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NEW DAY

Duchess of Cambridge Set to Deliver Royal Baby; Floods Threaten Parts of U.S.; Pope to Visit Brazil; Woman Thrown from Texas Coaster; Royal Baby Watch

Aired July 22, 2013 - 07:00   ET

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


CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking news. Duchess Catherine goes into labor overnight. The royal baby birth announcement could be any moment. A country waits with bated breath. We are live with the latest.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Swept away. The dramatic rescues caught on tape. A city submerged -- cars caught in the floodwaters, drivers air lifted to safety. Where's the weather going next?

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: Theme park horror. New details on the woman tossed out of a Six Flags roller coaster to her death. Just how dangerous are these rides?

CUOMO: Your NEW DAY starts right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: What you need to know.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The smell was that bad. And I know an animal don't last that long when it's rotten.

ANNOUNCER: What you have to see.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The video sensation. My newest grandma.

ANNOUNCER: This is NEW DAY with Chris Cuomo, Kate Bolduan and Michaela Pereira.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CUOMO: Good morning and welcome back to NEW DAY. It is Monday, July 22nd, 7:00 in the East. I'm Chris Cuomo.

BOLDUAN: Hey, everyone. I'm Kate Bolduan. We're joined by news anchor Michaela Pereira. And we begin with breaking news this morning. We've been waiting for this for a very long time, it seems. It's finally happening. The royal baby is on his or her way.

While you were sleeping the duchess of Cambridge went into labor and was admitted to a London hospital. You're looking at live pictures right there outside the hospital. In a matter of hours, maybe minutes, the world will be welcoming the arrival of the future king or queen of England. CUOMO: I think it's going to be a while, so we're going to have a lot to talk about here. Like if it's a boy or a girl. We here at CNN already know because the stork is a contributor of ours. But for the rest of you, we'll just talk about what the percentages are and also the intricate plan that is laid out to announce the royal bundle of joy. Everything from who finds out first to when you and I get to know. We're going to break all that down for you. We're covering this breaking story like no other network can. We have coverage across London and here in New York.

PEREIRA: Many, many other stories happening this morning. From a gruesome find and possible serial killer in Cleveland to new details about a tragedy at an amusement park. Also, a follow-up to a NEW DAY exclusive. A congressman reacting to surprising paternity news for the first time. We are covering it all for you this morning.

BOLDUAN: We sure are.

First, that very happy story this morning to start with. Let's start with the royal baby watch live outside St. Mary's hospital in London where the duchess has been admitted, the poor thing. We are wishing you well, you poor thing. That's where CNN's Max Foster has been standing by for us. So Max, we've been talking about it quite a bit. It feels like weeks and months. We love talking about it with you even more. What are the intricate plans they've laid out for how this baby announcement will finally be made?

MAX FOSTER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I'm told the labor is progressing normally. That's good news. We're getting some more details about what's going to happen next. So when the baby's born you'll have someone coming out with a notice out of the front door. That'll be handed to a messenger, taken to Buckingham Palace. On that bit of paper will be the sex of the baby. I'm told the name will not be on that bit of paper. We'll find out the name possibly when we see the duke and duchess appear on the doorstep with the baby.

Everyone's very excited, Kate. Let's take you over to the road. The crowds are starting to fill out here, still nowhere near the level of -- but certainly the fans are coming down here, getting ready for that big moment, a true moment in British history.

CUOMO: Is it true, Max Foster, when your three kids were born there was the same kind of crowd and hubbub out there?

(LAUGHTER)

FOSTER: Thankfully not, I have to say. Would you want all of this?

CUOMO: Exactly.

FOSTER: Hopefully she can't see what's going on outside.

BOLDUAN: Everyone is so excited. But everyone feels for her all the same. There's so much going on for those two at this moment.

CUOMO: Also it's been about a year in the making now, right, that we've been understanding this?

BOLDUAN: I would say ever since the wedding.

CUOMO: That's exactly right.

BOLDUAN: It's been two-plus years in the making. Max, we'll get right back to you.

CUOMO: It's a big deal. He's there. He's not going anywhere. Max is there and will be for us all morning. Look, for the couple it's very important. But the family has been waiting. The world has been waiting. But the royals themselves, this is a big deal. Why? This child will be the third in line for the throne the moment he or she is born. That's a big deal, hasn't happened in a long time.

Erin McLaughlin is continuing our team coverage live from Buckingham Palace. Erin, we're talking about how this child is going to be the first in a long time, special any way you look at it.

ERIN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Chris. There's a real sense of excitement and anticipation here outside Buckingham Palace, people wishing the duchess of Cambridge a very safe and healthy delivery. The prime minister even has sent his best.

