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Midterm Elections Countdown; Georgia Races Could Be Decided by Runoffs; Clinton Stumps in New Hampshire; Pilots Identified in Spaceship Accident; Party Split Possible in U.S. Senate; Human Trials Begin On Ebola Vaccine; Midterm Elections Just Two Days Away; Lava Flow Threatens Hawaiian Town; Students Help Protect Against Lava

Aired November 02, 2014 - 16:00   ET

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

ALINA MACHADO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Of the 80 migrants we saw, 29 Cubans who were found on a U.S. territory were actually allowed to stay in the U.S. because of a longstanding policy that only applies to Cubans. Most migrants who are found at sea, regardless of their country of origin, are usually sent back.

Alina Machado, CNN, Miami Beach.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, again, everyone. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

In less than 48 hours, Americans head to the polls to cast ballots in congressional and gubernatorial elections. And the stage is set for a dramatic election night. Republicans could become the majority party in the U.S. Senate for the first time in nearly a decade. They need just six seats to win a majority and three of those seats are considered sure wins. That leaves just three competitive races for the GOP to win control of the U.S. Senate.

NBC-Marist polls show Republicans making gains in three key southern states.

Here's the picture in Georgia. David Purdue leading Democrat Michelle Nunn, 48 percent to 44 percent. In Kentucky, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has a nine-point lead over Democrat Alison Lundergan Grimes. In Louisiana, the NBC-Marist poll shows Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu leading but with just 44 percent of the vote, and that's not enough to avoid a December runoff against Republican Bill Cassidy.

Nick Valencia is in Georgia for the latest on the tight race there and CNN's Erin McPike is at the White House.

Erin, let's begin with you. Early voting has been huge this campaign season. Tens of millions of people have already voted. Is this good for Republicans or Democrats when it comes to that U.S. Senate?

ERIN MCPIKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fred, Republicans, and it's going to be a little bit counterintuitive but here's why. Democrats have just a slight edge overall. And usually with early voting, they have a much larger edge. Earlier in the week, Republicans were actually ahead in early votes in

some states, Democrats have generally pulled ahead. But I want to talk about three key races. The first is Iowa. Democrats have a slight edge in early voting there, but a new poll came out this morning from the "Des Moines Register" showing the Republican there, Joni Ernst, with a seven-point lead over Democrat Bruce Braley.

Then in Colorado, Republicans have an edge on early voting there and that is bad for Democrats. Because they generally had a much stronger turnout operations in early vote program in the last few election cycles. Then the last is in North Carolina. Democrats also have a slight edge over there. And that is important. The Democrat Kay Hagan, the incumbent, and Republican Thom Tillis are really neck and neck.

And again Kay Hagan has a slight edge, but I would point out that North Carolina was one of the last states called in 2008 and 2012 and that could be a real key for Democrats to have any hope of keeping control of the Senate.

I would point out, though, that CNN's Dana Bash has reported this weekend that Mitch McConnell, the Senate minority leader, has been briefed this weekend and the people briefing him said that he is likely to wake up as the new majority leader on Wednesday, the day after the election.

President Obama has not campaigned in any of these tight Senate race states. He's been campaigning for mostly gubernatorial candidates. He will have his seventh campaign rally at the end of today. His seventh rally overall this entire election cycle. You see him there in Connecticut campaigning for the Democratic

governor who is in a much tighter race than expected with the election just two days away -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Erin McPike at the White House, thanks so much.

So let's go to Georgia now. The big focus there, two very tight races, Republicans have a four-point lead in the race for U.S. Senate, according to a new poll, and the race for governor is even closer.

Nick Valencia joining us now. So it sounds like politics was part of the Sunday sermon at least in Atlanta today.

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Fred. The big message here was voter outreach, voter mobilization, and while early voting has ended as of Friday, this church right here, Greater Honey Grover Baptist Church, was instrumental in the Souls to the Polls, non partisan initiative to get people to early vote.

Busloads were taken from this church to go early vote last Sunday. That idea of voting for the midterm elections was emphasized here during the pastor's sermon.

Tight races, the gubernatorial race -- it pits Governor Nathan Deal, a Republican, against a very familiar name, Jason Carter, the grandson of Jimmy Carter. And while most analyst have Nathan Deal pulling away at this point, there are some others that show Jason Carter is gaining momentum.

