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Four-Hour Delays Likely at Major Airports; Ex-Marine Risked Life to Save Jumper; Politician Movie in the Works; Deadly Winter Storm Moves Up East Coast; 10 ex-NHL Players File Lawsuit; Miley's Lip-Synching Cat Goes Viral

Aired November 26, 2013 - 10:30   ET

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

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: CNN's weather coverage continues throughout the hour. You can find current conditions along with your three-day forecast right at the bottom of your screen.

Air travelers could face delays or canceled flights from this nasty storm starting tomorrow. CNN's Rene Marsh is at Washington Dulles International Airport. Good morning.

RENE MARSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning Carol.

You know when you look at those flight tracking websites, it lists that there are hundreds of delays nationwide. But for some perspective where you're talking about nationwide, and we're in the hundreds, it just goes to show that the effect of this storm really we're not feeling it as bad as it will be just as yet.

But there's still plenty of time for even more delays. And the bottom line is it is making for a less than smooth commute for people who are trying to get from Point A to Point B, during what is a very busy air traffic time. We spoke with one lady who is waiting and has been waiting for quite some time for her mom to arrive from snowy Columbus, Ohio. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHARON ASONGANYI, MOTHER'S FLIGHT FROM OHIO WAS DELAYED: I think patience, which is very like patience, is a big thing for this time of the year -- huge patience. Because things are not going to go as plan and things are going to change and so just anticipate that.

MARSH: And I guess in your case, delayed is better than canceled?

ASONGANYI: Well yes, yes. Definitely so it means that they're still on their way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARSH: All right, so even if snow is not headed your way, that rain and that wind will likely cause even more delays as we go throughout the day. But airlines, they're trying to get ahead of this.

So what they are doing, number one, you saw like American Airlines they pre-canceled hundreds of flights. So far they're the only ones that made that move. Also, airlines are allowing people to get refunds if their flight is canceled or severely delayed. Also if you want to change your flight, they are not charging, some airlines, for to you do that as well. So the bottom line is have a lot of patience. You want to check that flight before you head to the airport -- Carol.

COSTELLO: We'll do Renee Marsh, thanks so much.

Of course this Sunday as I said marks the busiest travel day of the year for fliers. Some 2.5 million people expected to pass through airports in those 24 hours alone. Ahead of the chaos CNN spent the day at the world's busiest airport, Hartsfield-Jackson International, and special black suit and bomb squad inside the control tower we're giving you a rare glimpse into a world where everyone is going somewhere.

Check out CNN.com/ATL 24/7 for more on a city hiding in plain sight.

Some of the (inaudible) that could be affected by this holiday's -- by the holiday week's bad weather the larger than life balloons at Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade could be grounded. If sustained winds past 23 miles per hour the balloons will not be able to fly. Officials fear handlers won't be able to control them. It might hurt someone so the balloons will be grounded. We'll keep you posted.

Checking other top stories this morning at 33 minutes past the hour.

The Coast Guard is responding to a vessel sinking in the Mississippi River near LeClaire, Iowa. Officials have closed part of the river to deal with oil that's discharging. About 100,000 gallons of petroleum products are onboard. The tug boat hit a submerged object before sinking luckily all crew members managed to get to shore safely.

The ex-Marine who risked his life to save a woman who jumped from the stands at a Raiders game is talking about his awesome catch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONNIE NAVIDAD, SAVED FALLING WOMAN: As she started to descend, I braced myself to catch her. I was hoping I can -- I can -- when I caught her I would lock my armed around her so she could absorb the impact with me. But unfortunately, she hit and bounced off.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: And she hit her head on the pavement. 61-year-old Donnie Navidad tried though. He spent the night at the hospital he's recuperating now from the severe bruises. He also rejects the hero label says he would do it all over again.

If you've ever had jury duty, you know there are a lot of questions like where do you work and what do you think of capital punishment. Well, an online juror questionnaire for the DeKalb County Court in Georgia listed "slave" as an occupation choice. A potential juror discovered the entry and told the court, the court responded by saying it was a mistake. And of course it's working to fix the problem. Still to come in the Newsroom Toronto's defiant crack-smoking mayor might not be helping his city's image. But he is helping two guys to sell their movie. A look at the writers behind the production next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Toronto's Mayor Rob Ford is just the gift that keeps on giving even this week.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can you tell --

ROB FORD, MAYOR OF TORONTO: Can you get off my property, please? Get off my property.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm leaving.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: As you well know, Toronto Mayor Rob Ford is not backing down even after admitting to heavy drinking and to smoking crack. Well at least two people are benefiting from this controversy. Seth Rogen after years of trying he's finally able to sell a screen play that reads early similar to what's been going on in Toronto. Yes it's about a crack-smoking mayor. Nischelle Turner is live in New York with more.

