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CNN Sunday Morning
Tropical Storm Fay; Faith Forum; Phelps Sets Gold Record; Storm Preparation; Bernie Mac Memorial Service
Aired August 17, 2008 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN NEWS ANCHOR: From the CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia, good morning to you all, I'm T.J. Holmes.
RANDI KAYE, CNN NEWS ANCHOR: And I'm Randi Kaye, in for Betty Nguyen. It is Sunday, August 17. Be prepared, it isn't just the Boy Scout motto, it is the word of the day for people living alone the Florida coast. We are monitoring our affiliates as they and we track Tropical Storm Fay.
We begin with a wake-up call for vacationers in Florida. If you're in the Keys, of course you know that you need to leave. The mandatory evacuation order went into effect one hour ago. State officials warn if you ignore the order, they might not be able to get help if things get pretty bad.
HOLMES: Yeah, Tropical Storm Fay is just south of Cuba right now, it's already blamed for at least four deaths in the Dominican Republic as well as Haiti. Our Reynolds Wolf, our meteorologist, is tracking the storm for us in the CNN Severe Weather Center where he has been set up all weekend keeping an eye on this thing for us. A hurricane watch was posted this morning along the Florida Keys and that means conditions are favorable for a hurricane in 36 hours. Fay is expected to reach hurricane strength later today.
KAYE: Earlier this morning, I spoke with Florida Governor Charlie Crist about the evacuation order.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GOV CHARLIE CHRIST, FLORIDA (R): I think the watch word for Floridians is be calm, but be alert and, you know, anytime your entire state is in the forecast cone of a hurricane, it's not a hurricane yet, but they anticipate it may well be before the next 24 hours pass, depending on the path, then you've got to be ready. It's already a killer storm, you know, four people have lost their lives in the islands as it came up the Caribbean and so my first concern, first and foremost, is always that the people of the state of Florida. We want to make sure that we protect our property, that citizens protect their homes. I mean, it's health, safety and welfare first and foremost...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Reynolds Wolf has his eye on Fay. He's been tracking it actually since yesterday from the Severe Weather Center.
HOLMES: Yeah, it's getting closer Cuba. I guess the same question, what's she doing, where's she going?
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, that's the million dollar question. Everyone wants to know those answers. And I'll tell you right now, the storm is horribly organized. Let's take it back the last couple hour, you'll see it leaving Haiti and driving off toward the west, doing so right now around 13 miles-an-hour. It's begun to slow down a little bit in its forward progress. The outflow looks, I guess you could say, OK for the time being, but still the centering very horribly, horribly disorganized. Looks like the center of circulation may be developing now just to the, I'd say, northwest of Jamaica.
Now, current numbers we have for you in terms of wind speeds, sustained winds at 50 miles-an-hour, still gusts up to 65, as I mentioned west/northwest movement at 13. The latest forecast from the National Hurricane Center brings the storm more of a west/northwesterly trajectory still moving, again, right towards parts of southern Cuba, tapping into that warm water and it's supposed to increase in power, at least they've got the forecast at 65 miles-per- hour, still a strong tropical storm. As soon as those winds exceed 73 to 74 miles-an-hour, then it will be classified as a Cat 1 and there's still that possibility that may occur. However, in the forecast, they keep it as a tropical storm moving just to the east of Havana, over land, into the Straits of Florida.
Keep in mind in the Straits of Florida you've got very warm water, water temperatures in the mid to upper 80s. That's like octane fuel for this storm, so there's the chance could intensify, but they do could keep it as tropical storm moving right here in Key West, that's the center of the eye, then right towards Tampa as we get to 2:00 a.m. Wednesday, winds dropping to 60 miles-per-hour, because the storm expected to be on shore, losing that primary power source, being that warm water, and then into south Georgia, eventually moving in to parts of the Appalachians into extreme northern South Carolina and into North Carolina.
Thing is, remember thought, as you look at that cone, the cone of uncertainty, there's a chance this storm could deviate its past, maybe a little bit more to the east, maybe even going into the Atlantic, perhaps moving deeper into the parts of the Gulf of Mexico where it could intensify rapidly, possibly being a Category 1, 2, maybe even a major hurricane. There's a lot that can happen with this storm, its forward progress, its fluctuations with power. These storms are very fickle, certainly bears watching and that's what we're going to do, watch for you very carefully and give you the latest information. For now, let's send it back to you at the news desk.
KAYE: OK, thank you, Reynolds.
WOLF: You bet, guys.
HOLMES: So, exactly how are people preparing for this tropical storm? Kimo Cray (ph) from our affiliate WSVN has that story for us from Miami.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) LAURA SPENSER (ph), MIAMI RESIDENT: How am I going to lift that heavy thing by myself?
KIMO CRAY (ph), WSVN REPORTER: Laura Spencer needs one thing to get through a storm.
SPENCER: Can't see in the dark. It's like impossible to be in the dark and like, it's hot and sweaty and disgusting and gross. I don't really care about the rain, but I cannot be in the dark with hot, sweaty, disgusting and gross. Like, sweaty and icky and hot. So, that's why I have these nice gentleman out here trying to stuff this stuff in the back of my car.
