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Good Weather for Thanksgiving Day; Reporting from Thanksgiving Parade in New York; Protests Calming Down in Ferguson but Continue Throughout the Country; More Sexual Assault Allegations against Bill Cosby; 12-Year Old Tamir Rice Shot in Cleveland by Police

Aired November 27, 2014 - 10:00   ET

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


MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Having a good time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, it's awesome.

MARQUEZ: What's the best bet?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't see (INAUDIBLE) people.

MARQUEZ: Lovely. Happy Thanksgiving.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Happy Thanksgiving.

MARQUEZ: Happy Thanksgiving.

Love it, love it.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Oh, Miguel Marquez.

MARQUEZ: -- from Kentucky going by us. It's just - this is the best. I really drew the short straw today, Carol.

COSTELLO: I envy you. And I talked to the drummers' mother earlier this morning.

MARQUEZ: We love the clouds.

(LAUGHTER)

MARQUEZ: Here you go, Carol.

COSTELLO: Excellent. You made my day.

MARQUEZ: Happy Thanksgiving.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The next hour of CNN's "NEWSROOM" starts now.

Good morning. I'm Carol Costello. Happy Thanksgiving. Thank you so much for joining me this morning. After two straight nights of riots and protests, calm kicks off this Thanksgiving in Ferguson, Missouri. Only a few dozen protesters showed up outside of the Ferguson police department last night. It's a stark difference to Monday where businesses were vandalized and looted and cars and buildings were set on fire.

While the arrests were few in Ferguson on the West Coast it wasn't as peaceful as protesters in downtown, Los Angeles took to the streets, still angry over the grand jury's decision. When it was over, 130 people were arrested. Ana Cabrera live in Ferguson this morning with more. Good morning.

ANA CABRERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol. It is nice to see this morning the calm, the quiet. The peacefulness. It's cold out. So, perhaps mother nature helping in terms of dispersing some of the anger that's in this community. The tension is still there. The angst that this region feels, I think, does still exist, and look no further than the building behind me. We see signs of damage and destruction all throughout town. So, this community really is still hurting. But of course, we know that this story really underscores something that is beyond this region. That is beyond the state of Missouri. It's really a touching point for so many people in communities around the country. That's why we're seeing people react to this grand jury situation in such a way with so much passion around the nation because it's about race. And it's about the relationship between law enforcement and minorities. And as you mention, we saw some larger protests in other cities around the country compared to what we've seen here in Ferguson.

You mention the one in Los Angeles with 130 people arrested last night compared to the two people who were arrested here in the St. Louis area. We're told those arrests in California really were primarily for unlawful assembly and failure to disperse. There are also 35 protesters arrested in Oakland, California overnight. Again, mostly peaceful but some people who didn't want to disperse. And so, again, the conversation continues even though the outcome of this particular case is now known at least with the local investigation. And clearly, the community here as we come back to us and Ferguson our live shot, clearly the community here is emotionally broken. It is physically broken with all of the destruction. And so, it is going to be months, possibly years for this community to recover and perhaps even longer for those underlying issues to heal. Carol.

COSTELLO: All right. Ana Cabrera, reporting live from Ferguson, Missouri this morning. Thank you.

Now, if you waited until today to hit the road for Thanksgiving. You've got an extra reason to be thankful. A snowstorm that caused travel chaos for millions of people is now heading north and out of the country. Boy, did it leave behind a big mess. Cars and trucks crawled along snow slicked highways. There were 100 spin outs in Massachusetts alone. Airports were trying to get back up to speed after more than 700 flights were grounded on Wednesday. Rosa Flores is actually camped out at a rest stop along the Massachusetts Turnpike in Charlton. I can't think of a better place to be on Thanksgiving than at a rest stop.

(LAUGHTER)

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The gravy is great, Carol, the rest - here at this rest top. If you're at home and you are warm and cozy with your family and enjoying that turkey consider yourself very lucky. Because there are tens of thousands of people here in the northeast without power. Here in Massachusetts that numbers are about 29,000. Most of those folks are on the western part of the state, because that's the part that saw the most snow. About ten inches right here, where I'm out in central Massachusetts. We saw about four inches. It's not too bad. It's tightly packed.

