Return to Transcripts main page

NEW DAY SUNDAY

Protesters Call on Toronto's Mayor to Resign; Boy Handcuffed, Dead Chicken Around Neck; Typhoon Survivors Find Solace at Church

Aired November 17, 2013 - 08:00   ET

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


MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: Late night comics love him. But plenty of people in Toronto -- well, let's just say they don't. They want him gone. As the city gears up to gutting more power from Mayor Rob Ford, he prepares for his own television show.

ZORAIDA SAMBOLIN, CNN ANCHOR: The typhoon that struck the Philippines is long gone, but the desperation, it is only getting worse. Millions are still homeless. They are hungry and they are losing hope by the hour.

SAVIDGE: And it began as a simple traffic stop, but it escalated. The mom in this minivan with her five children in tow gave police in New Mexico a ride they will never likely forget.

(MUSIC)

SAMBOLIN: We have so much for you this morning. Good morning to you. Thanks for being with us. I'm Zoraida Sambolin.

SAVIDGE: And I'm Martin Savidge. It is 8:00. And this is NEW DAY SUNDAY.

And just like that, I told you two things: the date and time.

SAMBOLIN: Absolutely. And you're going to tell us a whole lot more.

So, the fight to push Toronto Mayor Rob Ford out of office is heating up. Tomorrow, the city council will vote to place the mayor's office and budgets in the hands of the deputy mayor.

SAVIDGE: The council has already stripped Ford of some of his powers including his ability to govern during an emergence. Despite his watered down position, a defiant Ford isn't ready to say good-bye.

SAMBOLIN: Oh, not by a long shot. Tomorrow, he is also set to launch his own television show with one of his biggest supporters, his brother.

So, for week's admission to smoking crack cocaine and his refusal to step down has been the butt of jokes for comedians.

SAVIDGE: Last night, the cast of "Saturday Night Live" had their shot. They poked fun at Ford's erratic behavior, including lewd comments he has made live on TV.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE"/BROADWAY VIDEO NBC)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am sorry for how I have been acting. It is not indicative of my position of mayor in this great town of Toronto.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, man, I got what you asked for.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, not here, OK? Let's do it under the desk.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (singing): I'm the best mayor of all of the mayors, I'm the best mayor in the world, your mayor and suck my (EXPLETIVE DELETED)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAMBOLIN: You asked a really important question.

SAVIDGE: Oh, you mean about whether this live show, this television show is born out of the controversy. I wondered that. Is this, whatever, it's genius. I will have to say, it is genius.

SAMBOLIN: But for the people of Toronto, there is nothing funny about the mayor's real life drama.

SAVIDGE: Yes, angry protesters are gathered outside of Toronto city hall. They did this yesterday, and they say that they want more than just an apology from the mayor. They want him gone.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If we can't get him out of office for the terrible behavior, the awful things he said, then it means we have no standards.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: An apology is not significant, and it's not suffice for what has taken place.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAMBOLIN: Well, they are fed up, indeed. But not everyone wants the mayor to resign.

CNN's senior international correspondent Nic Robertson has much more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Zoraida and Martin, there's one person that's been standing beside the mayor here inside the city council chambers voting with him not to have his power stripped away, that's his brother, Doug Ford, a council member here. I asked him about the humiliation that his brother is going through with all these powers being stripped away. This is what he told me.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DOUG FORD, MAYOR'S BROTHER: We just imagine if you took the CEO out and said, every one of you folks have the same power as the CEO, it wouldn't work.

ROBERTSON: Is it going to be humiliating for your brother, though, to be put in that position?

FORD: Well, you know something, this whole issue is humiliating.

ROBERTSON: This is what he's going to be remembered for.

FORD: Well, he's going to be remembered by doing a great job. He's going to be remembered if he fails to move in the right direction. And he's going to be remembered as a comeback kid.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTSON: Very important that he actually is not sure himself how his brother, the mayor, is going to handle the pressure and the stress of the current situation. The way the mayor is handling it so far, he says it's going to take the city council to court, challenge them by law, even though he's going to have to put his hand if his pocket to do that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTSON: Your brother the mayor said today he will fight some of the issues in court. It won't be the public money. It will be his money. How -- how much is this going to cost you? How long can you go on fighting that?

FORD: We spent close to probably a million dollars fighting on all the other court cases, three of them. Now, you've got to keep in mind, this battle didn't happen right now.

