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NEW DAY

Royals Visit 9/11 Memorial; New Website Predicts Flu Infections; Angelina Jolie Talks about Directing "Unbroken"

Aired December 10, 2014 - 08:30   ET

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


CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Let's bring in Max Foster. He's been with them for every step of the way.

MAX FOSTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I love your fashion tips on this one. It's fantastic.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: I know, fashion police.

CUOMO: Well -

FOSTER: Well, she's worn the dress before. That's the big shock.

CAMEROTA: It is shocking.

CUOMO: I said it - but I said it's OK.

FOSTER: (INAUDIBLE).

CUOMO: It's how you wear it.

FOSTER: She cleared it with you, I'm sure.

CAMEROTA: They looked great. They looked like they were having fun.

FOSTER: Yes, they've had a great whirlwind trip. They are now back on British soil. So they're back with Prince George. I'm sure they're very relieved after all this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER (voice-over): It was the moment the fashion watchers had been holding out for, the duchess in an evening gown. All in honor of the university where she met Prince William, St. Andrews in Scotland. Tickets to the fund-raiser sold out as people clamored to rub shoulders with royalty. Tables costing up to $100,000. Celebrities, including Anna Wintour, Mary Kate Olson and Seth Meyers on hand, but all eyes were on Kate's dress. Prince William marking the occasion with high praise for his alma mater.

PRINCE WILLIAM, DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE: It feels like the place where no truth goes unquestioned and where there is much more discovering to be done in the world.

FOSTER: A glamorous end to a day that started somberly. On their first visit to New York, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were keen to pay their respects to those who perished in 9/11. They left flowers at a memorial reflecting pool, a note handwritten by the duchess expressed sorrow for those who died and admiration for those who rebuilt this area.

The pair then visited a youth development program, where they were treated to live musical dance and storytelling performances. The couple, so moved by 22-year-old Steven Prescott's (ph) story, that Prince William gave him his personal phone number to help him bring his show to the stage.

Then, to a reception to celebrate Brits who've made it in New York, including "Star Trek's" Sir Patrick Stewart. Then, a spot of sight- seeing and a timely break in the rain, which meant the duke could take in the views from the Empire State Building. His pregnant wife had taken time out to rest.

The couple take home a flurry of memories from their whistle stop U.S. tour, all caught on camera, and now part of royal history.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: And that is Kate's last official visit abroad before the baby, due in April.

CAMEROTA: It's not easy trudging around New York on a cold, rainy day five months pregnant.

FOSTER: I mean we're used to rain in the U.K., but that sort of biting winds it had.

CAMEROTA: It was unpleasant.

FOSTER: It was -

CAMEROTA: But they're always so pleasant and they make it look effortless, the things that they do.

FOSTER: I mean that is their job, isn't it, to look effortless and to carry out these engagements very easily. And there - you know, there's all this fuss around them and they do, you know, I think she's particularly good at ignoring all of that. But up on the Empire State Building apparently it was very, very cold indeed.

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: It was their first trip away from little George or was - or have they traveled before without him?

FOSTER: They have traveled on private visits, but I think, you know, this was the longest, yes. Yes.

PEREIRA: The longest. Wow, she'll be glad to get home to him. Both of them will be.

CAMEROTA: And we don't know the sex of the baby?

FOSTER: No. President Obama asked that question, I do believe. I don't - well, they discussed it and he basically said William said to him he's going to keep it a surprise. And he also said that when George was born, he was very late in asking what the sex of the baby was. It was all -- he was caught up in the excitement.

CUOMO: Is that protocol? Are they not allowed to know? Is that a royal rule?

FOSTER: No, they could find out I'm sure. Yes.

CUOMO: Oh, they could? They're allowed to?

FOSTER: But I think if you're under so much pressure and everyone you meet is asking what's your - what's the sex of your baby going to be, I think their safest option is probably not to know yourself.

CAMEROTA: That's right. Keep it a secret from yourself.

CUOMO: What do they say when you don't want to know, that there are very few mysteries in life, surprises in life. That's what people say.

CAMEROTA: Surprises in life. I think there's all too many surprises in life. That's why - that's why I like it.

CUOMO: You knew - you know I would say that, right? You knew - you knew with the babies?

CAMEROTA: Yes, not for a long time before but a little bit before, yes.

