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Killers Freed After Documents Forged; Republicans Demand Sebelius Resign; Early Season Snow Hits Midwest; Wall Street Hits Record Highs; Bleacher Report; Voters Stew over Shutdown; NASA Plans for an Expensive Meteorite Protection for Earth; Lon Snowden Returns from Visit to Moscow; India in the Wake of the Storm

Aired October 19, 2013 - 06:00   ET

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

ANA CABRERA, CNN ANCHOR: Two convicted killers on the run this morning after an embarrassing blunder sets them free. Now a nationwide manhunt is on to get them back behind bars.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: A teenager with autism vanishes in New York. Now the desperate search to bring him home. Could a train yard give police fresh clues this morning.

CABRERA: And, too close for comfort. An asteroid buzzes by earth, but it could actually hit us the next time around. So, wait until you hear what NASA wants to do about it.

Good morning, everyone. Thanks for joining us. I'm Ana Cabrera.

BLACKWELL: I'm Victor Blackwell. 6:00 here on the East Coast. This is NEW DAY SATURDAY. Good to have you. Good to have you with us this morning. We've got a lot coming up.

It is called Snuggle House and it could be big business in Madison, Wisconsin.

CABRERA: Yes, but -

BLACKWELL: Yes.

CABRERA: (INAUDIBLE) officials want to make sure there's for funny business going on there before they give the green light to open shop.

BLACKWELL: Snuggle House. Fun house. Hmm? So what is a Sniggle House? In short, it's a place where lonely or stressed customers pay $60 to cuddle and you get to choose the lady of your choice to cuddle with.

CABRERA: Yes. If you're confused, and we are too, quite frankly, stay tuned.

BLACKWELL: Uh-huh. Uh-huh.

CABRERA: We'll tell you a little bit more about what this is, why it's causing such a controversy. That's coming up around 6:45 this morning.

BLACKWELL: Do we get sheets on the bed at the cuddle house?

CABRERA: Ah, yes.

BLACKWELL: Just a mattress and a rug. OK.

Hey, we want to start this morning with - with the search for the two convicted killers on the run in Florida. Prison officials say two inmates sentenced to life, Charles Walker, Joseph Jenkins, they gain their freedom by gaming the system. They used fake release paper that includes a forged signature from the judge. And then the men played the dupe so well, they even went back to the jail to register as felons after they got out. Here CNN's Nick Valencia.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SHERIFF JERRY DEMINGS, ORANGE COUNTY, FLORIDA: There have been tips being received in terms of legitimate spottings.

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): How did Joseph Jenkins and Charles Walker dupe the system? That's a question no one seems to be able to answer and a mistake no one wants to own.

DEMINGS: So I'm not here to point fingers on anyone. There will be plenty of that to go around eventually, I'm sure.

VALENCIA: In between the fingers of Evangelina Kearse is a letter from the Florida Department of Corrections about her son's killer Charles Walker. It says his release was beyond their control.

EVANGELINA KEARSE, VICTIM'S MOTHER: We are in shock, we frightened and we feel let down that the system did let us down for letting a murderer go free. I understand that the state attorney didn't -- the state attorney and the judge had nothing to do with it, but somebody, I don't know, it was an inside job besides - because I don't think Charles did this. He had -- whoever did it help them, I do believe that. They had to have him.

JUDGE BELVIN PERRY, ORANGE COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT: And this is somewhat ingenious.

VALENCIA: It was the fake signature of Judge Belvin Perry that ordered the release of both Walker and Jenkins. The high profile judge says he's not entirely surprised.

PERRY: People, particularly people with criminal minds, come up with ingenious ways to beat the system. They have nothing but time on their hands to think of things.

VALENCIA: The Department of Corrections, which allowed the release, said it was only following procedures and was, quote, "not at fault." "We don't have the statute or authority to question the court's decision," a spokeswoman said, "this will be a lesson learned for all involved." The Florida Department of Corrections has since made changes to the process of early releases. They tell CNN, they will require verifications from the sentencing judge before any other inmates are released early.

Nick Valencia, CNN, Tallahassee, Florida. (END VIDEOTAPE)

CABRERA: Twenty-two days, that's now how long a mother and father have been search for their lost teenage son. Avonte Oquendo has autism. He was last seen running out of school in New York and since then patrol cars and search vehicles have been blaring a recording of his mother calling for him in the streets. On Thursday, Avonte's mother told CNN she believes her son is still alive and that someone is probably holding him. She also spoke about her heart-wrenching search.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VANESSA FONTAINE, MOTHER OF AVONTE OQUENDO: There's a lot of caring people out here. A lot of people feel my pain. A lot of mothers, a lot of families, they have autistic children. It could happen to them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: Now, although the extensive search continues this weekend, a source tells CNN that police, for the first time, have brought in the assistance of cadaver dogs.

