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CNN Saturday Morning News
Monster Winter Storm Slams East Coast; Senate in Session
Aired December 19, 2009 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, hello, everybody. From the CNN Center, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING. It's December 19. Good morning. I'm Betty Nguyen.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Rob Marciano, in today for T.J. Holmes. Thanks for starting your day with us. It's a - it's a big weather day.
NGUYEN: Oh my goodness. What a day for the folks on the East Coast.
MARCIANO: Yes, it is. Especially if you're waking up in D.C. A storm you haven't seen the likes of in years, maybe decades. This is the scene this morning. Snow blowing sideways. Virgin America Airlines has already canceled all incoming and outgoing flights to Washington- Dulles airports. And we have the latest travel information at the bottom of your screen. Now, that will be coming up shortly and we'll have it for you all morning long.
NGUYEN: Also ahead, an $8.5 billion project finally complete. How City Center, the newest hotel-casino in Las Vegas has created jobs. We're talking 12,000 jobs.
MARCIANO: And Reynolds Wolf is in Virginia covering this morning's big storm. But before he left, he had a little time to get into the holiday spirit.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLIGIST: I'm coming to you from the Biltmore Estate outside beautiful Asheville, North Carolina, where people are going to be walking through these doors. In fact, over a quarter of a million during the holiday season. And when they do start, they're going to be seeing over 50 Christmas trees, over 25,000 ornaments, over 30,000 lights and 1,500 miles of garland.
You don't believe me? Ask me. I ain't lying.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(LAUGHTER)
NGUYEN: I've been out there. It's gorgeous. A huge place though, a huge estate. And still to come, Reynolds will take you to the Christmas tradition at George Vanderbilt's estate at Biltmore, which dates back to 1895.
But first, let's get to the stories overnight. We've been following this for you: President Obama returned to a blustery Washington just a few hours ago. The president left that global climate conference in Copenhagen with what he calls a - quote - "meaningful and unprecedented climate-change deal" with China and other key nations.
Now, after his departure, the conference narrowly escaped collapse. But that was avoided when the participants agreed to work toward a common goal to limit global temperature rise below two degrees Celsius.
MARCIANO: And Senate Democrats may have the 60 votes they need to pass their current health-care reform bill. This after some late-night bargaining with Democrat Ben Nelson over abortion funding in the bill.
Majority Leader Harry Reid is set to unveil the final changes in the bill today. The Senate gets back into session in about 45 minutes. A defense-spending bill is first on the agenda, and we'll bring you the latest developments as they happen.
NGUYEN: Well, there is a new twist in American David Goldman's efforts to gain custody of his son in Brazil. The attorney for the boy's Brazilian grandparents says they have invited him to spend Christmas with them.
Now, there's no word yet on whether he's accepted that invitation. Goldman went to Brazil to get his 9-year-old son after a court upheld his custodial rights. But as he arrived, a Brazilian Supreme Court justice halted the reunion, ordering a new review of the case.
MARCIANO: Monster storm right now. It is roaring up the East Coast. D.C. is in the bulls-eye. The mayor believes it could be the worst since 2003. It could be the worst since before that.
The Virginia governor has declared a state of emergency. Roads in Virginia pretty bad. Something like 330 accidents already. The hardest-hit area is Roanoke, Virginia. And D.C. - I mean, they could get 20 inches, maybe more. Now, the concern is what to do about all that snow, especially in Massachusetts, where people in one city are concerned about the costs that come with cleaning up.
NGUYEN: All right. Let's get more now on this major winter storm, falling in New York, D.C., Massachusetts. There are so many people this morning waking up to a lot of snow.
MARCIANO: Yes, so Reynolds Wolf, your meteorologist- in command here on the weekends, wanted to get out in it. And there he is, in Fredericksburg...
NGUYEN: He may be regretting it now.
MARCIANO: ....Virginia, just west (sic) of Washington, D.C. proper. And it certainly is blowing sideways there.
NGUYEN: Oh, it looks cold.
MARCIANO: Good morning, Reynolds.
WOLF: Good morning, guys.
Yes, we're coming to you from Fredericksburg, Virginia. I mean, it's a beautiful morning here. People are waking up. And you know, we're still two days away from the official start of winter. We got some folks that are out here enjoying it for themselves.
How you doing this morning?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: USA!
WOLF: USA, that's right. He's all for USA. He's all for...
NGUYEN: (INAUDIBLE)
WOLF: ...the great snow that we've been having here.
Guys, in terms of some snowfall, what we're going to be seeing here this morning is about eight inches of snow. But we're probably going to continue to see that accumulation through the afternoon hours.
Right here at the intersection of Princess Anne and William Street, you can see, as far all the way down the street, and you see the snow on the ground, and you see, of course, the - the snow continuing to come down.
Roads have been in pretty good shape. There's actually (INAUDIBLE). And we've seen plenty of traffic - I mean, for this time of the morning, come on, it's not going to be that busy. But we have seen quite a few people out and about.
Now right over here behind me, we've got CNN photojournalist Rick Blackburn (ph) with us. Rick, let's step over here to the Hyperion Espresso Shop (ph). In this spot, (INAUDIBLE) man just came in a little ago. He said it took him about 20 minutes to get into town, which he said is actually about usual.
However, into the afternoon, we have more snow come down. I've got a feeling it's going to be a tall order for many people in this area, and of course, people up and down much of the Eastern Seaboard.
This is just one hamlet, one small town we're seeing that snow stack up. And it's certainly an amazing thing to see. We're going to be giving you updates from this area, from this town - oh, that wind's getting strong - throughout a good part of the day.
Let's send it back to you guys in the studio.
Check this out. Good stuff.
MARCIANO: All right. Thanks, Reynolds.
Snowfall totals in some spots - Asheville, North Carolina, already 17 inches of snow. Greenville, Virginia, 16 inches. Reynolds, as you mentioned, about - about eight inches or so there. Not very packable. You saw him squishing that snow around. It - pretty dry. Very, very cold air mass that was in place as all this moisture came up the Eastern Seaboard. And we have winter-storm warnings that extend from northern North Carolina in through West Virginia, Virginia, the DelMarVa, and right up through New England. And some spots in through here, especially along - along the Chesapeake Bay area, Annapolis, Maryland, under a blizzard warning. That means that winds will at times be 35 miles an hour for about, you know, three hours, give or take, reducing visibilities and making it just - just miserable.
And that - that same blizzard warning is in effect for parts of New England.
This stretches, actually, back all the way to - to Cincinnati, Ohio; Columbus, Ohio, you're seeing some snow. Getting into West Virginia. And then, of course, D.C. is where we're seeing most of the action right now.
As far as temperatures go, you saw Reynolds was bundled up pretty well. Into the 20s. So certainly cold enough for snow. This is all snow, with the - except for south and east of Virginia, towards Virginia - Virginia Beach, where - where it's not snow. It's going to be very windy, and waves will be battering that area.
As far as the snowfall is concerned, it does start to slacken off just around Raleigh and north of Charlotte. But the area of low pressure is out here, and it's actually strengthening. So we've got a good 12 to 18 hours, Betty, of this snowfall to continue. So whatever you see on the ground in Baltimore and D.C. right now, you can pretty much double it. And that's about what you're going to look for, accumulations. Which means we could 18, 20, 22 inches of snow in some spots. And that certainly would be record-breaking.
More on this throughout the morning.
NGUYEN: Oh my goodness. Well, hey, if it sticks around long enough, it'll be a white Christmas for a lot of folks out there. Thank you.
MARCIANO: That's the bright side, for sure.
NGUYEN: Yes, exactly.
MARCIANO: All right then (ph).
NGUYEN: Glass half full. That's how we're going to look at it today.
And we're going to continue to watch this powerful winter snowstorm. Keep a check on the bottom of your screen there, because that has the latest on your travel information. And also remember that Virgin America Airlines has already canceled all incoming and outgoing flights to Washington-Dulles Airport.
