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Deluge in Southern California; Snow Snarls Travel in Europe; 2010 Census First Results Today; South Carolina Group Celebrates Secession; Brett Favre's Injury; Buyer Stiffs Nuns
Aired December 21, 2010 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, guys. And I'm writing down the information because you've got more than I have. So thank you very much. Have a great rest of the day.
It's 9:00 a.m. on the East Coast, 6:00 a.m. out West. Here's some of the stories that have us talking this is morning.
We're following a developing story off the coast of Puerto Rico, as well. A National Guard helicopter has crashed into the ocean with six people aboard. At least one person confirmed dead. The search for possible survivors still continuing.
And in just a couple of hours we're going to find out how many people live in the United States and where. The 2010 census will show how the country has changed over the past decade and decide congressional seats and electoral votes.
And did you look in the sky and witness history this morning? A total eclipse of the moon visible across the U.S. It was the first total lunar eclipse of the Winter Solstice in almost 400 years.
Now as you just heard from John and Kiran, a story that we're working out of Rome right now. Apparently a bomb was found underneath a train seat and the newest information we have the train apparently was empty. And it was diffused.
It was in the Rome subway where this was discovered by a train station employee. Not clear who left it or if it could have even exploded in -- well, actually now we're getting this new information that it was diffused apparently, so we're working that story for you. We'll bring you more information as we get it.
Well, today officially marks the first day of winter but that's a laughable technicality in northern California. The Sierra Nevada Mountains are buried under as much as 10 feet of snow now and by later today snow could pile 15 feet high.
Wind gusts toppled the startling 150 miles on one summit, Alpine Meadows, and then in southern California, heavy rains have caused widespread flooding and a few mudslides and things could get worse over the next several days. Already those floods have forced the evacuation of nearly 2,000 people in McFarland and mudslides have already shut down two highways. All right. Let's get the latest on this weather in Southern California. Our Casey Wian is in Ventura County, California, for us.
Hey, Casey.
CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, good morning, Kyra. You're familiar with Southern California.
I'm just across county line in Ventura County on Pacific Coast Highway. And this stretch of Pacific Coast Highway remains closed. Twenty-mile section between Northern Malibu and Oxnard closed because of a mudslide. CalTran crews have been -- CalTrans crews have been working to remove debris, boulders from the roadway. But it still remains closed at this hour.
Elsewhere, throughout Southern California, traffic has been snarled by this heavy storm, this rain that has continued since Friday. California Highway Patrol says in Los Angeles County yesterday there were three times as many accidents on L.A. County roads as you would normally expect and even with the lighter holiday volume.
Elsewhere in the state, as you mentioned, the community of McFarland -- in central California, 2,000 residents evacuated there because a creek overflowed. Crews were able to remove debris from that creek and it's flowing normally again and those residents were allowed back in their home.
And you mentioned the snow and the Sierra Nevadas. We actually got some updated numbers, just checked the Web site of Mammoth Mountain which a lot of skiers are familiar with. And they have received up the 13.5 feet of snow since Friday. Really unbelievable. And wind gusts in the Sierra Nevadas at the higher altitudes had exceeded 150 miles per hour.
We've also got power outages throughout Southern California, scattered power outages at this point in time, 20,000 Southern California Edison customers are reported to be without power.
Right now, the rain has subsided a little bit. It's just drizzling a little bit. We're expecting, though, later tonight much heavier rainfall. And that's what we're going to have to see how these hillsides affected by fires are going to hold up -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right. Casey, we'll keep talking. Thank you so much.
Well, millions of Californians have no relief in sight. In fact things are likely to get much worse. That's what we're getting from our meteorologist Rob Marciano right now.
What do you think? What can we add to what Casey is telling us, Rob?
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, here's where the -- this tells the whole story, Kyra, which is the plume continues to be directed at Southern California. But this piece of energy is going to kick out the system. This is the last surge of moisture that's going to come through and then we're getting into a significant drying trend.
That will take 36 hours to happen. It'll shut down tomorrow night sometime and then we'll start to get into some drier air. Also up here, the popcorn-type of clouds, that's cold air. So we're going to see the snow levels drop and that will help lock up some of the moisture up in the mountains, but before that happens we still have a tremendous amount of rainfall that's going to come through and I fear that a lot of these hillsides are at their breaking point.
(WEATHER REPORT)
MARCIANO: Kyra, back over to you.
PHILLIPS: All right. Appreciate it. Thanks, Rob.
The weather is also making travel pretty miserable overseas as Europe reels from its worst snowfall in decades. Trains are slowed or altogether stopped and airports jammed with stranded travelers.
Fred Pleitgen joining us now live from Berlin.
So, Fred, what's it like?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's pretty bad, Kyra.
