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Salt Suppliers Struggling To Keep Up With Demand As Snow Piles Up; Snow, Then Rain Today In NYC; Five Injured In Violent Plane Turbulence; Schools Struggle To Make Up Snow Days; "Loud Music" Shooter Says He's The Victim; Pandora Knows More About You; U.N. Report Details Horrible Abuses In North Korea
Aired February 18, 2014 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Just ahead of the NEWSROOM, the man convicted of attempted murder in the loud music murder trial says he is both victim and victor.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL DUNN, FATALLY SHOT JORDAN DAVIS (via telephone): I don't know how else to cut it like they attacked me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: You will hear more of the stunning jailhouse phone conversations between Michael Dunn and his fiancee.
Plus, is he the new face of the GOP. The new mayor of San Diego is Republican, pro-same-sex marriage and pro-abortion rights. And she made waves at the Olympics and on the internet with this image, U.S. figure skater, Ashley Wagner on her not so poker face. The second hour of NEWSROOM starts right now.
Good morning. I'm Carol Costello. Thanks so much for joining me. Spring cannot come soon enough. This morning, we are dealing with our 18th winter storm this year. This round could bring nearly a foot of snow to parts of the northeast today and tomorrow. New England could get another 8 inches. These are the nasty conditions drivers near Cleveland had to deal with this morning.
Several inches fell there overnight and now the area is dealing wind gusts of up to 40 miles per hour. Check this out. The view of Newark's airport's tarmac, it shows you look out the plane's window and the runways are covered with snow, across the country. More than 750 flights have been canceled just today.
We are following the storms from all angles today. Maria Santana is in New Jersey tracking the dwindling salt supplies used to clean up all that snow and ice. Indra Petersons is tracking the storm from New York. But I want to start with you, Maria. Good morning.
MARIA SANTANA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol. How are you?
COSTELLO: I'm good. Tell us what's happening in your area. SANTANA: Yes, well, this is definitely a bad situation for this area. We have had so many snowstorms. Luckily, this was a quick one. Right now, it looks like the precipitation has stopped. This storm dumped about 2-4 inches in the New York metropolitan area. We have been speaking to several New Jersey mayors since yesterday and they say that the situation is pretty dire. Their reserves for salt are pretty low. They have enough to take care of this storm right now.
Any future storms, well, that's another question. That's really up in the air. I'll show you this street where we are here. This is West New York, New Jersey. This is a major artery in this town. A lot of commuters go into New York City from here. As you can see, the road is in pretty good shape. Secondary roads, though, are suffering. Yesterday, we had the opportunity to speak with West New York mayor, Dr. Felix Roque (sic). This is what he said about the salt situation here in West New York.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR STEVEN FULOP, JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY: We're really playing catch up here because some of the side streets have ice on them, because we weren't able to use salt in the last storm. Now, we're getting another storm. It is one storm after the other, cold weather. It freezes and creates a layer of ice and then a new snowstorm that falls on top of it. So it has been a real tough cycle to say the least.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANTANA: Actually, Carol, I believe we were listening to Steve Fulop, who is the mayor of Jersey City. We spoke to him yesterday as well. That is the second largest city in New Jersey. Actually the last storm, they had no salt at all. He said that they basically just had to prioritize what gets cleaned up. They received 500-ton shipment of salt, not nearly enough. They used 800 tons every snowstorm.
So this time around, they also have to try to prioritize which roads get cleaned first. A lot of residents complaining that secondary streets are still in pretty bad shape -- Carol.
COSTELLO: All right, Maria Santana, thanks very much. Let's bring in Indra Petersons now. I just want to know when it will all be over.
INDRA PETERSONS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It has been a rough winter, Carol. We definitely know that we have seen so much snow already. Of course, this morning, New York City, commute time. That's when we started to see the snow really kind of fall around the area. The bulk of that area really has calmed down in the last hour or so. A lot did fall. Temperature is about 30 degrees.
There is still some snow left in the area. There is another way we can make it through. The thought is that the temperatures will warm up and it may be rain. Let's talk about what we have already seen from this system alone. It went through the Midwest and the Ohio Valley. Take a look at some of these numbers here. We are talking about a good 4 inches to 6 inches of snow has already fallen through you that region. Then now, it has made its way over towards the northeast. Now, it is climbing out toward Boston. We will start to see the snowfall here in the next few hours. It is going to last throughout the day. Still, heavy melts.
Portland, Maine could see on the outskirts, 8 inches of snow. It is not out of the question. Here is the good news. Tomorrow, the temperatures climb. There is another system out there. It is expected to be rain. Temperatures are going to go from below normal to above normal.