And coming up just a little bit later, I'm going to take you to the newest hotel-casino in Las Vegas that almost didn't happen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Give us the money you promised us. We're going to employ these 12,000 people. You're going to make money, banks. We're going to make money as - as an enterprise, and we're going to help a community.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Still to come, the man who fought so hard to bring 12,000 jobs to Las Vegas. Meet him and the amazing people he's hired.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC, ELLA FITZGERALD, "I'VE GOT MY LOVE TO KEEP ME WARM")
NGUYEN: Well, a little Ella Fitzgerald this morning.
MARCIANO: Just trying to look at the bright side of this little snowstorm that folks that are enduring...
NGUYEN: Yes.
MARCIANO: ...across Washington, D.C. and northwards.
NGUYEN: Exactly.
And if you're in that area, you're going to need a little bit more than love to keep you warm today.
MARCIANO: The mayor of D.C. has declared a snow emergency. The city could get - well, at least 10 - certainly a foot of snow. Maybe as much as 20 inches.
Kate Bolduan is bundled up there. She's joining us live now.
Snow emergency, Kate. What exactly does that mean?
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you can see it clearly means snow, Rob. It is a beautiful, beautiful very early morning here in Washington, D.C.
We're up in front of the nation's Capitol, the actual Capitol building. Very beautiful. Very white. The snow - it started last night, and it's definitely starting to accumulate everywhere that we've been. I've been driving through the streets this morning, and you see snow crews out. You see people trying to get out, even at some of the museums already, trying to shovel some of the sidewalks.
The mayor of D.C. says that they are expecting the biggest snowfall since 2003 here in the District. And you mentioned, they're looking at anything from over a foot to something possibly over two feet. And the mayor says they are preparing - albeit very beautiful - they are preparing for a pretty rugged few days.
Listen here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ADRIAN FENTY (D), MAYOR OF WASHINGTON, D.C.: The Department of Transportation and the Department of Public Works snow team has already started. They've started putting down liquid brine in some parts of the city, and will ramp up significantly within the next couple of hours.
At 8 p.m. tonight, we start the first shift - the first 12-hour shift.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BOLDUAN: And one Maryland high - state highway - state highway administration official put it pretty well to me. They said, working in their favor is that it is a weekend, that they are - that the snow crews, the plows are not going to have to be battling with the usual rush-hour traffic or as many cars on the road.
But at the same time, this is, as we've been talking about, a very big holiday-shopping weekend. So that is also adding some additional challenges, possibly.
Back to you guys.
MARCIANO: The main concern for residents, many of whom don't have to go work but who need to get out and get some of their holiday chores down - what's the feel on the ground there from people who live - who are living through this?
BOLDUAN: Yes, I think - and you - and you've probably talked about it already this morning - but anyone who has lived in D.C. for any amount of time, they will tell you that it sure enough does not take very much weather to shut down this city pretty darn quickly.
But this morning, we really haven't seen many people out here. It, of course, is early. I can expect you could see some - you know, possibly some families getting out here later this morning to enjoy some of the snow. But at the same time, D.C. officials ask people - as city and state officials across the - across the Northeast right now are saying, is don't get on the roads if it is at all possible, because they're not going to be as great as they would be on a normal day.
And in terms of public transit, D.C. officials say that part of - part of D.C.'s Metro is above ground, as well as underground. And they say if they get about 10 inches, they really have to start pulling back or even stopping completely the above-ground Metro services, the subway system. So that is something for residents to really keep an eye on if they're trying to get around this city at all today.
NGUYEN: I guess the best bet is just to stay home and stay warm.
All right, Kate. You are not going to be able to do that, at least for the next few hours.
MARCIANO: Exactly.
NGUYEN: We do appreciate your updates. We'll be checking in with you shortly.
MARCIANO: I wonder if the Senate's going to be taking the subway to work today.
NGUYEN: I kind of doubt it today.
MARCIANO: No? It - hopefully they will get there....
NGUYEN: They will be working.
MARCIANO: And there - there is some important business to do there, for sure.
We're going to be keeping a close eye on the snowstorms throughout the morning. Josh Levs is actually tracking travel delays for us - Josh.
JOSH LEVS, CNN CONTRIBUTOIR: Yes, you know, because, obviously, this is going to affect the entire country, right? We know where the storm is focused, but the whole country, especially the way the air system works, will be affected at some point during this day.
So I'm going to show you how to check on your flights. Also, the roads around with you, with live, updated information that you can access from your computer to see how any neighborhood in the country is affected by this storm.
I'll show you that.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC, TOM PETTY, "CHRISTMAS ALL OVER AGAIN")
MARCIANO: Holiday travel, that's a big deal this weekend...
NGUYEN: Oh man.
MARCIANO: ...for tourists. They may be heading the roads...
NGUYEN: A big nightmare for some folks.
MARCIANO: Might have to get on a - on a - on a plane. If you're anywhere on the East Coast, it's going to be a problem.
NGUYEN: Yes, expect delays today, folks. So we'll give you the latest on those with Josh Levs. He joins us with some really good Web sites that'll help you check it out before you head to the airport and have to wait hours on end.
Hey, Josh.
LEVS: Yes, that's, you know, what people dread. And this is - we're talking about the final weekend before Christmas. Obviously, a lot of people are going to be trying to - to fly today.
So we know that this is going to be a problem for a lot of people. Here's what I'm going to do: I'm going to show you all some important Web sites to use. You don't need to write this down; at the end, I'm going to show you one place where it's all linked for you in a list, easy to find.
Let's zoom right into the screen. First thing you're seeing here is CNN.com. We'll get to some of these interesting pictures in a minute. But I want to bring you over to this, which is coming from AccuWeather.com. What they do is, they're giving you a sense of how bad they think the travel delays are going to be throughout the day.
This section right here is where they're expecting delays throughout the day. And the red indicates delays at least through the morning. It's something to watch out for, and obviously, we can expect that to increase throughout the day and change.
Take a look over here, too. This one is from the FAA itself. And what they do is, they give you these little green dots that hook you up to individual airports. And when you click on it, it gives you the latest specific information from all these different airports.
I also like this one, from orbitz.com. Orbitz, at times, has had even faster updated information than the FAA itself. So if you check out Orbitz, the Web site there, then again, you can click on any one of these. This brings you to a - that specific airport, and it'll give you the latest information about delays at that airport.
Now, what if you're just traveling on the roads? We actually link you to this, the "National Traffic and Road Closure Information" page. You can click on any section of the country. I just randomly clicked on "Pennsylvania," and it just gives you a list of links that you can get to there.
So no matter where you're going to be, you will be able to access the latest information about flights or roads.
This is where it's all, the blog: CNN.com/josh. We've paste - posted it up there for you. Also, Facebook and Twitter, joshlevscnn.
And along with this, online, we have something else going on, and that brings us back to these pictures. If you're in a position, safely, to take pictures or videos, you can send them to us at iReport.com. And these are some of the latest photos that we're sharing with you here at CNN.com. And you can see, already some of the pictures that have been coming in over the last 24 hours from various places across the country. Some people saying they're having the first snowball fights of the season.
Now, of course, that's the fun side of all this. We know there's also going to be some more serious stuff when, as you were hearing earlier, we start hearing about what's going on on those roads. So be very, very safe. Don't take any pictures in any dangerous situations. But share us your stories - share your stories with us throughout the day.
And Rob and Betty, we will keep an eye on these delays throughout the day. And as you know, along the bottom of the screen, we'll have updates running as well.
NGUYEN: Absolutely. So we are on top of all of it ...
LEVS: All of it.
NGUYEN: ...for you this morning. Thank you for that.
You know, Republicans, they were claiming that they were being kept away from the negotiating table for health care. Why they're comparing the Democrats to Bernie Madoff.
MARCIANO: And as we've been mentioning, the winter weather is here. And we're going to hear from meteorologist Reynolds Wolf in a minute from Virginia.