I mean if you're looking at London Heathrow, there's been people who have been inside that terminal for several days trying to get out. Of course also a lot of Americans who are still who are trying to get back to the U.S. -- for Christmas or trying to visit their relatives somewhere else abroad.
The situation in the UK especially is still -- is still very bad. There's still a lot of snowfall out there. Only about one-third of the flights that are going through London Heathrow, which is of course the busiest airport here in Europe, are actually operating.
Here in Germany, Frankfurt, airport, also a lot of disruption there. There was some snowfall earlier this morning and the airport was shut down completely earlier this morning. It's open again now.
However, also here, hundreds of cancelations and one thing that our viewers who are actually thinking of traveling to Europe need to know is the big issue here right now is not only getting here, it's also getting your luggage here. A lot of luggage actually being lost and the airlines are having a massive trouble tracing that luggage.
A lot of it lost three, four, five days, even up to a week so certainly there's a lot to look out for right now if you are thinking to travel here to Europe. It's a pretty tough journey -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: OK. Fred, we'll keep checking in with you, as well. Appreciate it. And well before dawn this morning, stargazers had the eyes on the skies. A total eclipse of the moon played out over North America. It's the first total lunar eclipse since 2008 but it's even more noteworthy than that. It's been nearly 400 years since something like this happened on the winter solstice.
This is the view from iReporter Sheila Hagler in Grand Bay, Alabama.
Sheila, thanks.
She actually teaches photography and took some students out on the all-night shoot. The next total lunar eclipse will take place in 2014.
President Obama, Vice President Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton been working the phones trying to win enough Republican Senate support to ratify the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty.
The landmark U.S.-Russian nuclear arms treaty could come up for a procedural vote as early as today. Now Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, wrote a letter backing that pact and that could nudge more senators into the yes column.
From nuclear weapons to your fridge, Congress is on the verge of giving the thumbs up to a sweeping food safety bill. It's aimed at keeping bad food from entering the supply chain.
The legislation would give the Food and Drug Administration new strength while imposing tougher rules on production and trade. The House is expected to pass that bill today.
And the president's pens are going to be busy. He expected to sign the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" repeal tomorrow, but the 17-year ban on gay troops serving openly in the military won't end immediately.
The law only changes once the Pentagon proves to Congress that the military has met several requirements including troop education programs. And the Pentagon hasn't set a timetable, saying only that it's moving forward at a deliberate pace.
Now you can watch the president signing the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" repeal tomorrow morning right here in the CNN NEWSROOM 9:15 Eastern Time.
Now remember all those census workers doing their thing last year, taking the names, the numbers? Now we're going to see some fruits of all that labor. A first batch of results from the 2010 count are being released two hours from now.
Let's talk a little bit more about that with Poppy Harlow with CNNMoney.com.
So, Poppy, there's a lot at stake here politically. POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: A lot at stake politically, a lot when it comes to money for your state. None of us wanted to fill out those forms but today it's going to matter what those numbers tell us. They come out at 11:00 a.m., Kyra.
It's how more than $400 billion in federal money is going to be distributed to states. It also reallocates seats in the House, the number of representatives you have in Congress.
Again the numbers at 11:00 a.m. But what we want to do is show you the estimates. We have the estimates from 2000 to 2009. So it'll be pretty close to this when we get them at 11:00.
Let's take a look at a state like Ohio. OK? They have had a very tough economic situation throughout the past decade. They could lose the most congressional seats. They have only grown 1.7 percent. They have an unemployment rate of 9.8 percent. That's the same as the national average.
That state alone has lost 409,000 manufacturing jobs since January of 2000. That is a 40 percent drop and a key employer there, General Motors. We all know the story there. They were one of the biggest employers in the state. Now they are the 34th largest employer in the state.
They have cut thousands of jobs in Ohio. And to top it all off for Ohio, very hard hit by foreclosures. The 11th highest foreclosure rate in the country.
Slow growth there in Ohio, but let's also take a look at North Dakota. This is sort of an opposite story. What it shows us is that slow growth, Kyra, doesn't necessarily correlate to high unemployment.
North Dakota, .7 percent growth over the last nine years. But they have the single lowest unemployment rate in the country, 3.8 percent. That is their unemployment rate. Why is that? Clearly a lot of it comes down to oil. A huge oil boom there. Diversified economy, health care, agriculture. They've actually added more than 38,000 jobs since 2000. That is a 12 percent jump, Kyra.
So when you look at growth, that doesn't necessarily correlate to how good their economy is when it goes state by state -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right. So what about the states that have been growing the most?
HARLOW: Yes.
PHILLIPS: What's the employment situation like there?
