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Times Square New Year's Eve Preps; Deadly Tornado in Arkansas; Hard Times Getting Better; Times Square Pumps Up Security; Snow Slowdown Investigation, Deadly Storm Strikes Arkansas, Overcoming Poverty and Cancer
Aired December 31, 2010 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone. Live from Studio 7, I'm Tony Harris.
The big stories for Friday, December 31st, the last day of 2010.
The world rings in 2011 with a bang. Live pictures of New Year's festivities from the Far East.
Taiwan's main celebration is at the Taipei 101 building with fireworks over Riverside Park. In Hong Kong, fireworks were exploding over the city's Victoria Harbour as China greets 2011. This was the scene in Seoul earlier today. South Koreans welcomed the Year of the Rabbit by ringing a giant bell.
And in New York, people will gather in blizzard slush to see the Times Square ball drop at precisely midnight. Mayor Michael Bloomberg says he will look into claims city workers deliberately slowed snow removal to protest budget cuts.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR MICHAEL BLOOMBERG (I), NEW YORK: I don't think it took place, but we're going to do an investigation to make sure that it didn't. It would be an outrage if it took place, but I just don't know.
(WEATHER REPOT)
HARRIS: Despite all that snow, the party must go on. We're talking about New York. And right now, the Big Apple revving up for the big ball to drop in Times Square. A million people expected for tonight's New Year's Eve celebration.
CNN Senior Correspondent Allan Chernoff is on the phone with us from Times Square.
And Allan, if you would, update us on the preps. Has all of that snow been removed from Times Square?
ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SR. CORRESPONDENT: Oh, Tony, there's barely enough snow in Times Square to make a snowball. I mean, they cleared it out long ago.
That is not the back streets of Brooklyn or Queens. Times Square has got virtually no snow. That is absolutely not the problem.
What the police are dealing with now is they are getting ready to essentially sweep Times Square. We've just been booted off of our riser, off our camera position. That's the reason we're on the phone right here.
And before long, the police will be blocking off the streets leading into Times Square. I mean, right now, as I'm talking, there are thousands of tourists walking up and down, but this place will get pretty quiet rapidly. They'll block off the side streets and then slowly let people in, and they'll be checking everybody, metal detectors, the whole works. A lot of intense security just to make sure it's a very safe celebration.
HARRIS: Allan, I can't wait. I can't wait to see that celebration tonight and the work of Anderson Cooper, Kathy Griffin tonight.
Your front row seat to all the festivities, right here on CNN. Anderson, Kathy starting at 11:00 Eastern. And it promises to be an absolute blast.
We want t go back to our top story here.
A tornado killed at least three people in northwestern Arkansas this morning. We've got some pictures here from a viewer who sent these pictures into one of our local affiliates, KFSM.
And Reynolds, help me with this. Of course the tornado struck in Washington County. That is just west of Fayetteville.
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You're correct, absolutely.
HARRIS: So take a look at this.
WOLF: Take a look at these two. Let's see. Yes, that could be caused by straight-line winds, but I'm telling you, it looks to me like tornado activity.
These struck so early. These struck in pitch dark. You've got a heavily-wooded area. So even if this were flat land, it's not as though you're able to see these storms coming rapidly.
These people did not have a lot of time to take cover. Unfortunately, a couple of the homes destroyed were mobile homes, certainly not strong enough to withstand some of the power of these storms as they raced through. One brick home was also destroyed.
Tony, when you have a brick home, bricks and mortar destroyed, a clear indication of the sheer power of these. Certainly a rough way to get things started.
But that's basically what we're dealing with. And we're not done yet. We've got a long day, a long afternoon. And into the evening, we could see more of this unfold, no question -- Tony. HARRIS: OK. So, Reynolds, as we continue to update this story, if there are more pictures available -- and this is for our control room and our national desk and news gathering -- just let us know, and we'll get them on the air as quickly as we can.
Two injuries that we know of so far, five homes destroyed. That in Benton County. And the storm severely damaged a fire station, as well.
