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CNN Saturday Morning News

Bad Weather in the Midwest and It's Heading East; Holiday Shopping; State of Emergency Ends in Pakistan; U.S. Dropped Objections to U.N. Plan to Curb Greenhouse Gases

Aired December 15, 2007 - 09:00   ET

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

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: ... Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Stay tuned now for more news on CNN starting right now.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Hey there, everybody. We're at the CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia. I'm T.J. Holmes and this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, again, good morning. I'm Betty Nguyen. We want to thank you for being with us.

A cold and blustery day for millions of you. Take a look at the radar. Rain, sleet, snow in the Midwest and it's heading east. It's going to be a rough weekend. But, don't worry, we have you covered.

HOLMES: All right. Well, do you have your Christmas folks covered. All that holiday shopping done. We know that answer from you, Betty.

NGUYEN: I'm not even close.

HOLMES: Big no. Well, many parents still concerned about toys made in China. We got the information you need before you hit those stores today.

NGUYEN: Round two. Let's get started with some brutal and nasty weather.

HOLMES: Yes, brutal and nasty. That's a very good way to put it. That looks pretty brutal and nasty. New video here to us this morning, already snowing in Oklahoma. People across New England and the plains, as well, hunkering down for another wintry blast. Kansas could bare the brunt of the storm in the plains.

NGUYEN:: Officials say it will likely hurt efforts to get the power restored to tens of thousands of people in the Midwest. Meanwhile though, check out New England -- snow, sleet, freezing rain on tap late tonight and into tomorrow morning.

HOLMES: All right. CNN's Keith Oppenheim in Oklahoma City. We checked in with Keith a little while ago. Didn't look quite like that. It's coming down on you now there, Keith.

KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, about an hour ago when I was talking to you, T.J., it was rain out here. Pretty gross. Now, it's snow. And it's considerably prettier. Not so pretty is what you see behind me. Look at all this damage. This is not from the weather we're having today. This is from an ice storm that absolutely walloped Oklahoma. Look at all these downed tree limbs and the result of the ice that hit Oklahoma is that so many people are without power.

At one point, 600,000 businesses and homes didn't have any electricity. Now, that's down to in the range of 125,000 or so. The problem with this the snow that's coming down today, it's going to slow the efforts to restore and get electricity back on.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OPPENHEIM: Oklahomans are bracing for their second winter storm in less than a week. While still reeling from the worst blackout in state history. Twenty-three deaths have been blamed on last weekend's ice storm and 100,000 homes and businesses are still without power.

CYNTHIA HILL, OKLAHOMA CITY RESIDENT: It's been cold. My walls are wet, you blow smoke in the house, but I had on about four layers of clothes and blankets and I survived.

OPPENHEIM: Cynthia Hill is one of the lucky ones. After five days without electricity, her heat is finally back on.

HILL: It just came back on about 20 minutes ago. And you would have thought I won the lottery. I'm happy.

OPPENHEIM: President Bush declared a state of emergency earlier this week, making the state eligible for federal aid. Utility workers from at least six surrounding states are helping out.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thanks for your hard work.

OPPENHEIM: Every day has brought steady progress in restoring power, but tired crews have had little time to prepare for this storm.

BRENT SWADLEY, UTILITY WORKER: We're trying to replace a lot of poles right now. The trees are horrible. We got about 25 to 35-mile- an-hour wind coming in in the next 24 hours and we're trying to prepare for that. And get many as trees cut back as we can right now.

OPPENHEIM: With up to six inches of new snow expected in some parts of the state, utility workers from Texas might find themselves spending the holidays away from home.

TERRY TRULL, UTILITY WORKER: At least another week, maybe a little bit longer. Depends on how long it takes to put all these people back on.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

OPPENHEIM: To put this in context, the storm today probably won't be really that bad. Maybe about two inches in Oklahoma City. Perhaps four inches of snow to the north of here. The problem is that the state is just reeling from the ice storm from last weekend. So, if you get any bad weather at this point just makes the recovery process that much tougher.

T.J., back to you.

HOLMES: That much tougher. That doesn't sound good. In for a heck of a day there. Keith Oppenheim, we appreciate you on the scene there for us. Thank you so much.