Now really all eyes are on the Senate race. Michelle Nunn who is a Democrat is fighting her way back from trying to get a victory here for the Democrats. The implications are far beyond Georgia, Fred. They really implicate a lot of what's going to happen in Washington over the last two years or -- I should say the next two years for President Obama's administration.

This Senate seat up for grabs right now and a Michelle Nunn victory over Republican David Purdue would mean and could mean that the Senate stays in the hands of the Democrats -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: And, you know, we talk about these races in Georgia and we're talking about a lot of political family names with Nunn, Purdue and even Carter, but what's interesting, too, you've got a former president, Jimmy Carter, who has been campaigning really quietly, right, for his grandson, Jason Carter?

VALENCIA: Yes. You know, interesting to point out, it's a great point, Fred. He has been seen in very limited occasions. You know, I saw him actually out among the trick-or-treaters in a suburb here in Atlanta on Halloween. But that was one of the really only appearances that he's made throughout this whole campaign for his grandson, Jason Carter.

Yes, there is name recognition. Yes, these voters here in Georgia are familiar with those names of Purdue, of Deal, of Nunn. But really you see also these candidates trying to be individuals or trying to be independent, not really carry the name of their relatives but stand in their own feet. That could hurt them, though.

In the end, voters that we've talked to here, parishioners, they say they recognize the names but some are confused about what these candidates actually stand for -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Nick Valencia, thanks so much, in Atlanta. Appreciate it.

So one of the closest Senate battles is taking place in New Hampshire. The state's Democratic incumbent Jeanne Shaheen is fighting to keep her seat from former Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown.

CNN's senior political correspondent Brianna Keilar is in Nassau, New Hampshire.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Fred, Hillary Clinton has been barn storming for vulnerable Democrats. She was in Louisiana and Kentucky yesterday. She was in Iowa earlier this week. And in New Hampshire today she urged voters to cast a ballot for the Democratic incumbent Senator Jeanne Shaheen. She is facing off against Scott Brown in a tough race.

You may recognize his name. He's a former Massachusetts Senator who has moved up here in New Hampshire trying to win a seat in the Senate in this neighboring state. Hillary Clinton urging voters not to cast a protest ballot against Washington dysfunction.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: You know, it's really hard for me to express how grateful I am on behalf of my husband and myself to the people of New Hampshire, starting way back in 1991, you opened your homes and your hearts to us.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Clinton emphasized issues that have been resonating more with women. Not hot button social issues so much but economic issues. She talked about equal pay. And women are so key to Democrats, not just here in New Hampshire but across the country. Polls show that although they normally give Democrats an edge, they have been tuning out politics during this midterm cycle, and New Hampshire is a state that you really want to watch come Tuesday night.

President Obama, one, was initially elected here in 2008, won re- election in 2012. So if you start to see the ballots being counted and Democrats are really underperforming, that is a sign that they are facing a really tough environment across the country -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, thanks so much, Brianna Keilar, Nick Valencia and Erin McPike.

And don't forget Anderson Cooper, Wolf Blitzer, all hosting CNN's election night coverage on Tuesday beginning at 5:00 Eastern. You don't want to miss it.

All right. Four people are dead after their boat capsized during a crabbing expedition off the northern California coast. The sole survivor was found clinging to a rock. He told investigators a rogue wave crashed into his private boat and then threw everyone overboard. The wind surged 20 miles an hour with waves as tall as nine feet.

Thousands of Bostonians are saying their final good-byes to longtime former mayor, Tom Menino. This is the scene as he lies in state at the historic Faneuil Hall. Hillary Clinton is expected to pay her respects as well. She's campaigning in New Hampshire nearby.

Menino served as mayor during the marathon bombings in 2013. He retired this year as the longest serving mayor in Boston history. Last Thursday, Menino died after a battle with cancer. He was 71 years old.

And a short time ago, the winners of the New York City marathon were announced. Mary Keitany of Kenya won the Women's Elite Division. And Wilson Kipsang of Kenya won the men's division. Some 50,000 runners took part in the race including some celebrities. Tennis star Caroline Wozniacki, former NFL running back Tiki Barber and even NBA commissioner Adam Silver and our own celebrity on the weekends, our supervising producer, Ted Winner, also running the New York City marathon. We're so proud of him.

All right. It's a tragedy that has been felt across the space community. A space ship disintegrating with two pilots inside but only one made it out alive and survived. Now we know just who they are.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: We now know the names of the two pilots in that deadly test flight of Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo. The surviving pilot is a 43-year-old Peter Siebold. He is alert and talking with family and doctors. His co-pilot was 39-year-old Michael Alsbury, he died on Friday when the SpaceShipTwo disintegrated just two minutes after separating from a jet-powered aircraft.

