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Weather Affecting Travel; Man Dressed as Santa Wanted for Murder
Aired December 25, 2008 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ALINA CHO, CNN, CORRESPONDENT: A harrowing holiday. In Chicago, a passenger jet flies off the runway. And across the country, holiday travel hits the skids.
On duty, in uniform and very far from home. Celebrating Christmas in the war zone.
And good things come to those who wait. On tables, that is. A caring customer leaves one heck of a tip. The spirit of the season comes with lots of zeros. Good morning, everybody. And Merry Christmas! So glad you're with us. I'm Alina Cho. Heidi Collins has the morning off. It's Thursday, December 25th and you are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Well, all the snow and ice has been especially hard for travelers in Chicago. One runway at O'Hare Airport was shut down for a while last night after a plane taxiing for takeoff hit a patch of ice. Everyone on board is OK but dozens of others at O'Hare are still stranded.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If we can't get a flight, then most likely we're heading back to New Jersey. And that would just would suck considering it's been cold and we've had a long, long, long day.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I really don't want to spend my Christmas here! We're supposed to be on the beach tomorrow.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And not at O'Hare Airport.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, definitely not.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: Let's hope that these people get to their destination by the end of the day. It is Christmas, after all. For some of those people last night was their second night stuck at the Chicago Airport.
And some scary moments for some passengers heading from Seattle to Burbank, California. More than two dozen people sought medical treatment after deicing fumes entered the cabin of an Alaska Airlines jet. Passengers were treated for eye irritation, but nothing more serious. The passengers did choose to continue on aboard another plane. Misery coast to coast. Severe weather blankets much of the country. New winter storm warnings and advisories are now posted in the west. In the east, snow or rain covers much of the region.
Watching it all for us, CNN's Chad Myers in the weather center this holiday with the forecast. Hey, Chad. Good morning. Hey, I want to thank you for my Christmas gift, by the way.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Sorry. I came in this morning and I just thought of that. It kind of went, that's OK.
CHO: Can I have the box?
MYERS: I have to be here. It's my job. But you volunteered to come to the mother ship and help us out. So, Merry Christmas.
CHO: Always happy to help.
MYERS: I have the box for you, too. Box is worth more. Anyway.
CHO: it is a mess out there, isn't?
MYERS: It is a mess! Let me show you Salt Lake City. OK. Salt Lake City right now, 34. But literally the snow level only about 200 feet above the city. You can see the Wasatch range there, (inaudible) valley and all that out there. Snowing there for sure. There could be 16 inches of new snow around the Eden area. That's just going to be fantastic for people leaving the city there, moving to the east and heading out to get a little snow, get a little ski action today, or maybe tomorrow. It depends on what you have to do with your family.
But all the way from Seattle and the Cascades, right on down through the spine of the Sierra, one to two feet of snow there. And then we'll move you a little farther to the east, because Salt Lake City, to the benches and everyone east - most of the ski resorts in Salt Lake City are east of Salt Lake City and they're not really in the town because Salt Lake City is a nice, flat place. That's why they put it there. But all the way back down south into these benches here, into the higher elevations of the Wasatch. That's where the snow is going to be.
The snow is not quite getting to you in Summit County, Colorado yet. But then it does get there tomorrow. Just not quite today. Or late, late tonight. But then, look at all the snow down toward (inaudible), Durango, you guys are really going to get hit hard. That's great news if you're already there. Bad news if you're trying to get there.
Now, it surprised me when I looked at flight explorer today, there are already 2,700 planes in the sky and over a couple though have already landed. So we're still moving people around today. And I think that's a function that a lot of planes didn't get off the ground Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday. So we're making up for it now.
And plus, it is always a little bit cheaper to fly on the holiday because people want to get there the day before the holiday. And so here you go.
CHO: That' generally quiet, Chad. I mean on a holiday, flying you know, say Thanksgiving or Christmas. But you know, you're right, the backup there is what's causing all of that.
MYERS: You know, I have flown on the holidays and all I want to do and you should do it, too, if you're flying -- is just say thank you for working. Because those TSA guys and all the baggage handles are working on their holiday, too.
CHO: Yes, hey are. And Merry Christmas to them, and Merry Christmas to you.
MYERS: Merry Christmas to you.
CHO: Chad, I'll talk to you later. Thanks.
MYERS: Too sweet.
CHO: Manhunt is under way in Covina, California. You have to listen to this story. A man in a Santa suit commits a crime. Police say three people are dead in a house in ashes after a man dressed as Santa barged into a holiday party just before midnight. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LT. PAT BUCHANAN, COVINA, CALIFORNIA POLICE: As officers were arriving in this neighborhood, they heard additional gunshots coming from the residence, and also observed that the residence was engulfed in flames. There were numerous people that were exiting the residence and meeting with the officers as the officers were approaching the house and they were told that a person had come to the house dressed in a Santa Claus outfit and upon entering the house, had opened fire.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: Imagine that. Police in Covina say they are looking for this man, Bruce Jeffrey Pardo. And they warned he may be armed. Police say three other people in the house were wounded in the shooting. One was an eight-year-old girl.
