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American Morning

Winter Storm; Safer Skies?; 'Gimme a Minute'; 'Paging Dr. Gupta'

Aired January 21, 2005 - 08:31   ET

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


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


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: It's a pretty decent looking morning. And we are told that's going to change dramatically sometime very soon. That's the George Washington Bridge, looking up the Hudson there, New Jersey to the left, Manhattan to the right.
Good morning, everybody. It's 8:31 here in New York City. And that winter weather is building up a little momentum right now. Snow in the Mid-Atlantic states already this week, and a big storm bearing down on the Northeast. A foot of snow expected in some areas. And we'll check the forecast in a moment back with Chad on that.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Also, in the post-9/11 world, it's pretty amazing some of the things that are showing up at airports. Take a look at all of this stuff. Guns and knives, even hand grenades. Who brings a hand grenade on the airplane? Come on now. This is just one airport we're talking about. We'll take a look at that ahead.

HEMMER: And you know what they always say? I forgot. I did not know.

O'BRIEN: I didn't know I had that hand grenade in my luggage.

HEMMER: What are you doing?

O'BRIEN: Please.

HEMMER: Here's Heidi Collins.

Good morning. What's in your bag?

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: He's funny today. Very funny.

HEMMER: Stick around. I'm tired today.

COLLINS: An hour and a half, buddy.

All right, we do want to get to the news, though, this morning. Good morning once again, everybody.

President Bush is starting his first full day of his second term by attending a prayer service. In a little more than an hour, the president is scheduled to leave for the National Cathedral. The ceremony is the last official event on the inauguration schedule. It will include figures from different faiths and different regions of the country. Northern Texas now. The search is under way this morning for a 19-year-old Wal-Mart cashier, whose apparent abduction was caught on tape. Surveillance video from a Wal-Mart parking lot shows the young woman chased down and pushed into a vehicle. Megan Leann Holden (ph) was last seen leaving work on Wednesday night. A $10,000 reward has been posted for anyone with information in the case.

A lawyer for comedian Bill Cosby says accusations made against his client are utterly preposterous and plainly bizarre. A woman described as an acquaintance of the entertainer claims he touched her inappropriately one year ago. So far, no criminal charges have been filed against Cosby. Police in Philadelphia are now investigating. We'll keep our eye on that one for you.

HEMMER: Thank you, Heidi. Get your boots out, too.

COLLINS: Yes.

HEMMER: Folks here on the eastern half of the U.S. are bracing for a huge weekend storm headed their way. Ice and snow and rain already hitting the upper area of North Carolina.

For more on there from -- let's see -- our Roxboro, North Carolina, our affiliate, WRAL, here's Renee Chou watching the weather there.

RENEE CHOU, CNN AFFILIATE WRAL REPORTER: I'm here in Roxboro, North Carolina, about an hour north of the triangle. And it started snowing around 9:00 last night. It stopped around 4:00 this morning.

And as a result, we got about two to three inches of snow, which is a pretty significant amount for North Carolina. It was just enough for Mother Nature to create her own works of art. You can see the snow is really good sticking snow. It's clinging to the branches.

But this snow wasn't enough to create a lot of traffic hassles. You can take a look at Highway 501, one of our main arteries going through here. And all of the snow is cleared off the roads. The Department of Transportation crews did a really good job this time around.

Wednesday was a different story. We had the surprise snowstorm, and everyone was just caught off guard. And what happened was with the freezing temperatures, the snow packed down on the roads, creating really icy conditions. And it just made a mess and paralyzed traffic in the area in the triangle. And so that was kind of the mess there.

But at least today, things are much better. We learned our lesson, and we're supposed to have snow coming up this weekend. So, things could be pretty messy then.

A lot of schools in the area ended up canceling school, so kids can really take advantage of this great packing snow. And I know they're going to enjoy it until this all melts away. But we might get some more for the weekend.

Back to you.

HEMMER: And it can melt fast down there in the Carolinas. Renee, thanks for that.

(WEATHER REPORT)

O'BRIEN: And we are learning this morning that Las Vegas was among the targets of a possible terror threat during the presidential inauguration. That story is topping our "CNN Security Watch" this morning.

The FBI received information that terrorists were plotting to use commercial vehicles to carry out attacks. Both Washington and Las Vegas were mentioned as targets. The FBI said the information was not credible, though the agency did alert casinos.

In Boston, the FBI is now seeking 16 people for questioning in connection with a possible terror plot against the city. The source of the information there is still uncorroborated.

Boston, though, has beefed security in response to the possible threat. Logan Airport is no exception. But despite intensive efforts to expand security, some travelers still try to carry some dangerous items on to planes. And it happens at an unbelievable rate.

Dan Lothian has our story this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): At Boston Logan International Airport, this is what never made it off the ground: weapons or potential weapons seized by screeners, including guns, hunting knives, switch blades, grenades, nunchucks and a box cutter.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it's amazing that people still bring this stuff to the gate.

LOTHIAN: Passenger Scott Tirrell isn't sure whether he should feel secure or scared.

SCOTT TIRRELL, PASSENGER: You try not to think about it as much as you can. I mean, it's -- you know, I mean, you have to deal with it.

LOTHIAN (on camera): Despite warnings, the flood of illegal items at Logan security checkpoints continues, 11,000 to 15,000 confiscated each month.

