tv Happening Now FOX News December 27, 2015 12:00pm-1:01pm PST
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a great holiday and goodnight. >> welcome to a special hour. i'm jon scott. >> i'm jenna lee. we're on governor's island, once an outpost to protect new york city from attack. we're in the shadow of the statue of liberty and a stone's throw from ellis island, the gateway to the american dream. this hour we're taking you on a journey that highlights america's proud past through the lens of modern stories we reported on this year. >> our journey begins just up the hudson river at george washington's creation, west point. the oldest continuously operated
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military post in the united states. it is there you can now experience the major battles that shaped our nation on a golf course, the course at west point allows you to tee up while you take in a history lesson that unfurls one hole at a time beginning with the american revolution and ends with afghanistan. i had an opportunity to play the course while honor aing the men and women that gone to war to keep the rest of us free. you'll find it 50 miles west of new york city and 250 years back in the history of this nation. >> george washington found this to be what he called the key to the continent and thought if he could control west point and the hudson river against the largest navy and army in the world, british army and navy, we could secure the united states and it was an eight-year war in the revoluti revolution. ♪
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>> west point, george washington's brain child. the nation's oldest military academy known for its distinctive stone architecture and cadet temple.it's a place w wars and those who fought in them are memorialized in one of america's favorite games. >> perfect. >> you got that, right? >> carved into the granite hills of west point's 16,000 acres is its golf course. historic in its own right, it's the product of ta legendary cou designer built during the world
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war ii years using an unusual labor source, german prisoners of war transported from the battlefields of europe to this american army post. i recently played a round at west point with brigadier general malcolm frost. in 1983, he was a freshman entering west point. now a few decades later, served all over the world including combat deployments to bosnia, iraq and afghanistan. these days he's the army's chief of public affairs and in that position one of his concerns is how american civilians and military personnel relate to one another. >> we do have a growing military and civilian divide. less than 1% of the population has served in the military and so as we're cresting off the end of these last 14 years of warfare, although there's a lot of concern and a lot of danger in the world and a lot of forces that are deployed around the world, we want to ensure that
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the civilian society and military society that they come together and that this is great place to do that at the united states military academy at west point. >> one of his west point classmates and fellow soccer team member is dan rice. >> i would bet he would be a general but not that i would be in this position now. >> after west point rice fulfilled his army commitment and enter the business world and reenlisted as infantry officer during the iraq war. back in the states and back in business, rice and some fellow graduates saw one opportunity right inside the west point gates. the historic hotel a property owned by the u.s. government but at the time managed about as well as the federal budget. >> then it was struggling and after 9/11 and a group of graduates took over management of the hotel and have really just revived the hotel. we have corporate strategy meetings here. we have over 100 weddings a year. it's just a great place. it's part of america's history
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and it's owned by the american public. >> which brings us back to the golf course. it, too, was in need of some spit shining. so west point dedicated markers for each of the 18 holes on the course commemorating major wars in american history. number one is of course the american revolution, a war won by the man who gave birth to this place. as golfers battle the course, they are reminded of the military battles that shaped our nation through the war of 1812 and the civil war and our nation's bloodiest in which west point educated generals led the armies on both sides. >> a lot of soul searching on whether to stay loyal to the union and for a lot of cadets it took their individual states to secede before they went with the south. >> that's the significance of brother on brother. bonding that you get and how close you know each other here. it's just incredible to see that although you have north and
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south and confederacy and union but to know that they are close personal friends and understand habits and strengths and weaknesses is significant. >> through world war i and ii and korea and the cold war, golfers arrive at the 13th holcohol hole commemorating vietnam. the raging conflict cost the lives of 58,200 americans. among them, 273 graduates of west point. after the paris peace accord ended the war in april 1973, american forces would see more than a decade of quiet until communist cuban troops overthrew the government of a tiny caribbean nation and in response, president ronald reagan ordered the invasion of grenada. >> we were told it was a friendly island paradise for terr tourism. it wasn't. it was readied to export terror and undermine democracy.