OK. We know many of you have your own hometown drops in the countdown for midnight tonight. There's a pickle drop in Dillsburg, Pennsylvania.
A tough segue. I apologize for that. And a pine cone drop in Flagstaff, Arizona.
We will tell you about others throughout the show.
And on the other side of the world, New Year's festivities are already under way.
Australia ushered in 2011 about three hours ago. The celebration in Sydney billed as the biggest party on Earth for New Year's. An estimated 1.5 million people were expected for this spectacular fireworks show on the Harbour Bridge.
The clock struck midnight just moments ago in China. You're looking here at the celebrations in Hong Kong, ringing in the new year with pyrotechnics over Victoria Harbour. And Taiwan is doing it up as well, an explosion of fireworks centered on the landmark Taipei 101 building.
We are back in a moment. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: OK. Let's do this again on the other side of the world just because the pictures are great. New Year's festivities are already, as you know, under way.
Australia ushered in 2011 about three hours ago. The celebration in Sydney billed as the biggest party on Earth for New Year's.
Look at that. That's pretty -- that is amazing. An estimated 1.5 million were expected to take in the amazing fireworks show over the Harbour Bridge.
The clock struck midnight just moments ago in China. You're looking here at the celebrations moments ago in Hong Kong, ringing in the new year with fireworks over Victoria Harbour. And Taiwan is doing it up big time as well, an explosive fireworks show centered on the landmark Taipei 101 building.
More of these pictures as we get them into the CNN NEWSROOM.
You know it's been a difficult year. Tough times for Americans in 2010. But as CNN's Christine Romans tells us, the new year is showing some hopeful signs of a recovery.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Number one, bank lending is likely to improve next year. Both the report from the Federal Reserve Bank and also from Moody's shows that industrial and commercial lending should be up maybe three percent next year.
It doesn't sound like a lot, but I'm telling you, that is improvement there. That means money could be getting to companies, small businesses, so that can start hiring and investing again.
Also, the mass layoffs appear to be over. We spoke about this yesterday at this very, very hour Alina. You had 388,000 people file for the first time for unemployment benefits in the most recent week, and that's down more than many people have expected. The big days of huge company layoffs are over, and you might start to see people who have newly been laid off have a better time finding a job.
I do have to point out those people unemployed six months or longer next year will still be a tough slog for them, but you're starting to see some activity on the front end.
Also, people who are moving on to bigger and better things in the jobs, perhaps. Recent survey of manpower found well over 80 percent of employees say, Alina, they want a new job. They don't like the job they have, and they're ready to move.
That means bosses, beware. You might have to give raises, you more responsibility, better titles to people to keep them in the jobs. That' good for you on the job right now. It might be a good year to move up next year.
Interest rates remain low. They've been crawling up a little bit recently, but you still have mortgage rates that is are around and below five percent in some cases. Thirty-year fixed rate loans are cheaper. Still, very, very cheap. That means if you're in a position to buy a house -- if you can brave the housing market, rates remain very low.
And the debt purge, number five. The most important, really, for everyone, the debt purge continues. Americans are shedding mountains of debt. They're paying off the past years and are getting to more financial flexibility.
More of your discretionary income is actually yours to use and not to pay off your debts and to pay off your fixed expenses. A little bit more, that is. And so, that is something that's good news for American families into next year.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Boy, that is great news. America continued to purged that debt.
(NEWSBREAK) (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Creative countdowns to the new year.
In Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, the countdown will include a peep drop, while a giant sausage will drop in Elmore, Ohio.
Then there is this critter. A 30-pound flea will drop in Eastover, North Carolina. It is the handiwork of a local seamstress. The town starting a new New Year's Eve tradition in recognition of its former name, Flea Hill, which also revealed a former problem.
Billy the Kid, the infamous Wild West outlaw, is not getting a pardon. "The Kid," formerly known as William Bonney, killed a sheriff in the 1870s. The governor at the time promised a pardon if he testified in another case. Billy testified, there was no pardon, and The Kid's crimes continued.