NGUYEN: Well, one of the problems with the storms, of course, the ice is all of that ice that is eventually going to melt. And when it does, it can fall off in giant pieces. This is TV station KSWO in Lawton, Oklahoma. Falling ice from its own transmission tower punched holes in the roof creating a huge mess.

HOLMES: Well, rain is causing flooding problems in Pittsburgh. Bridges and roads have been closed because of rising waters in the Allegheny, Ohio and Monongahela Rivers. (INAUDIBLE) are expecting the rivers to crest three feet over the flood stage before proceeding.

NGUYEN: All right, this just in to CNN. We're getting information on an eight alarm fire near Boston. So far, we're getting reports that one man has died because of it. Let me tell you a little bit about it. As many as 20 families were left homeless in this fire in the Lorraine Apartments near Boston. The fire broke out around midnight and quickly engulfed the five-story building. It also caused the evacuation of residents, even destroyed a temple next door.

But here is the problem this morning, 17 residents in the building have not been accounted for. Again, an eight alarm fire near Boston, Massachusetts. One man is confirmed dead and 17 people not accounted for. This fire broke out around midnight and just quickly engulfed the building, not only that, but it also destroyed a temple next door. As soon as we get a little bit more information on the story, of course, we'll bring it straight to you.

HOLMES: We will turn back to our weather now and our meteorologist Reynolds Wolf not here with us as always, as usually, at least, on the weekend. He's out and about.

NGUYEN: He's with us, just there, out in all of the snowy weather that is really blanketing lots of the country today. Reynolds, are people going to see any kind of relief?

REYNOLDS WOLF CNN, METEOROLOGIST: Well, today, they're getting a little bit of relief, not necessarily in terms of the temperatures, but certainly no precipitation for the time being. But what's going to happen is this is the calm before the storm. We get a second installment. A nor'easter is expected to develop as we get to the late night hours into tomorrow which could bring more sleet and snow to the Boston area and into much of New England.

Take a look at this video that we have for you, this is again just a remarkable video. Scene that we've seen all across part of Massachusetts. This is actually from (INAUDIBLE). This is taken just, again, a day or so again where we have snow plows. In fact, the state of Massachusetts activated nearly 4,000, nearly 4,000 vehicles in terms of plows, salt trucks doing what they could to clear the roadways but, still, that snow fell at such a quick rate, around three inches per hour and you had major backups and major problems and they're doing the best they can to stay ahead of it.

The second installment is expected to come later on. Right now coming to you from Boston Common where I mentioned the sky is clear. Temperatures in the 20s and there is a slight breeze. At the frog pond pavilion behind me, you see the munchkins out there having a great time and all the doodlebugs having just a magnificent time enjoying the sunshine. But I'm telling you, give it a 12 to 24 hours and it's going to be an entirely different picture here in Boston. That's the story.

Let's send it back to you in the nice, warm, toasty, 70 degree news room.

NGUYEN: Yes, it is nice where we are, Reynolds. Too bad, don't feel bad.

WOLF: 60-ish.

NGUYEN: You'll be back before you know it. Actually, we're sending T.J. out in the cold tomorrow.

HOLMES: Thirteen degrees right now where I'm going to be tomorrow, in Iowa.

WOLF: Dress warm in Iowa, T.J. It's going to be just brutal there. That is the weather, not just the politics.

HOLMES: Oh, we appreciate you, Reynolds.

We talk about this weather and, my goodness, we knew if was coming, had to happen. Chicago, live picture here. I believe we're showing. You see the bottom of the screen there with the exclamation point. The airport, O'Hare International, two-hour delays now being reported at the airport.

NGUYEN: You can see why. Look at that. You can hardly see anything in front of you.

HOLMES: You can see why because you can't see. That's exactly right. But yes, this is always common at O'Hare. You know, it's always weather going on around Chicago, some nasty weather around wintertime and notorious for delays a lot of times but here we go two- hour delays we're seeing.

Karen Maginnis in the weather center for us today. What is happening in and around the Chicago area right now?

