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New Day

Global Trends to Be Thankful For; How Technology Is Changing and Affecting the Economy; Behind the Scenes of Christmas at the White House; Tis the Season for a Holiday Film

Aired December 25, 2014 - 07:00   ET

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

(MUSIC: "JOY TO THE WORLD")

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Merry Christmas, everyone, that's a beautiful way to start this hour. Welcome to a special holiday edition of NEW DAY. It is Thursday, December 25, and merry Christmas to all of you, to you guys, to you and yours.

I'm Alisyn Camerota alongside Chris Cuomo and Michaela Pereira. And we're joined by the Young People's Chorus of New York City. That was their rendition of "Joy to the World." They have a new album...

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: What's the name of the album?

CAMEROTA: It's called "Coolside of Yuletide."

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: That is cool.

CAMEROTA: It's available on both iTunes and CD Baby.

And we have so many stories to share with you this morning. This year there have been many headlines that were negative, of course.

PEREIRA: That's true.

CAMEROTA: But believe it or not, things are getting better in many measurable ways. Poverty is down; life expectancy is up. So we're going to talk about the news that will give you hope this Christmas.

CUOMO: I like that. And I know you do.

PEREIRA: I love it.

CUOMO: All right. We also have a few halls are going to be decked out on Christmas day.

PEREIRA: Oh, no. People throw down on this.

CUOMO: Oh, boy. You know who really throws down? The White House. Which is technically your house, right? Coming up, we're going to ask the White House decorator what it takes to put on this spectacular display.

PEREIRA: I want to know how her anxiety level is. You know? CUOMO: It's got to be high. A lot of pressure.

PEREIRA: First, we have the latest headlines, so let's head over to the news desk.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning to you and merry Christmas. I'm Alison Kosik.

Pope Francis urging tenderness as millions of Christians begin marking the holiday. In his Christmas message he's calling for an end to the, quote, "brutal persecution" being suffered in Iraq and Syria. He also made a specific appeal for the safety of children following last week's massacre at a school in Pakistan. Thousands also flocked to Bethlehem for Christmas celebrations at the traditional birthplace of Jesus.

New York Cardinal Cardinal Timothy Dolan offering reassurance to New Yorkers at midnight pass at St. Patrick's Cathedral. Dolan addressed the tensions in the city, following the shooting deaths of two officers, which he called senseless and irrational. Noting the presence of Mayor Bill de Blasio and Governor Andrew Cuomo, he urged political leaders to, quote, "invite us to dialogue, to listen instead of shouting." People mourning the officers' deaths have been at odds with protesters who demonstrated, despite calls from the mayor to pause until the funerals.

Tensions not simmering down overnight in Berkeley, Missouri, following the police shooting death of a teenager Tuesday night. Demonstrators blocked a major roadway. Several people were arrested. Demonstrators also swarmed the gas station where Antonio Martin was shot just miles from Ferguson. Several angles of surveillance video have been released of the confrontation between Martin and police. It appears to show the teen pointing what looks like a gun at the officer. A weapon was recovered at the scene.

The comedy "The Interview" set to hit about 300 movie theaters across the U.S. today. President Obama, who's vacationing in Hawaii for the holidays, said he's happy Sony had a change of heart.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm glad it's being released. Merry Christmas, everybody.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSIK: Sell-outs are being reported at some theaters that have decided to show the movie. And if you can't see it in theaters, check it out online. It's now streaming for a price on several sites, including YouTube, Google Play and the Microsoft Xbox video game console. And more platforms could follow. This obviously wasn't the plan, but it could prove to be part of the wave of the future for movie releases.

Police in Hong Kong taking a hard line, refusing to let pro- democracy protesters return to the streets. Officials say 12 protesters were arrested during the first sizeable rally since police cleared out the last protest camp ten days ago. Police used pepper spray and batons to subdue demonstrators in the Mong Kok commercial area. Charges ranged from assaulting a police officer to failure to produce proof of identity. Officials say two police officers were injured.

The true meaning of the holiday spirit was displayed outside the home of a Michigan teenager battling brain cancer. Five hundred people gathered to pray and sing Christmas carols for Aislynn Meritt. This is the 14-year-old's second battle with cancer. Folks in the community know how much she loves to sing and figured this was the perfect way to cheer her up. They also raised at least $20,000 for her treatment.

Those are your headlines. Now back to a special holiday edition of NEW DAY.

CAMEROTA: Welcome back to a Christmas edition of NEW DAY.

It has been a year of tough news, from the Ebola outbreak in West Africa to the rise of the terror group ISIS, to the crisis in Ukraine. But this Christmas there's also a lot of good news to be thankful for.