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we got there just in time. >> for general malcolm frost and dan rice, both west point graduates, the 16th hole has particular meaning. >> it's in honor of "operation desert storm." operation forces class of 56 from west point liberated kuwait at the direction of president george herbert walker bush. >> turning a blind eye to saddam's aggression would not have avoided war. >> the one west point graduate who was killed in action was lieutenant donnie tiller who was our classmate. he was shot down on the last day of the war. >> it brings it home to you guys. the sacrifice of so many of the men and women who have gone to this institution. >> that's what helped motivate me to say in the united states army and continue to serve through bosnia and into the last couple of wars which we have seen those on 17 and 18 the great monuments for "operation iraqi freedom" and "operation
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enduring freedom." >> the course is unusual in that final two holes are both par 5s. long in golf speak. it so happens they commemorate our nation's two longest holes, iraq and afghanistan. >> in those wars combined, 95 west point graduates have been killed in action. 93 men and two women. and over 5,000 soldiers. so those two markers are really two of the first monuments so to speak to those wars. >> it resonates with us whether soldiers that served with us, our classmates, whether it was those that we knew and served with on the soccer team, but the sacrifice 4,477 who have died in iraq and 2,351 in afghanistan. >> reading the markers and remembering the fallen adds time to a round of golf but here that's expected and perfectly
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acceptable. >> no course marshal will hustle people along with they are pausing to read the markers? >> those markers are there for a reason. you get a lot of different aspects. you get a great outing with buddies or maybe with your company or maybe just with friends or family. you also get a tour of history and you do it at a national landmark here at the military academy at west point. >> it might surprise you to know this course rich in history and historical markers and on west point property is open to the public. >> the fact that west point has been a place that honors the current wars that we most recently served in as well is pretty significant and in the history from hole 1 to hole 18, and then this beautiful venue, the golf course itself here on historic west point, united states military academy, is open to the public and we hope to see a lot of the public here. >> those men and women who gave their lives for our freedom did so to protect all of us and to
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honor the stars and stripes. >> each patriotic holiday a special flag is flown over the george washington bridge. it's the largest free flying american flag in the world. how do they fly it? some very special access next. >> i'm glad i didn't wear high heels to this. glad i didn't we high heels for this. i didn't need that kind of i didn't need that kind of equipment. heartburn! no one burns on my watch! try alka-seltzer heartburn reliefchews. they work fast and don't taste chalky. mmm...amazing. i have heartburn. alka-seltzer heartburn reliefchews. enjoy the relief. i built my business with passion. but i keep it growing by making every dollar count.
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>> the george washington bridge spans the hudson river, the site of fierce fighting by the army led by its namesake and the british. >> it's the busiest bridge in the entire world and houses the largest free flying american flag. we were able to witness how a supersized old glory is proudly flown. this is the world's busiest bridge and it's more than 600 feet to the top. we're going all of the way up there. do you ever get a little bit afraid up here? >> you have to have a little fear. if you fearless, you're dangerous. you have to have a little fear. >> it's pretty high. i'm not going to lie to you. the sheer size of the bridge
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means for a flag to appear majestic, it has to be massive. i want to get an idea of how big the flag is. and you're about 6'2", right? so you're about two stars. >> i'm about two stars. a star is about three foot. you're a star and a half. i don't mean anything bad by that. >> i'll take half a star. why not. >> almost three foot across point to point. the flag is 60x90 to give you perspective. it will cover a full sized basketball court. 60x90. weighs just under 500 pounds. >> wow. >> it's something we take a lot of pride in. this is the tube that the flag is stored in. fiberglass tube runs from the bottom of the arch all of the way up top. >> so the flag is actually living in this tube all year long. >> yes. the flag is always up in the tower. we actually lower it and deploy
