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Outrage Follows UPS Deliveries Delay; Huge Deals For Post- Holiday Shoppers; Auburn Fan's Priceless Reaction; Big Bertha Stopped In Her Tracks; Passenger Stuck In Ship Off Antarctica; NYT: U.S. Sends Iraq Government Missiles, Drones; Top 10 Entertainment Stories of 2013
Aired December 26, 2013 - 14:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN GUEST ANCHOR: Well, I tell you what, the public is still pretty outraged at UPS, even though the beleaguered delivery company is back on the road dropping off all those delayed packages. And now, there is another shipping giant that's running behind schedule. CNN's Nick Valencia has put it all together to give us an update.
NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, I just got off the phone with UPS and although they don't have official numbers on how many people have been affected it is estimated that thousands of you are still waiting for Christmas gifts that never quite made it under the Christmas tree. Both UPS and FedEx are responding to the scores of angry customers today, but they say it is entirely their fault.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VALENCIA (voice-over): UPS trucks are back out in full force this morning trying to deliver packages that were supposed to be delivered by Christmas morning.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I waited around for hours and hours for it to show up and it never did.
VALENCIA: Thousands of gifts not delivered on time, waiting in UPS warehouses to be shipped. UPS says they've already delivered an estimated 132 million packages in the last week alone, blaming the backlog on an unprecedented surge in online sales and bad weather. UPS released a statement saying in part, "The volume of air packages in our system exceeded the capacity of our network, immediately preceding Christmas. So some shipments were delayed." But many are still unhappy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They are still blaming it on ice storm, which was 2-1/2 weeks ago. It's terribly disappointing because we ordered these things on December 1st.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We got to the frontline after waiting for about an hour and said it hasn't been processed yet.
VALENCIA: Disappointed customers stormed online customer support, tweeting got same message, still waiting for a response from this morning, along with my granddaughter's Christmas gift. Busy during December? Who would have thought it? #bunchofclowns.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How are you doing today?
VALENCIA: UPS isn't the only delivery company experiencing delays, people lined up at this FedEx Shipment Center in Oregon on Christmas day.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They left me a note and thank God they're open so I can go to my parents and give my mom her gift.
VALENCIA: Meanwhile, UPS says they expect the vast majority of packages to be delivered today.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VALENCIA: And it is not just FedEx and UPS that are in trouble with their customers, it is also those online retailers that rely heavily on the services of UPS and FedEx. They're also trying to make amends with customers who are angry and furious at them. Amazon.com, for instance, they says they're offering $20 gift cards as well as willing to pay for some of those shipping costs to make up for the blunder -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Nick, thank you so much, so maybe you didn't get your packages delivered on time, but a lot of people have not finished shopping yet. If you're a post last minute shopper or just looking for some deep discounts, retailers are offering up some serious deals especially online.
If you thought Black Friday was a bargain shopper's paradise, well, you have to check out what is going on today. Help us sort out some of the best bargains on the internet, Brad Wilson, founder and editor in chief of braddeals.com. So Brad, let's just get right to it. What are some of the biggest deals right now?
BRAD WILSON, FOUNDER AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, BRADSDEALS.COM: The best deals that we're seeing are coupons that are valid on items that are already marked down. So let me give you an example, banarepublic.com literally has a coupon that is valid for an extra 50 percent off items that already on sale. We're talking about 30 or 40 or 50 percent off plus another 50 percent off.
We're seeing that nike.com, there is a coupon code for an extra 25 percent off clearance items. There are coupons for 20 percent off. Their sale items, Brooks Brothers is doing their semi-annual sale, this week, but today, you can get an extra 15 percent off. So you might sense is there is a lot of excess inventory and it is being marked down. And there are coupon codes out there that can help us get savings even on top of that.
PHILLIPS: Can you get a better deal, I guess now than before Christmas? WILSON: So this is actually one of my favorite times to shop and I'm looking at the stuff, 365 days a year. It is a little different in one regard. It is not necessarily broad, so you're not going to find every model and every size. But you're going to find a lot of things at their lowest price of the year right now.
PHILLIPS: Well, while I have you, let's talk about Target for a second and what should shoppers know about that data breach? I know you have been tracking that, as well.
WILSON: Yes, so you know, on the good side of things, this is probably the last time we'll hear about online shopping being less safe than off line shopping. It -- but it is worth keeping in mind a couple of things. So this was only at Target stores. The issue is that they literally read the magnetic strip on the back of the card. I don't think any of us realized this. There is a lot of data in there. Our names are in there, pin numbers, security codes, other information in there, as well.