Here to walk us through some of the areas in which the world is getting better is CNN global economic analyst and "TIME" assistant managing editor, Rana Foroohar.

Rana, Merry Christmas.

RANA FOROOHAR, CNN GLOBAL ECONOMIC ANALYST: Merry Christmas to you.

CAMEROTA: Great to see you.

FOROOHAR: Thank you.

CAMEROTA: OK. Let's talk about -- let's start with the economy. We talk a lot about the economy. We've talked most recently about the economic crisis that we've come through. But what we don't talk about is that poverty is actually on the decline.

FOROOHAR: Absolutely. And it has been for several decades now. And if you look at the last 30 or 40 years, you've seen a wave of prosperity around the whole world that's really unprecedented in global history.

And that's because there have been a number of new countries coming into the global market system. You saw the fall of the Berlin Wall, the demise of communism. A lot of countries are part of the capitalist system now. And it's -- you know, the rising tide really has lifted all boats in that sense.

CAMEROTA; The numbers reflect what you're saying. In 1981, 52 percent of the world's population was living on $1.25, compared to only 21 percent most recently.

FOROOHAR: Yes, absolutely.

CAMEROTA: That's a precipitous decline.

FOROOHAR: Right, and that's something to keep in mind. I mean, you know, the -- the great recession over the last few years has hit people hard, but overall, if you look at the last several decades, you have fewer people living in poverty globally than ever before.

CAMEROTA: We've also talked a lot this year, obviously, about the rise of ISIS. It's hard to ignore how barbaric and brutal they are, but globally, war is also on the decline.

FOROOHAR: Yes, and the two things go hand in hand, actually. Because as you've had growing prosperity, you have less global conflict. So since the 1940s we haven't seen a major global war, a world war. We haven't even seen anything beyond a cold war between two superpowers.

And that means that the number of deaths and the amount of destruction from war is really on the decline. You have civil wars and small regional conflicts, but those are not as destructive as those big conflicts.

CAMEROTA: And so is that why peace is breaking out, purely because of economics, or are there other things at work?

FOROOHAR: I think that there are also stronger institutions. You have more countries that are becoming democratic. You know, you have a whole host of emerging market countries that are now part of the global democratic capitalist system. You have a number of stronger economies and democracies in Europe. So again, it's just the sort of the rising tide lifting all boats phenomenon here.

CAMEROTA: So poverty is down.

FOROOHAR: Yes.

CAMEROTA: War is down. How much of a role does all of the burst of technology that we've experienced in the past few years play into that?

FOROOHAR: You know, I think it plays a huge role. I think for starters it makes it easier for people to see elsewhere what's happening in other countries. That causes revolutions. I mean, you saw that in the Arab Spring.

And of course, you know, there is a certain amount of conflict during those times of tumult. But I think technology as a change agent is going to continue to grow.

You know, technology itself is growing. If you look at -- there's something called Moore's Law, which means that the amount of information you can keep on a microchip, which is you know, in all the devices we have -- computers, smartphones -- is doubling every two years. That means the computing power, the power of what we hold in our hands, is doubling every two years. That has a tremendous economic growth effect.

CAMEROTA: You're blowing my mind. I can't have any more information here.

FOROOHAR: Let's hope there's one in your stocking.

CAMEROTA: All right. Give us the status report on education, which obviously is another metric in terms of how well countries are doing.

FOROOHAR: Yes. More people are going to school globally than ever before, particularly women. We've seen an incredible increase in the number of women being educated at all levels.

And this is important, because if we want to use that technology to advance the world, to increase economic growth, you're going to need a better-educated labor force. You're going to need kids that are coming out of school that really understand how to use these technologies. And fortunately, at a global level, that's happening.

CAMEROTA: Rana Foroohar, it's great to hear all of this good news this morning. You know, I think that news in general tends to focus on the bad. But sometimes we need to take a breath and realize how much progress we have made globally.

FOROOHAR: Absolutely. We're living in a lucky time.

CAMEROTA: That's right. Thanks so much. Merry Christmas.

FOROOHAR: Merry Christmas.

CAMEROTA: Great to see you.

Let's go over to Chris.

CUOMO: All right, Alisyn.

So what's your go-to when it comes to decorating the house? Are you a white lights person? You get a little crazy, put things on the lawn? How about the White House? That is the highest level of the game. We're going to talk with the White House decorator about decking those presidential halls for Christmas. What a tall task that must be.

But first, let's listen to the Young People's Chorus of New York City again.