CUOMO: Did you know? Did you guys know with the baby?

FOSTER: We didn't on the first one. We did on the other two. We wanted to plan ahead.

CUOMO: I still don't know. I don't want to know. I -

PEREIRA: And you've got the three.

CUOMO: Just paying the bills. Just pay the bills.

CAMEROTA: (INAUDIBLE) kids. (INAUDIBLE) doesn't know. Wow. That's a lot.

Max, great to see you. Thank you much for all the royal reports. It's been really fun.

PEREIRA: (INAUDIBLE).

CUOMO: Just call them "you," it works, it works.

All right, so, did you get your flu shot? I did. And they tell us we have to get it even though this year may not work on all strains of the flu. There has been a mutation. But Sanjay Gupta has the information for you you're going to want.

CAMEROTA: And Angelina Jolie talking about things she usually does not. Maybe it's because she's so excited about her new directing project "Unbroken," or maybe it's because she had a special connection with Chris Cuomo. Wait until you hear the Oscar winner and what she shared with Chris about her health battle, her parenting and her moving (ph).

CUOMO: Are you a little jealous? You're a little bit jealous.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PEREIRA: All right, now for this morning's "NEW DAY New You." It turns out even if you got a flu shot you could still get the flu. It's because the most common strain of the virus mutated. But there is now a new tool that could help keep you healthy. It's a website that predicts flu infections kind of like the way meteorologists are able to forecast the weather. Joining us to discuss in person our chief medical correspondent.

You always brighten our day when you're here with us in studio.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: And no flu.

PEREIRA: No flu, we think.

GUPTA: We can still stay healthy, right.

PEREIRA: We can still stay healthy.

GUPTA: Yes.

PEREIRA: All right, so let's talk about this new technology. I love it when it's helping us live our lives better. How does this tool work?

GUPTA: Well, you know, it sort of makes a lot of sense. We used to predict flu basically based on mathematical models --

PEREIRA: Right.

GUPTA: Looking at what happened last year and trying to project. What this does a little bit differently is it looks at real time data as well.

PEREIRA: Oh.

GUPTA: Look at websites like Google Flu Tracker, for example. You're getting real time data on what's happening in various places. So you can start to create essentially a heat map around the country. And I think we have a picture of what that heat map might look like. But as you point out, it's looking at the same sort of technology that predicts weather. How is the flu moving through a certain population, what is it likely to do real time.

PEREIRA: The south is looking like it's sort of exempt (ph) there.

GUPTA: Yes, so you can see right there. And then you can drill down even further. So let's take New York City for example. Right now, say, when is it going to be the worst? What is it right now?

PEREIRA: December and January. Look at that.

GUPTA: The January 10th week, the week of January 10th, it is expected right now, based on these projections, to be the worst part of the flu season here in New York City. Again, it's based on this modeling and real time data put together.

PEREIRA: Interesting.

GUPTA: But then, you know, hospitals may say, look, we're going to need extra beds. We're going to need extra surge capacities. Parents may keep their kids away from play dates or even keep them home from school. You may be more likely to get a flu shot, you know, because you see something like that as well.

PEREIRA: Yes, I mean, that's true. Can we talk about that?

GUPTA: Yes.

PEREIRA: Because we've heard that it's mutated now and there may be folks that still haven't gotten their flu shot. They're thinking it's mutated, it's not going to help me. Or will it? Will getting a flu shot still help you?

GUPTA: It will still help you.

PEREIRA: OK.

GUPTA: The best way to think about this, it's not - it's not a binary thing. So once it's mutated, it's a completely different strain. Certain proteins on the virus change a bit and it does make the flu shot, the existing flu shot, less effective. It's never 100 percent effective, but it's still going to be, you know, your best bet at avoiding flu overall.

PEREIRA: Right.

GUPTA: It's still going to provide you a fair amount of protection. So you get - you get some protection against old strains and even protection against the new strain. Not as much as you wished because of the mutation, but still there.

PEREIRA: But at least maybe some of the symptoms won't be quite as raging as they have been in past years.

GUPTA: Yes.

PEREIRA: Now here's to this point. You have told us, and we listen when you speak, Sanjay, that there is no such things as flu season. You showed us on that map that it's going to peak here in New York the 10th of January. I'm going to stay home that week. So why is it that it does seem to be always so much worse in the winter?