Right now the crowds assembling outside the palace primarily here for the changing of the guard, a daily palace tradition. But no doubt they'll be returning in a short while for the arrival of that birth notice that max was talking about. It'll be displayed on the very same easel that had Prince William's birth notice over 31 years ago. That will be followed by a gun salute at the park just adjacent to the palace, one of two simultaneous gun salutes. There'll be another one all the way over at the tower of London. Back when there weren't cell phones and televisions and internet, this is how people would find out about a royal birth, and the people here right now outside Buckingham Palace wishing the royal family all the best. Chris?

CUOMO: All right, Erin, thank you very much.

Just to bring everybody up to speed, here's what we know so far -- at about 6:00 a.m. local time we believe the princess was taken into the hospital. Word got out about 7:15. That's when people started hearing about it. Since then we've heard from the palace that labor is progressing normally.

BOLDUAN: We really don't expect to hear much more until it happens. There's understandably kind of going to be an information lockdown until we know for sure that the baby was born and is healthy and everyone is doing well. Then the question is, when was the first time we will see the duke and duchess of Cambridge with their little bundle of joy? That's something no one knows but everyone's going to be waiting and watching. We've got it covered from all angles of this story.

Let's bring in someone now who has been covering the royal family for a very long time. And has insight into what it's like being a child in Buckingham Palace. She knows so well. Katie Nicholl, royal correspondent for the British newspaper "The Mail on Sunday." Katie, great to see you. Last time I saw you we were talking about what if, could be, as we were leading up to that special that just aired this week about the royal baby. Now we know that it is happening and it's coming very soon. What's happening the latest where you are?

KATIE NICHOLL, ROYAL CORRESPONDENT, "THE MAIL ON SUNDAY": Well, you can probably see behind me, the crowds have gathered. I got here very early this morning. There was a buzz of excitement. Looking behind me now, they've really grown. I think there's just a feeling of anticipation, really looking forward to this baby being born. Of course, much speculation about the sex. I don't know if you know, but about 100 million, lots and lots of people, have put bets on the sex of this baby. A lot of people have lost money because we expected the delivery to be last week. So norm more betting. It really is just a waiting game.

BOLDUAN: Seems it's been a waiting game ever since William and Kate walked down the aisle together. Right after their wedding you and I discussed, we have been on bump watch since that very moment. And the speculation was just rampant. If she held her clutch in front of her, does that mean she's pregnant? If she wore this, does that mean she's pregnant? It just shows really what it shall how symbolic and how important this baby is to the monarchy. What does this baby symbolize?

NICHOLL: Do you know what? The point is that once you marry into the royal family, you really have one job, and that job is to produce an heir. I think you're right. There was such a spotlight on William and Kate in the aftermath of their wedding. But if you look at the year that they had, they went on tour. They covered the Olympics. They went on another tour. They didn't really have an awful lot of time. I mean, I'm told from friends of the couple that really they would have liked to have had this baby sooner. But this is about royal protocol. And the one thing that Kate will have learned when she married into this, the British royal family, is that duty comes before self. Now it's time for the two of them and the baby that's on its way.

BOLDUAN: Absolutely. And do you have any insight at this moment of what's going on inside the hospital? Everyone's anxiously waiting outside for the news that the baby's born.

NICHOLL: Look, inside it will be not nearly as hot as it is out here. It's absolutely sweltering out here. They're going to be in an air- conditioned board. They're on a level all by themselves. It's a newly renovated suite which will be made as comfortable as possible for the duchess. There will be birthing balls. There'll be a piece of equipment that she can use essentially kind of hanging from the ceiling. All of these things that will try and aid a natural birth, anything to relieve as much discomfort as possible, because anyone that's been there will be thinking of Kate today and wishing her well, because it's not always a comfortable experience. She'll be in a lot of pain. She's been using hypno-birthing and breathing techniques as a way of coping. We really do wish her the very, very best in the hope for a smooth, safe delivery. BOLDUAN: Beginning of such an exciting time for both William and Kate and the whole royal family. We'll be watching it with you. Katie Nicholl, great to see you.

And we'll have so much more on this breaking news throughout the show. You can be sure of that. Stay with us. We'll have all the updates for you.

CUOMO: Let's give you what's going on back here at home. Extreme weather all across the country this morning, lightning storms, flash flooding, even tornadoes. We have team coverage on that as well. Stephanie Elam is in Apache Junction, Arizona. Meteorologist Indra Petersons is here in New York, of course. I'm going to start with Stephanie near Phoenix where flash flooding has been the problem so far. Good morning, Stephanie.