But first, he's a look back at his memorable moment of 2009.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WOLF: I'm coming to you from beautiful Asheville, North Carolina, outside the Biltmore Estate. And looking back at 2009, one of the most incredible stories for me was covering the Station Fire in Southern California. It was a blaze that scorched an area larger than the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico.
But amid the widespread devastation, one of the amazing things about the story was the incredible, heroic efforts of the men and women battling that blaze.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: But want to give you the latest on these top stories this morning.
Senate Democrats may have the 60 votes they need to pass their current health-care reform bill. This after some late-night bargaining with Nebraska Democrat Ben Nelson over abortion funding in the bill.
Majority Leader Harry Reid set to unveil the final changes in the bill today. The Senate does get back into session in less than a half hour. The Senate spending bill is first on the agenda. And of course, we will bring you the latest developments as it happens.
MARCIANO: Well, if you're developing a cold and you have a child in the house, here's a warning for you: About 700,000 bottles of Vicks Dayquil cold medicine are being recalled. Now, there's nothing wrong with the medicine; it's only the packaging.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission says it's not child-proof. So the recall affects Vicks Dayquil Cold and Flu 24-count bonus pack liqui-caps. But if you don't have a child in the house or if you have it in a safe spot, the medicine is fine. Just keep it out of a child's reach. NGUYEN: U.S. border agents detained rapper Lil Wayne in Texas after a drug dog supposedly found marijuana on two of his tour buses. Authorities questioned and released the rapper and part of his entourage.
Lil Wayne was on his way to a concert in Laredo. Next year, he begins a prison sentence on gun charges.
MARCIANO: And Senate Republicans are still hoping to delay the vote on health-care reform. Some liberals say the current bill is too watered down.
NGUYEN: Yes, but today, President Obama is using his weekly address to answer critics from both sides of the aisle.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Both the House and the Senate bills would make it against the law for insurance companies to deny you coverage on the basis of a pre-existing condition or illness. Both would stop insurers from charging exorbitant premiums on the basis of age, health or gender.
Both would prevent insurance companies from dropping your coverage when you get sick. And both would put a limit on how much you have to pay out of pocket for the treatments you need in a year or a lifetime.
Simply put, the protections currently included in both the health- insurance reform bill passed by the House, and the version currently on the Senate floor, would represent the toughest measures we've ever taken to hold the insurance industry accountable. Anyone who says otherwise simply hasn't read the bills.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Well, no Republicans are on board with the Senate bill right now. In the weekly GOP address, Senator John McCain accused the Democrats of cutting his party out of the big decisions on health care.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN MCCACIN (R), ARIZONA: To disguise the cost of their reforms, the Democrats are resorting to accounting gimmicks that would make Bernie Madoff blush.
Contrary to assurances from the White House and the Democratic leadership in Congress, the process Democrats used to write the bill was anything but open and bipartisan. It was an exercise in legislative sausage making conducted behind closed doors, without the participation of Republicans.
The administration cut deals with the drug companies to get their support, which ensured increased profits for them and increased costs for consumers.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Well, right after this show, at 7:30 Eastern, Dr. Sanjay Gupta digs into the much-debated health-care debate, and will your grandmother - here's a question for you - will your grand - grandmother get the care that she needs? We're myth-busting - we are myth-busting and getting the facts.
Also, women and breast-cancer testing: Why some women may be going under the knife who do not need to.
"HOUSE CALL" with Dr. Sanjay Gupta, next.
Well, you know, many people faced tough economic times this year. But on top of that, one man losing his job and then his house - well, he also lost his parents.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENITFIED MALE: I went into a state of depression where I just shut down. I didn't talk to anybody. I didn't sleep. I was up for, like, weeks, months. I was at a point where I didn't leave my house. I was like Howard Hughes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARCIANO: Still to come, this man's amazing story. Just when his life was unraveling, the opening of Vegas' newest casino and hotel gave him hope.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Hello, everybody, on this cold Saturday morning, especially for those of you in the Northeast. We're going to be talking about weather conditions there.
Thanks for joining us though. I'm Betty Nguyen.
MARCIANO: Yes, quite a storm brewing. So T.J. decided to take the day off.
NGUYEN: Hey, perfect timing, right?
MARCIANO: That's right. I'm not complaining. This is a day I certainly want to work.
Thanks for joining us. I'm Rob Marciano, in today for T.J.
NGUYEN: Well, if you are just joining us, we are keeping an eye on the major snowstorm that is hitting the Northeast. Virgin America Airlines already canceling all flights into Washington-Dulles for the day.
MARCIANO: Yes, we're going to look at some of those top stories that we're following outside of weather.
Here they go: The Senate starting up very early this Saturday morning. The session to start about 15 minutes. First on the agenda: The $636 billion defense-spending bill that includes money for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and a military pay raise.
The Senate is expected to pass it, and then shift back to health care.
NGUYEN: Officials at the Pentagon say they will practice responding to a simulated missile attack by Iran. Now, Iran tested a missile this week, the second such test in recent weeks.
The practice session will be conducted by the military's Missile Defense Agency in January.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN ANCHOR, CNN SATURDAY MORNING: President Obama returned to a snow-bound Washington earlier today. He's back from that global climate conference in Copenhagen with what he calls, quote, "A meaningful and unprecedented climate change deal with China and other key nations."
The U.N. secretary general says this is just the beginning of the process to rein in greenhouse gas emissions.
Let's take you back down to the big story we're following. A major winter storm happening right now. Snow falling in New York, Massachusetts, and the nation's capital.
MARCIANO: Let's get you right into it where Reynolds Wolf is, our meteorologist on the scene live in Fredericksburg, Virginia, where it looks like it let up a little bit. Don't worry, I peeked at the radar, you've got a lot more to come, my friend.
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Absolutely. You know the amazing thing, Rob, is this truly has the potential of being an historic storm. That's one thing we want to let people understand. For the D.C. area, on average they get about 18.2 inches of snowfall per year. And with the chance of getting possibly several feet of snow in D.C., yeah, it's going to be really an incredible thing.
And just in terms of the numbers sake, the record snowfall for D.C. was set back in 1922 in January. They referred to it as the Knickerbocker storm because there was so much snowfall that came down, about 28 inches, it caused the roof of the Knickerbocker Theater, to actually cave in, killing people 98 people and injuring about 130.
Now, here we certainly don't have 28 inches of snowfall. But just from last night until now, it started off with a few flurries and now we're seeing snow begin stack up in a few places here and there. About 8 inches in a few spots, but this road, keep in mind has groomed a couple of times and they're going to continue to keep going. City services says things are running pretty well all things considered, because they have let the snowplows out. They have had, some of the roads have been salted. And for now, they seem to be a little passable.
On this stretch of roadway, that we have William Street, you've got a collection of a few cars here. But you have even more shops. That's one really important thing to remember. When you're talking about shopping, this is the final weekend going into Christmas, the final shopping weekend. And with an economy that is just staggering, you want to be able to get out there. And, of course, people want to be able to spend some money, get those presents. That's one thing you need to have. Another thing is traveling. This is a big weekend people are taking off.
Obviously, not just on the roads, but at the airports. Trying to go see their loved ones. And as timing would have it, you've got this major snowstorm to deal with. Here in Fredericksburg, Virginia, they're handling things well. Of course at this introspection, we've been seeing the cars and seeing a few people out and about. And it's going to be very interesting to see how all of this pans out as this storm chugs its way right up the Eastern Seaboard.
Let's send it back to you, Rob.
MARCIANO: All right, Reynolds. Stay warm out there, my friend. You still have a long time yet to go with this thing.
It is intensifying. And that means the storm around Reynolds will be intensifying, as well. It is a blizzard for some folks around the D.C. area, east of D.C. and through Annapolis, now the Delmarva has been included in that blizzard warning. The closer you get to the coastline where the winds are going to be stronger, and that snow is going to reduce visibilities, that's where you get that blizzard warning. Not necessarily because of the snowfall total.