GUPTA: Well, you know, it's -- people always said, you know, don't go outside when it's cold, you'll catch a flu.

PEREIRA: Right. An old wives' tale. GUPTA: And that's not true. That's an old wives' tale. It's not true. You don't catch a flu - you don't catch a cold or a flu from being outside in the cold.

PEREIRA: OK.

GUPTA: But there are more cases of flu in the colder weather.

PEREIRA: Why is that?

GUPTA: It's interesting because there's different theories on this and it's not as straightforward as you might think. In part it's because people stay indoors more, so if one person has the flu, a lot of people are likely to catch it. You're just --

PEREIRA: Fair enough.

GUPTA: Another thing is, in the winter season, because you're outside less, you have less Vitamin D, let melatonin. Your immune system is a bit suppressed as well.

PEREIRA: Interesting.

GUPTA: And the final thing, I find this stuff really interesting, but the final thing is in low humidity environments, the flu virus can last longer. So in the summer, you have a high humidity environment, flu viruses don't - they just don't live as long. In low humidity environments, like in the winter, they live longer. So, there you go.

PEREIRA: Isn't that interesting.

GUPTA: So the numbers definitely spike, but maybe not for the reasons people always believe.

PEREIRA: I love hearing this science.

GUPTA: Yes.

PEREIRA: While you're hear, can we ask you to react to the "Time" Person of the Year, the Ebola fighters. This is really quite extraordinary.

GUPTA: It is. You know, and the thing about it, Mick, is that, I saw some of these guys, that's Kent Brantly in the upper right corner.

PEREIRA: Yes. Other Doctors Without Borders people.

GUPTA: Other Doctors Without Borders. You know, I've seen their work in West Africa, I've seen their work here in the United States. You know, I'll tell you, as a doc, when I take care of patients, fundamentally, I am not risking my life to take care of patients. And it always struck me when I was spending time with these Ebola fighters, doctors, nurses, health care personnel -

PEREIRA: Front line (ph). GUPTA: In order to help somebody else, they are literally taking their own lives into their hands and they're doing it every single day. So we talk about this sometimes in the abstract, when a patient comes to the United States, but that work is happening right now. And literal they put on that garb, they walk into those tents, they hope and pray that they've done everything right so they don't get infected and get sick and possibly die, but they're not sure, as we've seen over and over again. And whenever these Ebola outbreaks start, it's always the health care teams that get sick first.

PEREIRA: Well, and it's interesting, "Time" recognizes the fact that it is a good dose of prayer for a lot of them. There's a lot of faith organizations that are over there on the front lines. But also the fact that many of these people do it out of faith, out of hope. There is some altruistic means behind it, but also for love of country. Lot of people are over there saying, look, we've got to take care of these people because no one else is.

GUPTA: Absolutely right. And there's been no infrastructure for health care in many of these countries so they - and they say, you know, on a pragmatic sense, unless we fix the problem there, it's not going to be solved elsewhere around the world.

PEREIRA: Sure.

GUPTA: But also, as you point out, just for purely humanitarian reasons, Kent Brantly, there wasn't a big Ebola outbreak when he went. He just went to try and do this work.

PEREIRA: And he survived. Still an amazing -

GUPTA: He survived.

PEREIRA: I cannot wait to hear more of his tale. Sanjay, always a pleasure to have you.

GUPTA: You got it.

PEREIRA: I'll let you and Chris have some time together. You know, you have that bromance going on.

GUPTA: I want to talk about his new haircut, yes, primarily.

PEREIRA: I knew you would.

Chris, take it away. Take it away.

CUOMO: Just trying to be like you, doc. Just trying to be like you. Look at it.

GUPTA: It looks good. I like that.

CUOMO: Whatever.

Angelina Jolie, another star, like Sanjay Gupta, but this one is notorious for keeping certain things close to the vest, but that doesn't fly on NEW DAY, so we went at it. No, actually the mega star wanted to open up because her new movie "Unbroken" required her to do some soul searching. What will be revealed about Jolie on the screen? Coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CUOMO: So, telling what could be the ultimate story of survival, that would be the life of this guy, Louis Zamperini, is just amazing. The book is called "Unbroken" and it certainly not easy and you'll see why when you watch it. It required Angelina Jolie to look into herself in a way that she says she had not done before for a project, so what did she find? The answer will make for a great movie and a motto for her own life.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Take it. You can make it.

