,000 gas stations across this country have $3 or below gasoline prices. Now that's two-thirds of all gas stations. Three bucks or below. I'm at one of them and I'm going to tell you how long this will last right after the break.
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COSTELLO: It is a win-win for you. The national average gas price is about to fall through the $3 floor and there's a ripple effect beyond the pumps.
CNN's Christine Romans is live at a gas station in Jersey City with more.
Good morning.
ROMANS: You know, Carol, $2.99. That's what a gallon of regular here is where I am. And you know as I told you before the break, two- thirds of the gas stations in this country, some 85,000 gas stations, you're having $3 or below gas. And that is expected to continue. These prices have been coming down, down, down more than 60 cents since this summer and it's likely to continue. Here's why.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROMANS (voice-over): Oil prices plummet, down 25 percent from the recent peak in June. Why? Demand is slowing in China and the United States is producing a whole lot of oil. It's good news for your personal economy.
First, gasoline prices. The national average down more than 30 cents in the past month, the lowest level since December, 2010, according to AAA. Several states now have averages below $3 a gallon. That means every day Americans are spending more than $100 million less on gas than they did this time last year. Expect to see even lower prices across the country in coming weeks.
Second, heating your home. This winter forecast to be warmer than last year. Couple that with the drop in commodities like heating oil and the Energy Department predicts nearly everyone will be getting a break on their heating bill, including about half the country that uses natural gas.
The big drop in oil prices may save you cash on gas and heat but don't expect to see cheaper flights. Airlines know that prices could rebound at any moment, so they'll use cheap prices to lock in cheap fuel for the future and boost their profits. Those savings don't get passed on to you.
But on balance, oil's plunge is a good thing. Consumers save on energy and put that money to work elsewhere and that boosts the economy. Citigroup estimates that if Brent crude prices fall to $80 a barrel it would add $660 billion to the global economy every year.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROMANS: Carol, these prices have fallen so quickly, I mean, people have another 10 bucks in their pocket now compared with earlier this summer when they're filling up. Ten bucks every time you fill up if you have a 15-gallon tank. That is real money and it feels like a little bit of a tax cut.
We don't know how long it's going to last, we don't know if it's going to help people spend more money on other things but it is a little bit of a break, at least for now.
Most economists, most experts, Carol, say they expect -- they're assuming these prices are going to remain like this in the next year.
COSTELLO: I hope so.
Christine Romans live from New Jersey this morning, thank you.
Still to come in the NEWSROOM, you know it's never polite to ask someone if they've got a baby bump. But this lioness seems to be sporting some extra padding. If only she could spill the beans to us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: For week now, Ebola has been a hot topic in the headlines. From changing CDC guidelines to mandatory quarantines, the whole nation seems to be on edge. So it's no surprise that Ebola has become the butt of jokes among late-night laughs.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SETH MYERS, HOST, "LATE NIGHT WITH SETH MYERS": As of this morning, both Amber Vinson and Nina Pham, the two Texas nurses who had contracted Ebola, are free of the virus and out of the hospital.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
MYERS: Great news. Great news. They plan to spend the rest of their lives telling everyone, "Yes, I'm sure."
(LAUGHTER)
MYERS: "I'm sure." Well, that's great. I'm glad you're out. It's great to see you.
JIMMY FALLON, HOST, "THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JIMMY FALLON": I saw Chris Christie has not tweeted about anything except Ebola since last Thursday.
(LAUGHTER)
FALLON: The only thing he's tweeting about.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nothing else but Ebola.
FALLON: Just Ebola. That's all he tweets about is Ebola.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All Ebola all the time.
FALLON: He's got people in New Jersey so scared now they actually want him to close the George Washington bridge. It's like this, "Don't let anyone in or out."
DAVID LETTERMAN, HOST, LATE NIGHT WITH DAVID LETTERMAN: You can feel the tension in the city, everybody is much more cautious than usual. I mean, riding the subway to work today -- I mean, there was --
(LAUGHTER)
LETTERMAN: There was nobody having sex.
(LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. That's not --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Comedians aren't the only one poking fun at the virus. The twitter hashtag "Ebola jokes" has gone viral in recent weeks. And if you think that's bad, at least it's not the sexy Ebola containment suit Halloween costume. And yes, I hate to say this, but, that's a real costume. So let's talk about something else, shall we?
A lioness at the Cincinnati Zoo is causing quite the sensation and it's all because she may be expecting a little bundle of join.
But as CNN's Jeanne Moos reports, not even her zookeepers know for sure.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's usually easy to tell when a human celebrity is pregnant. Everyone is looking down at their belly or they're resting a telltale hand on it. But what about this belly? Does that look like a baby bump to you?
THANE MAYNARD, DIRECTOR, CINCINNATI ZOO: We hope.
MOOS: At the Cincinnati Zoo their lioness Imani is getting the tabloid TV treatment usually reserved for celebs like --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mariah baby bump watch.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But we can see a slight baby bump.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is that a baby bump I see, Jennifer Gardner?
JENNIFER GARDNER, ACTRESS: I am not pregnant. But I have had three kids and there is a bump.
MOOS: Bumps can be deceiving, especially when the prospective mom stays mum.
At the Cincinnati Zoo, they're asking visitors, is she or isn't she? Fans disagree. "Awesome, bump all the way," versus "Bump? Where?" Imani has gained 26 pounds in the past three and a half months. Her urine tests came back positive. Who knows if she's told the possible baby daddy -- John.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And they've mated quite a few times.
MOOS: On his Twitter account it says, "Paws crossed."
(On camera): Or could the lion be faking it as a giant panda allegedly did a couple of months ago.
(Voice-over): At a breeding research center in China this panda was thought to be expecting. It turns out what she was expecting was more food. They call it a pseudopregnancy. The panda behaves in a way that it knows from experience will get it better treatment.
MAYNARD: When I do a certain thing, I get more of what I really like and in a panda's case that would be a lot of its favorite type of bamboo.
MOOS: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service just propose declaring lions to be a threatened species which makes the idea of cubs extra nice. Here are Imani's before, screen left, and after pictures. So when are
we going to know if the baby bump is actually babies or just a bump?
MAYNARD: We won't know for sure until the babies are on the ground, but we hope that will happen in the next month.
MOOS: At least Imani isn't hiding her weight gain.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mariah Carey is a house.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think that Hello Kitty was hiding a little something-something.
MOOS: Well, say hello to this kitty. She's not letting the cat out of the bag until the cats are actually out of the bag.
MAYNARD: We hope.
MOOS: Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Thank you so much for joining me today. I'm Carol Costello.
"@THIS HOUR WITH BERMAN AND MICHAELA" after a break.
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