Let me show you the roadways really quickly. These are the west bound lanes of I-90. You can see smooth sailing this morning, you can tell that these folks are headed towards New York. A lot of traffic actually, Carol. This is probably the most traffic that we've seen since we've been here. But this wasn't the case yesterday. The visibility was very low. The speed limit was dropped from 65 to 40 because of visibility issues, because of the precipitation. State police reporting about 100 spinouts and dozens of accidents.

And so, if you want to talk about Mother Nature today, she's a lot happier, Carol, on Thanksgiving Day than yesterday. She's probably one of those that's at home nice and cozy and warm today because she's enjoying Thanksgiving. Carol.

COSTELLO: I'm just - I was just thinking. I see that McDonald's behind you, and I hope you're not going to have a McChicken sandwich for Thanksgiving.

(LAUGHTER)

FLORES: That would be a sin, Carol to do on Thanksgiving.

New York if you haven't delivered it.

(LAUGHTER)

COSTELLO: Rosa Flores thanks so much.

FLORES: How about you go - for you, Carol, just for you.

(LAUGHTER)

COSTELLO: Thank you, Rosa.

OK. So, things are actually looking pretty good across the rest of the country. Jennifer Gray is here to tell us about that.

JENNIFER GRAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Poor thing.

COSTELLO: Poor Rosa.

GRAY: I feel so bad for her. Things are improving. The airlines will be able to catch-up. Some people actually had to wake up in airports this morning. The roads are looking better, though, so if you did wait until today things should be much better. That storm system on its way out but just like Rosa said, a lot of people without power for today.

So, let's move forward. We are going to see conditions stay very nice across much of the east as we go through the next couple of days. We do have a little bit of lake effect snow expected this evening and cold front continuing to follow. We are going to see temperatures stay on the cool side as we go through today into tomorrow. Temperatures well below normal. We are going to see temperatures in the teens and 20s across the northern plains into the mid-West. Cold air will start to move in. So, if you're traveling back Saturday into Sunday, conditions look much, much better. We are going to see clear conditions. A lot of rain for the West Coast as far as the East Coast, and people are trying to get back looking good.

COSTELLO: Not bad. I think we should all be thankful.

GRAY: Yes.

COSTELLO: Exactly, Jennifer. I appreciate it.

Here in New York City. The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is in full swing, passing through Columbus Circle with all of the dazzling excitement we've come to expect year after year. Miguel Marquez has been watching the parade talking to spectators since the parade got under way just about an hour ago. Happy Thanksgiving, Miguel.

MARQUEZ: Happy Thanksgiving. The longest - right down there, Spiderman, the longest lasting balloon in this parade, it's been there forever, is just down the way. And passing us right now are the Harlem globe-trotters, so you can see out here. How was your - how is your parade going?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are having a great time to have them globe trot. Less stuff like this.

MARQUEZ: Show us some - show us something with this guy walking --

Fabulous.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, yeah.

MARQUEZ: I love it. Absolutely fantastic. It is beyond them. Thank you very much. Happy Thanksgiving.

More (INAUDIBL) cheers coming up, some 1300 cheerleaders in this parade, and just behind them is spinning Jake Balloon and the new Pikachu is coming out in just a second as well. Absolutely incredible to see the number of people out here, 1300 cheerleaders, a thousand clowns. I love the clowns. The clowns are giving. Until it hurts today, I can tell you, Carol. They've been fantastic. And there's six new giant balloons in this parade as well. It's a very, very big day for this parade. The people here, out of control. There must be a thousand deep back there. Having a good time?

CROWD: Yeah!

(CHEERS)

MARQUEZ: You know, I'm a sucker for it. It's just too easy.

COSTELLO: Me too. Me too.

Thanks Miguel. I just love that turkey family.

