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Snow Pounds Northeast; Terror Suspects Appear in London Courtroom; Police Investigate Death of Model; President Has Reportedly Quit Smoking; Girlfriend Of Heir To Busch Fortune Found Dead; Winter Weather Strands Many Travelers; Hugh Hefner Engaged; Teena Marie Dies
Aired December 27, 2010 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon.
Look, it is winter in the Northeast. And it snows, right? Well, you don't need the world's news leader to tell you that. Probably don't, but we're going to show you. Come on, people.
Look at the dumping that New York City got last night, and Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C., and Boston, and Providence, and Portland, and on and on and on. It's the kind of snow that is testing the patience of even the toughest big city folks, folks who are used to living in cold, snowy weather.
So, before we get into it, remember that movie "Vanilla Sky"? Remember that, Tom Cruise in the middle of a ghost town in Times Square? Well, look at this picture. When have you seen Times Square emptier than that? Well, that's this morning in New York City, quiet and still and frozen.
It doesn't look like that now, of course. The sun has been out all day and the people have been trampled -- have trampled all over that snow. And, of course, we wouldn't be doing our job without showing you this guy right there, the obligatory "guy skiing through Times Square" picture.
It's nowhere near as pretty or tranquil at any airport in the Northeast today. So, just pick one, and I promise you it's full of ticked-off, stressed-out, bleary-eyed people going exactly to the same place, and that's nowhere. This is La Guardia you're looking at right now.
The facility manager calls it hotel La Guardia. The airport passed out every cot, pillow and blanket in the place. Imagine being there.
All right, check out Boston, Logan Airport, canceled, canceled, canceled. That's what the board reads. Even Amtrak trains between Boston and New York stopped running yesterday. And rail service today is only limited.
So, listen to this guy, I want you to, who has been stuck at JFK Airport. And he is running the place run low on food. They're going to run out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JASON COCHRAN, STRANDED AT JFK AIRPORT IN NEW YORK: I don't think that Virgin Atlantic or in fact many of the airlines are very well- equipped to be able to handle passengers who are stranded in these numbers at the airport.
In fact, JFK right now is starting to run out of food. And, unfortunately, we can't leave. There are no roads or rails open, which is also the reason food hasn't been able to come to restock the shelves.
You would expect a "Lord of the Flies" type situation.
(LAUGHTER)
COCHRAN: But it's not happening. And people are -- I guess the best word is dejected.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
COCHRAN: There's really no control that we have over this situation. And although we don't blame Virgin Atlantic for deciding to cancel the flights, we do blame it for bringing us to the airport and getting us into this mess, when all the other airlines were canceling.
So, the pushback hasn't been extreme, but you can feel people fraying. And I think, as the hunger starts to build, and now that this -- the news has sunk in that we aren't getting hotels we were promised, because we can't get to them, I think you will find people getting a little more testy. But, so far, we're hanging in there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Well, and it's going to be a while before the airports open.
So, things may not be so dire in the coming hours. We have news to report from at least one New York City air -- airport.
Allan Chernoff live at La Guardia.
Allan, talk to me.
ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Don, you know, you have just laid out a nightmare scenario for travelers.
Guess what? I am going to top you, and top you big time.
Don, imagine getting stuck not in just one of these mega-storms, but two.
I have got a traveler right here, Antonio Christopher from London. Remember that storm we were talking about last week in Britain? Yes, he was in it.
Two nights at Heathrow Airport?
ANTONIO CHRISTOPHER, STRANDED PASSENGER: Yes, that's correct. CHERNOFF: So, when did you actually begin your travels?
CHRISTOPHER: Around the 20th.
CHERNOFF: That would be a week ago. And where are you trying to get to?
CHRISTOPHER: Endgame is actually St. Kitts in the Caribbean.
CHERNOFF: Hmm, that sound real good, assuming you get there. Now, where did you spend last night?
CHRISTOPHER: Last night, I spent at JFK.
CHERNOFF: At the airport. And tonight will be?
CHRISTOPHER: At La Guardia.
CHERNOFF: Ah, now, this man quite experienced in accommodations at airports.
Antonio, you are a real trooper. And look at that smile on this gentleman's face.
LEMON: Yes, why is he still smiling?
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: You would think, Allan, that he would be really upset.
(LAUGHTER)
CHRISTOPHER: Yes.
When I get to the Caribbean, it will be much better, actually.
(LAUGHTER)
CHERNOFF: He just told us what you're thinking, of the Caribbean, huh?
CHRISTOPHER: Absolutely.
CHERNOFF: Yes. He has a -- he has a wedding to get to there?
CHRISTOPHER: Yes, sir. I'm actually supposed to be (INAUDIBLE) over a wedding and help with some of that wedding, my cousin, actually, in St. Kitts.
CHERNOFF: I think that's going to be quite the party. And this hopefully will be an extended vacation.
CHRISTOPHER: Most definitely, a well-needed one, actually.
CHERNOFF: Absolutely. You certainly deserve it right now. Unfortunately, his flight down to Miami, which will then connect to a flight to the Caribbean, doesn't leave until hopefully tomorrow morning. Don, it's one nightmare story after another here.