HARLOW: So take a state like Texas. That's actually been growing a lot, 18.8 percent growth. Their unemployment rate, pretty high, 8.2 percent, still below the national average. But what Texas has seen over the last decade, pretty much, is that more than a million jobs added. The reason is they've got very low corporate tax rates. They've got loose government regulation. It's a red state. So businesses like to operate there. Low home prices and also no state income tax.
But again similar story here. Growth doesn't always mean jobs.
Finally, I want to take a look at Nevada. Nevada, we all know the story there. They have grown a whopping 32.3 percent over the decade. They have the single highest unemployment rate in the country, 14.3 percent.
The census measures from back in 2000 when the economy was very good, Nevada was booming. The casinos were doing well but that growth was stunted by the recession. It was decimated by the housing market.
Nevada also grappling with, Kyra, the highest foreclosure rate in the country. They lost tens of thousands of jobs in leisure, hospitality at all those hotels. So this is probably what the numbers are going to look like and that is where $400 billion. That's how it's going to be allocated. We'll get those final numbers. They'll come in here right at 11:00 a.m. -- Kyra?
PHILLIPS: OK. And we'll bring them to our viewers. Thanks, Poppy, so much.
HARLOW: Yes. You got it.
PHILLIPS: Well, nothing says party like succession. Some folks in South Carolina partied like it was 1859 last night. Well, 1860 to be exact. Celebrating 150 years since their state was first to leave the union. Never mind all that human bondage, civil war stuff. Oh, yes. We're talking about this coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Well, sometimes the best gifts are the ones that you don't ask for but need the most. In Huntsville, Alabama, folks who can't afford to put food on the table this Christmas are getting boxes of canned goods with a turkey thrown in, courtesy of volunteers from the Rose of Sharon soup kitchen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHARON WALKER, FOUNDER, ROSE OF SHARON SOUP KITCHEN: I go out to them and give them food because they are on low income, and I'm sure getting food is difficult for them, so we wanted to help them out, be a blessing.
PAUL CLARKE, HUNTSVILLE RESIDENT: It just shows you God at work. You know? People still care and they -- they brought them in when they thought it was best need. It's a blessing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: And yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. Just swing through Nebraska for 5,000 reasons to believe. Nancy Laier has been collecting little St. Nick since 1966. Some are made with pretty bizarre items, like shotgun shells, hooves, and even a pig's ear. But if you're in the area, ask for the Santa lady's house. Laier gives 300 tours a year.
And a holiday flash mob has been Scrooged. Authorities in Roseville, California, closed the Westfield Galleria last night after nearly 5,000 people showed up for an impromptu sing-along and the "Hallelujah Chorus." Flash mobs are groups of local singers, by the way, and dancers who organize surprise performances in public places, then they post them online. The fire department ordered the evacuation after reports of the mall floor actually moving.
Shaquille O'Neal. We know him as Shaq, but maybe you should call him Maestro, too. Check out this story from Kimberly Bookman from our buddies in Boston at WCVB.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KEITH LOCKHART, CONDUCTOR, BOSTON POPS ORCHESTRA: Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Maestro Shamrock.
KIMBERLY BOOKMAN, WCVB-TV CORRESPONDENT: He's held lots of titles, but this is a new one. Celtic center Shaquille O'Neal now honorary pops conductor. Famed band leader Keith Lockhart passes him the baton, Shaq flips his jacket tails, and he's off.
(MUSIC - "Sleigh Ride")
BOOKMAN: He bounces his head almost as fast as he dribbles a basketball, and the crowd roars.
(APPLAUSE)
BOOKMAN: The athlete makes it look easy, but he tells us ordering musicians, even the good sports among them, is hard work.
SHAQUILLE O'NEAL, GUEST CONDUCTOR, BOSTON POPS ORCHESTRA: Went to a little rehearsal today. My arms are shot right now.
BOOKMAN: Don't worry, though, it won't throw his game off. Just look how he handles song number two, a Michael Jackson favorite.
(MUSIC - "Can You Feel It")
BOOKMAN: Of all the guest conductors, Shaq is not just a huge presence, he literally is the tallest to stand before the orchestra.
LOCKHART: I also told him that he didn't really need the podium, but since I would have it before that, he was going to get stuck with it.
BOOKMAN: In the crowd, Celtics owner Steve Pagliuca and hundreds of cheering fans. For all of them, Shaq picks a closing number that won't bring down the house but, rather, lift it up.
O'NEAL: The last song is a song hopefully the whole city of Boston will be singing at the end of the year.
BOOKMAN: "We are the Champions"?
O'NEAL: I don't know what you're talking about.