CRAY: Squeezing a generator into the back seat of a BMW is no easy task, but it that has to be done.
CRIST: Prepare to be without electricity, that's always a possibility and having flashlights, battery operated radios and batteries on hand.
SPENCER: I don't go to the grocery, I don't do any of that kind of stuff, but comforting things, you know, creature comforts are very important to me.
TABITHA CHARLES, MIAMI RESIDENT: We'll start bearing town the hatches, cleaning up the pool area, pulling in the patio furniture and watching Channel 7 to say, what's happening?
CRAY: Tabitha Chares went shopping and picked up a must-have.
CHARLES: There's no ice, also. I did get the last bit of ice.
CRAY: Storm officials want you to you stock up for the storm and get enough food and water for at least three days, and the necessary supplies in case you're left without power.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Got to protect those windows.
CRAY: Plywood getting picked up, the boards to protect windows and doors are going fast, but there still is enough for people who aren't ready yet.
CRIST: Be ready, be prepared, stay calm, and make sure that you monitor your local news and stay in touch.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: And we'll be keeping an eye on, of course our Reynolds Wolf keeping an eye on that storm, but also monitoring our affiliates to keep an eye on what Fay is doing.
KAYE: A lot going on out there. \
HOLMES: And we have for turn to a this sad story out of Memphis, seven people dead in a house fire there, among the dead a mom and four of her children. KAYE: A visiting niece and nephew were also killed. Fire officials say an 18-year-old boy escaped the fire unharmed, but went back inside to the blaze hoping to save his family.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALICIA BRADLEY, VICTIM'S COUSIN: He wanted to go in there and get them out, he had to do he had to do.
MARQUAL RIVERS, FRIEND OF VICTIM: He had the chance to get away, but his family members in there (INAUDIBLE) came back to save them, and he got stuck.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: That 18-year-old is among the dead. Fire officials say three people survived the fire; they are hospitalized with burns on their faces and their hands.
HOLMES: So, a massive fire rips through Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, California. We're told the fire is about 80 percent contained, this morning. Authorities say it started yesterday as a grass fire outside the main entrance and it quickly spread to the base. About 125 vacant homes caught fire, no reports of injuries.
KAYE: Now to politics, from their views on abortion to their greatest moral failings. The presidential candidates tackled tough questions at a forum on faith.
HOLMES: And this forum was hosted by Reverend Rick Warren and his California mega church, last night. We get the details from senior political analyst, Bill Schneider.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN SR POLITICAL ANALYST (voice over): In a sometimes uncivil campaign, the civil forum brought us this moment.
Their first appearance together lasted just seconds in the middle of the forum that lived up to its name. Same questions, different styles and substance.
REV RICK WARREN, AUTHOR: What does it mean to you to trust in Christ?
SCHNEIDER: Some question, of course, centered on religion.
BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: As a starting point, it means I believe in -- that Jesus Christ died for sins.
JOHN MCCAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It means I'm saved and forgiven.
SCHNEIDER: Others more politically pointed.
WARREN: At what point is a baby entitled to human rights?
MCCAIN: At the moment of conception.
OBAMA: If you believe that life begins at conception, then -- and you are consistent in that belief, then I can't argue with you on that. What I can do is say are there ways that we can work together to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies.
SCHNEIDER: Obama tried to convince religious voters he's not a threat, even when he they disagree. McCain reached out to social conservatives trying to answer lingering doubts for some. The unique questions from Warren brought answers not always heard on the trail. Obama on which Supreme Court justice he wouldn't have appointed.
OBAMA: I would not have nominated Clarence Thomas. I don't think that he was a strong enough jurist or legal thinker.
SCHNEIDER: McCain surprised the room with his answer on this biggest moral failing.
MCCAIN: My greatest moral failing, and I have been a very imperfect person, is the failure of my first marriage.
SCHNEIDER: McCain's lasting impression on the audience? Sharing personal stories to highlight the sacrifices he's made.
MCCAIN: In a prison camp in North Vietnam, my father was a high ranking admiral. The Vietnamese came and said that I could leave prison early, but I said no. And I'll never forget sitting with my last answer and the high ranking officer who offered it slammed the door and the interrogator said: go back to your cell, it's going to be very tough on you now.
SCHNEIDER: For Obama, thoughtfulness may have been his theme, with his answers often more complex.
OBAMA: Solving big problems like, for example, energy, is not going to be easy. If we pretend like everything is free and there's no sacrifice involved, then we are betraying the tradition of America...
SCHNEIDER: No ties for the candidates this Saturday night. The next time they meet in the fall debates, the questions and the setting will be a little more formal.
Bill Schneider, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: Watch John McCain and Barack Obama tonight on CNN. The replay of the forum on faith hosted by Reverend Rick Warren begins at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. And find out what happened behind the scenes of the faith forum, Rick Warren gives the inside scoop only to LARRY KING LIVE, tomorrow night, 9:00 Eastern, only on CNN.
