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Cities Brace for Up to 12 Inches of Snow; Amtrak to Travelers: No Plane? Take a Train; Pope Slams "New Tyranny" of Capitalism; Former FBI Agent Kidnapped in Iran 2007; The GAP Responds to Racism; Winter Storm Snarls Busiest Holiday Travel Day; Pardon That Turkey

Aired November 27, 2013 - 10:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. I'm Carol Costello. Thanks so much for joining me.

Brace yourself. More than 40 million people traveling for Thanksgiving could be bombarded with heavy rain, strong winds, snow and possibly flooding. This is a live look at Buffalo. It's very chilly there this morning. The powerful storm slamming the East Coast right now causing a ripple effect of travel problems has already delayed more than 6,000 flights and canceled hundreds more.

And for millions of people driving home, the roads are slick and dangerous. Here is what it looks like in Pittsburgh -- kind of gray and nasty. By tomorrow, every state in the United States except Hawaii will see temperatures dropping below the freezing mark. And a foot of snow could fall in some places.

CNN's George Howell is in one of those places, Buffalo. Good morning George.

GEORGE HOWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, good morning. So you know when you talk to a Buffalo resident about what happened last night, three to four inches of snow you know they would say no big deal, they're used to this. But the concern you know is people that are traveling through these region who may not be accustomed to it. And again it wasn't significant amount of show that came down. Right now we are flirting with the freezing mark.

So you know on the roads in some spots, you can find it slippery. That is a big concern. There are also some power outages but many of the customers have been restored. That is the story here in Buffalo.

Now let's go across the state to my colleague Alexandra Field at NYC at Penn Station with the situation for travelers there -- Alexandra.

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well George, weather in the northeast hasn't stopped any train service here. But it's starting to slow things down Amtrak because there are now delays on line running between New Haven, Connecticut and Boston. Two trains out of Penn Station are delayed but the board shows that the rest of the trains are running on time and Amtrak says service in the northeast is good. The Thanksgiving travel period was the busiest of the year last year for Amtrak. Passengers set a record last year. Amtrak will try and match it this year. They say that every available train in the system is running. There are extra seats added to some of the routes and if the weather has derailed your plans to drive or fly somewhere, Amtrak says check their Web site there are still some seats available.

We'll check on the situation out in Chicago now with Ted Rowlands. Ted what are you seeing out there?

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well Alexandra we are at the United Airlines Operation Center, we're in the Willis Tower -- the Sears Tower on the 27th floor. This is an amazing facility here where they are literally tracking every flight that is in the air around the world for United Airlines.

And so far, so good -- there are 1,300 employees here. It's a 24/7 operation. And as you can imagine it's all hands on deck today. These are the flights in the air right now. These are United flights there have been 30 cancellations. Not bad considering the weather issues on the East Coast. And the East Coast is where most of the attention is focused right now.

But they expect, that is what they say, that they will get everybody home for Thanksgiving unless something changes. But so far so good -- Carol.

COSTELLO: That's good to hear. Ted Rowlands reporting live from Chicago this morning.

Take a look at these two pictures. We just got them into CNN. These are new images of tornado damage in North Carolina. You can see homes -- some homes -- and that looks like a hotel to me actually -- have been severely damaged. This is actually in Atlantic Beach. I'm trying to figure out where that is, I think it's on the Outer Banks. So we're going to make sure Atlantic Beach near -- near Wilmington. OK, it's near Wilmington, North Carolina.

The National Weather Service says the tornado that hit here last night was an EF-2. Officials say a hospital and a community college were damaged. Two people were hurt.

In other news this morning, Pope Francis issuing a stinging criticism of the free market this week, slamming capitalism as, quote, "The new tyranny". The remarks are part of an 84-page report billed as the Pope's platform. And he writes in part, quote, "How can it be that it is not a news item when an elderly homeless person dies of exposure but it is news when the stock market loses two points?"

CNN's Ben Wedeman has more on this. He's in Rome this morning. Good morning, Ben.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes good morning Carol. Well the weather is better here, but Pope Francis is whipping up a bit of a storm with this. This is Evangelii Gaudium, which is Latin for the joy of the Gospel in which he lays out in 223 printed pages in English a variety of woes he sees as afflicting the world.

He's very critical about the economic system, the financial system prevalent in the United States and the West, which he says has become a new golden calf an idol that's been worshipped as well as consumerism. He also is highly critical of the church, it's obsession with tradition and what not. And he's really saying that the church has to change, the economy has to change.