In the south, we are talking about temperatures into the 70s, guys. Keep in mind, when that happens, it also means that that could bring a threat of severe weather Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, spreading from the Midwest to the mid-Atlantic.
COSTELLO: Indra Petersons reporting live for us, thanks so much. All of this snow and ice is creating big problems for school systems across the country as they try to find ways to make up for snow days. Schools in Virginia Beach are now holding classes on Saturdays to make up for all those missed days.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: Well, I mean, they --
UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: I don't know.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So we've committed 283 days in work. We are going to give them 183 days.
UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: I don't really want to go to school but on Saturday, but now that I think that -- I mean, I really want to see my friends and stuff, and I was --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: That is what the class half full, right? No word on how long the weekend seasons will continue in Virginia Beach.
In the skies over Billings, Montana, the United Airlines flight instantly turned from routine to downright terrifying, violent turbulence seized and trashed the airliner and the 119 people on board. Witnesses say the jolt was so unexpected, a baby apparently flew from its mother's arms, but the baby is unhurt this morning. Three crew members and two passengers were taken to local hospitals.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GRANT LINDE, PASSENGER: I felt the plane kind of beg to the right a little bit and it felt like we got hit from the bottom.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was scared. It was really scary.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There is a lot of screaming and lot of hollering. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Nobody was really expecting and I do mean nobody. I think the flight crew probably was in the same boat we were.
LINDE: There a guy in front of me actually who lifted up and hit the ceiling of the plane and came down on the other side on the way that he crossed the aisle.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Wear your seatbelts. One flight attendant is still in the hospital. Everyone else's injuries turned out to be minor. United Airlines says its flight safety team will review exactly what happened.
I'm the victim and the victor, those shocking words coming from the mouth of Michael Dunn. Dunn the same man who says he killed 17-year- old Jordan Davis in self defense. Martin Savidge has more for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DUNN (via telephone): I'm the -- victim here. I was the one who was victimized.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Prosecutors are releasing audio of jailhouse phone calls between Michael Dunn and his fiancee.
DUNN: I don't know how I'm -- they attacked me. I'm the victim.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right.
DUNN: I'm the victor, but I was the victim too.
SAVIDGE: The revealing calls recorded in the weeks after Dunn's arrest for shooting and killing 17-year-old Jordan Davis after an argument over loud music at this Florida gas station. Dunn maintains that he was threatened by Jordan Davis and his friends. In one of the nine calls released by the Florida State attorney, Dunn complains to his fiancee about being housed alone in a cell.
DUNN: I guess it would be better than being in a room with those animals.
SAVIDGE: Dunn was convicted on multiple counts of attempted murder on Saturday, but the jury failed to reach a verdict on the most serious charge of first degree murder. The mistrial on that count sparking outrage from some in Jacksonville. Protesters gathering at the gas station where the shooting occurred.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I brought my grandson because this little man here, I love him with all my life. And I don't want him or no other black child to have to continue to go through this. It has to end and it has to be now. It has to come to an end now.
SAVIDGE: Michael Dunn's daughter, Rebecca told ABC's "Good Morning America" she hasn't stopped crying since her father was found guilty on the three counts of attempted murder.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can't imagine living life without him.
SAVIDGE: Dunn says she has no doubt her father killed 17-year-old Davis in self defense.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If he sees no other way, that's what he's going to do.
SAVIDGE: Martin Savidge, CNN, Jacksonville, Florida.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Dunn faces at least 60 years behind bars for three counts of attempted second-degree murder. He is expected to appeal.
The stakes are high. Ron sits down at the table with the United States and five other world powers over the nuclear program. Talks got underway in Vienna, Austria aimed at permanently curving Iran's controversial program in exchange for easing of economic sanctions. Negotiators hope to build a temporary deal by December. CNN's Reza Sayah is on the phone now from Tehran, Iran with more. Good morning, Reza.
CNN REZA SAYAH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Good morning, Carol. These nuclear negotiations, the talk of much of the country, many Iranians debating what the outcome of these talks is going to be will be. Of course, so much at stake if there is a deal struck, if the economic sanctions are lifted, that could give a serious boost to the economy and improve the lives of many Iranians that have suffered through the actions for a very long time.
Of course, these talks are focusing on a permanent deal. Last year, they struck an interim deal. Observers say striking a deal on a permanent basis will be much harder essentially, because both sides have put forth their position and they also put forth the line saying they are not going to budge from their position.
