jason carroll is live along the parade route. good morning.ning, it wasn't too windy. how are conditions out there? >> reporter: it's feeling pretty good, we've had mild gusts, but nothing major to speak of. if you take a look behind me, you have snoopy, the macy's stars, the sandbags are holding them down for now. in terms of what's happening with the parade and whether or not they are

that is huge, jason carroll. probably colder here. jason carroll, live for us on central park west. my friend. happy thanksgiving to you. i have a great story. young mother with twins infant at home, saving up for christmas gifts for the kids, and then guess what? out of the blue, the unbelievable happened. wait, wait, it's awesome. two words, guys. layaway fairy. also i want to share some of our last soldier hellos for this hour. so you can see like right here i can just... you know, check my policy here, add a car, ah speak to customer service, check on a claim...you know, all with the ah, tap of my geico app. oh, that's so cool. well, i would disagree with you but, ah, that would make me a liar. no dude, you're on the jumbotron! whoa. ah...yeah, pretty much walked into that one. geico anywhere anytime. just a tap away on the geico app. just by talking to a helmet. it grabbed the patient's record before we even picked him up. it found out the doctor we needed was at st. anne's. wiggle your toes. [ driver ] and it got his okay on treatment from miles away. it even pulled strings wi

our jason carroll is on the parade route. is talking to someone who has all tell key answers for us. good morning, jason. >> reporter: well, good morning. i know she's got a lot of answers for us, and maybe she has an answer to the big question, amy cole, parade director, amy, obviously a lot of people are wanting to know if some of these balloons, specifically the big balloons, are going to be able to fly. how is it looking so far? >> it's looking great. we are optimistic and planning for the balloons to fly. and we are not going to make that decision for another hour and a half or so, but we are working with nypd and ultimately they will give us the thumbs-up or thumbs-down. >> reporter: and you have a contingency plan in place, john, you know this, sometimes you can fly them at full length and sometimes you can bring them low tore the ground. >> sure. each one has ropes that can extend up to 60 feet. depending on the weather, if it is a sunny day with no winds, they would be flying at full height. and if it's a little wind

jason carroll talked to some spectators along the parade route. on. >> well, brooke, the helium heroes made it into this year's thanksgiving day parade. papa smurf coming down right now on central park west, making his way down the parade route. there was, as you know, we talked about this yesterday. talking about it again today early this morning. whether or not the wind would allow the balloons to make it into the parade. it turns out the wind measurements were where they needed to be to let the parade go on as it should be. a lot of excited fans came out for the parade. the weather turned out to be cold but sunny. listen to what some said to say about what they liked. >> it's awesome. >> any favorites. >> yes. >> tell me, share. >> well, my favorite is santa at the end, but i think the football was the best. >> the balloon football? out of all the balloons to see, you had a choice of like sponge bob and how to train your dragon, you picked the football? >> because football is like the best sport ever. >> and it's not just the balloons that were

that doesn't bother jason carroll.njoy it. >> reporter: yeah. you're absolutely right, carol. we have to keep this in perspective. they are flying. little lower than normal. take, for example, spiderman, making his way down along central park here. spiderman is flying much lower, i would say, than normal. compared to what i've seen in years past. but at least he is out here flying. he is one of 16 giant helium balloons that made it into the thanksgiving day parade this year. there was some talk about whether or not these balloons would make it. the weather has actually turned out to be just perfect. the crowds are enormous. people coming in here from long island. i was going to say connecticut. you thought i was going to, but i said long island. we love alabama. alabama here as well. mexico back here. hello, mexico. and also here, tulsa, oklahoma. this family here. you actually had people who were in the parade. >> yes, my husband is one of the directors for union band. >> what did you think of the parade so far? there

i don't think that's something i can forget. >> reporter: jason carroll, cnn, param paramus, new jersey>>> new u.s. intelligence suggests that u.s. could not fully prepare for massive destruction of weapons. u.s. officials say the intelligence is not definitive, but they claim syria's recent actions indicate the government's not ready to get rid of its entire chemical arsenal. >>> and coming up, a miami dolphin star suspended. this amazing story, for bullying a teammate, now richie incognito is making his first statement since the scandal broke. >>> and it is a stunning admission from the mayor of toronto. he said he did smoke crack. and wait until you hear his excuse for it. ♪ stacy's mom has got it goin' on ♪ ♪ stacy's mom has got it goin' on ♪ ♪ stacy's mom has got it goin' on ♪ [ male announcer ] the beautifully practical and practically beautiful cadillac srx. get the best offers of the season now. lease this 2014 srx for around $369 a month with premium care maintenance included. ♪ >>> welcome back to "early start." those alleged racist taunts by a miami dolphins player suspended