HOLMES: Well, he did it, Michael Phelps, gold rush is complete.
KAYE: History is made as he breaks a 36-year-old record.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: And a look here at what we are looking at, monitoring some of our affiliate coverage out of Florida. Here in the Florida Keys, you need to grab your keys and get the heck out of there. Mandatory evacuations have been put in place, everybody's keeping an eye on Tropical Storm Fay which is bearing down on parts of the Caribbean, it's coming down on Cuba. Also, people in Florida, right now being told to be on the lookout and prepare yourself for the next day and a half or so when Fay is expected to come ashore. Our Reynolds Wolf keeping an eye on things in our Weather Center and again we are monitoring all the affiliate coverage coming to us out of Florida.
We'll turn now to new information we're getting this morning in the Russian/Georgian conflict, signs that Russia is prepare to go honor the cease-fire agreement with Georgia. According to the Russian government press service, Russia's president says Russian rooms will start pullout from Georgia beginning tomorrow.
Meanwhile, another development, though, Georgia's government is accusing Russian backed militia of seizing 13 villages and a power plant bordering a region near the Georgia border, also of destroying a key railway bridge. For its part, Russia says its work in Georgia is devoted to peacekeeping. Also just a few moments ago, German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrived in Tbilisi; she's holding talks with the Georgian President Saakashvili about the conflict. And she met with the Russian president last week.
KAYE: Well, you could say he's got the golden touch. We are talking about Michael Phelps. Eight events, eight gold medals, the last one was a relay event and our Larry Smith is in Beijing with the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LARRY SMITH, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice over): There will be thousands of pictures to show what Michael Phelps did in Beijing this past week and millions of words to describe it, but year from now, what will not fade is eight pieces of gold, a shining testament to a transcendent performance.
MICHAEL PHELPS, 8 GOLD MEDALS IN 2008: Records are always made to be broken, no matter what they are. Anybody can do anything they set their mind to. You know, I said it all along, you know, I want to be the first Michael Phelps, not the second Mark Spitz.
SMITH: Eight is a lucky number in Chinese culture. These games started on 8/8/08 and they were taken over by Phelps shortly there after, each race became a fireworks show of its own, seven world records punctuating his perfection.
PHELPS: I guess it's a lucky number for me now, too. You know, it's -- you know, seeing 8/8/08 and opening ceremonies starting at 8:08, I guess it was maybe meant to be. I don't know.
SMITH: To say Phelps is now a superstar is to understate his achievement, 17 races, over nine day, with both thrilling and dominating finishes splashed throughout, all live in front of a world captivated. If overcoming Mark Spitz's Olympic record of seven gold medals was historic, what comes next may be as epic as once building the Great Wall itself, possibly the greatest Olympian ever at 23 with a legacy still looking towards London in 2012.
PHELPS: There's some things that I still want to do. I want to raise the bar in swimming more. You know, it's come a long way and I think it can go even farther.
SMITH: This country is rich in a history colored by grand achievements that took millions many years to accomplish. Michael Phelps will now be a part of that history, but his wonder will be rembered as singular and it will only be one color -- gold.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: And Larry joins us now from Beijing.
And Larry, I guess you have a story of actually another American swimmer who's trying to make history.
SMITH: That's right, Randi. Dara Torres, she already made historory by becoming the oldest Olympic swimmer ever, at age 41, and she grabbed two more silver medals to end her career with 12 total medals in the 40 meter freestyle and also the 400 medley relay on the women's side. One quick note, as well, this evening here from Beijing, in women's gymnastics, it's Nastia Liukin taking bronze, Shawn Johnson the silver in the floor exercise. More medals now for the U.S. Let's go back to you.
KAYE: All right, Larry Smith thanks so much from Beijing. We'll check in with you again as day goes on.
And, of course, Michael Phelps is continuing to make history. He's also in the spotlight in Beijing. But we have some very good news for you, CNN.com will be talking to him and you can, too. Phelps joins CNN.com live this Tuesday. If you're a big Phelps fan, go to ireport.com right now to submit your video question for Michael Phelps. Don't miss Michael Phelps live Tuesday morning, 8:30 Eastern, only at CNN.com/live.
HOLMES: Well hi, we're talking about faith, same-sex marriage, good versus evil, just a few of the hot-button issues discussed by the presidential hopefuls last night and, yes, there they were on stage just for about 30 seconds, though. We'll tell you what happened last night at the forum on faith.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: We are tracking Tropical Storm Fay. And there you see a live picture of Tampa, Florida, our affiliates, of course, are keeping an eye on it and we're keeping an eye on them. And Reynolds Wolf is in the CNN Hurricane Headquarters keeping an eye, as well. So stay with us throughout the morning on this.
Presidential politics, now. Barack Obama campaigns in Reno, Nevada. He meets, this morning, with former Texas oilman T. Boone Pickens. Pickens is promoting his plan to use natural gas and wind power to cut dependence on foreign oil. Later, Obama he holds a town hall meeting in Reno.