All of this leading current Governor Bill Richardson to give the legendary bad boy a thumbs down on his last day in office.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. BILL RICHARDSON (D), NEW MEXICO: When Billy the Kid killed two deputies -- two deputies, two law enforcement members -- escaping form the Lincoln County jails, I have to include that in my decision. Accordingly, I decided not to pardon Billy the Kid, because a lack of conclusiveness and also the historical ambiguity as to why Governor Wallace reneged on his pardon.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: So a bunch of new laws come into effect in 2011. Vending machines will be different. In some places, you won't be able to trash old electronics. And in Illinois, there are new laws coming out of the scandal surrounding former governor Rod Blagojevich.
Josh is here to tell us all about it.
Josh, good morning.
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A whole bunch of new laws. You're right, Tony.
It's interesting. First of all, we have so many thousands of laws, it's hard to keep track of them sometimes. But every time there's a new cycle, including the beginning of a new calendar year, you see a bunch of new laws come into effect, and some of them are right here in Illinois.
New campaign finance laws, and any time you hear about that, you hear about this guy again. We have got some video for you, former governor Rod Blagojevich.
This was actually signed. The new law was signed on the anniversary of his arrest. And it says that individuals are limited to giving a candidate $5,000 in one election cycle. Groups like unions and political action committees are limited to $10,000.
Here now, another interesting law that's coming across throughout the entire country. This one is about vending machines, and it's actually part of the health care reform legislation that President Obama signed into law.
Operators with 20 or more vending machines will now be required to disclose calorie content for some of their items. The same thing goes for restaurants with 20 or more locations.
This one you might have heard about at work. Your flexible spending account, FSA, is no longer covering over-the-counter drugs unless prescribed by a doctor. Americans have been saving a lot of cash that way, not paying taxes on the money spent on those drugs. No more.
Now, here's another one. This is interesting.
In Maryland, if you get pulled over by a police officer and ticketed, instead of the officer giving you a trial date, you can actually later request your own trial date. Apparently, a lot of people were waiting until the day before the trial to call in and pay their tickets, and that messed up the schedule for the officers who thought they were going to have to go to a trial. So officials are hoping this will curb that problem.
One more I want to show you here. Indiana has established some new laws kicking in, in the new year.
You will no longer be able to -- or allowed, at least -- to toss out those ancient Walkmans into the trash, or your broken toasters, or whatever you've got. It's now illegal to dispose of electronics. It's against the law. It's prohibited. There are these programs now for recycling electric electronic waste, including collections.
And we've got a lot more. And we want to hear from you. Here's how you can reach me. I'm at JoshLevsCNN on Facebook and Twitter, as you know.
A whole bunch of new laws posted there. We want to hear from you about where you live, what some of the new laws are there.
And Tony, check this out. Next hour, I'm going to tell you about new laws involving pet cages, illegal plants, gun ownership, and kids getting counseling without their parents' permission.
All right?
HARRIS: OK. All right.
LEVS: All next hour.
HARRIS: Next hour?
LEVS: Yes.
HARRIS: Thank you, Josh.
LEVS: You got it.
HARRIS: You know, you win some, you lose some. But this is the first time the Connecticut women's basketball team has had to deal with the latter in a long time.
The Huskies' 90-game winning streak snapped by Stanford. That's a good squad. It is the first time the Huskies women have lost a game in more than two years.
The final, 71-59. But Connecticut wasn't the only team struggling with a defeat.
The scoreboard here says it all. The Georgia Tech women held Tennessee State to just 11 points. It is an NCAA record for the fewest points scored by a Division One women's basketball team.
What's a bottle of champagne cost these days? Who cares, right? It's New Year's. Consumers are splurging, right?
What it means for the economy when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
HARRIS: Some of the most spellbinding legal cases of 2010 are heading for a conclusion in 2011 or beyond.
Let's talk to our civil rights attorney, our great friend, law professor Avery Friedman. He is joining us from Cleveland.
Avery, great to see you.
Certainly challenges to the new health care law working their way through the federal courts. How do you see this shaking out? What's next? And maybe you can explain the commerce clause to all of us?