i'm jason carroll. >> i'm rosa flores.ou for joining us. 30 minutes past the hour. >> time to break out the bargain hunting shoes. the black friday is in full swing. national retail federation saying people are dusting off their credit card and heading to the stores on friday. the spending frenzy has already begun. zain is live at macy's in herald square. are out there reporting or shopping? >> just reporting. i'm in the ground floor of macy's right now. not too much in the terms of deals. the designers are here. the deals are mainly upstairs. kids and women's clothizing what i'm told. macy's opened for the first time ever on thanksgiving yesterday. i spoke to an executive. ed it was pretty decision to make. last year they had 11,000 people waiting outside. this year they opened at 8:00 on thanksgiving and they had 15,000 people waiting outside. i'm joined by a shopper. sasha, you shop regularly on black fridays. how do you know a good deal when you see one? >> when i see something going for more than 50% off is a great de

jason carroll reports. >> reporter: the killer storm started in california where it claimed its first life. it continued its delmar across the country. flooding in arizona. heavy snow in colorado. and in new mexico, wind gusts up to 50 miles an hour, producing blinding sleet and snow. >> just stings your skin to be outside. >> reporter: two people died in new mexico. one, a 4-year-old girl when the car she was riding in slid off the road. in texas, five people were killed on the road, three of them in this pile-up on interstate 40, including one man and to help and was hit by another vehicle. in eastern texas, country star willy nelson's tour bus plowed into a bridge pillar, sending three of his band members to the hospital. the storm caused hundreds of crashes throughout the country, including this driver in oklahoma, whose car skidded off the road and then flipped. amazingly, he walked away from the crash. others have not been so lucky. four died in the state. beyond severe conditions on the roads, hundreds of flights have been cancelled with many more expected as the storm lumbers

jason carroll is there right now. >> reporter: up, up, and away. maybe.ect the balloons. >> reporter: macy's thanksgiving day parade's giant balloons. will they fly or won't they? jose and his family are hoping to see them soar. >> it will be a disappointment if we can't see the balloons. >> reporter: same sentiments from this family. >> they have to fly. somebody's got to make them fly. >> reporter: parade organizers aren't concerned about rain or snow. it's the wind. giant balloons like the all new toothless from how to train your drargen, could be grounded. that is if some forecasts are true and sustained winds reach at least 23 miles per hour thursday or wind gusts top 34 miles per hour. macy's saying regarding the giant balloons, a determination is made on their inclusion based >>> and not forecasts. so it's not helpful to discuss it now. it was a topic of discussion and concern for new york city police. >> we've had several meetings. today we had a meeting on it. we have instruments that give us the cross-wind measurements. >> we've done a lot of tr

jason carroll has more on his explosive response. >> reporter: fredricka, in is is something that hadome time. rodriguez says he was so upset he lost his mind, quote/unquote, and called the entire proceeding disgusting. this all happening behind closed doors in private. then rodriguez went public. >> i banged the table and kicked -- a briefcase and slammed out of the room. >> reporter: alex rodriguez crying foul. so angry with major league baseball's commissioner and the league's investigation into allegations he used performance-enhancing drugs he went to the airwaves to vent his frustration, and to deny he used peds. >> did you do any peds? >> no. >> did you obstruct anybody, any witnesses? did you do anything that they accusedy of doing? >> no. >> nothing? >> no. >> reporter: he appear and a radio show on wfan hours after he stormed out of an arbitration hearing about his 211-game suspension. furious that the arbitrator decided major league baseball commissioner bud selig would not have to testify. >> i exploded. i was very upset. probably overreacted, but, it came from the heart,

for out front, jason carroll, cnn, buffalo. >>> and thanks to jason and to all of you for joining us.in, thank you, good evening everyone, breaking news on two fronts about toronto's crack-smoking mayor, rob ford, and the man who just can't seem to stay out of the headlines, george zimmerman, he has had a new mug shot. and why his girlfriend said she is afraid for her life. the 911 tape just came out, listen. >> are you serious? >> i -- i need police right