(LAUGHTER)
BOOKMAN: But sure enough --
(MUSIC PLAYING)
BOOKMAN: For the patrons, the Pops and, yes, Maestro Shamrock, it's a slam dunk.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Maybe conductor Keith Lockhart should put a few minutes in with the Celtics. It's only fair. Shaq is the first NBA player to take the stage, by the way, at Boston's Symphony Hall.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: And now, we need to do a quick follow-up on yesterday's Talker. We told you how the nonprofit Environmental Working Group, or EWG, tested tap water in 35 cities. In 31 of them, a chemical that can cause cancer, chromium 6, was in the tap water.
Well, EWG called for the government to quickly establish a legal limit for chromium 6 and require public water suppliers to test for it. Here's the response of the EPA.
Quote, "In order to protect people's health, EPA has had drinking water standards for total chromium, which includes chromium 6. EPA regularly re-evaluates drinking water standards and, having new science, we had already launched a rigorous and comprehensive review of the effects of chromium-6 on human health.
"In September, we released a draft of that scientific review for public comment. When the scientific assessment is finalized in 2011, EPA will carefully review the conclusions and consider all relevant information, including the Environmental Working Group's study to determine if a new standard needs to be set."
Now, that statement also says there were no reports of violations this year or last.
A superhero takes a serious spill on stage. A Broadway Spider- Man performer sent to the hospital. Just the latest mishap in the most expensive Broadway show in history, and we've got the video of the fall.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: All right. Now, for many of us, not quite finished with our holiday shopping, I'm sure that's not you, but for everyone else, there's just four more days of shopping before Christmas. So, Christine Romans is here to help you out with all those last-minute shopping tips.
I'll tell you what. I had to go to the mall to pick something up. Didn't want to go. Christine, it was nuts. A week and a half ago, there was nobody there.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: And retailers love it that the Christmas is on a Saturday this year, because it means all week this week they can try to get you into the stores to do some more shopping to finish up the lists.
What kind of deals are you going to get? Well, toy prices might actually be on the rise. Wal-Mart quietly raising prices on hundreds of toy, this according to a Bloomberg report. This is because they were cut so steeply right after Thanksgiving, now they're going up a little bit.
You could see apparel prices, though, Kyra, going down. Inventories are pretty lean, but a lot of the big apparel makers, apparel retailers will be cutting prices as we get closer to Christmas.
Deals unlikely on the Kindle, though. That thing is sold out in a lot of locations. Again, they kept the inventories pretty lean. They didn't want to have too much stuff on hand if the customers were going to be pretty cautious this year. And, so, that's why you might be not seeing some big deals on that in the next few days.
You could see some big deals, though, on the iPhone 4. Believe it or not, Wal-Mart offering this for $197, and then you get a $50 gift card for the iPhone 4. That's pretty interesting. Sam's Club, according to a top web blog, or tech blog, is going to be offering a special that will have $147 for a limited time for the iPhone 4. You have to be a Sam's Club member. So, if you are a Sam's Club member, watch out for that.
Bottom line, Kyra, convenience, more hours, better return policies, Best Buy's quietly dropped its dreaded restocking fee. You're going to be able to get Christmas gifts, impulse gifts right there on the end caps on the end of the aisles at Target, and a lot of the big retailers are going to try to make it really easy for you, Kyra.
PHILLLPS: What's this about, if there's someone you don't expect coming in for the holidays, you can go to 7-11 to get their gift? You get, what? A Slurpee? A Big Wheel? Are you serious?
ROMANS: Believe it or not, 7-11 is saying, "We're there for you. We're there for you." If you find yourself on Saturday morning on the way to dinner and have forgotten a guest, 7-11 is actually going to be open all day. They're going to offer a selection of wines to give as a gift, gift cards, hand-held video games, more stuffed animals in the aisles. Things to make it easy for you to pick up something last minute. CVS, the pharmacy chain, also going to have some consumer electronics available for people, also some more gifts of bath and body gel type gift baskets and the like. Everybody wants to make it easy for us to spend our money this Christmas. And you only have a few more days to do it. Kyra?
PHILLIPS: We want to jump start the economy.
ROMANS: A Slurpee with your Christmas list.
PHILLIPS: Exactly, really. Here's your wine and Slurpee, Merry Christmas. Thanks, Christine.
One of the biggest stories on Wall Street this year was Toyota and its massive recalls. And today, the US government says the automaker is going to have to pay up. Alison Kosik at the New York Stock Exchange talking more about that. Hey, Alison.
ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Kyra, yes. We're talking about big money, here. The Department of Transportation is fining Toyota $32 million. It's actually the maximum penalty that the law allows.
Now, here's why Toyota is being fined. It's actually for two different reasons. For one, because of how it handled the recall of the defects of its floor mats and gas pedals. And secondly, the automaker also didn't properly notify the government about another defect with steering in some trucks. It delayed notifying the government about that, too. And by law, automakers have to tell the government within five days of learning about the defect.