ROBERTSON: How many more millions --

FORD: This started three years ago when Rob Ford was --

ROBERTSON: But this is going to cost big --

FORD: Well, every single -- that's fine. We've taken on bigger guys, too.

ROBERTSON: How deep are your pockets?

FORD: Oh, I have, you know, short pockets.

ROBERTSON: Short pockets?

FORD: Very short pockets.

ROBERTSON: And this would then, you'll have to stop the fight pretty quick.

FORD: We're never going to stop fighting.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTSON: And that fight only expected to get longer.

On Monday, the council expected to vote to take more powers from the mayor, give them to the deputy mayor and take his operational budget, take some of his staff as well. But the mayor will get his own voice later the same day, a new talk show with his brother unscripted, they say, but this will be their chance to appeal to their supporters to put their view across, an hour long.

But who knows what the mayor will say? We've seen some of his comments in the past few days. It can go any way -- Zoraida, Martin.

SAVIDGE: And the way he says unscripted, it sounds like the other stuff has been unscripted. Oh, that's all been on the script.

SAMBOLIN: You know, I didn't know until we were watching this piece that you were from Canada.

SAVIDGE: I am.

SAMBOLIN: And I was curious as to whether there are normally a cast of characters like this that you get so much --

SAVIDGE: No. I think Canadians are, you know, we usually -- we, Canadians often look at the American political system and can point and say look at that. Now, we're pointing north.

SAMBOLIN: Yes. All right. Our thanks to Nic for that report.

SAVIDGE: Here's something you need to look at, because some areas of the U.S. could see an outbreak of tornadoes today. This is rare.

Take a look at the map. If you live in the bright pink area and you know who you are, you're in the high risk area. The National Weather Service predicts the eastern portions of Illinois and Indiana and southwest Michigan could see multiple, significant tornadoes and damaging winds.

And there are about six million people who live in that bright pink area. Please be careful and alert today.

The Navy meanwhile says that two sailors suffered minor burns after a drone malfunction and crashed into a guided missile cruiser off the coast of southern California. At the time of the crash, the drone was being used to test the ship's radar tracking system. The ship sustained some damage and is headed back to a San Diego port for assessment. The Navy will investigate what went wrong.

SAMBOLIN: Russians foreign minister says Western power should not pass up an opportunity to clinch a nuclear deal with Iran. Talks will resume in Geneva Wednesday. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel speaking at the Reagan Presidential Library predicts the United States will get a good deal that Israel can live with.

Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr talked to him exclusively.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: How worried are you if there is an agreement Israel will react with some sort of military force against Iran? What concerns do you have about that?

CHUCK HAGEL, DEFENSE SECRETARY: Well, those are realities that the Israelis tell us, explain that to us. We understand that. I think the Iranians understand that. Our partners understand that. That that reality, the use of military force, it is always an option.

We would never tell Israel or any country, a sovereign nation, an ally, very close partner and friend as Israel is, that they can't do something. They will do whatever they think is necessary to defend their own interests.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAMBOLIN: All right. The U.S. and its allies are looking at a two-step process. A preliminary deal with Iran to freeze its nuclear program, but is in exchange for some sanctions relief. A comprehensive agreement would follow, but months if not years down the road, we understand.

SAVIDGE: In North Carolina, that's a few miles south of Charlotte, authorities said that they have stumbled on a horrifying case of child abuse.

SAMBOLIN: That's terrible.

A child handcuffed to a front porch, a dead chicken tied around his neck.

CNN's Rosa Flores is on the story for us.

Good morning, Rosa.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Martin, Zoraida, there are many shocking factors to this story, and perhaps one of the most shocking is the profession of the mother in question. She actually works for the Department of Social Services.

(voice-over): The outside of this North Carolina house provides clues of the alleged horrors happening here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The child had a dead chicken hung around his neck.

FLORES: Sheriff's deputies say that 11-year-old boy was shivering, while allegedly handcuffed by the ankle to the porch. When the deputy asked the owner what was going on, another child opened the front door, releasing several large dogs that chased the deputy to his cruiser.

TONY BIGMAN, NEIGHBOR: Man, he come out of here when greased lightning when he came back out of here.

FLORES: Authorities won't get into the details, but the authorities of the house, Dorian Lee Harper and Wanda Sue Larson, now face intentional child abuse, inflicting serious injury, false imprisonment, and cruelty to animals charges.

