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Earl Blows by U.S. East Coast; Tennis Champ's Greatest Battle

Aired September 04, 2010 - 16:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Tropical storm Earl breezed by the U.S., but when the storm made landfall in eastern Canada today it downed trees and knocked out power. CNN's Susan Candiotti stood watch on Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): The day after tropical storm Earl passed by it's a beautiful day here on Cape Cod. We don't know how much all the hurricane preparations cost, but the governor says it is money well spent. In fact, he was praising all the agencies for what they did and he's also praising how residents prepared by buying their hurricane and storm supplies ahead of time to be ready just in case and not clogging the roads to evacuate if they didn't have to.

You know, one of the people we met along the way is 88-year-old Georgia Suliman (ph) who decided to ride out the storm at her home on Nantucket Island. She said she spent the evening having burritos for dinner and a just a few margaritas. And she made out just fine.

GEORGIA SULIMAN (ph), NANTUCKET ISLAND RESIDENT: We stayed here. I took the dog out for a long walk in the rain. And I thought it was probably the Nor'easter we had 10 days ago that gave us more rain. It wasn't bad.

CANDIOTTI: After the fourth of July, Labor day weekend here in the U.S. is the second biggest holiday weekend for hotel owners here on Cape Cod. And, of course, because of tropical storm Earl, a lot of people didn't show up or cancelled their reservations. And so hotels took quite a beating. Yet hotel owners are trying to take things in stride.

TOM MOORE, RED JACKET BEACH RESORT: About 60 percent of our business isn't here today. We're at about 40 percent occupancy. We would normally be sold out for this weekend. This is a very big weekend for us to end the summer with a bang. But we'd rather have it like this than to be cleaning up debris.

CANDIOTTI: In fact, the governor says there was little damage throughout the state.

Susan Candiotti, CNN, Yarmouth, Massachusetts.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right. Susan Candiotti, thank so much.

Meantime, take a look right here. These are some pictures sent in to us by I-reporter Brian Shaw of Bedford, Nova Scotia. He took them about 9:30 local time, about a half an hour before tropical storm Earl actually made landfall in the Canadian provinces. So you know, lots of tree branches that came down. You can see the wind, the rain, all that stuff.

Jacqui, pretty typical of what Nova Scotia experienced.

JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Absolutely. You know, this was a powerful tropical storm. It is still packing winds of around 70 miles per hour and there is quite a bit of damage and thousands of people are still without power.

Here's another example of that from Brian Nelson from Halifax. And take a look at what the winds did. This is in his neighbor's yard, bringing down trees. This has certainly been a common sight today. Believe it or not, that storm is moving so fast. It's out of Nova Scotia already. It's into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and now it's making its way towards Newfoundland.

This is moving at like 40 miles per hour which is insanely fast for a hurricane but it is getting caught in that cold front that moved across the northeast that helped kind of keep the storm at bay a little bit for the U.S. and so it's going to accelerate now to the north east and it's eventually going to become extra tropical. It's going to lose its characteristics and just kind of be an area of low pressure and eventually pull its way out of here.

So that's a little bit of good news out there. Here you can see, we got two other tropical systems though that we need to keep our eye on that have the potential for the development over the next couple of days. This is a very active time of the year. What kind of damage do we have in the U.S.? A lot of questions on that.

We had some. We had some power outages. We had some trees down, some power lines down. Take a look at some of these wind gusts that we had from Massachusetts and New York, up to 60 miles per hour. So that certainly can cause some damage in those areas. We're watching the East Coast now throughout the rest of the weekend. This is the big thing that concerns me is that it's the holiday weekend. The storm is gone. It is gorgeous - this is like the best weekend, Fredricka, we have had in forever, right?

Highs in the 70s to middle 80s. But the water is still really dangerous. It takes a while from all that churning from the hurricane, you know -

WHITFIELD: To settle down.

JERAS: And we have advisories all the way up and down the East Coast, even in Florida. That storm is way up here. So you know, don't go to a beach that doesn't have a life guard. Stay out of the ocean water if you can.

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: Knee deep. If you're at the beach, I'm sorry. It's hard not to do a little dip.

JERAS: No higher than knees, I'm going to say. Make sure there is a lifeguard and the flag's flying, don't even go away.

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: That's great advice. You do have to be careful. Because looks are deceiving. People are excited, like, "oh, yes, we can get out there after all" and they forget that the danger is still lurking.

JERAS: And not everyone is like 5'10" or whatever like you. Their knees could be a little shorter.

WHITFIELD: OK. Thanks so much for that. Thanks, Jacqui.

OK. Well, coming up next, my interview with legendary tennis champ Martina Navratilova about the toughest challenge that she has ever faced - breast cancer - and how she is beating it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Tennis great Martina Navratilova is facing her biggest competitor ever - breast cancer. Navratilova was diagnosed in February. And yesterday, I sat down with the tennis legend for a one- on-one interview and here's what Navratilova told me about the fight of her life.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Give me an idea what that period was like between diagnosis and lumpectomy.