(voice over): A similar problem at airports nationwide. But some passengers say this means the system is working.

JOANNE MCCORD, PASSENGER: I feel safer. I do.

MARK HATFIELD, TSA COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: I am sure that it has deterred one. LOTHIAN: TSA Communications Director Mark Hatfield is certain a terrorist act has been blocked by screeners. So could something on this table have been part of a plot?

HATFIELD: And their intent was unknown in terms of what they wanted to do on the plane or at their destination. But the job here for these screeners is not to determine intent. It's to keep these items off of airplanes.

LOTHIAN: Even as federal officials at Logan Airport work to educate passengers, they are also tightening already tough screening guidelines and increasing training.

HATFIELD: We're trying to stay that one or two steps ahead of the bad guys, because that's the only way that we can continue to offer the kind of security and the feeling of security that passengers enjoy today.

LOTHIAN: Scott Tirrell and other frequent flyers are banking on their success to keep them safe in the sky.

Dan Lothian, CNN, Boston.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: You want to stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security -- Bill.

HEMMER: It's about 21 minutes before the hour, Soledad. It is Friday, time for "Gimme a Minute" or two.

From New York, here's Mark Simone, WABC radio host.

Mark, how are you doing? Good morning there.

MARK SIMONE, WABC RADIO HOST: Good morning.

HEMMER: Down in D.C.. Democratic strategist Jenny Backus is with us.

Jenny, good morning to you.

JENNY BACKUS, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Hello, Bill.

HEMMER: And here in New York, Andy Borowitz from BorowitzReport.com.

How are you, Drew? Good morning as well.

ANDY BOROWITZ, BOROWITZREPORT.COM: Hi, Bill.

HEMMER: Mark, let's start out with the speech are from yesterday, the message, the tone. Appropriate or not from the president?

SIMONE: Well, it was certainly appropriate. Everything that he said, Bill Clinton said in his second inaugural. Clinton talked about spreading liberty and why we have more people under democracy than dictatorships. And it was remarkably similar to George Washington's inaugural speech. Also you'll remember, the Democrats claimed that there shouldn't have been an inaugural. In other words, they were claiming had Kerry been elected, they wouldn't have had a full-scale inaugural.

HEMMER: Well, he was sitting right behind him, too, just about five rows away.

Hey, Jen, how about it? Is mark on to something?

BACKUS: Well, I think it's kind of funny that he talks about Clinton's inaugural, because actually President Bush ran against Clinton's vision in 2000. And, you know, in a campaign full of flip- flops, President Bush's speech is a definite departure from where he was in 2000.

I think the real question is, those were beautiful words in a lot of senses, somewhat scary if you don't happen to live in this country. But if you're trying to figure out what he's going to do and how he's going to pay for it and if we're going to even be able to win liberty in Iraq, I think there's still a lot of substantial questions underneath that.

HEMMER: All right. Andy, jump in here.

BOROWITZ: I thought he set the right tone, but I did lose consciousness about 30 seconds in.

HEMMER: You were only 20 minutes short.

Jenny, let's talk about Condoleezza Rice. Why the delay?

BACKUS: Well, I think that why the delay, is, you know, the same question that families, you know, have kids over there. There's a lot of questions over what's happening with Iraq. The president talks about an accountability moment, and we do have an accountability moment. We have an accountability to everybody who has got family over in Iraq to ask all of the questions about why we got in here and why we should trust these people who didn't know where the weapons of mass destruction were. Why we should take their word going forward on fighting this war?

HEMMER: Mark, are they getting much mileage out of it.

SIMONE: Well, let's remember that nobody screamed longer and louder about WMD than John Kerry did, and he was doing it years before Bush got there. So, don't blame Bush on that. The Clinton administration swore to us the weapons were there. And any time you've got an administration that has a Chemical Ali and a Dr. Germ in high-ranking positions, it's not surprising that we thought that at one time.

HEMMER: Andy, what about it? The story living on for another day, a week maybe?

BOROWITZ: You know, I say let Condi get to work. She has a lot of important allies to alienate.

HEMMER: Let's get to Harvard right now. The president apparently made some remarks about men and women, suggesting that women don't have the same natural ability in math and in science as men do. Well, the president's apologized three times since then. Mark what about it?

SIMONE: Well, let's remember, Lawrence Summers was trained as an economist, so they're never right about anything. I don't know where he got this idea. Some women are not good at math. I think that's why Leona Helmsley went to jail. The only time I've ever seen men good at math is when they're using that remote control.

HEMMER: Jen, these are fighting words, aren't they?

BACKUS: Well, I have to say, the president whose math I'm really worried about is President Bush's. We're going to see his budget in the next couple weeks. We see his Social Security plan where he's going to slash benefits for seniors. I think, you know, if we all want to worry about women and men, what's going on with math, let's look at the president's budget.

HEMMER: Andy, I've met your wife, and she's a heck of a lot smarter than you.

BOROWITZ: Well, you know, Larry Summers' remarks were taken out of context. What he actually said was, he said, women aren't good at math and science, but they sure are easy on the eyes.

HEMMER: And he hasn't apologized for that.

BOROWITZ: No, not yet.

HEMMER: Read it in BorowitzReport.com.

HEMMER: Under the radar, Jen, start us off. What did we miss this past week that's on your radar?