The bright news? Well, at least one runway here at La Guardia Airport is supposed to open an hour from now. That doesn't mean that we're going to have takeoffs and landings happening, but at least the airport will be reopened -- Don.
LEMON: All right, I guess that's glass half-full.
Allan, will you stand by? Because we have plenty of stories to tell. Stand by, because I want to talk to you. I want to come back to you.
I want to go to CNN assignment editor Katy Byron. She's in Western Connecticut.
Hey, Katy, I have been looking at the pictures that you have been spending as you spend time with your family there about an hour outside of New York City.
Tell us what is happening with you guys.
(LAUGHTER)
KATY BYRON, CNN ASSIGNMENT EDITOR: Well, I'm here on vacation. So, I would much rather be in the Caribbean now. But we have got about 16 inches of snow on the ground. But with the (INAUDIBLE) it's really more like two feet, like, past my knees. (INAUDIBLE)
LEMON: Hey, Katy? Katy, Katy, Katy, hey, we're having a little bit of a tough time hearing you. If you can move closer to a window, we will try to get a better signal from you.
I understand that you said you lost power last night around 10:30.
BYRON: Yes.
LEMON: It was down overnight for several hours, but it's currently restored. Your mom went out grocery shopping yesterday morning at 9:00 a.m. and the lines were out the door, people stocking up. I imagine it was milk and bread?
BYRON: Yes, milk and bread and eggs and all the standard stuff. But we got a lot of salt and shovels. That's really what we're focusing on next. We're going to go outside and just (INAUDIBLE).
LEMON: Yes.
Katy, stand by. We're going to work on that connection.
We will try to re-dial Katy.
I'm going to go back to Allan Chernoff now, who has been spending time in the airport. Allan, you have been talking about the people and their spirits there. That gentleman is supposed to be at a wedding in the Caribbean. But what you have -- have -- have people really been calm through all of this, because they realize there's nothing that they can do? Obviously, they're concerned about running out of food, but that hasn't happened yet.
CHERNOFF: Yes, fortunately, food is not a problem.
The fast-food restaurants are well-stocked over here. And, yes, people have been in very good humor over here. I mean, people recognize that, look, Mother Nature, when she pounds us with snow like this, there's little that you can do.
Of course, we know, so many times, travelers have gotten very frustrated with the airlines. But, in this situation, look, it's the weather. It's not the airlines.
LEMON: Yes.
Hey, Allan -- do we have Katy back? Do we have a better connection with Katy, guys? Two seconds.
OK, Allan, listen, show us around. Have your photographer, if you can, pan around the airport, because even though you are talking about people are stranded and stuck there, it doesn't look to be that busy. The corridors look to be empty, unless everybody is on a cot or they're waiting at the customer service lines.
CHERNOFF: Yes.
Well, Rick Hall (ph), if you can just pan over, that is -- Don, you're looking over there at the way to the gates. So, the gates are not even open just yet, in spite of the fact that I just told you the runway -- at least one runway here, one of two -- will be open in about an hour.
So it's not busy at all, but busier than it was early this morning. There have been quite a few folks. And if you look down this hallway, you can see some folks at least trying to reschedule their flight, buy a new ticket, somehow try to get out of here earlier than the hour and the date that they have been given, because, Don, there are some people who have been told they can't get out of New York until Thursday.
LEMON: Oh.
CHERNOFF: And forget about a hotel around here.
LEMON: Oh, boy.
Stand by, Allan.
I want to bring in our meteorologist here, Chad Myers.
Chad, I -- I was watching you earlier, and you were showing the flight tracker.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: And I...
(CROSSTALK)
MYERS: Yes.
LEMON: Compared to what is usually up there.
MYERS: I know.
LEMON: Is this the only flight in the sky?
MYERS: Right now -- I'm going to walk over to it -- this is Delta Flight 1496 on the way to La Guardia. There's one plane on the way here.
So, how are you going to get all these people out...
(LAUGHTER)
MYERS: ... when there's only one plane coming, right? So, obviously, planes on the ground, tarmac is full of snow. So are the gates, full of snow. Then you have to try to put the bags that are in the snow on the planes to get people out.
And so although, officially, yes, Allan, we just got it from the FAA, the airport will open in one hour officially for flights, I think this is going to take a really long time to get things going.
(LAUGHTER)
MYERS: Don't you agree?
LEMON: Hmm.
CHERNOFF: Absolutely. That's very true.
And the fact is not only one flight coming in, but virtually no airplanes on the ground here. As you know, the airlines wanted to get all the planes away from the snow. So, as a result, there are virtually none here.
I see one American Eagle.
MYERS: Wow.
CHERNOFF: I saw one JetBlue plane. And that's all I have seen every time I have peeked out onto the -- onto the runways.
LEMON: Hmm.
All right, Allan, stand by. We will be checking with you through the show.
Hey, Chad, come in here and talk about this. Was this expected, this amount of snow...
MYERS: Yes.
LEMON: ... to do this much? I know there was...
MYERS: Yes.
LEMON: To do this much damage?
