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New Day Sunday

Police Clash With Protesters In Berkeley; Hostages Killed As U.S. Forces Battled Militants; President Obama Checking Sore Throat in Walter Reed Hospital; Sanjay Gupta's Explanation of Acid Reflux; Street Art; Feeling of Relief for Tacloban; Rewarding CNN Heroes

Aired December 07, 2014 - 06:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: We're beginning with breaking news. Overnight in California, a peaceful protest turns violent in Berkeley.

RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: Flash bombs and tear gas, two police officers hurt, stores vandalized. The demonstrators upset over a New York grand jury's decision not to indict an officer in the death of Eric Garner.

And good morning, everyone. I'm Randi Kaye, in today for Christi Paul.

BLACKWELL: I'm Victor Blackwell. It's 6:00 here on the East Coast.

KAYE: Violent protests ignite over the controversial death of Eric Garner. This was the chaotic scene in Berkeley, California, last night. As many as 1,000 protesters filled the streets to demand justice and law enforcement reform.

BLACKWELL: Things took a turn for the worse when a small group of masked protesters started hurling weapons, like these bricks and a pipe and this stone at police officers. At least two officers were injured, including one that had to be treated at a local hospital after being hit with a sandbag.

KAYE: And like the violent protests we saw in Ferguson, local stores were also a target.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Next thing you know, that window breaks, that window started breaking, these two windows break.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A kid with a hammer comes in, throws brake fluid, like he's going to start the store on fire.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I thought we were going to get attacked because they had weapons, like hammers and crowbars and things.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Police say they were forced to use smoke and tear gas after the crowd refused to let up. Look at this. At one point, other protesters, they tried to keep the peace.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why is there police? There is no need. For people protesting, they shouldn't be taking things from stores that aren't bothering them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: It is unclear just how many people were arrested. At least seven other police departments have stepped up to help.

BLACKWELL: We have with us Jennifer Coates on the phone. She's the Berkeley Police public information officer. It's good to have you this morning. Can you set the scene for us? What's the latest there?

JENNIFER COATES, BERKELEY POLICE PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER (via telephone): Good morning. Thanks for having me. Currently, the protests have pretty much winded down. There's just a small group, less than 50, that are still marching, but it is peaceful at this point.

And we have pulled our resources back, and the mutual aid agencies that have been assisting us have been relieved from helping us and are now leaving the area.

BLACKWELL: Less than 50, fewer than 50 now. At the height of the protest, how many were demonstrating? And give us an idea of how many of those demonstrators, were the violent ones, who, as we see, are fighting here, who were breaking windows and throwing stones?

COATES: We did have estimates up to and around 1,000 people at the height of the protests. During the time, kind of the splinter group that split off and was causing some of the vandalism and damage, that group is estimated anywhere between 200 or maybe up to 300 people. And as the night progresses, the numbers did get smaller, but you know, the main group that stayed around usually was roughly around 150.

BLACKWELL: And how many officers there?

COATES: So, I don't know approximately. We probably had around 200 or more officers, you know, including all the officers from our agencies and then the seven other agencies that assisted us.

BLACKWELL: Now, there are some claims that the tear gas and the smoke incited some of the violence. What's your response to that?

COATES: Well, you know, in this case, you know, Berkeley is known for protests and the first amendment, and we do everything we can to ensure that people can peacefully exercise their freedom to express themselves.

In this case, a response occurred because a group of the protesters did become violent. They did start throwing rocks and bricks and bottles, also small pipes were thrown at our officers, and including later on in the evening, we also had objects that were lit on fire and thrown at our officers, which created a huge hazard for both our officers and the community.

So, we determined at that point that the assembly was unlawful, and they were given orders to disperse, which they refused and continued to throw objects at us. So, we responded with trying to clear the crowds by using tear gas and smoke.

BLACKWELL: Do you have hard numbers this morning on arrests and injuries?

COATES: I don't have specific numbers. We have made several arrests from various charges including assault as well as vandalism. We just now finished up, so we're looking to see how many numbers, you know, the arrests that occurred.