Virgin Group founder Richard Branson says their bravely cannot be overstated.

I want to bring in CNN's Alexandria Field in New York.

So, Alexandra, what more are you learning about the moments right after that test flight failed?

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we know that Peter Siebold was found with his parachute. Just amazing that he was able to survive this. We're told his injuries were moderate to serious. Investigators were trying to learn what caused the flight to break up in air. Want to talk to Siebold but they tell us that they're going to hold off on that for now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTOPHER A. HART, ACTING NTSB CHAIRMAN: The question is, have we interviewed the surviving pilot? We have not because the surviving pilot is not medically -- the doctors do not recommend that we do an interview at this state. We are -- so we are in contact with the surviving pilot's wife and we don't want to interview that pilot before the pilot is ready.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FIELD: All right. Siebold is able to talk to his family members. Doctors say that he is alert and active, but of course investigators are going to wait and see what doctors recommend about the appropriate time to speak to him.

In the meantime, the investigation moves forward. The NTSB has sent some 13 to 15 investigators out to Mojave Desert. This is the week where they will do a bit part of the physical investigation.

The debris field is some five miles. They're going to be carefully looking at all the pieces of wreckage that were involved. All those pieces of wreckage from SpaceShipTwo. But they say it could take about a year to determine the cause of this accident, this flaw they say that they are going to be monitoring and looking at all the different data that was recorded.

And, Fred, because this was a test flight, all of those systems were being carefully monitored. There is what they call an abundance of data to look at. And in fact we know that there were six different cameras on board. All of these could be helpful pieces as they try to figure out what went wrong here.

WHITFIELD: All right. Alexandra Field, thanks so much from New York for the update.

All right. Vice President Joe Biden may not be running for a seat in Congress but a lot hangs in the balance for the vice president. We'll explain why.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All those midterm elections right around the corner, just two days away now, and the results could be historic. Republicans could regain control of the U.S. Senate for the first time in nearly a decade and it's also possible the chamber could be evenly divided, split 50-50 and that hasn't happened since the 2000 election.

Joining me right now from Washington, Stephen Collinson, a senior reporter for CNNPolitics.com.

Good to see you, Stephen.

STEPHEN COLLINSON, SENIOR REPORTER, CNNPOLITICS.COM: Hi, Fred.

WHITFIELD: You wrote in a recent CNN.com article about a possible tie in the Senate. Do you really think that is likely to happen?

COLLINSON: You know, it's possible. It looks this last weekend before the midterms that the Republicans have a momentum. They certainly think that they are going to get a majority on Tuesday. If you talk to them, they're quite bullish that it could be 52, 53, or even 54 seats in the Senate. But Democrats say they've got this great turnout operation that help put Barack Obama in the White House twice. They say that's going to make things a lot closer than perhaps it seems right now.

So in effect the best hope for Democrats of keeping Republicans for control of the Senate could end up being the circumstances in which they hang on to perhaps the state like Iowa, Colorado, do well in a couple of runoffs that might take place in Louisiana and Georgia, and perhaps manage to squeeze it into a 50-50 tie and that's where Joe Biden would come in.

WHITFIELD: My goodness. My gosh. So let's talk about that. I mean, this really would make for an incredibly exciting -- an even more exciting evening on Tuesday. And we're talking about this kind of tie. But then let's talk about the role of the vice president and why his, you know, role is very crucial.

COLLINSON: Right. Well, the vice president doesn't have very many duties officially under the Constitution. In fact, wielding a tie- breaking vote in the Senate is one of the few real official, you know, offices of power the vice president has. So in the event of a 50-50 tie, Joe Biden, who of course, you know, he spent 36 years in the Senate, he knows the place very well. He had a great career up there. A melodramatic career. Great committee hearings. Big speeches.

He was always at the center of attention. And, you know, in a way it be might be a fitting way for him to sort of put the cap on his career. As vice president he was back there in the spotlight, he'd be the first line of defense for the president's legacy in many ways. The Republicans might come in and try and, you know, do stuff like defund Obamacare, pass the kind of conservative budgets that we've seen in the House.

So Vice President Joe Biden would be right in the pole position, back in the spotlight and a place he really loves.