John McCain is also taking note of the energy plan backed by T. Boone Pickens. He met with Pickens last week to discuss the plan. On the trail today, McCain is scheduled to attend a private fundraiser in Florida, if the weather doesn't impact his travel plans -- T.J.
HOLMES: All right, this is politics now, politics and religion taking center stage at a forum on faith last night. The presidential candidates shared their views on everything from war and taxes to abortion and same-sex marriage and CNN's senior political producer, Sasha Johnson, was there. She's out at L.A. for us this morning.
I know it's early out there for you. We appreciate you.
SASHA JOHNSON, CNN POLITICAL PRODUCER: Very early.
HOLMES: Glad you could be here with us. This forum on faith, the format, a one-on-one on a stage with Rick Warren, no ties, in front of a crowd, a nice warm crowd. Who should this have benefited?
JOHNSON: Arguably it should have benefitted Barack Obama and I think on some levels it is did. I mean, he was obviously trying to make inroads with some of these voters that don't agree with him on issues like abortion. You know, Barack Obama always does well, very controversial forums. And John McCain arguably doesn't. I mean, he has a much more staccato style. His campaign has really tried to made him better on the stump in terms of freewheeling discussion, but I really think John McCain did well and people were surprised about it a little bit, he did do well.
HOLMES: That's the thing. Were there such low expectations of him that anything he would have done above those low expectations would have been seen as well, or did he really shine last night with his direct answers to these questions?
JOHNSON: I think he did. I mean, there were a lot of very tough questions, but I think one of the moments that really stuck out for me and obviously a lot of people is when he was asked what his greatest moral failing was and he said it was the failure of my first marriage. And he was very emotional and that's not a side of John McCain that we normally see. And, you know, I think that voters probably responded to that very well.
HOLMES: OK, and a lot of the talk has been, certainly it was last night and also today, about the nuance. I heard someone even refer to Barack Obama sounding like that the last Democrats that ran. You just get this nuance, no straight talk, no straight answers. Now, is this what is kind of playing here? And you talked about how the voters would take this, but are the voters going to take away from this certainly when they see those two back-to-back on stage like this with the same questions, John McCain direct, straight answer, even if you don't agree with him, he gave and you straight answer, more nuance, can't really figure out what Barack Obama is talking about. JOHNSON: Well, I mean, his campaign would probably argue that nuance is a good thing, being thoughtful is a good thing and what their campaign says is after eight years of George Bush, we bring about a candidate who takes time with his answers, who really tells you what he's thinking and he's very complex in his thinking, and so that's a good thing. But, you know, voters respond to it differently. Some people really did like John McCain saying, you know, answering those questions in very short answers so that he had more time to go on to other things.
HOLMES: And tell us about this moment and will this come back to bite Barack Obama? And you've got to know the moment I'm talking about, it's the one everyone's talking about, the question about when do human rights begin for a baby, for a child. And of course John McCain gave a direct answer and said at conception. Barack Obama's answer, he kind of went around -- I guess gave certainly a longer answer, more drawn out answer, but he said that is above his pay grade. We heard from several people who said it was an audible gasp in that room.
JOHNSON: Yeah, and there was. And I would argue that the campaign probably looks back on that answer and wish he'd done it differently. In that fairness to Barack Obama, I think he did sort of rescue his answer by saying, look, if you believe that life begins at conception and you firmly believe that, I can't argue with that, here's where we can find common ground. But it was kind of an awkward way to address that issue instead of saying, you know, I don't know or I don't agree with that. I mean, Democrats are really trying to reach out to pro- life voters this year. I mean, they've even put some language in their Democratic platform that basically says that the number of an abortions and they want to work to reduce that. So, they are trying to reach out to those voter, so I would imagine he didn't quite know how to answer that question right away, but then he went on to talk about where they could find common ground. But it was a bit of an awkward moment for him.
HOLMES: And it was, it was, really a fascinating way to see these two on stage, certainly back-to-back like that. A lot came out, got to learn a lot about these two last night and you were there and are you here with us this morning at 6:30, is it now, out there on the West Coast.
JOHNSON: Yeah, something like that. Alarm went off at 4:00, yes.
HOLMES: Well, mine did, too, though, if it makes you feel any better.
JOHNSON: I know.
HOLMES: All right, Sasha Johnson for us, always good to see you, thank you so much.
JOHNSON: Thanks.
HOLMES: And folks, be sure to watch John McCain and Barack Obama, you can see it again tonight here on CNN, a replay of the forum everybody's talking about today, the forum on faith hosted by Reverend Rick Warren. 8:00 Eastern. Also you can find out what happened behind the scenes of this faith forum when Rick Warren gives the inside scoop to who else, our Larry King, that's LARRY KING LIVE, tomorrow night 9:00 Eastern, right here CNN.
KAYE: Following Fay, the tropical storm has Florida on alert. We'll bring you some tips to prepare for that storm.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Good morning again to you al. Welcome back to the CNN SUNDAY MORNING. I'm T.J. Holmes.