BLACKWELL: All right, Jennifer Coates, public information officer for Berkeley Police Department, thanks so much for clearing the picture for us this morning.

COATES: You're welcome. Thank you for having me.

KAYE: There have been protests around the nation since the grand jury's decision last Wednesday. Also, last night protests from Tulsa, Oklahoma, to Dallas to Chicago and Atlanta. The protests have been largely peaceful, though.

So, why did the protests in Berkeley, that we were just showing you, take a violent turn? Joining us now is CNN law enforcement analyst, Tom Fuentes. Tom, good morning to you.

So let's talk a little about this. Take us into the minds, if you can, of these police officers who were dealing with the protesters in Berkeley. When you're dealing with such high emotion and such a large crowd, how do you know that things are about to go south, and do you know?

TOM FUENTES, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Well, good morning, Randi. You know, first of all, I've been in that situation. When I was a police officer earlier in my career, I had to stand and protect the American Nazi party when they had their demonstrations in several cities in Cook County, Illinois.

And when you're standing in front of the crowd like that -- in those days, we didn't have all the body armor, all of the equipment they have now. But when you're standing in front of a crowd like that, what you realize is that you're sitting on top of a bomb that might explode or it might not.

And what may ignite it is leadership on the part of whoever's in that crowd. And if you have anarchists or hooligans or hoodlums and people that want to loot and get a free TV or case of liquor, sometimes that's all that it takes is someone like that to come out, antagonize police.

Throw rocks at police, force the police to use tear gas or try to disperse the crowd, and then that's what they want. In the ensuing chaos, they can do what they want, steal things from stores or threaten other people.

So, often, it's just that spark. It's just that spark of leadership. And that's why sports teams have cheer leaders, because people can inspire other people, and it might be cheering and it might not. It might be violent.

KAYE: Right. We know though that at least three instances of violence before the police used tear gas to break up the group. Should they and could they have put a stop to the leader and maybe the bad apples there before things escalated to what we saw last night?

FUENTES: The problem is, the bad apples are in the barrel, and it's hard to pick them out. And you know, until something actually erupts, it's hard to tell where it's going to erupt from. So, it's almost like watching a volcano. You just don't know if it's going to go or not and at what time and place it exactly will erupt.

So, that's a very difficult situation for the police to be in. But what you're noticing is that, you know, it's not the police trying to incite this trouble, but they're trying to protect property, they're trying to protect these store owners.

They're trying to protect the protesters that are protesting peacefully, and it's a heck of a situation to be in, when suddenly, they become the enemy.

And in this recent narrative of this, you know, group of protests around the country, the narrative is that the police are bad. You're in danger of the police, not the hoodlums and the hooligans and the bad people that are out there.

KAYE: So, what can we take away from this? What can other cities learn from Berkeley to make sure the protests remain peaceful? We've seen huge protests, massive protests all over New York City, and the police there seem to be doing something right.

FUENTES: Well, what they're doing right is, again, though, the protesters are driving this. So, the police are giving them as much leeway as possible. If they shut down highways, so be it. If they go into a store like Apple and have a dye-in or a sit-in or disrupt business, but it's only for a short period of time, allow it.

But you know, all it's going to take is one or two people to really start bombarding the police with any debris that could be dangerous or shots fired or actual looting. And you'll see a whole different reaction from the police.

And I think there were some people out there, as this goes on, that may be what happens down the line. This may get worse before it gets better.

KAYE: All right. Tom Fuentes, thank you, as always, for your insight. Appreciate it.

FUENTES: Thank you, Randi.

BLACKWELL: Navy SEALs had just a few minutes to rescue an American being held hostage in Yemen, and they had to go through rough terrain and armed militants to get Luke Somers. A firefight broke out as drones flew overhead. We're going to take you inside this dangerous mission. That's next.