NISCHELLE TURNER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Well you knew it wouldn't be long right Carol before Hollywood came up with a script -- one of those ripped from the headlines TV episodes. Well now they have. You know it's funny though because actually in their script, it's a crack-smoking governor or politician. But they said it could be a mayor because it really wasn't specific. The script is, yes, already done. Seth Rogen and his writing partner Evan Goldberg say that years ago they dreamed up this movie about a crack-smoking politician.

Now, they just told the "Toronto Globe" and "Mail" that after trying to get the movie green lit for three to four years, the screenplay finally just got picked up by a studio in the wake of Ford's big public scandal. And they do think it's because of all of the international headlines about the Mayor of Toronto admitting to smoking crack and then being stripped of his authority.

Here is what Seth told the Globe, he said, quote, "No one wanted to make it for years. And then this guy smoked crack. And one of the happy up shoots of that is that somewhere in Hollywood someone like 'Man it would be great to have a script about a politician who smokes crack." And someone was like there already is one. They've been trying to sell it for years.

And now Rogen and Goldberg wouldn't reveal which studio has picked it up. The word is maybe it's Sony Pictures. But they did say that the screen play shows a politician on the verge of being deposed and facing certain time behind bars. Now he decides to escape the country in order to avoid jail. But he needs to collect some money first.

Now, they were also asked Carol who they thought would play the politician, who they would like to see, they threw out some names like Jason Bateman, John Goodman, or Bryan Cranston because they said they didn't specify what he looks like, how old he is any of that and I actually love all of those ideas.

COSTELLO: No John Goodman would be good right. He would be perfect.

TURNER: Yes, yes absolutely.

COSTELLO: Poor Toronto.

TURNER: The thoughts in my head right now, Carol, if you could read them.

COSTELLO: Nischelle Turner, many thanks as always.

We'll be right back.

TURNER: OK.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: A deadly winter storm moving up the East Coast is bringing with it snow and heavy rain. Snow coming down hard in parts of Ohio, like Columbus and in parts of Pennsylvania too like Pittsburgh this morning.

Same system now soaking the south as millions of you get ready to hit the road. Here is more from CNN's Indra Petersons.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

INDRA PETERSONS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): A massive winter storm blamed for at least a dozen deaths and hundreds of accidents will bring heavy rain, snow, sleet and high winds to much of the East Coast on the busiest travel week of the year. Frustrated travelers already beginning to feel the ripple effect of the storm system with delays and cancellations at some of the nation's busiest airports. And it's not just planes.

The larger than life balloons flying high above the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade could be grounded. If sustained winds are past 23 miles per hour the giant inflatable balloons can't take flight because officials fear their handlers won't be able to control them.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have a sergeant assigned to each of the balloons. They can be lowered all the way to the crowd or if the determination is made not to fly them.

PETERSONS: In 1997 ferocious winds blew the six-story tall "Cat in the Hat" balloon straight into a street lamp. Debris fell down onto the crowd below critically injuring one spectator. The colossal storm system has made its way across the country bringing localized flooding in Arizona, heavy snow in Colorado and in New Mexico. Wind gusts of more than 50 miles per hour produced blinding conditions.

Parts of Oklahoma receiving about a foot of snow and in Arkansas heavy rain cause this pile on a bridge.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The roads are really slick and it's seen a lot of accidents already.

PETERSONS: Freezing rain making driving treacherous as this unrelenting storm complicates the Thanksgiving travel plans for millions.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Indra Petersons reporting.

So let's go to the weather center and check in with Chad Myers. So it's going to get a little worse tomorrow but not a lot worse, right?

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes. The wind is going to be a big problem tomorrow. And you know we're talking about I-95 being wet. This is not a white storm for them. This is not a snowstorm. This is not snowmageddon. This is not the storm of the century. This is none of the above for New York City, Philadelphia, all the way down to D.C. but wind and rain and 41 million people trying to get some place on the roadway. That's part of the problem.

Here's Atlanta, Nashville departures. I have found quite a few now of these departures getting delayed. ATL now 61 delays including Delta to Nashville, Delta to New York, Delta to Nashville -- two different gates there, the B-33 and the B-36. Philadelphia B-31 delayed. And I can go down and down and down. And the word you see over here is "Delayed, Delayed, Delayed" -- you get the idea.

Carol, about an hour ago, I had six delays. Now there are 61.

COSTELLO: And it all seems to be delta. Is it spread over lots of airlines?