It is a good time to think about either getting a new credit card number from the same account that you have, just calling them up and saying cancelling that old number, issuing me a new one or you know, actually thinking about getting a new card altogether, that is because the bank also are being very competitive with their sign-up bonuses.
So in a lot of cases, you can get $200 or $300 by signing up for a new credit card or 40,000, 50,000 or 100,000 points on frequent flier miles. I'm seeing those as competitive right now as any point in the last five years. So if you like my wife shopped at Target between November 27th and December 15th, it is doubly worth the look right now.
PHILLIPS: And I already changed the debit card. Brad, thank you so much. Appreciate the insight.
WILSON: Good to be back on. Thank you.
PHILLIPS: You bet, up next, this is the last season that college football will be using the controversial BCS system. So what did you think? Did the computer get the teams right this year?
Also, something is lurking underneath the city of Seattle, but the city workers have no idea what it is. Speculations you could imagine is running wild and some of the possibilities are pretty outrageous.
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PHILLIPS: Well, we're just about two weeks away from college football's national championship game and this will be the last time the computer picks who will play in the title game. The system is called the Bowl Championship Series. And as you know, the system crunches computer and human polls to figure out the two best teams. This year, it is Florida State versus Auburn, happening January 6th. Next year, a committee will select a 14th playoff. We want to know, did the BCS get it right this year? In a new CNN/ORC poll, 61 percent of you said yes, and as you can imagine, tickets to the championship game are pretty hard to get your hands on. So check out the reaction of a little Auburn fan as he opens up his Christmas present and realizes he will be going to Pasadena to cheer on his Tigers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: My God, my God. Yes!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What is it?
UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: Tickets!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tickets to what? Tickets to what!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: That is 11-year-old R.J. Myers. Santa came through with the only item on his wish list and we're going to have to wait to see if Santa can fulfill R.J.'s other request, and that is luck so Auburn will win.
We're waiting to see what is going on in Seattle now. Have you heard about this? It is the world's largest tunnelling machine and got stopped right in its tracks, $3 billion of a project on hold. Now people were wondering what massive, unidentified object could be blocking the machine. Our Stephanie Elam is tracking the story.
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STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): No doubt, Bertha is a behemoth. At five stories tall, she is built as the largest diameter tunnelling machine in the world. She was put to work grinding a tunnel under Seattle for a planned highway. But Bertha was only a tenth of the way on her nearly 2 mile on her journey when she suddenly encountered something large enough and strong enough to stop her in her tracks.
KADEENA YERKAN, WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION: We are being really cautious. Want to make sure that we don't damage this $80 million machine.
ELAM: But what is it? The mystery is killing lots of speculation. Geologists pointed out to how Seattle's watery edges were filled in with just about anything by the city's pioneers.
DAVID B. WILLIAMS, GEOLOGIST: You find old shoes, newspapers, there was a boat buried in downtown Seattle. So you name it. It could be down there.
ELAM: Another theory is it is a massive boulder left during the ice age. Residents have their own guesses.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Some kind of burial ground maybe?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, she is taking a Christmas break.
ELAM: If that is the case, Bertha's Christmas break started two weeks ago. Since then, the $3 billion tunnel project has been on hold as the workers drill wells to alleviate water pressure in front of Bertha, in hopes of sending workers to the front of the drill to see what she is up against.
CHRIS DIXON, SEATTLE TUNNEL PARTNERS: You can't back the machine up. So all you can really do is proceed forward.
ELAM: But the Transportation Department says that Bertha won't be moving forward until at least early next year, after the mystery is solved. Stephanie Elam, CNN, Los Angeles.
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PHILLIPS: Well, stranded on a cruise ship wedged in Antarctic ice. The rescue, the emergency and the stunning pictures ahead.
And there were many memorable moments in entertainment this year, what was your favorite? We'll count down the top ten talkers from stage and screen.
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PHILLIPS: Well, in one of the most unforgiving climates on earth, right now 74 people are on board a cruise ship and wedged in an ice field. We now have the video shot by one of the passengers, showing the isolation of this remote region just off the coast of Antarctica.
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PROFESSOR CHRIS TURNEY, LEADER OF STRANDED EXPEDITION: As you can see we are actually in a blizzard of a moment with a low pressure system sitting off the vessel and we have wind speeds on average of 50 kilometers an hour, reaching in excess of 70 kilometers an hour. The vessel has not moved for the last two days and we're surrounded by sea ice, we just can't get through. Everyone is safe, the vessel is perfectly safe, but we can't make the passage forward.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: They have to cut through the ice. It is thick and that polar expedition crew first sent a distress beacon on Christmas Day. Help is on the way with at least three ice breakers en route to try to free that ship. And the dozens of tourists, researchers and crew on board are remaining faithful.