KAYE: And it was an unusual Saturday at the White House. President Obama made an unscheduled visit to the doctor. We'll have the details and the diagnosis, coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLACKWELL: Our developing news out of Pakistan this morning. According to Pakistani intelligence officials, Umar Farooq was killed in a suspected drone strike. Farooq is believed to be the head of al Qaeda's operations in Pakistan and Afghanistan. He was killed along with four other suspected militants.

KAYE: And today's report comes on the heels of news that Pakistan killed another senior al Qaeda commander yesterday morning. That target had once been indicted for his alleged role in a planned attack on the New York City subways.

BLACKWELL: All right, so, this morning, we are learning some stunning, new details about the risky and very dangerous mission to try to rescue photojournalist, Luke Somers, and South African teacher, Pierre Corky, in Yemen.

KAYE: The U.S. is saying there was no time to wait, the clock was ticking. Administration officials believed armed al Qaeda militants would carry out their threat and kill Somers on Saturday if rescuers did not get to him on time.

BLACKWELL: Meanwhile, a South African relief group, gift of the giver, says it was negotiating for fellow hostage, Pierre Corky, to be freed today. A senior State Department official tells CNN the Obama administration did not know that. Here's how the attempt to get both men to safety unfolded.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL (voice-over): A U.S. official tells CNN the operation to rescue Luke Somers and Pierre Corky started at 1:00 a.m. Saturday local time in Yemen, which is 5:00 p.m. Friday Eastern Time. Under the cover of darkness, two V-22 tilt rotor Osprey aircraft touched down six miles from the walled compound where both men were being held captive.

Aboard about three dozen special operations forces, most Navy SEAL Team 6 commandos. The SEAL Team 6 members trekked through scrub and brush to the compound, but about 100 yards from it, the official says the militants realized they were there.

A firefight broke out as drones and fighter jets circled overhead, but according to the U.S. official, a militant ran back into the compound and shot Somers and Corky.

The SEAL Team 6 commandos were able to reach the badly wounded men, and they stayed on the ground for 30 minutes as the combat medical team tried to stabilize Somers and Corky, but one of the men died on the plane ride to the Navy assault ship waiting off Yemen's coast.

The other died afterwards. At least five al Qaeda militants were killed in the raid. No special forces were injured.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: Let's bring in CNN military analyst and Retired Major General James "Spider" Marks in Washington. We're learning so many details about how this mission unfolded. The one that stands out to me, they had to trek six miles first before they began to rescue them.

But Randi reminds us, that's why they're Navy SEALs. From what we're learning about this, do you see or hear anything that stands out as an operational or logistical error?

MAJ. GENERAL JAMES "SPIDER" MARKS (RETIRED), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: No, I don't. You know, Victor -- first of all, thanks for allowing me to discuss this with you. The operation clearly was based on good, targetable intelligence.

It wouldn't have taken place, a decision would not have been made to go and put these SEALs and the rest of this enterprise. You know, this is a very large operation that takes place.

With the talent of the, SEALs on the ground, you know, that is backed up and supported by those that are flying the drones, the fighter aircraft, the folks on the ship, the medical teams that are available.

The communications skies, the intel folks that have to bring in the latest intelligence, et cetera. This is a very large enterprise, but very well-rehearsed. So it's based on good intelligence. But clearly, what always happens in situations like this is there will be an unfolding set of events that you try to plan for all contingencies, but you just simply cannot.

I think this is clearly a sad and unfortunate outcome, but thank goodness we've got a chain of command all the way up through the president that's willing to act on this intelligence to try to rescue this American citizen and clearly, unfortunately, we did not know about the South African, but again, that happens as well.

So, I think this thing unfolded as planned as well as it could have happened. Sadly, there was a last-minute decision on the part of the captors. They were taken by surprise, as were the SEALs, there's a gun fight, and then you end up with two dead hostages, which I clearly an unfortunate incident.

BLACKWELL: So, the U.S., as we've said, did not know about the negotiations to free Pierre Corky. You said that happens as well. But would you have expected the White House to have known that there were negotiations under way? I mean, there was intelligence that Corky and his wife had been taken hostage. The wife had been released. There's still the question then, of where is Corky? Maybe they should have known that he was still there somewhere.