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it. it comes out of this tube. >> the tube helps shield the flag from the elements and from thousands of drivers who pass under it and likely don't even know it's there. oh. >> that goes straight down to the roadway. we're conscious to make sure nothing can fall in there. >> you have to see this. although most of the flag flying operations are high tech, i found out repairs can rely on some good old fashioned handiwork. >> patches or anything like that have to be sewn on if the flag gets ripped in the wind. we do sewing. >> did you do it yourself? >> i have done sewing. >> i bet you didn't think of that as part of your job description. >> my mother taught me. yeah. >> to really understand the height and marvel of this flag, i needed a new perspective and
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luckily i was given some amazing access. >> we have to do a little climbing. have you seen these? these are my claws by the way. nice. >> you look nervous. >> okay it's nerve-racking. do you see what i'm going to do? >> make sure these are on you the right way. >> see you guys later. >> are you all right? >> i'm okay. i don't really know how far i need to go to experience it. my legs are shaking a little bit. my gosh. right now i'm standing right above where they fly the world's
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largest free flying american flag. >> how was it? >> awesome. >> now that we've seen the flag from all angles, it's time to get to work and actually unfurl old glory. >> when i hit the buttons for operating it, i'll be lowering the actual whole boom arm and flag. >> got it. after the work of three str strategically placed teams, it's all done. having doing this task on early morning hours on holidays when
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most of america has a day off and collect it late in the day year after year, i had to ask this question. do the guys like putting down the flag? is it a hassle? >> it's not a hassle. it's a great thing. it's tremendous. every time you get a chill when you see it fly. something that enormous, we take a lot of pride in it. >> as you have seen flying this flag is no small feat and those who do it feel especially honored. >> up next, we'll talk to some of those responsible for putting this very special symbol of america on very public display. >> walk by and see the flag up and they look at us and say, wow, this is terrific. this is america. this is a good thing. and it's a very positive result that we get. positive attitude from the people walking on the bridge. happy to see it. truckers beep the horn. it gives you a sense of accomplishment like you're doing something good. >> you swell with pride when
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that flag comes out. it's just incredible. pride whe that flag comes out. it is just incredible. we always were told we were german. we were in a german dance group. i wore lederhosen. so i just started poking around on ancestry. then, i decided to have my dna tested through ancestry dna. it turns out i'm scottish. so, i traded in my lederhosen for a kilt.
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tand that's what we're doings to chat xfinity.rself, we are challenging ourselves to improve every aspect of your experience. and this includes our commitment to being on time. every time. that's why if we're ever late for an appointment, we'll credit your account $20. it's our promise to you. we're doing everything we can to give you the best experience possible. because we should fit into your life. not the other way around. >> the world's largest
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free-falling flfree-fall i -- free flying flag is hard to miss when it happens. >> the fleet passes hawaiian shores. >> the tradition dates back nearly 70 years to veterans day, 1947. a sign of victory and honor for those who served in world war ii. the flag hanging today is the largest free flying american flag in the world and remains a sign of american pride on major national holidays. >> we do it every holiday. memorial day, labor day, veterans day. we should do it more than they let us. that's not up to us. >> for this team of men, it's more than just another day at the office. >> i think it's one of the few countries that are proud of their flag for me being from another flag and being adopted
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into this country, it's very emotional. >> the height, the danger, all just a way of life. >> you're up there climbing the cables, how did you get to do that? >> we have water and food and coffee. >> do you ever get afraid? >> no. >> aren't you afraid of heights? >> no. i'm enjoying my job. >> the heart of this team reflects the unity of the flag itself. >> we put our trust in each other when we're out there. i depend on them and they depend on me. it's a great family atmosphere to have. >> on those days the flag is unfurled and the response makes it all the more worth while. >> people walk by and see the flag up and look at us and say wow, this is terrific. this is america. this is a good thing. it's a very positive result that we get. positive attitude from the people walking on the bridge. they're happy to see it.