MYERS: Absolutely.
LEMON: Yes.
MYERS: No question about it.
And the problem is now you had every plane that was going to be flying yesterday and today full.
LEMON: Yes.
MYERS: They were -- they were booked. They were completely full. There were no empty seats.
So, now you have thousands of people that don't have an airplane, because that flight didn't leave.
LEMON: Yes.
MYERS: And now the flights on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, they may have six open seats, 10 open seats. You have got 1,000 people trying to get on a 10-open-seat plane. OK.
LEMON: Yes.
MYERS: So, you're not going to get 1,000 on.
LEMON: Yes.
MYERS: The time that it's going to take to get the number of passengers that are stranded, five at a time, 10 at a time, 15 at a time, with open seats on planes, it's going to take -- it's going to take days, maybe a week to get these people out.
And the pilots aren't there either.
LEMON: Yes.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: If this was a normal day, I mean, it would be a big deal, but it's a bigger deal now because so many people in the airports, they're trying to get to Christmas, trying to get -- Christmas is over. Many of them didn't make it. MYERS: Yes.
LEMON: This is a different sort of travel problem, and it's not just the airport. We're going to report on that. There are people who are stuck on subway trains, people who are stuck in cars...
MYERS: Sure. Sure.
LEMON: ... people who can't get out of their homes who don't have electricity.
So, Chad Myers, Allan Chernoff, Katy Byron, thanks to all of you. And I'm sure we will be checking back throughout this broadcast and all everything here on CNN.
Meantime, this is coming up.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
911 OPERATOR: OK. What's the problem?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She's -- this girl is just not waking up. We can't get her to...
911 OPERATOR: Is she -- is she breathing?
(END AUDIO CLIP)
LEMON: All right, that was the 911 call -- police in Saint Louis releasing this 911 call in the mysterious death of a young model -- her body found at the home of a beer heir. So, how did they know each other and how did she die? A live report is straight ahead here on CNN.
Plus, nine terror suspects appearing in a London courtroom, and now we know what they were targeting. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: We have a couple of stories that are moving this hour.
Think you could handle it if your car's engine shut off every time you stopped at a red light? Well, Ford Motor Company is installing a feature on more cars it says will boost gas mileage and make a cleaner ride, an auto start/stop. It's a gizmo that kills the engine when -- when you stop rolling.
It's already a feature on some Ford hybrids. Here's what the company is saying. It says look for it in conventional cars and SUVs in 2012 -- in 2012.
Another terror scare in Rome. Police in Italy say they found a package, an explosive package at the Greek Embassy. It was the second time in a week that embassies in Rome have received some sort of explosive in the mail. Police are also investigating reports of suspicious packages at the Venezuelan and the Danish embassies, but they eventually cleared the scenes.
A group of anarchists say they set up last week's mail bombings at embassies in Rome. No word who may have sent today's package.
Next: the United States Embassy in London also a target, the London Stock Exchange a target as well. There's a list of them, targets -- targets, part of an alleged terror plan by nine men arrested a week ago in England and Wales. They all appeared before a judge today.
A quick update from CNN's Dan Rivers. He's in London.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAN RIVERS, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The nine men all appeared here at Westminster Magistrates' Court to hear charges against them, all of them charged with conspiracy to cause an explosion between the 6th of November and the 21st of December, all of them also charged with preparing for an act of terrorism between the same dates.
And, in detail, that involved downloading, researching, obtaining and discussing materials and methods, researching, discussing and carrying out reconnaissance on and agreeing on potential targets, traveling to and attending meetings, and, interestingly, igniting and testing incendiary material.
None of the men were granted bail, three of them from Cardiff, four from Stoke-on-Trent, and two from London. They have all been remanded in custody, so they will appear at Central Criminal Court, the Old Bailey, on the 14th of January.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: That was CNN's Dan Rivers reporting from London.
Thank you, Dan.
Now tragedy in Egypt: eight American tourists killed after their tour bus crashes. Coming up: the latest on the survivors and how the whole thing happened.
Plus, this: Thousands are without power across the Northeast, including Connecticut. The storm rocked the state with wind gusts of 60 miles an hour. It's all next on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Believe it or not, a lot of people have never been in a blizzard. So, if you haven't, let me give a little hint as to how it looks.
This is Needham, Mass. -- Massachusetts. It's just outside of Boston. That's 11:00 p.m. last night, that snow blowing off that roof in winds that reached 50 miles an hour. And that's how it looks.
So, now I want you to listen to this very carefully. This is how it sounds.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(WIND BLOWING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: One brutal night in the Northeast, and it's been a tough day as well.
Joining me now is CNN editor Katy Byron from Weston, Connecticut.
So, Katy, thanks very much.
BYRON: Sure.
LEMON: You're on a -- a clearer phone now. We can hear. OK.
So, still, what's been the most interesting thing? You're up there with your family. You're spending the holidays. You're supposed to come back tomorrow. What has been the most interesting thing that you have seen since this all started?
BYRON: Well, two things, the first off being it's about 16 inches of snow on the ground.