MARKS: Well, clearly the United States knew that Corky, the intelligence community and they do exceptionally well, knew he was there, but not necessarily in this particular compound. These are separate, almost indistinct incidents that are taking place.

The fact that Corky, who was a South African, has been in country doing what he's doing as a teacher, and the fact that Luke Somers, now is a photojournalist, was captured in Sana'a in Yemen, and that they now happen to be in the same compound. That's very, very difficult.

Now, the fact to your point about negotiations for the release of Corky that's an entirely independent negotiation that's taking place. Nobody's asking permission from the United States to participate in that, and nobody, in the United States necessarily would be involved or would have knowledge of that.

So, you've got these two parallel distinct operations taking place. And again it's unfortunate, but it's a far stretch to imagine that the United States would be able to be involved very specifically in these very precise negotiations that's taking place.

Plus, as we know, the United States will not negotiate, at least pay ransom, for the release of hostages.

BLACKWELL: As we're learning from military analysts like yourself, that even with all the planning, sometimes these tragedies happen. General James "Spider" Marks, we thank you so much.

MARKS: Thanks, Victor.

KAYE: Well, after two weeks with a sore throat, President Obama undergoes a series of medical tests. We'll have the latest on the president's health.

Plus big wins and some blowouts last night in college football, as some of the country's top teams look to keep their seasons alive and earn a spot in the inaugural college football playoff.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Welcome back to NEW DAY, everyone. Let's get you caught up with "The Morning Read."

BLACKWELL: Breaking overnight, chaos in the streets of Berkeley, California, after protests turned violent over the controversial chokehold death of Eric Garner. Things took a turn for the worse when a small group of masked protesters started hurling weapons, bricks and pipes at police officers.

And despite repeated calls for peace, several shops were vandalized. Police let off tear gas on the crowd when protesters refused to let up. We know at least two police officers were injured. We'll have more on this breaking news in a couple minutes.

KAYE: Republicans added a ninth seat to the Senate last night. Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu lost her bid for re-election in Louisiana to Republican opponent, Representative Bill Cassidy.

Landrieu has been in office since 1997 and touted her Senate clout during her campaign, but in the end, she couldn't fight off Republican attacks targeting her vote for Obamacare.

BLACKWELL: The "Washington Post" says that one of its correspondents has been detained in Iran since July. We know that. Jason Rezaian has both U.S. and Iranian citizenship.

He's been there at the paper's bureau chief in Iran since 2012. It's not clear which charges specifically, if any, he's facing. Secretary of State John Kerry is urging Iran to free him.

KAYE: The northern part of the Philippines is bracing for Typhoon Hagupit's fury and it is concern that the slow moving cyclone will cause major mudslides, putting nearly 40 million people's lives now in danger.

Earlier, Hagupit slammed into Cebu and Tacloban with 125-mile-per-hour winds, causing severe damage to homes and businesses. We're keeping an eye on that and will have more in a few minutes.

BLACKWELL: Another unbeaten season for Florida State, they survived the win over Georgia Tech to take the ACC Championship last night. Alabama and Texas Christian University also easily won their conference championship games.

And they hope won over the college football selection committee. We will see. They'll decide today which teams play in the inaugural college football playoff. They've got a big decision to make.

KAYE: They sure do. An unscheduled doctor's visit for the president, we'll have his diagnosis as well as which of his former vices may be to blame.

Bricks, rocks and pipe, those were some of the weapons used against police officers last night in Berkeley, California, as protests over the death of Eric Garner turned violent. Up next, why those peaceful demonstrations could be changing.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: This week's mortgage rates are up a little but still at record lows. Take a look here.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Coming up this half hour, peaceful protests turned violent in California. Demonstrators upset over a grand jury's decision not to indict a police officer in the death of Eric Garner.

BLACKWELL: A typhoon is hammering the Philippines, torrential rains, damaging winds, creating new dangers, a huge storm surge, flooding and landslides from a volcano.

