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Erin Burnett Outfront
Amanda Knox Might Face Jail Time In Italy Again; Veteran Saves Woman's Life; Seven-Year-Old Boy Hit By Meteorites?; Obamacare Back to the Supreme Court; Iran Rejects U.S. Version of Nuke Deal
Aired November 26, 2013 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ERIN BURNETT, CNN ANCHOR: OUTFRONT next:
A travel nightmare -- a killer storm sweeping across the East Coast, potentially ruining the holiday for millions and millions of Americans.
Plus, prosecutors want Amanda Knox to spend 30 years in prison for murdering her roommate. Will it happen?
And, the Affordable Care Act headed back to the Supreme Court. Will the contraception debate be what actually derails Obamacare?
Let's go OUTFRONT.
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BURNETT: And, good evening, everyone. I'm Erin Burnett. OUTFRONT tonight. We begin with the weather travel nightmare. Torrential rains, wet snow, even tornado warnings. The killer storm making its way east wreaking havoc for millions of Americans trying on get home for the ultimate family holiday of the year. The southeast right now being pounded with heavy rain, snow and sleet are starting to disrupt travel in the north.
As you can see, more than 40 million people are going to be traveling, three million of them by air. And a few airlines are planning for the worst tonight. Delta and U.S. Airways already saying they'll offer refunds for canceled flights and waving some fees for destinations up and down the east coast where some of the most horrific delays are anticipated.
We've got the storm and travel details covered from all angles. I want to begin with our meteorologist, Chad Myers. He is in the Severe Weather Center tonight here at CNN. So Chad, you've been watching this storm when it came from the west, Oklahoma. Now it's in the east and the south. When and where do you expect the worst?
CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It is doing exactly what we thought and very few storms ever do that. It is getting colder as the sun sets and now our map is filling in with this pink, which is essentially an ice storm. It is sleet, rain. It's 31 degrees. It is ugly out there. We're talking, that's Catskills. This is Binghamton. That's almost Bergen County, New Jersey right there. And all of central Pennsylvania getting covered with ice at this hour and it is only 7:00. We have hours to go before the sun rises and it warms back up again. This entire area is going to be an icy mess by morning. So Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Central Pennsylvania, down into West Virginia, even here toward Hagerstown picking up some ice at this point that is where it going to be the worst tonight.
Now tomorrow, the winds start to blow and airports. This going to be an ice event for airplanes that are already on the ground. We can see cancellations because of this, Erin. This is what the flight board looks like right now for LaGuardia. There is a shuttle going to Indianapolis delayed.
American Airlines to Cleveland delayed. That was supposed to go out at 7:19. Express Jet to Montreal, delayed. You know, 30, 40 minutes, not big delays, but almost every plane now is getting into this pattern because the cold air is in place. The moisture is here. It is beginning to ice up. It is getting very, very windy. The wind doesn't stop until Thursday or Friday for that matter -- Erin.
BURNETT: Obviously, people think about the tomorrow and yes, it is about that, but the wind perhaps even more so. How difficult could it be for those 3 million people who are flying? When you talk about that you're already seeing delays everywhere cascading.
MYERS: Yes, you know, here's the issue. This is what the airports -- this is what the airlines look like right now. There are 5,700 airplanes on this map. If you canceled 10 percent, all of a sudden you have 500 planes that don't go off tomorrow. You multiply that time 100 people, or 150 that should be on the plane.
There is no capacity for to you get on the next plane because that next plane is completely sold out. There is not a seat for you on it and all of a sudden you have these thousands of people sitting in airports waiting for the next available seat and it goes downhill from there. And people just don't get to grandma's house.
If you don't have to travel tomorrow, I'd say don't do it. The train is the best bet. Absolutely should be on time tomorrow. If anything is on time, it going to be the train.
BALDWIN: Wow, it's unbelievable. Of course, why these things happen at the worst time, it just seems terrible. All right, well, Chad, thank you very much. Chad sort of sets the stage for how bad it going to be in the airports and the cascade of delays, it really is going to be a lot about that.
Airports up and down the east coast are bracing for the storm and making plans to handle those delays and cancellations. Tom Foreman is OUTFRONT in Washington, D.C. So, Tom, I mean, it is amazing. You hear Chad talk about these cascading delays. It gets worse and worse. It is exponential, right?
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Erin, you hit it right on the head. While tens of thousands of travellers are being slammed by this bad weather, many more are going to be hit by the ripple effect. These are people sitting hundreds of miles away in what going to be sunshiny airports tomorrow.