MYERS: It's spread over all the airlines. Yes. There's obviously just more Delta planes leaving Atlanta than all the other airplanes, pretty much almost combined.

Here is what it looks like. Now, planes are flying, don't get me wrong. There are 5,000 planes on this map in the air right now. People ask what are the gray planes? Those are the ones that are either landing or taking off. That's why sometimes they turn gray. The graphics.

Here is what it looks like on the map. You know, this is almost sublime for me to tell you that it's snowing in Pittsburgh and I believe we just had a tornado touchdown about 40 miles southwest of Tallahassee.

Can you believe that there's that much warm on one side and that much cold on the other? But that's just how it happens. That's how things go when we have a warm side, you have a cold side of the storm, that's how you get the snow. That's how you get the ice event.

There is still cold air trapped here in the valleys west of D.C. out near Front Royal, out near Charlottesville and Stanton. You might watch yourself at least for the next couple of hours because the air is still cold enough to make that light freezing rain and also sleet.

About 3:00 is the best time, I believe to get out and do something. If you want to get out and do something, at least that's the warmest part of the day. By 6:00 tonight, the sunsets and all those roads start to freeze back up again. I know you can't see the sun out there, but it's warming the ground nonetheless; just enough -- just a couple of degrees. When that sun goes away, the ice comes with it.

Here you go. 10:00 this morning, mostly rain across Atlanta. Low ceilings that's why we're getting those delays in Atlanta, not because of (inaudible) of icing. But there's the low for tomorrow morning. 4:00 a.m., heavy snow across Pennsylvania. There's about Summit County, there's Pittsburgh right there, up toward Erie and Buffalo Along a line right through here there will be some ice, you know, rain changing to snow, sleet coming down. You'll hear it on your windshield. You'll know it's not a snowflake. You know it's not rain -- it just kind of sounds like something hard hitting your windshield. And then it gets much colder for Wednesday.

These lines are all lines of equal pressure and the wind will be blowing like crazy across New York City for Wednesday into Thursday. And that's why -- well, you know, my favorite part, I know Santa Claus is my second favorite part. But my favorite part are the balloons that go down on this parade. And I will be so disappointed if weather would cancels those balloons.

COSTELLO: I would be in tears because I've been watching --

MYERS: Remember Underdog when we were kids? You see Underdog coming down.

COSTELLO: Now it's Spongebob. Get with the times, Chad.

MYERS: I know.

COSTELLO: Thanks so much.

MYERS: You're welcome.

COSTELLO: Talk a little politics this morning. He calls the experience, quote, "pretty frustrating". I'm talking about House Speaker John Boehner who signed up for Obamacare last week. While his spokesman says Boehner saw a jump in his premiums, it turns out he's getting a little help in covering the cost from the government.

John Berman has more for you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-OH), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: Good morning everyone. JOHN BERMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Look who's got Obamacare. That's John Boehner -- the once and future fully insured speaker of the house. Last week he tweeted about his experience trying to sign up for health insurance under Obamacare. #train wreck, he wrote, the speaker claimed it took a few hours, a few failed log ins and some calls to the help desk.

What he didn't realize was that somewhere in the middle of his for the cameras somewhat planned exercise in futility, someone from the D.C. Health exchange returned his call to help sign him up. But the Speaker's office put help on hold.

BOEHNER: You have reached Speaker of the House John Boehner's office. Please hold --

BERMAN: -- for 35 minutes. After half an hour of patriotic hold music help gave up. So now, the top Republican in the land has health insurance from the law he has fought so hard.

BOEHNER: The law is a train wreck. There is no way to fix this monstrosity.

BERMAN: there's good and bad news for Speaker. Bad news, when he unrolled his notes, he realized his premiums are going up.

From $433 per month with a $700 deductible for the speaker and his wife -- it's now $449 with a $1,000 deductible. And that's just for him. Mrs. Boehner is going on Medicare. The good news for the speaker, it could be worse. His new premiums include a $426 discount that members of Congress and staff are getting on their health insurance under Obamacare. He's accepting that subsidy even though he once supported a Republican plan to take it away.

BOEHNER: Why don't we make sure that every American is treated just like we are?

BERMAN: That sentiment apparently so October. That's not all. Mr. Boehner is also a famous smoker.

BOEHNER: I know that smoking is probably not good for my health.

BERMAN: Now if he bought insurance in his home state of Ohio, insurance companies could have charged him up to 50 percent more. Call it the beltway boondoggle. Under Obamacare in Washington, D.C., there is no penalty for smoking. Guess those smoke-filled rooms where all that compromise happens are just too important.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: That was John Berman reporting.