CUOMO (voice-over): Taking on the task of telling the story of a truly legendary figure, Olympian, war hero and model of perseverance, Louis Zamperini, became an intensely personal task for the director of "Unbroken," Angelina Jolie, so much so that what you see in the movie may reveal as much about the mega star as it does about her subject.

CUOMO (on camera): When I watched the movie, I was like I don't know you, but I know where your head was on this guy in terms of what you value and how you emphasized if you take it, you can make it. And I wonder if you've processed why for you was that what was important to tell?

ANGELINA JOLIE, DIRECTOR, "UNBROKEN": It's like being in therapy. I don't know. You know, it's funny, you do something and I watch it myself now and I'm almost trying to get the message myself from it, why did I? I don't know if I understand it all. I know I was drawn to him, as you said, some people are more drawn to the elements of faith, and we made sure that was there. Some people are very focused on forgiveness and that was very important to have. And I was influenced by all of that, but very much maybe the center being what is that strength of will? What is that when you face an obstacle, you are either overwhelmed by all it's going to take and you feel the weight of your shoulders, or you can kind of smile inside and say all right, bring it on.

CUOMO: So, you do a movie like this, obviously you want people to enjoy what he was, but you want them to learn from it, and the idea of surviving what's difficult. You've done it in your own life. I mean, when you take on the big "C", that's the fear of everybody. Do you hope that that comes out of that, that whatever someone's struggle is - -

JOLIE: Absolutely.

CUOMO: - - if they're dealing with what you dealt with, with your health, that they see, look at this guy, it's so possible.

JOLIE: Yes, yes. It's not an accident that I was preparing, I had all my boards up, and I was preparing to direct the film when I made the choice to have my surgery. Not an accident. I was in prep, I was fighting to get the green light and then I got the green light during it. But through the process was when I was researching him, and studying him, and putting the boards up, and sitting in my office with all the - - and that's what I did during that timeframe.

CUOMO: Preparatory for the project, but also for yourself.

JOLIE: During that time I was laying out the story boards for the scenes that are in the film, and that was my meditation and my focus, so it's not an accident that I was around him and was able to face a challenge.

CUOMO (voice-over): And Jolie had plenty to live for. Remember, she's not just a star, she's a wife and mother, dedicated to her kids and to service. However, Jolie says she doesn't force her kids to be like mom. She just leads by example, making strong humanitarian efforts with the U.N.

JOLIE: I try not to be that parent that imposes that on my children. You know, you try to, you try to - -

CUOMO (on camera): How do you do it? Because I'm an imposer.

(LAUGHTER)

CUOMO: I'm not --

JOLIE: Funny, I could kind of guess that. You try to lead by example. You try to make -- I want them to know that it's not about, that they should be thoughtful of others because it's the right thing to do. I want them to find the joy in it, and so it shouldn't be something that's, you know, sending your kid to community service and they hate doing it, but they're doing it because you've made them. You know, you want them to really understand because you want it to be a lifelong commitment in something that they discover makes their own life better.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CAMEROTA: Chris, I think you got her to open up in a way. She's usually, I find her guarded often in interviews, particularly TV interviews. But she shared with you about her life, and her kids, and her struggle. I think you got her to open up.

PEREIRA: And it's not that I don't agree with you that she opened up.

CUOMO: But you don't.

PEREIRA: Well, no I think it's this film. This film and the story I think has accessed her, and you smartly got all the right questions, but it has accessed her in a way, and it's probably a good example for all of us, right? Of how we can sort of bury ourselves in our work.

CUOMO: I'm torn. I want to agree with you, but Mick is right.

(LAUGHTER)

CAMEROTA: Okay, but what was your impression of her?

CUOMO: She's smart and she cares about what she does.

PEREIRA: Passionate.

CUOMO: I've met her before, and you know, you don't do the kinds of things she does in life artificially, and she's also had a lot of life. You know, she's not an old person, but she's been through --

CAMEROTA: A lot of living.