KAYE: Bottom of the hour now, I'm Randi Kaye.

BLACKWELL: I'm Victor Blackwell.

KAYE: President Obama back at the White House this morning after making an unscheduled trip Saturday to the Walter Reed Medical Center in Maryland.

BLACKWELL: The White House says the president had been complaining of a sore throat for the last couple of weeks. And with the schedule clear yesterday, he fit in a trip to the doctor.

KAYE: Sunlen Serfaty (ph) joins us now for Washington, with all the details. Good morning, Sunlen.

SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Randi and Victor, this was a rare occurrence Saturday afternoon. The White House says that President Obama made an unexpected visit to the hospital for a sore throat. Saturday in the morning the White House said that the president had no events on his schedule, and told reporters that none were anticipated, but all of that changed in the afternoon when an announcement hurried press to the motorcade to travel with the president to an undisclosed location. His motorcade arrived at Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Shortly after, Press Secretary Josh Ernest released a statement saying the president had been complaining of a sore throat, and with free time on his schedule, was going in for some diagnostic tests, which he says were not urgent. And later, the White House put out a statement from the White House doctor, saying that the president did have a fiber-optic exam of his throat, which did reveal some swelling, but they say that the CT scan did come back normal. According to White House Dr. Ronnie Jackson, he said "The president's symptoms are consistent with soft tissue inflammation related to acid reflux and will be treated accordingly." And previous physicals of the president, have shown him to be in excellent health, but this latest development sure raises a lot of questions. Randi and Victor?

KAYE: Sunlen Serfaty, thank you very much.

BLACKWELL: All right, so, now that President Obama is back at the White House with his acid reflux diagnosis, what is he supposed to do? We put that question to CNN's chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Acid reflux in and of itself is something that can be pretty easily treated. A lot of times, it may just be dietary changes, sometimes you want to give medicines to reduce the amount of acid in the stomach. You know, we know the president has a history of smoking in the past. We are told that he has quit, but that can be a risk factor as well. Certainly, if he is still smoking at all, he would be told to absolutely stop.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BLACKWELL: We, of course asked some questions about why the president would need a CT scan related to acid reflux. We're going to have a live report. Dr. Sanjay Gupta will be joining us up in the next hour.

KAYE: And now, to a breaking news story that we are following. Violent protests ignite in California over the controversial death of Eric Garner.

(VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Let's take a look at this. This was the chaotic scene in Berkeley last night. As many as 1,000 protesters filled the streets to demand justice and law enforcement reform.

BLACKWELL: But things took a turn for the worse when a small group of masked protesters started hurling weapons, including bricks and pipes at police officers. And we know at least two officers were injured including one who was treated at a local hospital after being hit with a sandbag.

KAYE: And like the violent protests that we saw in Ferguson local stores, well, they were also a target.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We were just in work, and next thing you know, that window breaks, that window started breaking, these two break.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A kid with a hammer comes in, throws brake fluid like he is going to like the store on fire.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He just took this out and yeah - and I like I thought we are going to get attacked because they have weapons like hammers and crowbars and things.

BLACKWELL: Police say they were forced to use smoke and tear gas after crowds refused to let up. At one point, other protesters tried to restore peace. This morning, though, the Berkeley Police Department says the crowds are thinning out. About 60 protesters are still on the streets. But at least seven other police departments have now stepped up to help. It's still not clear how many people were arrested.

Let's dig deeper now with HLN legal analyst Joey Jackson. Joey, good to have you this morning.

JOEY JACKSON, HLN LEGAL ANALYST: Good morning, Victor. Good to see you.

