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Scouring River for the Missing; Debate Over Mohammed Cartoon Ads; Dam Breached in Texas; Does Feminism Divide Democrats and Republicans?; Preview of the Observatory at One World Trade Center. Aired 9:30-10a ET

Aired May 27, 2015 - 09:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:32:58] CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Something potentially catastrophic happening near Dallas right now. This is a dam. It's southwest of the city of Dallas. And as you can see, the dam has been breached, which means the water is now flowing downstream. Twenty-five homes are located downstream from this dam. Those homes have been evacuated.

Now, of course, this leaking water could further kind of weaken the structure of the entire dam. And as you can see, there's a whole lot of water behind that wall. So we're going to keep our eye on this and keep you posted. Again, this is in Midlothian, which is southwest of Dallas. And they've been trying to rehab this dam for months. So it's currently under construction. But as you can see, might be catastrophic consequences this morning.

The scale is staggering, as you saw, but as CNN's Gary Tuchman shows us, it's the individual stories that are so heartbreaking.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Many people are still missing here in Hays County, Texas, after the Blanco River went over its banks and caused catastrophic flooding. The magnitude of which has never been seen here before.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): Along the banks of the Blanco River in Hays County, Texas, a sad and solemn site. Members of the military searching for people who are missing after last being seen swept into the river. The river flooding catastrophically after huge amounts of rain, and there is still a violent and dangerous current.

WILL CORLEY, HAYS COUNTY COMMISSIONER: Our community has been devastated by a tsunami of water, a historic tsunami of water that came down the Blanco River very quickly in a very powerful way.

TUCHMAN: And in this small county, people have lost their lives and many are missing. Among the missing, a mother and her two children, Laura McComb, her six-year-old son Andrew and four-year-old daughter Leighton. Her husband, the children's father, John, survived, but was seriously hurt and is in the hospital. Joe McComb is John's father. JOE MCCOMB, JOHN MCCOMB'S FATHER: Well, it's difficult for him right

now, obviously. He's heavily sedated in the hospital.

TUCHMAN: John was tossed in the river with his family.

[09:35:02] MCCOMB: We really don't know how long he was in that water being tossed around and slammed up against trees and rocks and things.

TUCHMAN: John's wife actually called her sister when the house was uprooted and started floating on the river.

MCCOMB: From what I understand, and just basically said, the house is floating. I just want to tell y'all I love you. I don't know what's going to happen, but I just wanted you to know I love you and I'm with my kids and my husband and then that was the last of the phone call.

TUCHMAN: So far, no signs at all of the mother and children.

About 70 homes have been destroyed in this county. Some 1,400 houses damaged. This home, owned by a woman who says that in 40 years of coming here, she has never even had minor flooding.

TUCHMAN (on camera): Could you ever have imagined this much destruction from this river?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No. But I respect it now, I'll tell you that.

TUCHMAN: The fury of these waters tossed vehicles like they were toys. This was a Volkswagen Jetta.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): Police and emergency officials say they are still hoping for miracles. They still consider this a search and rescue mission.

TUCHMAN (on camera): The Blanco River is still well above flood stage, which is a great concern because the extended forecast is a lot more rain. In addition, the concern is the current. This is normally a very placid river and I just want to give you an idea to illustrate to you how strong this current is. I'm just going to go up to my shins. But once I get close to this tree, I have to hold on to it to avoid tumbling. You can you imagine if someone's any smaller than I am. That's the west. This is the east. The searchers are behind me right now looking for the missing. It was 89 years ago that they had their record flood stage here. This past weekend, they broke that by a lot.

This is Gary Tuckman, CNN, in Hays County, Texas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Still to come in the NEWSROOM, could a controversial ad featuring the Prophet Mohammed soon end up on buses in the nation's capital? We'll talk about that next.

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[09:40:49] COSTELLO: The woman behind a Texas cartoon contest that featured the Prophet Mohammed and lead to that deadly shooting in Texas has now turned her attention to Washington, D.C. Pamela Geller announcing she has submitted that winning cartoon from her contest to be displayed on buses and train stations in Washington. No official decision yet on whether it will be shown, but in a fiery exchange on Fox News, Geller addressed critics who say her fight is not about free speech but about hatred.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAMELA GELLER, AMERICAN FREEDOM DEFENSE INITIATIVE: The political, cultural and academic elite are censoring this cartoon, and we're running this cartoon, the winning cartoon, in our Mohammed art exhibit by a former Muslim, Bosch Fawstin, to show the American people what is being kept from them.

JUAN WILLIAMS, POLITICAL ANALYST, FOX NEWS: Well, nobody is saying that you can't see this ad or cartoon or anything if you want to see it, Sean. I think Ms. Geller is doing it intentionally to provoke a controversy.

GELLER: And it is fierce bullies like Juan Williams who want to impose the sharia. This is the sharia, Juan. Where are you going to stop? Are you going to stop drinking beer? Are you going to stop girls from wearing short skirts? It's not to be provocative. I did not make the cartoons a flash point. The jihadis made the cartoons a flash point. And if we give it -- give up on this point, what is next?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: With me now, Rabbi Pesner. He's the director of religious action -- the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism.