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truckers beep their horn. it gives you a sense of accomplishment like you're doing something good. especially in tough times with afghanistan and isis and everything going on overseas. we're proud of america and proud to fly the flag and people appreciate it. >> only once in the 67-year history of the hanging of the flag did it fly for more than just one day. >> we flew it for 30 days after 9/11 to let everyone know and all of the volunteers and workers going down to ground zero. we took one of our old flags and repaired it. brought it down to ground zero and hung it on a school right outside of ground zero just to let everyone know, you know, we're here. this country is strong. >> from high above the bridge connecting new york and new jersey, over the hudson river where the first americans bravely fought the british, the resolve of these men remains. >> when 9/11 happened, we wanted to put the flag out right away
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and there was a concern that there might be other targets and us being one of them. we wanted to get it out there. we wanted to let everybody know that we may have gotten a kick, but we're not down. >> from world war ii to 9/11, to today on national holidays, a special flag is lowered to be raised. a simple act that provokes deep reflection on what our country was, is and will be. >> you swell with pride when that flag comes out. it's just incredible. and it's a great honor to be able to do that for the people, for the port authority, for the veterans, it's just a great honor. >> that symbol of our nation's pride and freedom has flown over battlefields all across the world. >> in world war ii, the powerful call of patriotism led some of
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it looks like a war stozone how the dallas area is described after powerful tornadoes killed at least 11 people and injured many others. a horrible path of destruction. reports of cars thrown off an overpass to the traffic below killing people in their vehicles. 50,000 people now told without power. the full scope of the horrible devastation not yet clear as search and rescue operations still are under way. damage stretching 20 miles south of dallas to an area northeast of the city. it's a heartbreaking weekend in texas. we're awaiting a news conference by texas governor greg abbott on this developing story. we'll have it when it comes. >> imagine the biggest stars of
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america's favorite pastime leaving the diamond and donning new uniforms leaving the baseball field to the battlefield. >> our nation's heroes gave up big league careers, their families and sometimes their lives in order to fight in world war ii. imagine the biggest stars of america's pastime leaving the field and putting on very different uniforms. heroes headed to a battlefield in the armed forces of the united states. it happened in the early 1940s. >> joe dimaggio at bat. yankee clipper swings for a home run. >> it was the game that every boy played and every town had its own team and the minor leagues were thriving. >> john is major league baseball's official historian. >> baseball was it. >> it's a home run. >> the game was going strong.
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but war was across two oceans about to change everything in america even our leisure. there were 500 major league players who served. >> yes. almost everybody of consequence did serve. either they were stars before the war, they were stars after the war. >> yet you read some of the names of these who served, ted williams, joe dimaggio, bob feller, hank greenburg, peewee reese, yoga berra, biggest names of their day. >> biggest names of their day were drafted rather than enlisted. that's not true of greenberg. >> hank greenberg left first base for the army, served his time and then went back in. >> greenberg who had been drafted in 1940 and when his draft year had been given and pearl harbor was bombed, he
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enlisted the very next day. >> baseball legend ted williams is every bit as legendary in the marine core where he served as a fighter pilot during war. the skills he displayed in the batter's box were more valuable in the cockpit. during training, he set records that still stand in the marine corps to this day. >> people like ted williams went over and served, came back and picked up where they left off. >> most players were able to do this. they returned to major league action after years away and picked it up. there were those that didn't. people who lost their skills or lost their appetite for the game because of what they had seen in the war. >> it's also true that a lot of these guys weren't out there necessarily in front line combat roles but there's a reason for that. >> dimaggio doubles to left center field. >> you couldn't put joe dimaggio in a situation where he would be
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wounded, killed or from propaganda standpoint worst of all captured. so most of the major league baseball players who joined the military spent their time playing ball on air force and navy teams. >> for the fighting men, it was a rare gift. a chance to watch nine innings of normalcy, recall to mind sweet memories of home and freedoms of the country they were struggling to protect. was there something different about players of the world war ii era? >> i don't know that they're that different but certainly the times were different. the war was different. the perceived threat to our liberties. there was no point in having a national pastime if the nation was going to be challenged in its basic tenants. the idea of baseball being a daily war, which was a metaphor seemed silly when you were confronted with horrors of
