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New Day Saturday
Iranians Talking about Their Hopes for the Change in Relations with the United States; Three Year Anniversary of the Egypt Revolution in the Wake of New Bombing Attacks; Violent Clashes in Mexico; Mexican Vigilantes Fighting Drug Cartels; "Mitt", the Documentary About Mitt Romney Being Released to Public
Aired January 25, 2014 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CHRISTI PAUL, CNN ANCHOR: What a nasty week on Wall Street, people. The Dow plummets more than 300 points to end its worst week since 2011. What's behind the free fall? That's ahead.
VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Get ready for super bowl Sunday or Monday or Friday. Cold weather worries for an outdoor game. This could be an historic schedule change.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So what do you think you say in a concession speech?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL: Mitt Romney like you have never seen him before. One filmmaker gets unprecedented access to the whole family as he follows them for six years and two presidential campaigns.
Your NEW DAY starts now.
Is Friday night lingering? Are you still awake or are you trying to wake up? Do not hit the snooze button, you will regret it.
BLACKWELL: Yes.
PAUL: I know we regret it when you hit the snooze button and we hit it.
BLACKWELL: You're going laugh, you're go to be cry. It's a good morning.
PAUL: It is a good morning. I'm Christi Paul.
BLACKWELL: I'm Victor Blackwell. 6:00 here on the east coast. This is NEW DAY Saturday.
PAUL: So, we're going to start with a major story that we've been follow for weeks now. Some relief for a grieving family in Texas as the judge orders a hospital to remove a pregnant woman from breathing machine.
BLACKWELL: Yes. This is the decision relative of Marlise Munoz have been hoping for. Attorneys for the hospital are now publicly acknowledging what Munoz's family has been telling the world.
PAUL: That she's been brain-dead since November 28th for one, and that the baby she's carrying is not viable.
BLACKWELL: For now, more excruciating waiting for the family, as the hospital considers an appeal under a law that forbids removing life sustaining treatment from a pregnant patient.
PAUL: Ed Lavandera is in Fort Worth.
Good morning to you, Ed. What do you know?
ED LAVANDERA, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Christi and Victor, Eric Munoz and the parents of Marlise Munoz will spend this weekend waiting to see if the attorneys John Peter Smith hospital will file an appeal in this case after the judges rule that Marlise Munoz must be removed from the ventilator system by 5:00 on Monday afternoon, giving attorneys for the hospital some time to file an appeal if they choose to do so.
But it was an incredibly emotional experience for Eric Munoz and his family inside the courtroom as the lawyers argued their arguments here before this judge, Eric Munoz sobbing with his family throughout much of the testimony. And after the ruling was handed down, Eric Munoz couldn't speak with reporters as he left the courthouse. But this is exactly what they wanted. They say that this will give them the peace that they wanted for nearly two months after Marlise collapsed from a blood clot in her lung after the end of November.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is the way we saw it. There is nothing happy about today. This was a sad situation all the way around. We are relieved that Eric Munoz can now move forward with the process of burying his wife.
Do you have anything to say?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We also want to say that we're very, very appreciative of the courtesy of the attorneys and the judiciaries in the process. And we really feel like justice was done today.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTER: Mr. Munoz, is there way --
ERIC MUNOZ, MARLISE MUNOZ' HUSBAND: No comment.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. Munoz is not ready to comment presently. He needs to prepare for the future and for Monday.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAVANDERA: So now, we have to wait and see what the attorneys for the hospital will do. We reached out to John Peter Smith hospital and the lawyer for a comment about what the next move will be. They did not make any comment but they have until 5:00 Monday afternoon to file an appeal if they're going to do so.
Christi and Victor, back to you.
PAUL: Ed Lavandera, thank you so much.
So obviously, it may not be over yet. We're going talk about the legal ramifications in the 8:00 hour right here in NEW DAY SATURDAY. Just stay close.
BLACKWELL: All right, if you're invested in the stock market, the wild ride we've been on, you know, that dip in 2009, the huge drop and then the climb again the past two years, well, another dip came this week. The Dow suffered its worst week since 2011. But the index dropped nearly 600 points this week. Now some analysts say we could be looking at a correction from last year's record gains.
Alison Kosik has more on the drop. Hey, Alison.
ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Victor and Christi. Stocks ended with a huge thud on Friday. There was a sea of red arrows on the board. The Dow plunged almost 320 points or almost two percent. It was the combination of an especially brutal week in which stocks fell every single day. In the end major averages lost one to three percent each. The fell also circled the globe hitting major bargains In Asia and Europe.
Friday, the big issue was a selloff in currencies in emerging markets. Countries like Argentina and Turkey saw their currencies plunged against the dollar amid new concerns with the Federal Reserve ending its stimulus program. That stimulus has been giving economies around world a boost. And that is not all. Wall Street also got slammed by concerned about China's economy slowing down, an economy that has been growing at a really solid pace.