An update this morning on that series of shootings in the Dallas area roads. Two people were killed in four separate shootings. Now police say that the main suspect has died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Brian Smith was a former state trooper in Utah and a married father of two. He lost his job with the highway patrol after going on a drinking binge and threatening suicide. Police say six hours after the shooting spree he turned a gun on himself as they closed in to arrest him.
President Bush is spending Christmas at Camp David with his family where they will feast on a traditional holiday meal. Also a tradition, the President spent part of Christmas eve calling members of the Armed Forces around the world. The White House says he thanked them for their - quoting here - "continued sacrifices that they are making in serving our country overseas and away from family."
President-elect Barack Obama is vacationing in Hawaii with his family. Yesterday he visited a marine base and the media was there, too. Lots of people taking pictures as well. He also released a message thanking members of the military and their families for their sacrifice.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESIDENT-ELECT: Many troops are serving their second, third, or even fourth tour of duty. And we are reminded that they are more than dedicated soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and coast guard. They are devoted fathers and mothers, husbands and wives, sons and daughters, sisters and brothers. This holiday season, their families celebrate with the joy that's muted knowing that a loved one is absent and sometimes in danger. In towns and cities across America, there is an empty seat at the dinner table. In distant bases and on ships at sea our servicemen and women can only wonder at the look on their child's faces as they open up a gift back home.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan are no doubt missing their families back home. But they still observe the holiday. In Afghanistan, American soldiers at Bagram Airfield celebrated Christmas with a holiday dinner, then it was back to work, routine patrols. CNN's Jill Dougherty has more on Christmas in Iraq.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN FOREIGN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: We're talking with Sergeant Demetrius Jackson, he's the manager of this dfac, dining facility here. Tell me, this is a big production.
SGT. DEMETRIUS JACKSON, MANAGER DINING FACILITY: Yes, ma'am.
DOUGHERTY: How many meals are you going to make?
JACKSON: We'll probably serve about 3,500 soldiers today.
DOUGHERTY: Really. 3500. And how long does it take to prepare for all of this?
JACKSON: Well, including the decoration - decorations can take months. But usually the preparation of the decorations, the meal itself all together, we start about early to late November and it goes on with the painting, then the meal is prepared of course the night before, you know, as early as 05:00 in the morning.
DOUGHERTY: And how many staff do you have working on cooking?
JACKSON: We have 150 workers DCC workers along with 18 - right now we have 18 food service personnel that are military, including myself. Another assistant of mine and then we have another 16.
DOUGHERTY: Boy, it really is a big operation. You have to order in special food or is this kind of -
JACKSON: Yes. This is - this food is out of Kuwait. It's shipped and like I said, we order it, and then we get pieces of it come in and we go to the inventory, make sure we're getting all those special items, especially like the turkey, fresh turkey, things of that nature.
DOUGHERTY: Fresh turkey.
JACKSON: Fresh turkey like mama would make it.
DOUGHERTY: You can see the line is getting pretty long here in back of me. They're all waiting in line to get this Christmas dinner complete with turkey. And it is not only the people who eat here in the dining facility that get dinner. They're actually going to pack it up and deliver it to some of the soldiers that are at forward operating bases outside.
This is a real Christmas dinner. They have down here prime rib, roasted turkey, smoked turkey, baked ham, fried chicken, cornbread, and they even have crab legs. And believe it or not, this is actually ice in a rock. One of the chefs is able to sculpt all of this. But i think it is already melting. Listen to this. That's Christmas carols.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: Little Christmas cheer for the troops in Iraq. That's great stuff.
A security scare at St. Peter's Basilica. It came as Pope Benedict XVI was leaving after midnight mass.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
CHO: Talk about a rocking Christmas. Take a look at this home in Callahan, Florida. I-reporter Tim Lizotte tells us it has 60,000 lights driven by 352 computer-controlled channels, and it is all synchronized with some rocking Christmas favorites like "God rest ye merry gentlemen." Good stuff. And remember to send in your pictures to i-report.com and we will share them with you.
It's Christmas around the world. How is it being observed? Well, in Lima, Peru, for example, a living nativity scene with a twist. This baby Jesus is seen kept company by indigenous animals like a south American rodent called a pacarena and a parrot. And here's some last-minute trimming on Moscow's main Christmas tree. They worked on it through Christmas eve hoping to draw festive crowds to the heart of the Kremlin Cathedral Square.
And in Bethlehem, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas joined churchgoers Wednesday for a midnight Catholic mass. It was held at the church of the nativity in Bethlehem. Believed to be the birthplace of Jesus.
A Christmas scare. Pope Benedict XVI began Christmas with a midnight mass at St. Peter's Basilica. Then a bystander jumped the barrier as he headed down the aisle. She was quickly tackled by security. The Vatican had no word on her identity.