BLACKWELL: The mother of a teenage suspect in a bullying suicide case has been arrested in Florida. Now police say Vivian Vosburg faces charges of child abuse after a video surfaced of her beating two boys. Now they say the charges are unrelated to her 14-year-old daughter's case. Her daughter, Guadalupe Shaw, is accused of felony stalking in the suicide of 12-year-old Rebecca Sedwick. Sedwick killed herself in September after reportedly enduring months of online bullying.

CABRERA: Two communities and two committees in the Republican- controlled House are demanding answers about the Obamacare enrollment website. Healthcare.gov and state-run sites have been riddled with glitches. Officials confirm they have routinely taken down those federal websites during the overnight hours to work on some of the bugs. And among other things, the problems might also delay launch of the Spanish language version of this website.

BLACKWELL: And some Republicans are even demanding that Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius resign over those glitches. Well, the White House says that's not going to happen. Senior White House correspondent Brianna Keilar is joining us.

Good morning, Brianna.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Ana and Victor, initially, in the beginning of October, the White House tried to put a positive spin on this, saying the problems with healthcare.gov stemmed very much from the fact that so many people were going to the website. An independent analysis, however, showed that just 1 percent of people who attempted to register at healthcare.gov, the federal exchange, were able, ultimately, to sign up for Obamacare. So now there's a realization that there really have been these structural problems. Something we head President Obama be very candid about this week.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I am the first to acknowledge that the website that was supposed to do this all in a seamless way has had way more glitches than I think are acceptable. And we've got people working around the clock to do that. And we've seen some significant progress. But until it's 100 percent, I'm not going to be satisfied.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: President Obama said employees are working around the clock to fix the website. That's really the first step. I spoke with supporters of Obamacare and they, after that, it's an issue of public awareness. We saw President Obama at the beginning of the month do a couple of high-profile events. He may have to do something like that again. And then they raise the question about this penalty that kicks in if you haven't signed up for insurance by the end of March. Some are wondering if perhaps that penalty could be delayed.

Ana and Victor.

CABRERA: A conversation that will be going on. Brianna Keilar, thanks.

BLACKWELL: So I'm just getting into fall, right? Just feeling it. And winter comes early. Look at Denver. It was hit by an early season snowfall yesterday. Authorities there warn that drivers, they should watch out for this slush and it could make for icy conditions on the road. Now, this is what it looked like on Dodge City, Kansas. Time to get out of Dodge.

CABRERA: Is there any -

BLACKWELL: I've been - I've been waiting to use that line. I've been waiting!

OK, some areas reported more than five inches of snow. So is this wintry mix here to stay? Let's bring in meteorologist Karen Maginnis in the CNN Weather Center.

Karen, I'm glad I got my "get out of Dodge" reference in, but, really, five inches of snow?

KAREN MAGINNIS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It's kind of crazy, but I'm going to show you some snowfall totals and there were some more than that. In Wyoming, though. Let's take a look at what's going on outside right now in Minneapolis, Duluth, Chicago, it is a cold, wet morning. And those temperatures are only going to get colder as we go into the next couple of days.

Cheyenne, Wyoming, Victor, that's what I was telling you about, seven inches of snowfall there with some gusty winds. It made it feel frightfully cold. And we do have hard freeze watches and warnings out all across the Central Plains. I looked at those conditions right now, temperatures in the 20s and the 30s.

And let's take a look at Denver once again. It's just spectacular. At DIA Airport, yes, they did see a couple of inches of snowfall and the roads were very treacherous. Well, what happens as we go into the forecast, front (ph) range looks like it could see another round of snowfall. I think for the most part we're looking at just a couple of inches. Denver, you could see a dusting.

But for the northern tier, for International Falls, Duluth, Minnesota, towards Minneapolis in the next 24 to 48 hours, here comes the snow. First, the dip in the jet stream. An area of low pressure. A little clipper system. Not a lot of ingredients there, but essentially these re-enforcing shots of cold air, with temperature highs in the 40s. But look at what happens with the next clipper system. Those temperatures only in the 30s. Minneapolis, 39. Now, you guys, you may not know this about me. I photograph owls. You go to Minnesota, photograph owls up there, temperatures are in the teens a lot.