Welcome, sir.

RABBI JONAH PESNER, DIR., RELIGIOUS ACTION CENTER FOR REFORM JUDAISM: Hi, Carol. How are you this morning?

COSTELLO: I'm good. Thanks for being here, rabbi. I appreciate it.

So, Geller's winning entry depicts a sword-wheeling Mohammed wearing a turban as he growls, "you can't draw me." And then there's another thought bubble by the hand that's drawing him that says, "that's why I draw you." So let me play devil's advocate. That's much more tame than what appeared on "Charlie Hebdo," right? So why shouldn't it be on buses?

PESNER: Right. Well, look, I think Juan Williams got it right for Fox News, that this is about provocation, it's about fear mongering, it's about spewing hate. And, frankly, we, the Jews, who were the children of the Holocaust and know something about what happens when bigotry and prejudice is allowed to fester know that we have to speak out. And Geller's right, it's not about the First Amendment or free speech. She is welcome to have these hateful, bigoted views. But, Carol, we are obligated, as people of faith and as leaders, to condemn those bigoted views, to call out prejudice when we see it and call for civil, thoughtful dialogue that does not cast aspersion on an entire people and an entire religious tradition.

COSTELLO: The Transit Authority in Washington, D.C., is reviewing Geller's request. What do you think the decision will be?

PESNER: Well, you know, I can't read their minds, and you can probably see in the background, here I am in the Religious Action Center in the center of Washington, D.C., in Dupont Circle. There are buses going by in the background. Whatever they decide, American society and the First Amendment are strong enough to withstand hateful rhetoric and hateful speech. I would just call upon all people of goodwill, Christians and Muslims and Jews and other faith traditions, to come together around civil discourse about what brings us together. By the way, in Omaha, Nebraska, I'm aware of a reformed synagogue that has joined together with a mosque and with a church together to build one building to inhibit it together and really be a light of justice and tolerance to all people. So I know -- I know what's possible in American society.

COSTELLO: Wow, that's impressive.

PESNER: Isn't it?

COSTELLO: So -- so let me -- let me pose this question to you, though, rabbi. So Geller's group posted an image on buses last year in Washington, D.C., that read, "Islamic Jew-hatred: It's in the Quran." So this was on buses. And maybe it's on buses today, I don't know. But in 2014, it was all over the place. Do you think people really noticed this? I mean people with hate already in their heart might notice it, but other people probably just go, well, whatever?

[09:44:41] PESNER: You know, Carol, I'm really glad you point that out. I think most Americans have bigger problems that we're up against. Economic disparities, the struggle for the middle class and working families. People are trying to get to work and they're trying to live their lives. It's on us and the faith community to rise, and the more important issues of the day.

[09:45:03] How we're going to deal with civil rights and economic justice and working families across the United States, and not get sidetracked honestly by what is a sideshow. And let's call this out for bigotry and prejudice, for what it is. Let's get Muslims and Christians and Jews and all people working together to make America a better country. That's our job, Carol.

COSTELLO: Rabbi Jonah Pesner, thank you so much for your insight this morning. I appreciate it.

PESNER: Thank you, Carol.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, Carly Fiorina shows up today in South Carolina to stomp -- to actually stomp on Hillary Clinton's campaign parade. But how will these women from opposite sides of the aisle fit into today's feminist movement? We'll talk about that next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COSTELLO: All right, I want to take you out to Midlothian, Texas, once again. This is a small city southwest of Dallas. You can see, this is a dam, and as you can see it's clearly been breached. Water is pouring over the sides and into neighborhoods right now. We understand 25 homes have already been evacuated. We're keeping a close eye on this because the situation could turn quite catastrophic, because that leaking water could cause more breaches in that dam or a total break down. As I said, we'll continue to take you back to Midlothian throughout the next hour and a half here on CNN.

In the world of politics this morning, two very different women will hit South Carolina today to convince voters they would make a fantastic president.

[09:50:04] Carly Fiorina will try to that show up Hillary Clinton by taking questions at a press conference that will take place right outside of a hotel where Hillary Clinton is hosting a campaign roundtable. It's an attempt to illustrate what Fiorina's camp calls Clinton's, quote, "lack of transparency".

Of course, as you know, Clinton is a Democrat and Fiorina, a Republican. And that means you might already have an impression of what these women think about feminism. Maybe you think Fiorina is maybe Taylor Swift and Clinton may be more Beyonce. But the truth is conservative women rarely come to mind when we think about feminist leaders.

I talked with a former media strategist for the RNC who wants today's feminist movement to represent Republicans as much as it represents Democrats. Her name is Mindy Finn. She launched the nonprofit Empowered Women to do just that.

(BEGIN VIDETAPE)

MINDY FINN, FOUNDER, EMPOWERED WOMEN: Just because some people are not necessarily aligning with the feminist label doesn't mean that they're not advocates for women's equality and success.

COSTELLO: What is it they don't like about that feminist label?