And then here at home, worries about corporate America added insult to injury. Big names like Verizon, IBM and Johnson & Johnson reported earnings that disappointed the street. The thinking is, if companies aren't doing well, they won't grow higher and invest. Roll it all together and it is a perfect storm. Investors went running for the exits. And the pace of selling picked up as Friday's session wore on.
Now Victor and Christi, remember the S&P 500 surged by 29 percent last year. So there is still wiggle room.
BLACKWELL: All right, Alison Kosik for us. Thank you.
PAUL: New information for you on the Chris Christie bridge gate scandal. A preliminary investigation into Governor Christie's top aides has found no smoking gun. Now, two sources tell CNN a probe into the possible strong-arm tactics by New Jersey governor's team hasn't found any evidence linking those groups a federal crime. FBI agents are going to continue apparently to conduct fact finding interviews and a formal investigation could be launched if enough evidence is found.
BLACKWELL: Can you imagine they may trained their entire lives for this moment at the Olympics, but now wearing red, white and blue could put team USA in danger. That's a warning coming from the state department. It's urging American athletes to avoid wearing their Olympic uniforms, these are the ones from Ralph Lauren, that you see them here when they're outside of the Olympics venues in Sochi, Russia, out of fear for their safety.
CNN's Nick Paton Walsh joins us now from the Olympic host city.
Nick, this is remarkable. The State Department is worried about an uptick in terror threats. Is that inside this secured area, as well as outside?
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I have to be straight with you, I mean, the ring of steel they've put in here. 37,000 police and military involved in securing this area, it would make it probably quite hard for something to happen inside that secure area. The majority of the warnings we read seem to point around the broader area around the Olympic venues that are referred to as soft targets. But those warnings coming into four where they emerge where you as you said the state department has been telling American athletes be careful not to took too American if they leave that ring of steel.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WALSH (voice-over): Less than two weeks to go and the threats keep coming. A jihadist forum Friday quoted bin Laden implying someone might fly planes into a city on edge. And this militant video first reported by CNN Friday prominent in the media added to the daily drip of worry. It compares Putin to Hitler and says locals can only breathe on Moscow's orders.
Fear felt here of all places in Ralph Lauren's striking new look for team USA in Sochi's winter games. American athletes warned by the state department they'd be safer not wearing these uniforms when they venture out of the ring of steel set up to protect them.
MARIE HARF, STATE DEPARTMENT DEPUTY SPOKESWOMAN: The U.S. Olympic committee, I think, had discussed with its athletes as part of sort of how to stay safe and things to look out for as part of the games this issue about just being careful about where you wear U.S. logos or things like that. This isn't unique to Russia, to be clear.
WALSH: Remarkable that athletes should hide being American especially a state's tourist warning for Sochi says Americans aren't specifically targets. The worries mount, but the countdown doesn't stop. Even if the heavy snow up in the hills makes you feel like it might. Hurried workers and a lot left to do here.
Here is Gorky plaza, one of the many buildings being readied in a hurry they hope for the tourists supposed to start arriving here in the thousands shortly. But here inside one of the buildings you see the scale of the job still ahead for people trying to work here. This building far from ready. I'm just asking when it will be ready.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
WALSH: Everything he said will be gone and this will be ready by tomorrow lunch time.
Now under two weeks to go, and still a feeling of anxiety, rather anticipation.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WALSH: Now, the Kremlin is doing what it can to lighten the atmosphere ahead of these games. I'll say it's a beautiful day here in Adler, the venue behind me. Yesterday, the business partner of a key Putin critic (INAUDIBLE) was released early from jail, as part of a wave of amnesty that Moscow has been pushing through that perhaps just they're soft on their political opponents.
But as you say, security is going to continue to be the issue. Of course, Moscow wants American athletes coming here to be thinking about the games, about competing, not whether or not their loved ones or themselves could be safe and where they can actually go -- Victor, Christi.
BLACKWELL: Yes. Of course, the state department is concerned with that. But don't look too American as you go to represent your country. That's pretty heartbreaking.
PAUL: Yes, because isn't that what they want to do?
BLACKWELL: That's what they want to do.
PAUL: I thought they want to scream who they are.
Nick Paton Walsh, thank you so much. We appreciate it.
So, you know, Justin Bieber had a busy week. And where were you? You were in Miami, too?
BLACKWELL: Yes, I was there, but we didn't cross paths. I didn't see the car go by.