BLACKWELL: Yes, we did not know that, that you photographed owls.

MAGINNIS: I know. It's a crazy little hoppy of mine.

BLACKWELL: But - are you going to share some pictures one day?

MAGINNIS: I could. Yes.

BLACKWELL: All right, I'd like to see them.

Karen, thank you.

Hey, still to come, NBA legend Bill Russell has been arrested for having a gun in his carry-on bag.

CABRERA: Plus, your sweet tooth is about to get a lot more expensive. Why the price of chocolate is skyrocketing.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLACKWELL: Good morning, Atlanta. And if only you guys right now could see Ana's dancing to this song. I'm just saying.

CABRERA: I've had three cups of coffee this morning. I'm feel good for now.

BLACKWELL: All right. A live look at downtown. You can see Sky Atlanta there. The Ferris wheel. It's got some color splashing on it. A beautiful city and I love Atlanta.

CABRERA: Nice and mild here. I just came in from Denver where we were just talking about snow there.

BLACKWELL: Up to your knees in snow. Well, welcome to the 60s and low 70s.

CABRERA: I will enjoy it.

Well, we learned overnight that NBA Hall of Famer Bill Russell was arrested at Sea-Tac International Airport in Seattle earlier this week. BLACKWELL: Yes, police say the 79-year-old was cited for carrying a gun into a prohibited area of the airport on Wednesday. Now, the gun was found during a screening of carry-on bags. The former Boston Celtics star has been released. He could still face a fine of about $7,500.

CABRERA: New this morning, a Qantas Airlines flight was forced to make an emergency landing at Los Angeles International Airport this morning. And we learned it was because of mechanical problems. That flight was headed from Dallas to Australia. Now, an airport spokesman says LAX was notified of that mechanical problem less than 10 minutes before the plane landed. Good news, though, no injuries reported.

Also out of L.A., a second employee now arrested in connection with those recent dry ice explosions at LAX. Police arrested the 41-year- old worker on Friday. Authorities say he is the supervisor of the first suspect who was charged earlier this week. Both men are accused of placing the dry ice in plastic bottles and then leaving them in the airport bathrooms to explode. No injuries reported from those blasts.

BLACKWELL: Blackberry opens up, chocolate prices go up and the end of the government shutdown has made investors very happy.

CABRERA: So thumbs up, thumbs down, thumbs up?

BLACKWELL: Yes. Mixed.

CABRERA: Well, yes, just some of the highlights. CNN's Alison Kosik is joining us now with your market wrap.

Alison.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Ana and Victor.

It was a week of record highs on Wall Street. The S&P 500 hit an all- time high on Thursday and Friday. And the major averages posted strong gains for the week. Investors were happy to see Washington come together on a deal to avert default and end the shutdown. Also hitting a record, Google. Its stock topped $1,000 thanks to solid earnings.

A win for the NYSE, Twitter plans to list here at the New York Stock Exchange when it goes public later this year. The Nasdaq's courted Twitter as well, but Nasdaq's reputation took a hit last year when it messed up FaceBook's IPO.

Blackberry begs customers this week to stay loyal. The troubled company published an open letter in newspapers touting its technology, security features and strong financial position. What's missing in the ad? I mention that Blackberry is up for sale.

The Nobel Prize for Economics went to Robert Shiller, a professor at Yale University, and Eugene Fama and Lars Peter Hansen from the University of Chicago. Shiller, the more famous of the three, correctly predicted the housing bubble and developed a key report on home prices. Chocolate prices, they're going up. A new study says the price of cocoa butter surged 70 percent over the past 12 months. Milk powder up 50 percent. Who can you blame? Blame rising demands and bad weather in cocoa-producing countries. For shoppers, that could mean higher prices, less cocoa in your chocolate or small packaging.

Coming up at 9:30 a.m. Eastern this morning, the government may be open for business, but the damage from Washington's dysfunction remains. That's on a brand-new "Your Money" with Christine Romans.

Ana and Victor.

CABRERA: Alison Kosik, thanks.

Still to come here on NEW DAY, the St. Louis Cardinals do it again, earning their spot in this year's World Series after pounding the Dodgers. Highlights from that emotional win.

BLACKWELL: Plus, remember Felix Baumgartner's death-defying leap from space? Well, there's new, never before seen video of that historic jump. We'll show it to you after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CABRERA: 6:20 now in the East.