If you talk about Iran, they want the right to enrich uranium. They believe under international law, they have the right to a peaceful nuclear program and peaceful nuclear facility. They will do their best to --
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: I thought I lost him and I think I did. Reza Sayah reporting live from Tehran in Iran.
After being detained by Russian police for several hours, two former members of the all women punk band, Pussy Riot, are free again. The women were detained today outside of a church in Sochi where they were planning to record a song critical about President Vladimir Putin. The two were released from jail in December after serving a two-year sentence for hooliganism.
Still to come in the NEWSROOM, it could be one of the most detailed accounts ever of human rights abuses inside North Korea. Up next, why the United Nations says Kim Jong-Un could be prosecuted.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Another nasty snowstorm bearing down on the northeast this morning. Some in New England could get up to 8 inches by tomorrow. Here is a look at some of the massive snowfall totals so far this year. Detroit is dealing with more than 75 inches so far this year, Chicago, not far behind with nearly 68 inches. New York City and Philadelphia, 55 inches of snow a piece. That's amazing.
But a warm up is coming but then of course, another cold front might follow. We'll keep you posted. Mass starvation abuse and downright inhumane treatment. They are all detailed in a new United Nations report outlining human rights violations in North Korea.
CNN's Brian Todd has more on the horrifying report based on testimony of hundreds of witnesses and I want to warn you, you might find this report disturbing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Images of skeletal, starving people eating snakes and rats, emaciated human remains left for rats to eat. Drawings of detainees being tortured, abused, these etchings are by a former prisoner in a North Korean gulag, part of a disturbing exhaustive new U.N. report on human rights abuses in North Korea.
The U.N. Commission of Inquiry interviewed hundreds of former prisoners and other witnesses. A survivor told of a starving woman that gave birth in a camp. A prison official heard the baby's cries and repeatedly beat the mother forcing her to drown the child.
JEE HEON, NORTH KOREAN PRISON CAMP SURVIVOR: With her shaking hands, she picked up the baby and put the baby face down in the water.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There is no other place on earth today that has the level of human rights abuse that North Korea has.
TODD: In the four large North Korean prison camps, housing more than 100,000 people, systematic starvation, torture, rape and execution were common place. Witnesses told the U.N., former detainees and prison officials described grotesque methods of killing inmates. Guards would force them to dig their own graves and hit them over the head with a hammer.
Speaking to Amnesty International, another former prison official said another method was to have an inmate come to an office and sit down and two people would be waiting with a rubber robe. If you strike someone with it, it will wrap around their neck and then you kill them by pulling the rope.
North Korean defector, Kwon Young Hee who testified for the U.N. told CNN's Paula Hancocks how guards presumably killed her brother.
KWON YOUNG HEE, NORTH KOREAN DEFECTOR (through translator): They tied him to a truck and dragged him for 45 kilometers. When he fell down, they kept on driving.
TODD: American Kenneth Bae is believed to be held in one of those camps. The U.N. official that released this horrific report says this.
JUDGE MICHAEL KIRBY, U.N. COMMISSION ON INQUIRY ON HUMAN RIGHTS IN NORTH KOREA: Too many times in this building, there are reports and no, action. Well, this is a time for action.
TODD (on camera): Time for action but will anything change inside North Korea?
NICHOLAS EBERSTADT, AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE: The North Korean government wants to be recognized and to have international legitimacy. In every venue where North Korean officials walk internationally, this is going to stalk them.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: The North Korean regime calls the United Nations report a political plot and says the human rights violations mentioned in this sorry-called report do not exist in our country.
Brian Todd joins me now from Washington and I'm also joined by Phil Robertson in Boston. He is the deputy director of human rights watches, Asia division. Welcome to you both.
Brian, can you explain why so many people are being thrown into these labor camps in North Korea? What are interest crimes?
TODD: Well, Carol, a lot are being thrown in for crimes they know nothing about. What North Korea does is if someone runs afoul of the regime, they will target not only them but their relatives as well. One woman testified she was put in a prison camp for doing nothing more than gossiping about Kim Jong-Il, the late leader.
Well, they put her and her elderly parents in a prison camp along with four of her children, ages 1-9. All of them died, except for her. Witnesses are saying repeatedly, the North Koreans have a practice of trying to wipe out three generations of a family if someone runs afoul of this regime.
COSTELLO: So Phil, the United Nation says this is a time for action, but what kind of action is it talking about.
PHIL ROBERTSON, DEPUTY DIRECTOR: Well, it certainly is time for action. This is the sort of mass abuse that the U.N. was set up after World War II to deal with. So the Commission of Inquiry is calling for a referral by the United Nations to the International Criminal Court or failing that action to set up some sort of ad hoc international tribunal similar to what was done in former Slovenia or Wanda to assess and insist on criminal accountability for the North Korean government officials that were involved in this.