(LAUGHTER)
AVERY FRIEDMAN, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: It only take a semester in law school.
HARRIS: Yes.
FRIEDMAN: Hey, listen, hi to you, Tony.
The commerce clause is actually the key to health care. We have 75 years of precedent that expands the right of Congress to govern and be involved in commercial activities. That is health care.
But what we have right now, Tony, is two to one, two federal courts upholding the constitutionality of the new health care reform, one saying no. But you know what? There are about two dozen cases pending in federal court, so for 2011, I think what we're looking for is a hodgepodge of decisions which tee up our constitutional smackdown. That is, this case heading to the U.S. Supreme Court.
HARRIS: Do you think we will get an expedited review by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2011? It's certainly what Republicans want.
FRIEDMAN: Well, it is perhaps what Republicans want, but you know what? It's going to be the opposite. Let me explain why.
All these decisions, about two dozen, will be rendered in 2011, which brings those cases to the U.S. Courts of Appeal. Those are not expedited, so I think what we're really looking for right now is an ultimate review by the Supreme Court not in 2011, but, rather, in 2012. And actually, I have a prediction about what's going to happen in that respect.
HARRIS: What do you think happens?
FRIEDMAN: Well, I think what we're looking for, and it may be a surprise to many, is that when the Supreme Court tags takes the case -- and it will -- number one, it won't be until 2012. And secondly, what we're going to see is the Supreme Court upholding the constitutionality either by a 5-4 or 6-3 decision.
There's going to be a lot of disagreement with what I'm predicting, but I think that's what you're going to see. And I think reformed health care will remain and be in existence because it is constitutional.
HARRIS: Wow. That will surprise, I think, a lot of folks who see a different outcome for that.
FRIEDMAN: I'm sure.
HARRIS: Arizona's tough immigration law appears to be on a similar path to the U.S. Supreme Court. How do you see that shaking out?
FRIEDMAN: Well, I see this as a constitutional no-brainer. And let me explain why.
Long before this law in Arizona took effect in the spring of 2010, Arizona legislators knew that the supremacy clause governs immigration. That's very important, Tony, because that means that states and municipalities cannot impact on immigration.
The supremacy clause places exclusive domain on immigration with the Congress. So, the day that law was supposed to take effect, a federal district judge granted an injunction against it, and the case is now before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. That sits in San Francisco.
I think it will be a unanimous decision that HB-1020, the Arizona immigration law, is unconstitutional. And while other states are following, all those laws are likely unconstitutional based on the supremacy clause. HARRIS: My friend, Happy New Year to you. It's great to see you again, and I have enjoyed my time with you. And I'll visit when I'm in Cleveland next. All right? Dinner on you.
FRIEDMAN: All the best, Tony. The feeling is mutual. Happy New Year to you.
HARRIS: Yes, thank you, Avery. Appreciate it.
Tonight is the big night, but not everyone in Times Square will be partying. We will take a look at who is in charge of security for the big bash in the Big Apple.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Security a big focus as New York counts down to tonight's big New Year's Eve party at Times Square. Police will be everywhere as well as surveillance cameras, metal detectors and even bomb-sniffing dogs.
Our Mary Snow reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Three, two, one, happy new year!
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A rehearsal of Times Square of the ball drop to ring in the New Year as thousands crowd in to watch it. Behind the scenes, the New York City Police Department is gearing up for a massive security operation.
COMMISSIONER RAY KELLY, NEW YORK POLICE DEPARTMENT: This is sort of a nerve center.
SNOW: New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly says the department updates it's plan every year to secure crowds who must be within barricades and go through metal detectors. Radiation detectors are also used and backpacks are banned.
KELLY: We're concerned about a device that someone might bring in on their person, a vehicle-born device, a vest of some sort, explosives on the bodies.
SNOW: Cars and sand trucks block side streets to try and prevent car bombs. Manhole covers on the streets are being sealed. Armed police officers will be on rooftops.