In Great Britain, a Christmas observance for the royal family. Queen Elizabeth II attended the morning service at the St. Mary Magdalene Church in Norfolk. She was joined by the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Charles, her son, the duchess of Cornwall and her grandsons, Princes William and Harry.
Two very different Christmas messages for the British to choose from today. The traditional broadcast by the queen and something else entirely from the president of Iran. It is a controversial decision by Channel 4 as ITN's Nicholas Glass reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICHOLAS GLASS, ITN CORRESPONDENT: Although she's never exactly been a television natural, at 82 she's very well practiced. This year's Christmas message produced by the BBC is her 51st. She did it standing.
QUEEN ELIZABETH, UNITED KINGDOM: Christmas is a time for celebration, but this year it is a more somber occasion for many. Some of those things which could once have been taken for granted suddenly seem less certain and naturally give rise to feelings of insecurity. People are touched by events which have their roots far across the world, whether it is the global economy or violence in a distant land, the effects can be keenly felt at home.
GLASS: He's 30 years younger and has never done one before. He chose to sit. His Christmas message also refers to the credit crunch, though it is mostly about the profits and by implication America. The film was made by channel 4.
PRES. MAHMOUD ADMADINEJAD, IRAN: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE) ... the people in the oppositions to bullying, ill-tempered and expansionist powers. If Christ was on earth today undoubtedly he would hoist the banner of justice and love for humanity to oppose warmongers, occupiers, terrorists and bullies the world over.
GLASS: President Ahmadinejad will be seen as a provocative choice. He has in the past called for the dissolution of Israel and referred to the holocaust as a myth. In his seven-minute message he's relatively measured, conciliatory, uncontroversial, dull even.
Douglas Murray is a supporter of the state of Israel. He runs an institute that investigates Islamic radicalism.
DOUGLAS MURRAY: It is astonishing channel 4 would give a man a Christmas message to a man who is actively at the moment lead a government which persecutes Christians within Iran even if you weren't bothered about his desire to wipe out the nation state of Israel.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ultimately isn't it just attention grabbing and being deliberately provocative?
DOROTHY BYRNE, CHANNEL 4 NEWS & CURRENT AFFAIRS: I think it is genuinely important for British viewers to hear directly from the President of Iran. We put the message into a context where they can understand themselves what to make of the message, but Obama's decisions and relationships with Iran are going to be of great importance to us all in the next year, and that was the key reason why we approached President Ahmadinejad.
GLASS: The Queen's message will be broadcast at 3:00 p.m. tomorrow afternoon on the BBC Night TV. Channel 4's alternative usually goes out at the same time. On this occasion, it is going out later at 7:15 in the evening, up against strictly come dancing and coronation street.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: Well call it a virtual house call. E-doctoring at a Walmart. New technology brings the doctor straight to you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: In your daily dose this morning, lots of talk about using technology to bring down the cost of health care. CNN's senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen recently visited a program in Houston that may be part of the solution. We are talking about e- doctoring as you like to call it.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Right.
CHO: At Wal-mart, what's this about?
COHEN: Right. At Wal-mart there is this clinic where you walk in. There is no doctor but there is a doctor who is up on a video screen. And I didn't just see that, I actually participated. They sort of gave me a little physical. I have to say it was sort of freaky, but I guess I should get used to it because it may be the wave of the future.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. OK. So what are you here for?
COHEN (voice-over): Ashley Hall woke up sick this morning, so she went to see the doctor, but the doctor's not here, he's here, miles away from Ashley.
DR. (BOLTINGHOUSE): Hi. I'm Dr. (Boltinghouse). Can you hear me, OK?
COHEN: And he's being beamed into Ashley's examining room in the middle of a Wal-mart.
DR. (BOLTINGHOUSE): Let's take a look at Ashley's ears and throat. COHEN: Welcome to modern medicine. It's cheap, it's quick, and some would say it's kind of impersonal. Ashley didn't have to wait even a minute.
DR. GLENN HAMMACK, NUPHYSICS: We think it's going to have an important impact on how health care is delivered in this country..
COHEN: Here is how it works. Joe (Caranza), a paramedic acts as the doctor's hand.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When Joe gets the tongue depressor in place, say ah for us.
COHEN: The images of Ashley's throat are sent to Dr. Oscar (Boltinghouse) who is across town in a high-tech studio.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, it was pretty red.
COHEN: Total cost of the visit, $59, which is much less than a traditional office visit. But is it good medicine? Call me old- fashioned, but I want my doctor to be touching me and seeing me and talking to me face to face not someone on a monitor.
HAMMACK: Well, you know at one time, people thought we would always want to talk to a banker when we did our financial exchanges. And that ATMs would never catch on.
COHEN: Well, OK, since this may be the way medicine is heading. I decided to try it out.