KAREN MAGINNIS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: We have some snow and blowing snow. It's really going to be picking up in the next, probably three to four hours. On the order of two to four inches of snowfall. Let's go ahead and show you a picture now out of Oklahoma City. Looks like the rooftop of some place, but you can see how the snow is coming down now and it's being blown around and this is courtesy of KOCO in Oklahoma City. I want to show you what is happening as far as the winter weather is concerned. There's a narrow band of snowfall, but this is really going to increase both in depth and intensity, as well as the area that it will cover and this is going to be the most significant winter storm that we've seen so far. It's not even officially winter. But don't tell the calendar that just yet.

Here's a look at Chicago. Between Chicago and Indianapolis on interstate 65, that's where we're going to see the most dangerous weather. On the order of eight inches or so in some of those areas and between Kansas City and St. Louis along interstate 70, they're looking at significant snowfall but interior sections of the northeast, T.J. and Betty, it looks like up to two feet of snow falling and gusty winds.

Back to you.

NGUYEN: Man, oh, man, what a way to spend your weekend.

HOLMES: Karen, thank you so much for keeping us updated this morning.

Well, we'll turn now, all this cold that we're talking about. Go with some global warming now.

NGUYEN: Why not, just throw it in the mix.

HOLMES: Yes. Big break through happening on that very important topic of global warming.

NGUYEN: In fact, the U.S. has dropped its long-standing objections to a U.N. plan to curb greenhouse gases and that announcement today got a round of applause.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAULA DOBRIANSKY, SENIOR U.S. NEGOTIATOR: Mr. Chairman, let me say to you that we will go forward and join consensus in this debate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: You hear them clapping. It is a major shift on a very crucial issue. Now, talks can move forward on a global agreement to cut carbon dioxide emissions. The target date for a final agreement is 2009. Delegates agree on the new plan during the final day of a U.N. conference on climate change in Bali, Indonesia.

HOLMES: An end to the state of emergency in Pakistan. Just a few hours ago, President Pervez Musharraf lifted his emergency declaration. It had been in effect since November 3rd. President Musharraf has also restored the constitution, but with a few changes, those changes have not yet been publicized. Opposition leaders had said they will boycott next month's election if the emergency order was not lifted.

NGUYEN: Well, in Afghanistan, a rocket attack targets police headquarters, at least five people were killed in this attack. This morning in downtown Kabul, CNN senior international correspondent Nic Robertson is reporting two rockets were fired by militants just 50 yards away from the back of a small wooden cart.

HOLMES: All right. We all have horror stories about the people you live next to, your neighbors. They're loud, they're noisy, something.

NGUYEN: Something like that.

HOLMES: This is the guy you want living next to you. A great neighbor. A Utah teenager now being called a hero. 16-year-old Matt Mulholland jumped into action when his neighbor had a heart attack while clearing snow.

NGUYEN: Yes, Matt is a fire department cadet and knew just what to do. He performed CPR on his 59-year-old neighbor until the ambulance arrived. Bill Cross is now back home and happy to have such a quick-thinking neighbor.

HOLMES: And he hired someone to shovel his snow from now on.

NGUYEN: I would think so.

So, are you shopping for toys today? Before you go to that store, make sure you watch our next report on "Trouble in Toyland." We're finding alternatives to the made in China label.

HOLMES: It's Saturday morning, you know what that means, it's time for something to implode.

NGUYEN: Implosions.

HOLMES: It's time for something to implode. We have another installment of implosions are us here on CNN SATURDAY MORNING saying good-bye to a retirement center.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Time now to get you some "Quick Hits" this morning. Left in the cold and the dark.

HOLMES: Yes, oh, tall one. More than a quarter million homes and businesses in the Midwest are still without power after this week's ice storm. Now, a new winter storm threatens to set back recovery efforts across that region.

NGUYEN: Rules for taser use by Canadian police changing after three recent deaths, including this man. In October, the Polish immigrant was zapped by a stun gun at the airport in Vancouver after police say he acted erratically. Well, under the new rules, a subject's combative behavior or active resistance would warrant taser use.

HOLMES: Also, walls coming down. Georgia retirement home imploded last hour and you know how we love our implosions here on the weekend. Of course, no seniors were inside when this thing imploded.