CUOMO: -- a lot of stuff and I think she brings that to it. And it's a very important characteristic for a director, maybe even more so than for an actor. But I will say this, okay? This is a huge task she has taken on. I'm not saying like it's like the story of the Bible, but this guy is so impressive in so many different ways and there's so many messages that you really have to make hard choices. This is a big risk, because it's going to be hard to stand up to the book, and the book was hard to stand up to his life.

CAMEROTA: The book has been on the best seller lists for months, and months, and months, years.

PEREIRA: You don't want to trivialize this with sort of Hollywood glitter, you want to make it visceral, and raw, and real.

CUOMO: I think she did a solid job, I really do. And there's a performance in there that I would be remiss not to mention. She cast a Japanese pop star, what's his name, again? Tell me his name? Miyavi, and he gives an amazing performance in this film, and he's never acted before.

PEREIRA: That's great, that will be worth watching.

CUOMO: And he plays the bad guy, he plays a really bad guy, but she was very generous with her time and she definitely takes this very seriously so you see what you make of her efforts.

PEREIRA: What else did they tell you in your ear, by the way?

CUOMO: Just now?

PEREIRA: What else?

CAMEROTA: No, throughout the show. What are they saying?

CUOMO: (INAUDIBLE) remember what our contract says.

CAMEROTA: And they're also yelling, go to the tease. So, I think we should do that.

CUOMO: Yes, they are saying that.

CAMEROTA: Alright, the gift of moving, walking, even standing without pain. Dozens of surgeons are making that a reality for more than 100 patients across the country. We'll tell you that amazing effort on the Good Stuff.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CUOMO: This could be Mickey's anthem.

PEREIRA (INAUDIBLE) get me started.

CAMEROTA: It's a good one.

CUOMO: Time for the Good Stuff. Today's edition, the gift of living a pain-free life, alright? It's called Operation Walk U.S.A. and it's providing exactly that to deserving folks all around the country, okay?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CUOMO (voice-over): It's an 85 orthopedic surgeon group. They provide more than 100 knee and hip replacement procedures completely free to those who desperately need them but can't afford them. One of those patients is David Chalker from Long Island. Take a listen.

DAVID CHALKER, HAD HIP SURGERY COURTESY OF OPERATION WALK: My hips have been bad and I had to leave my job. My main focus is to get back to work. I'm 50, and I have a lot of work ahead of me, and I'm not expecting to play golf or ski. I just want to work.

CUOMO: He wants to work, he wants to live. So many people live in pain. You see all of these palliative centers that are setting up for pain. He is one of 120 people in this operation that are going to walk, they're going to help this December. That's what they're going to do. The surgeon says the pleasure has been all his, by the way. They do this because they want to. Listen.

DR. MATTHEW HEPPINSTALL, ORTHOPEDIC SURGEON: The most rewarding part of my job is seeing people who are suffering, having improving the quality of their life. When somebody has been suffering for a long time and hasn't had access to the type of care that's routine for me, it's really a blessing for me to be able to be part of giving that care.

CUOMO: We're happy to report that David is making a full recovery and expects to be back at work soon. You love this, right? You want to help an operation, right? You want to help Operation Walk U.S.A.? You can visit them at their website, it's very easy to find.

PEREIRA (voice-over): I'm sorry, was that doctor's name Heppinstall?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CUOMO (on camera): What's that doctor's name?

PEREIRA (on camera): Because he installs hips. That's kind of awesome.

CUOMO: It is Heppinstall and he installed a hip. CAMEROTA: He had no choice but to become that doctor.

PEREIRA: Absolutely, install hips and knees.

CAMEROTA: No choice, it is destiny. That's incredible, to help relieve people of chronic pain is, you know, one of the best things you could ever do.

PEREIRA: And don't we all, we want to feel like we contribute, you know? We want to be involved and engaged and this is giving people a chance to do that again. So great.

CUOMO: Right. And the ability for them, really following through on that motto be to heal, you know. Going out there with those who need it most.

CAMEROTA: That's great. Great story, Chris.

CUOMO: A lot of news this morning.

PEREIRA: Guess who's back?

CUOMO: Let's get to the "NEWSROOM." Ms. Carol Costello.

PEREIRA: Right.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks a lot. You guys gave a great day.

CAMEROTA: You too, Carol.

COSTELLO: I will. NEWSROOM starts right now.

And good morning, I'm Carol Costello. Thank you so much for joining me.