BLACKWELL: So, this is the first time we are seeing large-scale protests over the chokehold of Eric Garner turned violent. We've seen those in the Ferguson case, but over this case specifically we're now seeing some of this violence. Earlier this morning, the Berkeley police department told us that several people were charged with assault and vandalism. What else could they possibly face as the result of the violence at these protests? JACKSON: You know what happens, Victor? There's a major distinction between peaceful protests and people who are engaging in acts of civil disobedience. There's a long history of that. And, of course, people could be arrested for that also, for things like disorderly conduct, et cetera, if you're impeding pedestrian movement and otherwise causing public alarm and that's a political decision, in terms of whether the government wants to do that and make mass arrests. Then this, what we're talking about and what you're asking me about, which are direct acts of violence. And the reality is, is that you know, protests should never be used as an excuse to riot, to loot or anything else. But when you're looking at the video, when you're talking about, you know, it getting physical, you could look at assault, you can look at battery, which is, obviously, you know, either putting somebody in fear that they'll be harmed, or actually worse, striking them. You talk about acts of criminal mischief, where you're engaged in property damage. And, of course, the punishment would have to do with the amount of property that was damaged. If you look, if it results in burning, you look at the issues like arson.

You know, it goes on and on. If it ever gets to the point of looting, then you're looking at obviously, theft and stealing of property, you know, you also - you could also be looking at trespass to the extent that they're on someone's property. So, every case, Victor would be individual, depending upon specifically what they did, but certainly, there are significant consequences that could result in records of these people in the event that this continues. And obviously, the government has an interest in stopping it, so that, you know what, people engage in peaceful protests, but when they're doing this, they're held accountable.

BLACKWELL: And for those who are arrested as part of peaceful protests, may blocking interstates, blocking roads, if that's happening in other cities,, are those charges going to stay on the permanent records of the people who are arrested? And if they're not involved in these violent acts?

JACKSON: You know, it's an interesting question, because in New York, we have the police commissioner speaking about that. That's William Bratton. And historically, when there's these large group of protesters, it creates a problem for the police and it costs the millions of dollars to house them. They are not doing anything, you know, really of the variety of violence. They're engaged in civil acts of disobedience, which is unlawful. But oftentimes, those records get expunged and dismissed, because they'll go before the court, and to the extent that there is no violence and nobody suffered as a result, those cases will go away. But if you engage in other acts of violence, Victor, no matter where you are, whether it's California, whether it's New York, whether it's Minneapolis, whether it's Portland, Oregon, whether it's around the country, the government has an interest in holding you accountable, because now you're affecting other people. And of course, we should hasten to add that that the vast majority of the people we see are engaged in their constitutional right under the First Amendment, and they're doing it peacefully. And there are even reports of the others in the crowd who are trying to stop this from happening. But if you're engaged in violent acts, you're held accountable, it goes on your record. If you're engaged in peaceful acts of disorderly conduct, oftentimes you're brought before the court and the case is otherwise disposed of and you leave without a record.

BLACKWELL: How about the store owners? Many of these stores, in fact, most of them, have surveillance, and in some of these college towns, you can identify the people who are breaking in or possibly looting. Do they have some civil recourse against these looters?

JACKSON: Oh, you know, certainly, they do. And you know, we're in a day and age with this technology. And as a result of that, you know what? You're caught on camera engaged in these acts, and you know. You've just shown the clip, Victor, where we see acts of violence and people throwing thing and certainly, with technology, those people could be brought in and they could be held accountable, and whenever someone is arrested, they, oftentimes, the owners of the business and the government assists them in getting what's called restitution. And that means that the people who are responsible have to pay back. And, of course, obviously, they have insurance. There will be insurance claims that are made. But sometimes these protesters don't have the ability to pay, so restitution, which is the paying back of the money, is not really that possible. Engage in protests, do so peacefully. We have a wide history of the First Amendment. That should be respected, but it should be respected in a way that's in accordance with the law.

BLACKWELL: And that's what we're hearing actually from Gwen Carr, the mother of Eric Garner, who's asking people to continue to protest, but do so peacefully. Joey Jackson, good to have your insight.

JACKSON: Pleasure, Victor. Have a great day.

BLACKWELL: You, too.

KAYE: So, what happens when a typhoon dumps rain on a volcano? It could create a long-term catastrophe, and it's exactly what authorities in the Philippines are worried could actually happen today, as Typhoon Hagupit tears across their country. We're going live to Tacloban, next.