FINN: In our research, there was a breakdown in terms of the feminist label across party lines. Democratic women felt much more favorably towards it. Independent women were actually quite split. Republican women felt most alienated or turned off from that term.

So I think part of it is that feminism unfortunately has been entangled with being a Democrat or being a liberal. And it doesn't necessarily have to be that. We are open to all comers. What we found is that we really appeal to women who actually aren't quite sure if today's feminism is in line with their values.

COSTELLO: So you attract center right women, is that fair?

FINN: Yeah, I think we're really a home for center right women. I mean, I don't think we have to exclusively be there. Women's organizations that came out of feminist movement of the '60s and '70s was kind of a narrow conversation. Women's power meant political power might have been limited to talking about reproductive rights, for example. Or even some of the women who are most featured as kind of the role models for women tend to be Democratic women. I think that's changing. I know it's changing.

COSTELLO: What's the biggest misconception that liberal women have about conservative women?

FINN: A lot of liberal women assume conservative women have been brainwashed to be conservative. That it's because their fathers are that way or because of where they grew up. And that's just not my experience. That's not my personal experience and the experience of my peers. We come to our beliefs from a thoughtful, intelligent perspective.

COSTELLO: What do you think the biggest misconception that conservative women have about liberal women?

FINN: That they just want the government to take care of them. That they really perpetuate the nanny state because they're looking for help in all areas of life.

COSTELLO: Well, when you look at the Republican field right now, and it's 16 people and counting, right? One woman and not many people think she has much of a chance to actually be a force in running for president. So is that something that concerns you?

FINN: That does concern me. You know, it's really quite unfortunate. There are a lot of strong women -- some people may say they're on the bench -- who are governors, Republican governors across the country. I'm hopeful that in the future they will be presidential candidates because I would love to see a woman president.

COSTELLO: So, ultimately, what do you want to achieve by your new venture?

FINN: That they can have more of a voice in whatever sphere that they operate, whether it's in politics, whether it's in business, in their communities or even their home.

COSTELLO: Is feminism outdated?

FINN: The concept isn't outdated. We're in a different place. Women have many, many more choices in front of them. We're no longer fighting for some of the same things that some of the initial feminist waves were fighting for.

COSTELLO: So is that word "feminism" sort of deepening the chasm between conservative women and liberal women?

FINN: Data shows it may be, just because the nature of it being tangled up with considering yourself a Democrat. We need to get kind of past a lot of the judgment and the labels if we're going to move forward, and I hope that we can get to a place where we can do that.

(END VIDEOTAPE) COSTELLO: Love to know what you think. Do you think the word "feminism" divides liberal and conservative women? Tweet me @carolCNN or you can go to Facebook page, facebook.com/carolCNN. I would love to hear what you think.

[09:54:36]

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COSTELLO: Ever wonder what it feels like to be on top of the world? Well, now you can experience. Nearly 14 years after 9/11, the observatory at One World Trade Center opens to the public on Friday. But today, thousands of workers who helped build the nation's tallest skyscraper will get an early look from a whopping 102 stories up. That is, if the clouds allow it.

Chad Myers is there. And, Chad, I'm so jealous.

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: The clouds have burned away, Carol. We didn't have much of a view earlier but we do now.

COSTELLO: Awesome. Show us.

MYERS: You know what, it truly is. It's a reverent place. You think about what was here. The last time I was this high was on top of the World Trade Center July 5th, 1986. An outdoor observatory on top of that building. This size, we're inside here.

But three stories, three levels. So much more space for people to really enjoy the space, enjoy what happened here, how this is the rebirth of phoenix, the "we will never quit" attitude of the USA.

It's an amazing place with all of the adults in here today. I can imagine when there are screaming kids it won't be quite as reverent. But when you walk in, the hair stands up on your arms. And it's doing it to me right now. You walk in and you see the marble, the exist -- the same marble that came from the same quarry that built the original towers. And then you see kind of a shadowbox of what those skinny windows used to look like as you walk in here, and it truly makes you feel like you're in the same building for a while. But then all of a sudden you realize where you're standing.

COSTELLO: Well, so in the end, it gets kind of bittersweet. But let's focus on the happy, cool things this morning, shall we?

MYERS: Well, of course it is. Sure.

COSTELLO: Of course it is. It takes 47 seconds to go up 102 stories. Does that mean your ears don't pop? Or do they have one massive popping thing?

[10:00:02] MYERS: Oh they do pop.

COSTELLO: They do pop.

MYERS: It feels like you're coming up from about a 60-foot dive, so you get up to water and you're swallowing, swallowing, swallowing all the way up here. Absolutely.

But in that elevator, there is a video screen, actually three of them, and you see New York City being built from the 1500s from the Indians were here to all the way up and into the 1600s, 1700s, and now where we are today. It's a great video. It's 47 seconds. It's worth the $32 to get in just to watch that. Beautiful exhibit.

COSTELLO: Well, thank you for sharing, Chad. I appreciate it.

The next hour of CNN NEWSROOM starts now.

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