Check this out. A year after an historic skydive from the edge of space, we're getting a brand-new look from the jumper's point of view.

BLACKWELL: I'm getting nervous and nauseous just looking at it. Think about how disorienting this would be. Red Bull just released this video of cameras of Felix Baumgartner's body as he jumped from 24 miles - 24 miles above earth.

CABRERA: Oh, just think about that. After at least one close call, Baumgartner managed to land this jump. Set a new skydive record. And, yes, he broke the sound barrier in the process. It's pretty cool.

BLACKWELL: Yes, that spinning, though, that would have gotten me.

CABRERA: Talk about a thrill seeker.

BLACKWELL: St. Louis Cardinals are heading to the World Series again.

CABRERA: It is the team's second trip in just the last three seasons. And Joe Carter has more this morning in this morning's "Bleacher Report."

JOE CARTER, BLEACHER REPORT: Good morning, guys.

BLACKWELL: Good morning.

CARTER: The big story is a rookie pitcher. Cardinals rookie pitcher Michael Wach. You've probably never heard of this guy because he actually didn't even join the team until May of this year. He didn't really get into the rotation until a couple of weeks ago. So Michael Wach, the big story. He pitched two games in the series. He was named the series MVP because in game two, he didn't give up a single run.

And last night he was brilliant again, not giving up a single run. And in both games, he outpitched that guy, the Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw. The Cardinals absolutely pounded him last night for nine runs. And what can you say but finally, after playing in 45 postseason games, Carlos Beltran is headed to the World Series. The guy has been in so many playoff games and never made it to the big game, but now he's going with the St. Louis Cardinals. It's the franchise's fourth World Series appearance since 2004.

And later tonight we could possibly learn who their opponent would be. The American League Championship series is tonight. The Boston Red Sox, the Detroit Tigers. Boston will close out that series. That's going to be 8:00 p.m. Eastern tonight.

And let's talk a little college football. There was a major - and I mean major upset yesterday in college football. Eighth ranked Louisville lost to unranked UCF. Louisville blew a 21-point lead in this game. Central Florida scored in the final 23 seconds of the game. Is this Louisville's first loss of the season and it's a heartbreaker because this really puts a spot in the Orange Bowl in jeopardy. You see the fan's face there, complete disappointment. Final score, 38-35.

And this is a nice story. It's trending this morning on bleacherreport.com. Leave it to Oregon football to be fashion forward. For tonight's game, they're going to be wearing pink helmets and pink cleats in support of breast cancer awareness. Now, we're used to seeing the NFL guys do this. they use like, you know, pink accessories this month in October. You know, gloves, hats - or, excuse me, gloves, hand towels, things like that. But Oregon is taking this to a whole new level and it's for a good cause. They're actually going to have some of their more famous alum autograph these helmets and they're going to auction off 25 of them after the game. And then, obviously, that money goes towards breast cancer awareness. But Oregon football, really doing it loud today with the pink helmets. Got to say "go Ducks." A great cause.

CABRERA: Yes.

BLACKWELL: Yes.

CABRERA: They never do it loud. They always like to try to blend in, don't they?

CARTER: I love how they do that. But it's really cool. They're going really loud with the pink helmets.

CABRERA: It is cool looking.

BLACKWELL: Really nice.

Thank you, Joe.

CARTER: You bet.

BLACKWELL: Hey, plenty of people are angry at Ted Cruz. Did you see him. He made a cameo there a moment ago. But is somebody angry enough to kill the Texas senator over his starring role in the government shutdown?

CABRERA: Plus, if a threat on one's life weren't bad enough, well now there's a new threat to all of life on earth. An asteroid may be headed our way carrying the explosive force of a few thousand atomic bombs. But NASA has a plan to save us from these dangerous space rocks. We'll have details, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLACKWELL: Coming up on the bottom of the hour. Welcome back. I'm Victor Blackwell.

CABRERA: Thanks for being here. I'm Ana Cabrera.

And here are five things you need to know for your new day.

Number one, the arrest of an American who allegedly wanted to join al Qaeda. That's the accusation the U.S. Justice Department is making against Marcos Alonso Zea. He is 25 years old from Long Island, New York. The FBI has been tracking Zea for about two years now. An affidavit says at one point Zea wanted to go to Yemen so he could, quote, "participate in violent jihad."