for out front, jason carroll, cnn, buffalo. >>> and thanks to jason and to all of you for joining us. anderson starts now. >>> erin, thank you, good evening everyone, breaking news on two fronts about toronto's crack-smoking mayor, rob ford, and the man who just can't seem to stay out of the headlines, george zimmerman, he has had a new mug shot. and why his girlfriend said she is afraid for her life. the 911 tape just came out, listen. >> are you serious? >> i -- i need police right now. >> okay, what is your address? >> ma'am, ma'am -- what is going on? >> he is in my house breaking all of my stuff because i asked him to leave. he has his fricking gun, just broke my sunglasses, and you put your gun in my freaking face. >> more from that 911 call. there is also a 911 call from george zimmerman. tonight, deadly tornadoes, as well in the united states. the relief effort in the philippines. and a new warning about the heart drug, statins, that millions of americans take. we begin, now, though, with rob ford, toronto's mayor, the poster child for bad behavior in politics. he acted out ag

until then, as you say, fungers are crossed. >> toes, too, jason carroll, thanks so much.ve the elves at the end of your story, they made me smile. >>> whether you're watching the thanks gufg dgiving day parade television, get forecasts all day long, i'm back after a break. ♪ as your life and career change, fidelity is there for your personal economy, helping you readjust your retirement plan along the way, rethink how you're invested, and refocus as your career moves forward. wherever you are today, a fidelity i.r.a. has a wide range of investment choices to help you fine-tune your personal economy. call today, and we'll make it easy to move that old 401(k) to a fidelity i.r.a. female announcer: sunday's your last chance sunday's your last chance to save big during sleep train's triple choice sale. through sunday, thanksgiving weekend, save hundreds on beautyrest and posturepedic. or choose $300 in free gifts with sleep train's most popular tempur-pedic mattresses. you can even choose 48 months interest-free financing on the new tempur-choice with head-to-toe customizatio

i want to bring in jason carroll. ive from the ground, among some of those balloons there in new york. and jason, when do parade officials make that call whether or not they fly? >> that's not going to start until noon, but things are moving ahead as you can see. the balloons are lined up. some are already blown up. the giant pumpkins behind the pumpkins. the big balloon you see, sonic the hedge hog. we have him, all 76 feet. >> she's the parade organizer, much of this is resting on your shoulders tomorrow. what can you tell us? we spoke to the incident commander from the nypd, who is going to be making the decision. he feels as though tomorrow the balloons are going to go. what do you think? >> i think i'm going to depend on him to make that decision. you know, i have been through so many of these parades where we had really bad weather on a wednesday and thursday has just been magnificent and i have a feeling that's going to be like this again. >> the threshold is 23-34. 23-mile-per-hour sustained wind, 34 gusts. >>

jason carroll, let me bring you in, and then explain to me as we talk a-rod, what the heck happened?now brooke between the two camps, between rodriguez and mlb. today is absolutely no exception. basically, rodriguez is so frustrated with the entire process, this investigative process, that led to his 211-game suspension, unprecedented. rodriguez basically saying that mlb investigators used unethical tactics to try to investigate him, including coercing and intimidating one witness, one witness that we actually interviewed, brooke, into saying false things about rodriguez. and basicallbasically, rodrigue mlb's commissioner, bud selig, to testify in this arbitration hearing. an arbitration hearing, by the way, closed to the public. today, the arbitrator, the man proceeding over this entire process, this entire hearing, decided selig doesn't have to testify. rodriguez had it at thas point. the meeting is closed, but a source inside the proceeding tells me rodriguez became so angry, he slammed his hand down on the desk, looked at selig, at rob manferred, the mlb ceo, said you're full of

jason carroll live in new york with more on this.ood morning. >> it's frightening every time i look down at that video. there were reports the shooter had fired at security cameras, not true. apparently five security cameras caught the shooter as he moved through the mall firing several rounds. sheer terror caught on camera. this is newly released surveillance video obtained by wnbc of the shooting at new jersey's garden state plaza earl whier this month. you can see horrified shoppers hiding behind doorways, panicked employees running for their lives, as the shooter cloak in all black and wearing a mel hit stalks the aisles, carrying a rifle modified to look like an ak-47. >> somebody's shooting. >> reporter: killing 911 calls released just last week. >> somebody is shooting up garden state plaza right now. >> somebody is shooting? >> somebody is shooting up garden state plaza right now. i'm in the bathroom. >> all right, stay on the phone with me, sweetheart. >> reporter: hundreds remained trapped for hours. >> how many people are