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actual war. >> so players turned warriors serving their nation with honor, distinction and good old american pride. america had given birth to baseball and now baseball returned the favor. a country scarred by war but stitched together in part by a love for the game. >> you might disagree with your neighbor about religion or politics, but it seemed that everybody agreed that baseball was a blessing in america. >> right behind where we stand is the place so many immigrants pass through on their way to pursuing the american dream. most made it through ellis island but some weren't so lucky. >> their path was less certain but started down a very specific hallway hidden away from the public for decades until now. we'll take you there next. >> who determines you are free to go but you have to stay? >> well, so there were a couple things that had to happen to be
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admitted into the hospital. you had to somewhere something that could be cured and someone had to pay for your treatment. treatment here wasn't free. you both have a perfect driving record. perfect. no tickets. no accidents. that is until one of you clips a food truck, ruining your perfect record. yeah. now you would think your insurance company would cut you some slack, right? no. your insurance rates go through the roof... your perfect record doesn't get you anything. anything. perfect. for drivers with accident forgiveness,
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liberty mutual won't raise your rates due to your first accident. see car insurance in a whole new light. liberty mutual insurance. just serve classy snacks and bew a gracious host,iday party. no matter who shows up. [cricket sound] richard. didn't think you were going to make it. hey sorry about last weekend, i don't know what got into me. well forgive and forget... kind of. i don't think so! do you like nuts? i'm mary ellen, and i quit smoking with chantix. i have smoked for thirty years and by taking chantix, i was able to quit in three months. and that was amazing. along with support, chantix (varenicline) is proven to help people quit smoking. it absolutely reduced my urge to smoke. some people had changes in behavior, thinking or mood, hostility, agitation, depressed mood and suicidal thoughts or actions
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while taking or after stopping chantix. some had seizures while taking chantix. if you have any of these, stop chantix and call your doctor right away. tell your doctor about any history of mental health problems, which could get worse or of seizures. don't take chantix if you've had a serious allergic or skin reaction to it. if you have these, stop chantix and call your doctor right away as some can be life-threatening. tell your doctor if you have heart or blood vessel problems, or develop new or worse symptoms. get medical help right away if you have symptoms of a heart attack or stroke. decrease alcohol use while taking chantix. use caution when driving or operating machinery. most common side effect is nausea. i can't believe i did it. i quit smoking. ask your doctor if chantix is right for you. nearly half of all americans today have one relative that entered this country through ellis island. a passage that wasn't easy. >> their stories were forgotten until now. here's a rare look.
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hidden hallways of ellis island. scenes like this remind us of our past and one of the most iconic places in all of america, ellis island. most americans have one relative that entered through the gateway of the american dream. we can tour the hall where most americans spend time before their next destination, an unfou untold story exists just a pathway away. the hidden halls of island. >> if you failed your medical inspection, you get to go to the medical complex. if you were a child, the family member stayed on the island with
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you until they determined if you would be admitted to hospital or deported back. if you were a husband or father, the entire family would be. >> this hallway is the path walked by immigrants who learned heart sinking news. any would be admitted to the hospital. just like people who came here, they had to have the right gear to be let into the country so we need right gear to check out where we're going. >> you need to wear a hard hat. >> i do love my hard hats. >> this a fox news alert. it's been a horrible and heartbreaking weekend of christmas weekend in texas. governor abbott giving a news conference on twisters claiming 11 live there is as desperate search for other people who may have survived continues. let's listen to governor greg abbott. >> includes active participation
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by the texas department of public safety. texas task force one. texas task force two. the national guard. the state guard. and agencies across the entire state of texas. the reason for this is because we are still today dealing with storm challenges from the western portions of the state to the eastern portions of the state in almost the entire state north of i-10. the western portions and especially in the northwest up in the panhandle there are ongoing challenges because of snow because of ice because of freezing cold and because of power outages for many of the families who live in that region in central texas we're dealing with rain in addition to some potential for ongoing challenges