BACKUS: I think we need to look out for what's happening with these governors. The governors are coming to town soon, and they're all talking about the fact that they're cutting Medicaid. Health care is an underreported story right now. I think we heard a lot about it from the president and Senator Kerry on the campaign trail. Let's see who puts up a plan and goes forward moving ahead.

HEMMER: All right. Mark, how about it?

SIMONE: Well, you know, a few years ago, Mayor Bloomberg banned smoking in public places here in New York. A big controversy. And it started to spread everywhere. This week, Cuba announced they're banning smoking in public places. I mean, imagine not being able to smoke a Cuban cigar in Cuba anymore.

HEMMER: Yes. It's going to hurt the GDP, too, right? SIMONE: Well, it's like Italy banning pizza. It's like Japan banning cameras. It's just shocking.

HEMMER: Got it. Hey, Andy?

BOROWITZ: Bill, a conservative group wants a constitutional amendment that would ban marriage between a man and SpongeBob SquarePants.

HEMMER: Details later!

BOROWITZ: That's right.

HEMMER: Thanks, Andy. Have a good weekend.

BOROWITZ: Thank you.

HEMMER: Jen, Mark, see you guys soon, OK?

BACKUS: Thank you.

HEMMER: Bye-bye.

O'BRIEN: Well, here is a corporate catch phrase you wouldn't expect. White Castle is for lovers. Andy is "Minding Your Business" just ahead.

HEMMER: Also, some mixed signals we hear from Jenna Bush and the rest of her family. A silent gesture is causing a stir in the Capitol. "The Cafferty File" looks into this in a moment. Back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Here's a question for you. Why are some folks nearly invisible to mosquitoes, while other others are so inviting? We are paging Dr. Gupta this morning about a new repellent that some say has a little bite to it.

Hey, Sanjay, good morning again.

SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. My mom said it was because I had very sweet blood.

O'BRIEN: Yes, that's what parents always tell you, but they're lying, though, right?

GUPTA: That's right. They are lying. But some people do tend to get eaten alive by mosquitoes. Others seem to be rather invisible to them, as you say. That was the question researchers were trying to figure in the hopes that they might be able to develop a better mosquito repellent.

They tested people specifically to find out what was it about them that attracted mosquitoes, and was there something about other people that made them unattractive to mosquitoes. And they did find that there are, in fact, liquid body odors that aren't so much a repellent. They just make you sort of invisible to the mosquitoes.

You can see there, some people make chemicals making them invisible, and then spraying those chemicals on those who typically attract mosquitoes might decrease the attraction. This is new stuff. It hasn't even been published yet. Studies are now being done in humans for the first time. It's been done in animals already.

As far as the chemicals themselves which actually may serve as making people invisible, they're sort of keeping that a secret for now. But, you know, I hope to see more information about that soon.

O'BRIEN: All right. It's a big secret. But how long until they have that, you know, jar or spray of mosquito repellent with all of those secret ingredients? Is it a year, two years, five years down the road?

GUPTA: Probably about two years, they are saying. They're going to try some clinical trials starting in Europe next year. They're actually creating the spray now to actually spray on people. But it will probably be a couple of years, if it works in those clinical trials.

Again, this is all sort of theoretical for the time being, but there is a lot of emphasis on this DEET, for example. You can see that being sprayed there. Eight out of 10 Americans use it. It has a funny smell. People don't like that. It can burn if it gets into your eyes.

O'BRIEN: It's strong stuff.

GUPTA: It's strong stuff, and it may not always be the best for children, especially in high concentrations. So they've been looking for some time for something else. Again, this isn't a repellent. It doesn't smell like anything. It doesn't taste like anything if it gets into your mouth. It just makes you invisible to mosquitoes.

O'BRIEN: Oh, it would be good news. They've got to hurry up and start making it now.

GUPTA: That's right.

O'BRIEN: All right, Sanjay, thanks.

GUPTA: Thank you.

O'BRIEN: Bill.

HEMMER: Soledad, ahead on weekend on CNN, the rising popularity of cosmetic surgery. Already, more than eight million, every year turn to cosmetic surgery. The numbers are rising, too, we're told. Before you see a doctor, should you see a consultant? Is surgery even necessary? We'll have some answers for you this weekend on CNN Sunday morning from former model and cosmetic surgery consultant, Carol Martin, live on Sunday morning at 9:00 a.m. Eastern here on CNN.

Two concepts you probably have not thought about putting together: White Castle and romance. Andy minds your business after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: Welcome back, everyone.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Bill, a nosedive for the airline industry. Nothing new there. A candlelight dinner on Valentine's Day. Wait until you find out where. And a look at the markets. Andy Serwer is here "Minding Your Business."

ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: That's a lot of stuff. Good morning, Jack. Maybe you and I should do this Valentine's thing.

CAFFERTY: I don't think so, Andy. Not in this lifetime.

SERWER: Well, OK. I kind of like this idea.

All right, let's talk about the markets. Yesterday a down day again...

CAFFERTY: You're nuts.

SERWER: ... for investors. The Dow was off 68. You can see here, eBay down almost $20. It's not like there are any big problems there, folks. It's just that the profit growth is a little bit less than what Wall Street wanted. And when you're out on the edge like that, you get punished if you're just a penny short.