But first, in December's "Ones to Watch" series, we are exploring the world of street art. Legendary artist Shepard Fairey, the man behind the Obama Hope poster, and Steve Lasarides, once partner to the notorious British artist Banksy explain how the subculture has turned a corner and which artists are leading the way.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One image is enough to make a statement. Street art, it's the universal language of images, which speaks out from the most unexpected corners of our cities. The lines capture our history. The colors captivate. They decorate. They provoke.

SHEPARD FAIREY, STREET ARTIST: I see street art as a metaphor for courageous expression in any venue.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This subculture is turning onto a multimillion dollar business. Last year, street art worth an estimated $80 million was traded globally.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 50,000 now.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was once associated with vandalism, but it now holds a prime position in the contemporary art market.

STEVE LAZARIDES, ART DEALER: When people are buying it, it's almost like they're buying a slice of philosophy, so they're buying a slice of rebellion. It's like about buying it, they're taking part in the act and feel part of it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're consulting two experts, a view from the street and a view from the gallery, to discover which three artists they would consider the ones to watch.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I like a lot of art that functions as a piece that's just pleasing to the eye, but then there are also layers to peel back, and I think poses (ph) work achieves that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This covered by (INAUDIBLE), Shamsia Hassani, I think is definitely one to watch. She has that kind of one iconic image that people can link back. It's part of the old political tradition of graffiti.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bills (ph) has - has charted a new course and he's the best at it so far.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: And you can watch the entire "Ones to Watch" show on street art over at cnn.com/onestowatch. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Welcome back. Nearly 40 million people are in danger, as Typhoon Hagupit makes its way to the northern Philippines.

BLACKWELL: This cyclone is moving so slowly, and it's already slammed Seibu and Tacloban with winds of 100 miles per hour. Homes have been damaged, businesses, too, and it is not done yet.

KAYE: Joining us, our Andrew Stevens. He is live in Tacloban. Andrew, first of all, tell us what it is like over there. What are folks dealing with?

ANDREW STEVENS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the conditions certainly over the last couple of hours, Randi, have improved an awful lot. Light rain now and virtually no wind at all. So, the worst is definitely over. And there is an enormous sense of relief here in Tacloban, because you'll remember, Tacloban was the ground zero for Typhoon Haiyan. Just a little bit more than a year ago now. 6,300 people died in this city, most of them from a storm surge, an 8-meter wall of water, a 16-foot wall of water coming through the low-lying areas. This time, authorities acted very, very quickly. And I have to say, very efficiently to get people out of the most vulnerable areas. And on top of that, we had just a brush with this new typhoon, Hagupit. It landed quite a long way north of here. We did get strong winds, we did get a lot of rain, and rain is going to be the bigger issue for this entire country, given the amount of water it is dumping across this country because it's so slow moving.

But right here in Tacloban, it is relief. I would say, though, I'm standing at a church which has doubled as evacuation center. They're still doing Sunday mass here, but there are literally hundreds of evacuees who are still here 12 hours after the storm reached its peak and passed. They're still here. They're not prepared to go home yet. Some of them say they can't go home because they've got flood damage, they've lost the roofs of their houses, and a lot of these houses are very, very, sort of scantly built places, you know, tin and wooden structures, which wouldn't stand up to much weather at all. They're not going back until that's been fixed.

But a lot of them are also saying we're not going back until we're absolutely sure that the typhoon has passed. Such is the mental scars they bear from what happened here about 13 months ago.

KAYE: And Andrew, you mentioned the rain. What about the mudslides? Is there a great concern about that? And if so, how are they going to protect the people in the path of those mudslides?