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because of tornadoes. in the eastern portion of texas, there will be additional rain today as well as ongoing challenges about the possibility of tornadoes. so, first, i want to make one thing clear and that is to applaud and thank all of the local officials for the swift and effective ways in which they're responding in their local communities whether it be city level or county level. and we have reached out to them and they know that the state of texas is ready, willing and active in aiding them in any way possible. there have been four counties that have declared a disaster that texas similarly has made a disaster declaration for already that includes dallas county,
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ellis county, and rockwall county. there may be more that are added to that as time proceeds. but at this stage our key focus is this. that is first rescue and recovery. second, aiding and assisting those who need to get to shelter. third is helping families and communities rebuild from the challenges they have faced. most immediately, however, in next 24 hours, there is something that we are asking of citizens across the state of texas. we need you to remain vigilant. we need you to listen to local authorities warnings about action you may need to take. it includes remaining in shelter in places where you may be frozen. it ensures that you stay off
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roads unless you have to travel on those roads understanding this and roads across the state of texas north of i-10 remain in a perilous condition whether it be icy roads of the northwest or the rainy roads in central and eastern parts of the state of texas. we also along these lines need texans to be aware that there will be an ongoing problem for the next 24 hours especially but really for another several days about rising waters. we've seen already this year many instances of rising waters causing people to be swept away. be vigilant. be cautious. be aware of your surroundings and potential for rising waters to sweep you away. stay out of the possibility of even going into those rising
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waters. now, there are many people who either need assistance or in typical texas fashion want to help provide assistance. for both of those categories, we suggest that you first contact the red cross. they are providing tremendous assistance to those in need across the state of texas but also they're welcoming those who want to aid in the assistance process. there are also across the entire state of texas shelters that are open for those who may need a place to stay whether it's because you're home has been flattened or because you're traveling across the state of texas and the hotels and motels may be filled and you need a place to stay for the night. contact the red cross or contact local entities to find shelters where you can stay if you need it. i'll stop talking and take a few
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questions. >> governor, there were reports from local communities in terms of damage and injuries but have you tallied it up on the state level what those figures are? >> on fatalities at the state level we don't have an official number to announce at this time. obviously the number is far too many and we need to continue through the process of evaluating the status as we make our way through the rubble today and tomorrow. but as you know, there have been approximately 11 fatalities reported. we'll wait and see but i want to emphasize the compassion, support, and prayers that i and the first lady offer for those families that lost a family member. >> any updates about how many tornadoes potentially touched
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down? >> on the total number, we have seen varying numbers ranging to even more than a dozen. i can tell you that the tornado in garland was a category 4. the one in raulette was category 3. these are significant, powerful tornadoes that were capable of inflicting massive damage. >> can you touch on again when something like this happens, disasters and families affected, how specifically does the state help them moving forward over the next couple of weeks, days. >> the state is helping out through a variety of different agencies depending upon the particular region. for example, in the snowy parts of the panhandle, that's an area where texas national guard and state guard are effective with
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equipment they provide to assist those who have vehicles or other property that simply cannot be moved. in garland area, dallas area, areas that have received the greatest damage because of the tornadoes. texas task force one, texas task force two are actively engaged in the search and rescue process. in central texas all of the way up to the red river and east texas where we see rising waters, we also see texas task force one and task force two and department of public safety heavily engaged in assisting those who may be trapped by rising waters. i do want to appointed out one other thing that i neglected to mention earlier and that is texas department of public safety has been already been responsive to and will remain responsive to any issues or
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concerns raised about potential looting because of damages inflicted by the tornadoes. and we will work collaboratively with local law enforcement to ensure that we do all we can to prevent looting from occurring. >> you spoke about listening to local law enforcement when they say stay off of this road or don't go over here but you see after disasters people going out wanting to see all of the damage. why is that not the thing to do right now? >> it's essential if you don't need to be on the road, stay off the road for several reasons. first, there are emergency vehicles and assistance that need to get to the areas that are most heavily damaged. so please stay away from there so that those who are performing rescue and recovery services can perform those services.