jason carroll, he's along the parade route with more on what's going on there. hi, jason. >> reporter: hey, hala, how are you? both you and michael are right, balloons were out flying a little lower than normal but at least they were flying. everyone that we spoke to who came out who came out to see the parade had a good time watching. it was touch and go, whether or not the giant helium balloons such as snoopy, woodstock, hello kitty, diary of a wimpy kid, the character from there, also the purple dinosaur, all 16 in all giant helium balloons made it into the parade. a lot of excitement about it about simply because, again, there was some thoughts because of the wind, the weather, balloons were not going to make it. but that did not end up being the case. the parade's made it past where we are here, central park west. parade should be down in herald square, way down in midtown at this point. the 87th annual macy's thanksgiving day parade went off without a hitch. >> great stuff. jason, must have popped into one of the sales because you've picked up styling cloth

for out front, jason carroll, cnn, buffalo. >>> and thanks for joining us, piers morgan is next.s we age. with 7 antioxidants to support cell health. one a day men's 50+. and his new boss told him two things -- cook what you love, and save your money. joe doesn't know it yet, but he'll work his way up from busser to waiter to chef before opening a restaurant specializing in fish and game from the great northwest. he'll start investing early, he'll find some good people to help guide him, and he'll set money aside from his first day of work to his last, which isn't rocket science. it's just common sense. from td ameritrade. it's just common sense. customer erin swenson ordebut they didn't fit.line customer's not happy, i'm not happy. sales go down, i'm not happy. merch comes back, i'm not happy. use ups. they make returns easy. unhappy customer becomes happy customer. then, repeat customer. easy returns, i'm happy. repeat customers, i'm happy. sales go up, i'm happy. i ordered another pair. i'm happy. (both) i'm happy. i'm happy. happy. happy. happy. happy. happy happy. i love log

jason carroll has been there for juice jim, what you're looking at is the end of the macy's thanksgiving day parade. these are the paradegoers finishing up and heading out. it was a great time. people brought out their kids. big kids, little kids. most important part is the giant helium balloons made to the parade as well. it was cold but the sun came out and balloons came out as well. take a listen to what everybody had to say. you came from alabama? >> alabama, ala, lower alabama. >> reporter: what does lower alabama like about the parade so far? >> everything. balloons. >> reporter: some concern the balloons might not make it but they did. any favorites that you saw? >> i guess spongbob. >> reporter: he's one of my favorites too. you are coming in from oklahoma? >> yeah. >> reporter: what are you thinking so far? >> great. >> reporter: having a good time? >> yes. >> reporter: what did you think of the balloons. >> loved them. >> reporter: favorites? >> snoopy. >> spider-man. >> a lot of favorites. georgia was down there as well. i'm going to reach over. you remember them, right, georg

many are weighing their options, trying to balance safety with seeing their loved ones, jason carroll, cnn, new york. >>> and joining us now with the latest, nick valencia, at the dallas/ft. worth national airport, and chad myers, our meteorologist, chad, the storm is just getting started, what can we expect in the next couple of days? >> yeah, we're in a lull, as the storm spread over texas and new mexico, it kind of stalled over the gulf of mexico, running up the east coast. what we'll expect, wolf, if you're on this side of the storm which most people will be here, from new york down to d.c. and raleigh, all rain, below that, ice, the snow, the cold middle, warm. that is the issue, depending on where you're going, how far you're traveling. if you're driving a lot of these interstates will be the mess, as the lull comes out of the gulf, bringing rain and moisture with it. already it is cold in buffalo, pittsburgh, cleveland, down into columbus, ohio, and then the rain and cold will mix together with freezing rain sleet and on the back side, snow. i don't think snow will be the reall