Authorities removed five children from the home, ages 8 to 14. Four adopted kids, and the one allegedly handcuffed, a foster child.

BIGMAN: That was awful. I wish I had known that was going on, because it would have never went on.

FLORES: Harper is a nurse. Larson is a supervisor at the Union County Department of Social Services. Because of her job title, she also faced failure to discharge her duty as a public official. Larson wasn't at the house when the child was found allegedly handcuffed, but she's accused of being complicit.

(on camera): All of the children are in the custody of a social services agency outside of Union County. And we should add that the sheriff tells CNN that that boy on the porch is the only one who appears to be mistreated. Harper and Larson are scheduled to face a judge for their initial appearance on Monday -- Martin, Zoraida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SAMBOLIN: Our thanks to Rosa Flores. What a horrific story.

SAVIDGE: There is so much more you want to know.

SAMBOLIN: Unimaginable. Yes.

All right. As we enter week two of the recovery in the Philippines after that deadly super typhoon, people in this largely Catholic nation are returning to church today. And many are finding places of worship are badly damaged. The roof was ripped off of some churches.

SAVIDGE: Reporter Karl Penhaul is in Tacloban.

And, Karl, you attended the services today. It had to be very emotional.

KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Martin and Zoraida, it was tough on many levels. First of all, you go into these churches which are supposed to be a sanctuary in time of trouble and you see the roof is peeled off by that sup super typhoon, and as Sunday is going on, torrential rain is pouring down into the aisles of the church and on to the pews. You then hear the priest trying to reassure the faithful that this is not the end of the world. It's a very Catholic, a very faithful group of people there. And to try to tell them that, look, maybe the worst is over, have some hope.

But then you talk to members of the congregation and you ask yourself, how can you have hope? I talked to two sisters both of them mothers. And they, ten days after this typhoon struck, are still looking for five of their children. The youngest of them is 2. They told me how they were ripped by tidal surge from their home and spun around. They felt like during a washing machine, they said, and when that storm surge subsided, no sign of the five children.

One of the mothers is beside herself. She pointed to two-story, three-story building outside the church. She said if it wasn't for my sister and brother were here stopping me, she says, I would have gladly got top of that building and simply tossed myself off. She said, my life is worth nothing if my children aren't here. She said, how can I explain to my kids that I wasn't there to protect them in their time of need? Martin and Zoraida?

SAMBOLIN: Karl Penhaul, thank you very much.

And next, we'll stick with this Philippine story. The U.S. military ramps up aid, fresh troops are on the way. We're talking live with an American general who is in Manila.

And the setting should look familiar. You've never seen these pictures of JFK until now.

SAVIDGE: Yes. Our guest tells us why they have been hidden away for half a century.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SAVIDGE: OK. We were going to take you to the Philippines but now, we have this story, which is a van full of children, with their mother in the driver seat and then shots fired by police.

SAMBOLIN: This is breaking news just coming in. It's a story that happened right outside the city of Taos, New Mexico, on October 28. Now, the mother and her son are facing charges in and the officers are under investigation. Reporter Alex Goldsmith with our affiliate KRQE has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

POLICE OFFICER: You're doing 71 back there in a 55 --

ALEXIS GOLDSMITH, KRQE REPORTER (voice-over): Oriana Ferrell (ph) and a state police officer are arguing over a ticket just south of Taos.

POLICE OFFICER: I'll be right back. Go ahead and turn the vehicle off.

GOLDSMITH: As the cop walks off, Ferrell does the opposite, pulling away instead.

So, he pulls her over. POLICE OFFICER: Get out of the vehicle. Get out of the vehicle right now.

GOLDSMITH: You can see the officer trying to pull Ferrell out while the five kids inside scream.

The 14-year-old son gets out but thinks again when the officer pulls out the taser. The struggle continues.

POLICE OFFICER: You are already facing evading charges right now. You ran away from me, OK?

ORIANA FERRELL: Sir, I pulled back over, I didn't run away. You see my children, I'm not trying to do anything wrong. I'm just trying to take them to the Rio Grande.

GOLDSMITH: Finally, Ferrell agrees to get out and talk. But the conversation doesn't last long.

POLICE OFFICER: Turn around and face your vehicle. Ma'am, listen to me.