BLACKWELL: Number two, a sheriff in Florida says, quote, "a system failure" led to the escape of two convicted killers. Officials say inmates Charles Walker and Joseph Jenkins used forged release papers to get out. Authorities only learned they had left Florida's Franklin Correctional Institution after a relative of one of the escapees notified them.

CABRERA: Number three, gay and lesbian couples in New Jersey are celebrating after the state's highest court ruled same-sex marriages can begin on Monday. Governor Chris Christie's administration sought to delay those weddings while it appeals a lower court's rulings. That appeal will still be heard in January, but as of Monday, New Jersey will be the 14th state to allow same-sex marriage.

BLACKWELL: Number four now. U.S. Capitol Police confirm they're looking into threats made against Republican Senator Ted Cruz. They say a man who identified himself as a veteran tweeted, "Ted Cruz needs to be taken out." Cruz rose to national prominence this month for a stand against Obamacare and his role in the government shutdown.

CABRERA: Number five, the longest serving House Republican has died. Florida Congressman Bill Young passed away yesterday in Maryland, surrounded by his family. According to his chief of staff, Young died from complications related to a chronic injury. His 22 terms spanned more than 40 years on Capitol Hill. Bill Young was 82.

BLACKWELL: So, the smoke is now clearing on the government shutdown. We've gone from that government shutdown graphic to the government reopens now.

CABRERA: And there's a lot of anticipation for what happens next. But will incumbents pay a heavy price in those midterm elections? CNN political editor Paul Steinhauser is joining us now.

Good morning, Paul.

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: Good morning, Ana, Victor.

First things first, here's the obvious, Americans were mad as - well, you know what - at folks here in Washington over the government shutdown.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. SUSAN COLLINS (R), MAINE: There's a lot of justifiable anger at Congress and at the president for failing to solve these problems.

STEINHAUSER (voice-over): Need more proof? Look at the approval ratings for Congress. They're hovering at or near all-time lows. But here's the thing -- while most people often say it's time to throw the bums out of Congress, they're usually OK with their own representative and that's why incumbents overwhelmingly get re-elected, but two new polls suggest the times they may be a changing. Nearly four in ten questioned in the new Pew Research Center survey say, they don't want their own member of Congress re-elected. That's the highest level in two decades of Pew polling. And 60 percent in a recent NBC News/"Wall Street Journal" survey said given the chance to vote out every member of Congress including their own, they would. If those kind of numbers hold as we get closer to next year's midterm elections watch out. Ana, Victor.

BLACKWELL: We'll see if that is crystallized. Paul Steinhauser, thank you.

31 after the hour. Now, remember that meteor that slammed into Russia earlier this year? It's tough to really forget something like that. It injured more than 1,000 people. Look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED PEOPLE: Whoa!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: How scary. But nothing compared to what would happen if others giant space rocks out there slammed into our planet. There are some fears someday a massive asteroid will wreak havoc here on Earth and we have had a lot of close saves.

BLACKWELL: A scientist just discovered that an asteroid that potentially could end life on Earth comes near us in less than 20 years. Scientists say it has a 1 in 63,000 chance of hitting us, though.

CABRERA: But.

BLACKWELL: Yes. CABRERA: Good news, NASA says they have a plan to save us from these dangerous space rocks and Tom Foreman has more on the science behind asteroids.

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Ana, hey, Victor, amid all these popular talk about the idea that asteroid might one day strike the Earth, NASA has a very serious proposal, why not go off into the cosmos and capture one so we can learn more about them. And this is how they propose to do that. They'd like to use a very powerful rocket to launch what they call an asteroid redirect vehicle. This is essentially a robotic spacecraft that would go ripping off into space driven by the most powerful solar electrical propulsion system we'd even see. Now, it wouldn't pass the stars, but it would go many, many hundreds of thousands of miles out there looking for really quite a small target. About this size, two to three times as big as a large pickup truck. This is the asteroid there after. Although it would also weigh, I might note, twice as much as a big freight train. It would be rotating this way. That's a challenge because you have to stop that rotation before you can move it anywhere.

So, how would they do that? Let me scale this down and give you an idea what would happen as the redirect vehicle came up to it. It would deploy a very high tech space bag of a sort. At least in theory, and over a period of hours, move that over that rotating asteroid and gradually squeeze down until they had it under control. Then the whole shebang would come blasting back towards Earth. And more importantly, toward the Moon, where it would set up an orbit around the Moon, about 40,000 miles above the surface. That way astronauts could go back and forth and visit the spaceship and its cargo for many, many, many years. Why would they want to do this, so? Astronauts know, scientists know this would cost billions and billions of dollars. And a lot of taxpayers don't like that idea.