And look, an understatement really, a busy week. His night in lockup could cost him more than a few dollars. His multimillion-dollar business goes bye-bye Bieber.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLACKWELL: Yes, it is and a beautiful Saturday. Good morning, South Florida. (INAUDIBLE). And you know, it's going to be a gorgeous day there. I just spent the weekend in south Florida soaking up all of this. but it wasn't nearly as nice last week. Today, 77 degrees, partly cloudy. You know its calm now. But that was not the case last night.
(VIDEO CLIP PLAYING) PAUL: Are you wondering what that was? The screaming fans waiting for pop star Justin Bieber as he left his hotel in Miami last night. The Biebs was rushed to a waiting private jet at the (INAUDIBLE) airport before leaving his wild week in Florida behind him.
BLACKWELL: Well, police were probably more than happy to, of course, see Bieber go.
PAUL: You think?
BLACKWELL: Yes.
PAUL: We do have closed circuit video that we want to show you right now. The joyride that caught officers' attention in Miami Beach as investigators say he was street racing in a yellow Lamborghini.
BLACKWELL: You know, Bieber was charged with DY. Tests show that what alcohol content was under the legal limit, but he's supposed to be also smoke pot and was on prescription medication.
PAUL: I mean, that is the information he offered that.
BLACKWELL: Yes, he just said, you know, what he was doing.
PAUL: Right. So his blunder is a big worry to people in charge of his multimillion-dollar business empire you can imagine.
So CNN's Alexandra Field takes a look at what's at stake.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): We can all remember one time when Justin Bieber was the fresh-faced teenaged heart throb who attracted millions of believers with that voice and snap hair. But a string of recent run in to let the pop star with a bad wrap and a wrap sheet to go with it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was arrested and he was crying because he got arrested. So this is real life. This isn't some pop star trying to rebrand himself.
FIELD: The 19-year-old is thought to be worth more than $100 million. He's had five platinum albums, a perfume and a slew of endorsement deals.
Adidas confirms they are sticking with Bieber. Their statement quote "nothing has changed with our partnership at this time." But beyond this week's arrest in Miami for drunken driving, the entertainer's legal troubles are mounting.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bieber is currently under investigation for allegedly egging his neighbor's home and he could be charged with vandalism.
FIELD: Industry watchers to just the big business of being Bieber could take a hit. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: His current movie has actually been pretty much a bomb. It earned about $6 million where his previous movie did about $74 million domestically. So, that's a big problem. One the tenets of branding, is you have to be likable. So he was very likable at one point, and now he is not so much.
FIELD: Mugging for his mug shot, climbing on top of his jail getaway car. But could it be just part of the brand for the bigger plan for the Bieber brand?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As an assault, I find that kind of appalling. As a parent, I find it appalling. But I bet you if I were a teenage girl, I would probably find that kind of exciting and maybe that's the intent.
FIELD: He has die-hard fans in the twitter ball invested 49 million strong. If anything, he's only attracting more attention.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think we will be talking about him three years from now.
FIELD: Alexandra field, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PAUL: Well, we're going to be talking more later with somebody you don't want to miss. Rapper Vanilla Ice is chatting about this, the huge pressures on young stars. Stuff we don't get, how we don't understand this and how celebrities (INAUDIBLE) still much end up in big trouble. 9:00 this morning on NEW DAY. Stick around for this.
BLACKWELL: Be sure to stop, collaborate and listen. We have Vanilla Ice coming up.
PAUL: That's right.
BLACKWELL: Hey, you can't get by the song when you have Vanilla Ice on the show.
PAUL: I know.
BLACKWELL: All right, so if you're gearing up for next week's big game between the Seahawks and the Broncos, you might want to wait.
PAUL: Yes, super bowl Sunday could turn into -- I don't know, super bowl Monday.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PAUL: Good morning, New Jersey! A live look right now from Jersey City. Snow showers, 29 degrees. That's what you guys got going on today. Of course, you are the home to the super bowl. Everyone wants to know, how's that going to work out?
BLACKWELL: Yes. Let's bring in meteorologist Jennifer Gray. How about it, how is it going to work out? JENNIFER GRAY, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, it's very, very far in advance. I mean, we're still more than a week away. And a lot of the forecasts don't really come together until just a couple days out. So we're still very, very far in advance.
But we are looking at a couple forecast models and they're just behind me. We are looking at -- this is one of the forecast models we look at. This is called the European. And this does show that there will be a system in the vicinity. It looks like it may be already past.
We are also looking at what we call the GFS model and that is also showing maybe an area of low pressure in the vicinity. So those are a couple things that we're going to be watching. So, it if you compare the two, it does looks like the European goal with maybe normal temps, the GFS, below normal temps. A couple of the models are indicating possible flurries, maybe light winds.
So, as of right now, what we're going go with is we pretty much know that the temperatures are going to be cold. It's just going to be a matter if we're going to be see precipitation, maybe snow. But it's been cold all season. And a lot of these players have been used to playing in the cold for a lot of the game this year.