COHEN: Where's the doctor? Oh, there he is.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hi, good morning.
COHEN: Good morning.
A telemedicine doctor gave me a physical.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ah, stuck you tongue way out for me please.
Very good.
Listen to her lungs.
Excellent.
COHEN: It's a little weird. You're not right here.
The American Medical Association has standards for how to do telemedicine right, but no matter how it's done, it's a far cry from Norman Rockwell's illustration of the good old days of doctoring.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COHEN: Now most of the people who show up at this Walmart video clinic, they are coming for upper respiratory problems, coughs, colds, sore throats and lot of kids come to get their school physicals.
CHO: So people seem to like it but they come with a very specific and in most cases small problem. These aren't major things that these doctors are trying to solve.
COHEN: Right. Exactly. For example, they're not coming to someone - someone who has diabetes is not coming there to have their diabetes taken care of. You know you're coming in for a little rash on your leg or a sore throat, something like that.
CHO: Well, it's a great idea. I mean and people seem to be responding well to it. Right?
COHEN: They do. We talked to Ashley for example, who was in our piece. She was very happy. I mean, she woke up with a sore throat, she went in, she had strep, she got antibiotics. She's going to be better now. But again a very simple problem.
CHO: And is it covered by insurance?
COHEN: It is not covered by insurance so she had to pay that $60 out of her pocket. Now, she can try to get her insurance to pay her back but I don't know good luck with that.
CHO: Well, at least it is not an enormous cost.
COHEN: Right. Exactly. It is $60. And she did it for the convenience. Like she could have gone to her own doctor and paid the co-pay but it was just easier to waltz right in.
CHO: Well, that's great. Great idea. Great report. Elizabeth, you are a mother of four so I want you to stick around for this report. Because for many people, starting a family is one of life's biggest blessings but sometimes having a baby the old-fashioned way well it's not just possible. Herbal remedies, acupuncture and in- vitro fertilization are some of the treatments some women are trying to have a baby later in life.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MEREDITH KOLK, MOTHER OVER 40: Pictures of healthy children.
CHO: A treasure map to a baby? That's just one of the many things that Meredith Kolk tried. At 40, she longed for another child, but knew the odds were against her.
KOLK: You hear about so many of the statistics, that fertility really goes down at 40.
CHO: Did that freak you out?
KOLK: It did. It was very scary.
CHO: So Meredith turned to in vitro fertilization, hoping to increase her odds. She also used alternative approaches, meditation, acupuncture, changes in her diet and that treasure map that kept her focused on her goal. There are those people who think, this is - a little nuts. A little crazy.
KOLK: They might, but the process itself makes you feel a little crazy.
CHO: What Meredith is going through is increasingly common. As more women, 40 and older, try to get pregnant.
DR. ALICE DOMAR, EXEC. DIR., CENTER FOR MIND BODY HEALTH: When I first got into the field, women over 40 weren't even encouraged to have treatment because they weren't going to get pregnant.
CHO: Dr. Alice Domar says times have changed. She runs the mind-body center in Boston that specializes in women struggling to get pregnant. Her research shows a medical link between stress and infertility.
DOMAR: If you can teach women stress management and relaxation techniques, their pregnancy rates on average double.
CHO: On this day, 39-year-old Sarah Weatherhead undergoes acupuncture. She believes being more relaxed could help her chances of getting pregnant, she's had IVF three times without success. And is waiting to hear whether the fourth time worked.
SARAH WEATHERHEAD, TRYING TO GET PREGNANT: I attempt to be very positive about it, but it's difficult, especially when I've had so many failed cycles.
CHO: Sarah is playing the ultimate game of beat the clock. In fact one study shows 33 percent of women are infertile by age 40. Increasing to 87 percent by age 45. Doctors say the best hope for older women is donor eggs.
DR. JANE RUMAN, INFERTILITY SPECIALIST: A lot of women initially are very reluctant to go down the route of donor eggs. Because they'll lose that genetic connection. The fastest way to get a child into your home is usually with donor eggs.
CHO: So successful, a few weeks ago, a 70-year-old woman in India gave birth. While no age limits are enforced in the U.S., most fertility centers maintain a cutoff between 50 and 55. What do you think you could offer now that maybe you couldn't have offered as a 25-year-old mother?
WEATHERHEAD: I think I'm smarter, I like myself better.
CHO: Sarah is still hoping. And Meredith? At age 41, her family has just increased by two. When you were making that manifestation board, is this exactly what you pictured?
KOLK: If there was one baby in the original thought. But we were lucky enough to have had two. But yes, this is.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: And CNN is just now confirming that Nobel Prize winning playwright Harold Pinter has died. The confirmation comes from his widow. The Englishman wrote 29 plays and directed almost as many stage productions. His style led to the coining of the adjective "Pinteresque" which means having an air of menace. Pinter won the Nobel Prize in 2005 and a huge array of other prestigious awards throughout his career. Harold Pinter was 78 years old. We're back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: 31 minutes after the hour on this Christmas day. Merry Christmas. So glad you're with us.