GOLDSMITH: Ferrell and the cops struggle as she tries to get back in the van. While that happens, the 14-year-old gets out again. And this time he rushes the officer, trying to defend his mom. After a short tussle, the boy runs back into the minivan. The officer tries to get him out while back up arrives.

POLICE OFFICER: Open door! Open door!

GOLDSMITH: Ferrell starts to drive off while another officer fires at the minivan full of kids as young as 6.

Ferrell then takes them on a four-minute high speed chase into Taos, cutting in wrong way traffic before eventually pulling over and giving up in front of a hotel. Her 14-year-old son is arrested and so is she.

Alex Goldsmith, KRQE, News 13.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SAVIDGE: Oriana Ferrell --

SAMBOLIN: I just said earlier that was breaking news. It's not. It's a story we have been following and we have new details.

SAVIDGE: Correct. And the mother is facing charges of child abuse, fleeing from police and drug charges after they found a marijuana pipe in the car.

SAMBOLIN: Yes. Her 14-year-old son is facing battery charges. Ferrell's lawyer called the officer's action, quote, "reckless" and said that his client drove away because she was scared for her children. All right. So, next we're going to go back to the Philippines. The U.S. military ramps up aid. Fresh troops are on the way. We're going to talk live with an American general who is in Manila.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SAMBOLIN: Welcome back.

Some typhoon survivors in the Philippines are finally getting their first meal in a week. It is a sign that relief is finally getting to very desperate families. An estimated 9,000 U.S. troops are assisting with the relief effort there on the ground.

SAVIDGE: Yes. The U.S. military is really stepping up here.

Marine Brigadier Paul Kennedy is in charge of U.S. military operations in the Philippines. He is joining us from Manila.

I should point that there is going to be a long delay. So, anticipate that.

General Kennedy, thank you for joining us. Let me ask you if you would introduce who is also with you and tell us how the mission is going.

BRIGADIER GEN. PAUL KENNEDY, U.S. MARINES: Yes, good morning, Martin.

To my left is Nancy Lindborg, the assistant administrator for the United States Agency for International Development. And to my right is Rear Admiral Hugh Wederald (ph), obviously, United States Navy.

SAMBOLIN: Now, we understand by a lot of the reports here that it's been very difficult to get aid to some people. We see in the background that it is actually happening now. We're very curious about hospital capabilities.

Can you talk to us about that?

KENNEDY: Right now, the military capabilities are beginning to grow. We have numerous fixed wing aircraft. We've got about a dozen C-130 cargo planes, over a dozen MB22 Ospreys, several dozen UH-60 helicopters off the George Washington. We've got Navy ships as you have seen from the newscast operating off the coast. We have a host of other capabilities.

SAVIDGE: What is the first priority with using these assets, General?

KENNEDY: Our priorities have been laid out since day one from our partners at the Office of Foreign Disasters Assistance. They instructed us because of the two experts in this field that we need to get life sustaining aid immediately out to the stricken population. So, food, water, shelter, medicine, those are the basics.

And we've been following the cues from our USAID partners on the best way to affect a change for these folks.

SAMBOLIN: I keep on asking about hospitals and what kind of supplies you're bringing to them, because we keep hearing the stories that infants are dying because they need incubators. So, I guess very specifically, I was curious as to whether those medical supplies are onboard and reaching the areas where they're needed most.

KENNEDY: Obviously, the military partnered with the armed forces of the Philippines have some unique capabilities to reach those most remote areas. Based on the cues that we're receiving from the international relief community and USAID, we affected those populations. The actual medical conditions, I think, it would be best if Ms. Lindborg was able to speak to that. She is the true expert and knows the capacity of those facilities.

NANCY LINDBORG, USAID: Thank you, General.

As general noted, we've been focusing on getting the logistics up, bringing in food, shelter and getting the water system back on tap. In fact, yesterday, we were able to support UNICEF in bringing the water system back on stream. There are now 150,000 people in Tacloban being served by clean water.

SAVIDGE: All right. We thank you all for joining us, for giving us insights on how this mission is moving forward.

I should point out, Zoraida, I've been with the military when they've done operations like this. The U.S. military with its helicopters, heavy lift capability to get into the remote areas, just -- no one can surpass them.

SAMBOLIN: That's fantastic to hear they're able to do that. It's really great to look in the background and see all the bags full with food, presumably, for all the people that need it.