i want to bring in jason carroll, bravely standing by the parade start line.ocking there to see the ballos inflated. when do organizers make the call about whether they'll be a part of the parade? >> that's not going to come until tomorrow morning, just before the parade starts. in the meantime, the balloons are ready. we have sonic the hedgehog on the ground like the other balloons here. the question is will they end up staying on the ground? we have the people coming out, look at them, hundreds. by the end of the evening, it might be thousands coming out here in the wind and rain to see many of these iconic balloons. the question is, will they end up flying out of here tomorrow? well, we spoke to the man just a little earlier, this is the man who is going to make the ultimate decision as to whether or not these balloons fly. listen to what he had to say. >> tomorrow, before the event, we'll make a determination. the police department, the incident commander, where the balloons will fly or not. >> based on the latest weather report, how is it looking so far f

jason carroll in new york, we got it in. >> thank you. >> all right. there could be tens of billions of earth like planets in our solar system. so you know what's coming next. the question -- >> is there life? >> what are the chances of finding life out there, victor? [ paper rustles, outdoor sounds ] ♪ [ male announcer ] laura's heart attack didn't come with a warning. today her doctor has her on a bayer aspirin regimen to help reduce the risk of another one. if you've had a heart attack, be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. if you've had a heart attack, be sure to talk to your doctor customer erin swenson ordebut they didn't fit.line customer's not happy, i'm not happy. sales go down, i'm not happy. merch comes back, i'm not happy. use ups. they make returns easy. unhappy customer becomes happy customer. then, repeat customer. easy returns, i'm happy. repeat customers, i'm happy. sales go up, i'm happy. i ordered another pair. i'm happy. (both) i'm happy. i'm happy. happy. happy. happy. happy. happy happy. i love logist

jason carroll is "outfront" tonight with the balloons. >> reporter: well, erin, the balloons are ready, that's for sure. take a look, with you can see sonic the hedgehog here. down the way, you have hello kitty. and the crowds are here trying to get a lack at these balloons before they hopefully take off tomorrow morning. and i say hopefully, because there's still a question whether or not these balloons will be grounded. but i spoke to the incident commander from the new york city police department. this is the man, erin, who will ultimately be making the decision as to whether or not balloons like this one will end up flying. he says that he has been checking the weather forecasts. they're also going to be checking wind gauges along the parade route. and according to what he's saying, he believes the balloons will, in fact, fly tomorrow, but that ultimate decision will not be made until just before the parade starts. that's going to be at 9:00 a.m. eastern time. a lot of fingers are crossed. erin? >> jason, thanks to you. a lot of fingers are crossed. maybe you watch it on tv, i hope

jason carroll, cnn, new york. >>> that does it for me. thanks for joining us. "the lead" with jake tapper starts right now. >>> a typhoon bigger than the size of california before it made landfall. it's been blotting the philippines off the radar for hours. i'm jake tapper. this is "the lead." the world lead. they were calling it a super typhoon and we are only getting a sense of the damage done in the philippines. perhaps the strongest storm in recorded history, laying waste to the country. we have a live report from manila in moments. >>> also in world news, what's happening in geneva could change the world as we know it. talk of a potential deal with iran. to stop or slow its suspected progress towards a nuke. can iran be trusted to keep up its end of any potential bargain? >>> the politics lead. it's become president obama's read my lips, perhaps. now he's apologizing after telling americans if you like your plan, you can keep your plan. was he listening to advice from new jersey governor chris christie that he heard right here on "the lead"? >>> good after

jason carroll here with the story. >> rodriguez very upset, basically called some of the mlb officialsl of it. he used a different word i won't use now, calling the entire proceeding disgusting. it happened behind closed doors and private but then rodriguez went public. >> i banged the table and kicked a briefcase and slammed out of the room. >> reporter: alex rodriguez crying foul, so angry with major league baseball's commissioner and the league's investigation into allegations he used performance-enhancing drugs, he went to the air waves to vent his frustration and to deny he used p.e.d.s. >> did you do any p.e.d.s? >> no. >> did you obstruct any witnesses, did you do anything that they accused you of doing? >> no, nothing. >> reporter: rodriguez appeared on mike france's's radio show hours after he stormed out of an arbitration hearing about his 211 game suspension, fewerous the arbitrator decided commissioner bud selig would not have to testify. >> i exploded. i was upset. i probably overreacted but it came from the heart and this has been a difficult process. >> reporter: rod ree