Travel frustrations for many on this Christmas day. And much of it due to snow and ice. In Chicago, this American Airlines plane ended up in the grass last night after hitting an icy patch. It was taxiing for takeoff. Everyone on board was OK.
And also some scary moments for some passengers aboard an Alaska Airlines jet. This happened at Sea-Tac airport. Twenty-five people had to be treated for irritated eyes. Deicing fumes apparently entered the plane's cabin. At least they finally made it their destination though.
Well the same cannot be said for dozens of others. They spent their second night stuck in Chicago at O'Hare airport. Our update now from reporter Michelle Gallardo, affiliate WLS.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MICHELLE GALLARDO, WLS REPORTER: Well you know, O'Hare has had a lot of excitement this week, and certainly not the good kind. First we had hundreds of flights that were canceled earlier in the week due to some pretty bad weather. Then yesterday, there were incidents with two American Airlines flights. First, one of them skidded off the runway, apparently when it hit a patch of ice. Another one had to make an emergency landing when it ran into some engine trouble shortly after takeoff.
Now, fortunately, nobody was injured in any of those cases. But it really just added to the stress and to the number of stranded people already here at O'Hare Tuesday night. Some 500 people had to spent the night. Then yesterday night, 75 people slept on cots here at O'Hare. Really not the way any of these passengers were hoping to bring in Christmas day.
But you know, this morning, the weather looks good. And even though it is unusually crowded for a Christmas morning at O'Hare, no doubt, a lot of people still trying to get out from canceled flights earlier in the week, it does look good. And hopefully most of these people will be able to reach their destinations and salvage at least part of their holiday.
For CNN, I'm Michelle Gallardo. Back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: All right. So there is a little bit of a silver lining.
So what's in store for your area? CNN's Chad Myers in the weather center this holiday.
Merry Christmas, Chad.
Hey, I got to milk this for all it's worth. I want to thank you for my Christmas gift, drawing the short straw today. But you know, all is not lost. My parents flew up from Florida. They're spending Christmas with me here in Atlanta.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I -- they were here yesterday.
CHO: I know.
(CROSSTALK)
MYERS: It was certainly nice to see them.
CHO: They're big fans.
MYERS: And the weather team is enjoying your Christmas gift, too.
CHO: Good, good, good. It is yummy.
MYERS: It is.
CHO: All right. So what's up?
MYERS: Hey, 3,000 planes in the sky right now. That's a pretty good number for this time of day. So maybe we are just trying to get some things cleared up today. I know you probably wanted to be there yesterday, but whatever.
The planes are in the sky. Things are going well. The only real delay I have is San Francisco, 25 minutes because of a little bit of Marine layer (ph). All of the Midwest and East Coast airports are clean, they are open, the snow is removed, the airports and the planes are leaving on time and they are arriving on time as well.
The big story will be how much snow falls here in the West, from Salt Lake City all the way to the Benches, right on down through the Cascades and the Sierra. This is going to be a big-time event. One to two feet of snow everywhere. If you have plans to get someplace, you might want to make them quicker, or else put them off, because this storm is going to last for 48 solid hours and put down snow all the way across Salt Lake City, especially east with the ski resorts there -- the best powder on earth right there -- all the way through the Sierra.
You see two feet of snow along the Spine, even into the Southern Sierra. And then not quite getting a lot into Summit County (INAUDIBLE) snow mass, but you're going to get some, it's just going to be later in the period, going to be tomorrow night. And then finally some of this snow will get into the plains. You see all that snow around Telluride and Preston View. Look at all that. It's one to two feet of snow coming down there.
You just have to get through there. You have to get there and then just park yourself on the mountain.
Every square that you see that's red there is a winter storm warning. I haven't seen counties and states covered in winter storm warnings like this in a very long time. So it is going to be out there for today and for tomorrow.
Tomorrow there is some rain that will develop across parts of the Great Lakes, the Midwest, a slight area, small area, tiny area here of some wintry mix, then some light snow to the north. But for the most part, any travel -- really -- any travel through the East Coast areas here for the next couple days and getting home should be pretty easy. That may not be so easily said there in the West with all that snow coming down.
CHO: And to think, Chad, officially we're only just a couple of days into winter. It is incredible.
MYERS: Yes, but not meteorologically. On the calendar, yes. But for meteorologists, winter starts --
CHO: It's been cold for a while.
MYERS: -- the first week in December, but it ends two weeks early in March. Because the coldest part of the year is usually centered right around January 20th. So you take a month from one way, and a month and a half the other way, and that's meteorological winter, not what's on the calendar.
CHO: Duly noted.
Chad, thank you.
MYERS: You got it.
CHO: Transition to power. Since the presidential election, Barack Obama has assembled his inner core of advisers and experts. You've heard about them. And among them is Dennis Blair, the man expected to lead the nation's intelligence community. So who is he? And what does he face? CNN's Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr, joins us with some answers on this.