KAYE: And I'm Randi Kaye n for Betty Nguyen. Tropical Storm Fay is blamed for at least four deaths in the Dominican Republic and Haiti. You can see the flooding it caused there in the Dominican Republic. The "Associated Press" is reporting storm damage to Haiti's rice fields and banana crops.
HOLMES: Well, Fay is expected to grow to hurricane strength later today. It could, could, be approaching southern Florida by Tuesday morning. Well, Blake Burman with our affiliate WSVN, Georgia, I now live from Key Largo, there.
This is it still the calm we see, but are people certainly heeding these warnings and starting to get the heck out of there?
BLAKE BURMAN, WSVN REPORTER: Yeah, they're telling them to get out of here at least at this point, the nonresidents, an 8:00 advisory was given to them for all nonresidents to get out of here. But, as far as the people who live here, take a look, at least for the preparations in Key Largo, you can see this house not boarded up at all, these two boats over to the right, they haven't been packed up and that's kind of everywhere you look here and the reason why, two reasons really, it's absolutely beautiful, as you can see, and because the people who live here say this is just a tropical storm, they have been through so much.
Now, I was just talking to this guy over there, you can see him, he was rowing out to his boat, and I asked him, are you going to evacuate in and he said no. I said did you give any thought whatsoever to evacuating? And he said no. And then I asked him are any of your friends going evacuate? And he kind of laughed and chuckled at me and said not that I really know of. And that's kind of the feeling here because the people who live here, they've been through hurricane after hurricane, so many of them, and this is just a tropical storm, a couple hundred or a few hundred miles to our south.
The people, though, who do live here, if they are evacuating, they can expect big traffic tie-ups because for the most part, only one lane in, one lane out going to and from Key West. Key West, keep in mind, 100 miles to our south and between us and them, you have islands all over the place where people live.
This is under a hurricane watch, though, but the feeling here, it's beautiful, so why not go out and take a trip out to the boat. That is the very latest in Key Largo as people will be watching whether this turns in to Hurricane Fay or not. Blake Burman, back to you.
HOLMES: Well, yeah, certainly not recommended by a lot of folks to go out and enjoy the day. Some people need to be getting out of there. But, Blake, we appreciate your story there. Probably a familiar story, there. A lot of people just hunkering down, not going anywhere, but we appreciate you, this morning.
KAYE: By telling vacationers to leave right now, Florida wants to avoid a mass exodus from the Keys that could clog the only highway. as Blake was just talking about. The governor has this advice for people packing up and getting out.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
CRIST: Pay attention to your local news, make sure you have a battery operated radio, make sure that you have three days of water and, again, go to FloridaDisaster.org and get all the tips and information that you might need.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
KAYE: And Reynolds Wolf is tracking Fay from the Severe Weather Center.
And Fay, I guess Reynolds, is getting pretty close Cuba, huh?
WOLF: It is getting very close Cuba, Randi. You know, the center of circulation really hard to find at this time, but we do believe that it is just to the south of Cuba. Take a look over the last couple hours, you see just the storm pulsating. You know, this is actually a combination of satellite and you also see a little bit of -- well, this particular product shows you the coldest cloud tops and where you have that, the deepest convection, really the strongest parts of the storm. The storm really got rocked quite a bit by crossing over some of the higher elevations from Dominican Republic back over to Haiti, where some of the peaks are in excess of 10,000 feet and then back over towards Blue Mountain, just to the immediate west of Kingston, you have a peak there at Blue Mountain over 7,000 feet.
This is the detrimental effect on the hurricane, or rather the storm, preventing it from really reaching hurricane strength, for the time being; however, minimal shear loft and very warm water, so, there is the possibility this storm could become a hurricane.
Right now, as I mentioned, a Tropical storm, maximum sustained winds at 50 gusting to 65. And as the storm makes its way a little bit more to the west, currently at 13 miles-per-hour, the National Hurricane Center brings the storm south of Cuba as 2:00 a.m. on Monday, but still as a tropical storm with winds of 65 miles-per-hour, then crossing just to the east of Havana, back into the Straits of Florida, near Key West and Tuesday with winds of 70 miles-per-hour, and although they keep it right off the Tampa coastline, just to the north Punta Gorda, and then right through Tampa at 2:00 a.m. Wednesday.
I'm still thinking that there's a chance the storm could pop and reach a Category 1 storm status because the warm water you have off the Florida coastline. And this storm continues to march to the north, back into parts of south Georgia into the Carolinas, up into the Appalachians.