Well, here's their rationale. They say look, we will learn much more about propulsion systems for deep space exploration. We will develop many technologies including electrical solar technology that can benefit us here on Earth, just as the space program always has. Secondly if, in fact, an asteroid did come towards Earth, we'd have some idea how to deal with one. And thirdly, by looking at the minerals, by having people go up there and actually study the rocks that make up asteroids we could find out what's inside them. That would tell us more about the origin of the Solar System and it would tell us more what is out there that might benefit us here on Earth or that we might be able to use in deeper exploration of space in the future. Bottom line, they say yes, it's expensive. But that's what you call it exploration because you never know what you might find along the way. Ana, Victor.

CABRERA: All right, interesting idea. Tom Foreman. Thanks.

BLACKWELL: It's a lot for a 1 in 63,000 chance of hitting us, though. And it's a lot of money.

CABRERA: Space bag. They're going to do the trick.

BLACKWELL: Go out there with a hefty bag, grab it. Bring it back. CABRERA: All for research.

BLACKWELL: Yes.

CABRERA: Up next, it sounds like the Vatican version of MTV's "Cribs." You wonder believe how much of the church's money a bishop spent to build a luxurious new home. And the Vatican sure isn't happy about it.

BLACKWELL: Plus, Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge plays volleyball while wearing five-inch heels. You're watching "NEW DAY SATURDAY" right here on CNN. We're back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LON SNOWDEN, EDWARD SNOWDEN'S FATHER: My son would die before he would sell secrets to a foreign government that would harm his country. I know that for a fact.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: That's the father of NSA leaker Edward Snowden speaking out in an exclusive interview with Anderson Cooper. Edward Snowden has insisted he did not take any secret documents with him to Russia where he was granted asylum. His dad visited him in Russia for the first time this past week.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LON SNOWDEN: Dad, I did not do this to be safe. You know, you need to let everyone know, don't worry about me. I'm committed to this. I didn't do this to be safe. I did it because it's the right thing to do. I could not live with what I've been exposed to. You know, live the rest of his life, with that. Knowing that he did not share that.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Does he have any regrets at this point?

LON SNOWDEN: He said he has absolutely no regrets.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: He said it was a pretty emotional moment when he saw his son again.

Let's head over to Ana for a look at some of the other news making headlines around the world this morning. Ana.

CABRERA: Victor, first to India, where people are reeling after a devastating cyclone, 12 million people have now been affected by the flooding. All kinds of heavy rains still coming down. Now many are struggling to get food and homes. CNN Sumnima Udas reports from New Delhi, Sumnima.

SUMNIMA UDAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Ana, countless lives were saved thanks to mass evacuations. But now the difficult and long task of rebuilding livelihoods. At a remote fishing village of 5,000 people, every single boat is wrecked. 80 percent of the homes damages, miles and miles of trees smashed while the powerful cyclone dominated the landscape. People are now slowly trying to pick up the pieces. They've received some relief in the form of rice, but what good is rice without fish (inaudible), their only source of income. Back to you, Ana.

CABRERA: Sumnima, thank you.

Now to London where teen education activist Malala Yousafzai was shot in the head by the Taliban. And she met Queen Elizabeth. CNN's Max Foster is at Buckingham Palace. Max?

MAX FOSTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Buckingham Palace is being the setting for so many moments in history. And we've just had another one. An iconic image of woman in the 80s and woman in her teens, both of whom are iconic women, living women in their own rights. Malala wanted to come here to take her message of education for all to higher levels, she said, she had to miss a day of school to do that ironically, but it's something that she wanted to do. So, another step in this extraordinary story of Malala who was shot just a year ago in Pakistan. Back to you, Ana.

CABRERA: Inspiration, thank to you, Max. Also in London, Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, making her first solo public appearance since the birth of Prince George. CNN Erin McLaughlin is in London. Erin?

ERIN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Walking around in these wedges is difficult enough, I certainly wouldn't wear them to play a game of volleyball. But that's exactly what the Duchess of Cambridge did on Friday. She has a pair in blue. The new mom put on quite a performance. It was all, of course, in support of a charity called SportsAid, which provides financial assistance to young athletes. Ladies, don't try this at home. Back to you, Ana.

CABRERA: Pretty agile there. Thanks, Erin.