The report clearly states these are policies that come from the top of the government. So we are looking at Kim Jong-Un and other top officials need to be held accountable for these abuses which are continuing today in North Korea.
COSTELLO: It is just mind-boggling. Brian, this U.N. report also highlighted Kim Jong-Un's lavish spending habits, including what, a home movie theater for his closest friends.
TODD: That's right, Carol. They detail about $187,000 that he spent on equipment for a 1,000 person private movie theater. They detail other things too, that he spent tens of thousands of dollars to import cognac. That's something his late father, Kim Jong-Il, liked to do. He spends $1 million a year to bring in cognac. Kim Jong-Un is also trying to bring in Mercedes Benz, luxury vehicles, piano, recording equipment. He is spending more than his father did. That's really saying something.
COSTELLO: So, Phil, can anything really be done without China's help?
ROBERTSON: Well, there has been various different accountability mechanisms done without China's help. The problem here is that the U.N. Security Council would have to refer North Korea to the International Criminal Court, because North Korea has not signed the Rome statute that established the court. We expect that there is going to be a long, prolonged campaign here to try to press for China and Russia and other past supporters of the North Korean government to allow for this process to go forward.
The key issue here is that no one can say anymore that they didn't know. This is a report that is damming. It sets out that there have been severe, pervasive, and systematic violations amounting to crimes against humanity by the North Korean government. Every international forum that talks about North Korea, every international meeting that diplomats go to, they are going to have to face this. It is now the job of the international community and the U.N. to make sure as Justice Kirby says, that this report doesn't just slip on to a bookshelf and get ignored. The time for action is now.
COSTELLO: Phil Robertson, Brian Todd, thanks to both of you. I'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: If you are one of the 73 million people that use Pandora to listen to music, the company says it knows more about you than just your favorite songs and it is hoping to cash in. Pandora is rolling out a new ad service to help political candidates target voters. The next time you listen to a little country or some R&B, you might get pegged as a Democrat or Republican, really.
Let's bring in CNN's money tech correspondent, Laurie Segall, from New York. Tell me more.
LAURIE SEGALL, CNN MONEY TECH CORRESPONDENT: You know, listen, it is all about your zip code. Every time when you sign up for Pandora, you put in your zip code. That has a lot of valuable geographical data. So in the past what Pandora has done is it looked at your zip code and it said, a lot of folks have voted left or right and been able to target you. They are taking it to a whole new level. Now, they are able to say, in a suburb of Chicago that generally leans left, a lot of folks are listening to reggae music. They can correlate those and better serve you. You can get out of these ads by signing up for the premium service, $3.99 a month. Pandora is getting better and smarter about knowing their users. Political advertising is going to be huge in the future -- Carol.
COSTELLO: So it has to be more than just geographical and by your zip code. Don't they have a quiz you can take?
SEGALL: You put in your zip code. They understand. You can take a quiz. There are all types of quizzes that you can look at. What they have been able to find, I think this is pretty interesting. My musical taste is all over the place. Let me just go through some of what they found and what your political affiliation means based on what you listen to.
According to Pandora, if you listen to Mary J. Blige and the late Bob Marley, you tend to vote Democratic. If you listen to Yanni, the Greek pianist, you tend to vote Republican. Jay-Z and Bruce Springsteen, cross-over appeal. They couldn't peg those folks who listen to them. If you listen to Dolly Parton and other country musicians, Pandora says you probably vote Republican.
They are more associated with Republican zip codes. According to Pandora, you probably vote Democratic if you listen to Daft Punk. What I thought was interesting, folks with most eclectic music tastes tend to vote Democratic. I think it is about all of these streaming music services are trying to find ways to make money.
These are apps on your phone. They have to make money. Advertising is the big thing. There are all sorts of ways to advertise. Now, we are listening to music ads. It is interesting.
COSTELLO: It is interesting. It still seems so stereo typical to me. It just does. I know a lot of conservative Republicans that like groups other than Yanni and Dolly Parton.
SEGALL: It is one of those things we have to look at it and see how it evolves. I know a lot of folks who listen to country music and they are Democrats.
COSTELLO: Get-out.
SEGALL: You have to add on the layer of the zip code. You have to look and have a rich determination to serve an ad that fits.
COSTELLO: Fascinating. Laurie Segall, many thanks.
Still to come in the NEWSROOM, he is moderate and supports both gay rights and green initiatives, so could the new mayor of San Diego also be the new face of the Republican Party. We'll talk to him.