Keep in mind thought, there's every reason to believe this storm could veer off this forecast path. It could move a little more to the east, possibly more to the west. That's the reason why you have this cone of uncertainty. And to let you know, there are a lot of commuter models that indicate that this thing could take many different paths. In fact, take a look at this, just very quickly, this is what we refer to as our spaghetti model. This is not pasta we're talking about, but as we zoom in a little bit, we've got Brandon Write (ph) over here in the studio with us, he's our CNN weather producer today. You'll notice a whole bunch of these lines that are popping up, these are individual computer models that indicate where the computer thinks the storm is going to go. Some places have it going right into the Florida Keys and into south Florida. Some of them bring it back into the Gulf of Mexico where you have minimal shear and very warm water. Certainly a terrifying prospect because if those scenarios were to play out, this storm could really become and you powerhouse, maybe a Category 1, 2, 3, you never know, maybe even a major hurricane. But right now, National Hurricane Center brings it is right along the Florida coast and not too far from Tampa Bay, just to the south. And we will certainly watch that very carefully and see how it plays out, these storms. Again as I've mentioned, very fickle and the next 12 to 24 to 48 hours should really tell us quite a bit more of what we can anticipate with this storm.
That's the latest we've got for you, Randi. Let's send it right back to you.
KAYE: All right, I know there's never a good timing for a tropical storm or a hurricane, but it's also the first day of school tomorrow for a lot of the kids, there, so parents are probably wondering what they've going do.
WOLF: Bizarre timing, absolutely.
KAYE: Yeah, really bad timing. All right Reynolds, thanks so much. We're going to send it back to T.J.
HOLMES: All right, well, Floridians have been there and done this when it comes to hurricane preparation, and as CNN's John Zarrella explains, a bit of preparation now can prevent a world of hurt later.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Neil Rubin is getting a new garage door installed at his home.
NEIL RUBIN, HOMEOWNER: This one's suppose to withstand, I think, 150 miles-an-hour wind, in that area, which is a lot better than I had. And since I have the accordion shutters. Why have a weak spot on your house?
ZARRELLA: And the garage door is considered the weakest spot in a home.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You lose the garage, you lose the roof, you loose the contents of the house, everything is gone.
ZARRELLA: But a new Mason-Dixon poll conducted for the National Hurricane Survival Initiative found a staggering 95 percent of the 1,100 adults questioned didn't know this, and 30 percent said they would not start preparing their homes until a hurricane warning is issued.
CHUCK LANZA, BROWARD CO., FL EMERGENCY MGMT: All the water is gone for the stores at 24 hours, the plywood's gone from all the larger stores. People need to make those plans early in the season.
ZARRELLA: The survey found bad habits resurfacing that existed before the devastating wake-up call season of 2005: Katrina, Rita, and Wilma. An astounding 50 percent said they had no disaster plans or survival kits. Why the complacency?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Because you've been through it so many times that, you know, most of the time it doesn't hit.
ZARRELLA: Emergency managers say while many people may not be prepared for the long aftermath, they do, in most cases, enough to survive a storm.
LANZA: People still, at the last minute, usually make the right decision. The problem is if they don't have a plan in place and they haven't bought the supplies they needed.
ZARRELLA: And this may not surprise you, the high price of gas is compounding the under preparedness problem, that's because people aren't buying the supplies they need because they're spending so much money filling up their gas tanks.
John Zarrella, CNN, Miami.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: Remembering funnyman, Bernie Mac.
HOLMES: Hey, Hollywood and Chicago coming together in a tribute to the man who made us all laugh.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: And again letting you know we're keeping an eye on that lady there, that's Tropical Storm Fay expected to become a hurricane, but making her way as you see there, towards Cuba and expected to maybe make landfall in Florida at some point. Hurricane warnings and watches have been put in place for Florida, people have been told to get out parts of the Florida Keys and elsewhere, but we are keeping an eye on it here. Reynolds Wolf has been on it -- on top of it for us all weekend, so far, and he continues to monitor this storm. But we're monitoring our affiliates, so we'll continue to give you the latest on hurricane, or rather, excuse me, I don't need to upgrade her before she upgrades herself -- Tropical Storm Fay, still.
KAYE: Friends, family and strangers gathered to say good-bye to Bernie Mac.
HOLMES: A public memorial for the king of comedy drew thousands yesterday in his hometown of Chicago. Among some of the guests there, Reverend Jesse Jackson, as you see, also radio talks show host Tom Joiner, that is not him pictured there. Also comedians Chris Rock, Steve Harvey among the guests.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEVE HARVEY, COMEDIAN: It's tough right now, you know? I ain't really good at this part of it right here, you know? I wish didn't have I to say nothing today, I wish I didn't have to speak today. You know, I'm better at just telling jokes, really. But, I'm going to miss my brother, for sure, and heaven ought to be a little bit funnier.
MAYOR RICHARD DALEY, CHICAGO: It's amazing he came in a couple weeks ago and he wanted to see me this week all about community policing in community sports center for kids for the Olympics alternative to gangs, guns and drugs and he never forgot where he came from, and he talked about his life with his comedy and he made people enjoy life. At the same time, understood people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Bernie Mac died a week ago from complications due to pneumonia. Bernie Mac was 50 years old.
KAYE: Keeping teens off the street and cutting back on violence. This is the first weekend of an emergency curfew put in place in Hartford Connecticut. It started Thursday with police taking 16 violators off the streets.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHIEF DARYL ROBERTS, HARTFORD POLICE: For only one night, so I don't want to jump the gun. It was one night, we got a long way to go.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: After the 30 days, what we got? We're right back where we started. Nothing from nothing leave nothing. Then you going to have the kids out here getting killed, getting shot again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: The curfew bans anyone under the age of 18 from loitering on the streets after 9:00 p.m. unless they're with a parent or guardian, it comes after 11 people were shot in the city last weekend.