Still to come in the "NEWSROOM". Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in the hospital this morning on Thanksgiving Day. But she's getting better. We will update you on her condition. And yet another Cosby accuser is speaking out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't understand why we're in denial. I don't understand why we don't want to believe this. I didn't want to believe it.

COSTELLO: The moment that woman said she realized she was being sexually abused by the famed comedian and the pressure she felt to keep it all a secret.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Checking some top stories for you at 12 minutes past. A British national is dead after a suicide bomber hit a convoy of foreign embassy cars in Kabul, Afghanistan. Five people were killed, 33 others hurt. At least four children were among the injured. The Taliban claiming responsibility.

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is set to be resting comfortably following surgery. She had a stint placed in an artery on Wednesday. At 81, Ginsburg is the oldest active justice. She's expected home by the end of the week.

Gas prices have dropped again. The national average for a gallon of regular, $2.80, that's down 8 percent from $3,04 a gallon last month. The chip refills - plummeting oil prices amid expectations that OPEC will decide not to cut global production.

The University of Massachusetts Amherst is severing its ties with Bill Cosby. According to "The Boston Globe," the school announced that Cosby will no longer have any affiliation with the university. In 1976, Cosby received a master's and doctorate from Amherst and served as the honorary co-chair of their $300 million fundraising campaign.

This is yet another woman who is coming forward with claims that Bill Cosby drugged and raped her 30 years ago. Jewel Allison, a former model spoke heavily about the night she says Cosby assaulted her. And we want to warn you that parts of her story are difficult to hear and sexually graphic. Susan Candiotti has more for you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEWEL ALLISON: Cosby is a human being. He did his job and did it well. But he's not a messiah. And none of us are.

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Jewel Allison publically divulging a humiliating sex encounter with Bill Cosby. She says it happened about 25 years ago. ALLISON: This is where it hurts this is where it makes it very difficult.

CANDIOTTI: Even more difficult and painful, she says, is coming forward as a woman of color about a man who means so much to black Americans, especially when she claims he abused her in the late 80s.

ALLISON: I don't want to take this black man down who's providing so many jobs for black people and doing something that was historic in a positive way. I understand why we're in denial. I understand why we don't want to believe this. I didn't want to believe it.

CANDIOTTI: In her 20s when Cosby was twice her age, Jewel Allison was a model and aspiring actress doing voice overs in New York. Her agency says set up a meeting with Cosby including visits to his wildly popular "Cosby Show" set. She went to dinner at his house.

ALLISON: He said I'm meeting with a couple of you who have college educations. Who I think could do a little bit better than modeling. You know? And I want to help you all out. Sounds good to me.

CANDIOTTI: She accepted a second invitation.

(on camera): What happened that night?

ALLISON: I wasn't there for very long before he asked me if I wanted something to drink. And he showed me a bottle of wine. I don't remember the age on it but the age was impressive. And I said, OK. He fixed me a glass of wine. I drank a little bit of it. Not a lot. Took a couple of sips. It tasted horrible. And I was like, I'm not drinking the rest of this. At that point he came over to me and he said stand up and he helped me get up from here. And I stood up. At this point I'm kind of out of it and I'm thinking was it the wine and he said let's go into the next room where there was a mirror. And I remember that there was a mirror. I will never forget that there was a mirror because he told me to look in the mirror and he was in back of me at this point.

CANDIOTTI: Did he say why he wanted you to look in the mirror?

ALLISON: After he had an orgasm. He said to me, you know, afterwards he said look at the glow in your face. But before then, he took my hand and he put it in back of me and I felt something wet on my hand. And then that's when I realized that something sexual was going on but I was unable to stop it. And then he turned me around and he helped me -- he put his hands on my shoulders and he walked me out and he said, let's get you home or something like that. At that point, he hugged me, you know? Which I felt was really bizarre in an affectionate way and he kisses me at the door. I mean all of it didn't make any sense and then he opens up the door. There's a taxi there, there's a yellow taxi there. I always thought you had to flag taxis down so was the ride home was bizarre because I got violently ill.