MARTINA NAVRATILOVA, BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR: Well, I only had three weeks between the diagnosis - I went to see the doctor the next day. I was supposed to play in this exhibition in Palm Springs (INAUDIBLE) to raise money for Haiti. And my first thought is I can't play tennis in front of 12,000 people. I need to just settle down and take care of myself.

And I thought, wait a minutes, tennis is what always gets me through everything. So I decided to play, I got ready and three days after that hit for Haiti, I played with Steffi Graf, (INAUDIBLE) and Lindsey Davenport in the same court with them, three days later I had the surgery and then three weeks later I was playing Lindsay Davenport at an event in Minneapolis.

So I had something to look forward to always. And then when I had the radiation, I went and played at the French Open, worked for Tennis Channel, worked, played at the French Open and Wimbledon. Tennis sort of got me through all those tough times.

So I am very fortunate that I had that in my life and of course, a positive attitude always help gets you through stuff. So I had both. And so it was a difficult time, no doubt about it. It was really difficult once I went public. Actually, that was the most exhausting thing was when I found out that I was positive. The second most difficult was the day I went public and I did all these interviews and I had to talk about it. I'm still talking about it. So that took the most out of me actually. I'm glad I did that.

WHITFIELD: And difficult because you felt you had to constantly answer questions or difficult too because this would ordinarily be a private battle and this was something you had to open up, even as a public person you had to open up and kind of explain away, reveal publically.

NAVRATILOVA: Just because I think if I could do it once, you know, and be done with it, that would be great. But the repetition of it is difficult. Now it comes up with every interview. And people when they meet you say, are you OK? I'm like "yes, I'm great." "Are you really OK?" "Yes, I'm fantastic. Thank you"

So my hair, I didn't have to do chemo. I felt like I dodged a bullet. But people still think, they're like looking at me like, you look great. "Well, thank you, it's makeup."

WHITFIELD: Thanks for asking, but this time stop it already.

NAVRATILOVA: Yes. Exactly. I mean, I have been cancer-free since March. But the radiation really took a lot out of me but again that was in June. And I'm done with it. You know, my breast is still sore, but you know, nothing to worry about. I'm as good as new. Hopefully will be better.

WHITFIELD: So back to while you were playing while Jana Novotna, your doubles partner. She knew, she was there at your side during much of this, how about some of the other players, do they have any idea at the time of you continuing to play, even before radiation that you were going through this?

NAVRATILOVA: Well, yes, they did. I mean, I went public sort of in April. And so everybody knew. The players were very supportive. Even the guys, Jimmy Connors, Jim (INAUDIBLE) they were sending me notes or calling. And of course, most of the women that I played with, (INAUDIBLE) Chris Everett, Pam Shriver, many players that I haven't heard from. That's where Facebook comes in handy. I got messages from people that I hadn't seen or heard from in 30 years.

So very touching. A lot of fans, I'm still getting a lot of support. And most of all, after I went public, I got a lot of letters and notes on Facebook and otherwise from women who either had gone through the same thing or giving me encouragement or thanking me for making them remember to go to the doctor and a few that something was found and they nipped it in the bud. Those are people that I know about. So I felt very empowered, and humbled but very happy that I did this. Because I know that I helped some women detect what they had earlier.

So that's why I did it. Initially I went to Robin Roberts who, you know, what she went through and she said, I'm so glad you're doing this. I'll see you next week and let's go save some lives. And that's when it hit me, I thought, "oh, my god, I can really make a difference in somebody's life." You don't walk away from that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And she's making a huge difference to so many people's lives. Martina also, by the way, had done a triathlon. She did that just like a couple of weeks after her diagnosis of breast cancer. She's also planning to now hike Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania for a charity that helps children around the world have safe places to play sports. So this special documentary, "Martina, My Toughest Opponent," follows the tennis star start to finish from the diagnosis through her treatment for breast cancer.

She's in London, Paris and she battles the deadly disease. We're there along the way. That airs in a just a few minutes at 4:30 Eastern time and again at 7:30 tonight.

All right. A rising death toll and a race to save survivors after a mountain of debris crashes down on a village in China.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A look at our top stories right now. After putting much of the East Coast on alert all week, Earl has lost some of its punch. It's been downgraded to a tropical storm. Earl is drenching America's neighborhoods to the north of Nova Scotia. The storm is packing 75 miles an hour winds, which is affecting weekend plans across the Canadian maritime.

And New Zealanders are counting their blessings today after a powerful earthquake shook the country's South Island. The 7.0 quake caused widespread damage but no deaths. Two people are being treated for serious injuries.

And the death toll is climbing days after devastating mudslides hit southwest China. 21 people are confirmed dead. There is a desperate race against time to find 27 others who are still missing. Land slides swept away a mountain village in the rugged Hunan province.

And thousands of human rights demonstrators marched in Paris today. Many held signs attacking President Nicolas Sarkozy. The protest was partly sparked by government raids targeting the Roma population, commonly known as gypsies. Thousands have been returned to Romania and Bulgaria since the crackdown began. Demonstrators are also concerned about proposals to citizenship of naturalized immigrants found guilty of certain crimes.