NGUYEN: That's a good thing.

HOLMES: The building had not been occupied actually for three years and had a flood a few years back and everybody had to leave. A park is going to be going up in its place, but, you know, this isn't one of the better ones, as we said, because...

NGUYEN: We need a little sound. We want to hear it come crushing down. That's part of our joy as we watch these implosions. You know how we love our implosions here.

HOLMES: Something is wrong with us. Well folks, we'll turn to a story that concerns a lot of parents. If you're shopping for toys especially for your babies, the toddlers, the little ones. You have a lot to worry about these days.

NGUYEN: Especially after so many toy recalls. So which ones are safe? CNN's Kara Finnstrom went toy shopping with one mom to find out.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LISA BUCK, MOTHER: I actually called my mom saying, do I have to get rid of everything from my older kids because I don't know what has lead in it, you know, what has been tested?

KARA FINNSTROM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Mom Lisa Buck is in the swelling ranks of shoppers searching for toys without made in China labels. How hard has it been for you to find toys that don't have that label on it?

BUCK: Well, yes, except for one catalog that I know about it, it's very difficult.

FINNSTROM: Difficult because about 80 percent of toys in American stores are made in China. So, parents inundated with the recalls of Chinese toys containing lead, other toxins and dangerous magnets are looking for alternatives. Buck found this store.

SOLEIL MOON FRYE, SHOP OWNER: We're looking around and realizing what is in our children's toys. What are the toxins that are in our environment and it's a time in this country where we really need to ask questions.

FINNSTROM: Expectant mom and actress Soleil Moon Frye and mom Page Tolmack (ph) just opened this store which touts toxin-free toys.

PAGE TOLMACK: Things like play dough, they're going to end up putting in their mouth. They're going to use with their hands and put their hands in their mouth, it's non-toxic. It's absolutely safe for our babies to play with.

FINNSTROM: Consumer advocates charged the U.S. agency responsible for keeping watch over our kids' toys is overwhelmed. JEAN HALLORAN, CONSUMERS UNION: Unfortunately our Consumer Product Safety Commission has been cut back to almost nothing. They have half the staff they had 30 years ago and twice the job.

FINNSTROM: Even the head of the commission, in testimony before Congress admitted it couldn't keep up.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you know what percentage of the toys get tested now?

NANCY NORD, CPSC CHAIRWOMAN: Get tested for lead paint?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

NORD: No, I don't.

FINNSTROM: So consumer advocates encourage parents to do their own homework. Many Web sites have popped up, cataloguing non-toxic toys. Even Toys "R" Us now offer toy list with country of origin information.

DR. ROBERT ADLER, CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL LOS ANGELES: The problem with lead is that it does accumulate in certain tissues.

FINNSTROM: Pediatrician Dr. Robert Adler says lead levels in toys alone are usually not high enough to pose a threat, but he says if children are also exposed to other lead sources like old paint, the cumulative effect could be dangerous.

ADLER: Lead seems to have an effect on the growing brain. And because brain growth so much of it occurs at a young age that that has its biggest impact. So lead will interfere with normal development.

BUCK: Obviously, now, with my newest one, I'm going to protect him in a different way that I never even thought that I would have to do.

FINNSTROM: Buck says when her two oldest boys were babies, Christmas shopping was carefree. Now, she's looking for much more than the latest hit toy.

Kara Finnstrom for CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: And from Dora the Explorer to Thomas the Tank engine, some of the hottest toys are recalled. Yeah, 22 million toys this year alone. The number staggering, really. Implications, potentially deadly, lead paints, choking hazards. So, this is the holiday shopping season parents have to be on top of their game.

NGUYEN: Yes. It is "Trouble in Toyland" and all week long we're going beyond the fear and recalls, offering you some solutions. Watch for our special coverage later today right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

In the meantime, though, let's say you've done all your holiday shopping.

HOLMES: Almost.

NGUYEN: Your tree is up.

HOLMES: Of course.

NGUYEN: The house is clean.

HOLMES: Not quite.

NGUYEN: Yes, right. Will it ever be?