(MUSIC)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PEREIRA: Welcome back to our very special holiday edition of NEW DAY. Merry Christmas, everyone. Every year the White House transformed into quite a Christmas wonderland with its historical rooms adorned with all sorts of lights and ornaments. A team goes in to put all of those decorations up in -- imagine this -- just a few days.

Joining me one -- now is one of those very elves, this year's White House design partner Coleen Christian Burke. She is also the author of "Christmas with the First Ladies."

What a delight to have you back with us today.

COLEEN CHRISTIAN BURKE, WHITE HOUSE DESIGN PARTNER: Thanks for having me. Merry Christmas.

PEREIRA: Merry Christmas. You seem so relaxed, I should be worried.

BURKE: Well, you know what? The hard work is over.

PEREIRA: So talk to me about that hard work. I think so many of us want to have that perfect thing with our family and a perfect Christmas and have all the decorations just so. A little different when it's, A, not your family and, oh, by the way, the first family.

BURKE: The first family.

PEREIRA: A little pressure there.

BURKE: A little bit of pressure and just a really incredible space, the White House. So we go into it with the best of intentions, all the best planning, and then it's almost like your own home. There's boxes everywhere. We're falling behind schedule. Something's not quite right. And you're just...

PEREIRA: That's when you start to sweat.

BURKE: You're sweating. And you're thinking on your feet. And you're really wanting to do a first job for the first lady and the first family. And I always say we throw the term "Christmas miracle" around a lot, but getting that house done in just three days.

PEREIRA: It literally is in three days?

BURKE: We are at the warehouse preparing for two days.

PEREIRA: OK.

BURKE: And then the White House for three days.

PEREIRA: My goodness. Because of course, the family lives there.

BURKE: The family lives there. So we are in about 8 a.m., and we're out about 3:30.

PEREIRA: A.M.?

BURKE: Yes, it's their home. So we're in at 8:00 a.m.

PEREIRA: And out at 3:30 p.m. BURKE: Three-thirty, 4, around there.

PEREIRA: That's not a long day.

BURKE: It's not a long day.

PEREIRA: So you really have to have -- so what kind of team do you have? How many people do you have at work?

BURKE: We have about 100 people there this year.

PEREIRA: Wow.

BURKE: And the volunteers and the decorators are a mix from all over. Mrs. Obama loves to make sure our military personnel are represented.

PEREIRA: How lovely.

BURKE: Our teachers, people who really do a lot of community service work. They're all kind of brought in and we all work together. And it's the first lady's vision. And I always say she's the commander-in-chief of Christmas, and we are her foot soldiers.

PEREIRA: So let's talk about that. The vision, she presents it to you when? How much of a heads up do you get on that?

BURKE: Well, we actually start thinking about Christmas back in March. And we got some notes on her initial thoughts and feelings about the theme. And this year, it's a children's winter wonderland.

PEREIRA: How lovely.

BURKE: And I think that comes from, you know, really wanting to celebrate for children; the child in all of us. But also those first daughters are getting a little bit older.

PEREIRA: She knows that they're not going to be kidlets much longer.

BURKE: So she's trying to get, you know, one more children's winter wonderland in.

PEREIRA: Sure. Are you happy with it? Are you happy with...

BURKE: It's so fabulous.

PEREIRA: Because you've had to leave it alone now. You've done your work and walked away.

BURKE: You can work and work and work as long as the time is allotted. But once the clock stops and we are invited back for a party, we're not allowed to touch anything. So that star could be flopping over, and it has to stay that way.

PEREIRA: Does anybody get up there and push that star back into place? Is there somebody that has that job?

BURKE: I bet the first lady would.

PEREIRA: I bet you she would.

BURKE: I think she would.

PEREIRA: Did you enjoy collaborating with her?

BURKE: She's amazing. And this year, the vision was really about kids, and we talked about bringing stories to life. So we have in the East Room these amazing large books with paper pop-outs on the mantles.

PEREIRA: Fun.

BURKE: And we put actual books on the tree with stories coming out of them.

PEREIRA: I love that.

BURKE: And just -- we have trains, and we have carousel deer, and it all came from the first lady's heart, which I think is amazing.

PEREIRA: Well, let's talk about that tradition of having the first lady so involved. You've done this amazing book, and we've talked about it before.

BURKE: Thank you.

PEREIRA: But it's such an interesting idea, the notion of the first lady and being the commander-in-chief for Christmas.

BURKE: Exactly.

PEREIRA: And it dates back probably to Jackie O.?

BURKE: Yes, it starts with Jackie Kennedy, who said, you know, "If we're going to have 100,000 people over for the holidays, as planned..."