Hey, Barbara. Merry Christmas to you. Listen, Dennis Blair, not a household name, but he certainly has a long resume, doesn't he?
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Alina. You know, even on the holiday, here in Washington a lot of folks are watching for those final touches being put on the new administration.
As you say, the man expected to be named as the director of national intelligence is very well known in national security circles.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) STARR (voice-over): He's the retired four-star head of the U.S. Pacific Command. He knows China and North Korea. He's run counterterrorism operations in the Philippines. But how will Admiral Dennis Blair face the challenges of Washington, D.C.?
MICHAEL O'HANLON, SENIOR FELLOW, BROOKINGS INSTITUTION: If Admiral Blair becomes the director of national intelligence, he will be assuming a job that many of us still question in terms of the basic logic behind the position.
STARR: The relatively new DNI job oversees an empire of 16 intelligence agencies and the nearly $50 billion a year they spend on everything from satellites to spies.
Blair himself knows it's going to be a tough job.
ADM. DENNIS BLAIR (RET.), FMR. CMDR., U.S. PACIFIC COMMAND: .. The most vital national security missions of the future can only be done by integrated, agile, collaborative, inner-agency teams.
STARR: Robert Grenier, a 27-year CIA veteran, has some advice: Don't fall into the Washington trap.
ROBERT GRENIER, MANAGING DIRECTOR, KROLL INC.: There has been a tendency on the part of past DNIs to do what one nearly always does in Washington, and that is to try to establish that hey, look, I'm in charge.
STARR: Grenier says Blair shouldn't worry too much about briefing President Obama every morning.
GRENIER: I believe that that's exactly what the DNI should not be focused on.
STARR: Threats like al Qaeda, Iran and North Korea might not be the first order of business. There will be pressure on Blair to first deal with the aftermath of the Bush administration's controversial interrogation techniques, including waterboarding.
Grenier said Blair might need President Obama to weigh in.
GRENIER: I think he needs to reassure the intelligence community, and particularly CIA, that he is not going to engage in politically-driven witch hunts.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
STARR: Now, Alina, nobody is suggesting issues like al Qaeda and the war on terror aren't important, but dealing with those controversies of the Bush years may first be the most important thing that Admiral Blair can do to get a new era of cooperation from intelligence services around the world -- Alina.
CHO: Interesting man, Barbara.
Any more important posts to fill in military and intelligence? And if so, are there any names that are being floated?
STARR: Well everyone is still watching to see who the new CIA director will be. The best guess is that the president-elect may have some additional announcements right after the new year.
CHO: Traditionally the time we hear from him.
All right. Thank you, Barbara Starr. And Merry Christmas to you.
President Bush is spending a final Christmas at Camp David. Meanwhile, his successor is vacationing in Hawaii. President-elect Barack Obama is basking in the sun and the glow of popular support, but some gut-wrenching and divisive challenges await him.
A closer look now from CNN's senior White House correspondent, Ed Henry.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED HENRY, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Call it the Hawaiian honeymoon. President-elect Barack Obama riding high with the American people. And it's easy to see why.
He scored an historic election victory, moved swiftly to pick a high-powered White House staff that's basically running the state-free transfer to power so far, and a assembled a relatively centrist cabinet that has won rave reviews from even leading conservatives.
STEPHEN F. HAYES, SR. WRITER, "THE WEEKLY STANDARD": He's made some interesting and I think wise cabinet choices. But I think the real proof will come when he has to make policy choices. And then I think we run into this question of how is he governing, and how do people react to that.
HENRY: Indeed, the challenges ahead are enormous with President Bush handing off a mountain of problems, starting with the deepening global financial crisis. So the transition team is scrambling to craft an even bigger economic recovery package than expected.
JOE BIDEN (D), VICE PRESIDENT-ELECT: Over 10 million people are officially unemployed and millions more are unable to find enough work to keep their paychecks from slipping from what they've been. And this deterioration in the nation's unemployment situation has led the president-elect to instruct our economic team, some of which are assembled here today, to raise the goal of our stimulus plan from 2.5 million jobs to 3 million new jobs to be created over the next two years.
HENRY: And on national security, Obama's so-called "Team of Rivals" will be grappling with a long list of international hotspots.
DAN BENJAMIN, BROOKINGS INSTITUTION: The tasks ahead are quite daunting. If you look at Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Middle East peace process, financial crisis, we could continue for quite a while. This is not a set of tasks for the feint of heart. And so I'm pleased to see that the president-elect is assembling a capable and dynamic team.
HENRY (on camera): Another round of golf for President-elect Obama. This is really his last chance to recharge the batteries before eventually heading back to Washington where the inbox in that Oval Office is just bursting with all kinds of challenges.