And by and large what we're hearing from people who were out for the Wednesday public address by the Pope, people are very positive about this -- these statements these positions which interestingly enough, it is not that he just came up with this. This is really a collection of his sayings, his interviews, his off the cuff remarks since he became Pope last march.

But the fact that they're now in a book which we can hold and see and read, really does send a message that he's not just talking, he wants things to change -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Well it's very Jesuit. So it comes as no surprised for those familiar with the Jesuit. But he talks about he wants things to change. How is he going to manage that? It takes the Catholic Church I don't know, a millennia to change.

WEDEMAN: Well that's a very good point Carol. And let's keep in mind that the Catholic Church is indeed the world's oldest continually functioning bureaucracy. And it's very hard to change things but he's the guy in charge. And unlike most politicians, he doesn't have to worry about being re-elected and he does have a groundswell of support.

We spoke to some people who said before I didn't listen to the Pope. I would see him on TV and change the channel because he was dull. But they weren't talking about this Pope. When this Pope talks and I hate to use a phrase used by the stock market, but people listen -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Especially in light of what the Pope just said. But we get it.

Ben Wedeman, thanks so much.

Some shoppers this year may be heeding the Pope's call to cut back on the tyranny of capitalism. But it might be more economics than religion at play here. Morgan Stanley says this year may be the worst holiday shopping season since the height of the recession.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KIMBERLY GREENBERGER, MORGAN STANLEY RETAIL ANALYST: Consumers this year have really had to tighten their belts. There's a higher rate of payroll tax. And personal disposable income growth has closed this year. So there's a lot of belt tightening going on. And what we're finding is that retailers are actually having to discount prices in order to drive sales this holiday season.

(END VIDEO CLIP) COSTELLO: Well and you know that means some good news for bargain hunters. Analysts say stores are likely to drop prices even lower to entice holiday shoppers through the doors.

Still to come in the "NEWSROOM" a GAP ad meant to promote diversity is defaced on a New York subway and people are start -- actually people had taken notice. How the company is responding -- next.

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COSTELLO: In a New York subway, a couple of idiots thought it would be funny to vandalize an ad by the GAP. The ad is part of GAP's "Make Love" campaign and features a Sikh model. Well someone replaced the "make love" with "make bombs" and other hateful phrases. After the GAP was informed about it, GAP decided to turn the tables and featured the ad ever more prominently on their Twitter page. Good for the GAP.

Nischelle Turner live in New York with more on this. Good morning.

NISCHELLE TURNER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Hey yes, the GAP firing back at racism -- all of this playing out on social media. Score one for the good guys in this case, Carol. This all started like you said when a GAP ad on the subway station in the Bronx was defaced with racial slurs.

The ad's part of the company's new, make love this holiday season. It features Sikh actor and model Waris Ahluwahlia. But the vandals changed the slogan on the ad from "Make Love" to "Make Bombs." It also scribbled, "please stop driving taxis" across the poster.

Really, I mean really?

COSTELLO: Oh come on.

TURNER: Exactly.

Now words starting to spread on social media because of this. And Arsalan Iftikhar who is the editor at the Islamic Monthly spotted the defaced ad, snapped a photo of it, then he shared it with his 35,000 followers on Twitter. But it's GAP's response here that has everyone talking.

After becoming aware of the tweet, the company reached out to Iftikhar and they did this via Twitter. They thanked him for alerting them and they asked where they could find the ad. Then they take a very public stance against the racist graffiti they changed the company's background on their verified account avatar to the photo that was featured in the ad.

That featured Waris and I have to tell you, I'm like you, whoever the idiots were and that is exactly what they were Carol, idiots that did this, I hope they see this outpouring and realize, you know, I really did something stupid. Maybe they can learn a lesson from this.

COSTELLO: That's right times are changing and you better change with them or we're going to let you behind. TURNER: And the Sikh community is -- the Sikh community is actually starting this whole Facebook campaign, a thank you to GAP campaign for featuring a Sikh model in their ads. Because they, like you just said, times are changing. And they're glad to see that, glad to see the diversity that's being --

COSTELLO: I know and if those idiots do anything about them, they would, it's just like it's mind boggling. Like -- like at least do your research. OK?

TURNER: Exactly. Exactly at least know your hateful speech and who you're giving it to before you give it.

COSTELLO: Please target the right people, right?

TURNER: Right be smart racists.

COSTELLO: It's certainly nothing. Oh God I don't think there's such a thing.

TURNER: Exactly. Exactly my point exactly.