Speaking of, check out some of these numbers in the mountains of North Carolina, 17 inches in Asheville that, I believe, was a record. Greenville, Virginia, at 16 inches, Williamsburg, West Virginia, 16 inches and this is where the winter storm warnings are posted right now.
And where you see the pink and that would include Annapolis and parts of the Delmarva along the Chesapeake and western parts of Chesapeake Bay. That is where the blizzard warning is and also is extended for Long Island also. You'll get a little bit later in the day and through tonight in Long Island. And also, looks like Cape Cod and southern parts of Rhode Island have been included in that blizzard warning, as well.
Let's show you what's going on as far as the radars are concerned. A lot of white, that means heavy snow. Bethesda seeing 26 to 27 inches, Ewing 25, 34 down at Henderson. That is where we are seeing a little bit of a mix, So near the coastline, Virginia Beach, you are seeing a mixture, mostly a rain there. Notice the snow line, the precip line kind of ends around Virginia. But it'll intensify because the low is kind of intensifying and bringing in more moisture off the ocean.
Here's some of the forecast totals expected by our computers. This purple, Betty, could be 20 inches of snow. I can't write I that very well. Could be 20 inches of snow. And there's only been two times.
If D.C. gets -- I don't know if Reynolds mentioned this, if D.C. gets over 20 inches of snow, that has only happened twice in the last 100, or so years. Definitely a historic storm coming. NGUYEN: No, doubt and we will be watching it. Thank you so much for that, Rob.
And plenty of children will want to be out playing in that snow today, but we found a group just captivated by holiday magic.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "What's today," cried Scrooge, crying down to a boy in Sunday clothes. "Hey," returned the boy with all his might of wonder. "What's today, my fine fellow?"
"Today? Why Christmas Day.
"Oh, it's Christmas Day" said Scrooge.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: It is a must-see Christmas story, but this one wasn't written by Charles Dickens. Our very own Reynolds Wolf travels to Biltmore Estate to show you a 114-year tradition.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MARCIANO: Let's go.
NGUYEN: I know, I just got back from there, now I'm ready to go back to Vegas.
MARCIANO: Did you win, loose, did you play the tables?
NGUYEN: I was working, Rob.
MARCIANO: Of course you were. Silly question. It's a city within a city, a massive 67-acre 18 million square-foot web of hotels, spas, a casino, and so much more. Did you check that out?
NGUYEN: I sure did, it's huge. And it is called CityCenter and this weekend it officially opened for business on the Vegas Strip creating much-needed jobs, thousands of them. I recently caught up with a few job seekers who took a gamble on CityCenter and won.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, you're from Australia, welcome. I mean it, welcome.
NGUYEN (voice over): After five years in the making, CityCenter is now a welcoming site to thousands, not just to tourists, but employees like security guard Delores Witherspoon. She was laid in February and ended up losing her home.
DELORES WITHERSPOON, CITYCENTER SECURITY GUARD: I needed a job like somebody looking for water and they were in the desert. That's how bad I need it.
NGUYEN: And she wasn't alone, Patrick Fuchs also lost his job and couldn't afford to pay his mortgage.
PATRICK FUCHS, CITYCENTER EMPLOYEE: I lost two homes, actually. I lost my house and my parents' house. Both my parents passed away last year and I was stuck with my house. And they passed away, and then I had their house; so the family home and my home both gone.
NGUYEN: That was when he hit rock bottom.
FUCHS: I went into a state of depression. I just shut down, I didn't talk to anybody. I didn't sleep. I was up for like weeks, months. I had a point I didn't leave my house. I was like Howard Hughes, I didn't cut my hair, didn't bathe, anything. I was so depressed.
NGUYEN: It is these stories that make the opening of the newest addition to the Vegas Strip that much more important to the man behind CityCenter. But MGM Mirage Chairman and CEO Jim Murren faced his on challenges getting the $8.5-billion project funded nearly going bankrupt waiting for loans.
JIM MURREN, CHAIRMAN, CEO, MGM MIRAGE, CITYCENTER: When we went to the banks, we said give us the damn money. You know, we'll finish this. We've got our money in, we'll get our partners' money in, we'll make sure that you get your money back. We're not asking for a handout. There's no government bailout here. Just give us the money you promised us. We're going to employ these 12,000 people, you're going to make money, banks, we're going to make money as an enterprise, and we're going to help a community.
NGUYEN: This spring, the banks came through. And for a community that has a 13 percent unemployment rate and leads the nation in foreclosures, the 12,000 job CityCenter has created ...
WEATEHRSPOON: How you all doing over there?
NGUYEN: ...couldn't have come at a better time.
WEATHESPOON: It was like a dream come true. I just felt blessed.
MURREN: Seeing smiles on these employees' faces. Seeing the energy, the excitement that they have is the best possible reward.
NGUYEN: And for Murren, watching his vision finally come to fruition, has eased some of the pressure from what has been called a billion- dollar bet.
MURREN: So the pressure level is vastly less than it was earlier this year. When we last met, we're wondering will the project be finished? Can we keep the jobs going? Can we open this project? And of course, we've answered all of those questions.
NGUYEN: Now the question is, can this gamble on CityCenter create the economic boost that Las Vegas desperately needs?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: To give you an indication of just how many people are in need of jobs out there, not just in Vegas, because this employed a lot of people from other states who just wanted a job. They were accepted, and so they moved to Vegas for it. But 170,000 people applied for those 12,000 permanent jobs at CityCenter.
MARCIANO: Wow.
NGUYEN: But I'll tell you this, Vegas is down when it comes to tourism, 6 percent on the year. The convention business, that's down by a third. So it's going to be a little while before the full return of investment on that $8.5 billion project, called CityCenter, is realized.
MARCIANO: I'm flabbergasted by -- if we build it, they will come mentality. But they truly believe that. I guess it has worked in the past.
NGUYEN: They do. And I think, too, when you're looking at a recession like this, you've got to get in on the early part of it so when the economy does roll around, it's built, it's there, it's ready to go and the money will start rolling in.
MARCIANO: We're all cheering for Vegas.
NGUYEN: Vegas does need a comeback, doesn't it?
MARCIANO: Let's check in some of the top stories that we're working on this morning. The Senate, in just a few moments, is going to begin an early Saturday session. Democrats may have the 60 votes they need to pass their current health care reform bill. This, after some late night bargaining with Nebraska democrats Ben Nelson over abortion funding in that bill. But before senators dive back into the health care thing, they're expected to vote on a $636 billion Defense spending bill.
NGUYEN: If you have a cold or a few sniffles here and there. We want to give you a warning, though, about a 700,000 pack of Vicks DayQuil cold medicine. Actually those are different packs that we are talking about, 700,000 of them have been recalled. Nothing is wrong with the medicine, it's the packaging, in fact. The Consumer Product Safety Commission says it is not child proof. The recall affects Vicks DayQuil Cold and Flu 24 count, bonus pack, liquid caps.
And a final farewell from ABC anchorman Charles Gibson. Last night the "World News" broadcast was his last. Gibson is retiring after almost 35 years with the network. He's anchored the evening news since 2006. His former "Good Morning America" co-host Diane Sawyer takes over Monday. ABC says they were aiming for a low key transition.
In about five minutes, get ready to travel back in time as our very own Reynolds Wolf goes on a holiday assignment.
WOLF: Coming up on CNN SATURDAY MORNING, we're going to take you inside the Biltmore to show you the great sights and sounds of the holiday season. See you in a few.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MARCIANO: We've been telling you about this monster snowstorm that is heading up the East Coast, affecting people who are mostly doing some travel. And we're starting to get personal stories in. This one is fairly dramatic.
Mandie Casey, we have her on the phone leaving, Toledo, Ohio, yesterday early morning headed toward Roanoke. Supposed to be an eight-hour drive.
Mandie, can you hear us? What's your status right now?
MANDY CASEY, VIA PHONE, STRANDED MOTORIST: Right now we're no longer stuck. We're on a different route to our destination trying to find our way, but we're not really familiar with this area. And there's snow everywhere, the roads have not -- they've been plowed but the snow has not stopped. It's just still coming down. It's hard to find our way.