But, when we opened the front door this morning, literally, the snow drift was so high, it was past -- up past my knees because of the wind. And that was what caused our power to go out last night at about 10:30 or so.
And I think approximately 30,000 people statewide in Connecticut are still without power at this point.
LEMON: Oh, my gosh. Now, these -- these are pictures you took.
Now, who is Rocky?
(LAUGHTER)
BYRON: Rocky is our family puppy.
(LAUGHTER)
BYRON: And he's never seen snow before. So, he's completely freaked out. I think he loves it and he's scared of it at the same time.
(LAUGHTER)
BYRON: So ,we had to take him out for that.
LEMON: You did?
It's your dad's 66th birthday. Is it a present that you're all home together, or is he not digging this at all, Katy?
BYRON: Well, I think he's very happy to have us all home, but he absolutely hates the winter, hates the snow, even though he's lived here this -- his entire life.
So, it's kind of like Old Man Winter's big joke on Mr. Byron here.
LEMON: Well, happy birthday to Mr. Byron.
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: On to more serious news, though. You lost power last night around 10:30. We talked about that a moment ago. It was down overnight and then for several hours. And now it is back up.
Tell us what that experience was like. Did you -- did it get very cold in the house? What happened?
BYRON: Well, we were actually very lucky. I mean, my parents have lived here for over 30 years, almost 40 years. So, we come prepared. And we have had a generator for about 10 years for situations just like this.
So, we fired up the generator around midnight, so that we could stay warm overnight. But I think a lot of people were shivering overnight -- last night.
LEMON: Katy, stand by.
I want to bring in our Chad Myers now to talk about this.
Chad, a lot of people without electricity.
MYERS: Yes.
LEMON: We're talking tens of thousands of people.
MYERS: Millions now -- now.
LEMON: Katy is lucky because she got the power out, but many still don't have it.
MYERS: Exactly. And that wind can blow that cold right through your house so quickly.
Your temperature in your house can go from 68 to 30 in no time. Here is Mike Black's (ph) view of the snow event from Belmar, New Jersey. Now, this is not that far from Asbury Park, and, you know, Bruce Springsteen, "Greetings From Asbury Park."
Watch this. Here's the clock. Here's a bucket. That's about 12 inches. He has to keep raising the clock because it's getting deeper. All of a sudden the bucket is not enough. And Mike says, all right, I better go get out there and put a yardstick in there.
Look at this. (CROSSTALK)
MYERS: Look at it go up and up and up. This is obviously over hours and hours and hours. It's a time lapse camera, but over the top of that yardstick, on top of what was just a picnic table out on the back porch.
So, you think that's cold -- look at that picture. It even seems cold. You start blowing the wind through it, and you don't have heat in your house, you might want to -- you might want to make sure you can get somewhere or cuddle up with other families that may have a fireplace or something. But, sometimes, fireplaces don't even keep you warm anyway.
LEMON: That's what I was going to say. What do you do? You said it can go from 68 to 30 very quickly. Do you go to the neighbor's house and you guys sort of hunker down together?
MYERS: Absolutely.
LEMON: Or do you put blankets under the door? What do you do, really?
MYERS: Two things you don't do, you don't just put the generator in the garage and let it run...
LEMON: Yes.
MYERS: ... because you can all of a sudden get carbon monoxide in your house.
LEMON: Yes.
MYERS: You don't turn on the natural gas...
LEMON: Oven.
MYERS: ... oven...
LEMON: Yes.
MYERS: ... and let it run all day and all night, because that's putting carbon monoxide in your house as well.
LEMON: Layer.
MYERS: Layer and layer.
Obviously, when you have -- when you have a gas fireplace, you think, oh, I'm good, I have gas. Gas isn't going to go out.
But if the blower doesn't run because there's no power, that furnace will not keep running. That furnace will get to its high temperature limit and turn off. So, the gas tries to go, but it will not blow. The only thing you can do is -- is try to get into one small room together and use your body heat to keep everybody warm. LEMON: Chad Myers, you will be here. We will be talking to you a lot.
MYERS: All night long.
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: Yes, all night long, Like the Lionel Richie song.
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: And, Katy Byron, hey, listen, stay warm. And happy birthday to your dad, OK?
BYRON: Thank you.
LEMON: All righty.
And the storm is sparking chaos for travelers. We have been telling you about it: buses, trains, planes all crippled by this blizzard. So, what's causing the most trouble for cleanup crews? What is? It's not the snow. It is the wind. We will explain more next.
Plus, a group wants to prove once and for all that President Obama was born in the U.S. Haven't we gone through this? Well, the push comes from his home state -- straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: All right, a big snowstorm makes a picturesque scene, but riding it out from the inside, that is an entirely different story.
Suffolk County, New York -- that's Eastern Long Island, by the way -- 10,000 homes went dark overnight. Power went out. And today has been a very cold scramble to get it all restored.
So, joining me on -- on the phone is Steve Levy. He is Suffolk County executive.
Thank you very much.
Listen, Suffolk County is 1.5 million residents. Right now, how many are without power? It was 10,000.