PEREIRA: You've got to look good.

BURKE: Yes, "Let's look good." And before that, it was a little haphazard. So every year now it's become more and more elaborate, actually.

And I'm sure you already have your Christmas theme. What is it this year?

PEREIRA: The theme is the smallest tree...

BURKE: Get it done?

PEREIRA: ... my New York apartment could find. It's literally about six inches tall. But I have one. BURKE: There you go.

PEREIRA: And it has lights on it.

Do you find that there are themes? I mean, you have such a grand place. You don't really need to embellish it too much. But I imagine the key for each of the presidents and their families is to make it feel a bit more like home.

BURKE: Right, make it feel special. It's a really -- it would almost be impossible to make the White House look bad. But what...

PEREIRA: Oh, some of us could. If they let us in.

BURKE: If they let you in?

PEREIRA: I'm kidding. I'm kidding.

BURKE: Well, you'd have a hard time, trust me.

But so it's what's important to the first lady and how they want to connect to the American public. For example, when Chelsea was dancing in "The Nutcracker," "The Nutcracker" was the theme.

PEREIRA: Oh, isn't that lovely? Very personal.

BURKE: And, you know, Barbara Bush also very much about literacy. And Mrs. Obama always, what's -- what's the reason for the season? She had simple blessings, and we talk about gratitude. And we're always trying to remember our U.S. military...

PEREIRA: Absolutely.

BURKE: ... and write them notes. And just really about how we can better ourselves going forward in the new year.

PEREIRA: I know from past years we've seen the first dogs, if you will.

BURKE: Yes.

PEREIRA: They've been part of the Christmas decorations. Should we anticipate that this year?

BURKE: You absolutely should. They're front and center.

PEREIRA: They are?

BURKE: Bo and Sunny.

PEREIRA: With little Christmas hats? Little elf hats?

BURKE: They don't have elf hats on. There is -- in every single room there is a hidden ornament that children are encouraged to try to find...

PEREIRA: That's fantastic.

BURKE: ... that are Sunny and Bo related. And then downstairs, the oversized Sunny and Bo. A mile of ribbon to make each of those figurines. And they're really amazing. They're so much fun.

PEREIRA: Wow, look at that. That's impressive. The heads even move.

BURKE: The heads even move.

PEREIRA: That's a little creepy.

BURKE: That's the White House florist department did that. And every year they upped the ante, same with the gingerbread house.

PEREIRA: No pressure for you, because I imagine you're going to have to do that again, because you have to up the ante every year. You'll start working again, you think, in March? At least...

BURKE: Probably in March.

PEREIRA: ... looking at new plans?

BURKE: And I bet the first lady is probably already thinking about it now. You know, no sooner does one get completed then the next one is on the horizon. But I hope she's enjoying the holidays.

PEREIRA: Well, let me just point out, if you need a good idea, this book is fantastic. You might be able to get some ideas from some of our first ladies.

Thank you so much for coming here and walking us through the White House Christmas...

BURKE: My pleasure.

PEREIRA: ... and all the decorations. Coleen Christian Burke, a real pleasure to have you. Merry Christmas.

BURKE: Merry Christmas.

PEREIRA: Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: Great to see those pictures.

Well, if you're about to watch the Christmas classic "It's a Wonderful Life" for the umpteenth time, there's nothing wrong with that. But in case you want some other options, we'll give you a list of the best holiday movies to cozy up with today. That's coming up on this special Christmas edition of NEW DAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MUSIC)

CUOMO: Good morning and welcome back to a special holiday edition of NEW DAY. Merry Christmas...

CAMEROTA: You, too!

CUOMO: ... to my friends here and at home.

CAMEROTA: And to all of you.

CUOMO: You were just listening to the Young People's Chorus of New York City singing "Angels We Have Heard on High."

CAMEROTA: Beautiful.

CUOMO: Coming up, we're going to take a look at the best movies to see this holiday season.

PEREIRA: Good ones, too.

CUOMO: Oh, telling me. And tell you what you need to know about returning those holiday gifts, you know, that just aren't your style.

CAMEROTA: No re-gifting here.

CUOMO: Plus...

CAMEROTA: Plus, we'll have some of the brightest light displays from around the world to show you.

PEREIRA: These are genius.

CAMEROTA: Maybe some of those folks are in your neighborhood.

But first, we want to get to the latest headlines at the news desk.

KOSIK: And good morning to you. Merry Christmas, as well. I'm Alison Kosik.