To understand, this let's take a look at one hypothetical airplane. Let's say it is a regional jet based in Cleveland and tomorrow it is supposed to fly to New York then to Grand Rapids, to Chicago, then to Louisville and then back to Cleveland. The airline would like to keep all of these routes intact. There is a simple principle at work.
Keep as many planes and passengers flying as possible so when the weather forecast says this area is in trouble, as Chad was talking to us, what they could very easily say at the airline, look, let's cancel this part in and this part out. What they are trying to do is keep as many flights outside the zone working as possible and have as few planes and passengers stranded inside the zone.
But what does mean is out here every flight, every passenger that has anything to do with the affected zone starts rippling out and affecting other things. In a day with massive capacity issues like we'll see tomorrow, as Chad just pointed out, that's when it multiplies and multiplies and multiplies by all the planes and that's why you can be sitting in Arizona saying, the sun is shining. It's a beautiful day. Why can't we fly on time? It is because of the ripples coming from here -- Erin.
BURNETT: So what are passengers supposed to do to avoid the ripple effect? Right, because, I mean, you know, usually when you're there, you try to run and be the first person to think, OK, well, the Delta flight from Phoenix to Boston is canceled. I'm going to look at U.S. Air and get on that one. You try to bet on that one airline because you want to get where you want to get.
FOREMAN: You want to get where you want to get and if you really are flying into the heart of it or trying to get to this area, you may have somewhat limited options. But if you're not going into the teeth of this whole thing, there are things you can do. Escape options. First, go around it.
If you're flying to Los Angeles to New York or something like that, and you're connecting through Cleveland, call your airlines. See if you can go through Houston or Atlanta or Memphis or somewhere else that is less likely to have all this pressure on it.
Second, speed up or slow down either go right away. Get ahead of it wherever you're going. That may be too late right now or slow down. Would you rather sit in the airport all day Thanksgiving eve or wait and go Thanksgiving morning on a normal flight. Yes, it is the day off, but you don't waste hours and hours just sitting there being angry.
And the last possibility let your airline help you. These airlines do not want you sitting in the airport or sitting on the ground any more than you want to be. Many are offering travel waivers if you're going into the teeth of this that would allow to you change your ticket, Erin, no matter what kind of ticket you bought.
Look at what the airline is doing. Contact them. Find out because they only make money if you're moving and if their planes are moving and they want to it happen as quickly as possible.
BURNETT: Wow, airlines and help. Some might say that's an oxymoron. I'm glad you used it without jest in the same sentence. Thanks very much to you, Tom Foreman. Appreciate that. It shows they are responsive to what people need despite all the complaints that so many people have constantly about them.
Still to come, America and China on the brink so two U.S. bombers, B- 52s flew through China's air space and they did it without permission. Now China is about to respond in a big way. This is a huge story. We have that for you.
Plus, a prosecutor wants 30 years for Amanda Knox. What does it mean for the American if she is convicted?
And the Obama administration continues to sell the United States on the Iran nuclear agreement. But late tonight one problem, Iran now says the White House is lying about what's in the deal. The State Department comes OUTFRONT.
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BURNETT: Our second story, OUTFRONT, America and China, super powers on the brink tonight. So the Chinese Navy is moving its only aircraft carrier confront the U.S. after Americans flew two B-52 bombers through China's self-declared air zone and they did it without permission and they did that on purpose.
So is this the start of a new showdown between, well, what really is, at this point, two greatest powers in the world? Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr is OUTFRONT tonight.
Barbara, obviously, there has been at love tension between the U.S. and China over this part of the world, the South China Sea. What are your sources telling you about these military maneuvers, these B-52 aircraft carriers?
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, what they're saying, Erin, is look, they don't expect a military confrontation with China, but and a very big but, tensions are escalating. Already Secretary of State John Kerry, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel have weighed in on this warning China not to raise tensions in the area.
So the U.S. on Monday flew two B-52 bombers from Guam, quite a long flight path, from Guam all the way over to the East China Sea and they flew right through this air exclusion zone. Stayed about an hour in the area and then flew back to Guam without notifying the Chinese as the China has demanded themselves didn't file a flight plan, didn't radio the data, nothing.
It all passed without event, but that may be small comfort for now. Tensions in the area center around who controls the air space whether China or Japan controls some islands out in this patch of the East China Sea, everyone is claiming that they control them. This is far from resolved. Expect to see more flights by the U.S. through this area. Making the point that China can make its demands, but in international air space, the U.S. military going to travel as it sees fit -- Erin.
BURNETT: All right, Barbara, thank you very much. Obviously, a crucial development for the U.S. especially as it is dealing with what's going on in Iran and we have much more on that because there is a huge development on that Iran deal later in the program.