STEVE LEVY, SUFFOLK COUNTY, NEW YORK, EXECUTIVE: Well, our crews have been doing a great job in the Power Authority. It's down to under 3,000.
So, as time goes by and the winds subside, the power workers are able to get up to the high lines and reconnect them. Just as a security measure, we opened up one of our shelters for any individual who might be without power and without heat. They can come by and get a warm bed.
LEMON: OK. Good.
And how many people did you have in shelters? How many people took you up on that offer?
LEVY: Well, fortunately, it's de minimis. Very few have been, partially because it's been very treacherous to drive.
LEMON: Mm-hmm.
LEVY: But I think most of the people are sharing with other acquaintances who they know have power or are just waiting it out, knowing that the...
LEMON: Steve, are you still there?
All right. Apparently, we have lost Steve Levy. He is with Suffolk County -- Suffolk County executive there. We will get him back to talk more about it, because I'm wondering how the roads are doing there in Suffolk County. We have been hearing about people who were stuck on subways.
And you saw the pictures that we showed you earlier, people not in Times Square because of the roads, the icy roads, and conditions. But, again -- again, approximately 10,000 lost power in Suffolk County last night, 1.5 million residents. He says -- Steve Levy, the county executive there, says about 3,000 people, they have working to get it restored -- bus, train, mass transit crippled by the storm, we're told.
The biggest current challenge, they said, the winds. The winds are making roads terrible to travel on, causing cleanup efforts, a lot of hassle. And that's a quote from Steve Levy.
I want to tell you that we're online and we want you to be online, too. A lot of you are sending us your snowbound, snowed-in pictures. So, here is where to send them and we will get it on. There's -- there it is right there. It's DonLemonCNN on Twitter, DonLemonCNN on Twitter.
Thanks for your story. Thanks for sharing your pictures. Some people are even sending a little video. We will get that on for you as soon as we can get that. So, thanks for doing that.
All right, let's move on now. This is a -- really a mystery. The body of a beautiful young woman found at the home of a former Anheuser-Busch CEO, and now police are releasing the 911 call. So, how did she die? The mystery is unfolding right now. We will tell you about it next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: OK. Listen to this. This story has so many interesting details and depths and levels.
It has been a week, and it's still a mystery how a woman died at the mansion of one of the richest men in Saint Louis, and probably one of the richest men in the country. This is the woman right there.
Her name is Adrienne Martin, now dead at the age of 27. This is the man -- you might recognize the name -- August Busch IV, heir to the beer fortune.
And this is the call to 911 placed by a household employee.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Emergency 911.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We need an ambulance.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK, what's the problem?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This girl is not waking up.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is she breathing?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We don't know. It's dark back here. I'm going to get a light and try to see.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I get one going right away.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: As we said, a lot of unanswered questions here. It's a mystery. How did the woman die not only in question here -- not the only question unanswered. Perhaps first among them is why was the call to 911 placed 42 minutes after Martin's body was actually found? Why the callers say it was dark back there because it was early afternoon? And why did police wait to confirm the death until last Thursday? That was four days after it happened.
I want to talk to Nick Pistor, a reporter with the "St. Louis Post Dispatch." Let's start with this one, Nick -- thanks for joining us, by the way. How do the local cops explain that gap in confirming the death at the home of one of the city's most prominent citizens?
NICK PISTOR, "ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH": The local police said they were simply working on the case and trying to get it through their legal system and approved in their legal before they released anything on the matter on Thursday. So there was a four-day window where it was not disclosed until reporters started asking about it.
LEMON: Is that standard operating procedure, because if something like this happens usually right away the cops are there, the media is called? Why the delay here?
PISTOR: They're not really saying. It remains unclear why there was a delay. They say for some of it they were short staffed and that was part of the delay amongst other things. We're not really sure. Normally they're pretty quick to respond with matters of this nature. So right now it remains up in the air.
LEMON: What are they saying when you ask that question? No comment or they just don't return your call?
PISTOR: Generally they're saying they were short-staffed and hinging it on this legal issue. LEMON: That legal thing. Listen, Nick, I want you to listen to the emergency call placed Sunday afternoon one more time, December 19th.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Emergency 911.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, we need an ambulance.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK, what's the problem?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This girl's just not waking up. We can't get her to --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is she breathing?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, we don't know. It's dark back there. So I'm going to get a light and try and see.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'll get them going right away.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: It's dark back there? Nick, it was early afternoon, yet the caller said it was dark back there. Do we know where the body was found? Was it in a dark shed or garage? Why would it be dark?
PISTOR: We don't know. We know Mr. Busch was present at the mansion when it was found. We don't know where in the mansion it was found. And as far as this 911 tape that we just heard, it actually poses more questions than it does answers.
LEMON: It doesn't help with the police, how they're -- it doesn't jive, I should say. So he was 46, she was 27. They were dating, correct?
PISTOR: Yes. They had been dating for about a year. They're friends and everyone seemed to indicate that they had a positive relationship but had some trouble like all relationships do, but it seemed perfectly normal.