An Ebola scare at the Centers for Disease Control. The CDC says one of its lab workers in Atlanta may have been exposed to Ebola after virus samples used in experiments were improperly sent to the wrong lab. The exposed technician has no symptoms and will be monitored for 21 days. The CDC says there's no chance of public exposure and the incident is under review.

Meantime, a staffer at the United Nations mission in Liberia has tested positive for the deadly virus. A statement from the mission says it's the fourth case there. Two staffers died of Ebola three months ago; another recovered.

An emotional plea this morning from the father of a Jordanian pilot captured by ISIS. Yousef al-Kaseasbeh telling the Soria (ph) news site, "I hope God will put mercy in their hearts, and they will release my son." The U.S. is refuting claims by ISIS that militants shot down the plane, piloted by 26-year-old Mu'ath al-Kaseasbeh. But there's no indication why the plane did go down. No word yet on whether Jordan will try to negotiate for the release of the pilot. This morning, former President George H.W. Bush is still in a

Houston hospital, but aides say the father of George W. Bush had a good day on Wednesday. The elder Bush was taken to Houston Methodist Tuesday night, complaining of shortness of breath. Back in 2012, the 90-year-old Bush was hospitalized for bronchitis and took two months to recover. But his chief of staff tells CNN, quote, "This is not two years ago." Jean Becker says, "It's a hiccup. He could -- he should come home in a few days."

Talk about a Christmas miracle. This is 13-year-old Boston terrier Sammy from Sacramento, California. The little guy somehow wondered onto a neighbor's balcony, and when he lost his bearings, he plunged 15 stories. Sammy landed in a hot tub and was able to pull himself out, despite a cracked pelvis and some broken ribs, but Sammy's going to be just fine.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've actually seen him stand up and walk. It's just -- it's amazing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSINSKI: Amazing, I'd say. Merry Christmas. Your special holiday edition of NEW DAY continues now.

PEREIRA: Welcome back to our very special holiday edition of NEW DAY. Christmas day, you've opened up all the gifts. You've eaten that fruitcake. You know, I've never really liked fruitcake. And of course, you've had the eggnog. What is next? Time to see a movie, my friends.

This year there are many strong movies to help you enjoy the holidays. Only one person to ask, my girl, "Entertainment Tonight" host and CNN contributor. I had to say it like that. Nischelle Turner is here to talk about all the ones to get on your list, the ones that have the best buzz. And of course, we'll talk our own favorites.

How are you?

NISCHELLE TURNER, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: I'm good. I love that you gave me this long title. It makes me feel very important, Michaela.

PEREIRA: This is a very important time of year. It's a big holiday season for movies. We know there's a lot of studios that are saving up their best ones to launch right now. So what should we see, Nischelle?

TURNER: There's a lot to see, Michaela. First of all -- and you're right; you mentioned this before. This, I think, as far as I can remember, is the strongest opening day for movies on Christmas. I mean, there's really great movies that are opening today. A lot of pictures -- excuse me, a lot of movies that could be considered in the Best Picture race...

PEREIRA: Wow.

TURNER: ... coming up for the Oscars.

First of all, let me run through a couple of them. The first movie, I think, you definitely need to see that's opening up today, "Unbroken." I mean, this movie, No. 1, has been highly touted for about a year. I don't know if you remember last year in our Christmas show...

PEREIRA: Wasn't Chris talking about it?

TURNER: ... Chris Cuomo was talking about the fact -- yes, he was so excited to see this movie. He knew it was going to be made. He was wondering how it would end up. And now we see it.

I'll tell you what: It's a movie, I'm not sure if you want to go see it before you open your gifts because it's a tough movie to watch.

PEREIRA: OK.

TURNER: It's a very good movie. But you come out of it, and either you're going to be very thankful for what you have on this Christmas or you're going to say, "I need an eggnog, a spiked eggnog, because it's very tough to watch."

PEREIRA: I've been hearing a lot -- I've been hearing a lot of buzz about "Selma," too.

TURNER: Yes, well, absolutely.

PEREIRA: That one?

TURNER: That movie is also opening in limited release today.

PEREIRA: OK.

TURNER: So if you're -- if you're in one of the big cities around the country, you'll probably get to see it. If not, you're going to have to wait until January.

But this, I believe, one of the most important films that is made this year. Of course, it's about the civil rights movement. It's about the voting rights march from Selma, with Dr. Martin Luther King.

And it has an all-star cast once again. I mean, Ava DuVernay did this film after be -- trying to get it made for eight years. David Oyelowo plays Dr. Martin Luther King, and he does, Michaela, a masterful job at this.

PEREIRA: Really?

TURNER: Yes, she really had to do some creative movie making on this, because she wasn't granted...