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American Morning

Discussion with CNN's Soledad O'Brien, Vacationing in Connecticut

Aired August 15, 2003 - 08:23   ET

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

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


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: We have by telephone right now somewhere in Connecticut the woman who is usually with me here on AMERICAN MORNING, Soledad O'Brien.
Soledad -- good morning. I'm not quite sure what you and your husband, Brad, and your two kids are doing, but tell us what you know from where you are.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, we are in New Haven, Connecticut, and basically we spent the morning and a good part of last night trying to figure out how to get back to the city. One, we don't have power in our apartment, and as anybody -- and I'm sure all of the folks in New York City who have children have struggled with trying to figure out, like, how do you try all of the things you need to do with no power. So, we're going to try to drive back.

But, two, here in New Haven, you know, there is limited service on Amtrak. We have a baby-sitter with us, and we've got to send her back somehow. She can't sit in the car, and we're trying to figure out, you know, Greyhound has been an impossibility. Metro North has been an impossibility. So, we've basically been just doing a little bit of logistical juggling.

And, as you know, I've been on vacation for a couple of weeks, so I have no complaints whatsoever. And looking the at pictures from New York City, it's just unbelievable to watch them from where we were in Madison, Connecticut --just really, really incredible.

HEMMER: Yes, hey, Soledad, how is the power been up there in New Haven?

O'BRIEN: Well, actually the areas where we were, were absolutely fine. We were not affected at all. In fact, you know, until we started watching television we had no idea there was a big major problem. And then other parts, of course, of Connecticut really affected, but where we were not at all. And parts of New Haven are fine. So, it really kind of depended a lot on where you were.

And I'm curious to know just how much the power has come back in New York City. We've heard reports and seen reports that there's still lots of people without power -- millions.

HEMMER: Yes, what has it been like to be on somewhat the outside looking in at a city where you've spent most of your life actually, growing up on Long Island, living and working in the city, to see this play out on television, your impressions are what? O'BRIEN: Well, you know, those pictures that we've seen of just the massive amounts of people around the trains or trying to get across on the ferry, you know, amazing to me, or walking over the bridge, really incredible. But, you know, it's funny because I think people have been commenting very heavily on the fact that no one seems to be beeping their horns, people seem to be getting along, maybe even -- I heard you picked up a couple people in your car.

You know, I've got to tell you, being a lifelong New Yorker with stops in other places, you know, that's very typical. I think New Yorkers really do pull together whether there is a crisis, whether it's a major crisis like 9/11 or, you know, a relatively -- what the mayor is calling -- a big, major raging inconvenience, which this has really certainly been for the folks there.

So, I'm not surprised to see that, you know, New Yorkers will get through this.

HEMMER: OK, all right, Soledad, thanks. We'll talk a bit later. Good luck in getting back to the city.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.




Connecticut>


Aired August 15, 2003 - 08:23   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: We have by telephone right now somewhere in Connecticut the woman who is usually with me here on AMERICAN MORNING, Soledad O'Brien.
Soledad -- good morning. I'm not quite sure what you and your husband, Brad, and your two kids are doing, but tell us what you know from where you are.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, we are in New Haven, Connecticut, and basically we spent the morning and a good part of last night trying to figure out how to get back to the city. One, we don't have power in our apartment, and as anybody -- and I'm sure all of the folks in New York City who have children have struggled with trying to figure out, like, how do you try all of the things you need to do with no power. So, we're going to try to drive back.

But, two, here in New Haven, you know, there is limited service on Amtrak. We have a baby-sitter with us, and we've got to send her back somehow. She can't sit in the car, and we're trying to figure out, you know, Greyhound has been an impossibility. Metro North has been an impossibility. So, we've basically been just doing a little bit of logistical juggling.

And, as you know, I've been on vacation for a couple of weeks, so I have no complaints whatsoever. And looking the at pictures from New York City, it's just unbelievable to watch them from where we were in Madison, Connecticut --just really, really incredible.

HEMMER: Yes, hey, Soledad, how is the power been up there in New Haven?

O'BRIEN: Well, actually the areas where we were, were absolutely fine. We were not affected at all. In fact, you know, until we started watching television we had no idea there was a big major problem. And then other parts, of course, of Connecticut really affected, but where we were not at all. And parts of New Haven are fine. So, it really kind of depended a lot on where you were.

And I'm curious to know just how much the power has come back in New York City. We've heard reports and seen reports that there's still lots of people without power -- millions.

HEMMER: Yes, what has it been like to be on somewhat the outside looking in at a city where you've spent most of your life actually, growing up on Long Island, living and working in the city, to see this play out on television, your impressions are what? O'BRIEN: Well, you know, those pictures that we've seen of just the massive amounts of people around the trains or trying to get across on the ferry, you know, amazing to me, or walking over the bridge, really incredible. But, you know, it's funny because I think people have been commenting very heavily on the fact that no one seems to be beeping their horns, people seem to be getting along, maybe even -- I heard you picked up a couple people in your car.

You know, I've got to tell you, being a lifelong New Yorker with stops in other places, you know, that's very typical. I think New Yorkers really do pull together whether there is a crisis, whether it's a major crisis like 9/11 or, you know, a relatively -- what the mayor is calling -- a big, major raging inconvenience, which this has really certainly been for the folks there.

So, I'm not surprised to see that, you know, New Yorkers will get through this.

HEMMER: OK, all right, Soledad, thanks. We'll talk a bit later. Good luck in getting back to the city.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.




Connecticut>