GE this morning reporting its fourth quarter profits, looking pretty good, and that's why futures are up this morning.

Speaking of earnings, though or lack thereof, Delta Airlines lost in the fourth quarter. It's simply staggering, $2.2 billion. It's just remarkable that a company like this can stay in business. Of course, they almost filed for bankruptcy last fall.

Here's the scorecard for the airline business in the fourth quarter. Look at that. That's all red ink. It should be in red. Those are all losses in the fourth quarter, nearly $3 billion of losses. That doesn't even include US Air and United, which are in bankruptcy.

One company that made money. Guess which one? Southwest. Thank you. Southwest Airlines. Tickers love. They made money. They always manage to do it.

CAFFERTY: That's our airline expert.

SERWER: Shane. That's Shane, our airline analyst. Thank you, Shane.

(CROSSTALK)

SERWER: Not, but it's good. Everyone knows that. OK.

HEMMER: If you lose $2.2 billion a quarter? SERWER: Yes.

HEMMER: hat are your operating costs?

SERWER: Well, they're more. I mean, it's just truly remarkable. I mean, its fuel was a billion dollars nearly last year. And, you know, they're saying, well, the cost of oil is over $40 a barrel. It's going to be over $40 a barrel.

HEMMER: Yes.

SERWER: It's just really devastating.

And let's talk about that Valentine's Day thing, I think, very quickly.

CAFFERTY: Oh, yes.

SERWER: The White Castle.

CAFFERTY: We are not going to dinner, you and me.

SERWER: You and me, Jack, at White Castle.

CAFFERTY: No.

O'BRIEN: I'll go.

SERWER: OK. Yes, that's a better date anyway.

HEMMER: White Castle?

SERWER: White Castle is having candlelight dinners for Valentine's Day, table service, reservations required. This is in Cincinnati, St. Louis and the Twin Cities. I was at a White Castle near Penn Station the other day, and the food was OK. Some people were nodding off a little bit.

CAFFERTY: There's one over by the Newark Airport, which is nice, too.

SERWER: Yes. Thank you. I knew you'd know. See? I've got you.

CAFFERTY: Lovely.

SERWER: Yes, indeed.

CAFFERTY: They're not in the Zagat (ph) what-you-ma-call-it there.

SERWER: The guide.

CAFFERTY: The guide, no.

It's time for the file. If you have birds or if your dog is paper-trained, this story is of interest to you. There will be an English translation of the interviews of Osama bin Laden, as well as writings by his second-in-command, Zawahiri. It's going to be published by Double Day, tentatively titled, "The al Qaeda Reader." The book is made up of what Double Day describes as historical documents that help us know what our enemy is thinking.

Raymond Ibrahim (ph) is a language specialist at the Library of Congress. He's going to translate this garbage. He says he saw this as a chance to see the passions and motivations of people who want to destroy the West.

SERWER: Where does the money go, yes?

O'BRIEN: Where does the money go?

SERWER: Where does the money go?

CAFFERTY: I don't know.

SERWER: That's unbelievable.

CAFFERTY: So many questions. I don't know.

SERWER: That's a good question, though, right?

O'BRIEN: It was.

CAFFERTY: It's a terrific question.

SERWER: Thank you.

CAFFERTY: I'll get right on that.

SERWER: Yes.

CAFFERTY: I'll get my minions all over that.

SERWER: Where does the money go?

CAFFERTY: A mastiff in England has broken a world record by giving birth to 24 puppies. The breeders had only expected Tia (ph) to have 10, but not even close. She eventually got so big, she couldn't move. They took her to the vet. The vet did a cesarean immediately. Look at these guys.

SERWER: Wow!

O'BRIEN: Oh, they're cute.

CAFFERTY: Now, Tia (ph) will set two new Guinness World records, one for the biggest litter, 24, and one for the litter with the most number of surviving, which is 20. Now, with 20 pups and not nearly that many faucets, meal time gets a little tricky. It's, you know, not that many stools at the lunch counter.

SERWER: Yes, I gotcha. CAFFERTY: It looks like the Bush family was sending mixed signals during the inauguration. First daughter Jenna Bush was seen raising her right hand, lifting her pinky and index fingers at yesterday's inaugural parade, right there.

O'BRIEN: That's (UNINTELLIGIBLE), right?

CAFFERTY: Yes.

SERWER: Sorry.

O'BRIEN: Oh, sorry.

CAFFERTY: I usually do these by myself. The whole family could be seen making the same gesture as a Texas band marched by. Of course, it's the well-known symbol of the University of Texas, hook- 'em-horns, which you've already been told.

SERWER: Sorry.

O'BRIEN: Sorry.

CAFFERTY: But to deaf people this gesture means something else. In sign language, it means B.S.

HEMMER: Ooh!

CAFFERTY: True.

SERWER: Well, that's what Oklahoma fans say, by the way.

CAFFERTY: Yes.

SERWER: They also say that.

CAFFERTY: There you go.

SERWER: Yes.

CAFFERTY: I'm through.

O'BRIEN: Are you done?

SERWER: Now he's done.

O'BRIEN: Oh, now can I jump in?

CAFFERTY: Yes, back over to you.

SERWER: Yes, over to you, Soledad.

O'BRIEN: I need those obvious tosses. It helps me out. I appreciate it.

