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Shoppers Battle Black Friday for Deals; Call to Boycott Black Friday in Ferguson; Kim Jong-Un's Sister Gets Senior Govt. Job
Aired November 28, 2014 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: John Berman taunted me last weekend when the Lions lost to the New England --
MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: That doesn't seem like him.
(LAUGHTER)
BERMAN: Happy Thanksgiving, Carol.
COSTELLO: Happy Thanksgiving.
PEREIRA: Have a great show.
COSTELLO: You too.
NEWSROOM starts now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Happening now in the NEWSROOM, Black Friday. A full contact sport.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My husband has the other cart, he went on the other side of the store.
COSTELLO: Plus --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hands up.
COSTELLO: Hands up. Don't spend. Ferguson protesters call for a boycott of Black Friday.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think that economic power is just as powerful as political power and the power to vote.
COSTELLO: Also -- in the dark. Hundreds of thousands of people without power this morning after a dumping of Thanksgiving Day snow.
And he's making a run for it. Devastation at the National Dog Show.
Let's talk, live in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: And good morning, I'm Carol Costello, thank you so much for joining me this morning.
Burning off the turkey calories by burning a hole in your wallet. The frenzy over Black Friday is in full swing today from coast to coast and across the pond even. It is sheer madness at malls and stores as retailers hope long lines outside will turn into long lines at the cash register.
Some stores have already been open eight, 12, even 24 hours with shoppers battling each other for bargains. Even overseas in London. We're going to talk about that a little later because really I don't understand that.
CNN's Deborah Feyerick is at Newport Center in New Jersey City, New Jersey.
Good morning.
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning there, Carol. Well, the interesting thing is the stores here opened at 6:00 yesterday, Thanksgiving Day. Now we don't know whether people came for the discounts or whether they just needed to get out of the house away from their families. However it was packed yesterday. We're told 3900 cars in the lot. That was full to capacity. Plus this is very near the train so we don't know how many more people were there.
But they came in order to get the discounts. They stayed until about midnight and then some stayed even later through the night because the larger stores, Macy's, Kohl's, JCPenney, all of them stayed open much later hoping it would pay off at the cash register. But right now the crowd is very civilized unlike, well, a couple of hours ago at other malls.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FEYERICK (voice-over): Overnight the hunt for bargains across the nation becoming a contact sport. Police prying these shoppers off the floor at this Wal-Mart in Houston, Texas, refusing to let go of a discounted TV. One police officer even grabbing this shopper by the face and throwing him to the ground.
Tempers flare at this Wal-Mart Michigan City, Indiana, with shoppers clamoring for a bargain on Sony speakers. And in Los Angeles, police were called to another Wal-Mart after a brawl broke out over a $5 Barbie.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There is obviously a fight between a guy and a girl over a Barbie doll. And the girl socked the guy in the face just to get the Barbie.
FEYERICK: The stampede through the front doors, a welcome sight for retailers, hoping to cash in on the holiday frenzy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We wouldn't be doing this if the demand was not there.
FEYERICK: The National Retail Federation projected this holiday season spending will total nearly $617 billion, growing 4.1 percent over last year.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I rushed over here to be one of the first ones to just get everything that I need and then go home.
FEYERICK: Some shoppers camping outside for days.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I bring my TV, my generator, my little tank and chairs, and let everybody have a good time.
FEYERICK: Strumming the guitar to pass the time.
All in an effort to nab great deals like this flat screen TV marked down $400.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's one more 55 inch.
FEYERICK: A convenient alternative to all the mayhem.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The lady in the green jacket is fighting.
FEYERICK: Cyber Monday, when retailers are said to offer steep discounts online so you can avoid crushing the crowds.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, hey.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FEYERICK: And so we're showing you a little bit of the mall here. This is why everybody's coming, you can see buy one, get one for $5, some people saying buy three, get three free.
I just wanted to introduce you to Louis and Christine, we saw them about an hour ago. But look what they've got over here. And you guys have been very strategic about what you're purchasing. Is this thing -- are these things you need, things you want or things you just have to have?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Both things I need and have to have and the sales are great. So why not?
FEYERICK: What about Christmas presents, is any of this any Christmas present? Like what did you get for me?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Nothing.
FEYERICK: OK. What did you get for your family then?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We got a couple of shoes and like a couple of clothes and we're still about to shop. We're still trying to pick some stores that have good discounts and go for it.