Now our third story OUTFRONT, 30 years for Amanda Knox. That's the sentence an Italian prosecutor wants Knox to serve for what he says is the murder of her British roommate. Now Knox's original conviction was overturned in 2011 because of a, quote, "lack of evidence," but Italy's Supreme Court decided last year to retry the case. It said the jury didn't consider all the evidence.
Our legal analyst, Paul Callan, is OUTFRONT. Paul, good to have you with us. Now we've talked a little bit about this, but originally she was sentenced to 26 years. She served four years. But now they're saying they want her to go and serve the rest of this.
First of all, based on the facts, what is the likelihood that the court comes to the conclusion she should, she is guilty and should serve 26 more years?
PAUL CALLAN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Well, I wouldn't rule it out at all because you have to bear in mind that she was convicted once in front of an Italian court. The prosecutor decided to prosecute her in the first place and the Italian Supreme Court when she was acquitted by this intermediate appellate court sent it back and said retrial.
In other words, maybe she is guilty. So a lot of Italian judges have looked at this and said there is enough evidence to convict her including judges on the Italian Supreme Court. So this is a real tough call. She could be reconvicted.
BURNETT: She is obviously not there. The U.S. didn't extradite her to be in court so she is in the United States. If it is upheld, if she is convicted, 26 years in jail, the United States would have to extradite her, right? And this is a crucial question. A lot of peel saying no way, this could never happen, but it could, right?
CALLAN: Well, you know, extradition lawyers are kind of split on this issue. And I would say a majority thinks she won't be extradited, but a substantial number say yes, she will. We have an extradition treaty with Italy and what happens when a terrorist goes to Italy or a mafia hitman goes to Italy and we want them back? We signed an extradition treaty. What do we say?
BURNETT: So, you didn't give us Amanda Knox. Why should we give you that guy?
CALLAN: Yes. It only counts for hitmen but not girls from Seattle? I mean, it is -- you really have to make a distinction. And if we're saying the Italian system of justice is a joke and it is not fair, as supporters of Amanda Knox have said, at least the way it is handled in this case. What will happen with the relationship with Italy?
So, it is a political question. And the secretary of state John Kerry is really the one who is going to have to make the decision ultimately. Can he risk rupturing our relationship with Italy? Or is he going on apply the rules of the extradition treaty and send her back?
BURNETT: Or is he not going on extradite her because of the American court of public which you know, no offense, I think we would argue we don't know all the facts. Why is that court more viable than the court of another country?
CALLAN: Because -- No, it is because we signed an extradition treaty. When we sign an extradition treaty, we say we recognize your justice system. And if you convicted and give somebody a fair trial, we're going to send them back to you. And we expect you are going to send criminals back to us under similar circumstance. We didn't to have signed the treaty. And we don't sign treaties with places, you know, like China, Russia and places where we think there is not fair system.
BURNETT: We're plenty happy there. All right.
CALLAN: So, I don't know. This is going to be a tough one.
BURNETT: All right. Well, thank you very much, Paul.
Let us know your thoughts on that. But again, it is a pretty interesting take. As she could end up having to serve 26 years in jail in Italy if this goes in the conviction direction.
Still to come, the Obama administration working hard to get Democrats on board with its nuclear agreement.
But tonight, Iran has just said the foreign ministry put outing a statement saying they reject the White House interpretation of the deal. They get to enrich uranium, they get to continue what they're doing at key sites. For real? The state department is "OUTFRONT."
Plus, the latest from a story we brought you yesterday. A woman falls more than 40 feet at an NFL game. And tonight you're going to meet the man who broke the fall with his arms.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Next thing I know, she is dropping. I went into action to try to catch it and break her fall.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
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BURNETT: Our fourth story OUTFRONT is a lifesaving catch. So, a 61- year-old veteran is being hailed as a hero tonight. He rushed to break the fall of a woman who jumped from the upper deck of the Oakland Raiders stadium. Now, you may remember, we brought you this story first yesterday. But the woman tonight is still in critical condition but she is alive because of this man.
And he spoke to our OUTFRONT Dan Simon. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DONNIE NAVIDAD, NFL FAN SAVED FALLING WOMAN: You don't think about yourself. You just take care of the situation.
DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): 61-year-old Donnie Navidad is a former marine and he has the battle wounds to prove it. Only this one came 40 years after leaving the service. A rabid Oakland raiders fan, Navidad was leaving the game on Sunday when he saw a young woman, apparently suicidal about to jump from the upper stands.
NAVIDAD: I really didn't know what intention she had but it looked to me she was going to do something.