Get out of the way, everybody, there's a monster winter storm on the horizon. Just who is going to get slammed? A look at that's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING as we continue.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.


Aired January 21, 2005 - 08:31   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: It's a pretty decent looking morning. And we are told that's going to change dramatically sometime very soon. That's the George Washington Bridge, looking up the Hudson there, New Jersey to the left, Manhattan to the right.
Good morning, everybody. It's 8:31 here in New York City. And that winter weather is building up a little momentum right now. Snow in the Mid-Atlantic states already this week, and a big storm bearing down on the Northeast. A foot of snow expected in some areas. And we'll check the forecast in a moment back with Chad on that.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Also, in the post-9/11 world, it's pretty amazing some of the things that are showing up at airports. Take a look at all of this stuff. Guns and knives, even hand grenades. Who brings a hand grenade on the airplane? Come on now. This is just one airport we're talking about. We'll take a look at that ahead.

HEMMER: And you know what they always say? I forgot. I did not know.

O'BRIEN: I didn't know I had that hand grenade in my luggage.

HEMMER: What are you doing?

O'BRIEN: Please.

HEMMER: Here's Heidi Collins.

Good morning. What's in your bag?

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: He's funny today. Very funny.

HEMMER: Stick around. I'm tired today.

COLLINS: An hour and a half, buddy.

All right, we do want to get to the news, though, this morning. Good morning once again, everybody.

President Bush is starting his first full day of his second term by attending a prayer service. In a little more than an hour, the president is scheduled to leave for the National Cathedral. The ceremony is the last official event on the inauguration schedule. It will include figures from different faiths and different regions of the country. Northern Texas now. The search is under way this morning for a 19-year-old Wal-Mart cashier, whose apparent abduction was caught on tape. Surveillance video from a Wal-Mart parking lot shows the young woman chased down and pushed into a vehicle. Megan Leann Holden (ph) was last seen leaving work on Wednesday night. A $10,000 reward has been posted for anyone with information in the case.

A lawyer for comedian Bill Cosby says accusations made against his client are utterly preposterous and plainly bizarre. A woman described as an acquaintance of the entertainer claims he touched her inappropriately one year ago. So far, no criminal charges have been filed against Cosby. Police in Philadelphia are now investigating. We'll keep our eye on that one for you.

HEMMER: Thank you, Heidi. Get your boots out, too.

COLLINS: Yes.

HEMMER: Folks here on the eastern half of the U.S. are bracing for a huge weekend storm headed their way. Ice and snow and rain already hitting the upper area of North Carolina.

For more on there from -- let's see -- our Roxboro, North Carolina, our affiliate, WRAL, here's Renee Chou watching the weather there.

RENEE CHOU, CNN AFFILIATE WRAL REPORTER: I'm here in Roxboro, North Carolina, about an hour north of the triangle. And it started snowing around 9:00 last night. It stopped around 4:00 this morning.

And as a result, we got about two to three inches of snow, which is a pretty significant amount for North Carolina. It was just enough for Mother Nature to create her own works of art. You can see the snow is really good sticking snow. It's clinging to the branches.

But this snow wasn't enough to create a lot of traffic hassles. You can take a look at Highway 501, one of our main arteries going through here. And all of the snow is cleared off the roads. The Department of Transportation crews did a really good job this time around.

Wednesday was a different story. We had the surprise snowstorm, and everyone was just caught off guard. And what happened was with the freezing temperatures, the snow packed down on the roads, creating really icy conditions. And it just made a mess and paralyzed traffic in the area in the triangle. And so that was kind of the mess there.

But at least today, things are much better. We learned our lesson, and we're supposed to have snow coming up this weekend. So, things could be pretty messy then.

A lot of schools in the area ended up canceling school, so kids can really take advantage of this great packing snow. And I know they're going to enjoy it until this all melts away. But we might get some more for the weekend.

Back to you.

HEMMER: And it can melt fast down there in the Carolinas. Renee, thanks for that.

(WEATHER REPORT)

O'BRIEN: And we are learning this morning that Las Vegas was among the targets of a possible terror threat during the presidential inauguration. That story is topping our "CNN Security Watch" this morning.

The FBI received information that terrorists were plotting to use commercial vehicles to carry out attacks. Both Washington and Las Vegas were mentioned as targets. The FBI said the information was not credible, though the agency did alert casinos.

In Boston, the FBI is now seeking 16 people for questioning in connection with a possible terror plot against the city. The source of the information there is still uncorroborated.

Boston, though, has beefed security in response to the possible threat. Logan Airport is no exception. But despite intensive efforts to expand security, some travelers still try to carry some dangerous items on to planes. And it happens at an unbelievable rate.

Dan Lothian has our story this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): At Boston Logan International Airport, this is what never made it off the ground: weapons or potential weapons seized by screeners, including guns, hunting knives, switch blades, grenades, nunchucks and a box cutter.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it's amazing that people still bring this stuff to the gate.

LOTHIAN: Passenger Scott Tirrell isn't sure whether he should feel secure or scared.

SCOTT TIRRELL, PASSENGER: You try not to think about it as much as you can. I mean, it's -- you know, I mean, you have to deal with it.

LOTHIAN (on camera): Despite warnings, the flood of illegal items at Logan security checkpoints continues, 11,000 to 15,000 confiscated each month.

(voice over): A similar problem at airports nationwide. But some passengers say this means the system is working.