LEMON: OK. Listen, having worked there, this next story is kind of folk lore in the St. Louis area. August Busch driving a car in which a woman died and the circumstances around that has become folklore and risen to an area people talk about it and any time something comes up like this, they say there's the bad boy Busch again.
PISTOR: There's several. Once in Arizona when he was in college, but he was young at that time and he was driving his corvette, wreaked it. Woman was ejected from the vehicle. He left the scene and spoke with police some hours later. And she died and he was never charged in that incident. The police said it was too complicated of a case and charges were never made.
And then about a year later he led police on a police chase throughout the city of St. Louis, and his tire ultimately had to be shot out by a police officer. And when they realized who it was, they changed the tire for him. And then after that be he was charged with trying to run down a couple of police officers, but he was acquitted of those charges.
LEMON: The car where the woman died they said it wasn't enough evidence to convict him on anything, so it was sort of dropped?
PISTOR: Correct.
LEMON: OK, what's next quickly in the short time we have left?
PISTOR: We're waiting on the toxicology results which could take four to six weeks.
LEMON: And him? What about him?
PISTOR: He's not been saying much and he's been very quiet. His lawyer has said there's nothing suspicious about this and that she was a nice lady and --
LEMON: Not in custody, right?
PISTOR: Oh, no, not at all.
LEMON: Thank you. Nick Pistor, appreciate it, "St. Louis Post- Dispatch."
OK, Hugh Hefner making a surprise announcement about his love life. The 84-year-old playboy says he is engaged. But have you heard how old she is, or maybe how young she is? It is trending.
And remembering an R&B legend. I'm getting so many tweets on Teena Marie. We'll talk about her life and her death, next.
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LEMON: It's time right now for what is trending. I can't believe this. Does it ever end? News on Hugh Hefner right now. Plus another Hollywood star is pregnant and engaged. But first, the death of a legend, Teena Marie.
Kareen Wynter joining us from Los Angeles with all the details. So Kareen, good to see you. Sad news coming out last night. It started on the social media networks and we started investigating. Turns out to be true and it is a loss for the music world.
KAREEN WYNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, really a sudden and surprising news about the death. It stunned fans and those in the entertainment world. We're talking about R&B singer Teena Marie. She died Sunday in her California home. She was just 54 years old.
Who can forget this classic, her music for all those years when she was famously paired with late funk legends Rick James. She was nominated for multiple Grammy Awards. Let's talk about the hits, the one we're listening to. Also "Lover Girl", "I'm a Sucker for your Love." The list goes on and on. We don't know the calls of death but one of her reps said she suffered from a grand mal seizure a month ago. That may have been a sign. We just don't know right now. Stars like Diddy, Mary J. Blige are reacting. Also Motown records founder Berry Gordy, his publicist sent us a statement, "I'm horrified by the death of my darling Teena Marie. When I first auditioned her she was so awesome she blew me away. She had so much soul. The only thing white about her was her skin."
LEMON: That was the thing with Teena Marie. When she started out, a lot of people thought she was black and wouldn't put her face on the cover, which is weird. Sort of reverse of what happened in the early days of R&B music and rock music. Turns out she is white and actually a great singer. She will be missed. She certainly will be missed. I went to a bunch of their concerts. She and Rick James had a tumultuous relationship, but great performers.
WYNTER: They put out great work.
LEMON: Let's talk now about Hugh Hefner. Does it ever end? How old is Hef? In his 80s, 90s?
WYNTER: In his 80s. And Don, not a lot of folks saw this one coming. I didn't. But Hugh Hefner, he's taking another walk down the aisle. Yep, the 84-year-old "Playboy" founder, he broke the news of the engagement on Twitter of all places. Twitter, Don! Hefner is a lot hipper than you might think.
He popped the question to a "Playboy" playmate. Her name is Crystal Harris. She's right there, who he just beamed about when we caught up with him earlier this year.
LEMON: How old is she? We'll talk.
WYNTER: We'll get to that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HUGH HEFNER, "PLAYBOY" FOUNDER: I am in a very good relationship, very good relationship with a young lady named Crystal Harris. She's a keeper.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(LAUGHTER)
WYNTER: There you go.
LEMON: He broke out a smoking jacket for that? Oh, my gosh!
WYNTER: I know, and the robe which we all just love. We never get tired of.
He said his bride-to-be burst into tears when he proposed Christmas Eve but in a good way. And who's paying attention to numbers here, Don? Don lemon. We just want to add she's 24 and has appeared in several of his magazines, in his magazine several times. So another match made in Hollywood. So there you have it.
LEMON: 24 and 84. That's not even May/December. That's like May/April the next year.
WYNTER: Whoa! I'll let you tackle that.
LEMON: I can tell you guys can have fun longer with all the enhancement things going on. We'll end it there. Natalie Portman?
WYNTER: Great news for Natalie Portman and choreographer Benjamin Not Millepied. They're expecting their first child. A dose of double celebrity news here on this Monday -- not only is the 29-year-old actress pregnant but also engaged. Her reps confirm that to us. This is her first child and due sometime next year. No further details are given.
They met while shooting the movie "Black Swan." And both Portman's perform an in this movie as well as the movie itself, it's getting rave reviews from Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild award nominations to tons of Oscar buzz.