HOLMES: Turning to Texas now, and authorities have found a body that could be that of a missing store clerk.
KAYE: Police say the woman was abducted at gunpoint Friday in the north Texas town of Scotland. A surveillance camera showed her being confronted by an unmasked man. Police say the suspect led them to a body about 50 miles away and right now the suspect faces charges of aggravated robbery and kidnapping.
HOLMES: In Columbus, Ohio, another crime caught on tape. It looks like pretty much a smash and grab job, here. Authorities say a fair of intruders scoped out a local bar, disarmed the security system, then went inside taking a sledge hammer to the jukebox, as well as the cashing register.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAN LOMBARDI, JOHNNY'S TAVERN: You feel violated, you feel sick. Somebody has been in your home, going through your stuff. I didn't sleep last night because I kept seeing this man's face.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: After grabbing the cash that they could grab, police say the suspects ripped out three flat screens TVs off the wall and casually carried them out the door.
KAYE: The candidates taking on some tough topics.
HOLMES: Yeah, McCain and Obama on abortion, on war, all that they talked about at a faith forum, last night.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: We are watching Tropical Storm Fay and there you are watching our affiliate there in Florida. Right now, Fay is churning in the waters off Cuba, possibly heading to Florida, possibly becoming a hurricane. Reynolds Wolf is watching from the CNN Hurricane Headquarters and we are watching, as well keeping an eye on our affiliates and the area all around southern Florida for you. So, be sure to stay with us on that one.
HOLMES: All right, you might get to try this out in a matter of hours.
KAYE: I think so.
HOLMES: This new rule. You don't have to take the laptop out anymore. We got some new guidelines.
KAYE: This is such good news.
HOLMES: Some rules, though. It's not that simple.
KAYE: Yeah, the TSA will actually allow laptops to stay in their bags during screenings when you're at the airport if you have a so-called check point friendly bag. I'm going to find that out today. The newly designed bag, which you'll have to buy, apparently, will produce a clear, unobstructed image of the laptop when undergoing x-ray screening. They have no metal snaps, zippers or buckles to block the view.
HOLMES: Send me a message when you get through security and let me know if it works.
KAYE: I will. See how long it takes me to get through.
HOLMES: Yeah, if you get through. All right.
And more major airlines are deciding now not to charge active duty military members for checking extra bags. The airlines came under fire when the fees for military personnel. U.S. Troops were having to fill out military paperwork and wait to be reimbursed, airlines recently started adding extra fees, as many of you know, for all passengers to combat high jet fuel costs.
We'll turn now to Mr. Howard Kurtz, he's in Washington to see what's ahead on CNN's RELIABLE SOURCES.
Good morning to you, Howard.
HOWARD KURTZ, RELIABLE SOURCES: Good morning, Mr. T.J. Coming up, Elizabeth Edwards uses "People" magazine to tell her side of the story as journalists poke holes in her husband's account of his extramarital affair. Is the tawdry tale worth all this media attention?
As Hillary Clinton wins the chance to be nominated at next week's Democratic convention, secret campaign (INAUDIBLE) show how low she was urged to go to discredit Barack Obama. We'll talk to the reporter who unearthed those documents.
Plus, a "New York Times" columnist who spent years battling cocaine addiction and alcohol comes clean about his struggle. A conversation with Dave Carr. That and more ahead on RELIABLE SOURCES.
HOLMES: We will see you then, about 10 minutes from now. See you, Howard.
KURTZ: Sounds good.
KAYE: The Democratic convention starts a week from tomorrow. The Republican convention begins a week after that. We want to help you make an informed choice on election day, so we're bringing you more of what the candidates are saying in their own words. Here's John McCain at the forum on faith.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WARREN: At what point is a baby entitled to human rights?
MCCAIN: At the moment of conception. I have a 25 year pro-life record in the Congress, in the Senate and as president of the United States, I will be a pro-life president and this presidency will have pro-life policies. That's my commitment to you.
WARREN: As an American, what is worth dying for and what's worth committing American lives for?
MCCAIN: Freedom, our national security, our security as a nation. Wars have started in obscure places that enveloped us. We also must temper that with the ability to effectively and beneficially cause the outcome that we want. In other words, there's tyranny and there's tragedy throughout the world and we can't right every wrong, but we can do what America has done throughout history and that is be a beacon of hope, liberty and freedom for everyone in the world. As Ronald Reagan used to quote, "A shining city on the hill." And so, there are conflicts we can't settle. The most precious asset we have is American blood.
And throughout our history, Americans have gone to all four corners of the world and shed that blood in defense of someone else's freedom. No other nation on earth has ever done that. Americans, tonight, in California and all over America, are sitting at the kitchen table, recently and suddenly lost a job, can't afford to stay in their home, education for their kids, affordable healthcare. These are tough problems. These are tough problems, you talk to them everyday.