SAVIDGE: Thank you all. Good luck on the mission.

If you'd like to also help the survivors of the Typhoon Haiyan, then go to our CNN.com/Impact.

Moving on.

Some 50 years after the death of President Kennedy, new never before seen pictures -- hard to believe -- are revealed. Up next, we'll show you some more of these photos that have been taken just minutes before JFK was killed.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SAMBOLIN: Welcome back into the bottom of the hour. Nice to have you with us. I'm Zoraida Sambolin.

SAVIDGE: And I'm Martin Savidge. It is a pleasure to be with you and you.

Millions of Americans in the Midwest could be in the path of a tornado outbreak today --

SAMBOLIN: Meteorologist -- what are you going to say?

SAVIDGE: Well, I just can't believe November is like --

SAMBOLIN: I know. It's very scary.

Samantha Mohr has it all in the severe weather center -- Samantha.

SAMANTHA MOHR, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Oh, yes.

Zoraida, Martin, we're really going to have to stay on top of this one today. Very unusual for the month of November that we would have a high risk issued by the Storm Prediction Center out of Norman, Oklahoma. But we do have all the ingredients coming in, with very cold air moving into moist, unstable air, a strong jet stream aloft, and we have another area of low pressure developing here. It is going to be an incredibly active day where we could see large hail, damaging winds and multiple tornadoes and many of these possibly could be long tracked tornadoes.

We haven't had a high risk issued in November for about eight years. We did back in 2005. So it's extremely unusual to see this develop.

Here come our low: notice these lines on the map, these white lines. These are isobars, lines of constant pressure. When you see them packed this tightly, that means we're in for major win the event. That's going toe be happening today.

So Sunday at noon, gusty winds and we have storms moving through Kentucky as the day wears on. By 2:00, we'll still see those thunderstorms moving here across parts of Pennsylvania in advance of the front.

Into Indiana we go and the Ohio Valley. More storms by 6:00. We'll see them raging here across Michigan. And then that will continue to march eastward. By 9:00 we'll see some very strong storms moving here throughout the Great Lakes and into the Ohio Valley. And SDC has also said we could likely see two major rounds of storms here with these -- with the potential to produce these long tract tornadoes, these extremely gusty winds.

The winds that (inaudible) to the jet streams will be around 140 miles per hour. And here at the surface, gusts in Chicago around 50 miles per hour at 3:00.

So we'll watch this very closely for you today Zoraida and Martin because this could be a major outbreak.

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: Yes definitely.

ZORAIDA SAMBOLIN, CNN ANCHOR: Very scary. Be very careful, folks. Thank you Samantha, appreciate it. SAVIDGE: Friday marks the 50th anniversary of the day that President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. And now never before seen photos taken minutes before he was killed.

SAMBOLIN: So the photos published in the latest issue of "Time" magazine were only recently discovered after the death of an amateur photographer.

SAVIDGE: Images like this one show JFK and a smiling First Lady on that sunny November day.

Joining us now, Radhika Jones deputy managing editor for "Time" magazine. Good morning. Welcome to you.

RADHIKA JONES, DEPUTY MANAGING EDITOR, TIME: Good morning. Thanks for having me.

SAVIDGE: So tell us, who took the photos and how were they discovered?

JONES: The photos were taken by a man named H. Warner King. He was a jeweler in Dallas. And he was a fan of President Kennedy. He traveled a lot but he arranged to be in town on that fateful day, staked out a good spot along the path of the motorcade and he was able to photograph the President quite up close as you see in those pictures minutes before the assassination.

And what's amazing is, you know, as the whole nation, was Mr. King was traumatized. He put the negatives away. He didn't do anything with them. He put them in storage. He later retired to New Zealand and it wasn't until his death in 2005 that his daughter in looking through his effects found this box labeled Kennedy 1963 and pulled out these pictures.

SAMBOLIN: This is such a gift for everyone. The photos are simply amazing. Can you talk to us about some of the photos?

JONES: They are really striking. I mean I know we at "Time" when we heard about them we thought well we surely we've seen everything there is to see from this day. We know the Zapruder film practically by heart. We have seen all of these images. You know, they've been the focus of films and investigations over 50 years.