Now, surprisingly, these fines are really just a drop in the bucket for Toyota. The company made $1 billion during the first half of this year, though. Still, we can't deny the fact that the bad publicity hurt sales, has definitely hurt its reputation. And there is one outstanding question mark in all of this, Kyra, for Toyota because they're still open to private lawsuits. Kyra?
PHILLIPS: All right. Well what about the rest of the market? What does the open look like today?
KOSIK: We're starting just a bit higher right now. At least in positive territory. We do have some positive momentum, though, following a rally in Asian markets. The major averages could top the two-year highs that were reached last week. We don't have much economic news to trade on today, so not much to go on. Investors are really waiting it out.
Later this week, we are getting more economic data on housing, two reports there and on economic growth. We may see some movement in the markets then. But really just kind of quiet before getting into the three-day weekend, of course, for Christmas.
Kyra, real fast, the Dow right now is up about 29 points. NASDAQ also up slightly. Kyra, back the you.
PHILLIPS: Great. Alison, thanks.
Now let's take a look at our top stories. We began this past January in a remote corner of Alaska and after nearly a year in the making, the 2010 census is done. The census was the shortest in U.S. history, by the way. Surveyed 34 million households. The results expected in just about an hour and a half.
And soon that check won't be in the mail. Those applying for Social Security before May 1st will now get their checks electronically through direct deposit or a direct express debit card. Paperless payments will save Social Security a billion dollars over the next ten years.
And 22 years ago today, a terrorist bomb brought down Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, killing 270 people, mostly Americans. This morning, a Senate report blasting the humanitarian release on the one man convicted on that attack, a Libyan intelligence officer who supposedly had just three months to live. That was 13 months ago. Today, he's still alive. Senate report claims that his release was part of a deal that ensured Britain would keep lucrative oil and defense contracts with Libya.
Well, Spiderman takes a tumble, falling 20 to 30 feet during last night's show of the Broadway musical "Spiderman: Turn Off The Dark." There's the inside video right there. The performer rushed to the hospital after crashing to the stage floor from a platform. The show just couldn't go on.
House lights came up. And the audience sent home. This is just the latest mishap for the most expensive Broadway show ever staged.
And brings us to the "A.M. Extra." John Roberts live in New York. So, John, we should point out that it's not the actor, Reeve Carney, who fell but a stunt double. Do we have any idea how he's doing right now?
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR, "AMERICAN MORNING": There's been nothing official. We've been calling in to Bellevue Hospital to try to get a condition on this actor. And it's becoming increasingly apparent that the fellow who was injured may have been Christopher Teirney, who is the main aerialist for the production. One of nine stunt doubles but the main aerialist. Christopher Teirney, 31-year- old guy.
Again, Bellevue Hospital not confirmed any of this yet, but Associated Press told by a fellow actor that Christopher Tierney was the guy injured last night.
But Kyra, the buzz that this play is getting is just unbelievable. First of all, it's $65 million. Most expensive production ever been launched by Broadway. Bono and The Edge from U2 are the ones who are behind the music. First time they've involved in something like this.
And it's been plagued by mishaps. Kenneth Hobbins (ph), who was one of the dancers at a preview performance for the people who were involved in the industry who have to go out and talk about this and sell tickets, broke both of his wrists when he was involved in an aerial sequence. And a catapult that was supposed to shoot him from the back of the state to the front of the stage and he landed like this. Broke both of his wrists. Natalie Mendoza, who plays the character of Arachne, was hit in the head by a rope, a very heavy rope. She suffered a concussion. Had to leave the production for ten days.
So this thing has had the fair share of problems. To the degree that the opening night said to be pushed back to February 7th. We don't know at this point whether or not this mishap that happened last night were to appeared that the harness came off or the line holding on to the person who we believe was Christopher Tierney snapped, but they're obviously going have to have a very, very in-depth look at that as you're looking at this video here. He leaps off and it looks like the rope snaps.
PHILLIPS: Yes, it's only about eight seconds. This is when he was obviously taken out by paramedics but, you know, we'll -- it goes really fast, but we'll try to show you. I don't know if there's a way to slow it down or not. Only eight seconds, but somebody caught this video inside the performance.
We'll try -- there it is right there. You can see him up there on top and it just -- straight shot. Now, what's interesting, you actually talked to some of the guys that were inside the performance, and they thought maybe it was a part of the show, right? Folks didn't realize something had gone wrong.
ROBERTS: Yes. We talked with Michael and Jonathan Diawos, who are a couple of tourists in from New Zealand who went to see the show. And they said throughout the program, because it's so high-tech and it's so physical with flying sequences. They were expecting something was going to go wrong, maybe an actor getting stuck, an aerialist getting stucks, as has happened in the past. One fellow was left hanging about 15 feet over the seats for quite a period of time while they had to try to get him down.