Ed Henry, CNN, Honolulu.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: Stick around. We're about to show you a rap song by a CNN i-Reporter that just may become the new Christmas anthem, or maybe not. Stay tuned. Our Josh Levs is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: Well all know that song, right? Well you may think you know all of the music of the holiday season, but we have a brand-new Christmas rap song for you. Once you hear it, well, it just may stick into your mind until next year.
Or maybe not, Josh Levs.
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Or maybe not.
CHO: Good morning.
LEVS: Yes, I think this one might. It's pretty catchy. I was really impressed.
You get a lot of interesting submissions in i-Report. You never know what's going to come along. We got this one, "Please, Santa, Come On," Christmas rap music video. We weren't so sure, but take a look. It is good stuff.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JONATHAN COLLINS, "PLEASE SANTA," RAPPING IREPORTER: -- could this be. (INAUDIBLE) the package, and it was addressed to me. I shouldn't have done it, I put my ear to it. My mom works hard and Santa Claus (INAUDIBLE).
Ma, I can't wait another minute. Can I please open it so I can see what's in it? She said, go ahead. I frantically ripped it open. I'm hoping, I'm hoping, I'm hoping.
Please Santa ...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEVS: Go, Jonathan Collins. He sent that to us. He's calling it, Please Santa." It's getting some good play on cnn.com.
And certainly around here people -- what do you think, Alina? You like that?
CHO: I do. You know what? I do. I have to say. I've come around.
LEVS: We were all a little skeptical. But you know we had a --
CHO: The kids are a nice touch.
LEVS: Oh, yes, of course. And he says that --
CHO: Kids in the jammies.
LEVS: -- that he was inspired by his youth, when he couldn't have all the presents he wanted. And he remembers feeling this way. Now he's a grown-up man and he can rap about it. Very cool.
More of the cool submissions we've been getting. Let's go back here. I want to show you some of the other stuff we're getting. Really interesting pictures, celebrations all over the world.
We got this one from the Philippines, which is really nice. Christmas Eve traditions in the Philippines.
Let me just scroll through a few more.
I like this because, being from upstate New York myself, I know what the weather is often like. I bet Chad would like this. From Rochester, salt mine flooded with trucks and closed early.
Check this out. From Hungary, the Christmas spirit of the Hungarian trash collectors! They're getting into it.
CHO: If you have to work --
LEVS: Exactly.
CHO: If you have to work.
LEVS: Why not have a little fun with it?
Beautiful icicles. Some really nice pictures.
I want to end right here with this one. We have pictures for you. In fact, we have them -- we're going to bring them (INAUDIBLE) now. Christmas in North Pole, Alaska. Let's go to these videos that we have.
These are really beautiful. Gina Locke --
CHO: That is so beautiful.
LEVS: Isn't that great.
CHO: Reindeer, to boot! That's incredible.
LEVS: Here is what she tells us. She says, "Even though it happens every year at exactly the same time, these words still send thrills of happiness through me."
CHO: Sure.
LEVS: "This year is more exciting than ever because I live smack-dab next door to the man in the big red suit."
So, Merry Christmas to her and to all. Beautiful stuff.
Keep them coming. Obviously, people celebrating today we'd love to see what you've got, anywhere in the world -- ireport.com.
CHO: We're CNN, we're on all day. We've got plenty of time.
LEVS: Yes, we'll be here. You know it. We'll be here.
CHO: Josh, thank you.
LEVS: Thanks.
CHO: Well as we've been reporting, President-elect Barack Obama is spending the holiday in Hawaii. Now that means reporters who cover him are there, too. As you can see from our senior White House correspondent, Ed Henry, it is a tough job, but somebody's got to do it.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HENRY: Alina, Merry Christmas from Honolulu, where President- elect Barack Obama and his family are celebrating the holiday.
It might seem exotic. I mean, where else would you find a dog on a surfboard on the holiday, but in Hawaii, here in Waikiki Beach. And you've got surfboards, sand, you've got the splashing waters.
But there are timeless traditions for this holiday, even here in Hawaii. In fact, we're told that the president-elect has a Christmas tree at the oceanside home where he's celebrating. I did a little investigative reporting, it's a real tree, it's not a fake one.
We're also told he's going to have some family time, a traditional meal. I'm not waiting around for my invite, so I decided that while I'm getting a lot of grief from anchors like you about how this is a really sweet gig to be here in Hawaii, I'm probably doing what you're doing for Christmas. I'm going to sit down on the beach, I'm going to put on my shades, and I'm going to throw on some beads. And I've even got a Santa hat with a Hawaiian design to be festive. I'll put that on.
And some of the traditional meal is this Spam wasubi (ph), which is basically Spam wrapped up with rice like sushi. And -- not too bad. A little salty.
But, it is really not much different than what you're doing. It is in the mid 80s, it's probably just like that in Atlanta as well. Oh, sorry, didn't mean it rub it in.
Merry Christmas, Alina.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: You just had to rub it in, didn't you?