JOANNE MCCORD, PASSENGER: I feel safer. I do.

MARK HATFIELD, TSA COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: I am sure that it has deterred one. LOTHIAN: TSA Communications Director Mark Hatfield is certain a terrorist act has been blocked by screeners. So could something on this table have been part of a plot?

HATFIELD: And their intent was unknown in terms of what they wanted to do on the plane or at their destination. But the job here for these screeners is not to determine intent. It's to keep these items off of airplanes.

LOTHIAN: Even as federal officials at Logan Airport work to educate passengers, they are also tightening already tough screening guidelines and increasing training.

HATFIELD: We're trying to stay that one or two steps ahead of the bad guys, because that's the only way that we can continue to offer the kind of security and the feeling of security that passengers enjoy today.

LOTHIAN: Scott Tirrell and other frequent flyers are banking on their success to keep them safe in the sky.

Dan Lothian, CNN, Boston.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: You want to stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security -- Bill.

HEMMER: It's about 21 minutes before the hour, Soledad. It is Friday, time for "Gimme a Minute" or two.

From New York, here's Mark Simone, WABC radio host.

Mark, how are you doing? Good morning there.

MARK SIMONE, WABC RADIO HOST: Good morning.

HEMMER: Down in D.C.. Democratic strategist Jenny Backus is with us.

Jenny, good morning to you.

JENNY BACKUS, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Hello, Bill.

HEMMER: And here in New York, Andy Borowitz from BorowitzReport.com.

How are you, Drew? Good morning as well.

ANDY BOROWITZ, BOROWITZREPORT.COM: Hi, Bill.

HEMMER: Mark, let's start out with the speech are from yesterday, the message, the tone. Appropriate or not from the president?

SIMONE: Well, it was certainly appropriate. Everything that he said, Bill Clinton said in his second inaugural. Clinton talked about spreading liberty and why we have more people under democracy than dictatorships. And it was remarkably similar to George Washington's inaugural speech. Also you'll remember, the Democrats claimed that there shouldn't have been an inaugural. In other words, they were claiming had Kerry been elected, they wouldn't have had a full-scale inaugural.

HEMMER: Well, he was sitting right behind him, too, just about five rows away.

Hey, Jen, how about it? Is mark on to something?

BACKUS: Well, I think it's kind of funny that he talks about Clinton's inaugural, because actually President Bush ran against Clinton's vision in 2000. And, you know, in a campaign full of flip- flops, President Bush's speech is a definite departure from where he was in 2000.

I think the real question is, those were beautiful words in a lot of senses, somewhat scary if you don't happen to live in this country. But if you're trying to figure out what he's going to do and how he's going to pay for it and if we're going to even be able to win liberty in Iraq, I think there's still a lot of substantial questions underneath that.

HEMMER: All right. Andy, jump in here.

BOROWITZ: I thought he set the right tone, but I did lose consciousness about 30 seconds in.

HEMMER: You were only 20 minutes short.

Jenny, let's talk about Condoleezza Rice. Why the delay?

BACKUS: Well, I think that why the delay, is, you know, the same question that families, you know, have kids over there. There's a lot of questions over what's happening with Iraq. The president talks about an accountability moment, and we do have an accountability moment. We have an accountability to everybody who has got family over in Iraq to ask all of the questions about why we got in here and why we should trust these people who didn't know where the weapons of mass destruction were. Why we should take their word going forward on fighting this war?

HEMMER: Mark, are they getting much mileage out of it.

SIMONE: Well, let's remember that nobody screamed longer and louder about WMD than John Kerry did, and he was doing it years before Bush got there. So, don't blame Bush on that. The Clinton administration swore to us the weapons were there. And any time you've got an administration that has a Chemical Ali and a Dr. Germ in high-ranking positions, it's not surprising that we thought that at one time.

HEMMER: Andy, what about it? The story living on for another day, a week maybe?

BOROWITZ: You know, I say let Condi get to work. She has a lot of important allies to alienate.

HEMMER: Let's get to Harvard right now. The president apparently made some remarks about men and women, suggesting that women don't have the same natural ability in math and in science as men do. Well, the president's apologized three times since then. Mark what about it?

SIMONE: Well, let's remember, Lawrence Summers was trained as an economist, so they're never right about anything. I don't know where he got this idea. Some women are not good at math. I think that's why Leona Helmsley went to jail. The only time I've ever seen men good at math is when they're using that remote control.

HEMMER: Jen, these are fighting words, aren't they?

BACKUS: Well, I have to say, the president whose math I'm really worried about is President Bush's. We're going to see his budget in the next couple weeks. We see his Social Security plan where he's going to slash benefits for seniors. I think, you know, if we all want to worry about women and men, what's going on with math, let's look at the president's budget.

HEMMER: Andy, I've met your wife, and she's a heck of a lot smarter than you.

BOROWITZ: Well, you know, Larry Summers' remarks were taken out of context. What he actually said was, he said, women aren't good at math and science, but they sure are easy on the eyes.

HEMMER: And he hasn't apologized for that.

BOROWITZ: No, not yet.

HEMMER: Read it in BorowitzReport.com.

HEMMER: Under the radar, Jen, start us off. What did we miss this past week that's on your radar?