SIMON (voice-over): That's when he said his marine corps instincts kicked in rushing to get in position to try to break her fall nearly 50 feet below.
NAVIDAD: What I did was I extended my arms out. And what I was going to do was when she hit, I was going to lock. So when we fell, we fell together. And she wouldn't take the impact. I would. But unfortunately, she bounced off and she handed several yards from me.
SIMON (voice-over): The woman is said to be in critical condition at the hospital. Her prognosis isn't clear but authorities say she wouldn't have had a chance at all if not for Navidad's quick thinking actions.
(on camera): Obviously, there is something inside of you that made decide to do that. It risk your owned life to save this woman's.
NAVIDAD: I couldn't live with myself if it happened, knowing I could have done something.
SIMON (voice-over): It is pretty remarkable.
NAVIDAD: Well, that would have been etched into my brain and my mind for years.
SIMON (voice-over): His act of bravery handed him on the front page of the local paper and the raiders awarded him the game ball. But Navidad's thoughts are elsewhere with the woman whose life he home he saved.
NAVIDAD: I would ask her why. Why? Why did you do it in.
SIMON (voice-over): For OUTFRONT, Dan Simon, CNN, Stockton, California.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BURNETT: It is an amazing story. And when you look at his forearms and think and held her, I mean, incredible.
Well, still to come, Obamacare heading back to the Supreme Court. So, here's the question. Could this be the blow, can the affordable care act survive the contraception debate? An OUTFRONT report.
Plus, China is going to launch its first lunar model ever. Will it pass America in the space race? It is tonight's money and power.
And an out of this world story from Florida. The father of an injured 7-year-old boy believes his son was hit by a meteorite. Wait until you see the scar and the blood and the proof.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BURNETT: And welcome back to the second half of OUTFRONT this Tuesday.
The Pope is releasing a bold manifesto for the Roman Catholic church. It is an 85-page document and it is the first official papal document written entirely by Francis himself. And in it, he challenges the church to embrace the modern world and let go of some of the long-held traditions. And he writes in one part, some of these customs may be beautiful, but they no longer serves as means of communicating the gospel. We should not be afraid to reexamine them. You might want to debate what those are, but Francis did he call for Catholics to stop quote, unquote "obsessing over culture war issues." One he mentioned was divorcees being prevented from taking holy communion which is pretty ridiculous. I didn't even realize that was part of Catholic Church, but certain things like abortion still very firmly off the table. Not on the table on this manifesto.
We're still learning what happened the night a Texas police officer allegedly handcuffed and raped the young woman that he pulled over for traffic violation. Tonight the San Antonio police say there is some proof to back up the 19-year-old's claim that the officer named Jackie Neil came to her house after the incident and threatened her. Around that time, police say they received a disturbance call from her neighborhood.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHIEF WILLIAM MCMANUS, SAN ANTONIO POLICE: When officers responded, they found officer Neil in the area, driving erratically is what was said. Why the attention was brought to his vehicle.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Neil tells CNN, the allegations are false.
Well, a story that is out of this world from Florida. So, a 7-year- old was out playing outside his house, right? He was bleeding from the head. Parents were worried. But you know, the first instinct was maybe horseplay or, I don't know, a chestnut dropped from a tree or whatever it might have been in Florida. It wasn't big enough to be a coconut.
But according to CNN affiliate, WPDC, the boy's father thought a bird might have snapped at him. but then he found little fragments of rock as evident he thought his son was hit by a meteorite. You might say this is crazy, but hold on, because the father had the rocks and checked out and researchers at Florida, Atlantic University, confirmed that they all meteorite criteria including magnetic pool. These are things you never thought you needed to be afraid of for your children. Is not that scary?
Well, for those just joining us, I want to update you on our top story tonight. The killer storm moving up the east coast causing huge travel issues for many millions of American who are traveling for thanksgiving in Monica (ph). Tracheal rain soaking the southeast, wet snow and ice now in the north. More than 40 million people are going to be traveling and three million of them by air.
David Mattingly is OUTFRONT at the nation's busiest airport in Atlanta.
And, David, what is the latest there? Hartsfield -- I am I guess injecting my personal opinion, never really a pleasant experience. But on a night like, this can be really, really awful.
DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I don't know. I've been flying out of here for about 20 years now and this place really knows how to move people. This is busiest time of the year for the world's busiest airport. By the time this week is over, there's going to be 1.5 million people coming through here.
And so far, so good. You don't see a big crowd of people here behind me.
I want to show you the boards here. All these blue boards up here representing flights going out tonight, about 300 of them in the next couple of hours. There is only one night listed up there as canceled so far.