When they saw this happen originally, and you've got the character of Mary Jane, who's hanging off the edge of the bridge as the Green Goblin looking over and Spiderman is supposed to leap off the bridge after her and swoop down and grab her, in that hole in the stage, the stage pit. Obviously, it went wrong. People weren't sure whether or not that was a part of the show at first, but then became very apparent very quickly something went terribly wrong.
PHILLIPS: And real quick, before we go, we put together some numbers here. You and Carol and I were talking about this. That OSHA reported in 2008 nationwide 4,100 performance artist injuries and then it went up in 2009. 5,800 performance artist injuries.
So, John, do we have any idea if the show's going to go on?
ROBERTS: The show -- I mean, on Broadway, Kyra, unless you have terrible box office receipts which this show hasn't. I mean, it's been playing to packed audiences, the show always goes on. There's obviously going to be a review to find out what happened. Redoubling of the efforts on safety, make sure that this fellow is okay.
I don't know if this will push back the opening night date past February 7th or not. That will be yet to be determined, but I think in this case, when you've got this much money on the line and this much prestige on the line and this much buzz about it, the show will definitely go on.
PHILLIPS: Got it. John, thanks.
Equal access to the Web. That's what the FCC is taking on today. Taking a closer look at net neutrality. What it means to you, coming up in our Political Ticker.
First, "Flashback." Seventy-three years ago today, it was called Disney's Folly. How can anyone be expected to sit for an hour and a half to watch a cartoon? Let alone a Grimm's fairy tale everyone already knew. But three years, $1.5 million and 570 artists later, in 1937, the Disney animated feature "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" had its world premier in Los Angeles.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAY LENO, HOST, "THE TONIGHT SHOW": In this past weekend, pretty busy weekend. Christmas sales are on. Congress repealed "don't ask, don't tell." The president signed
(CHEERS)
LENO: -- yep. The [resident signed the big tax cut extension. So, if you're a gay soldier who's also a millionaire, looking to use the tax break money to go Christmas shopping, this is the best week of your life! Exactly!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Well, New Jersey governor Chris Christie finishing up his first year in office. So, how does his constituents (sic) feel about the sometimes blunt, in-your-face style that he has? His approval ratings are actually topping the political ticker right now.
CNN political producer Shannon Travis standing by at the CNNpolitics.com desk. Hey, Shanno, good to see you.
SHANNON TRAVIS, CNN POLITICAL PRODUCER: Hey, there, Kyra. So, should the governor of New Jersey Chris Christie run for president? If you ask someone who is in New Jersey, they might say, "Forget about it!". We have some new poll numbers that show he's down about five points. His approval ratings, according to this Quinnipiac University poll, show that his approval rating is at 46 percent, his disapproval is at 44 percent. Again, that's down about five points since November. There's been a lot of buzz, a lot of chatter -- he is like a rock star to a lot of conservative Republicans about a potential 2012 bid. He swatted away a lot of that saying, hey, I have no intentions of running for president in 2012. But a lot of people say, hey, maybe he should because he's got a pretty in-your-face style, and a lot of people like that.
In terms of net neutrality, what is net neutrality? Let's say first say that the FCC is going to be voting on net neutrality today, It's expected to pass. It will then go to Congress.
But let's break down what it is. Net neutrality basically is sort of like a rules of the road so that Internet service providers can't say, speed up Web sites or apps from paying customers and can't slow down, say, Web sites or applications from some of their competitors. So, the FCC is expected to vote on this today, it's expected to pass and then go to Congress.
And then lastly, the last Senate race in the nation, where does it stand? We're talking about Alaska. Joe Miller, Tea Party favorite. Senator Lisa Murkowski, Republican incumbent senator. The case right now, Joe Miller's challenge to the write-in ballots. Remember, Murkowski ran as a write-in candidate. The case stands in Alaska supreme court. I made some calls yesterday just to see where things stand. Right now, we are waiting on a decision from the supreme court. The Alaska supreme court. At any moment.
But Murkowski's campaign said, you know what? It may not matter. The senator may actually be certified this week or early next. And that's what they're really counting on, getting that certification so that she can then be sworn in.
The Miller campaign tells me, hey, that might happen but we're prepared to take this all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. So, no end in sight yet on that.
Shannon, thanks. We will have your next political update in about an hour. Also a reminder, you can go to our Web site, 24/7, CNNpolitics.com.
All right. Let's talk about an anniversary some folks are celebrating, others are definitely protesting. 150 years ago Monday, South Carolina said "peace out" and left the union. We all know how that turned out. One horrific civil war and about 600,000 dead soldiers later, South Carolina was back.