But there's something about the vividness of these pictures, the closeness, the vitality of the President and his wife and the vitality of the crowd. You can see people there with -- with cameras themselves taking pictures, people with babies and young children. Just excited to be out on the sunny day and seeing the President.

And it just reminds you of how -- how quickly his life was snuffed out and how traumatic it was for the nation and for everyone watching.

SAVIDGE: Yes it's very haunting to see those images and certainly in light of knowing what comes next. The death of John F. Kennedy is certainly haunted by conspiracy theories and I'm wondering do you think that's ever going to end?

JONES: That's the focus of our cover story by David Von Drehle and he makes a very persuasive argument that it won't end. Partly because of some of the ways in which the immediate autopsy and forensic investigation was rushed and that, of course, is partly because people were so concerned about the transition of power and about whether this was the beginning of more assassination attempts on our leaders.

But -- but what David remarks is that in a way, too close the case on the Kennedy assassination is to -- is to give up our belief that -- that there was great promise in this man and his leadership, that there was great promise in this generation. You know, it's -- it's hard to believe we put so much stake in the power of our presidency as a symbol of our democracy and to think that it could be simply snuffed out by one man with one bullet is almost even more heartbreaking than the actual death.

So in a way, the way that the Kennedy case stays live is partly because of our desire to believe that the presidency is stronger than just one man and one bullet.

SAMBOLIN: And I know that we're focusing on the assassination. But really it is the Kennedys, right -- the Americans are just fascinated by the Kennedys.

JONES: I think they really still are. And, you know, the occasion of this anniversary is causing a lot of writing about Kennedy's legacy and there's a lot of re-evaluation about whether he was as good a president as people believed shortly, you know, after his death. There are a lot of questions about what he would have done in Vietnam, how he would have led us through the civil rights movement.

But the truth is that we'll never know --

(CROSSTALK)

SAMBOLIN: Right.

JONES: -- because he really never had much time in office. And -- and because the nature of his death was so tragic and it really struck at the core of one of the things we hold dear, the peaceful transition of power in our government. Whatever one's ideology, we've watched so many times a Republican president give way to a Democrat and vice versa and to have such a -- such a violent and traumatic end to a presidency, especially one as beloved as Kennedy was, I think is still traumatic.

SAMBOLIN: Well, it has been just a pleasure to have you this morning. Thank you for sharing Radhika Jones. I appreciate your time this morning.

JONES: Thank you.

SAVIDGE: Tom Hanks was just a boy when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated 50 years ago as we say. He spoke to CNN's Christian Amanpour about how he remembers November 22nd, 1963 and about his new documentary "JFK" that is airing on CNN.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM HANKS, ACTOR: I remembered thinking that this doesn't happen in the real world, a president doesn't get shot in front of everybody the way John F. Kennedy was. Now at seven years old, I was barely even a socially conscious being. But the overpowering sadness of every adult I came across was rattling.

CHRISTIAN AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: What will the film show us?

HANKS: Well, the stuff we're doing for CNN is really taking how television covered these great moments both of history and sort of like society, everything from news reports to like the British invasion of a rock band. And it's how this medium that was really just coming into its first great technological muscles and how it now looks so incredibly primitive that we almost wonder how we hung so much importance on the truth that television told us when really it was -- it was dictated by copper wire and innuendo almost.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAVIDGE: Yes but if you haven't seen that, it really is a great documentary. Watch it.

SAMBOLIN: Yes. So CNN puts you on the ground 50 years ago, the day President Kennedy was killed and how the events of that day changed the nation and the entire world. Do not miss the premier of "The Assassination of President Kennedy" that is tonight at 9:00 Eastern on CNN.

SAVIDGE: And just ahead, a Methodist pastor on trial by Methodist church leaders. Find out why some are upset that he performed his son's wedding ceremony plus you'll hear from the pastor after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SAVIDGE: For today's "Faces of Face" a Methodist pastor faces a church trial for officiating his son's wedding ceremony.

SAMBOLIN: Reverend Frank Schaefer was proud to marry his son Tim to another man. This is six years ago in Massachusetts. Schaefer told his church superiors in advance and did not get a warning or any reaction at all until this year.

SAVIDGE: Someone filed a complaint just before the statute of limitations ran out. The punishment could range from a reprimand to a suspension to defrocking.