The commissioner says the department is always looking to learn from terror incidents around the world, including the attempted car bombing in Times Square this year.
(on camera): This is also the first New Year's Eve since the attempted bombing back in May.
KELLY: May 1st, that's right. Faisal Shahzad.
SNOW: Lessons learned from that?
KELLY: Oh, sure. Yes, a lot of lessons. We were very lucky, no question about it. He was not on anybody's radar screen.
SNOW (voice-over): One thing that's different this year, cameras like these now feed into this nerve center. Authorities say there are roughly 400 police and private cameras just in the Times Square area that can be monitored.
The private sector also works with the police. Tim Tompkins, president of the Times Square Alliance, says people in hotels in Times Square are restricted in terms of where they can go.
TIM TOMPKINS, PRESIDENT, TIMES SQUARE ALLIANCE: People may think, oh, I'm in a hotel, I can just wander into Times Square. Absolutely not, it's very, very controlled in terms of who gets out into the street. Once the pens are filled, it really is locked down.
SNOW: Tompkins estimates the crowd could be anywhere from 750,000 to 1 million people.
KELLY: It is a big, complex operation. And, you know, you always breathe a sigh of relief when it's over.
SNOW (on camera): The police commissioner says that recent terror-related arrests in Europe have given the NYPD, in his words, some pause for concern. But he adds that there are no specific threats against New York City.
Mary Snow, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: New York's blizzard has melted into bickering and finger pointing. The latest twist: Did city workers orchestrate a snow removal slow down?
CNN's David Ariosto has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID ARIOSTO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Allegations and accusations swept through the Big Apple just days after a monster blizzard blanketed roadways and runways, clogging neighborhoods and stranding thousands of travelers.
At issue, whether New York City sanitation workers were ordered to intentionally delay cleanup efforts ahead of budget cuts to the department.
MAYOR MICHAEL BLOOMBERG (I), NEW YORK: I don't think it took place, but we're going to do an investigation to make sure that it didn't. It would be an outrage if it took place, but I just don't know.
ARIOSTO: The rumors reached a fever pitch after a city councilman said three sanitation workers and two other state supervisors contacted him alleging sabotage.
(on camera): Do you personally think that sanitation workers and the supervisors would put New York City residents at jeopardy by not cleaning up some of these streets?
DANIEL HALLORAN, NEW YORK COUNCILMAN: Well, I don't think there was a -- I don't think that these supervisors who made this call were looking at the big picture. I think they were looking at the short term issue, which is 100 of them were about to be demoted.
ARIOSTO (voice-over): The president of the Sanitation Officers Association could not be immediately reached for comment. He did respond however to the allegations on WNYW, a local TV station here in New York.
JOSEPH MANNION, PRESIDENT, SANITATION OFFICER'S ASSOCIATION: Absolutely not. No. No. There are absolutely no sanctions from the union or from the membership at all. They know their job. Snow is a serious aspect of our job, we know that.
ARIOSTO: Mayor Bloomberg, who is occasionally mentioned as a presidential candidate, has faced mounting criticism over the speed of this week's snow removal.
But what actually went wrong is now the subject of investigation.
David Ariosto, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: We're getting new video in of storm damage from the tornadoes, the line of severe weather in Arkansas and we're get to those pictures in just a moment with our Reynolds Wolf.
We're back, you're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Look, we have a pretty serious situation developing in Arkansas, Missouri and we're got some new pictures.
Reynolds, walk us, talk us through what we're seeing right now.
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: All right, these are pictures that we have from areas just west of Fayetteville. Some of these in places that we've been talking about earlier today, places that many people might not have known before over in just west of Fayetteville and Cincinnati. Arkansas, you can see the widespread damage.
Starting from what I've seen, and again, I'm not able to survey all of the damage, but just from the pictures it would indicate to me this was definitely a tornado. It struck early. In fact, right around local time, I think it was around 6:00, 7:00 a.m. It came through. Obviously still dark then. You've got a lot of wooded areas there, a lot of rolling hills, so people weren't able to see a clear field of vision and see the storms coming. They came through very rapidly. The line of storms about 40 miles an hour. Widespread damage. You see debris everywhere.