What everyone is looking for right now, that ripple effect we were talking about earlier in the hour. They're waiting here, bracing to see how big that ripple is actually going to be, with the destinations up north, because we're still going to have a quarter of a million people coming through here tomorrow, just tomorrow, and a lot of them going to places up north of here that's being affected by the weather.
Right now, here in the world's busiest airport, not so busy. The security check lines just 10 minutes right now. Smooth sailing for everybody leaving out of here. Part of the reason for that was that the airlines were proactive, canceling some flights ahead of time to make sure that passengers had plenty of time to rebook before this storm actually hit the destinations they were going to.
Now, if your destination is up north and you want to be there tomorrow, you're going to have to pay attention. Watch the weather reports and stay in touch with your airlines to find out what is happening with them. Information is going to be your friend tomorrow and if you are flying, bring a big bag of holiday cheer with you because you just might need it -- Erin.
BURNETT: I wish everybody would bring that when they travel this time of year, even when they're just traveling down sidewalk to go shopping. All right. Thanks to David Mattingly.
And now, our fifth story OUTFRONT is Obamacare heading back to the Supreme Court. Today, the top court in the United States says it's going to take up another dispute over the president's signature health care law.
Now this time, it involves coverage for contraception specifically. The specific issue is this. Can businesses refuse to offer birth control coverage based on religious objections? It's a church versus state debate.
And OUTFRONT tonight is our political director Mark Preston.
So, Mark, I guess the question I had all day was trying to understand this. When you hear about Obamacare going to the Supreme Court, you get a flash back and you think the entire law itself is at stake. If the Supreme Court strikes down Obamacare's mandate to include contraceptives, would that mean Obamacare overall is dead?
MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: No. The bill certainly would stand on its own as it is currently written. The big question would be, then, how would the Obama administration deal with it at that point? Would they have to rewrite regulations? Would we have to see companies who did not want to provide this type of protection for contraception in the cost of it, would they then to have apply for it?
But it would not take down the whole bill, Erin. But it is a huge political football heading into the mid-term elections.
BURNETT: A huge political football. Why is this headline such a big deal? I mean, because it is, right?
PRESTON: It's a very big deal for a lot of reasons, but it's a big deal because it mobilizes the two political bases. We've seen Republicans and conservatives come out in support of Hobby Lobby. We've seen it all along but they came out in droves when they heard the Supreme Court agreed to take up the case.
We also saw Democrats come out, including the Democratic National Committee. Let's take a quick look at this e-mail they single out to their supporters today, which was in many ways, a call to arms when it come the women's reproductive rights.
Look at that right there -- they have a picture of President Obama and some of the things they say in there is that if the Supreme Court rules their way, it could set the stage for employers to be able to decide which medical procedures women and other employees have access to.
So, this has really come down to the political issue over a woman's right to choose and a woman's right to choose and a women's right to choose what medical procedure she chooses to have and not her employer. That's how Democrats are trying to frame it, Erin.
BURNETT: All right. And every one has their angle on it. Mark Preston, thank you.
And now, OUTFRONT, host of CNN's "CROSSFIRE", Van Jones, and radio talk show host, Michael Medved.
Van, let me start with you, because Mark is saying this is a big headline. Part of the reason is polls like the one, registered voters' choice for Congress. The big story next year, look at this. Since October, plus 7 points, Republicans, right?
This was back in October when everyone said, oh, my gosh. The civil war in the GOP, Tea Party, they're dead, they're gone. They've lost the midterms. Now, it's turned around and Democrats have dropped three appointments.
Could Obamacare cost Democrats all the gains in the House and even control of the Senate?
VAN JONES, "CROSSFIRE" CO-HOST: Well, what I will say is we do not know. And I think the crazy thing is, all of us involved in politics, this is most upside down, topsy-turvy turbulent environment.
You go back 2004. The Republicans had the House, the Senate, the White House. Everybody said the Democrats were dead.
Then, you look up 2008. The Democrats have the House, and Senate and the White House. We say Republicans are dead.
Then, Tea Party comes back 2010. Democrats are dead.
Obama wins 2012. Republicans are dead. Obama overreaches, fumbles on Syria. He's dead.
Then, you got the shutdown. Then Republicans are back. Now that Obamacare.
We are not in a left wing period. We're not in a right wing period. We are in a turbulent volatile period.
And anybody who says they know where we're going to be in the fall is fooling themselves. We have no idea.
BURNETT: And, Michael, should you be betting on Obamacare? People like are you hoping for Republicans to gain ground if not control because -- I mean, what if the numbers start coming in and they are not terrible on Obamacare next spring? Then everything will turn around again.