MARCIANO: How long have you been on the road?
CASEY: We've been on the road since 8:00 o'clock yesterday morning.
MARCIANO: All right. So we're pushing 24 hours here for what should be an eight-hour drive. Have you taken this route before without snow?
CASEY: Oh, yeah.
MARCIANO: So this is usually isn't an issue. Have you ever experienced something to this effect, as far as weather and driving conditions?
CASEY: No. Not like this. I mean, we're from up north, so we're used to having snow and stuff, but not being stuck like this just because they're not used to having this kind of thing. And they apparently didn't have emergency precautions in place of what to do if something like this happens.
MARCIANO: What did you see? Was it just the sheer volume of snow? Or were there accidents every other mile?
CASEY: Really, we didn't see a whole lot of accidents. Mostly what we saw were semis that were stuck. They couldn't get gripped in the snow, they were just stopped.
MARCIANO: You're there. Who's in the car, give us the family description.
CASEY: My husband, my daughter who is four, and my son who is 17 months.
MARCIANO: 17 months?
CASEY: Yeah.
MARCIANO: So that poses some challenges, I assume?
CASEY: Oh, my goodness, yes.
MARCIANO: And how are the kids holding up?
CASEY: They're doing OK. They're getting pretty restless, antsy, ready to get out. My daughter just kept saying she wanted to go home.
MARCIANO: Any advice to other travelers who may be on the roads besides packing extra diapers?
CASEY: Take plenty of fluids and food with you. We thought we were just going for eight hours, we really didn't plan for all of this. We don't have any more food or water with us and pretty much everything around here is closed.
MARCIANO: All right. Well, Mandie Casey joining us on her way to Roanoke from Toledo, Ohio. 24 hours almost, and counting. Travel safely, we hope you get there and happy holidays, Mandie. Thanks for calling us.
CASEY: Great, thank you.
NGUYEN: My goodness. She's got a lot on her hands. No food, nothing to drink in the car, they've been on the road for almost 24 hours with two little ones, and the diapers are all gone.
MARCIANO: Good advice. If you're getting in the car to do some traveling, plan for double the time and take the necessary precautions.
NGUYEN: Just in case, especially in these conditions.
MARCIANO: Well, CNN crews are covering the winter weather up and down the East Coast. We'll hear from them in about three minutes.
NGUYEN: Also we want to see your pictures or videos from across the country. Send it to i-reports@ireport.com.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MARCIANO: They send that Reynolds everywhere. Did you see that?
NGUYEN: He is all over the place.
MARCIANO: He looks good in waders, too.
NGUYEN: He sure does, and today he's wearing a parka because it is just so cold out there. We're talking about a white Christmas that is arriving early in the Northeast. It's not quite the forecast people here were picturing for the picturesque Asheville, North Carolina area.
MARCIANO: Exactly. That's where America's largest privately owned home is located. It is snowing there now, but not when Reynolds was there. There's about a quarter of a million people that visit the Biltmore Estate this time year to see a spectacular holiday display. And this morning, you don't have to go anywhere because our Reynolds Wolf signed up to be your tour guide from a different spot.
Reynolds, I'm sure it was pretty. I'm excited to see it.
WOLF: Oh, it was an amazing thing. It's a perfect thing, as you and Betty have been telling our viewers all morning long, if you can avoid the roads, by all means you want to do that. But it's going to limit your opportunity for shopping, at the same time it is going to limit your opportunity for going out and seeing the holiday lights, like this one right here.
Well, as Rob mentioned, I got that taken care of for you. I had a chance to go to the Biltmore Estate, out side Asheville, North Carolina. And the lights there are incredible. But they should be, they've been at that art for over 100 years.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAP)
WOLF (voice over): Fifty-eight trees, miles of garland, and thousands of twinkling lights. Christmas celebrations in at Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina, date back to 1895. Christmas Eve 114 years ago, George Vanderbilt opened his American castle to friends for the very first time. A 30-foot tall real Frazier fir decorated the home's grand banquet hall, which is a tradition which continues today.
Cathy Barnhardt has worked on the display for 32 years, but she doesn't do it alone.
CATHY BARNHARDT, BILTMORE FLORAL DISPLAYS MANAGER: We got it down to real art and science. It does take about 35 men to hoist that tree into place. It is all done by manpower and it is steered on the floor with other ropes to go around chandeliers and moose heads and flags and things like that.
WOLF: I think just about anybody who is tuning in can handle something on the bottom, but way up there, shoot, you need oxygen tanks up there to survive.
BARNHARDT: And scaffolding.
WOLF: How much water is that thing drinking in?
BARNHARDT: It's hard to water a tree that size. A tree over about 15 or 16 feet doesn't really draw water very well. This tree is 34 feet. So, we don't try to put it in water.
WOLF (voice over): Instead, half way through the Christmas season, her team brings in a new tree and they decorate it all over again. George Vanderbilt wouldn't have had it any other way. And the 18,000 people on staff of the estate agree, including Bill Alexander, Biltmore's landscape and forest historian.
(On camera): So, essentially stepping onto this property, stepping through those doors is like stepping back in time?
BILL ALEXANDER, BILTMORE LANDSCAPE HISTORIAN: Is like stepping back a century in time.
WOLF: I'll be darned.
ALEXANER: Absolutely.
WOLF: What better way to celebrate Christmas?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WOLF: Amazing thing to see. Just a beautiful sight. And I'll tell you the snow here in Fredericksburg, Virginia, has just been spectacular. However, you cannot forget, of course, how dangerous this is. I'm talking about an historic storm. It's going to be affecting millions of people up and down the Eastern sea board. We'll be talking to you more about that. Giving you updates coming up throughout the hour and throughout the morning.
Let's send it back to you in the studio.
NGUYEN: It's just so pretty to watch from a distance in the comfort of our own studios, our warm homes, all of that. But we appreciate you getting out in the cold for us this morning.
WOLF: Thanks, guys.
MARCIANO: You know, Reynolds, you saw that in all the splendor, without snow. They've got 17 inches of snow in Asheville. Can you imagine how beautiful it is this morning?
WOLF: Oh, I'm telling you. That place is so beautiful, it'd be great in the middle of a heat wave, desert. You throw the weather at it, that place is going to look fantastic. But I mean, under this kind of snowfall, I can only imagine just -- it must be spectacular. No question.
NGUYEN: Well, you know, for the folks who want to see much more of it, all they have to do is go to our blogs. They will be able to watch Reynold's piece. Get some additional information. So go to cnn.com/newsroom.
We'll be checking in with you shortly, Reynolds. Thanks for that. Our weather crews as we've been talking about aren't the only ones checking on the storm today.
MARCIANO: We've got a few CNN iReporters also braving the elements. Taking snapshots of snow falling around. Here is one, postcard shot from Jake Crouch. He shot this in downtown Asheville, speaking of North Carolina where Reynolds Wolf just shot that piece that you saw. So even more picturesque now.
If you have pictures you would like to share with us, send them to iReport.com.
Well, a rare Saturday morning vote expected to happen on Capitol Hill in about half an hour. The Defense spending bill, just how many billions are in it? NGUYEN: But all eyes are on the health care debate. What changes are expected in the Senate proposal. Well, we are going to go live to D.C. for some answers.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Hello, everybody, from the CNN Center, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING, it is December 19th, a very cold and along with a lot of snow falling in the Northeast, for those of you dealing with it today. Thanks for watching, good morning, I'm Betty Nguyen.
MARCIANO: And I'm Rob Marciano in for T.J. Holmes. Happy to be here with this storm rolling up the Eastern Seaboard. Folks in D.C. are waking up to -- well, some parts of D.C. up to a winter blizzard. Snow blowing sideways and it is coming down hard. This is the scene there this morning. Virgin America airlines has already canceled all incoming and outgoing flights to Washington Dulles Airport. We have the latest travel information at the bottom or your screen all morning long. We also have team coverage of the storm up and down the East Coast.