PAUL: OK, I'm glad you sat down with us here because, you know, Super bowl Sunday, obviously could turn into super bowl Monday now. They are saying -- I mean, would they really go to the extent of changing the day? I would think there would be a lot of money lost if they that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
BLACKWELL: If they change it to Monday, I hope people get the day off just like a Sunday, right?
PAUL: Like do you have off?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here's the deal, the NFL has a contingency plan in place. They do for every single super bowl. So, I don't want to make this sound that, oh, for the first time, they've got a backup plan. It's just that this is the first time there's an actual legitimate weather threat involved. Because, you know, when you have it in Miami, well, you know, it's going to rain. If there was a hurricane that was projected to come through, obviously, they would announce a contingency plan. But they always have it in place. It is just that there is a greater possibility with this super bowl having weather affecting.
And now, it would have to be a snowstorm of epic proportions. There's no talk about it being too cold to postpone or suspend the super bowl. So expect it to go as planned. But officials, obviously as Jen said, will know a lot more about the forecast as game day approaches. They say that if bad weather looks likely, and I'm talking epically bad, they need 24 hours to change the game time, 36 hours to change the day. It could either be Saturday or pushed to Monday.
Now, keeping fans warm, big part of the game day plan, every single super bowl attendee will receive a pack which includes lip balm, ear muffs, a hat, mittens, six hand warmers and a neck warmer.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everybody has extra stuff to keep them warm. There are also warming pavilions set up, seven of them throughout the concourses so that fans can, you know, stop and get warm.
PAUL: It's like if somebody is taking kids --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Exactly or older folks or people who might have health conditions. But think of it as like extreme heat. They always provide water and cooling stations.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Think of this as the opposite, keeping people warm. But again it would have to be a snowstorm of epic proportions to move this game at all. Temperature is definitely not a factor. It could be really cold and they'll still have the game. Obviously, safety falls sew if people can't get to the game or commute in or out, anytime safety is involved.
PAUL: Snow would make for a good game.
BLACKWELL: Yes, it makes for the good game.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Football is that one sport that does very well in snow. And it is sort of, you know, the even the EP of the VP of events said that when it snows it sort of reminds him -- it gives football that romantic flair that it gives him something, you know, gives us something else to talk about.
BLACKWELL: But again, Jennifer, we're expecting flurries right now? I mean, that could change?
GRAY: It could change, yes. It's changing every model run, so nothing's consistent right now. But yes, I mean, we could see flurries. But, that one week where we had four games that was whiteouts. Yes. So, it's going to have to be huge like this one.
BLACKWELL: OK, epic.
GRAY: Epic.
PAUL: And we have to talk about Sherman, we'll do that next time we talk to you, Joe, because that's obviously another big --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's the other big story. Those two big stories, one at super bowl, Richard Sherman and then the weather.
PAUL: Thank you, Joe.
BLACKWELL: Well the west is still trying to work out a deal with Iran over its nuclear program.
PAUL: As the talks continue, our Jim Sciutto is Tehran -- Jim. JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Christi and Victor, coming up, we'll give you a rare look how average Iranians feel about their country's warming of relations with the West and the U.S.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PAUL: Need some help get going? It's 6:28 to be exact. Just in case you have to be somewhere. I'm Christi Paul.
BLACKWELL: I'm Victor Blackwell. Five things you need to know for your NEW DAY coming up now.
First up, the Dow plummets nearly 600 points this week, dropped 3.5 percent in its worst week since 2011. Now, for the first major correction in 2 1/2 years. Investors have been spooked, let's say, by less than stellar corporate earnings in worries that China may be slow.
PAUL: Number two, George Zimmerman is trying to sell another piece of art, but now the Associated Press and a Finland photographer is sending him a cease and desist letter. You're looking at the art there. The photographer's attorney says Zimmerman ripped off that AP photo on the left to make the portrait on the right. It shows Florida state attorney Angela Corey, obviously, announcing murder charges against him. Zimmerman, remember, was acquitted to those charges.
BLACKWELL: Number three, a judge in Texas orders a hospital to remove a pregnant woman from breathing machines. This is the news that relatives of Marlise Munoz has been waiting for. Attorneys for the hospital acknowledge Munoz is brain-dead and her fetus is not viable. Now, her husband must wait to see if the hospital will file an appeal. The deadline set by the judge, Monday 5:00 p.m.
PAUL: Number four, a 19-year-old man has been arrested and charged after a student was shot and killed at South Carolina state university yesterday. Police are still looking for at least three other suspects who may be tied to the crime. This was the third shooting at a university this week alone.