COSTELLO: Nischelle Turner, thanks so much.

TURNER: All right.

COSTELLO: Former FBI agent Robert Levinson was kidnapped back in 2007 on the Iranian island of Kish. Since then his family has heard nothing about his condition and only have this picture that confirms he is still being held.

On the heels of Iran's nuclear agreement, Levinson's family is renewing the push to get him released. CNN's Chris Cuomo talked with his wife and son on "NEW DAY."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTINE LEVINSON, WIFE OF ROBERT LEVINSON: He was last seen Iran on Kish Island. That's the only information we have about his travels. As I said earlier, his passport has never been seen anywhere else. But six and a half years have passed and we don't know exactly where he is at this moment in time.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: When you go to the State Department when you ask the government for help, what do they tell you?

C. LEVINSON: They are working as hard as they can to get him home. Unfortunately, he disappeared in the country of Iran, and it is very hard to get anything done there. We need the officials in Iran to help us and make sure that Bob is safe and get him home to us.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN HOST: And that's where the frustration comes in, certainly, Dan, for you, where right now, we're negotiating with Iran, right now we're discussing what should be on the table in terms of establishing trust. There has been some news reporting given to Pastor Abedini, who has been held there supposedly for his practice of Christianity. Your father wasn't really on the radar. Did you make efforts to them? Do you think he should be part of this negotiation?

DAN LEVINSON, SON OF IRAN HOSTAGE: We've been told and the U.S. officials have been saying in recent days that he's brought up in every opportunity to have on the sidelines of these negotiations. And they're going to continue to press his case and we have no doubt that the U.S. government is doing everything they can. But we're focused on the new administration. They seem very willing to cooperate with the U.S. on a number of issues and we're just hoping our Dad's returned home to us as one of those.

C. LEVINSON: Since he disappeared there have been numerous graduations. Two daughters have gotten married. We have a new grandson who was born just a month ago. Another grandson will be born in February. We have a granddaughter who is going to be five years old in December. And Bob knows nothing about any of these children. It's extremely difficult for our family, because this is something that can be resolved.

CUOMO: Yes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: The family went on to say that they were encouraged to hear that President Obama brought up their father's case to the Iranian president in a recent phone conversation.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, a strong winter storm blows through much of the East Coast just in time for the busiest travel day of the year. Some plane delays to ice and snow-covered roads. I'll talk to one expert about how to get you through safely this holiday.

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COSTELLO: The day before Thanksgiving is already a chaotic one for the nation's airports and roads. Throw in a bunch of snow and rain and ice and wind and you have the makings of a travel nightmare for millions.

Joining me now Yolanda Case, managing director for public relations at AAA. Good morning Yolanda.

YOLANDA CASE, MANAGING DIRECTOR FOR PUBLIC RELATIONS, AAA: Good morning -- Carol.

COSTELLO: OK. So I would assume most people who are traveling somewhere are already on the road.

CASE: Absolutely, Carol. I have to tell you most Americans had their bags packed last night, their airline tickets in hand, their cars were fueled up and they could just about taste that turkey and stuffing on the table.

So today many of them were out the door to get a little bit of a jump on the competition. In fact Wednesday, as you said, is the single busiest travel day with 16 million people traveling. Many of them like to start out early in the morning so they can get to their destination, drive while they're fresh, allow for anything that happens on the road. So if you're sitting at home today Carol, or you got to work today, many people have already started out well ahead of you today. This is going to be a busy day.

COSTELLO: Yes. And it's been a busy day for, what, decades and ever since the invention of the car, so to speak. I was just curious about the history of driving on this day.

CASE: Yes, you know --

COSTELLO: Go ahead.

CASE: Go ahead. Well, you know, Carol it's interesting. We were thinking a little bit about that history and sort of how driving has changed over the years. If you look back, going back to say the 1960s, and some of us may or may not recall that era, that was an era Carol where, you know, a lot of the men really did the driving of that traditional American family vacation. They drove their wives and their family to grandma's for Thanksgiving.

And you know, in fact, we're seeing a little bit of an emerging issue there in something that actually the National Academy of Science is studying because many of the women that didn't drive a lot during the 1960s who are outliving by a little bit their male count parts or spouses are now driving themselves and or their husbands around. And they're encountering new cars and new technology, the roads have changed. So quite a bit has changed when we look back at some of the driving habits.

COSTELLO: So you say quite a bit has changed. But the superstar pitcher David Price of the Tampa Bay Rays, he tweeted something that kind of caught my attention. He tweeted this, "Driving conditions will be rough with these storms. Ladies, let your man drive."