WHITFIELD: Wow. Let's talk a little bit about the campaigning, and, you know, a sitting president usually that, you know, is very exciting for a candidate to have a president, sitting president stumping for them, but instead there has been this remarkable strategy where the president has only gone primarily in places where Democrats look pretty favorable in their races and then you have in the state of Georgia where you've got the name sake of Carter, Jason Carter, who is running for office and his grand dad is campaigning for him but in a very quiet way.

How do you, you know, make sense of these dynamics? The former president and a sitting president, but campaigning quietly?

COLLINSON: Right. You would think if you're running for any statewide office anywhere, having a grandfather that was the president of the United States, the most powerful man in the world, would be an asset to have on your side. But it kind of shows you a little bit that Jimmy Carter, although he's very respected abroad for his human rights work and monitoring elections and so forth in his post presidency, his presidency still is a symbol almost of a failed administration.

You were talking the last hour about the Iran hostage crisis which was the one thing really that ended his administration after one term and opened the way for Ronald Reagan. His domestic presidency is also remembered as a time of malaise and economic blithe. So, you know, he's not a powerful, magnetic domestic political figure anymore. And that's the reason why his grandson is running against him.

For President Obama, just look where he's spending the last few days of the campaign, Maine, Rhode Island. He's up in Connecticut right now. He was in Michigan. That's nowhere near any of the real battlegrounds that are going to decide this election. And the reason is because the Republicans have made him issue number one. His unpopularity, his tumbling approval ratings. They are running against the president.

So he can't go into, you know, really good solid Democratic country in many of these states because he'd be pictured in the local news, Republicans would see him, and he'd do as much to turn up Republican turnout against him as he would sort of energize Democratic voters.

WHITFIELD: All right. Stephen Collinson, thanks so much. Appreciate your perspective.

Hey, don't forget, folks, Anderson Cooper and Wolf Blitzer, hosting CNN's election night coverage Tuesday evening at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Don't miss it.

All right. Straight ahead, in the fight against Ebola, the big weapon may be a vaccine. We'll take you to the lab where human trials are already taking place.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. Bottom of the hour now. Welcome back. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Here are several top stories crossing the CNN news desk right now. This week, we will know where the balance of power lies in Congress. Maybe some midterm races including the Senate race in Louisiana may be headed to a runoff after polls close on Tuesday.

Today, however, a good day for the GOP with new polls showing Republican gains in Kentucky, Georgia and Iowa, where Joni Ernst has opened up a seven-point lead on Democratic opponent Bruce Braley.

And there are new concerns today of another mass killing by ISIS militants. A city tribal leader in Anbar Province tells CNN ISIS militants kidnapped dozens of men and boys. Many of the victims were pulled from their own beds in the middle of the night. It is feared that they have been executed along with hundreds of fellow tribal members who were resisting ISIS fighters.

And back in the U.S. the nurse let out of quarantine in two states now says she's sorry for what she has put her community through.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KACI HICKOX, NURSE: I understand that the community has been through a lot in the past week and that I do, you know, apologize to them for that. I will not go into town and to crowded public places. You know, I have had a few friends come visit me in my home and that's absolutely fantastic.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: After returning from aid work in Sierra Leone, Kaci Hickox was placed into quarantine at a Newark, New Jersey, hospital. She was put in a tent with only a Port-A-Potty and a sink. After Kaci went public, the governor of New Jersey changed his mind and then let her go home to Maine. But Maine health officials mandated that she go into quarantine, an order Kaci defied. Well, a judge overturned that order. Kaci Hickox can leave her house. But is under travel restrictions and must take her temperatures twice a day.

The worldwide death toll from the Ebola outbreak continues however to climb. The World Health Organization says almost 5,000 people have now died from the virus. That's out of more than 13,000 cases in eight countries.

But now researchers in Switzerland are beginning human clinical trials for a potential Ebola vaccine. CNN's Nic Robertson has details on that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Long awaited, finally here, an Ebola vaccine arrives deep underground beneath a Swiss hospital. The potential cure for the deadly virus stored way below freezing.

This tiny pouch containing the core of the World Health Organization, WHO's largest clinical trial of humans to date. Upstairs, one of the 120 volunteers to test the vaccine prepares for the trial.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I feel very safe about this, a lot of people told me there are so much risks. Don't you feel like you could succeed because of the vaccine, but this is not how I feel and there are a lot of people who could benefit from it.