WARREN: All the time.
MCCAIN: Everyday. My friends, we've to give them hope and confidence in the future. That's what we need to give them. And I can inspire, I can lead and I know that our best days are ahead of us.
Throughout my life, from the time I was 17 and raised my hand and was sworn in as a midshipman at the United States Naval Academy, I've always put my country first. I put my country first when I had the honor of serving in the military, and I had the honor of serving my -- putting my country first as a member of the House of Representatives and the United States Senate. America wants hope, American wants optimism, America wants us to sit down together. I have a record of reaching across the aisle and working with the other party. And I want to do that. And I believe, as I said, that Americans feel it's time for us to put our country first...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Barack Obama faced the same questions at the forum on faith. Here's what he had to say about abortion, America, and making decisions on when to go to war.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: I was just with my family on vacation in Hawaii and visited the place where my grandfather is laid to rest at the Punchbowl National Cemetery, and then went to the Arizona, out in Pearl Harbor. And you know, you're reminded of the sacrifices have been made on behalf of our freedom. And I think that's a solemn obligation that we all have. I think, we also have forged alliances with countries. NATO, being a prime example, where we have pledged to act militarily for the common defense. That is in our national interest and that is something I think that we have to abide by.
I remember what my mother used to tell me. I was talking to somebody awhile back and I said: the one time she'd get angry with me is if she ever thought that I was being mean to somebody or unfair to somebody. She said: imagine standing in their shoes. Imagine looking through their eyes, that basic idea of empathy. And that, I think, is what -- what's made America special is that notion, that everybody has got a shot. If we see somebody down and out, if we see a kid who can't afford college, that we care for them, too.
And I want to be president because that's the America I believe in and I feel like that American dream is slipping away. I think we are at a critical juncture, economically, I think we are at a critical juncture internationally; we've got to make some big decisions, not just for us, but the next generation. And we keep putting it off. And unfortunately, our politics is so broken and Washington so broken, that we can't seem bring together people of goodwill to solve these common problems. I think I have the ability to build bridges across partisan lines, racial, regional lines, to get people to work on some common sense solutions to critical issues.
And I hope that I have the opportunity to do that.
I am pro-choice. I believe in Roe vs. Wade and I come to that conclusion, not because I'm pro-abortion, but because, ultimately, I don't think women make these decisions casually. I think they wrestle with these things in profound ways, in consultation with their pastors or their spouses or their doctors and their family members. And so, for me, the goal right now should be, and this is where I think we can find common ground -- and by the way, I have now inserted this into the Democratic Party platform -- is how do we reduce the number of abortions?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Again, Barack Obama and John McCain at the reform on faith last night and you can watch them in that forum, tonight. We have a replay for you hosted by Reverend Rick Warren. It's tonight at 8:00 Eastern Time. Also, want to know what happened behind the scenes at the forum? Well, you can hear from the man himself, Rick Warren, he goes behind the scenes, give us the inside scoop. Who else does he give it to but our LARRY KING LIVE, tomorrow night, 9:00 Eastern, only right here on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: One week and one day to go, the Democratic convention begins in Denver, a look at network convention coverage, next, on RELIABLE SOURCES.
HOLMES: Also, the Russia/Georgia dispute. Who started it and how will it actually end? Georgia's president joins Wolf Blitzer on LATE EDITION. But first, we do have a check with the morning's top developments for you.
Keeping an eye on Tropical Storm Fay. At this hour, tourists are being urged to get out of the Florida Keys. Emergency officials trying to clear the area ahead of Fay. Florida governor, Charlie Crist is warning residents to prepare for the worst. National Hurricane Center says Fay could pump up to hurricane strength if or when it reaches the Keys, Monday night.
Our Reynolds Wolf has been tracking this for us all morning. Let's check in with you again. What's happening?
WOLF: OK, very quickly. With the storm right now, winds are currently 50 miles-an-hour, gusting to 65. The forecast brings right through Cuba as we get into, say, late, late Monday or very early on Tuesday. This storm moving into and beyond the Florida Keys with winds around 70 miles-per-hour, just a tropical storm. And then, right on shore, south of Tampa, I think you'll follow it from wind sheer with winds of 60 onshore to the, actually, west, southwest of Charleston and then back into the Appalachians as a depression, an area of low pressure.
Now, what we can remember, with these storms, what you have to expect is that the storm can deviate from this path. You look at the cone of uncertainty, according to this, the storm could move a bit more to the east, perhaps a bit more to the west. We do anticipate there are going to be some fluctuations with power. That can always happen. And the storms still could even veer off a little bit more to the west, perhaps into the Gulf of Mexico. There's a lot we don't know about this storm. We just have to watch it very carefully, next day or so will tell us a lot more, what we can anticipate from Fay. Let's send it back to you.
HOLMES: All right, we appreciate you, buddy. And more top stories coming your way in 30 minutes, but RELIABLE SOURCES begins right now.