NGUYEN: Also in D.C. this morning, senators braving the wintery weather to show up on Capitol Hill. Why? Because in about 20 minutes they're scheduled to have an unusual vote on the Defense spending. The $636 billion bill includes money for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Plus a military pay raise.
First, let's get a quick look of our top stories today.
President Obama returned to a snow-bound Washington earlier. He is back from that global climate conference in Copenhagen with what he calls, quote, "a meaningful and unprecedented climate change deal with China and other key nations." The U.N. secretary general says this is just the beginning of the process to rein greenhouse gas emissions.
MARCIANO: President Obama met twice with China's leader. China has been criticized for holding up the talks. Just before their private meeting began, a chaotic scene. U.S. reporters were blocked from entering the room by a crush of Chinese press and security. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs tried to get them in.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT GIBBS, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: I've got to get my American guys in because everybody else got in. Our guys get in. Those guys didn't get in.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, no, no.
GIBBS: All right? My guys get in just like your guys got in. This is a joint meeting. My guys get in or we're leaving the meeting.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's American press already.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I did not get in.
GIBBS: This guy didn't get in. Come on.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARCIANO: Attaboy, Robert.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: My goodness. Yes.
MARCIANO: He seems stick up with the American press there. Only one American photographer was actually allowed in the room. No U.S. reporters were given access.
NGUYEN: That is just quite incredible to see, though, that no U.S., you know, journalists except for just one photographer was allowed in that, even after Robert Gibbs did all of that to try to get them in. Of course, we'll continue to follow that story for you.
In the meantime, though, back here at home, kind of chilly, shall we say, this morning where most of D.C. wants to stay in bed -- but not such luck for members of the Senate who are already at work. The key vote on defense spending is coming up in about 20 minutes. Of course, we'll follow that for you.
But, in the meantime, though, our congressional correspondent Brianna Keilar is live on Capitol Hill to tell us about the vote. She braved the conditions out there. And today, I know they'll be braving a lot of debate there in the Senate.
Hey, Brianna.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Betty.
It's a really interesting day. I walked into the Capitol, I kind of shook the snow off my boots and I looked up and there's Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was coming in, too. You know, both of us had just trudged in the snow to get here. So, this is a very unusual weekend session and also with the snow very bizarre.
But the bill that they're taking up today that they're having to vote on here this hour is the one really that keeps the Pentagon's lights on. This is the Defense Department spending bill. It also funds the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. And it also includes some must-pass provisions for struggling Americans, like an extension of unemployment insurance. So, that's what's going on there.
But make no mistake about it. This vote today on this defense bill is still linked to the health care issue -- as Democrats try to move forward and hit that deadline of having a vote on health care before Christmas. How is it linked? Well, actually Republicans, the other night, voted against a -- against this bill and a key test vote as they tried to delay Democrats from being able to move forward with the health care bill.
So, a very unusual situation. We could see this repeat itself, as well, Betty. But Republicans who normally vote for a defense bill are actually voting against it. And it has all to do with the health care issue, not actually this defense bill, Betty. NGUYEN: All right. A lot of people want to know this, might we actually see the updated Senate health care bill, you know, the finalized version that the Senate will vote on? Because we've been waiting for this for quite a while now.
KEILAR: We have been waiting for days on this. It is possible that we are going to see all of the changes that have been made to the Senate health care bill. It's also possible that we could see that all important price tag, exactly how much this bill costs. That is something that we could be seeing from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, Betty.
But what we're also watching today is Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. He is set to schedule a key vote on health care. This is a vote that would take place on Monday morning, very early, 1:00 a.m. Monday morning.
And what we're waiting to see if he does as planned is really set in motion a countdown toward that vote that cannot be turned back. So, once he says we're going to have this key vote, that's it. It will happen.
And so the real issue then is: does he have the 60 votes that he needs in order to pass this hurdle on health care? Right now, one of the big issues, one of his own Democrats: Senator Ben Nelson of Nebraska. He is a conservative -- a socially conservative Democrat who is concerned that under this health care reform bill, some federal taxpayer dollars could pay for abortion. And he has still not signed on.
He was here late last night talking with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and other senators trying to strike a deal. And so far, we don't know if they've been able to do that. It didn't appear they'd been able to strike a deal.
When I asked Harry Reid this morning when I saw him, "Do you have the 60 votes?" And he said to me, Betty, "We'll see."
NGUYEN: Hmmm, keeping those close at hand. OK. Well, we will see and we will be there watching. Brianna Keilar, as always, thank you.
MARCIANO: This storm is shaping up to be one for the record books. There you see the images from the South, flooding rains, over a foot of rain across parts of Florida. And also Charleston, those pictures there. And they're sloshing through it.
And they're trying to get through it, and in and around the D.C. area in the form of snow. We've already seen over a foot of snow in places in western North Carolina. In Virginia, the governor there has declared a state of emergency. Over 300 accidents already reported, parts of I-91 at times were at a stand still and the hits just keep oncoming. And this storm has only just begun.
Our meteorologist on the ground there is Reynolds Wolf. And he joins us from Fredericksburg, Virginia, just west of D.C.
What are you seeing now there, Reynolds?
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, what I'm seeing is that timing is everything. And sure enough and there goes a snowplow.
These guys have been up all night long, Rob. Not just here in this town, which is kind of a microcosm of what's been happening in the state and the region. You've had crews that have been out on the interstates doing everything they can to move all of this heavy snow out of the way so the drivers can make their way from one part of the region to the other.
But the issue is this: because the snow has been coming down at such a quick rate, they haven't been able to move the snow out fast enough and you've had hundreds of people stranded on many of the interstates. I mean, it's a huge issue. Although we've got plenty of lights here, there are thousands without power here in the states. It's definitely a tremendous mess from a lot of people.
Now, the snow here in this area -- good morning to you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good morning.
WOLF: Good morning. You guys look pretty happy.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. Because we're getting off from work and I'm ready to get home.
WOLF: They're happy and they're getting off from work and he's going home.
Well, and the thing is, that a lot of people are just trying to do that, trying to get from point A to point B.
Goodbye to you.
And there are going to be a lot of, of course, cancellations in many of the airports.
Not only is this a big travel weekend for people, they're hoping to get on to a lot of shopping. Obviously, you know, we're in a big recession, people hoping to get out there and be able to spend, buy some gifts for loved ones. The timing of this could not be worse.
Many of the shops are open. Hyperion Expresso here in Fredericksburg is going to be open. Some of these shops are trying to open. But still, with the snow coming down and the advisement from the county managers to stay off the roads. The governor is telling people to avoid traveling if at all possible.
It's going to be kind of a tough thing to deal with. And, of course, this is something we're going to be dealing with through the rest of day, evening, and into tomorrow, as well. Possibly over a foot of snowfall here in Fredericksburg alone, even more for the nation's capital.
Rob, let's send it back to you. MARCIANO: All right, Reynolds. We'll be checking back with you.
And there is more snow on the way. Winter storm warnings and blizzard warnings up for a good chunk of the northeast, including Boston, sliding back toward parts of West Virginia. As far as what we're seeing right now for snowfall, it stretches all the way back into Ohio. The heaviest band right now is in through parts of West Virginia and about to get in to the D.C. area.
Temperatures are well below freezing in most spots north of Richmond. South and east of there, we're looking at a bit of a mixture.
But the precipitation shield is now about -- the end of it is about to get into Virginia. So you would think that this thing will begin to wind down shortly. But the low itself is still here and intensifying. So, it'll throw more moisture back.
How much snow have we seen so far? Check out some of these totals. Asheville, North Carolina, 17 inches; Greenville, Virginia, 16 inches; Williamsburg, 16 inches. Reynolds said they about 8 inches on the ground there just west of D.C.