MICHAEL MEDVED, RADIO HOST: I think Van is right. I mean, we a very divided country. But the reason that Obamacare has made such a difference is Obamacare for a younger generation of people will have the same impact I believe that Vietnam had for my generation. I know you were too young, Van.
But the point about this is you can't ignore it. When people get their own -- BURNETT: That is a big statement, though.
MEDVED: It is a very big statement. And people are getting mobilized. People are getting ticked off.
The most striking thing about the poll that you cited, which is a CNN poll, it's not some conservative poll, is that Republicans are almost 20 points ahead among independents. What that means is that a lot of the independents who I think lean more conservative are coming back to the Republican Party as long as we talk constructively. Not just to block Obamacare, not just to get rid of it, not just to repeal it, but to fix it and to replace and to keep the good elements that all Americans want to be there. People want to have some provision for folks with preexisting conditions.
BURNETT: They do. They just don't want to pay for it. I mean, that's the problem.
(CROSSTALK)
MEDVED: They don't want to pay for somebody else.
JONES: I do want to yeah with my colleague. The question is who will get the good stuff at Obamacare? Because there is a ton of good stuff.
Even with the broken Web site, everybody watching this show, if you're a woman, you can that be discriminated against right now. That's Obamacare.
If you're a young person under the age of 26, you can be on your parents' plan. That's Obamacare.
If you've got any preexisting condition -- asthma, high blood pressure like I've got, nobody can discriminate against you ever again. That's Obamacare. Who gets credit for the good stuff and who gets blamed for the tougher stuff and can they fix it? That's the big question.
BURNETT: I have to ask you this before we go. As you all know, baby OUTFRONT is coming and is late. So I'm a little obsessed with this.
So, anyway, we saw this poll and caught my attention. Having daughters makes parents more likely to be a Republican. In the case of you two, apparently, it is true. Michael you have girls. You are representing from the right although you are way too peaceful both of you tonight. Van, boys, and, obviously, you are on the left.
So do you think this is true?
MEDVED: I have two girls and a boy. Well --
BURNETT: Right. But your first born was a girl, right? I mean, this was a first born.
MEDVED: First was a girl, second was girl, and then we have a 21- year-old son. But yes. Look, I think that one of the things that I would like to think is that a conservative outlook is a balanced outlook. When guys have girls --
JONES: You should tell the Tea Party that.
(CROSSTALK)
BURNETT: Yes, Van, what do you make? Is the conservative outlook balanced out? The president, they are saying he's for women and Republicans have this war on women, and yet, if you have daughters, you're going to be a Republican. Doesn't add up. JONES: I don't know. There's something called correlation, not causation that we might want to talk about right now.
I will say that if the Republicans and being conservative is a balanced outlook, I hope somebody sends that memo to the Tea Party because as far as I can tell, they didn't get the memo yet about balance.
MEDVED: The one thing that generally, the more children you have, the more likely you are to be Republican. That again is correlation, not necessarily causation. It means the people who really value big families and children in the next generation, conservative.
BURNETT: Well, we shall see.
All right. Correlation, not causality or not. Please, viewers, weigh in with your birth order and your party.
Still to come, China set to launch its lunar module. Are they passing America in the space race?
And President Obama has been working desperately to get America on board with the Iran nuclear agreement. And in particular, John Kerry, full-court press on Democrats to get them on board.
Tonight, though, Iran with some shocking news, saying it rejects Iran's interpretation of the deal. That it's totally not true.
Well, the State Department comes OUTFRONT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BURNETT: Tonight's money and power -- is China reaching for the moon, literally? So, a major miles for China's space ambitions tonight, launching its first lunar probe.
Now, officials say it's going to release six-wheeled lunar rover, equipped with four cameras and two mechanical legs. Now, a public vote determined the name of the lunar rover. Who said it is not a democracy? They're calling it Yutu, which means Jade Rabbit.
Is China's space program is trying to take on America and win?
David McKenzie is OUTFRONT from Beijing tonight, this morning obviously, David, for you.
What are you hearing about this mission?
DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it is a pretty secretive mission, definitely very significant that they're launching their first lunar probe. They're going to put this buggy on the ground, on the surface of the moon. They hope sometime in December. The Jade Rabbit will do some investigations on the lunar surface.
Certainly, it's a big deal for China in terms of pride and the latest move in a very accelerating space race -- Erin.
BURNETT: And, David, what can you tell us about whether the space probe is a threat to the United States? I mean, this is obviously coming on a day when they're reporting, they're putting an aircraft carrier to confront the U.S. because the U.S. flew some B-52 bombers over what China believes its territory.