Well last night, there was a Secession Ball in Charleston, complete with costumes and mint juleps and of course, there were no slaves there. No battlefield amputations without anesthesia, no starving soldiers, no scorched earth, no chaos because, after all, it's a ball, y'all. Organizers said they're celebrating South Carolinians who stood up for what they believed in. Critics say the problem is the state delegates in 1860 believed in treason and protecting slavery.
Here's what the guy from the Confederate Heritage Trust had to say about that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RANDY BURBAGE, CONFEDERATE HERITAGE TRUST: We're not celebrating slavery by any means. We wouldn't do that. We think slavery is a -- was a horrible institution and we're glad that it's gone. It's more of an observance and a historical presentation of what happened and who these men were.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Well, the NAACP isn't buying it they say the whole ball celebrates slavery and some members from Charleston Branch picketed at a hotel where the ball goers were staying.
We like what Larry Wilmore from "The Daily Show" actually said about all of this. He looked at the secession documents.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LARRY WILMORE, "THE DAILY SHOW": Let's -- let's see. What was South Carolina's reasons for leaving the union? The current of anti- slavery feeling? They have denounced the sinful institution of slavery; encouraged slaves to leave their homes; elected a president whose opinions and purposes are hostile to slavery. The slave holding states will no longer have the power of self-government. They called themselves the slave-holding states.
Look, saying slavery was the cause of secession isn't politically correct. It's correct-correct.
JON STEWART, HOST, "THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART: But there was -- I mean, there were other arguments, there were things about taxes in that document, Larry?
WILMORE: Yes. Taxes on slaves. Jon, they thought the north counted slaves as too much of a person.
STEWART: Wow. I get your point. But what -- what do we do?
WILMORE: Oh Jonathan, you mind if I borrow camera three for a minute?
STEWART: No. Go right ahead.
WILMORE: Hey, Chuck, can -- can we set a little mood. Oh very good, very good.
Oh south, south, south. Look. You're a lovely place. You have a rich heritage. No one wants to take away your pecan pie or your William Faulkner (ph) or your sweet tea. Ok? Just admit you fought a war over your right to keep slaves. No one saying you invented slavery but you hung on to it like a mother (EXPLETIVE DELETED). All right?
(END VIDEO CLIP) PHILLIPS: Well, the man with a South Carolina vision of the Sons of Confederate Veterans told South Carolina the state that his group condemns slavery and respects the NAACP'S right to protest.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Well, let's scan our "Morning Passport".
Let's start in Turkey. They're dancing with their dishes.
Then to Europe, where they don't need any reminder that today is the first day of winter.
And then an eclipse, we haven't seen one like this for 100 years.
Zain Verjee and again she hasn't even lived 100 years. She joins us live from London, our correspondent/travel agent. First up, its dinner and a show, but the show takes place in the kitchen and there you went.
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: As your official travel agent, Kyra, I want to tell you about Turkey and about a slice of theater in a kitchen called Abracadabra. I was there a few days ago and the chef believes that you can't have good food without good music. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VERJEE (voice-over): De Laura adds some spice, a belly dancer with chillis around her neck.
(on camera): This is the most fun kitchen I've ever been in. They believe that making good music will make good food.
(voice-over): And a good show. The diners watch the kitchen stage the performance too. All part of the Abracadabra experience.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VERJEE: Plus, you may not cook exactly like that, but you're a good cook. This -- this -- that was the scene there. I mean, a belly dancer, there were pots and pans being used as percussion instruments. And they were -- they were actually cooking for the customers while they were there.
And the whole idea is -- is -- is that it should really be something where food meets performance art. They say it's part of creativity and it just makes the food taste better.
Kyra, you ever seen anything like that?
PHILLIPS: No -- well, actually, that's usually a Friday night out with you. But that's a whole another story.
All right. Up next, Europe's becoming a bit of a winter wonderland. Yes, travelers wondering when they're going to go home. VERJEE: Yes, yes, this is nowhere near as fun. I mean, there is outrage, there is frustration, and there are a lot of tears. There was one person we spoke to today, Kyra, that said that Heathrow Airport is like a refugee camp. People have been camped out there for three or four days, they're sleeping on makeshift areas on mattresses. They -- some of them don't have enough blankets. Food or water is running out of the airport.
So it's a really terrible situation. A lot of people are just standing there and crying their eyes out because their -- they may miss their Christmas vacations that they've planned for so long and won't see their loved ones. And it's just frustrating.
Heathrow Airport is saying today that one third of flights only will leave. The reason that they're doing that is they're trying to give themselves a little breathing space. So they need to figure out where the crews are, where the planes are, and things like that.
So it's still going to take a while, ice is a problem and all of Europe is -- is dealing with this, so much of Europe, particularly with the roads. People can't travel on them and trucks abandon Germany, for example, from moving.
PHILLIPS: All right, I hope you don't have to travel anytime soon.