BLACKWELL: Five now, inmates who defaced American flags in the Maricopa County jail will get nothing to eat but bread and water for a week. Now, the flags are part of sheriff of Arpaio's program to promote patriotism. He says its destruction of government property and inmates will be punished for it. Arpaio's tactics have been made - have made him, rather, a celebrity to some while infuriated his critics.
PAUL: I've tasted that bread, by the way. I used to work in Phoenix.
BLACKWELL: Yeah.
PAUL: It's not good.
BLACKWELL: It's not good?
PAUL: It's really bad. But you know what - he said, look, you're a prisoner, this isn't the Four Seasons.
BLACKWELL: Now, and some also said this is cruel and unusual punishment using food as punishment in jail. So, there's an argument about that.
PAUL: I don't know. It's still food. They are still getting fed. Anyway, we need to move on here and talk about this U.N. inspections that are due to visit a key uranium mine. Inspectors, rather, in Iran, in the coming days.
BLACKWELL: Yeah. This trip comes as Western diplomats, rather, continue working to finalize this deal that would stop Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.
PAUL: Chief national security correspondent Jim Sciutto in Tehran for us, talking with Iranians about what they think of negotiations with the U.S. Hi, Jim.
JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Christi and Victor. You know, I've been coming to Iran for more than ten years. And this is really a visit for me unlike any other. Because when you meet with average Iranians, you can hear their openness, their excitement even to a warming of relations with the West and the U.S.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SCIUTTO: In Friday prayers in Tehran, we received a warm welcome.
(on camera): I'm Jim.
Um (speaking Persian).
SCIUTTO: Very nice to meet you.
(voice over): And heard strong support for warmer relations with the U.S.
(on camera): Do you believe that the U.S. and Iran can truly make peace together?
(voice over): We're very optimistic about the nuclear agreement, he told me, but our words are the words of the supreme leader.
Iranians support a nuclear deal, but on Iran's terms. Like their leaders, Iranians from all ends of the political spectrum view their country's nuclear program as peaceful and Iran's right.
"America is a country talking by force," this man said, as our officials say, we look for mutual respect, respect for each other's rights. Old anti-American emotions are never too far below the surface. And the reminded worshippers of Iran's dis-invitation from the Syria peace talks this week. A crowd broke out in a familiar chant of "Death to America."
This is the Masala Mosque, and it's been under construction for more than 20 years. Still not finished. The problem -- a lack of funding, but Iranians we talk to here blame the economic sanctions. And for those, they hold the U.S. responsible.
Still, we sensed a new openness to the U.S. and a new hope. Even among the very youngest Iranians.
(on camera): If you met my son, what would you like to say to him?
(voice over): We would be friends, he said.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCIUTTO: What I sense here among many people is just exhaustion. Exhaustion with the sanctions regime that has hit average Iranians very hard. And exhaustion with Iran being ostracized by many countries. A sense among people here that as relations with the West improve, their lives will improve as well. Christi and Victor.
PAUL: All right, Jim Sciutto, thank you so much. We appreciate it.
Well, a group of nuns has won a big victory at the Supreme Court. The Catholic charity, the Little Sisters of the Poor, operates several nursing homes. With the Affordable Care Act or Obamacare requires that employers provide coverage for contraception. The nuns sued saying, you know what, that offends their religious beliefs. Now the Supreme Court has extended a temporary order. It bars the Obama administration from enforcing the contraceptive coverage requirement against the nuns while the case continues in a lower federal courts.
BLACKWELL: Across the country, millions of Americans are shivering from cold, bitter temperatures, and then they turn up the heat, and they look at their power bill and -- what! Officials say because temperatures have been so cold this season, the demand for propane, which is used to heat more than 12 million homes is up. But because of limited supplies states like Kansas and Alabama, they're dealing with shortages. And of course, the cost of propane, because supply and demand, that's on the rise, too. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Lord, if I had a crystal ball and knew weather was going to go down, I could become a millionaire. What I would say, is it is a very volatile market right now. As long as this cold weather is here and the demand is here, we very well could see it just continue to climb.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLACKWELL: Think about this, too, a lack of propane is also causing trouble for farmers trying to keep their animals not just warm, but alive. In Alabama, some farmers say the shortage could threaten the chicken supply if the fuel is not delivered in time.
PAUL: We have chickens here in Georgia. And we have a heater on them right now to make sure that they survive.
(CROSSTALK) PAUL: Yeah, because I mean we're looking at single digits here sometimes.
BLACKWELL: Yeah.
PAUL: Right now in Atlanta. And then you go to Kansas, you go to Alabama, I mean those aren't the only states dealing with the freezing temperatures. Look at Texas. Snow and ice. That's always dangerous on the roadways no matter where you are. This is what it looked like, though, in San Antonio yesterday, multiple car accidents caused from slippery conditions all on the Interstate.
