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Winter Storms Hit Holiday Travel; Animal Safety and Hollywood

Aired November 26, 2013 - 15:00   ET

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

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: I will speak live with one mother who's telling her college-aged son to get proof that a woman would be willing.

And we roll on, hour two. Great to be with you here.

We have to talk about this wintry storm. It is charging up the East Coast. It has caused hundreds of holiday flight delays already across the U.S. More than three million people are flying this Thanksgiving. And got to talk about the D-word, delays, delays in places like Atlanta, Denver, Charlotte. That is impacting airports from coast to coast.

Road warriors face an even bigger challenge, because a winter storm warning is now in effect for Western Pennsylvania. By the time it's over, some places could be seeing up to a foot of snow. So we have a whole team out here covering this for you today.

Martin Savidge is live at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, the busiest airport in the world. George Howell is live for us in Buffalo, New York. And Chad Myers is here in the CNN Weather Center.

So, Martin Savidge, first to you inside this airport here. Set the scene for me. Moving slowly, moving smoothly? What's the story?

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think let's take the positive angle. We're moving.

Me and about a quarter million of my closest airline fellow passengers are here. They're all in terminal D. And I know you said the D-word. it doesn't mean delay, but there are some. Take a look at the big blue board. This is the most-watched TV that people are looking at going through the airport.

Started off really good this morning. Almost all the flights were on time. Now it's about 50 percent of the flights appear to be on time. There are some delays, but we should point out even those delays are not huge. But they have been growing throughout mid-morning now into mid-afternoon.

A lot of that has to do with volume. The other thing is that it's people coming from other impacted airports. Any slowdown in the system eventually is felt here. Right now, you're looking at maybe 30-, 45-minute delays. There are some much longer and there are some much less. Still, I would say predominantly most flights on time, which in Atlanta, given the fact that, well, the weather outside, is still a pretty good thing.

Tomorrow, though, I'm afraid I can't be quite that positive -- Brooke.

BALDWIN: OK. I appreciate the silver lining and the fact that people are moving. That is better than being totally canceled. Martin Savidge, thank you. We will talk tomorrow and see if the story changes.

George Howell in Buffalo, New York, I imagine it is chilly. Have you seen any flurries yet, George?

GEORGE HOWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brooke, yes, we're basically right there on the line of freezing and not freezing. We're getting the snow coming down, a light dusting right now.

But, look, here in the next several hours, we understand if the models hold, we could see anywhere from four to six inches of snow here in the city of Buffalo and in the south towns in what they call the southern tier and Northwestern Pennsylvania. They could see anywhere from six to eight inches, even a foot of snow. So the situation here will deteriorate, will get worse over the next 24 hours.

And here's the thing. This is all happening, obviously, during Wednesday, which would be, you know, one of the busiest, if not the busiest, travel day of the year. So it will be treacherous driving for a lot of folks. But here in Buffalo, I joked about this the last hour. They do snow like Miami does sun. They know how to deal with this.

I spoke with some city officials about their plan, their snow plan, all the plows they will have and the salt. I want you to take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVEN STEPNIAK, BUFFALO PUBLIC WORKS COMMISSIONER: This salt here, there's roughly 2,500 ton here. This can cover the city for, like, two days in a bad event. We always keep salt in reserve. We go through salt as needed. We have electronic spreaders that tell us how much we can be throwing at that time and how much we need to throw based on temperatures and conditions.

HOWELL: What's your biggest worry with this event coming here into Buffalo?

STEPNIAK: Well, we just want to make sure that people slow down, they allow themselves ample time to travel, because we know it's a big travel time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: So, right now, you know, we're getting this light dusting, but come 7:00 p.m. Eastern time, Brooke, I think the situation will change.

BALDWIN: OK. George Howell, thank you for that and the salt show- and-tell. I guess that's a good thing for people in Buffalo. (WEATHER UPDATE)

BALDWIN: This whole mess of weather that we're talking about taking aim at several major airports, we have a map for you. Just look at this, because these are the airports we're talking about in particular with potential for multi-hour delays, dare I say maybe, maybe cancellations.

And then just to make matters worse, if a flight gets canceled, there may not be room on the next flight, as many of these flights this week have been overbooked.

Christine Romans with our CNN Money team now to tell us what you need to know should your travels -- should the plans really take a turn for the worse -- Christine.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Number one, know your rights. When you buy a ticket, you agree to a lot of fine print that'll tell you just what your airline will do if your flights is canceled due to weather. Sometimes, airlines are not obligated to get you on another airline, which could keep you waiting for days.

Check that fine print. Second, try calling your airline. You may be sitting in line at the airport cooling your heels, but a call could move you ahead. Next, try social media. Most airlines have their own Twitter help lines dedicated to troubleshooting these issues. Also, consider nearby destinations.

This is really important in big zones, like, for example, New York. Say you're canceled at JFK. Maybe you can go over to Newark or maybe Philadelphia as an alternative. And, remember, you have 24 hours after a flight is booked to cancel without penalty, so hurry.