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Chris. It happened very quickly. And several people were in their cars and found that they had to find their way out of them and to safe land. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELAM: Raging monsoon waters flooded parts of the Phoenix area on Sunday. Leading firefighters to a series of dramatic rescues caught on camera. At least half a dozen people brought to safety.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is pretty bad. I mean, I think the worst I have seen so far. I've lived here for three years now.

ELAM: Emergency crews braved the thigh high flash floodwaters that swallowed whole cars in its wake, one rescue after another after another. Watch as emergency crews rush to the aid of these two 19- year-old boys in Apache Junction who crawled out of their submerged SUV to a small patch of land nearby.

LON EBER, FIRE DEPARTMENT: At that point the natural instinct is to get out of the vehicle. At that point they're going with the flow of the water which is very powerful.

ELAM: A helicopter hovers above lowering a harness, lifting one of the teenagers across the rising waters to safety. The second snaps pictures of the scene, even appearing to take a self-portrait mid- rescue.

Firefighters conducting rescues by air and land, lowering a ladder from a fire truck to rescue this couple stuck in a pickup truck for nearly an hour before following a safety line to land.

And just west in Scottsdale, a firefighter carries this woman to dry land as the water consumes her car. A similar fate for this corvette, carried some 100 yards by the floodwaters. The driver, rescued.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He got out of the vehicle and was sitting on top off it. You couldn't see. The water was so high you couldn't see the vehicle at all.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ELAM: I guess if you're getting air lifted by a helicopter you may want to take a selfie and keep that for documentation, because hopefully that only happens once. But Chris, Kate, and Michaela, happy to tell you there were no injuries reported. Everybody was safe getting out of there.

BOLDUAN: Good to know. Stephanie Elam, thanks so much. Talk to you in a bit.

And from the flash floods to thunderstorms, not much of break for Mother Nature. We finally got the relief from the searing heat wave we've talked so much about. Indra Petersons is tracking it all and where we go from here.

INDRA PETERSONS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: If it's not one it's the other. We go from the heat wave and now back to the rain. We were talking about that monsoonal moisture, which is a good thing in the sense it's bringing relief for the firefighters in that area. You never want a lot of rain very quickly. With that you have the flooding threat. We continue to have flash flood watches here pretty much for the next several days as long as we continue to have the thunderstorms in the area.

But the upside, the one we love, we were waiting for, cooler temperatures finally thanks to the cold front that kicked through over the weekend. The temperatures now a good 10, 15 degrees below last week. Changing weather pattern means a lot of moisture pulling in from the gulf. The threat of thunderstorms will remain in the area. Everybody keeps saying, how much rain? If you have a thunderstorm, you get heavier amounts, one or two inches. It all kind of just depends on where you are.

BOLDUAN: Thanks so much, Indra.

CUOMO: So we've got the weather to deal with and a lot of other news as well. So let's get to Michaela. And you're starting off across the world in China?

PEREIRA: Actually, we're going to go to Brazil, first. We will go to China. Pardon me. We're going to go to Brazil and China. How about that, Chris?

CUOMO: Thank you very much.

PEREIRA: Breaking overnight, rescue teams are scrambling to reach the site of a strong and deadly earthquake in northwestern China. And 54 people, at least, having killed, more than 300 others reportedly injured. State media reports tremors reportedly still being felt in that area. Tremors reportedly still being felt in that area.

Now to Brazil. The world's largest Roman Catholic nation awaiting the arrival of Pope Francis, the newly elected pontiff, expected to land in Brazil this afternoon on his first major international trip as pontiff. It won't be without controversy. CNN's Miguel Marquez is live in Rio de Janeiro with that. The number of Catholic followers in Brazil is on the decline, Miguel.

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. This is one of the places that he will be delivering mass on Copa Cabana beach right here in downtown Rio.

One of the things that is of concern to many is the security here. The Pope has decided not to use the bullet proof glass encased Pope- mobile leaving those behind for open air vehicles. Millions of pilgrims are expected to be here as well.

The Pope has a schedule while in Brazil that rivals a presidential candidate going from shrines to masses, visiting hospitals, visiting prisoners. And he's also visiting a pavilion. All things added, this trip, keep in mind, was prepared for by Pope Benedict XVI, but it is Pope Francis who will take advantage of it. And on this particular location, we expect to see the Pope delivering mass on Thursday. Back to you.

PEREIRA: Miguel, thank you so much.

Now an update to former New England Patriot Aaron Hernandez's murder case. One of his associates, Ernice Wallace due in court this morning for a hearing. Prosecutors says he was one of three men who were in the car with Odin Lloyd when he was killed in June. Wallace faces a charge of accessory after the fact and is being held without bail.