and, as jason carroll tells us, that could leave macy's parade balloons grounded. >>: of up and awayl when that could affect those loans. macy's thanksgiving parade and i am alone to weld a flat or won't they. same sentiments from the mosque and down all family. >>: they have to fly in. someone has to make them fly. >>: parade organizers aren't concerned about rain or snow. its land. gamble loans measure is 72 ft. -- 36 ft. wide like to the slump could be grounded three that is if some forecasts are true and sustained winds reach at least 23 mi. per hour on thursday or top 34 mi. per hour. macy st regarding the time boulogne's, a determination is made on their conclusion. >>: we have the instruments that give us across the land of measurements. we've done a lot of training on this three the old cities and parade officials have learned from past related incidents. and 2005, to more people were hurt in a similar accidents involving the m&m's alone. now, improved weather monitoring devices are along the parade route and a police sergeant assigned to each of the loan. that balloon. >>: i

jason carroll, cnn, new york. >>> that does it for me. thanks for joining us.now. >>> a typhoon bigger than the size of california before it made landfall. it's been blotting the philippines off the radar for hours. i'm jake tapper. this is "the lead." the world lead. they were calling it a super typhoon and we are only getting a sense of the damage done in the philippines. perhaps the strongest storm in recorded history, laying waste to the country. we have a live report from manila in moments. >>> also in world news, what's happening in geneva could change the world as we know it. talk of a potential deal with iran. to stop or slow its suspected progress towards a nuke. can iran be trusted to keep up its end of any potential bargain? >>> the politics lead. it's become president obama's read my lips, perhaps. now he's apologizing after telling americans if you like your plan, you can keepou

jason carroll is on the parade route. reporter: well, let me just say this. what i'm seeing is the barricades have been set up, bleachers have been set up. everything so far is proceeding as planned. but all of that could change first thing tomorrow morning. up, up and away. maybe. >> i-95 corridor -- >> reporter: very powerful winds. >> this wind could affect the balloons. >> reporter: the thanksgiving day parade giant balloons. will they fly or won't that i. jose and his family are hoping to see them soar. >> came all the way from puerto rico to see the parade, so it would be a disappointment. >> reporter: same from this family. >> they have to fly. somebody has to make them fly. >> reporter: parade organizers aren't concerned about rain or snow. it's wind. giant balloons like the all new toothless from "how to train your dragon" measuring 72 feet long and 36 feet wide could be grounded. that is if some forecasts are true and sustained winds reach at least 23 miles per hour thursday or we said gusts top 34 miles per hour

jason carroll is here with more on this video. >> good morning, you have seen that video there that ishilling. initially reports were that the shooter fired at security cameras. turns out that was not the case. apparently five of the cameras caught the shooter as he moved through the mall firing several rounds. sheer terror caught on camera. this is newly-released surveillance video obtained by wnbc of the shooting at new jersey's garden state plaza earlier this month. you can see horrified shoppers hiding behind doorways, panicked employees running for their lives, as the shooter cloaked in all black and wearing a helmet stocks the aisles carrying a rifle modified to look like an ak-47. >> there's somebody shooting. >> reporter: chilling 911 calls were released just last week. >> somebody is shooting at garden state plaza right now. >> somebody is shooting? >> somebody is shooting at garden state plaza right now. i'm in the bathroom. >> all right, stay on the phone. >> reporter: callers cowered in hiding spots throughout the mall. hundreds remained trapped for hours. >> how many peopl

jason carroll is following the story for us. >> what a mess.e said they were full of it basically. he called the entire proceeding a farce. he banged the table and kicked a briefcase in order to make his point before he left. all of this during a private proceeding. no cameras allowed. he saved the camera and the radio for later. >> i banged the table and kicked a briefcase and slammed out of the room. >> reporter: alex rodriguez crying foul, so angry with major league baseball's commissioner and the league's investigation into allegations he used performance-enhancing drugs, he went to the airwaves to vent his frustration and to deny he used p.e.d.s. >> did you do any p.e.d.s? >> no. >> did you obstruct witnesses 0 are do anything they accuse you of doing. >> no. >> nothing. >> nothing. >> reporter: he appeared on a radio show hours after he stormed out of an arbitration hearing about his 211-game suspension. furious that the arbitrator decided bud selig would not have to testify. >> i exploded. i was very upset. i probably overreacted. it cam