So word is the U.S. is sending dozens of fire missiles and drones to Iraq to help the government fight an al Qaeda-backed insurgency. Are you surprised? Sort of a mix message when you hear this from President Obama earlier this year.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Today, the organization that attacked us on 9/11 is a shadow of its former self.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Jim Walsh, international security analyst with me. You just heard the president, Jim, calling al Qaeda a shadow of its former self. So why are we sending weapons to Iraq?
JIM WALSH, INTERNATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Well, it is true that we're sending the weapons to help the Iraqi government battle al Qaeda. I think when the president when he was talking then he was really talking about the al Qaeda Central, the old version, al Qaeda 1.0, where they had a land base in Afghanistan and were able to launch attacks on the U.S. soil.
This new al Qaeda that we are dealing with is more regional and local in nature. It's thinking globally and acting locally in a nefarious way. So you have it in Syria and Iraq, it is posing more of a challenge to those governments than to the U.S. homeland itself.
PHILLIPS: So have we miscalculated how strong al Qaeda might be? I mean, this year, we shuttered 19 diplomatic posts, you know, across northern African and the Middle East because of a terror threat. I mean, that's definitely not anything to dismiss. I guess I'm trying to figure out if this is really al Qaeda or just freelance terrorist cells, that are more focused and effective using this twisted form of branding known as al Qaeda?
WALSH: Yes, that is a great question, Kyra, my own view of it is I tend to take a broader view rather than getting fixated on the words al Qaeda. It's really -- we're talking about Sunni religious extremists, and we find them in Syria. What is going on with Iraq? Well, one of the answers is geography. What is going on in the border areas?
In Syria, and the extremists who are fighting the Assad government and they are begin funded by Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Once they got their foothold, they then were able to send folks into Syria. Now the Iraqi government has not helped its own cause much because it is a Sunni government. It has increasingly over time sort of narrowed its base of government and started to exclude Sunnis. And when they're excluded, what is going to happen?
They are going to turn to violence or other forms of protests. So part of it is geography. Part of it is bad political management and we're getting out of Iraq and that is leaving a bit of a vacuum.
PHILLIPS: Final question, I mean, during the war or even after the war, I remember talking so much about Iran supporting the extremists there. So if indeed, it is strengthening again, who do you believe is helping them out?
Well, I think right now, the odd -- this is the nature of international politics, Iran and the U.S. are on the same side in Iraq. We both want that Shia government to be stable and successful. It's the Saudi Arabias of the world that are funding the Sunnis who are then engaging in violence against that Iraqi government.
So oddly in Afghanistan and in Iraq, the U.S. and Iran are on the same team. We're the different sides in Syria, but on the same side there and what we really want is peace and stability. We just don't want this thing to rise up into flames as a big religious war in the middle of the Middle East.
PHILLIPS: Point well made, international security analyst, Jim Walsh, always good to see you, Jim.
WALSH: Good to see you, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Well, coming up at the top of the hour, a man wearing women's clothing scales a security fence, crosses a runway and manages to elude a multi-million dollar security system. This all went down at Newark's International Airport, pretty stunning security breach. More details straight ahead.
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PHILLIPS: Well, bad boy behavior, babies named after airlines, 2013 was hungry for the games played by Hollywood's A-list. CNN entertainment correspondent, Nischelle Turner takes a look now at the top ten headliners.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NISCHELLE TURNER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Bieber's bad boy behavior, Justin Bieber has not left the spotlight since hitting the scene in 2009, but 2013 found the teen heartthrob making news for the wrong reason. In fact, the "Daily Beast" declares it Bieber's year of "affluenza." From paparazzi brawls to pet money drama to neighborhood disturbances, Bieber struggled to stay out of trouble this year.
Kim-ye is born, Kanye West and Kim Kardashian continued their reign as the royal tabloid couple in 2013. Sure, West had a number one album and a hit tour, but nothing made as much news as his love life. The pair welcomed the birth of their first child daughter, North Nori West in June. In the year of the selfie and in typical Kardashian fashion, Kim took to social media to unveil her post-baby body. West then rented out AT&T Park in San Francisco to surprise Kardashian with a marriage proposal.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have been following this breaking news, actor, Paul Walker has died.
TURNER: A "Fast & Furious" death. Fans' hearts broke after Paul Walker's unexpected passing over Thanksgiving weekend. The 40-year- old actor was killed in a car crash outside Los Angeles. Fans and famous friends came out to show their support for the Box Office powerhouse who also found success in films such as "Eight Below" and "Flags of Our Fathers."