Now to Germany where the catholic bishop is making headlines for his extravagant spending. The so-called bling bishop has been summoned to the Vatican to explain himself. CNN Diana Magnay is in Berlin. Diana.

DIANA MAGNAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Ana, a bishop who spends $42 million of the church's money building himself a lavish new residence and then flies first class to India to visit social services to the poor. Catholics in Germany are furious, they want the bishop of Limburg to resign. The pope is being consulted and a commission is investigating, but it's a real test case for Pope Francis who preaches a message of modesty and humility. How fast and how effective can he be in banishing priests who live like princes? Ana.

CABRERA: Diana Magnay, thank you. Victor, back over to you.

BLACKWELL: All right, Ana, thank you. A question for you at home, a bit awkward, but I'm going to ask it anyway, would you pay to snuggle? Well, that's the idea behind a new business in Wisconsin, but the city -- the city wants to make sure that spooning is the only thing going on before the bedroom door closes and the company opens.

So, they are going to investigate a bit. Plus, ladies, we know that you've been dying to get the latest on "Fifty Shades." Who will land a coveted role of Christian Grey? Coming up we'll tell you the latest acted across off the lists.

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CABRERA: Good morning, Miami. A live look from downtown, Miami's Bay Front Park and the amphitheater there, it's a little dark obviously right now. But that's going to change. Folks there looking at a gorgeous day ahead. 88 degrees. Mostly sunny. So if you're in one of those Midwest states or in Denver this morning, waking up to cold and snow, just think of Miami.

BLACKWELL: of Miami. A lot of good times there.

Hey, are you big spoon or little spoon? None of my business, I'll take that. But is your body pillow, you know, not cutting it anymore? Another question I shouldn't have asked? OK. But a Wisconsin business might have a solution for you.

CABRERA: This is interesting. It's called a snuggle house. For just 60 bucks customers can pay to cuddle up with staff members.

BLACKWELL: Where are the linens on these beds?

CABRERA: Employees say this is a form of touch therapy. But that's raising some red flags among city officials and our affiliate WKOW has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Whenever you like we can change positions, just let me know whatever is comfortable.

TONY GALLI, WFOW REPORTER: What's considered cuddling therapy? Touch therapy.

EMILY NOON, ASSISTANT MANAGER, "THE SNUGGLE HOUSE": Intimate, nonsexual touch.

GALLI: It's planned as a business in downtown Madison. Emily Noon is assistant manager of the Snuggle House and says there's a need for this service.

NOON: There are so many people that don't have a significant other in their life that just need to be held.

JENNIFER ZILAVY, MADISON ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY: Really, the city's primary concern is that we don't want a house of prostitution popping up.

GALLI: Assistant city attorney Jennifer Zilavy says, she's already pressed representatives of the Snuggle House on needed safeguards.

ZILAVY: Somebody comes in, and they're snuggling and a person gets aroused and they want a little more, what is the snuggler going to do? Do they have any preparation for how to effectively deal with that?

GALLI (on camera): did they have any preparation for that?

ZILAVY: No. Which, again, is a concern for the city.

NOON: Our clients do have to sign contracts.

GALLI (voice over): Snuggler Emily Noon says the business owner has addressed security concerns.

NOON: Matthew is our creator, is our owner, and he's really taken care of everything for us.

GALLI: Online, owner Matthew Hurtado pushes his book about going from a sex addicted minion to a millionaire. Online state record show Hurtado owes Wisconsin over $10,000 in back income taxes. Hurtado's attorney says Hurtado disputes the debt and will only have Emily Noon and other staff members begin work with Snuggle House clients after the city officials are satisfied with the operation's plans.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(LAUGHTER)

CABRERA: A lot of questions about ...

BLACKWELL: I don't know what to say. Yeah, so he's a former sex addict who is now opening a place to just come and cuddle?

CABRERA: And it's for men to come and cuddle with these women who are on the staff. Which raises questions in my mind, because usually, isn't it the woman who's seeking out the cuddling?

BLACKWELL: The cuddling? Yeah. Well, no, guys like to cuddle.

CABRERA: You do?

BLACKWELL: I do. I wouldn't pay $60 for it, though.

CABRERA: Right.

BLACKWELL: Especially not on beds without sheets. But that's another like minor thing for me. That was Tony Galli from our affiliate WKOW in Madison, Wisconsin. Of course, we're going to continue to follow that one.