SAMBOLIN: So the church offered Reverend Schaefer the chance to avoid trial if he agreed not to perform another same-sex marriage. Earlier this week I asked Reverend Schaefer why he won't agree to that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REV. FRANK SCHAEFER, ZION UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OF IOWA: I was asked by my son six years ago or actually seven years ago if I would perform his wedding and I decided to do it. And it was out of love for him that I did it, out of affirmation for him. I don't know what would happen, what my reaction would be if somebody else came in the future. So just -- I can't commit to a statement like that. And especially in light of the fact that I have two more children that are gay.

SAMBOLIN: So how have your views on homosexuality changed since you were a young man?

SCHAEFER: I was raised in the Evangelical tradition in an Evangelical home and I at one point believed that homosexuality is incompatible with Christianity. However, I have always thought that if it turned out not to be a choice, that our theology was in trouble. So over time as I went through my training in seminary, my views started to change because I got exposed to what different scholars have to say on the subject and that opened myself up to a different view. So by the time our son came out, I was ready to embrace him and I did. And my wife did as well. And we affirmed him and said, "Look, we love you no matter what. If this is who you are, then we will affirm you."

SAMBOLIN: How does your congregation feel about this?

SCHAEFER: My congregation is just as divided as the rest of America on this -- on this subject. So it's been -- it's been a tough six months since the complaint was filed.

SAMBOLIN: And if in fact -- I guess I get back to my original question to you. Is why would you stay in a church where you don't believe in some of its fundamental principles?

SCHAEFER: Well, it's like with any church tradition or faith tradition. If you've been a part of it for so long, if your children were raised in it and the church overall I like the United Methodist Church. There is just this one thing that you don't agree with, you try to work around it. You try to change it perhaps. And you just don't feel like you should abandon your own church.

I mean in our church, we have plenty of gay and lesbian members and we need to be there for them, too and speak out for them and shepherd them as well.

SAMBOLIN: Well we certainly wish you a lot of luck, Reverend Schaefer. And I think everybody would applaud you for embracing your children.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAMBOLIN: So we did receive an e-mail response from the group that will hold Reverend Schaefer's church trial. A spokeswoman for the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church wrote to CNN quote, "We ask all persons to be in prayer for everyone involved."

We're going to continue to follow this story and see what the outcome is.

SAVIDGE: Oh yes definitely.

SAMBOLIN: Yes tragic for him.

SAVIDGE: And for more stories on faith be sure to check out our belief blog. That is at CNN.com/belief.

Well, if there was any doubt, doubt no more. A potential Republican contender for 2016 makes Obamacare a campaign issue in Iowa. Politics next on NEW DAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SAVIDGE: The importance of this story can't be overstated. It's the fact we're standing. When a Washington politician trades the Beltway for Iowa, well, you know that somebody is thinking about the nation's first presidential caucuses of 2016.

SAMBOLIN: Indeed. Democrats have handed potential Republican candidates a really easy target, Obamacare. The GOP's 2012 vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan did not miss a beat.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. PAUL RYAN (R), WISCONSIN: This law is doing real harm to real people. This law is taking people and disrupting their lives. Millions of people are getting their cancellation notices. Families are seeing the premiums go up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAVIDGE: Another 2016 possibility this one a democrat showed up in New Hampshire. That's the first primary state and despite the botched Obamacare roll out, Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley defended President Obama's record.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. MARTIN O'MALLEY (D), MARYLAND: No president since FDR inherited a worse economy, bigger job losses, as many wars or as large a deficit as President Obama did. But thanks to his leadership and thanks to each of you, America is now moving forward again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAMBOLIN: All right, folks. If you're keeping a calendar Election Day is just 1,087 days away. We counted.

SAVIDGE: Thanks for the warning. SAMBOLIN: So, new this morning: Secretary of State John Kerry says he will travel to Israel on Friday meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss negotiations over the Iranian nuclear program.

SAVIDGE: And that will be the third in a series of meetings that's scheduled for the week. Today Netanyahu meets with the president of France and Wednesday he will meet with Russian president, Vladimir Putin.

SAMBOLIN: "STATE OF THE UNION" host Candy Crowley joins us from Washington. You spoke exclusively with the Israeli prime minister who is at odds with the United States over this issue. Can these meeting sway him?