Pretty much, D.C., Baltimore, Philly, whatever you're seeing right now, what you have on the ground right now, I think you can pretty much double it. That would pretty much bring you towards the -- anywhere from 16 inches to 20 inches in D.C., local areas have certainly will see two feet and then Philly will see up to a foot. And New York City could see six to 10, maybe 12 inches there.
So, this storm just getting underway. And if you don't have to travel -- I know we're starting to sound like mother goose here, Betty, but it's a lot easier to watch it from your -- through your window -
NGUYEN: Look from your own home.
MARCIANO: Or on the TV, for sure.
NGUYEN: Yes. Because we spoke with a motorist earlier today who had been on the road for nearly 24 hours, stuck out there because of all of the snow and roads being shut down due to all of this. So, yes, if you don't have to get out there, especially living in the northeast, I wouldn't.
Thank you, Rob.
MARCIANO: All right. We'll see you in a bit.
NGUYEN: Well, CNN crews are covering the winter weather making its way up the east coast. We're going to hear from them in three minutes. We also want to see your pictures and your video from the winter storms across the country. Send us your iReports. All you have to do is go to iReport.com.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC) MARCIANO: (INAUDIBLE) than to a blizzard, you know, right before the holidays.
NGUYEN: If you're going to have a blizzard, it's the best time to have one?
MARCIANO: If you're going to spend a positive way you get the Christmas music cranking and...
(CROSSTALK)
NGUYEN: Especially when you're traveling home for the holidays and you're dealing with that mess. Well, you know, the nation's capital is under a snow emergency this morning.
MARCIANO: Yes, that declaration triggers several steps in the city. So let's get the latest on that.
Kate Bolduan is out in the snow where that emergency has been declared. But she's smiling in good spirits so far.
You've got a long day ahead, Kate. What's going on?
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I can't tell if I'm smiling any more.
(LAUGHTER)
NGUYEN: Her face is frozen, poor thing. Oh.
BOLDUAN: Hey there, you guys, good morning. I mean, really, despite the cold -- you know, I'm from Indiana, I know how to handle this stuff. But just look at this beautiful image of the nation's Capitol. It really is beautiful down here. But you can probably see the winds are really starting to pick up here. You can see some of the snow kind of drifting here.
We are on right near the National Mall. A very beautiful place, very much snow-covered at this moment. But D.C.'s mayor says that they are expecting the biggest snowfall that this city has seen, the district has seen since 2003.
They're expecting -- and, Rob, you've been talking about as well as Reynolds something more than a foot possible, maybe even over two feet. It's definitely been coming down steady since we've been out here this morning. I've seen many crews, many plows.
I've also started to see some more cars on the roads. But much less than I would say you would see on a typical Saturday, especially at this very popular tourist spot down here in D.C.
But with this beauty comes also a little bit of trouble. And D.C.'s mayor says they are prepared for a pretty rugged three days. And he says that means stay off the roads.
Listen here. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR ADRIAN FENTY, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: We also want you to stay off the roads, especially -- especially all day Saturday and Sunday. If you need to complete an errand, try to get it done tonight because, again, we don't know exactly how much snowfall. But it will be a large enough accumulation. It'll be almost impossible to get around any sense of normalcy. And we need the roads free so that the trucks can get around and pick up the snow.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BOLDUAN: Now, I was talking a few minutes ago to a spokesperson for the some of the airports in our area Washington National as well as Dulles. And I'm told that right now there really aren't many flights coming in and out. Why? Because I'm told that many of the airlines were very proactive yesterday canceling flights as they just knew that we were going to get such an onslaught of snow.
And as you guys know, as we talk about here in D.C., anyone who lives in D.C. knows it does not take very much weather to shut down this city. One Maryland highway administration official told me that what's working in their favor, you know, in and around the Beltway region is that this is a Saturday. There aren't going to be -- they're not going to have to be battling with the rush hour traffic. But at the same time, they're supposed to be -- traditionally very busy holiday shopping weekend.
So, we'll see exactly how that turns out. But we're looking forward to, hopefully, getting some fun, people coming out here with their sleds not their cars this morning. So, we'll see.
MARCIANO: All right. Kate Bolduan for us live there in Washington, D.C. -- stay warm, we'll be back to you. That's for sure.
NGUYEN: She does have a really good point. Yes, people maybe trying to stay out of the roadway, but it is the last weekend before Christmas and the holidays. So, a lot of people are going to be out there getting that last-minute shopping down. Just be careful if you do have to get out in those.
Some places, blizzard conditions.
MARCIANO: Yes, so one more reason to, you know, shop ahead.
NGUYEN: Yes -- or online.
MARCIANO: Do as I say, not as I do.
NGUYEN: Sure. Well, it wasn't the president and it wasn't Michael Jackson. What was the most viewed story of the year on CNN.com?
MARCIANO: Josh Levs has the countdown.
Hi, Josh. JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, I'd ask you guys to guess, but I'm afraid you'll get it right. And I don't anyone to know out there. I'll tell you this. The top 10 include a famous actor's death and some amazing crime stories.
But what was number one of the year? We're going to show you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC)
NGUYEN: Well, M.J. for you this morning. You know, though, it wasn't about Michael Jackson, and it wasn't about President Obama. What was the top story of the year on CNN.com? Well, that's what we're asking.
MARCIANO: Well, yes. Josh has today's "On the Lookout."
Hey, Josh.
(MUSIC)
LEVS: Top 10 of the year on CNN.com. We've still got a few days in which all of this could change, but we're expecting it's going to stay as is. Let's take a look at what number 10 was. We're going to give the countdown now of the most popular stories of the year, the most viewed.
Number 10 was American actor David Carradine found dead in Thailand in June.
Number nine was a really sad story. When investigators said as many as 20 people were involved in or stood and watched a gang rape of a teenage girl outside a California high school homecoming dance in California there.
Number eight was the inauguration. Well, at the time, we had a huge number of views for the inauguration. But other stories throughout this year ended up topping it, actually seven others as you can tell.
For most viewed, number seven was the heroic history, the crash- landing of the airliner into the Hudson River.
And number six was Michael Jackson's funeral.
All right. Let's take a look at the top five now. Top five most viewed stories on CNN.com this year.
Number five was the Fort Hood shootings there. A soldier killed fellow soldiers at Fort Hood, and what was a massacre in November.
Number four was the Jaycee Dugard story. A lot of people are fascinated by this. Snatched from the street in front of her house in 1991, age 11. Later had two children with the man accused of taking her and was forced, along with those children, to live in backyard sheds, according to police. Number three was the disappearance of this Air France jet. You might remember this. It was carrying 228 people from Rio, disappeared probably crashed into the Atlantic Ocean. That was the report that specific day what they were saying and that's when all of those views came in.
Now, we're at the top two. The number two story of the entire year on CNN.com was Michael Jackson's death in June.
And here you go -- we don't need a drum roll -- but the number one story, and in some ways can't believe this, the most viewed story. There you go. Rob and Betty -- oh, they got a drum roll.
Number one most viewed story in CNN.com of this entire year "Balloon Boy." Falcon Heene when he was found alive. Millions and millions and millions of people came flocking to CNN.com and watching this.
So, there you go.
(CROSSTALK)
NGUYEN: I was just floored by that, because I think a lot of people are probably be -- maybe even a little upset that that's the number one most...
MARCIANO: Oh, yes.
NGUYEN: ... popular on dotcom because it turned out to be a hoax.
LEVS: Exactly. It turned out to be a hoax and there are so many other major stories that shape the world.
NGUYEN: Right.
LEVS: But, you know, these moments just really get people fascinated. That one story had more individual views than any other individual story of the entire world.
NGUYEN: Really?
LEVS: Anything about politics, anything about health care, anything about the world, "Balloon Boy" won.
NGUYEN: My goodness.
MARCIANO: I think those two were probably tied for Halloween costumes, as well. Michael Jackson and...
(CROSSTALK)
LEVS: Actually, they were. Yes.
MARCIANO: That's a good barometer for it.
NGUYEN: All right.
MARCIANO: All right. Thanks, Josh.