BLACKWELL: And then after hitting Texas, it moved on to Louisiana. A state of emergency was declared there. Two people - look at the ice there on the vehicle, two people have already been killed in weather- related traffic accidents. Officials are warning people, listen, if you don't have to go out, don't. Stay off the roads.
PAUL: It's how long is this going to last? I know you're thinking, come on, people, I need a break. Meteorologist Jennifer Gray, can you give them one?
JENNIFER GRAY, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yeah, I know, winter is really starting to wear people out. And the cold weather is going to stick around. The South does warm up through the weekend. So that's the good news. All the ice should melt. So, Texas, Louisiana even through - bushes of Georgia will be warming up this weekend. The north, that's where we're seeing those bitterly cold temperatures remain. There's actually a blizzard watch in effect. That's what this line green is, blizzard watch in effect all across the northern plains, and we also have winter weather advisories, winter warnings in effect for the Ohio Valley. A little bit of snow expected for the weekend. The Ohio Valley, anywhere from Indianapolis, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, even as far south as Nashville possibly getting some of that snow. A couple of little clipper systems are moving through and that's what's causing it. But like I said, the south should be warming up a little bit this weekend, while the north stays very, very cold. Look at these wind chills this morning. 11 below in Minneapolis.
PAUL: Oh.
GRAY: Yes. Ouch.
PAUL: We're thinking of you, people.
BLACKWELL: We are, indeed.
PAUL: Jennifer, thank you.
You know, some folks fear that a Russian ghost ship may be headed for land.
BLACKWELL: And it is disgusting. It's rumored to be carried hundreds of disease-carrying cannibalistic rats.
PAUL: Sounds like a movie.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLACKWELL: Good morning to you at home, and good evening to everyone in Sydney, Australia. A live look now at the Sydney harbor. Just shy of 11:00 there. It's 10:40 p.m. We want to also get a look at some of the news making headlines around the world. So let's go to Christi
PAUL: Yeah, Victor, we want to start with you this morning in Egypt where a militant group claimed responsibilities for several bombings in Cairo that killed at least six people. And today is the third anniversary of the revolution that ended the rule of President Mubarak. CNN's Reza Sayah is in Cairo with more. Good morning, Reza.
RESA SAYAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Christi, an almost eerie start to the three-year anniversary of Egypt's 2011 revolution. At this point, Tahrir Square, relatively quiet. Just lots of tanks, security personnel. Choppers flying up above. No widespread celebrations at this point, but we did see violence again. Another small bomb attack this morning. Targeting police. That's five bomb attacks over the past 24 hours here in Cairo. And many Egyptians, perhaps, bracing for more. A lot has happened since 2011. First, the dictator, Hosni Mubarak was ousted. Then the military stepped in and ousted the Islamist President Mohamed Morsi. Ever since then there's been a conflict between those who support these current military-backed government and those who don't. But with these latest bomb attacks, the fear is Egypt is going in a very dangerous direction. We'll see what today brings. Christi?
PAUL: All right, Reza, thank you. We appreciate it. And we want to move to a small village now in Quebec. Where dozens of people are missing after a fire at a senior citizens' home. And that's where CNN's Paula Newton is. Hi, Paula.
PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: An incredible task ahead for this community. You know, behind me, they're still trying to get to the victims that died in the seniors' home fire. The entire building is now encased in ice. That was from trying to put the fire out. But now, they are using steam to try melt that ice away to be able to get to the victims, to get some closure for the families to be able to identify them properly. And so clear here, too. They still do not know exactly how many people died in this fire. And for those reasons, they're saying it could take many, many days for them to really be able to understand how this happened and exactly how many people died here. Christi.
PAUL: Paula, thank you so much.
NEWTON: We want to go to Mexico now where citizen vigilante groups in several states are fighting back against the ruthless drug cartels there. CNN's Rafael Romo is in Morelia, Mexico. Rafael.
RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Christi, since early January, violent clashes have taken place here in the Mexican state of Michoacan between vigilantes and members of the drug cartel known as the Knights Templar. The vigilante groups made up of average citizens say they're tired of the kidnapping, the violence and the extortion brought on by the drug cartel. We spoke with the leader of one of these groups, and he told us that he knows what he is doing is illegal, but he had no choice if he wanted to protect his family and property. The Mexican government sent in the army and also additional federal police to control the situation. And authorities say they have arrested more than 80 people linked to the cartel. Christi.
PAUL: Good heaven, thank you so much for the information up here. We appreciate it. And we want to go to London now where rumors are swirling about a ghost ship possibly headed for the U.K. in fears of hundreds of disease-carrying rats that could be on board. Concerns may be overblown here, but let's go to Rosie Tomkins, CNN, with more. Rosie.