FEYERICK: Now you thought you'd be out of here like an hour ago. This is not really breaking your way.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, it is not at all. No.
(LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm just here, you know, trying to be with the baby right here, just trying to get us some more clothes so she can enjoy herself in the winter and not be freezing and get sick.
FEYERICK: Exactly. All right. You might as well buy now while the deal were there.
Thank you so much, have a great holiday, you guys, and good luck.
By the way, Carol, I just need to show you this. This is how clever they are. They actually commandeered like a child's wagon. Usually there would be a baby in here but there's nothing. There's just pretty much a lot of different -- right? So. No -- no, there's no baby. Exactly. They're staying there's a baby, we'll go with there's a baby. OK.
Anyway, but, you know, it's interesting because we thought the mall really would be a lot more crowded but if you come over here, you can see it really isn't. I mean, it's 9:00 and it's pretty modest, it's pretty moderate the flow of the crowd. You know, 6:00 it was pretty empty so anyway, people probably come out once they wake up a little bit late because it's a holiday for so many people -- Carol.
COSTELLO: That's because there are so many sane people in New Jersey.
Deborah Feyerick, thanks so much.
(LAUGHTER)
You would expect long lines and short tempers on Black Friday but you don't expect the National Guard, but that's exactly what shoppers saw outside Ferguson, Missouri, last night. In the wake of destructive riots and protests these soldiers were standing guard outside a Wal- Mart in St. Louis, which is just reopening right now.
Protesters march inside a Target store chanting "hands up, don't shoot" and demonstrations like -- demonstrations like this protesting the grand jury decision and the police shooting of Michael Brown are expected nationwide today.
Jason Carroll live in Ferguson to tell us more.
Good morning.
JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And good morning to you, Carol. This Wal-Mart here in Ferguson just reopening in the past few minutes, unusual for that to be happening.
But given the situation out here, you can see -- you can take a look behind me, you can see there's just one police car now in front of this Wal-Mart standing guard last night, a much different story, members of the National Guard coming out to this Wal-Mart in Ferguson, blocking off the front entrance, blocking off the parking lot, telling folks that they could not come in because the Wal-Mart would be closed and not open until the morning. This after protesters and demonstrators showed up at several Wal-Marts
in the area last night, not just at Wal-Mart but also at a Target in Brentwood, that's about 30 minutes or so from where we are in Ferguson. Demonstrators showing up there shouting, "Shut it down for Michael Brown," shouting, "hands up, don't shoot."
Calls for boycotts have been spreading all throughout social media, wanting to have this -- an economic impact on Black Friday, but in terms of what we've been seeing out here so far, none of the Targets that were targeted, none of the Wal-Marts that were targeted were shut down but demonstrators saying they want to make sure that their cause stays alive. They want to have an economic impact as well as a social and political one -- Carol.
COSTELLO: I'm just curious, how many businesses are open along West Florissant today?
CARROLL: Well, that one section that was when we saw so many businesses burned and looted, West Florissant, that particular section still shut down and possibly for several more days and really the story is not just about major businesses here, Carol, businesses such as Wal-Mart and Target but there are a number of small businesses that have already been economically impacted, some small business owners questioning if they'll be able to reopen at all.
COSTELLO: All right, Jason Carroll reporting live from Ferguson this morning.
The Thanksgiving holiday was a somber one for the family of Michael Brown, who sat down to their first holiday dinner without their son. This image showing Michael Brown Sr., his family plus an empty chair for the late son, Michael Brown, going viral on Twitter.
The caption includes a #stolenlife, which is the name of the campaign launched by the group Ferguson Action. The group says it wants to show the impact on families who lose a loved one to police violence.
Police headquarters in Austin, Texas, had to evacuated when a man opened fire on the police station, the Mexican consulate and the federal courthouse. Happened around 2:00 in the morning the gunman was eventually shot and killed by police. But when investigators moved it they discovered the suspect had what looked like some type of improvised explosive device, and that's when the bomb squad was called in.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ASST. CHIEF RAUL MUNGULA, AUSTIN POLICE: At that time they noticed what appeared to be an improvised explosive device in the vehicle so acting prudently, the officers pulled the suspect away, dragged him away across the street to where they could assess, and get a better assessment of the subject.