MCKENZIE: Well, in 10 short years, China has gone from putting the first astronaut out in space to this step, and they hope to put a space station and even put an astronaut on the moon by the end of the decade. They're certainly taking this very seriously. It's a point of national pride here in China. The Chinese say it's nothing to do with any conflict that this is a peaceful process, they want to share their technology.
But the U.S. Defense Department has repeatedly said they need to watch the Chinese space program very closely. And they do believe China is looking to flex the muscles on the world stage and also, of course, in outer space -- Erin.
BURNETT: Well, David, thank you.
By the way, enjoy that sunny day. I rarely have been in Beijing or seen you in Beijing with, you know, glorious sunshine like that. Usually a lot smoggier. Enjoy it. Thanks to David.
And now, let's check in with John Berman who's in for Anderson with a look at what's coming up on "AC360".
Hey, John.
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Erin. Great to see you at this hour.
We, of course, are staying on top of the breaking news. The nor'easter hitting just as travelers get started on what is shaping up to be a long Thanksgiving journey.
Also, the knockout game -- if you believe it is a trend, people randomly assaulting strangers for fun. We'll talk to one victim struck while riding her bike. She has a strong message for those behind the attacks and it is a message that could surprise you.
Also, remember this picture? So amazing -- the pope embracing a severely disfigured man. It is an image that became a symbol of this pope's compassion. Well, Ben Wedeman tracked the man down and found out he has one more thing he would like to say to the head of the Catholic Church.
That is all ahead at the top of the hour -- Erin.
BURNETT: All right, John. We're looking forward to all of that.
And now our sixth story OUTFRONT: Iran lashes out, rejecting the United States interpretation of the crucial nuclear deal.
Now, you might be scratching your head, right? Well, according to a spokeswoman for Iran's foreign ministry, quote, "What has been released by the Web site of the White House as a fact sheet is a one- side interpretation of the agreed text in Geneva, which is not true."
Which is not true? At the same time, Secretary of State John Kerry is going on a full court assault to sell the deal's talking points to his own party, sending them a video, outlining the particulars and calling them for one-on-one consultations.
So, what does the Obama administration have to say about Iran's accusation that it's lying? This deal is obviously a crucial topic in this country and moments ago, I spoke with the State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BURNETT: What does rhetoric like that make you think about this deal?
JEN PSAKI, STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESWOMAN: Well, Erin, one, I would encourage anybody to go look at the actual agreement and the plan that's on our Web site, that's been provided that the White House has sent out. The State Department has sent it out and anyone can read for themselves. A common practice as you know in the United States is providing factsheets that are summaries of details for average people to understand them, who maybe won't read through an entire plan.
So I haven't seen those comments previously but you know, we did feel that there was a negotiation that happened and an agreement that happened in good faith and the question, of course, is implementation from here.
BURNETT: And, obviously, that coming from the foreign ministry and Iran's semiofficial press television follows up saying, according to the Iranian foreign ministry, that the deal that you made allows Iran to continue its activities at Arak, which of course is a highly controversial, heavy water facility., Fordow and Natanz.
Is that accurate?
PSAKI: That is not accurate. This, of course, first, is a first step, and there are specifics agreed to in terms of steps that Iran would take in a first time, related to construction at those facilities, related to monitoring, related to halting the progress being made, in terms of developing a nuclear weapon. That is what Iran agreed to. And again, anybody can go to read the factsheet and read the agreement on the White House Web site, of course.
BURNETT: And, you know, it is interesting. What is happening here, what you're hearing out of Iran, the latest that we have, we're trying to figure out what they're trying to do with these headlines, plays into something Democratic Senator Carl Levin talked about, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. He weighed in on trusting Iran and here's what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. CARL LEVIN (D), MICHIGAN: I love the slogan trust but verify, but I've never understood it, because I think the right slogan is don't trust. I don't trust the Iranians.
(APPLAUSE)
And by the way, they don't trust us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: And, you know, Jen, I simply play that because obviously, you know, now you have possibly Iran saying some facilities are not having to stop down, the deal doesn't guarantee access to Parchin, the crucial military site, and Iran will control access to a lot of other sites.
So, how can you verify what is promised in this deal, what you agreed to when you have this situation with inspectors?
PSAKI: Well, one thing we certainly do agree, not many things we certainly agree with Senator Levin on is that it's not about trust. There's a long history of mistrust with the Iranians, and certainly, in this case, that's why you have an unprecedented monitoring effort that will be put in place to make sure that Iran is abiding by what they agreed to here.