CANDIOTTI: She kept it under wraps. ALLISON: I came home crying. It's horrible because it's like someone

just sexually assaulted me and drugged me and it was Cosby. The one person that meant so much to us. Which I think is not fair.

CANDIOTTI: Privately, she's told a few friends over the years but after seeing other women come forward, she's breaking her silence.

ALLISON: I have learned that fear can cripple you. It can make you sick. It can make you not sleep at night. And once I decided to put this in god's hands and I said I know you got this.

Do not be a victim of circumstance.

CANDIOTTI: A writer and public speaker, Allison has not yet addressed the Cosby issue.

(on camera): Is there anything that you would say to him?

ALLISON: Begin praying and get the strength and the courage to begin to tell yourself the truth.

CANDIOTTI: Bill Cosby has not been charged with any crime. Some venues have canceled his shows. CNN has reached out to his lawyers about Allison's claims. They have not responded. In a blanket statement last week, his lawyer wrote, "We have refuted these new unsubstantiated stories. When will it end? It is long pastime for this media vilification of Mr. Cosby to stop." Susan Candiotti, CNN, New York.

COSTELLO: We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: New details this morning on a tragic story out of Cleveland. I have to warn you, the video you're about to see is graphic. It shows a 12-year-old boy being shot by police. Police were responding to a 911 call of someone brandishing a gun. The calls were real. The gun was not. Here is CNN's George Howell.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GEORGE HOWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This video was recorded on a security camera in a Cleveland park. And it shows Tamir Rice moving in and out of view. Keep in mind these are the last few moments of this 12-year-olds life. A video his family wants you to see. First we see Rice pacing the sidewalk, brandishing what looks to be a weapon. At one point even taking a two handed shooting stance. All the while police say he was being watched.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The gentleman sitting in the gazebo is the gentleman that called into our dispatch center.

HOWELL: Here's that initial call to 911.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm sitting in the park at West Boulevard, by the West Boulevard. (INAUDIBLE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: there's a guy holding a pistol. (INAUDIBLE). He's like pointing it at everybody.

HOWELL: In fact the caller points out twice the gun is probably fake.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The guy keeps pulling it - it's probably fake. He's scaring the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) out of me.

HOWELL: Here is the clip that shows why the man called 911. The object that looks like a handgun we now know is really a toy pellet gun. And Rice seems to point at this person whose identity is blurred. Police say he's also seen here reaching for his cell phone and then having a conversation. Minutes later, Rice moves to the gazebo why he's now alone. This just minutes before police arrive. And now we know exactly what the dispatcher told the responding officers before they arrived. Notice how she never relays the information that it may be a fake gun.

DISPATCHER: Everybody is (INAUDIBLE) priorities. Supposed to be a guy sitting on the swings pointing a gun at people.

HOWELL: A few seconds later, she describes Rice but again fails to pass along the words that the 911 caller used about the gun probably being fake.

DISPATCHER: In the park by the youth center, there's a black male sitting on the swings, wearing a camouflage hat, a gray jacket with black sleeves. He says he keeps pulling a gun out of his pants and pointing it at people.

HOWELL: What happens next happens very quickly. Officer Frank Garmback driving, and officer Timothy Loehmann in the passenger seat.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The officers ordered him to show his hands and to drop the weapon. And the young man pulled the weapon out and that's when the officer fired.

HOWELL: In the dispatcher's audio, you can hear the officer's Grim (ph) call for help.

POLICE OFFICER: Radio, shots fired. Male down. Black male. Maybe 20. Black revolver - (INAUDIBLE). Send the EMS this way.

HOWELL: Even as they call for help, the officers still not understanding that they had shot a 12-year-old boy carrying a toy gun.

ED TOMBA, CLEVELAND POLICE DEPUTY CHIEF: This is not an effort to exonerate, it's not an effort to show the public that anybody did anything wrong. This is an obvious tragic event where a young member of our community lost their life. We've got two officers that were out there protecting the public that just had to, you know do something that nobody wants to do.

HOWELL: George Howell, CNN, Atlanta. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)