Right now, the latest we have is there are three fatality, numerous injuries. I believe ten injuries. Structural damage to many homes, a fire station, a brick house demolished -- a brick house with mortar. I mean, that tells you, it gives you an indication of what they've been dealing with.
Let's come back, if we can, to the weather computer. We're going to take a look at the magic wall. You see, here's Fayetteville. (INAUDIBLE) Cincinnati. Ironically enough, people in Cincinnati going outside, skies are for the most part partly cloudy to mostly clear.
But if you look up this line of storms, there are other places being affected. In fact, moments ago we got word that there is a possible tornado that may have actually struck Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. There have also been reports of injuries at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.
Just to give you an idea, if you look up here on this corner of the map, St. Louis to the northeast of it, so the storm racing off -- as I mentioned around 40, 45 miles an hour -- toward St. Louis.
Tony, I think we're going to send it back over to you. I believe you have some additional information.
HARRIS: Well, Gail Teter is on the line us. And, Gail, first of all, I'm just getting this information, so I apologize I don't know your affiliation and your title.
Who are you with, sir?
GAIL TETER, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, LACLEDE COUNTY, MISSOURI (via telephone): I'm with Laclede County Office of Emergency Management in Lebanon, Missouri.
HARRIS: OK, and if you would, I understand that you've got some information you can share with us about conditions at Fort Leonard Wood.
TETER: Yes, sir. We are relaying from Fort Leonard Wood to the National Weather Service in Springfield because they have power outages in Fort Leonard Wood due to the storm damage.
HARRIS: What kind of damage -- can you describe some of the damage that's being reported?
TETER: Well, the information that we're getting is that they have buildings that are damaged, some injuries believed to be minor at this time and trees down. And also, we're receiving reports that the storm went through Rolla, Missouri, which is on Interstate 44, damaging some homes and blowing cars off roads.
HARRIS: Whoa! Are we talking about just high winds or are people reporting funnel clouds and tornadoes? TETER: Actually reporting funnel clouds and tornadoes.
HARRIS: Any reports of any injuries so far?
TETER: Just minor injuries from Fort Leonard Wood. We don't know anything as far as in Rolla, Missouri. We don't know anything on that.
HARRIS: Gail, we appreciate it, thanks if your time.
And, Reynolds, again, maybe you can zero in. I can see it there. This is the area that we're talking about right now in Missouri.
WOLF: Absolutely. And I'll tell you, Tony, one thing that's frightening, the storm, where it's headed, it's moving to a highly populated area. Leaving Fort Leonard Wood, but it has a bead right now on parts of St. Louis, the western suburbs of St. Louis.
We have got some new pictures I believe that are coming back. These are actually from the southern half of the storm in Johnson, Arkansas. Let's go right to it.
Tony, let's take a look and you can see right there --
HARRIS: Well, this is a bit of what's being described by Gail just a moment ago of vehicles being tossed and blown. And in this case, you can see semis being tossed on to their sides.
WOLF: Unbelievable. Yes, and you know, this is part of a storm system that stretches over a thousand miles from the Northern Plains clear down through the mid-Mississippi Valley.
I mean, unbelievable power of these storms. Some of these caused by straight line winds, some I would say definitely tornados. And we're not done yet.
HARRIS: Well, I know those are -- you talk about semis, they are high profile vehicle, but still, that's a pretty strong wind to knock it on its side there.
WOLF: No question.
HARRIS: OK, so let's do this, we're really hustling up a lot of pictures here from Arkansas and Missouri and other parts of -- other areas affected by this line of storms.
And, Reynolds, stay with us and as you get more additional information, just share it with us and we'll pop you right back up. Appreciate it. Thank you, sir.
And growing up poor and battling cancer, chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta now brings us the rags to riches story of a luxury hotel owner Horst Schulze.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Horst Schulze remembers what is it was like to be hungry.