ROBERTSON: First, a blood sample taken to make sure she is in good health. Trial confidentiality means we can't reveal the volunteer's name, but we can show her on TV, and she can talk about the experience, checking for fever and rashes and blood tests.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm not afraid of blood tests or anything like that, being a med school student. I think the hard part to me is not knowing whether I'm getting the vaccine or a placebo.

ROBERTSON: Her blood rushed through this 1,400 bed hospital to a state of the art lab. Over the next few months thousands of volunteer samples will pass through here. Tests in this phase one trial made for safety of the vaccine and dosage.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are measuring antibodies and asking the question does this protein that we inject elicit an immunological reaction.

ROBERTSON: Doctors here hope to have the first results as early as December this year. Their biggest surprise so far, way more volunteers than they needed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Inaudible) the population for clinical research and also a sense of urgency, but there is still a sense of we can do something for Africa.

ROBERTSON: If these trials are successful, the W.H.O. plans to quickly scale up and test vaccines on thousands of people in Sierra Leone and Liberia as early as January next year. If those tests are successful, they could begin a wide scale vaccination campaign as early as next April. Nic Robertson, CNN, Luzan, Switzerland.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: New details in that capture of an alleged cop killer in Pennsylvania. Many of you have seen this image of the suspect, Eric Frein. The bridge of his nose cut and bloody, his face scratched after being arrested.

Well, now answers as to why, one of the Marshalls who helped capture Frein says that when he and the other officers approached Frein, he had his chest down on the ground, but his head was up looking at them.

Well, that Marshall says the protocol is never have a fugitive look at you. Well, Frein was forced to be face first on the asphalt and then his face got cut in the process. Frein had been on the run for 48 days after allegedly shooting two state troopers, killing one.

All right, fireworks at Disney World's Magic Kingdom took an unexpected twist last night. Embers from the fireworks drifted onto the building outside this Seven Dwarves mine train, setting off a fire there.

Well, no one was hurt and the ride reopened an hour later. The coaster opened just six months ago and it is pretty popular. People stand in line for hours to ride it.

The United Nations has a grim warning about the cost of fighting climate change. A new report says there are solutions to slowing the rise in temperatures, but without the help of industrialized nations, it will be a costly and difficult task.

And everyone is talking about the Republicans having a chance to take control of the U.S. Senate, but what about the Democrats? What do they need to do to hold on to their majority?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, Senate Democrats may be slightly on edge today, new polls showing Republican candidates gaining momentum in several key states. CNN executive political editor, Mark Preston, is joining us now from Washington. So Mark, what do Democrats need to do in these final hours to hold on to these vulnerable seats?

MARK PRESTON, CNN EXECUTIVE EDITOR, "POLITICS": Well, no doubt, Fred. And this is very cliche thing to say, but they need to get the vote out. They need to get their Democratic voters out there, coupled with a strong showing with independent voters.

Now Republicans will tell you the same thing. They need to get their base out and they need to get a sizeable chunk of the independent vote, but for Democrats right now certainly in key states all across the country, leading all the way up to Alaska.

For Democrats to hold on to the Senate majority, they need a very strong showing of reliable Democratic voters to show and up cast their ballots on Tuesday.

WHITFIELD: And you know, voter turnout is traditionally kind of low in midterm races. This one, will it be any different, particularly since it seems people are very dissatisfied with the incumbents. They are going to the polls to send a message, aren't they? PRESTON: They certainly are and, you know, you are right. In a midterm election, you do see the vote drop off in a midterm election. There's more excitement and coverage and engaged in a presidential election.

During a midterm for Democrats, what's bad for Democrats is that you tend to see Republican voters come out more than you do see Democratic voters. So that's working against Democrats. You are right about anger.

You know, we talk a lot about here in Washington, D.C. about anger at Washington. But there is also anger all across the country at incumbents and certainly at governments.

And what we haven't really been talking a whole a lot about is that there are at least seven Republican governors, who could lose re- election on Tuesday night. So the overall anger factor at government is certainly very strong and pervasive and we really shouldn't be surprised given the economic conditions that we're in.

WHITFIELD: And then what about the president? I mean, he has been campaigning, but particularly, you know, in states where the Democrats are looking pretty good. What might the White House be considering in thinking and maybe even worrying about if the Senate, you know, six seats are picked up by Republicans?

PRESTON: Well, certainly, with two years left, what can he get done legislatively? Here's the deal. Even if they don't pick up six seats and if Democrats were to hold on to the Senate, it's still going to be a tough couple of years for President Obama.