LEMON: This is one of the on the set romances that blossomed into more kids or at least one.
WYNTER: And it happens quite frequently in the industry.
LEMON: We know. Just ask Brangelina. Thank you, Kareen Wynter, we appreciate it.
WYNTER: Thanks, Don.
LEMON: We're going to talk about more serious stuff now. We've been updating you on the situation as regard to weather. CNN's Christine Romans, who just called in to us because she's stuck on a train in New Jersey. How long have you been stuck? First of all, sorry. And how long have you been stuck? What's going on, Christine?
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: It's 45 minutes now. This is exactly what happens in a commute when you have a big snowstorm like this. Real big -- very, very cold. The train stuck on the track in see caucus with no electricity, doors open. No lights. Everyone in very good spirits but trying to figure out what's the next train they can get on.
This train apparently stuck on the one line that is working. You have Amtrak employees here trying to get the snow off a bunch of the switches and stuff and figure out what to do next. But for now we're stuck in Secaucus. A lot of folks calling saying I thought I would get out of New York but I'm still stuck by the snowstorm.
LEMON: You're up in the northeast corridor. Are you on Amtrak, the Acela, or New Jersey transit?
ROMANS: This is New Jersey transit, but there are Amtrak personnel here at the junction handling the mechanical part of it. The New Jersey folks are trying to figure out how to reroute people so they can get on their way.
Ironically, it was a 2:11 train out of Penn Station, that left only four or five minutes late. So it left a little bit late and then we thought we were out of the woods and of course got stuck here.
LEMON: So you're from Penn State you station, New York City and going to -- what's your stop or at least your close stop? Don't give your exact location.
ROMANS: Heading toward about 15, 16 miles in Day Street and Montclair, stop there and all the way to Dover.
LEMON: You're heading into New Jersey. Because a lot of people will say you can take New Jersey transit all the way into New Jersey and Philadelphia.
ROMANS: All the trains were massively delayed. There was a train to Pittsburgh leaving about 2:00 that had been scheduled to leave at OK this morning. I will say people are in very good spirits. No one is grumbling or explaining. All you can do is look outside and see how cold it is. Everyone knows we're in for a tough commute and that's what we're getting.
LEMON: I know from taking the Amtrak between D.C., Philadelphia and New York that there are restrooms. The New Jersey transit, are there rest rooms on the cars?
ROMANS: There definitely were on this one. They pulled the last few cars at the station, but some people are getting off, getting warm, coming back on. It's very, very cold on the train but at least you can get off on the last few cars and get into the station and warmed up.
LEMON: But no dining cars?
ROMANS: No bar car either, Don.
LEMON: You read my mind. That was the question I really wanted to ask you. I'm glad you said it.
(LAUGHTER)
ROMANS: That's the Long Island railroad.
LEMON: Good luck to you, OK, Christine, stuck on a train somewhere in New Jersey that was supposed to leave Penn Station. Left a little late and she's stuck like many other people this holiday season. We wish her the best.
Everyone is still asking about this, as well. President Obama, has he kicked the smoking habit? His press secretary has the answer and he answered very candidly recently. We're going to tell you what he said, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) LEMON: Time now to talk about -- it's almost the first of the year, New Year's resolutions. I'm going to tweet that as soon as we're done with the story. This is the reason we're talking about it. The question is, has President Obama finally kicked the habit? His press secretary said it's very hopeful.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT GIBBS, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: I can report that it's been probably about nine months since he last smoked a cigarette. He has done enormously well in quitting. It was a commitment that I think he made to himself at the end of health care and with his two daughters in mind.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: So let's bring in our senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen in Miami. I'm jealous. OK. On to serious things now. Has the president been trying? We know he's been trying to kick cigarettes for a very long time now. No more smoke-filled rooms for the president, can I ask?
DR. ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: One certainly hopes so. We told an expert it's been eight months since his last cigarette. What are the chances he's going to have a relapse? He said statistically speaking most people that get past three months do not relapse.
But he says what the president has to look out for is stress. Stressful events make people relapse. And I'm sure the president has unfortunately plenty of those.
LEMON: Usually some people are addicted because of the nicotine. Others want something to do with their hands, all different weird things trying to quit smoking. Is it really safe to say he's quit if it's been you said beyond three months? And is there a chance he could slip up and start again? Of course there is.
COHEN: Of course there is a chance. But I think what we can all learn from this -- you mentioned all the different things that go into cigarette addiction, is that it's a drug addiction. Here's a guy as smart as he is. He knows the havoc he's wreaking on his body by smoking and aware of the statistics I'm sure.
Secondly, he has two daughters to live for. And thirdly, he's the president of the United States. He's running around the country talking about health care and here he is smoking. That's not setting a great example. That is not being a great role model.
He has all of the reasons to quit and it has taken him this long to do it. So let's hope that it sticks. Robert Gibbs did it by will power and Nicorette gum.