STEVENS: Well, the Philippines is prone to mudslides, it's prone to heavy rain. This is an area which does get a lot of intense weather systems, and mudslides, flash flooding are a major issue. So, you put that on top of a storm system which is dumping 400, 500, 600 millimeters of rain in areas which are already vulnerable, and it is a major problem. Not so much where I am, but if you go further north, it's Helia (ph). There are a lot of villages in the hills. You know, there have been reports in the past of entire villages being buried under feet and feet of mud. So, that is going to be the real issue. The other issue, of course, is this typhoon is actually making its way towards the capital Manila. Manila is a city, greater Manila is a city of 12 million people. It's low-lying. If you get a big, big rain dump there, you are going to have major flooding and also major issues at the capital. So, this storm is not spent. There is still a lot of potential for a lot of damage.

KAYE: Yeah, certainly a lot of concern still there. Andrew Stevens in the Philippines for us. Thank you, Andrew.

STEVENS: And there was a dramatic evacuation in the Gulf of Mexico.

KAYE: Yes, a woman was medevaced from a cruise ship and taken to the hospital. We'll have all the details for you coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: There is some other stories that we're following this morning.

BLACKWELL: The remains of one of the 43 students who went missing in Mexico have been identified. That's according to lawyers for relatives of the victims. They spoke to CNN En Espanol. And the students have been missing since September 26TH. Authorities believe police turned the students over to a gang cartel that killed them. KAYE: The "Washington Post" says its Iran bureau chief has been

charged by the Iranian government with unspecified crimes. Jason Rezaian has been detained in Iran since July. He has both U.S. and Iranian citizenship. According to the newspaper, Rezaian's lawyer has not been allowed to visit him. Secretary of State John Kerry urging Iran now to free him.

BLACKWELL: A 48-year-old woman is recovering in New Orleans in a hospital there after she was medevaced from a Carnival cruise ship by the Coast Guard on Saturday. Now, the woman was reportedly unconscious and suffering from kidney-related problems. The ship was about 23 miles off the coast of Louisiana when the woman fell ill.

We're continuing to push forward on this breaking news overnight. At the top of the hour, the violent protests in California as demonstrators clashed with cops over a grand jury's decision not to indict a New York officer in the death of Eric Garner.

KAYE: Store owners expressing their outrage over the violence.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know why they have white people coming in and shoving black people. You know I mean like if you're protesting white on black crime, like you shouldn't be in this protest if you have white skin.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: It is the season of giving, and tonight, CNN has its own holiday tradition. "CNN Heroes: an all-star tribute."

BLACKWELL: It is a great place to get inspired. CNN's Michaela Pereira has a look at what's in store.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: At first glance it might look like every other award show, but "CNN Heroes: an All-Star Tribute" hosted by Anderson Cooper is an event like no other. Here, then everyday people doing extraordinary work to help others take center stage and the stars turn out to honor them.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's great night for so many people being honored for just doing good because it just pushes humanity forward.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's basically recognizing people for what we should all be doing every day, which is kind of thinking beyond ourselves.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm here with my daughter because that's what I want to teach her, that the individual really can make a difference.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Reach. Reach.

PEREIRA: The individuals like a man who helped people with disabilities get stronger inside and out.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is my honor to hug the weightlifter with the biggest heart ever, Ned Norton.

(APPLAUSE)

PEREIRA: A woman who works with the Maasai to save lions from extinction. And a rabbi with a black belt who helps kids fight cancer.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Given the opportunity, these children can inspire the world.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're killing me, CNN. You've got me sobbing all up in my chardonnay.

PEREIRA: It's a night full of emotion.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Those are my babies.

PEREIRA: Laughter.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: My friend, Kathy Griffin.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you, Jake Tapper. Hi, everybody.

(APPLAUSE)

PEREIRA: An uplifting message.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Even in the darkest of places, decency and love can persevere.

PEREIRA: And performances that inspire.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (singing): Standing higher prize fighter

PEREIRA: And it ends with a life-changing moment.

COOPER: The 2014 CNN hero of the year ...

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE: And that was, of course, just a taste of what's to come. Watch the entire show, "CNN Heroes: an All-Star Tribute" tonight, 8:00 eastern right here on CNN. Tune in, and we are sure you will be inspired.

Thanks for starting your morning with us.

BLACKWELL: We've got much more ahead on the next hour of your "NEW DAY." It starts right now.