HOLMES: Well, of course, when you get that done, you want to help others maybe. So which charities should you choose? Your personal finance editor Gerri Willis has some tips for you next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Well, some help may be on the way for homeowners caught in that sub prime mortgage mess. The Senate has now approved the bill that will allow the federal government to refinance some of those loans and that could help tens of thousands of homeowners. The House actually has already passed a similar measurement.

NGUYEN: You know, it seems like everyone has their handout this many time of year and many people are inclined to give, but there are some important things to keep in mind before handing over cash or goods. Personal finance editor Gerri Willis helps us navigate through the potential hazards of charitable giving.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Hi, Betty.

For many people giving to charity symbolizes the true spirit of holiday giving but before you give make sure your contribution is going into the right hands. First, find out how much of your donation will go to the charity's mission. Now, most charities are able to spend less than 10 percent of its budget on fund-raising and less than 15 percent on administrative cost. Make sure at least 75 percent of the charity's budget is going towards the mission. Now, to get the report card go to the better business bureau's Web site at give.org. You can also check out charitynavigator.org.

Be wary though, sadly there are a lot of scam artists out there to take advantage of people during the holiday season. Get the full name and address of the charity. You should also watch out for statements like all proceeds go to charity. This may mean the money left after expenses like fund raising and administrative cost will go to the charity. It's also not a good idea to give money to a charity that solicits money over the telephone. Calls are generally conducted by professional fund-raisers and they can keep up to 95 cents for every dollar raised.

Now, if you want to deduct your charitable gift, you need to make a donation before December 31st. If you donate online, you get an instant receipt you can file away until tax time. You'll need receipts for every charitable deduction you take. Keep in mind you want to find a tax deductible organization if you want to take the deduction. If an organization says, tax exempt, it just means they won't have to pay taxes.

But coming up on "OPEN HOUSE" at 9:30 a.m. Eastern time, we'll have the latest on the mortgage meltdown, money must use before 2008 and how to spot real from fake goods on everything from your personal purses to your smoke detectors. That's all coming up at 9:30 -- Betty.

NGUYEN: All right. Gerri will be back. So stay tuned for "OPEN HOUSE" coming up in six minutes.

HOLMES: All right. We don't appreciate it when it happens. But we all see people make fun of news anchors.

NGUYEN: No, do they really?

HOLMES: We don't appreciate it, but it happens. But check this one out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In Pakistan, President Pervez Musharraf on Wednesday hoping it will make him appear more like a regular guy and less like a dictator.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Did you see her little teeth? Or the lack of. This is really an interesting Web site. One of the many things that we're finding on the web. Josh has been scouring them, as well. Josh, what are you finding?

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, man. You got to love that. Like a dictator. This is fantastic stuff. Here's the deal, we're going to be telling you all about this. It certainly catching a lot of fans online. I don't want to spend too much time showing her though, she's actually giving us a run for our money here. The art of making even depressing news adorable coming up right here on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: All right. We hear it all the time. News I don't watch because it's bad. Just by nature, bad.

NGUYEN: Nothing but bad news. So sick of hearing bad news. OK. Our Josh Levs just found a Web site where even the worst news can actually make you smile.

LEVS: Yes. Well, maybe not so much about the news if it's put a certain way. You saw the clip just now. You're going to love this thing. You know the old saying, a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine goes down. Well, that's what's happening here. Leave it to an adorable precocious six-year-old with such good comedic timing to take the sting out of the day's headlines. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MALIA, A.K.A. "BUNNY," MINOR NEWS TODAY: In Pakistan, President Pervez Musharraf on Wednesday hoping it will make him appear more like a regular guy and less like a dictator. In Las Vegas, O.J. Simpson plead not guilty, again. In Paris, President Nicolas Sarkozy know that behavior was unacceptable and will be punished. Say that again.

In sports, (INAUDIBLE) telecom have pulled sponsorship of the world famous T-mobile cycling team because its riders couldn't stop cheating. In business, the Dow rallied again yesterday on hopes that might follow (INAUDIBLE) that could possibly cut interest rate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEVS: You know the bottom just fallen out of your forearm.

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