HORST SCHULZE, CEO, WEST PACES HOTEL GROUP: We actually moved for days in the forest picking mushrooms and beechnuts and things like that to survive.
GUPTA: Growing up during the war in Germany, he had one goal, a warm meal, which for him meant leaving home at a very young age.
SCHULZE: At 14, I left. I went and worked in a hotel as a bus boy.
GUPTA (on camera): At some point, you know, working in a hotel is more than just having a place where you could actually get food.
SCHULZE: In the maitre d, I could see that If you were excellent at what you're doing, you will be recognized and you will get rewards.
We are ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen. I wrote an essay when I was 15 in the hotel school about it and it has been my motto ever since.
GUPTA (voice-over): He worked in hotels throughout Europe and eventually landed a job in the United States. But there were always challenges.
(on camera): What was the biggest obstacle to getting to this vision?
SCHULZE: The reality that I am a foreign and the reality that I don't speak the language. The reality that the people I competed with, if you will, came from Cornel and the different universities, and I came from eighth grade.
GUPTA: At some point in your life, you had another obstacle, and this one a much more personal one.
SCHULZE: They discovered a large tumor. That was the greatest shock. At the time, my children were young. Looking at them and being told this is a very serious cancer, it's not easy.
GUPTA: How do you overcome it?
SCHULZE: I make the decision that I won't accept it and I will live.
GUPTA (voice-over): He empowered himself through extensive research.
(on camera): You were told by very respected cancer doctors that you would be dead within a year. How many years ago was that?
SCHULZE: Sixteen.
GUPTA (voice-over): After overcoming cancer, Schulze went on to open his own line of boutique luxury hotels all over the world, still guiding his employees with the same principles he learned at just 15. SCHULZE: You are ladies and gentlemen, just like they are.
GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: We will get another severe weather update from our Reynolds Wolf in just a moment.
You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(WEATHER REPORT)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Video you have just got to see here.
A pregnant cow, yes, stuck in a well in California, pulled out by the fire department here. The rescuers first drained the water from the well -- smart -- then they used a crane to lift out big mama-to- be. Sorry.
And if you've got children, this will sound familiar.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you have a good Christmas.
UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: No.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you love your mommy?
UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: No.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you love your mommy?
UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: No, no, no.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Yes, the baby just says no to everything. I wish I could say it gets better as they get older, but it doesn't.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: So on the last day of 2010, we want to look back at the hero you chose as the CNN Hero of the Year. Anuradha Koirala has made it her life's mission to stand against sexual exploitation of young girls in Nepal.
Have a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) ANURADHA KOIRALA, PROTECTING THE POWERLESS: In the West, America, Europe, if someone comes and says I want to make your child a prostitute, you would give them one slap or shoot them. But here, families, they are tricked all the time.
Girls are brought from the villages by people who can lure them and tell them that they're getting a nice job.
The border between India and Nepal is the conduit point of trafficking. Once they're here, there is no way to escape.
I am Anuradha Koirala and it is my strong hope to stop every Nepali girl from being trafficked.
When we go to the border, exit points, we are intercepting four girls to five girls per day.
(translated text): Let me see your papers again.
(speaking): After the rescue, the girl is taken to Maiti, Nepal. We started this to help rape survivors, trafficking survivors, we take everybody.
The girl who is come back from brothels, they are totally psychologically broken. We give them whatever work they want to do, whatever training they want to do.
One day we will really stop it. The trafficking will end.
These are all convicted.
There is always a small scar, that yes, one day I was trafficked, but today I am something new in my life. They are my strength.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Anuradha Koirala's work has rescued and rehabilitated more than 12,000 Nepali girls. To watch her patrol the border between India and Nepal or to nominate someone you think is a hero, just go to CNNHeroes.com.
And next hour I will talk to a marathon man. He is raising money for charity by taking in 250 marathons this year. He is squeezing in the last one right now. We will catch up with him.
Plus, more on the countdown to 2011. We will check on the preparations underway for the big ball drop in Times Square.
We're back in a moment. See you at the top of the hour. We're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
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