Now once he got through the system Boehner's office said he chose an individual plan that was similar to the Blue Cross/BlueShield one he has now as part of the federal employee's health package.

Still to come in the "NEWSROOM", former players suing their sport over concussions -- this time it's hockey. What the retired players are saying the NHL did and did not do.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Sidney Crosby is one of the NHL's elite players. Check out last night's (inaudible) Pittsburgh Penguins star that just seized the third period horn against Boston. He's amazing -- isn't he? The league had a gaping hole for (inaudible) for two reasons -- Steven from crossing without his concussion symptom. Now 10 former NHL players are suing the league for not doing enough to protect players from concussion.

Andy Scholes joins me now to talk about this.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS: Hey Carol, you know, this is very similar to the lawsuit we just saw in the NFL that they settled less than three months ago. Got a lot of the same language and basically what the players are claiming is that as NHL athletes he can suffer around a thousand hits to the head during the season. That's a lot.

Now they're also claiming that the league continues to contribute to injuries by refusing to ban fighting and body checking and the lawsuit like the one the NFL former players had -- they want damages and they want medical programs in place for the former players who are dealing with these concussion-like symptoms.

COSTELLO: I'm surprised that hockey players haven't sued before this.

SCHOLES: Yes. And I was surprised as well. And then I started reading into this and the NHL actually a decent defense, if you can believe it. They were the first league to actually put in concussion programs. They started baseline testing to see whose players had concussions during the game. They were the first league to do it they were also the first league, suspend players for head to head hits.

And whenever the league has tried to put in safety measures, like helmets, visors or even the question of banning fighting or not. Players have always fought it. They always said, hey we're traditional, we actually don't want helmets. We don't want the visors. And a recent poll done a few years ago, 98 percent of the players said they wanted to keep fighting in the game.

COSTELLO: Well, but here's is the thing. The players are going to say that because they think fighting is part of the game, part of what draws fans to the game. They don't want to be kicked out for being wimpy, per se, right? It's the same problems that football players have in wanting to stay on the field no matter how many times they got hurt.

SCHOLES: You're right. It's the discussion we always have. Are they signing -- do they know what they're signing up for -- right? Am I going to get paid millions of dollars knowing I'm getting my head bashed in game after game after game? And that's the question they're going to see. We'll have to see how this handles out in court.

COSTELLO: All right. Thanks Andy.

Finally this hour, love it or hate, that giant lip-synching Miley Cyrus cat has officially been catapulted to stardom.

Here's CNN's Jeanne Moos.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's the cat's pajamas, no, not Miley Cyrus' outfit. We mean the cat --

(MUSIC)

MOOS: -- the lip-synching cat at the American Music Awards, an Internet star is born. It left many scratching their heads.

"That cat in the background during Miley Cyrus' performance is totally freaking me out, especially when the cat cries."

Kitty tears cracked up the guy who posted this Vine.

It was a performance that had cats in living rooms glued to the screen, or at least posed in front of it, so owners could post a tweetpic.

And not only cats. My dog just growled at the cat behind Miley Cyrus.

(On camera): Miley didn't just sing with the cat. She was covered in cats, at least the parts that were covered.

(Voice-over): Her French-cut two-piece was festooned with kitties galore, so were her shoes. Next thing you know, the London-based designer who made the outfit was pitching his cat-covered iPhone cases. One poster eyed the cat's ear, pretending to find a scary Illuminati, a secret society reference.

Lip-synching cat instantly eclipsed other musical felines famous on the Internet. Play yourself off, keyboard cat. A cat name Little Bob, known for having a deformed jaw that make her tongue stick out, e- mailed MTV, complaining that Miley stole my facial expression.

(On camera): In this performance, the cat didn't get Miley's tongue. The cat used its own tongue.

(Voice-over): The performance ended with a wink and a wag of the tongue forever looped on the Internet. The good news is at least Miley didn't twerk the kitty. She behaved with an animal rather than like one.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: I'm sorry. I love that cat. Thanks for joining me today. I'm Carol Costello.

"LEGAL VIEW" with Ashleigh Banfield starts now.

ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, CNN HOST: Hello everyone. I'm Ashleigh Banfield. It's Tuesday, November 26th. Welcome to "LEGAL VIEW." The bags are packed, the cars are stuffed, the tickets are booked for more than had 43 million of us all planning to travel for Thanksgiving. And there's a mighty storm that's threatened to call the whole thing off.

This is what travelers are having to deal with right now. Snow is piling up in Cincinnati, Ohio. And it looks like a virtual white out in Pittsburgh. That's one of those tower cams that's really not worth its cost on a day like this.