Hey, parents, they may be shocked by her on-stage antics, but Miley Cyrus proves once again just how much the kids love her. We'll explain this one.

CABRERA: Plus, the book "Fifty Shades of Grey" may have turned on millions of readers, but the film, it's already been turned down by one Hollywood star. Those stories straight ahead.

BLACKWELL: But first, we are shining a spotlight on the top ten CNN heroes of 2013. This week's honoree spent 13 years delivering babies before a back injury forced her to stop. But now, she's found a new way to bring babies and mothers safely through child birth.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LAURA STACHEL: There's a traditional African saying when you become pregnant that you have one foot in the grave. There are so many women dying in child birth in many communities. Pregnancy is feared.

In the last month recorded four women actually died of pregnancy complications.

When I went to Africa, I saw these women one after another coming in with complications and we didn't even have adequate light to treat them.

Welcome to the world, little one.

And the lights - a lot of the clinics don't have any electricity. Midwives use kerosene lanterns. They may use candles. They use their cell phones to deliver babies. Once I witnessed the things that I saw, I had to do something about it.

My name is Dr. Laura Stachel. I'm helping to provide a simple and reliable solar lighting empower source so that mothers and babies can be saved during childbirth.

Very, very nice.

Hospitals and clinics received the solar suitcase for free.

So, the charge controller is very important. Solar suitcase provides medical quality lighting. It charges cell phones. It has a small battery charger for head lamps and for the fetal Doppler that we include.

Perfect. That's it.

Mothers are now eager to come to the clinics. It just shifted the morale of the health care worker.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This light is going to bring good children. It keeps me going.

STACHEL (on camera): Here's your son. There you go.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you so much.

STACHEL: You're so welcome.

(voice over): I really want a world where women and their families get to celebrate birth. And I would love to be part of making that happen. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CABRERA: A Hollywood A-Lister binge watches "Breaking Bad" and then gets drunk with love for the cast.

BLACKWELL: It's all explained in today's "Top Four." Our Nischelle Turner has the headlines in entertainment. Just show us what's going on.

NISCHELLE TURNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Victor and Ana, it's been a little bit of a crazy week. OK, we all know what's been going on in Washington, but now I'm going to bring you into the madness of Hollywood. Because there's always something crazy going on here. Number four, popping this "NEW DAY," Hannibal Lector sending a little love to Walter White. You'll love this story. Sir Anthony Hopkins sent a super fan letter to Bryan Cranston after binge watching a bunch of episodes of "Breaking Bad." I'm not kidding. He said in the letter, this is from Anthony Hopkins that this was the best acting that he's ever seen. He goes on to say to Bryan Cranston that quote, "That kind of work plus artistry is rare, and when once in a while it occurs it restores confidence." He said, "You and all the cast are the best actors I've ever seen." I would be on cloud nine if I were Bryan Cranston right now, right? Number three story, Miley. Number one, her album "Bangers" debuted at number one on the billboard top 200 charts now. Here's something to think about here. Miley Cyrus is only 20 years old. This is her fifth album to go number one. Wow.

Number two this morning, the "Walking Dead" still stepping high. AMC show returned with the highest rated episode in its series history, 16.1 million viewers. 10.4 million Adults in that coveted 18 to 49 demographic. That's a lot of people. "The Walking Dead" continues to be the number one show on television across all cable and broadcast networks. Folks love zombies, they love them.

And number one this morning, "Fifty Shades of Free Fall." A shake up already, and shooting hasn't even begun. Charlie Hunnam is out as Christian Grey. Do I hear a groan? I'm not sure if I do. Hunnam and the studio deciding to part ways. The studio says, his tough TV schedule on "Sons of Anarchy" won't allow him to properly compare to play the role. But according to "People" magazine, he didn't want the Robert Pattinson "Twilight" type of attention that he'd already seemed to be getting for his role. So, the search, of course, is on once again. And I need to make a quick call. I'm calling Ian Somerhalder because I need him to play Christian Grey.

(LAUGHTER)

TURNER: Victor and Ana. Back to you.

CABRERA: Nischelle, thank you.

BLACKWELL: Yes, she has the - Nischelle, thank you. Our producer who loves the new "Bangers" album from Miley Cyrus said that it gets him running like crazy. So, I've got to download it.

CABRERA: I know. It gets you upbeat, apparently. BLACKWELL: I'm ready for it. Hey, thanks for starting your morning with us. We've got a lot coming up in the next hour of "NEW DAY." So, let's start it right now.