Action, a little suspense and how about a romantic comedy? It looks like there is something for just about everyone at the movies this weekend. But are they worth your dime? A movies preview coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. A little action, a little suspense. All that hitting the theaters this weekend. Then of course, there's a romantic comedy that's sure to get a few laughs out of you. Cole Dabney of the Austin Film Critics Association joins us now from Austin, Texas, with a look at some of the movies on tap here. How are you?

COLE DABNEY, PRESIDENT, AUSTIN FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION: I'm good. How are you doing?

WHITFIELD: I'm pretty good. All right. Let's begin with "The American," George Clooney. All you have to say is George Clooney and people are all excited about a movie. This time, it's "The American."

DABNEY: Exactly.

WHITFIELD: Great suspense, a thriller. Let's take a little peek at what it's all about.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Take a right outside the bar, then the second left. You will see a dark blue Fiat (INAUDIBLE). I have marked a small town on the map. Astelvakia, stay there. Lay low until you get my call. Don't talk to anyone. Above all, don't make any friends, Jack. You used to know that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: OK. Should I be intrigued there? Because maybe that's not really a super great clip, but tell me why I should like that movie.

DABNEY: Well, I give it a B plus. It's a good movie. It's very well made. Aesthetically it's great. George Clooney plays this guy, he is hired to create this weapon for an assassin in Rome. We don't know why and it doesn't seem to matter. Director Anton Corbin whose previous film you might have seen "Control" in 2007.

He really crafts every scene to matter. They build upon one another. The cinematography is great. The movie looks really good but it's very, very slow. For a wide release, it really has an art house feel. So it's going to be, you know, your more mature audiences. But it's definitely worth checking out.

WHITFIELD: So that means the dialogue if it's moving slow and it's kind of a thriller, that means the dialogue is pretty important. You say there's some pretty good writing in that flick?

DABNEY: It is. You know, it's very well written. The dialogue is very minimal. There is not a lot of talking going on. Like I said, the shots are great. The cinematography is wonderful. There is a lot of really, really good-looking stuff in there. But there's not a lot of talking. Everything they say matters.

WHITFIELD: OK. All right. Let's go the distance in "Going the Distance." Let's take a peek at this romantic comedy. Drew Barrymore is in it and so is Justin Long. Do they, don't they have a little romance on and off screen? I don't know. Let's watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What are you doing here?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That sucked.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I know. That was terrible.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can't end it like this.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Neither can I.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That car ride was a disaster, the worst.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Awful. So awkward.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So awkward.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I freaked out. OK. I've had such a good time -

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Well, who doesn't love Drew Barrymore? But am I going to like this flick?

DABNEY: You know what I think, I think you will. I wasn't expecting much going into it. But for a romantic comedy it was very solid. I give it a B minus. You know, if you're a guy and your girlfriend is dragging you to a movie this weekend, don't be upset. It's actually pretty funny. You know, Drew Barrymore plays this graduate student on an internship in New York. She falls in love with a record label scout played by Justin Long.

You know, as you mentioned, are they in a real life relationship? We don't know. I saw her on a talk show early this week and, you know, she's very close-lipped about that. We have no idea and it kind of makes for a little more mysterious on-screen relationship.

WHITFIELD: OK. So B minus on that is your grade.

DABNEY: Yes. What really works here is the supporting cast. Comedic actors Charlie Day from "Always Sunny in Philadelphia," Jim Gaffigan. Jason Sudeikis. Rob Riggle. They're all very funny.

WHITFIELD: OK.

DABNEY: You know, it made me laugh.

WHITFIELD: So Cole, real quick - I'm sorry to rush you, but we are running out of time on our segment. So the last movie is "Machete" with Danny Trejo and Jessica Alba and - really? Lindsay Lohan is in this too? Did you like it? We're not going to get a chance to see the clip. Tell me about it.

DABNEY: OK. I loved it. I give it an A. It was made here in Austin, Texas by Robert Rodriguez through this Troublemaker Studios. You know, they make these really high quality movies on a very low budget. Great supporting cast. The movie was actually conceived out of a faux trailer from his previous film, 2007's "Grindhouse." And you know, Danny Trejo plays a Mexican day laborer. He is an ex- federale and he is hired to kill a senator and when things go awry, he goes on a killing spree. You know, the gore is over the top, the violence is ridiculous.

WHITFIELD: But you liked it, Cole. You gave it an A. That's awesome.

Cole Dabney.

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: Next time we're going to make more time, I promise.

DABNEY: OK. Yes. No problem. Thanks for having me on.

WHITFIELD: But thanks so much with the Austin Film Critics Association. Appreciate it. You have a great holiday weekend, too.

DABNEY: I appreciate it. You, too. Have a good one.

WHITFIELD: And I'm Fredricka Whitfield. We want to bring you now that great documentary that many of you have been waiting for all day. Martina Navratilova as she battles breast cancer. "Martina, My Toughest Opponent."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)