ROSIE TOMKINS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Christie, here in the U.K., rumors of the rat-infested abandoned ship drifting across the Atlantic are causing widespread panic that it could be headed for British shores. The Russian-built vessel was under Canadian control when it was caught adrift a year ago. And is now rumored to be floating at eight kilometers an hour while the rats are said to have turned to cannibalism. Now, CNN's spoken to its own expert and we can assure you that at this time neither the location, the direction, or even the presence of rats on board can be confirmed at this time. Back to you, Christi.
PAUL: All right, Rosie, thank you. And we should add some maritime experts believe the ship sank and that it's not a threat to land. But, of course, if it shows up, Victor, we will be able to tell you.
BLACKWELL: Yeah. People certainly will want to know. Thank, Christi.
So, we spend the whole morning saying hello and welcome, and good morning. But we want to take a moment now to say good-bye. Here's why. Our incredible colleague and reporter, Jill Dougherty, she's leaving CNN after 30 years to work full time on Russian affairs at Harvard University. Of course, there is the good-bye from everyone here at CNN. But I want you also to see how the State Department paid tribute to her yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We just want to say from the secretary, from all of us, that we will miss you. We will miss your tenacious reporting. We will miss your presence in the bullpen (ph) and in the briefing room - and above all, I think your grace and friendship.
JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, thank you very much.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLACKWELL: Jill joked that she felt pretty powerful up there at the State Department podium. Of course, everyone there will miss you and we here at CNN will miss you, too.
PAUL: We will. We've so looked forward to your reporting every time that we knew that you were coming on. And she's always just been such an incredible pro.
BLACKWELL: Yeah. And nice too.
PAUL: That's always a plus, isn't it?
BLACKWELL: Yes.
PAUL: That's always such a plus. Congratulations, Jill, and thank you so much for all your time with us.
Still to come here on "NEW DAY," Mitt Romney documentary we're talking about -- I have seen a good chunk of it. And it's very interesting. It almost never happened, though.
BLACKWELL: Yeah, we'll tell you why the man at the center of the film was the one who did not want the movie to be made.
(CB
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIMMY FALLON, "LATE NIGHT WITH JIMMY FALLON": You guys, we have Mitt Romney on the show tonight.
(APPLAUSE)
FALLON: We made him our first guest, you know, because he's still a little sensitive about coming in second.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLACKWELL: Mitt Romney's back. Former presidential nominee takes the late night stage with Jimmy Fallon last night. So, the cheers you heard there, and there were more. He was a hit.
PAUL: Yeah. And, you know, he took part in that time-honored tradition on the Fallon stage, of course, to slow jam to the music. Take a look.
BLACKWELL: Oh, yeah.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MITT ROMNEY: As for me, things are going great. In fact, there's a new documentary out on Netflix called "Mitt," which is a candid behind the scenes look at my two presidential runs. The reviews are in, and so far, they're positive.
FALLON: (INAUDIBLE)
(LAUGHTER)
FALLON: I saw your documentary. It was pretty good. For a while, it looked like you might have had the 2012 election. Then Obama won a second term. I guess it's true what they say, once you go black -- you never go back. (APPLAUSE)
ROMNEY: At the end of the day, we are all Americans and we all want our country to be healthy, strong and prosperous. And that means putting an end to all the partisan bickering in Washington.
FALLON: Now, you just wait a minute.
(LAUGHTER)
FALLON: You keep talking like that, people are going to start thinking you're running for president again. I've heard of sloppy seconds, but I've never heard of sloppy thirds.
ROMNEY: Jimmy, I'm not running again. There are a lot of great candidates for 2016. And I'll be supporting the Republican nominee 100 percent.
FALLON: Don't you mean 47percent?
(LAUGHTER)
ROMNEY: That's a low blow. But it's pretty funny.
FALLON: I had to do it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL: A good sport about it. Now, as Mitt Romney mentioned there that Netflix just premiered his documentary on Friday, it's entitled - did you hear it "Mitt." And I've seen part of it. It's a really candid behind-the-scenes look at the Romneys like you have never seen them before. And I spoke to the filmmaker Greg Whiteley who was given this unprecedented actors for six straight years. And he hears a really interesting back story on why this thing almost didn't even happen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GREG WHITELEY, FILMMAKER: I was just finish my second film, and my producer asked me what I want to do next. And I mentioned this Governor of Massachusetts who was a Mormon who might be thinking of running for president. I thought that might be a good film. He said I happened to know someone who knows his son, his oldest son who works for the Dodgers, and so he arranged the meeting. I went to lunch with Tagg - where I pitched Tagg on the idea. Tagg loved it.