An update now to that deadly limo fire that killed a new bride and four of her friends back in May. The limo driver's estranged wife now says he was on his cellphone fighting with her that night with loud music blaring in the background. This happened in the San Francisco Bay Area. The revelation raises questions about whether he was too distracted to react quickly when that fire broke out. The D.A. now says it plans to follow up on these allegations.

Six-year-old Nathan Woessner rescued last week after being buried for hours by a sand dune on an Indiana beach continues to improve. In fact he's been upgraded to good condition. And his family is saying his survival is nothing less than a miracle.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PASTOR DON REUL, NATHAN WOESSNER'S GRANDFATHER: There's no wiggle room on the miracle side of this equation. Nathan was under the sand, under more than 11 feet of sand for more than four hours. The sand didn't crush him and he didn't suffocate. And he's coming out of this with no ramifications.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PEREIRA: His father, a pastor, by the way, say they expect Nathan to be released from the hospital by the end of the week. We are so glad to be able to report that.

And man versus fish? The fish won. We're going to show you rescue footage from a helicopter plucking 54-year-old Anthony Wickman from the hull of his capsized boat off the coast of Hawaii. Wickman hooked a 230 pound tuna on Friday. During the fight, the giant fish capsized his boat, tossed him into the water. Wickman was able to call his wife for help after scrambling on to the hull of his boat and was then rescued. In case you're wondering the tuna was still on the line after Wickman was rescued. Salvage crews reeled it in and then brought him and the fish to shore. Apparently he gave the fish to the crew to say thank you for, you know, plucking him from the drink.

CUOMO: From the look of that picture I don't think the fish won.

PERIERA: That's a good point.

(CROSSTALK)

CUOMO: To paraphrase the pastor, no wiggle room on who won. He wound up hanging upside down.

PERIERA: If you turned into a sandwich, you didn't win.

CUOMO: Strong point.

BOLDUAN: Coming up next on NEW DAY, you heard it here first. A DNA test revealing the swimsuit model Congressman Steve Cohen was tweeting during the State of the Union address? it was not actually his daughter. Now he is breaking his silence, talking with our Dana Bash.

CUOMO: We're taking a look at this tragedy at an amusement park. A woman falls to her death from a roller coaster. How could this happen? They're taking a look to make sure that ride stays safe. New details about the investigation coming up.

BOLDUAN: And the moment the world has been waiting for. The birth of the newest royal. All eyes in London -- all eyes on London, too. Stay with us for the breaking details.

CUOMO: They say the name is Leonardo.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CUOMO: All right. These are the pictures of the morning. You're looking at St. Mary's hospital on your left, Buckingham Palace on your right, I believe. We know that the duchess is in the hospital. We are told that she entered about 6:00 a.m. Local time. Word came out about 7:15 a.m. We are told by the palace that labor is progressing normally. You know what that means. We are on baby watch. The crowds came for the changing of the guard. They're starting to grow now as word spreads that there may be a baby born to the royal couple. We're going to bring you live reports throughout the show about that.

BOLDUAN: Watching that story develop as it is.

We also are watching a lot of other headlines right now. The Texas Giant, it's called, remains shut down this morning after a woman fell to her death from the 14-story ride. The world's tallest steel hybrid roller coaster won't reopen at Six Flags Over Texas until it gets the all clear from safety inspectors. Ed Lavandera is live in Dallas with the latest on this tragic death. Good morning, Ed. ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Kate. With the threat of a lawsuit surely looming over this case, Six Flags Over Texas is being very guarded about what it says publicly. But the family of Rosy Esparza wants to know how this catastrophic accident could have happened.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LAVANDERA: The Texas giant starts with a spine tingling drop. This is where witnesses say they saw Rosy Esparza fall from the wooden roller coaster. Carmen Brown was next in line to get on the ride when she heard the horrific screams.

CARMEN BROWN, WITNESS: She goes up like this. And then when it drops to come down, that's when it released. She just tumbled.

LAVANDERA: Some witnesses told local news media that Esparza told a Six Flags employee she was worried that her seat restraint had not locked properly. Esparza's son and other family members rode along with her. They had to ride out the two-minute roller coaster fearing the worst the rest of the way.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They were screaming when they came back. They were trying to get out of the restraint. They were screaming my mom, my mom. We got to get my mom.

LAVANDERA: Six Flags Over Texas Hurricane Harbor refuses to answer questions on camera, but in a written statement says, "we are committed to determining the cause of this tragic accident. It would be a disservice to the family to speculate regarding what transpired."