And this should go without saying, but be nice. It's much more likely you're going to get somewhere if you're not yelling at someone. Check your airlines. Delta and U.S. Airways and American Airlines are waiving some flight change fees because of the storm now depending on the airport. You can check online.

BALDWIN: Be nice. I'm sure the ticket agents appreciate that bit of advice. Christine Romans, thank you very much.

And one more thing I want to show you. Take a look at this. This is a rare behind-the-scenes look at Atlanta's airport. They got a look at everything from security to the actual tarmac itself. You have to read this. You have to click on the video, CNN.com/ATL24.

Coming up, we are watching to see for the president headed to Hollywood, part of this West Coast swing. He will be speaking live from DreamWorks. And we will tell you why he chose this particular major movie studio to make remarks on the economy, live pictures there in Glendale, California, as we watch and wait.

Also, just in to CNN, just one week after MSNBC suspended Alec Baldwin over a homophobic rant against a member of the paparazzi, we are now hearing whether his show is coming back on air -- the inside scoop next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: We are watching this developing story this hour involving the recent "60 Minutes" broadcast on the Benghazi attacks.

The reporter Lara Logan, who fronted that "60 Minutes" report, is now taking a leave of absence along with her producer. Their October 27 report featured a security contractor who claimed among other things that he tried to fight off the attackers from inside that embassy compound. The contractor's story was later discredited, and Logan made an on-air apology.

The Benghazi assault happened, remember, back on September 11, 2012. It led to the deaths of four Americans, including the U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens.

And just into us here at CNN, Alec Baldwin's show on the cable network MSNBC is not coming back, this just one week after the network suspended the actor for a rant on a paparazzo, a rant in which he used homophobic slurs, something he has denied.

And let's talk to Brian Stelter, who's back with us, new host of "RELIABLE SOURCES" and CNN senior media correspondent, back with me here on day one.

Brian Stelter, let's begin. First, do me a favor. Just give me the backstory.

BRIAN STELTER, CNN SENIOR MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: You know, it seems like a couple of networks, CBS and MSNBC, are both trying to get bad news out before the holidays.

It's kind of like that Friday news dump, but on a Tuesday before Thanksgiving. With Alec Baldwin and MSNBC, this was probably inevitable. Imagine being the person who hears the pitch from Alec Baldwin, that he wants to host a Friday night talk show. But you know that he's got a long history of offensive remarks and random incidents that TMZ loves to feast on.

Well, you probably knew this was going to happen. And in this case, he was yelling at a photographer, allegedly using anti-gay slurs. MSNBC took the show away for a little while. And it's pretty clear now it's not coming back at all. They have decided to go their separate ways.

BALDWIN: But, to be clear, do we know, Brian Stelter, was he fired or did he quit?

STELTER: Well, that's the initial rumor. The word fired came out a couple hours ago. But that was from "The New York Post," the same publication that's -- well, it's bathed in all of this bad news about Baldwin for years.

A lot of other people and other reporters are saying it seems like it was more of like an amicable breakup. Alec Baldwin didn't want to do it anymore. MSNBC sure didn't want him to do it, so they went their separate ways. I think he probably quit, but if he hadn't quit, he probably was going to feel the shove sooner rather than later.

BALDWIN: But in terms of the shove, tell me this, Brian Stelter, because you have Martin Bashir, another host on MSNBC, apologized for a horrible remark he made about Sarah Palin. It is so graphic, I am not repeating it here on television. But he didn't even get suspended, so where's the logic there?

STELTER: I don't know if there is logic. And maybe that's why MSNBC hasn't fully explained the difference between these two situations. They put out a one- or two-sentence statement about Alec Baldwin, basically as short as they possibly could and then moved on.

And Martin Bashir wasn't on yesterday. I think he's probably on vacation this week. Maybe MSNBC hopes if they lay low for a while, people will forget what he said. Sometimes that works in television. But sometimes, it doesn't. And this case of Martin Bashir is one that seems to be sticking around for a while.

So far, though, they haven't taken any disciplinary action.

BALDWIN: We're watching. We know you are. And Brian Stelter, before I let you go, welcome once again to the CNN family from "The New York Times." We're thrilled to have you here. There's a little initiation I just want to get you through quickly that we do on my show with our new colleagues. We're going to do a little word association. You with me?

(CROSSTALK)

STELTER: I'm with you. Let's try it.

BALDWIN: OK. I'm going to throw one thing out and you just tell me what first comes to mind. Wolf Blitzer.

STELTER: The face of CNN's political coverage.

BALDWIN: Morning television.

STELTER: Oh, my goodness, the most frightening, intimidating, incredible time of the day on TV.

BALDWIN: Mainstream media.

STELTER: Much lamented, but most important. It's where we get all our news.

BALDWIN: Miley Cyrus.

STELTER: I'm going to draw a blank. I'm going to just completely draw a blank on that.