BACKUS: I think we need to look out for what's happening with these governors. The governors are coming to town soon, and they're all talking about the fact that they're cutting Medicaid. Health care is an underreported story right now. I think we heard a lot about it from the president and Senator Kerry on the campaign trail. Let's see who puts up a plan and goes forward moving ahead.

HEMMER: All right. Mark, how about it?

SIMONE: Well, you know, a few years ago, Mayor Bloomberg banned smoking in public places here in New York. A big controversy. And it started to spread everywhere. This week, Cuba announced they're banning smoking in public places. I mean, imagine not being able to smoke a Cuban cigar in Cuba anymore.

HEMMER: Yes. It's going to hurt the GDP, too, right? SIMONE: Well, it's like Italy banning pizza. It's like Japan banning cameras. It's just shocking.

HEMMER: Got it. Hey, Andy?

BOROWITZ: Bill, a conservative group wants a constitutional amendment that would ban marriage between a man and SpongeBob SquarePants.

HEMMER: Details later!

BOROWITZ: That's right.

HEMMER: Thanks, Andy. Have a good weekend.

BOROWITZ: Thank you.

HEMMER: Jen, Mark, see you guys soon, OK?

BACKUS: Thank you.

HEMMER: Bye-bye.

O'BRIEN: Well, here is a corporate catch phrase you wouldn't expect. White Castle is for lovers. Andy is "Minding Your Business" just ahead.

HEMMER: Also, some mixed signals we hear from Jenna Bush and the rest of her family. A silent gesture is causing a stir in the Capitol. "The Cafferty File" looks into this in a moment. Back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Here's a question for you. Why are some folks nearly invisible to mosquitoes, while other others are so inviting? We are paging Dr. Gupta this morning about a new repellent that some say has a little bite to it.

Hey, Sanjay, good morning again.

SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. My mom said it was because I had very sweet blood.

O'BRIEN: Yes, that's what parents always tell you, but they're lying, though, right?

GUPTA: That's right. They are lying. But some people do tend to get eaten alive by mosquitoes. Others seem to be rather invisible to them, as you say. That was the question researchers were trying to figure in the hopes that they might be able to develop a better mosquito repellent.

They tested people specifically to find out what was it about them that attracted mosquitoes, and was there something about other people that made them unattractive to mosquitoes. And they did find that there are, in fact, liquid body odors that aren't so much a repellent. They just make you sort of invisible to the mosquitoes.

You can see there, some people make chemicals making them invisible, and then spraying those chemicals on those who typically attract mosquitoes might decrease the attraction. This is new stuff. It hasn't even been published yet. Studies are now being done in humans for the first time. It's been done in animals already.

As far as the chemicals themselves which actually may serve as making people invisible, they're sort of keeping that a secret for now. But, you know, I hope to see more information about that soon.

O'BRIEN: All right. It's a big secret. But how long until they have that, you know, jar or spray of mosquito repellent with all of those secret ingredients? Is it a year, two years, five years down the road?

GUPTA: Probably about two years, they are saying. They're going to try some clinical trials starting in Europe next year. They're actually creating the spray now to actually spray on people. But it will probably be a couple of years, if it works in those clinical trials.

Again, this is all sort of theoretical for the time being, but there is a lot of emphasis on this DEET, for example. You can see that being sprayed there. Eight out of 10 Americans use it. It has a funny smell. People don't like that. It can burn if it gets into your eyes.

O'BRIEN: It's strong stuff.

GUPTA: It's strong stuff, and it may not always be the best for children, especially in high concentrations. So they've been looking for some time for something else. Again, this isn't a repellent. It doesn't smell like anything. It doesn't taste like anything if it gets into your mouth. It just makes you invisible to mosquitoes.

O'BRIEN: Oh, it would be good news. They've got to hurry up and start making it now.

GUPTA: That's right.

O'BRIEN: All right, Sanjay, thanks.

GUPTA: Thank you.

O'BRIEN: Bill.

HEMMER: Soledad, ahead on weekend on CNN, the rising popularity of cosmetic surgery. Already, more than eight million, every year turn to cosmetic surgery. The numbers are rising, too, we're told. Before you see a doctor, should you see a consultant? Is surgery even necessary? We'll have some answers for you this weekend on CNN Sunday morning from former model and cosmetic surgery consultant, Carol Martin, live on Sunday morning at 9:00 a.m. Eastern here on CNN.

Two concepts you probably have not thought about putting together: White Castle and romance. Andy minds your business after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: Welcome back, everyone.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Bill, a nosedive for the airline industry. Nothing new there. A candlelight dinner on Valentine's Day. Wait until you find out where. And a look at the markets. Andy Serwer is here "Minding Your Business."

ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: That's a lot of stuff. Good morning, Jack. Maybe you and I should do this Valentine's thing.

CAFFERTY: I don't think so, Andy. Not in this lifetime.

SERWER: Well, OK. I kind of like this idea.

All right, let's talk about the markets. Yesterday a down day again...

CAFFERTY: You're nuts.

SERWER: ... for investors. The Dow was off 68. You can see here, eBay down almost $20. It's not like there are any big problems there, folks. It's just that the profit growth is a little bit less than what Wall Street wanted. And when you're out on the edge like that, you get punished if you're just a penny short.

GE this morning reporting its fourth quarter profits, looking pretty good, and that's why futures are up this morning.