The officers noticed that the subject was wearing some type of vest and at that point, you know, being the fact that we were dealing with possible improvised explosive devices, they backed away from the suspect.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: No one was hurt in the incident but the bomb squad units are still searching the area to make sure the gunman didn't leave behind any explosives.
Still to come in the NEWSROOM, hundreds of thousands in the dark and cold across the northeast as heavy Thanksgiving Day snow, well, it wipes out power lines.
We'll talk about that next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Checking some top stories for you at 14 minutes past the hour. 81-year-old Ruth Bader Ginsburg back at home after being treated for a blocked heart artery a few days ago. A spokesman says the Supreme Court justice is expected to be back at work on Monday.
In southern Japan, one of the world's largest active volcanoes has erupted in dramatic fashion. Mt. Osso is pumping out magma and a giant plume of ash 3,000 feet high. The last time this volcano erupted was more than 20 years ago.
Here the United States snow and ice caused a massive pile-up on an interstate bridge between Buffalo and Niagara Falls. Police say the highway was shut down for four hours as more than 50 vehicles were towed off a bridge, at least a dozen people were taken to hospitals.
The Thanksgiving Day snowstorm also knocked out power to thousands of customers across New England. Outages were so widespread that crews were called in from Canada to help.
Jennifer Gray is at the CNN center in Atlanta.
Good morning.
JENNIFER GRAY, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Good morning to you, Carol.
Yes, it looks like the Buffalo area just can't catch a break, can they? We are looking at more snow showers pushing into the great lakes areas as we go through the next couple of days but that's really going to be the only hang up in the Northeast.
We do have cold air still in place, high pressure in control across the Southeast, it is sunny across the Rockies, but that's going to change even as we go through the next couple of days. Current temperatures very cold in the northern plains, 13 degrees in Minneapolis, 22 in Chicago, but it will warm up to only 35 degrees in Chicago this afternoon, temperatures cold across the Northeast, 49 in Atlanta, but a nice warm up in store for the south and the northeast, over the next couple of days, New York City will be close to 60 degrees by Monday, Atlanta close to 70 on Monday, however we stay very cold still in the Midwest and the Northern plains. I do want to mention the west, though, because we have some big time
rains coming in to portions of California, and Oregon. We also have winter weather advisories and winter storm watches and warnings in place across places in Montana and we are looking at possibility of quite a bit of rain, 4 to 6 inches across northern California into Oregon. Also seeing snow in some of the higher elevations.
So, Carol, big changes coming across the country over the next couple of days.
COSTELLO: OK. We'll be ready. Jennifer, thanks so much.
Black Friday frenzy is not limited to the United States this year. This was the scene in London where the dash for discounts soon gave way to pushing and shoving. And four hours north in Manchester, at least two people were placed under arrest. One woman was injured by a falling television in separate incidents. Police were also called to seven different department stores around Manchester, England, overnight.
CNN's Jim Boulden joins me now from London.
So, Jim, I don't -- I don't get this. They don't have Thanksgiving in London or in England. Why -- what happened?
JIM BOULDEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Nobody's on a holiday. I know, it's extraordinary, there's no holiday today, no holiday yesterday but it started with Amazon and Apple thinking maybe we should have deep discounts in Friday in the U.K. and see if it catches on. This year all the British retailers decided it was a really good idea. I'm not sure they thought it this morning. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BOULDEN (voice-over): Long cues, rampaging shoppers, all in the search of Black Friday bargains, scenes which until now had been reserved for the United States.
But this American tradition is taking hold in the U.K., as Black Friday becomes a critical day in the British retail calendar. There is one big difference, though. It's not a holiday week in Britain.
NATALIE BERG, GLOBAL RESEARCH DIRECTOR, PLANET RETAIL: Black Friday makes sense in the U.S., it follows a national holiday, Thanksgiving. It happens on a day when most people are off from work and it's a chance to really kickstart the Christmas spending. Whereas here in the U.K., Black Friday is just any other Friday, people are still working, they're not necessarily out in the shops. But it is becoming more and more popular.
BOULDEN: And it's not just purely American brands. It was started here by the likes of Apple and Amazon. Now, retailers like Tesco, John Lewis, Boots, all have Black Friday deals.