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN HOST: I think if you ask Netanyahu, he would tell you that he thinks these meetings are about him swaying them. He definitely believes that Iran cannot be trusted; that the current president is not really the guy pulling the strings here. That what Iran wants to do is to begin to loosen those sanctions because it sends a big signal to all the other countries, this is over now we can begin to do business with Iran again. He thinks it's a very dangerous way to go because it means in the end that Iran won't give up their nuclear plans.

So, I think he looks at it, the opposite way. I don't think there's going to be a meeting of the minds here. All three of those men were in on negotiations, their countries again will be in on negotiations which begin next week at a lower level and I don't see any daylight at this point. I mean I see a lot of daylight at this point between the Israelis and the P5 plus one which is the permanent security council members and Germany who are now dealing with Iran.

SAVIDGE: Yes, definitely a tough nut to try to resolve there. Candy Crowley, thank you very much -- always a pleasure to see you.

And stay here for "STATE OF THE UNION" with Candy Crowley it starts at the top of the hour, 9:00 a.m. Eastern right here on CNN.

SAMBOLIN: And still to come on NEW DAY -- a mystery four billion years in the making. Scientists think Mars may have once looked a lot like earth, covered in water, maybe even life. What happened? A new mission to the Red Planet hopes to find out.

We'll have more right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SAVIDGE: My goodness, a wild night in Southern California and it had nothing to do with geology but the USC managed to pull off a big time upset. The Trojans managed to top number four Stanford a last second field goal, 47 yards out. The loss means that the Cardinals probably lost their chance of playing for a national championship.

SAMBOLIN: So sad. And look who there was to watch all of the action. Recognized that person? That is Jonathan Martin from the Miami Dolphins bullying scandal. He was cheering on his alma mater in their losing effort.

After the game Trojan fans stormed the field. But it wasn't all fun and games. The celebration was short-lived. That stampede sent ten people to the hospital. None of the injuries were life- threatening. I think a broken ankle was the worst of it.

SAVIDGE: Ok. If you didn't know this then you aren't a gamer but it was a big weekend for gamers as one of the must have products of the holiday season hit store shelves.

SAMBOLIN: You have no idea how excited Martin is about this.

SAVIDGE: I am.

SAMBOLIN: We are talking about the Playstation 4, of course. Across the country gamers waited in really long lines to get this new Sony product.

SAVIDGE: Dear Santa. The last time that Sony released a Playstation was way back in 2006.

So what else is hot this holiday season? We just happen to have a new survey. From shopping app eBase, 88 percent of teens want a gadget under the tree.

SAMBOLIN: Teenagers, Martin -- teenagers.

SAVIDGE: They had to survey to figure that one out. And then coming in at number one Apple products followed by the Playstation 4 and Xbox One.

Crank up the way back machine because we're going way back billions of years ago. Mars may have been a very different place.

SAMBOLIN: Nicknamed the Red Planet our neighbor may have looked a lot like us -- white clouds, ocean and maybe even life.

SAVIDGE: Yes. A new Mars mission is launching tomorrow and will be looking for answers. Chad Myers has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHAD MYERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: For scientists or space enthusiasts alike, Mars continues to amaze. It's no surprise the Red Planet is currently the subject of five active NASA missions, three in orbit and two on the surface.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And lift off of the Atlas V with Curiosity seeking clues to the planetary puzzle about life on Mars.

MYERS: You've probably heard of Curiosity, NASA's rover studying the geology and climate on the ground. Now NASA sixth mission, Maven is hoping to study Mars from above and answer a four billion-year-old question: What made the fourth planet from the sun turn red and barren?

JIM GARVIN, CHIEF SCIENTIST, NASA: It's gone from that polar sterile desert, geological world, kind of boring rocks to this exciting blooming world with a history that does include warm wet times, climate change, dynamic atmosphere, land slides, ice sheets, buried ice -- unbelievable.

MYERS: Scientists believe that Mars may have looked a lot like earth with blue skies and warm temperatures.

We do believe that Mars at one point had liquid water, correct?

GARVIN: Absolutely. Evidence in the rocks from Curiosity is literally unassailable. And we see the record even in the frozen materials in the soils today.

MYERS: Collecting new measurements of the planet's upper atmosphere will give those analyzing the data a better understanding of the climate change over the Red Planet's history.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAMBOLIN: All right. You can watch much more on CNN.com. Thank you for joining us today.

SAVIDGE: It has been a pleasure.

"STATE OF THE UNION" with Candy Crowley starts now.