And he took it to his dad. His dad hated it. He got back to me and said it wasn't going to happen. We are not going to make - I'm not going to let a documentary filmmaker follow us around. We don't even know if I'm going to run for president. So he got back to me about a week later and he said that my dad still doesn't want to do it. But my mom does. Ann Romney was intrigued. And so Tagg said this, he said, look, if you were to show up at our door Christmas Eve, I'm not sure you'd get turned away. So, I grabbed my family, I grabbed my two kids. I live and work in Los Angeles, and we jumped in the car we drove to Park City, Utah, where I had a friend, we stayed with him for Christmas. But on Christmas Eve, I showed up at the door of Mitt Romney's house at Deer Valley. And he came to the door, opened it, kind of rolled his eyes. Let me in. I began filming.
PAUL: Wow.
WHITELEY: And I didn't stop filming for the next six years.
PAUL: Oh, my gosh. So, let me ask you, I mean you spent six years with this family, and I would think, you know, you'd get attached in some regard. Are you able to say that you made this film without bias, or no?
WHITELEY: Well, I don't know what that means. I think the idea of not having any subjectivities or biases is philosophically impossible. But I can tell you, I didn't have any agenda. I think the footage in the film speaks for itself. The arrangement that I had with Governor Romney is just be as candid and as open with me as you can. And I promise that I won't release this footage until you're either done being president or you're done running for president. And I kept my word. I didn't release the footage. And he kept his. He gave me unbelievable access. And in November, 2012, when he had lost, and his political career had come to an end, I was free to make my film.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANN ROMNEY: We are about to have our first presidential debate against Barack Obama, October 3RD. 2012. Everyone in the world is watching. No pressure.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL: Ann Romney, she was kind of a campaign go-to person to personalize her husband? What was your take-away of her? And who runs the household? Did she run it or does he run it?
WHITELEY: Ann runs the household. They are a couple that I think most people -- most people who are married would envy the kind of relationship that they have. She sort of knew just exactly what he needed to hear when he need to hear it. He was a different person around her. Many times because of the demands of the campaign, they'd have to be separated. She was a popular speaker. And so it would be helpful to have her go, and, say, campaign in South Carolina when he was in Iowa. You could just tell the difference when they were apart versus when they were together in his demeanor.
PAUL: So, let me ask you this, because there's such a great moment in the very beginning where you start off with him sitting with his family saying what are you say in a concession speech. To then going back to 2006 where he's sledding with the family and we see him as a dad. On your six years with his family, do you believe there are two Mitt Romneys?
WHITELEY: I believe that's true for probably all of us. As I said before, I think because of the demands of the campaign, you're sort of taught to speak in small sound bites. And normally, nobody ever speaks like that in person. I think there's so much of a person's personality that's concealed when you're forced to sort of be digested in those small sound bites. So, yeah, I think there is probably more than just two Mitt Romneys.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL: I thought Greg was just so insightful. And speaking of two Mitt Romneys, you're going to want to hear his son describe why he feels the run for office is not worth it. And how he's trained to translate his real feelings for a media answer. That was fascinating to me. So for more of this interview, go to cnn.com/new day. Click "weekend" and you'll see all of my interview with Greg Whiteley. He's really a pretty fascinating guy.
BLACKWELL: You know, Whiteley made this pacts with the Romneys that he would not release it until after the election. I wonder if the first five years of footage if he packets that and released that before the election, how much of an impact it would have had?
PAUL: Because there are moments where you just - you see the family in hotel rooms on their knees praying together.
BLACKWELL: Yes.
PAUL: You see the struggle of what it's like to run.
BLACKWELL: Yeah.
PAUL: And I almost think it's a good lesson for anybody thinking about getting into politics. To know what it's really like. It's fascinating.
BLACKWELL: "Mitt" is the name of the documentary.
All right, moving on here, a man who has spent 28 years in the Marine Corps is now dressing up as a college mascot.
PAUL: That's all to give his daughter the surprise of a lifetime. Take a look.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PAUL: Must see moment. You've got to see this.
BLACKWELL: U.S. Marine Major Jimmy Hicks just returned from a deployment in Afghanistan and he wanted to surprise his daughter. So, he dressed up as Paws, the mascot for the Western Carolina University where she goes to school.
PAUL: And her name is Simms Hicks. And she thought she was presenting an American flag that her dad gifted to the school. During that festival game. Look at her, she has no idea that's her dad standing next to her until he takes the mask off.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL: Oh, look at that!
BLACKWELL: The whole right side of my face gets warm every time I see one of these.
(LAUGHTER)
PAUL: Look at the crowd.
PAUL: You guys can't do that to me on camera. Because that makes me want to just tear up. All right. First time, by the way, Major Hicks has seen his daughter in more than six months. Happy reunion to them.
And thank you so much for starting your morning with us.
BLACKWELL: Next hour of "NEW DAY" starts now.