And online, it's not just Amazon. E-tailer Shop Direct is bracing for a 50 percent jump in sales on Friday and says it's invested more than $1.5 million to upgrade its computer systems just to handle this Friday.
(on camera): One of the big U.K. retailers pushing out the boat this Black Friday is Asda. It's owned by Walmart and using its Walmart connections to try to offer huge discounts.
(voice-over): Last year, Asda ran short of big screen TVs. Now, they're relying on the parent company to fill the shelves as opposed to local suppliers to sell a lot more 40-inch LEDs for around $200.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All of the TVs that we are selling on Black Friday have been sourced from relationships we've got with Walmart and the branded suppliers or directly from Walmart factories. Today, we'll sell well over 20,000 televisions in Black Friday today.
BOULDEN: This trend now flies in the face of the time-honored British tradition of the January sales.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We need to ensure that we can save them money before Christmas rather than discounting them after Christmas when people already spent their money.
BOULDEN: And it all appears to be working.
BERG: The discounts this year are deeper and more widespread, and also there's a lot more advertising behind the Black Friday event.
BOULDEN: It doesn't hurt that many people in Great Britain people get paid monthly, so this Black Friday also sees the last paycheck before Christmas, an early present for retailers perhaps.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BOULDEN: One difference, Carol, I think is maybe the cheerleaders. I'm not sure you'd have cheerleaders in the target or Walmart of the U.S. of those 20,000 TVs they have ready to sell today. As I said, they sold 8,000 in the first hour. So, I'm afraid they might start running out in a few hours, Carol.
COSTELLO: I send my apologies across the pond, Jim, I do.
BOULDEN: Yes, absolutely.
(LAUGHTER)
BOULDEN: It's one import I didn't want to see here, trust me.
COSTELLO: I understand completely.
Jim Boulden, many thanks. I appreciate it.
Still to come in THE NEWSROOM, a major power shift in North Korea raising questions. Just weeks after Kim Jong-Un resurfaced, it appears his younger sister is taking a bigger role in the family's secretive regime.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COSTELLO: Newly released state TV images show North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un apparently instructing two female pilots during a flight drill and celebrating their performance. Now, it's not clear when or where these pictures were taken. But they come just weeks after Kim Jong-Un resurfaced in North Korea after disappearing from the public eye for more than a month.
And speculation this morning is growing around Kim Jong-Un's younger sister, Kim Yo Jong. She has reportedly moved closer to the center of power in North Korea with a senior government role.
Now, the move raises questions about just how much power the 27-year- old is gaining on the heels of continued questions about her brother's health.
CNN's Brianna Keilar has more for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the secretive hermit kingdom, she may be the only person more mysterious and enigmatic than her older brother. Just weeks after Kim Jong-Un resurfaced from a months-long disappearance, it appears Kim's little sister is taking a leading role in her family's iron-fisted regime.
Overnight in an unexpected twist, North Korea's official news agency began referring to Kim Yo Jong as a vice department director of the country's governing party. Aside from the new title, experts say they knew very little about the move or even about Kim Yo Jong herself.
VICTOR CHA, AUTHOR, "THE IMPOSSIBLE STATE": All we know that is that she's the younger sister, right went to school in Switzerland in her mid-20s, she started showing up publicly from earlier this year at a couple of party functions.
KEILAR: Analysts say Kim Yo Jong is the youngest of seven children that her father Kim Jong-Il had with four different women. While he was still alive, experts say she took on important responsibilities for her father, like inspecting sites before official visits. After her father's death and her brother's selection as supreme leader, she apparently began receiving intelligence briefings and handling government policy.
She is said to enjoy unfettered access to her brother, but the public announcement of her new title will most likely lead to speculation about whether she is gaining power, especially after months of questions related to her brother's health.
After being out of the public eye for several weeks this fall, Kim Jong-Un only recently reappeared in photographs, smiling and walking with a cane. Some reports speculated Kim was in hiding after surgery on his ankle or foot.
Still even if her brother is healthy, this new positions of Kim Yo Jong is significant in a country where power has been handed down through her family for three generations.
CHA: Clearly an effort to slow-track her on to somebody important with the system again because there really aren't many bodies left to carry on this sort of Kim clan rule.
KEILAR: Brianna Keilar, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Still to come in THE NEWSROOM: buried alive. Two small boys trapped under feet of snow, the events leading up to this frantic rescue, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