The margin is going to be very slim. Republicans will have maintained control of the House, but the big question is can they get anything done? Will there just be gridlock here in Washington. We're heading into a 2016 presidential race, a wide open race from the side for Republicans.

Dozen candidates being talked about for running, could there be grand standing in Congress? All of these things are going to mark things up in Washington. It's really no surprise that we saw President Obama pushed through health care early on in his term to try to get that done. The big question is, now on an issue like immigration can we see Democrats and Republicans come together, who knows?

WHITFIELD: All right, Mark Preston, thanks so much. Good to see you. Of course, we'll be seeing you and everybody else on the political team here at CNN Tuesday night. Anderson Cooper and Wolf Blitzer leading CNN's election night coverage, Tuesday evening, beginning at 5 p.m. Eastern Time. You don't want to miss it.

All right, lava has left a path of destruction in Hawaii. Some students actually had an idea that has helped some power lines stay safe. We'll meet some of those students in a moment.

But first, voting for this year's CNN hero has already begun at cnnhero's.com. We want you to meet one of the top finalists right now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: I really hate when it hurts. It's a really sharp pain. I get all teary. The shots really scared me a lot and they still scare me now.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When children get a diagnosis like cancer or any major disease, they lose any sense of feeling that they're controlling their lives. They're prodded and poked and touched and they're often so afraid. Our daughter is Sara Bassio who was diagnosed with leukemia. She was such an incredible little soul, who taught me about the power that's inside of ourselves. Are you ready?

Begin. After our daughter passed away, I started a program that provides classes to children who are sick, to teach them the martial arts, to make them feel powerful. Every single type of martial arts uses the breath to take control.

I'm a black belt in choikwando. Hold it and then release. We use the martial arts as a platform for meditation, for relaxation to allow children to gain these tools. You're totally in control.

To really face down so much of the fear, the anger that accompanies pain. Breathe in. You can see that light on their face. I feel like their souls are shining. You did it.

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: I do have the power to make the pain go away and nothing's impossible, nothing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: In Hawaii, the lava that has been threatening several homes has slowed to a trickle now, but authorities say it could start flowing again at any time. It's already left a path of destruction 100 yards wide in some places.

Our Martin Savidge is on the Big Island of Hawaii and he explains just how unrelenting the lava can be.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is lava creeping slowly, relentlessly into Pahoa. This is where it comes from, Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano. From Kilauea, the lava moves a couple of miles underground to (inaudible), sort of the volcano's branch office.

After that, it's literally all downhill. Geologists can actually track the lava through an opening called the skylight. They measure how much and how fast, currently about 90,000 cubic meters flows past this point every day at about 10 miles an hour. But the lava dramatically slows on its 13 mile journey towards the town.

FRANK TRUSDELL, USGS HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY: Slowly it oozes across the ground and intense heat is consuming everything that he touches.

SAVIDGE: Now say hello to these advanced science and engineering teams at the Hawaii Academy of Arts and Science in Pahoa.

MAYA ANDERSON, STUDENT ENGINEER, HAWAII ACADEMY OF ARTS AND SCIENCE: There was lava heading our way and the power poles would have just burned up.

SAVIDGE: No power poles, no power, or vital communication lines, but they were up against one of nature's most powerful forces, lava.

LOGAN TREASTER, STUDENT ENGINEER, HAWAII ACADEMY OF ARTS AND SCIENCE: Temperatures can be 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, which will destroy most anything in its path.

SAVIDGE: In just 90 minutes, they came up with a brilliant plan.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The initial drawing is shown right here.

SAVIDGE: They call it a power pole protection barrier and gave the idea to the local power company.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We were expecting the standard good try, guys, but this is an adult matter, and we got more of a wow, you guys are actually good engineers.

SAVIDGE: Now the power company already had a plan to protect poles, but it uses the very same principles the teens came up. This video shows the theory works. Now, in Pahoa poles are being protected and these teens can say we came up with the same idea.

(on camera): It's your work. It's your ideas.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was a lot of fun to do.

SAVIDGE: Martin Savidge, CNN, Pahoa, Hawaii.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SAVIDGE: And now I am joined by some of those incredibly smart teens and they have already come up with a new idea and I applaud you for the work you are doing for your town. Let me explain something real quick. Lava to the local native culture, it is a living thing. It is something to be deeply respected. Why not just take another road?

