Midwest Winter Storm; Clinton Hostage Crisis; World AIDS Day Concert
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Of course, the quilt itself founded back in 1987, right around that time. So the thought was that, you know what, AIDS would be around a little while. We would show people the epidemic, they'd get this knocked down and we would be able to get this sewn in back in 1988 or a few years later, but here we are in 2007, this panel still hangs, and they hope this will be the last one they are able to sew, and maybe in our lifetimes, we will see a day when AIDS is eradicated, a cure is found and no one else has to die of AIDS and this will be the last panel that is added to the AIDS Memorial Quilt. A lot of people here, Betty, they held onto this for a number of years and hold onto it now, hoping one day, in fact, they will be able to sew this into the quilt and make this the last one ever sewn into that quilt -- Betty.</s>NGUYEN: Yeah, it is a fight that is taking place around the world to this very day on World AIDS Day, and hopefully, like you say, we will live to see the day when that is sewn into the quilt. T.J., thank you. CNN NEWSROOM continues with Fredricka Whitfield and she joins us now to take it away.</s>FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Yeah, good to see you, Betty, have a great day. Of we're going to continue the theme with World AIDS Day. We have a lot of guests coming up throughout the day, including Magic and Cookie Johnson, we'll be talking to Bobby Shriver, as well in this hour, so a lot going on in addition to World AIDS Day. Also, this is a big weather day, it's turning out to be.</s>NGUYEN: No doubt, blizzard-like conditions?</s>WHITFIELD: We talked about the huge winter storm. Well, let's about that right off the top, right now. You have a great day, Betty. Reynolds Wolf is in the Severe Weather Center. And so, Reynolds, folks in Iowa, particularly, and a lot of those presidential campaigners, they're there, but they're going to have to get creative with their campaigning, maybe even wear a few snow shoes or maybe some cross country skis.</s>REYNOLDS WOLF, METEOROLOGIST: Well, you know, I mean, you can always argue that campaigning has a little bit to do with snuggling up, and that may be the case there in Iowa.</s>WHITFIELD: Oh, it's snuggling up now, with those candidates?</s>WOLF: Oh yeah, no question. Cold day there, already, at the airport. The airport in Iowa already, the one we have been referring is Des Moines, completely closed for the time being. We had an airliner that actually slide off the runway due to the ice. Fredricka, they could see up to a half inch of ice, and that can make a world of difference for a lot of people. In fact, this storm not only affecting this spot, but also Newark where they've got delays of 45 minutes, expected to increase, and that's going to be pretty much the story we're going to see in many places around the country. Right now, though, it is the Midwest that is under the gun. They've got that winter storm warning that's in effect for portions of Michigan, back over into Milwaukee, Chicago's in on that action, back to Cedar Rapids we go, and the snow continues to fly. But not only that, we're having some winds that are topping up to 45 miles-per- hour, some a little bit weaker, but we're having the issue of blowing snow. And of course, the icy conditions on the roadways as well as some of the runways. We may have some power outages. In fact, I don't think it may happen, I think it will happen. We're going to have a nice coating of ice on many of the power lines. Of course, this is going to weigh things down, and when that happens, of course we're going to have power outages. That's the latest for you. Let's wrap it up very quickly, back to you.</s>WHITFIELD: All right, Reynolds we'll check back with you. Meantime, let's go to one of those places that is kind of under the gun of all the snowfall right now, Minneapolis, Minnesota, among the being hard-hit right now by this winter snowstorm. And in the middle of it all, our own Susan Roesgen. And now you've got your parka, your mittens, all that, after leaving the comfy confines of New Orleans. Well, welcome to the Midwest.</s>SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, welcome to the Midwest. Isn't it beautiful, Fredricka.</s>WHITFIELD: It is.</s>ROESGEN: It is so beautiful to folks here in Minneapolis, because they say they are snow-starved. Last December, Fredricka, here in the Twin Cities area, they had just four inches of snow in the entire month of December. So, they're hoping for between six and 10 inches, hoping, if you're a skier, of course. They also, out on the highway, this is one of the major highways here, 494 -- you can see that traffic is moving really slowly, but -- sorry, smoothly, but they have 200-plus snow plows ready in case they need them. I just got off the phone with the highway folks. They say no problems so far here today. So, this is an area that welcomes snow, welcomes December 1st, welcomes some of the Christmassy weather. Really fun out here, so far. I'll let you know, Fredricka, as the day goes on, whether that fun turns into something a little more serious. But, right now this is something that really Minnesota welcomes. They really have had a very dry November. They've had four very dry winters over the past four years. So you know, six to 10 inches would be kind of nice right now -- Fredricka.</s>WHITFIELD: Right. It's old hat for the folks there in Minneapolis, they're use to this, and they welcome it indeed. Susan Roesgen, thank you so much. Get a hat on, though, you look cold. All right, well, Senator Hillary Clinton says she is now relieved that no one was injured during a hostage crisis at one of her campaign offices in New Hampshire yesterday. Clinton is back on the campaign trail this hour. And we're learning new details now about the man who crashed her office and held five people captive. Lee Eisenberg is in jail in Rochester, New Hampshire. He faces possible charges of kidnapping and reckless conduct. In court papers, Eisenberg's wife said her husband suffered from severe alcohol and drug abuse. Police say he wanted help with his mental problems. More details now from CNN's Jim Acosta, who's in Rochester, New Hampshire.</s>JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Wearing a fake bomb that was nothing more than road flares duct-taped to his chest, Leeland Eisenberg surrendered to police, ending a tense hostage crisis that brought the race for the White House to a standstill. For more than five years, Eisenberg, a 46-year-old with a history of mental illness, was holed up inside this Hillary Clinton campaign office in Rochester, New Hampshire, threatening to blow up a handful of staffers, a child, and himself. At one point during the crisis, Eisenberg called CNN, complaining that he had been unable to seek treatment for his mental illness and added that he had gone to that campaign office to speak with the candidate directly. But, police say involving the presidential hopeful was not an option.</s>CHIEF DAVID DUBOIS, ROCHESTER POLICE: We decided not to introduce anyone from the campaign or the senator's office into the negotiation process.</s>ACOSTA: Eventually, the hostages were released; the fake bomb was destroyed by police. And late in the evening, Senator Clinton flew to New Hampshire for a brief visit with the then-released hostages and their families.</s>SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We're immensely relieved that this has ended peacefully. To see the people who were directly held hostage and their families and to thank the New Hampshire professionals who made this day turn out as well as it did.</s>ACOSTA: Over at Eisenberg's mobile home community, a few miles away, neighbors say they saw early warning signs of trouble, ranging from alcohol abuse to loud arguments at the suspect's home.</s>GEORGE ISAACSON, NEIGHBOR: He would walk over to the filling station right up the street every day and always get either a 12-pack or something like that. This is every day.</s>ERIC CARLSON, NEIGHBOR: They hauled him away for domestic violence, yes. I don't know what happened. I was coming in from work and they were hauling him in the cruiser.</s>ACOSTA: On Eisenberg's front door, a note from his family, saying they have no comment for now. Jim Acosta, CNN, Rochester, New Hampshire.</s>WHITFIELD: Well, this indeed is a special day. It's World AIDS Day, and there are events taking place all across the world and across this country. But coming up, imagine spending this day with a real unique set of entertainers in Johannesburg. Live concert happening right now, and they've got a powerful message as well, straight ahead in the NEWSROOM.