And again, this is not about -- this is not an all inclusive deal here. This is a first step, which will be, over the course of six months, leading to a comprehensive agreement. And that's what our goal is, but let's take a step back here, and I would say this to any member on congress. This is the first time Iran agreed to halt and rollback the progress toward developing a nuclear weapon. The alternative is they would be making progress. So, I think we all need to take a deep breath.
BURNETT: Look, that's a totally fair point but on this issue of inspectors. You just use the word unprecedented. Obviously, I've heard Secretary Kerry say that word as well.
What does that mean, though? When it comes to Parchin, the super secret military site, the deal would form a commission with international monitors --
PSAKI: That's right. BURNETT: -- to facilitate past and present concerns, that sounds like a lot of words. I mean, are you really going to be able to go in Parchin and see what they're really doing in every room whenever you want or not?
PSAKI: Well, Erin, let's remember what we're talking about here is daily access to a number of these sites, being able to evaluate, whether they are abiding by their commitments, with that in mind. The international monitoring group is important here because obviously, they are going to take a close look at it.
And believe me, if they are not abiding by their commitments, we will be running, leading the charge for more sanctions. But we have the opportunity and responsibility to give this a chance to succeed.
BURNETT: And the bottom line on what the foreign ministry out of Iran is apparently saying tonight, what you have released, the White House released is not true in terms of the talking points. You think you can deal with people like that, work with people like that and get the verification that you need?
PSAKI: Look, we never thought that we were never naive about the challenges here, whether working with Iran, whether it's moving toward a comprehensive agreement, whether it's winning over opponents.
But the alternative is allowing Iran to take steps toward developing a nuclear weapon. Nobody wants that. It's about whether we want to take steps towards diplomacy or towards war and we choose diplomacy.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BURNETT: All right. And our thanks to Jen Psaki.
OUTFRONT next, an amazing story, one man's idea allows paraplegics to stand and even walk.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BURNETT: Approximately 250,000 Americans have spinal cord injuries and half of them are paraplegics. It's a stunning statistic. Until now, for many, even standing upright was an impossible dream.
But now, one man's idea is going to allow them to do that and so much more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GENE LAUREANO, REWALK CUSTOMER: I have one hand on the wheel, one hand on the piece extending towards it and the ladder gave and that's when I fell.
BURNETT (voice-over): It is nothing short of amazing that 51-year-old Gene Laureano is walking. He spent more than 12 years confined to a wheelchair, paralyzed from the waist down.
LAUREANO: Once they give you the news and you get to sit back and think about it, and you're still wondering, how am I going to do this? How am I going to survive? What am I going to do?
BURNETT: At 6'4" tall, Laureano has always been tough. He served in the U.S. military and earned his living as a welder. And when his accident took away his ability to walk, he thought the world had come to an end.
LAUREANO: You know, I field helpless, what can I do?
BURNETT: More than a decade after the accident, a cutting edge idea called ReWork is giving Laureano the use of his legs back. ReWalk is a 44-pound exoskeleton that uses sensors, motorized joints, a battery pack and braces to help paraplegics do what they never thought was possible, stand up and walk again.
LAUREANO: I'm looking at the watch and he tells me time to press my sensors in. I didn't want to press that yet. I want to stay here for a moment because it's been so many years.
BURNETT: The man who invented ReWalk has a story of his own. Amit Goffer is himself a quadriplegic. An ATV accident took away his ability to walk 16 years ago. A bio medical engineer by trade, it didn't take long until before Goffer began questioned the outdated wheelchair he was confined to.
AMIT GOFFER, INVENTOR OF REWALK: Then, I was wondering how come wheelchair is on the solution to people (INAUDIBLE)? Why. People landed on the moon.
BURNETT: In that moment, his idea for robotic trousers came to life. ReWalk says the device is currently being used in Europe, Israel and inside 23 rehab centers in the United States but comes at a lefty price. More than $70,000, a price ReWalk CEO Larry Jasinski says he hopes will fall with FDA approval.
LARRY JASINSKI, CEO, REWALK: We have done a lot of work on the level of medical benefits we see with the product, and there is clearly a cost reduction with medications and a great cost reduction in reduced complications.
We're still gathering data and learning what the amounts are, but this product seems to be a product that pays for itself in just a couple of years.
BURNETT: Laureano says whatever the price, it's worth it. The look on his son's face the first time he stood up, priceless.
LAUREANO: As I went up, his jaw went down. He is like -- and this kid is the type of kid, he's not -- he always has something to say very quick comment. He had nothing to say that day.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BURNETT: Amazing story.
"ANDERSON COOPER 360" with John Berman starts now.