According to a National Safety Council analysis of amusement park injuries, there were just over 1,200 ride related injuries in 2011. About 4 percent of those caused serious physical harm. Roller coaster accidents accounted for about 28 percent of the injuries. But industry observers say amusement parks are loosely regulated and that it is Six Flags that will be in charge of conducting the investigation, Not an outside, independent agency.

KENNETH MARTIN, AMUSEMENT PARK SAFETY ANALYST: Whatever organization comes in, whomever comes in, it's -- their work is the property of Six Flags. And it will remain the property of Six Flags Because there's nothing in Texas or many other states that make them have to release that information.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LAVANDERA: In a Facebook posting, Rosy Esparza's sons described her as a mother who loved adventure and that they were so happy they were able to come to the amusement park with her. As long as -- as far as how long the investigation will take, we asked Six Flags officials yesterday how long they anticipate this would take. They didn't get back to us with an answer on that. Kate?

BOLDUAN: All right. It will clearly take some time no matter what. Thanks for bringing us the latest details on that tragic story. About 23 minutes after the hour. A lot coming up on NEW DAY including royal baby watch. In full swing. The Duchess of Cambridge is in labor right now, and our insiders have the details. Who's inside the delivery room and what's happening with the labor? We're live outside the hospital in London.

CUOMO: The story has it all except for one thing. A drumming granny. We're going to bring you that as well. Remember her here on NEW DAY? Look at those hands. The mystery woman pounding out some tight beats on a music store drum kit. We now know who she is. We're going to tell you straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CUOMO: Welcome back to NEW DAY, everybody. Monday, July 22nd. I'm Chris Cuomo.

BOLDUAN: Good morning, everyone. I'm Kate Bolduan. Joined by news anchor Michaela Pereira. Lots going on in the show today. Happy Monday. Live pictures now of St. Mary's hospital. A royal baby is on the way. When will he or she arrive? That's the answer we're all waiting for. We have it covered for you.

CUOMO: Plus a story NEW DAY brought you exclusively. The Congressman tweeting a model he thought was his daughter is not actually her father. We got Congressman Steve Cohen's reaction to the surprising revelation.

BOLDUAN: It was a very good day for lefty at the British open. Golfer Phil Mickelson takes home -- listen to the crowd -- takes home his fifth major title.

CUOMO: Let us begin with breaking news and great expectations. The royal baby on the way. Here's what we know. The Duchess of Cambridge is in labor. We're told by the palace progressing normally. She got there about 6:00 a.m. local time. Word got out about 7:15 a.m. local time. Max Foster is following developments outside St. Mary's hospital in London. Max, what is the latest?

FOSTER: Well, Chris, it was dawn when the Duchess of Cambridge arrived at the back of the building. She's inside. Things progressing normally. So good news there. All really waiting on that expected news that we've got a baby in this country, a new royal baby. This is how we think things will pan out.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Once the royal baby is actually born, and who knows how long that'll take, the queen, the royal family, the Middletons, the prime minister will all be told. A birth notice will be taken from the hospital and driven to Buckingham Palace. The notice will be placed here for the public to view on the forecourt of Buckingham Palace. This is where we'll discover the sex and weight of the child and possibly its name.

The first glimpse of the royal heir will be here on the steps of the hospital. But as the world continues to wait for the new arrival --

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: And in terms of the attention here, just give you a sense of the public gathering down there. Same at the other end of the road. Huge amount of media. A big police present as well, Chris. This really is a moment in British history. People are very, very excited about catching a moment of it.

CUOMO: We have a little bit of a wait still, Max. You're a father. I'm a father. This process can take a little time. Certainly this is the day to be there. Might as well get started as early as possible. Back to you soon.

BOLDUAN: It goes without saying. This is not something you may want to get it over with for Katherine. This is not something you rush. The baby is on her own timetable at the moment. We are waiting for it now.

We're awaiting the new details as to what's happening in the duchess's hospital room, we do know there are key differences in the way British women and American women choose to give birth. For more on this, let's bring in CNN's senior medical correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen, as well as CNN royal commentator Victoria Arbiter and Katie Nicholl, author of "The Making Of A Royal Romance" and royal correspondent for the British newspaper "The Mail On Sunday." Clearly we've got this covered from every angle.

Elizabeth, let's start with you. With some of the reporting you did during your visit most recently to London. Lay out the key differences between giving birth, how most people give birth in the UK and the U.S.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Right. Kate, in the UK there's a real emphasis on what they call a normal birth. In other words, they want that process to be as free of medical intervention as possible.