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second, as the day continues, there will be increasing areas where rain covered roads will turn into ice and whether you're in west texas or even in north texas later on today, you'll be getting out on the roads that could be covered with ice and when you drive across those roads, we don't want you to become a victim yourself. so as we continue to deal with the challenging weather over the next day or two, please stay off the roads if at all possible. >> any idea how many people have taken shelter? >> don't know that. >> that number will go up or down. i think tonight the red cross will give us a good count. right now a lot of times people aren't in shelters but they are out trying to recover property and surveying damages. we do bed counts overnight to
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see how many people are in shelters. >> any federal assistance happening right now? >> we have been all along this process have been working fema and in the briefing that i was just in, there was a fema representative there. and we will continue to work with them through this process like we have throughout the process. they have been very responsive and helpful as we have dealt with storms throughout this past year and they have been cooperative and helpful thus far. >> thank you. >> thank you all very much. >> be careful. thank you. . >> well, that's governor greg abbott who has been speaking. look at your right side of the screen. utter devastation, the unspeakable damage and destruction in the wave of the tornadoes that have killed 11 people in texas. 29 people had severe weather throughout the south. of course, the governor warning
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of severe flooding. the potential for that. blizzard warnings for the panhandle. you just cannot imagine what those poor, poor people have been going through this weekend, the christmas holiday with their homes destroyed and lives uprooted. 11 deaths reported so far. we'll be back in nine minutes with the very latest on the extreme weather and the tornadoes in texas here on the fox news channel. e early people who arrived here in 1607, and who were they and >> who were they and why did they come? >> they thought this was a land of gold and silver. they really believed that. >> but they would soon learn they faced many threats and instead it was a land of starvation and death. >> mostly they were dying of hunger because it took them five months instead of five weeks as
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planned so they used up all of their food. >> they were drinking water from the jamestown river which in the spring runs clear and fresh and as the days wear on, the salt in the water strengthens. many felt the dehydration and salt poisoning. >> what was more deadly? the bad water and is that because they were good hunters, they didn't know what to do? >> well, somewhere, yeah, they eventually were kept beyond the island. >> and fishing? >> the fishing, well, the nets were out and the boats -- >> everything that they tried? >> everything. it's like the worst storm of bad luck. >> what was that like? >> the first winter was pretty
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brutal. a far more difficult went ter coming up in two years, which is the 1609 to 1610 winter. >> that deadly winter became known as the starving time. >> and what is that time for the settlers? >> the relations with the indians began to went sour pretty fast in 1609 as they tried to get food. >> desperate times called for desperate measures. the food sellers no longer had much use. >> we're kind of in the heart of james fort. we have found an early kitchen. >> can we go down there? >> yes. follow me. ♪ >> so this is a bread oven, we think?
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>> yes. this is a brick facade and hollow cavity that goes back further. >> so even though this was a kitchen where someone could be working around 1608, by 1609, 1610, it's not being used anymore? >> over 200 colonists died and only 60 survived. >> settlers made incredible sacrifices to stay alive. forced to eat their dogs, their horses and, worse. >> so it's your belief that now we know that it was such a desperate time that they had to resort to cannibilism to survive? >>. >> right. we know without a shadow of a doubt that it took place here at jamestown that winter. >> how do you know that? >> we found in a layer of soil, right about where we are right now, this level, we found a mandible, a jawbone, part of a
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fragmented skull or cranium and we also found a tibia, your shin bone and these belonged to a young english woman, about 14 years of age when she died and we saw the same markings on her bones that we had seen on the dog and the horse, which were evidence of processing, basically. so she was, without a doubt -- >> the struggles were very real and there were glimmers of hope in this newly forming society. >> obviously it was tremendously difficult and there were a lot of deaths but what about new life? what about children? were there women and men here. they started families, didn't they? >> there were children here pretty early on and some of them made it through adulthood and the colony survives. >> the men who fought, the stories of families that formed and piecing together pressures under the soil.
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the fabric of our existence today discovered by overturning one stone at a time. >> to make that discovery and really have an idea of what these folks went through, what kind of thought came up for you? >> we do get this sort of connection with these guys. we see everything that they ate, all of the stuff that they left behind and what comes together is a more complete picture of what life was really like here at this fort. >> do you have a feeling if it wasn't for them, america wouldn't be what it is today? >> yeah. without the sacrifices of the early loccolonists at jamestown the world would have been a completely, completely different place. i don't think you or i would be standing here today. >> taken by our early ancestors, it's a far cry from where the nation is today but so many americans work hard every day to make this the land of the fre
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this is a fox alert. the desperate search for survivors after a deadly weekend from the severe weather that is now moving east. the death toll sadly rising in texas after that heartbreaking wave of severe storms that swept through parts of that state. we heard from governor greg abbott. he says the greatest priority right now continues to be search and rescue and he warns of the dangers of flooding. hello, everyone, and welcome to america news headquarters. i'm eric shawn. >> and i'm julia banderas. hundreds of homes destroyed and tens of
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