It's Spam wasabi, Ed. And by the way, three days of reporting, three different swimming trunks. We love it.
Still on the NEWSROOM, menu service with a smile. A customer with deep gratitude and apparently deep pockets. We'll tell you about a very special Christmas for one waitress.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: It's Christmas but we're very busy here at CNN.
Police in Zimbabwe appear to be disregarding a high court order to release almost two dozen people. They are associated with the opposition of President Robert Mugabe.
CNN's Nkepile Mabuse has more from Johannesburg.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NKEPILE MABUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): After denying for weeks it was holding them, Zimbabwean police took a group of activists to court on Wednesday, accusing them of recruiting fighters to overthrow President Robert Mugabe. Among them, prominent human rights campaigner (INAUDIBLE) and a 2-year-old child taken from their home on December 3rd.
Their court appearance comes just days after opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai promised to withdraw from a (INAUDIBLE) agreement with President Robert Mugabe unless at least 42 activists held by the government are released.
MORGAN TSVANGIRAI, ZIMBABWEAN PRIME MINISTER: We cannot be seen to be negotiating on one end (ph) what is not (INAUDIBLE) people being violated And therefore, if by the 1st of January these abductions do not stop we don't find it necessary to ask (INAUDIBLE).
MABUSE: Earlier this month, U.S. president George Bush added his voice to the chorus of world leaders calling on Mugabe to step down. Mugabe, who calls the country "his Zimbabwe," has told the U.S. to, in effect, mind its own business.
PRES. ROBERT MUGABE, ZIMBABWE: The inclusive does not include Mr. Bush and his administration. It (ph) doesn't even know him. It has no relationship with him. So, let him keep his comments to himself. They are undeserved, irrelevant and quite stupid and foolish.
MABUSE: Mugabe continues to blame the West for his country's problems and has not hesitated to use his security forces to suppress opposition. Human rights lawyers say scores of activists remain illegally in police custody and are being denied legal representation.
IRENE PETRAS, ZIMBABWE LAWYERS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS: Today, lawyers will be filing an urgent high court application to have all detained persons produced before a court of law, seeking access to the individuals by their lawyers and medical practitioners, and to have them released as a result of the unlawful treatment to which they have been subjected.
MABUSE: Meanwhile, the economic and humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe has reached desperate levels with millions facing starvation and hundreds killed by cholera.
Nkepile Mabuse, CNN, Johannesburg.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: Back here in the U.S., not everyone is home for the holidays. A winter blast of snow and ice moving across much of the country causing major delays and lots of people stuck at the airport on Christmas day.
And service with a smile. A holiday tip you just won't believe.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: What would Christmas be without Santa, in here, in the house? That's CNN.
You know the saying the customer's always right? Well we know of one hard-working waitress in San Diego who couldn't agree more.
The story now from KGTV's Charisse Yu in San Diego.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All right. So then are you ready to order?
CHARISSE YU, KGTV REPORTER: She's the woman who makes sure the syrup on your pancakes is to your liking.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We make it here. It's homemade.
YU: And your eggs are cooked just right.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ham and eggs add cheddar.
YU: Julie Jones (ph) is a waitress at Richard Walker's Pancake House in the Marina District.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Definitely.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Waitress of the year, definitely.
YU: All of Jones' hard work has paid off. This year, she got an early Christmas present.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He presented me with 10 $100 bills.
YU: For all of you counting that adds up to a tip of 1,000 bucks. It seems one generous customer really likes her.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Beyond what you could even imagine.
YU: But there is one downside. She doesn't know who to say thank you to. The customer gave her boss the money and wants to remain anonymous.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I feel lucky. I'm raising a 15-year-old daughter, my husband and I are. So we feel really fortunate.
YU: One thing is for sure, customers here say they leave full and happy.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think that's great. I think she deserves it.
YU: While patrons say they will leave Jones a good tip, they say $1,000 will be very hard to top.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Maybe not $1,000, but we'll give her a good tip.
YU: Jones says serving customers is what she loves to do. She wants to thank her Secret Santa for making her Christmas much brighter.
Charisse Yu, 10 News.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: That's an understatement. She could use that money, I'm sure.
I'm Alina Cho. Thanks so much for spending part of your Christmas with us. I will be back again tomorrow morning starting at 9:00 a.m. Eastern time.
But the news continues. CNN NEWSROOM with Richard Lui, he starts right now.
Richard, I'm going to pass along the gift that I got from Chad Myers, the short straw --
RICHARD LUI, CNN ANCHOR: Very appropriate.
CHO: -- that you also drew --
LUI: Yes.
CHO: -- having to work on Christmas day. But I want it back.
LUI: I thank you so much, and I will give it back to you. But it seems to be getting shorter as the day goes by, right?
CHO: That's right.
LUI: Alina, thanks so much.
CHO: See you later. Merry Christmas.
LUI: Merry Christmas, and see you tomorrow.