NGUYEN: OK. So, a lot of money transactions taking place this time of year. So, what can you do to protect your identity?
MARCIANO: Well, we're going to check in with Clyde Anderson, something we do every Saturday. That's at 7:25.
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MARCIANO: All right. Let's take a look at some of the top stories we're following this morning.
The Senate is voting on a $636 billion defense spending bill during a very early Saturday session right now. The bill includes money for both ongoing wars and a military pay raise. The Senate is expected to pass it and then shift back to health care reform. Democrats may now have the 60 votes they need to pass their current bill.
NGUYEN: Well, there's a new twist in American David Goldman's efforts to gain custody of his son in Brazil. The attorney for the boy's Brazilian grandparents says they have invited him to spend Christmas with him. Now, there's no word on whether he's accepted that invitation. Goldman went to Brazil to get his 9-year-old son after a court upheld his custodial rights. But as he arrived, a Brazilian Supreme Court justice halted the reunion, ordering a new review of the case.
MARCIANO: All right. Here we go. Snowstorm is heading to the northeast, actually mid-Atlantic and even down to the South. I believe some of this video coming into us from Knoxville, Tennessee. So, into the Smokies we went and several inches of snow there.
Actually, Asheville reporting 17 and counting, 10 to 20 possible in the Washington, D.C. area. That seems to be the bull's eye. State of emergency declared for all of Virginia.
The snowstorm is going to be a problem for travelers and, of course, holiday shoppers. We have several reporters on the ground to give us live reports and we'll be updating you throughout the morning.
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NGUYEN: All right, everybody. Identity theft -- it affects millions of Americans, and the number of cases is increasing. And with a lot of us swiping our credit cards and writing those checks this time of year, identity theft is definitely a concern.
Housing expert Clyde Anderson is here with some ways to avoid getting your identity stolen.
All right. So, what are some of the best ways to keep that from happening?
CLYDE ANDERSON, HOUSING EXPERT: Well, Betty, you've got to be really careful nowadays, especially during this holiday season, you know?
NGUYEN: Oh, yes.
ANDERSON: And it's really key.
So, I'm going to talk about a couple of things that we can look at to know or to prevent identity theft.
NGUYEN: OK. What are they?
ANDERSON: And there are a couple of things. First thing that I would say is secure your financial data, keep your data safe. You know...
NGUYEN: How so? Doing what?
ANDERSON: Lock and key. Keep it under lock and key. So, if you've got your Social Security card, things with your account numbers, anything like that, keep it safe and protect it.
NGUYEN: All right.
ANDERSON: You know, don't carry around your Social Security card.
NGUYEN: Yes. Some people actually do that. Some people laminate it because they carry it around so much, which you're not supposed to do in the first place.
ANDERSON: You're not supposed to do -- you're not supposed to do it.
NGUYEN: OK.
ANDERSON: Don't keep your Social Security card with you. I mean, that's -- your asking, you know, to have your identity stolen. So, don't do that.
NGUYEN: OK.
ANDERSON: Next thing I would say is shred information, and not enough people do this. Shred your bank statements, shred those credit card statements. You know, you keep them for a little while in case you may need them, but you definitely want to make sure you shred them.
NGUYEN: How long should you keep all of those records?
ANDERSON: It's hard. You know, I'm one of those pack rats. I say keep things for 12 months. If you got bank statements and things like that, I keep them for 12 months then I shred.
NGUYEN: Oh, that's it. I've been keeping them for years. OK.
ANDERSON: Some of that stuff, those bank statement, you really don't need.
NGUYEN: You don't need to. All right. All right. So, shred it when you don't need it.
ANDERSON: Shred it. Get a shredder or keep it. A lot of people throw those things away, shred it. NGUYEN: OK.
ANDERSON: You don't want that kind of stuff in the trash can.
The next thing I would say is use secure passwords online. When you're using online, you know, this comes big especially during the shopping season.
NGUYEN: Don't you have to in many of the sites?
ANDERSON: Yes, you definitely do, but you want to make sure you're changing them regularly. And you want to make sure you don't keep that same password. We get comfortable. We got in a rut and we want to keep that.
NGUYEN: It's like when you're flying every time?
ANDERSON: Not every time. You know, use a little Clyde2 (ph), you know...
(CROSSTALK)
NGUYEN: You're going to change it a little bit.
ANDERSON: You've got to change it up a little bit.
NGUYEN: OK.
ANDERSON: But use things that are unique.
Also when you're shopping online, you know, a lot of people don't recognize, but the http and the https. "S" means it's secure.
NGUYEN: Sure, and if you've got to look for that little lock, right?
ANDERSON: Look for the lock. And also, click on the lock sometimes. Some people just look at the lock and they're sure it's there. It can be a dummy lock. Make sure you click on the lock and it will tell you the security information.
NGUYEN: Got you. All right. So, that's how you can protect yourself, you know, with all of these different items. But how do you know if your identity's been stolen? Because a lot of times, some people don't even know.
ANDERSON: There's several ways to know. I think one way that you really want to make sure, you know, is have a monitoring service. A lot of people use these credit monitoring services. That will let you if anybody applies for credit with your name or anything like that, they will notify you and let you know that, hey, something's going on, some strange activity.
NGUYEN: OK.
ANDERSON: I think that's the first one. The next one I would say is if you receive any unexpected bills in the mail. If you get things that you weren't expecting for some services that you know that you did not have, that's another telltale sign that, hey, maybe somebody has my identity. So, look at that.
The next one I would say is get calls or letters in the mail that say, hey, you know, we're interested in extending you more service or...
NGUYEN: Don't you get those all the time? Isn't part of the junk mail?
ANDERSON: They do. And you've got to be careful about it. You really have to be careful, because junk mail sometimes can be red flags, you know? Not getting bills or getting bills.
NGUYEN: Oh, many times, I just shred that up...
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: Exactly. You've got to read, you've got to look at the information and read your statements, too. You know, you've got to read those statements that you get in the mail, because sometimes they could have some activity on the statement that you know is not yours. And the sooner you catch it, the better. I've had people that said, "Hey, someone used my checking account and was writing fraudulent checks." Sometimes, we don't recognize, $50 to $100, those things that may be insignificant that are key.
NGUYEN: Right. Oh, yes, I'm really -- when it comes to that, I scrutinize that bill, I compare it with the receipts, just to make sure.
ANDERSON: That's key.
NGUYEN: Look, on the credit protection service.
ANDERSON: Yes.
NGUYEN: How much does that cost?
ANDERSON: It depends, check with the credit bureaus. A lot of the service is really insignificant. It's not a lot of money to protect you.
NGUYEN: OK. Is it worth it?
ANDERSON: Oh, my goodness.
NGUYEN: OK.
ANDERSON: You know, you think about all of this fraud that's going on out there.
NGUYEN: Right.
ANDERSON: It's taking some people seven years, 10 years to correct their identity, you know?
NGUYEN: Good point.
ANDERSON: So, you've got to think about it. And also, when you're out shopping this season, protect that ATM code. A lot of people don't want to cover that ATM code when they're using that cash register, don't worry about it. Protect it. Make sure that person behind you is not looking over your shoulder trying to get that PIN up.
NGUYEN: Good point. Always good information. Clyde, thank you so much.
ANDERSON: My pleasure, Betty.
NGUYEN: All right, Rob.
MARCIANO: Guys, we're going to check in what's going down on Capitol Hill, a rare Saturday morning session for the Senate. They are right now voting on that defense spending bill worth over $600 billion. It is expected to pass to pass to fund both wars, includes the military pay raise.
Republicans not entirely pleased because there have been things added outside of the military, but nonetheless, it has wide support. And they are voting right now. And that's what you're seeing.
We'll give you the final tallies when that information comes into us. And then after that, the Senate will be taking on, of course, health care reform.
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NGUYEN: We have more top stories at the top of the hour when CNN SATURDAY MORNING continues.
MARCIANO: But first, "HOUSE CALL" with Dr. Sanjay Gupta begins right now.