MICHAEL DODGE, HAWAII ACADEMY OF ARST AND SCIENCE: The only other accessible route can add up to 4 hours on to the transit time so it's highly inefficient in both gasoline and people's time.

SAVIDGE: Right. It is. So the problem is you got to come up with a way to get over the lava and I'm going to reach right past you.

JORDAN DRAWER, HAWAII ACADEMY OF ARTS AND SCIENCE: Yes. We came up with the idea of having like a guide service to go across the dried part of the lava to keep it so it's respectful to Palae, especially if there's an emergency and somebody can get to the hospital, they can be transported by ambulance in one side, brought over safely by a gurney, and once they are on the other side of the lava they can be brought up to the hospital.

SAVIDGE: And thanks to Mia, we have a graphic. What do we got depicted. I see the lava?

ANDERSON: Yes. So the lava is as you can see here, the lava has gone over the road and we're talking about dry lava, like cooled down, not the red hot flowing kind, so there would be the guides on either side who would be there 24-7 to transport people across the lava safely, and this means like regular -- I just need to go to work, which is I live in the north side, I work on the south side, I need to go across.

SAVIDGE: It works for the emergency or for the commuter. And good thing here is everybody is respected. The lava is still flowing deep underground but you are not interfering with Palae's plan. I think it's a great idea. You've come up with what is the culture and also what is the science. I congratulate you. They are going to unveil that plan later in the week.

WHITFIELD: That's fantastic. They are the future and they are thinking of the here and now. It's very useful. They are respecting this constant which is lava. It's a constant element there on the big island. How commendable.

SAVIDGE: I taught them everything I know.

WHITFIELD: Of course, you did. Of course, I'm glad you are the messenger in this case and bringing the message because they are extraordinary. Martin Savidge and three incredible minds, thank you so much. I should say four incredible minds. You included Martin. That's really what I meant.

SAVIDGE: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: On the Big Island there. All right, let's talk about the mainland now here in the U.S. parts of the south. Guess what they got snow this weekend and lots of it actually in some places.

Up next, we'll find out if the eastern part of the country will also get out of this cold snap this week. But first meet an artist that caught our eye. Here is this week's ones to watch.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I wouldn't call myself an artist. That doesn't fit what I'm doing. I'm depicting a human face. I can't really look for that long a time at somebody's face if I don't really love that face. I have to truly feel connected to it in order to spend eight months with it.

I simply randomly find people by encountering them absolutely by chance. It was an absolute chance encounter. We were in a museum and she was passing in front of me and it was like a bell ringing above my head. My God, this is a face, this is a face. UNIDENTIFIED CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Eleana still frequents the nursing home down the road always searching for that magical face that special connection that drives her to pick up her pencil and draw. When she finds it, she takes a photograph and leaves.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I used to have sitters, but lately it's a photograph. I just have this surface really that I work with. It's the surface of a face. It's a skin, such a mystery, the human face. It's such a mystery.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Apparently you can blame Canada for the cold weather across much of the east and it's led to early snow in parts of the south. Meteorologist, Jennifer Gray, has detail in the forecast.

JENNIFER GRAY, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Fred, we did have early season snow across much of the south yesterday and today we're dealing with a little bit of lingering snow across portions of Maine. Could see up to a foot of snow by the time the day is over with, also windy conditions, gusts up to 50 miles per hour and that windchill dipping below freezing once again for tonight.

Columbia, South Carolina, had their earliest snow on record. Here are couple of the totals, right outside of Gatlinburg, 22 inches recorded and then we also just outside of luck, North Carolina, 18 inches, so a lot of snow for the south. It will be melting quickly though, because we do warm up early part of the week.

Lows tonight will be dipping down a lot of areas, not quite hitting freezing, 36 in Atlanta, 42 in Memphis, up to 43 in Chicago by tomorrow morning. A freeze warning will remain in place in a lot of those southern states.

Atlanta under a freeze watch and then places like Charlotte under a freeze warning for Monday morning. Here's a workweek forecast because we do warm up quite nicely. Look at D.C., 62 on Monday, close to 70 by Wednesday; same story in Atlanta, mid-60s on Monday, up to 72 on Wednesday. New York City, you'll be in the mid-60s by Wednesday.

Fred?

WHITFIELD: Oh my. Thanks so much, Jennifer. Big chill indeed.

Hey, thanks so much for spending your Sunday with me. I'm Fredericka Whitfield. The next hour of the NEWSROOM begins right now.