Speaking of earnings, though or lack thereof, Delta Airlines lost in the fourth quarter. It's simply staggering, $2.2 billion. It's just remarkable that a company like this can stay in business. Of course, they almost filed for bankruptcy last fall.

Here's the scorecard for the airline business in the fourth quarter. Look at that. That's all red ink. It should be in red. Those are all losses in the fourth quarter, nearly $3 billion of losses. That doesn't even include US Air and United, which are in bankruptcy.

One company that made money. Guess which one? Southwest. Thank you. Southwest Airlines. Tickers love. They made money. They always manage to do it.

CAFFERTY: That's our airline expert.

SERWER: Shane. That's Shane, our airline analyst. Thank you, Shane.

(CROSSTALK)

SERWER: Not, but it's good. Everyone knows that. OK.

HEMMER: If you lose $2.2 billion a quarter? SERWER: Yes.

HEMMER: hat are your operating costs?

SERWER: Well, they're more. I mean, it's just truly remarkable. I mean, its fuel was a billion dollars nearly last year. And, you know, they're saying, well, the cost of oil is over $40 a barrel. It's going to be over $40 a barrel.

HEMMER: Yes.

SERWER: It's just really devastating.

And let's talk about that Valentine's Day thing, I think, very quickly.

CAFFERTY: Oh, yes.

SERWER: The White Castle.

CAFFERTY: We are not going to dinner, you and me.

SERWER: You and me, Jack, at White Castle.

CAFFERTY: No.

O'BRIEN: I'll go.

SERWER: OK. Yes, that's a better date anyway.

HEMMER: White Castle?

SERWER: White Castle is having candlelight dinners for Valentine's Day, table service, reservations required. This is in Cincinnati, St. Louis and the Twin Cities. I was at a White Castle near Penn Station the other day, and the food was OK. Some people were nodding off a little bit.

CAFFERTY: There's one over by the Newark Airport, which is nice, too.

SERWER: Yes. Thank you. I knew you'd know. See? I've got you.

CAFFERTY: Lovely.

SERWER: Yes, indeed.

CAFFERTY: They're not in the Zagat (ph) what-you-ma-call-it there.

SERWER: The guide.

CAFFERTY: The guide, no.

It's time for the file. If you have birds or if your dog is paper-trained, this story is of interest to you. There will be an English translation of the interviews of Osama bin Laden, as well as writings by his second-in-command, Zawahiri. It's going to be published by Double Day, tentatively titled, "The al Qaeda Reader." The book is made up of what Double Day describes as historical documents that help us know what our enemy is thinking.

Raymond Ibrahim (ph) is a language specialist at the Library of Congress. He's going to translate this garbage. He says he saw this as a chance to see the passions and motivations of people who want to destroy the West.

SERWER: Where does the money go, yes?

O'BRIEN: Where does the money go?

SERWER: Where does the money go?

CAFFERTY: I don't know.

SERWER: That's unbelievable.

CAFFERTY: So many questions. I don't know.

SERWER: That's a good question, though, right?

O'BRIEN: It was.

CAFFERTY: It's a terrific question.

SERWER: Thank you.

CAFFERTY: I'll get right on that.

SERWER: Yes.

CAFFERTY: I'll get my minions all over that.

SERWER: Where does the money go?

CAFFERTY: A mastiff in England has broken a world record by giving birth to 24 puppies. The breeders had only expected Tia (ph) to have 10, but not even close. She eventually got so big, she couldn't move. They took her to the vet. The vet did a cesarean immediately. Look at these guys.

SERWER: Wow!

O'BRIEN: Oh, they're cute.

CAFFERTY: Now, Tia (ph) will set two new Guinness World records, one for the biggest litter, 24, and one for the litter with the most number of surviving, which is 20. Now, with 20 pups and not nearly that many faucets, meal time gets a little tricky. It's, you know, not that many stools at the lunch counter.

SERWER: Yes, I gotcha. CAFFERTY: It looks like the Bush family was sending mixed signals during the inauguration. First daughter Jenna Bush was seen raising her right hand, lifting her pinky and index fingers at yesterday's inaugural parade, right there.

O'BRIEN: That's (UNINTELLIGIBLE), right?

CAFFERTY: Yes.

SERWER: Sorry.

O'BRIEN: Oh, sorry.

CAFFERTY: I usually do these by myself. The whole family could be seen making the same gesture as a Texas band marched by. Of course, it's the well-known symbol of the University of Texas, hook- 'em-horns, which you've already been told.

SERWER: Sorry.

O'BRIEN: Sorry.

CAFFERTY: But to deaf people this gesture means something else. In sign language, it means B.S.

HEMMER: Ooh!

CAFFERTY: True.

SERWER: Well, that's what Oklahoma fans say, by the way.

CAFFERTY: Yes.

SERWER: They also say that.

CAFFERTY: There you go.

SERWER: Yes.

CAFFERTY: I'm through.

O'BRIEN: Are you done?

SERWER: Now he's done.

O'BRIEN: Oh, now can I jump in?

CAFFERTY: Yes, back over to you.

SERWER: Yes, over to you, Soledad.

O'BRIEN: I need those obvious tosses. It helps me out. I appreciate it.

Get out of the way, everybody, there's a monster winter storm on the horizon. Just who is going to get slammed? A look at that's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING as we continue.

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