All right, let's talk about that last lunar eclipse. You know, we saw it in the U.S. We're not going to see another until 2014.
VERJEE: Right.
PHILLIPS: Did you see it in the UK?
VERJEE: No, I -- I actually needed my beauty sleep. So I didn't get up. I mean, this isn't easy, you know, Kyra. But it was really a heavenly show for those people that did see it. It was just incredible. A lunar eclipse that was actually coincidentally on the day of the winter solstice and that hasn't happened since 1638.
So it's pretty amazing. And -- and if you look at the pictures, you'll see that, Kyra, the moon looks actually very high and that's because the earth's axis is slightly tilted because it was on the winter solstice. So that's why it looks like that.
But you're right. It's going to take a while before we see that again. Here is the beautiful heavenly shot. A lunar eclipse, we won't see it for a long time since -- until 2014. Right.
PHILLIPS: We can wait. Hopefully we'll be around talking about it. Good to see you, Zain.
VERJEE: Hopefully I'll catch it then, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Yes exactly. And you don't need any more beauty sleep.
VERJEE: I welcome my belly dancing report.
PHILLIPS: Yes, yes, please. Zain, oh, my goodness.
Well, we're finding lots of developments in the next hour of CNN NEWSROOM. Let's check in first with Casey Wian -- Casey.
CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, mud slides, flash flood warnings, heavy snow, we'll tell you all about this heavy rainstorm that's been hammering California for the past five days coming up at the top of the hour.
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: And hammer is still out, will be for another day and a half as more moisture comes in and then a change in the weather pattern. And this storm or at least a part of it will be heading to the East Coast. We'll have the forecast at the top of the hour.
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN BUSINESS NEWS CORRESPONDENT: I'm Stephanie Elam in New York. Guess what? Ebenezer, take a hike. Companies are feeling a little bit more merry this year. I'll tell you how they are planning on celebrating. That's coming up in the next hour -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right, thanks guys.
Also in the next hour, the five big things you can do to help manage your time and stress during the holidays. Tim Ferris, the author of the "Four-Hour Workweek" and "The Four-Hour Body" is joining me live with the top tips.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: All right. Time now for "The Big Play"; what you need to know in the world of sports. And we want to welcome a new friend to the team, NBA TV Host, Kyle Montgomery. Good to see you.
KYLE MONTGOMERY, NBA TV Host: Good to see you. I'm glad to be here.
PHILLIPS: Talking about my old stomping grounds. Well, Brett Favre is no longer with Green Bay, Wisconsin --
MONTGOMERY: Yes.
PHILLIPS: But this is someone that I even covered for a while when I was working in the great city of Green Bay.
MONTGOMERY: You know, I had the opportunity to cover Brett, as well, down in Hinesburg, Mississippi.
PHILLIPS: Oh. You're going back to college.
MONTGOMERY: College of Southern Mississippi, absolutely. So I guess I'm going to be wearing my age a little bit.
PHILLIPS: All right. Well, he's definitely -- he's had a long and successful career, but it may be coming to an end. MONTGOMERY: Well, unfortunately, maybe so. As you know last Monday Brett's consecutive start streak ended at 321; this is because of an injury to his throwing arm. Some thought at the time he was done, but Favre as you know, already said this is his final season. He wanted to have another shot. So this may have been a bad idea.
Last night the second quarter of the game against the Bears, defensive end Corey Wootton comes down hard on Brett, smashed his head into this frozen turf so you can imagine how that felt. Everyone at TCF stadium they're holding their breath. Obviously a tough hit.
In the end, Favre suffered a concussion on the play and was replaced by rookie Joe Webb. Webb actually was scheduled to start in the first place. He did a pretty good job, but still, it was a backyard beat-down as I call it. Bears top the Vikings 40-14. They now won the NFC North.
PHILLIPS: Hey, and who thought collecting baseball cards could be worth so much money? I wish my brother would've held on to his collection after hearing this story.
MONTGOMERY: Yes. I might as well get to that. A rare baseball card was obviously bequeathed to an order of Roman Catholic nuns in Baltimore, Maryland. At an auction, it fetched $220,000. The nuns were flying at such a high payday, right?
Here's the thing, the winning bidder never paid. So the auction house called up one of its long time clients, he's a cardiologist in Philadelphia. He heard the story and he said, well, I'll buy it. So $220,000.
PHILLIPS: All right. He helped the nuns out.
MONTGOMERY: It hit the bank obviously -- well, actually yesterday. The card is the Honus Wagner card, it's in poor condition, but considered to be the most sought-after baseball card in history. About 60 or so are known to exist. So how about that?
PHILLIPS: Oh, my God. That's amazing. I wonder if my brother had one of those. I'm going to have to ask him.