Beyonce's return to the stage, the singer caused waves after lip-synching the national anthem at the presidential inauguration in January only to prove her star power in show stopping Super Bowl halftime show. Beyonce spent most of the year turning the world with her hit "Mrs. Carter" show before surprising everyone with the release of her Fifth Studio album. It quickly became not only the fastest selling album of her career, but also in iTunes history. Queen B is ending the year at the top of her game.
Basic cable ruled TV, the "Walking Dead" rose to record ratings, proving we're still inflicted with zombie fever. The critically acclaimed "Breaking Bad" concluded its five-season run and nearly blew up social media in the process, and "Duck Dynasty" revealed reality TV is still guiding the conversation. Phil Robertson's anti-gay comments stir controversy, but basic cable shows still kept people buzzing.
From Oscar gold to Box Office magic, Jennifer Lawrence received the best actress Oscar for her performance in "Silver Linings Playbook" and won us over while falling on the stage to collect her reward. It wasn't long before Lawrence found herself at the top of the Box Office with the release of "The Hunger Games" sequel "Catching Fire." Hollywood's latest it girl ranked only behind Angelina Jolie on "Forbes'" list of Hollywood's highest paid actresses. Now Lawrence is receiving award buzz for her scene-stealing performance in "American Hustle."
Angelina's brave choice, Angelina Jolie shocked everyone with her "New York Times" op-ed revealing she underwent a double mastectomy. The Oscar winner and mother of six underwent a preventive procedure after learning she carries a gene mutation that increases her risk of developing cancer. The announcement inspired other women to consider the procedure as an option.
Paula Deen's downfall, a year ago, the celebrity chef was on top of the world. That all came crashing down after the release of a deposition in a lawsuit by a former employee. In the deposition, Deen admitted to using the "n" word in past. Fans turned their backs on the Southern star as did many of her endorsement deals, Deen went on to apologize, but it is yet to see if she can reclaim her throne.
James Gandolfini's unexpected passing sent shockwaves through Hollywood. "The Sopranos" actor died of a heart attack at the age of 51 while on vacation in Italy. The Emmy-winner's film, the romantic comedy opened after his death to critical acclaim, and earned Gandolfini his final SAG award nomination.
Miley Cyrus got everybody talking with her on stage antics. Cyrus made news with her controversial performance at the MTV VMA. The former Hanna Montana star proved her teen persona was nothing but a distant memory. Cyrus followed the performance with news of her break up with long time fiance, Leon Hemsworth. Her first number one hit with "Wrecking Ball" hit album "Bangerz" in celebration of her 21st birthday. It is Miley's world, and we're just living in it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Thank you, Nischelle, and you can vote on the top 10 overall stories of 2013, and go to CNN.com/yir for year in review. And speaking of Miley, it would appear that she is already working on making the top ten for 2014. Her new music video came out today, and to say it is only for mature audiences only, well, that is a bit of an understatement.
As the producer said, this is just the clean part. The song is called "Adore You." It's a ballad coming off her latest album and obviously not for the Hannah Montana fans. We all got a little flush a couple of minutes into it. Let's just say the video has gotten a lot of buzz on how much the 21-year-old Miley has grown up.
Good afternoon, everyone. I'm Kyra Phillips in for Brooke Baldwin. A security breach at New Jersey's Newark airport this morning has a lot of people wondering how a 24-year-old man actually managed to scale two security fences and make his way across the runway, all without being noticed by the airport's multi-million dollar security system.
Alexandra Field is live in New Jersey at the Newark Airport. So Alexandra, what are authorities saying now?
ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: All right, well, they're telling us that no planes were ever in danger and one official is actually calling the whole thing an embarrassing situation. But this is raising very serious questions and concerns about a highly expensive and highly sophisticated intruder detection system that involves radar systems and surveillance cameras. And yet even with all that in place, authorities tell us on that Christmas a suspect was able to breach a security fence, cross over two run ways and make his way all the way to Terminal C and reach Gate 70 where he was finally stopped by an airport employee.
At this point, Port Authority police tell us they are still investigating how that suspect got in and how he reached the gate going undetected -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: And it does get a little more strange. We're learning more about this suspect. Apparently, something was going on in the wee morning hours and had he was arrested wearing women's clothing. Do we know anybody about what was going on there inside the airport?
FIELD: Well, authorities are telling us that he is a 24-year-old Jersey City man. At the time of the arrest he was wearing women's clothing. They say that he had told authorities that he was in a car with someone else when he became spooked and headed for the airport.
PHILLIPS: Oh, my, it does continue. Alexander Field, we will stay posted. Thanks.