Oh, David Price, are you kidding? Maybe that came from the best place of his heart, I don't know. But I was just curious, who is the safer driver, men or women?

CASE: Well, I have to tell you, Carol. I don't know that AAA will help solve the battle of the sexes. I'll tell you, my husband and I have this debate at home all the time. He'll probably it's him. But here is what I can tell you, Popular Science did publish an article a little bit earlier this year that found that psychologically the differences between men and women aren't so different.

But here is what we suggest, let safety be your guide -- Carol. And so whoever really is the best person to drive your family for Thanksgiving, let that be the deciding factor. The person that's well-rested and ready to go. And in fact, because people are driving about 50 miles or more away from home and if you're going further than that, you may want to stop, rest up and switch out drivers. That gives both people an opportunity to drive.

COSTELLO: You should be in Congress.

CASE: Of course. Well, maybe, you know, maybe after AAA. But, you know, certainly for some of the -- if you have older parents, maybe even a child or relative might be the best person to drive. Maybe that will keep down the arguments. But at the event day, Carol, with the ice and snow you've been talking about this morning, we're expecting to rescue about 320,000 people that are stranded over this holiday weekend. It doesn't really matter who drives as long as you get there safely. That's what we really want to advocate today.

COSTELLO: All right. Yolanda thanks, and I'll just say for the record --

Case: Absolutely.

COSTELLO: I'm the safer driver in my family.

CASE: OK.

COSTELLO: We'll be right back. Thanks Yolanda.

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COSTELLO: There's a buzz around the White House this morning. No, it doesn't have to do with the Obamacare Web site. It's about these guys, Popcorn and Caramel. Today is the pardoning of the Thanksgiving Day turkey. It will be a live event from the White House at 1:20 eastern. "The Washington Post" had a blog I quite agree with this morning. It says the turkey pardon is America's dumbest tradition because let's face it, the president will then eat a turkey tomorrow.

CNN's Jeanne Moos though, begs to differ.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): What did one clumsy turkey say to the other at a Washington photo opportunity? "Pardon me."

There they were in the ballroom of the posh Willard Hotel. Amid dangling chandeliers their snoods dangled as the press tried to get them to talk.

It's Caramel versus Popcorn. The White House is running a contest asking people to vote on which should be the National Thanksgiving Turkey. Some are comparing it to the "Hunger Games".

JENNIFER LAWRENCE, ACTRESS, "HUNGER GAMES": There's 24 of us and only one comes out.

MOOS: But in this case, both come out alive. Though only one gets the presidential pardon publicly.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You are hereby pardoned.

MOOS: The other is an alternate.

(on camera): Our money is on Popcorn. Plumper, with a more robust gobble.

(voice-over): Caramel and Popcorn join other illustrious duos.

GEORGE W. BUSH, FORMER PRESIDENT: Pumpkin and Pecan. Biscuits, Gravy.

OBAMA: Cobbler and Gobbler.

BUSH: Flyer and Fryer.

MOOS: Caramel and Popcorn come from a Minnesota farm where 20 finalists were trained in this cottage. John Burkel practiced lifting them onto this table so they wouldn't do this when their big day came. But Popcorn and Caramel seemed more relaxed than their human owners.

The kids taught the photographers to whistle and trill to get the turkeys to gobble.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think you know how to speak turkey.

MOOS: The turkeys made the 1,500-mile drive to Washington in 27 hours. They've already outlived most of their compatriots.

JOHN BURKEL, RAISED CARAMEL AND POPCORN: Truth is, on my farm, I've never raised them past 14 weeks because we eat them.

MOOS: Occasionally a pardoned bird gets peckish. Pardoner-in-chief expresses ambivalence.

OBAMA: Thanks to the interventions of Malia and Sasha, because I was planning to eat this sucker.

MOOS (on camera): And then there was the turkey that didn't get pardoned, the one that met his demise behind Sarah Palin's back.

(voice-over): It happened as she was giving an interview at a turkey farm shortly after she and John McCain were defeated. We'll spare you the gruesome part.

SARAH PALIN, FORMER ALASKA GOVERNOR: Well, this was -- this was neat.

MOOS: The people will decide whether Popcorn or Caramel gets the glory this year. At least this government Web site is working. It's no turkey.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: I don't know if that bolstered your argument, Jeanne, but hey, happy Thanksgiving. Thanks for joining me today. I'm Carol Costello. "LEGAL VIEW" with Ashleigh Banfield starts now.