BALDWIN: We will go with that. And, finally, "RELIABLE SOURCES."

STELTER: The best media criticism show on television. And then I will be on in a couple of weeks taking it over.

BALDWIN: We will be tuning in on Sundays.

STELTER: That was a softball.

BALDWIN: There you go, you know, softballs for now. Just wait. Give me a couple more days with you and we will see where we go.

Brian Stelter, thank you so much. Seriously, welcome. Congratulations for coming on.

STELTER: Thank you.

BALDWIN: Coming up, an investigation reveals a stunning case, multiple cases, really, of animal cruelty on the sets of some of your favorite movies. Do accidents happen in Hollywood, or is this a much bigger problem? We're going to talk about that.

Also, live pictures here from Glendale, California. The president will be speaking live at DreamWorks. And as he comes, CNN releasing a new poll showing some really good news for Republicans. Stay with me.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: President Obama going Hollywood this hour. The last stop on his three-day West Coast tour is also his most high-profile. Live pictures, packed crowd, Glendale, California. This is DreamWorks. He's going to speak at DreamWorks Animation. These are the folks who brought you "Shrek" and other film favorites.

Co-founder Jeffrey Katzenberg has donated million of dollars to this president and other Democratic candidates through the years. But the president's people insist that has nothing to do with today's choice of venue. The president will be there momentarily to talk economy, talk about how things are improving here.

But one scene that has not exactly gone according to script, and that is this. Earlier this year, DreamWorks actually laid off about 350 people after the movie "Rise of the Guardians" tanked at the box office. So, as soon as we see the president, we will bring you some of that live.

And, meantime, between government shutdowns and the health care rollouts, it's getting pretty tough to keep track of the shifting political winds in our nation's capital. Here's the latest evidence for yourself. New CNN/ORC poll numbers reveal a dramatic turnaround in how Americans view Republicans.

In a generic ballot of Republican vs. Democrat, 49 percent say they would choose the Republican in a race for Congress; 47 percent would vote for the Democrat. That's a seven-point improvement for the GOP just since October.

Let's bring in CNN's chief political analyst, Gloria Borger.

And which is it? Talk about changes, because we were -- I thought we were talking about self-inflicted wounds from the government shutdown when it comes to the Republican Party. Is this still the result of the botched Obamacare Web site rollout?

(CROSSTALK)

GLORIA BORGER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Yes, it is.

I think this just shows you how volatile the American public is right now when it comes to their political choices. There's no extreme party loyalty anymore. They just want somebody to be in charge and to manage things.

BALDWIN: Fair-weather...

(CROSSTALK)

BORGER: And they're not seeing that from their elected officials now.

So the shutdown, you know, the Democrats were up after the shutdown. After the botched rollout of Obamacare, the Republicans are benefiting from it. You know, these things are not generally indicative of what's going to happen in the midterm elections, but let me just say that this is making Democrats really, really nervous.

BALDWIN: Let's talk about some more polls here, because among two polls here, you can see that people who make less than $40,000 a year, support for Democrats is actually up by five points. This is since October. It is down by 10 whole points among people who make more than $40,000.

And if you go by race -- let me show this to you as well and then we will talk. Support for Democrats among white voters is down by eight points, but it is up by 11 points among non-whites. So looking at those numbers, Gloria Borger, what does that tell you?

BORGER: Well, again, it's the impact of health care reform. But I think what you see is that the Democratic Party is not losing its base.

Those are not the voters that are going away. Those are the voters that will remain loyal to the Democratic Party. The part of the Democratic Party that they're losing, I would argue, are the independent voters. Those are the ones that make all the difference in a presidential election. Those are the voters that the Republicans are trying to get.

I think what Democrats have lost, particularly in these last couple of -- in this last month or so with the rollout of Obamacare, is that you have a president that suddenly his poll numbers have tanked. He's not seen as honest or trustworthy, and he's not seen as being competent.

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: He has three more years.

BORGER: That's right. But the worry that -- they don't have three more years. They have got one more year until the midterm elections. And their worry is that this trickles down to them because they were vouching for the Affordable Care Act. So it's their word as well as the president's word. So, again, they're keeping their base, but in districts in which they may have some races, they're going to be worried by these numbers.

It's not the base they're worried about. It's those voters whose loyalties are really up for grabs.

BALDWIN: OK. Gloria Borger for us in Washington. Gloria, thank you very much, as always.

BORGER: Happy Thanksgiving.

BALDWIN: Thank you. Same to you. I will be here. I don't know if you will be. I will be here.

(LAUGHTER)

BALDWIN: Coming up, a rough night ahead for millions of Americans across the country as they travel for the holiday. We will tell you what to expect.

Also, the decision is in about whether those 911 calls from the Sandy Hook shootings just about a year ago will be released. We will tell you what a judge has decided.

Also, the pope raising eyebrows once again, this time for announcing big changes to the Catholic Church. How do Americans feel about Pope Francis? That's next. You are watching CNN. Stay right here.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)