LEMON: You brought up a very interesting point, if you don't mind talking to me about it, because people tend to put stigmas and talk about addictions in weird ways, if you're addicted to some substance, cocaine, marijuana, whatever it is. An addiction is an addiction no matter what it is. If you're the president of the United States, you can be addicted to smoking. An ordinary American should be addicted to alcohol, and people should all be treated the same for their addictions.
COHEN: Sure. This really speaks to how incredibly addictive this is. And I want to read to you something that the doctor told us, the Dr. Michael Fiori of the University of Wisconsin. He said "If a man this accomplished is still struggling with this addiction it speaks volumes with how powerful this addiction truly is."
Nicotine is a drug. Doctors tell me it's like being addicted to any other drug and it's so difficult to kick the habit. And it shouldn't be a stigma attached. It's nobody's fault. It doesn't make sense to talk about fault. But, what does make sense is to get all of the help that you can when you decide it's time to quit.
LEMON: And 46 million Americans, that's a lot of Americans, Elizabeth Cohen. So how do you quit? Do you make up your mind with any other addiction? Hey, look, I'm going to do it? It's a stick-to-itiveness, maybe you have to. You go through the programs. How do you do it?
COHEN: It's so interesting. I definitely talked to people who said I decided to quit. I set a date. I did it.
LEMON: Cold turkey.
COHEN: I did it. I didn't need anything else. But then there are lots of people who need more than that. So setting the target quit date is important. January 1, no more, and then you get rid of all of the cigarettes in your car and your purse or wherever they may be, tell your friends and family. That's really important. You want people around you who will support you. And the people around you who still smoke, maybe it's time to stay away from them and gather around the people who are going to help you stay away from cigarettes.
And then talk to your doctor about anti-smoking medications whether it's a hard time sticking to Nicorette gum or something else. There are medications out there to help.
LEMON: Elizabeth Cohen, thank you very much. Are you warm in Miami there?
COHEN: I wouldn't call it warm. It's cold and windy, but it's going to get later in the week.
LEMON: You don't have snow.
COHEN: No.
LEMON: Count your lucky stars.
COHEN: I am.
LEMON: Happy New Year's to you.
COHEN: Thanks.
LEMON: Listen to this. A woman in New York is traveling to memorial service for her father-in-law. She gets on a subway train at midnight, but doesn't leave it until 7:00 in the morning. We'll talk to her live next. Hope she's OK.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: OK, we're hearing a lot of weather-related horror stories today. But here's one that literally gives you the chills. Susan Jut, their husband and their eight-year-old son were trying to fly to California for a funeral. Their plane was sitting on a runway at Kennedy airport when the flight was cancelled late last night.
But as it turns out, that was only just the beginning. They got on a subway train to go home. But the train stopped because of snow drifts and ice on the third rail. They ended up spending on the entire night, sitting on the train, without food, water, without bathroom. Oh, my gosh. Susan Jutt is on the phone to tell us all about that ordeal. If that wasn't enough, what I just said, how are you doing?
SUSAN JUTT, STUCK ON SUBWAY TRAIN OVERNIGHT: I'm tired. But I'm OK.
LEMON: How does one survive that, sitting on a subway train? You're antsy. You can't go to the bathroom. No food. You can't get cell phone service depending on where you are, understood ground, right?
JUTT: Actually we were in an elevated train, which is actually worse. It's cold.
LEMON: Cold, yes. You could get cell service. Were you able to call people?
JUTT: It was interesting. The people who had the fanciest phones, their phones ran out of batteries faster. I had the cheap phone so it actually lasted longer for some reason.
LEMON: Yes. How long is your -- how long was your ordeal again?
JUTT: About seven hours we were on that train.
LEMON: So were they coming over the loud speaker saying, you know, here's what the problem is, and we expect to be moving?
JUTT: Yes. Initially they did. The workers that were there were trying to help. They were letting us know intermittently they were trying to fix the train but gradually as the night wore on we were less and less.
LEMON: And then finally when the train starting to move the reaction, Susan?
JUTT: In the beginning, the train -- there were a lot of false starts and the whole train would cheer. And by the time we moved seven hours, it was pretty quiet. Everybody was afraid to cheer that it would be another false start. We were all pretty tired by then. LEMON: Are you in a warm place now?
JUTT: Yes, actually, we are. We're in a hotel. Our car is still stuck in long-term parking at Kennedy airport.
LEMON: How is -- what's your son's name?
JUTT: Alexander.
LEMON: How's Alexander doing? Eight years old, I imagine not a good time for him?
JUTT: He's really quite the trooper. He slept most of the time. But I said, it's really very cold. We had to bundle him up. We took extra clothes out of our suitcases and bundled him up.
LEMON: Give Alexander our best and your husband. Susan Jutt, we hope that you get to travel to wherever it is that you were supposed to go, OK? Happy holidays.
JUTT: Thank you so much.
LEMON: Thank you.
There is a new effort to prove that President Obama is an American citizen once and for all. Now, our Ed Henry is live in Hawaii with a very bad shirt on and I would change that before we do this live shot. As a matter of fact, that shirt is so bad, I'm going to go to the break and give you the chance to rethink it and come back for the Political Ticker ahead.
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