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American Morning
Thanksgiving Travel: Prime Air Time; Thanksgiving Travel: Safety Patrol; Thanksgiving Travel: All Aboard!; The Fast Lane; Minding Your Business
Aired November 22, 2006 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Travel rush. The great race to Thanksgiving dinner is underway. Right now, millions are heading for the rails, the roads, and the skies.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The Wednesday before Thanksgiving is the busiest travel day of the year.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
S. O'BRIEN: If you're flying, get ready for a tight squeeze on board.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Planes will be fuller than they've ever been before.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
S. O'BRIEN: Coast to coast trains are packed, many sole out. Now the weather is threatening to make your trip even longer. We've got you covered. Live reports across the country. An updated forecasts for your holiday getaway on this AMERICAN MORNING.
And good morning. It's Wednesday, November 22nd. I'm Soledad O'Brien.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Miles O'Brien. Thanks for being with us this morning.
If you're sitting still this morning, there's a good chance it won't be for long. More than 60 million Americans will be on the move today and through the long Thanksgiving weekend, including our correspondents. They're at the ready all around the country. Nine out of 10 Americans will be on the roads. They'll be stuffed like a Thanksgiving turkey today. And while only 5 percent of us are flying, the airports will be jammed with barefoot people stuffing hair gel into baggies.
Not to worry. We've got you covered. There's just some of our team to tell you about the holiday travel rush. We begin at the airports. Take a look at a site run by the FAA. It shows realtime where the real bottle necks are. We'll show it to you in just a bit. Let's go out live now to Chicago's O'Hare Airport. Jonathan Freed standing by live.
Jonathan.
JONATHAN FREED, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Miles.
At its peak, during Thanksgiving week, there will be a quarter of a million people passing through this very airport. And the proof of that number beginning to grow is right here around me now. We have seen in the last half hour the numbers pick up incredibly. It was very quiet here about an hour ago. It's 5:00 a.m. Central Time, this place already busy.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TIM WACHOWIAK, TRANSPORTATION SECURITY OFFICER: This is passenger training 101.
FREED, (voice over): On an average day at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport . . .
WACHOWIAK: Liquids, gels, lotions, potions, creams and aerosols must be 3.4 ounces or less.
FREED: Transportation security officers, like Tim Wachowiak, are confiscating 4,000 prohibited items per shift as people pass through checkpoints.
WACHOWIAK: All your toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, shaving cream, mustache wax, hair gel.
FREED: Well, holidays are anything but average traffic days.
WACHOWIAK: Mascara, nail polish and lip glosses.
FREED: So TSA Tim is on high alert for people traveling for the first time since new rules recently went into effect limiting the amount of liquids and the like you can carry onboard a plane.
LARA USELDING, TRANSPORTATION SECURITY: These items that have been confiscated at the checkpoint are not OK in carry-on bags because they don't meet the requirements, but these would have been OK to be placed in checked baggage.
FREED: The trick to avoid having your stuff chucked, remember the 3-1-1 rule.
USELDING: That's three-ounce containers or less, so travel size containers, one-quart clear plastic zip top bag and then one per passenger. And this must be taken out of your carry-on bag and placed into the security bin.
FREED: Close to 25 million people are expected to travel by air this Thanksgiving and airlines say new technology lets passengers take more control of their trip even before getting to the airport.
MARY FRANCES FAGAN, AMERICAN AIRLINES: Check in at home. Use your computer. Pint your boarding pass. Check on the status of your flight. Go to your airline's website and see what other information you can get.
FREED: As for inevitable in-flight delays, the folks giving up their turkey to staff radar screens controlling the skies urge that you not take it personally if you end up late for your holiday plate.
RAY GIBBONS, AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER: There's a very important reason for that holding pattern or for being placed in that holding pattern, and that's to guarantee their safety and their safe arrival.
WACHOWIAK: And where do we place our one quart bag of 3.4 ounce liquids?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In the tray.
WACHOWIAK: In the tray, very good. Thank you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FREED: That's TSA Tim. Now he's a guy that we have come to know here. Our crews travel through O'Hare regularly, Miles. And he was not putting it on for the cameras. That is exactly the way he is and that's why we went to him and asked him if he would play ball with us in our Thanksgiving special today.
M. O'BRIEN: TSA Tim has the public relations component down well. That makes it a little easier, doesn't it?
FREED: He does. Now I'll tell you something, you don't want to cross this guy. You want to make him happy. He's like that teacher that you really want to do well for in school. You want to have your court bagged with Tim. No messing around.
M. O'BRIEN: OK. So it goes both ways with TSA Tim. All right. Thank you very much, Jonathan Freed. Back with you in a little while. Keep us posted.
Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: You don't want to cross anybody with a TSA while you're trying to travel.
Many Americans are going to begin hitting the roads today. AAA is estimating that more than 37 million people are going to drive at least 50 miles from home. Along the more than 2,500 miles of Interstate 40, troopers will be making a special effort to make sure that your ride is safe. CNN's Ed Lavandera is along I-40. He's in Knoxville, Tennessee, this morning.
Good morning, Ed.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
Well, that is Interstate 40 you see behind me. And if your travels this Thanksgiving holiday take you along this interstate and you're in the least bit feeling the need for speed, all I can tell you is, be ware, be very aware.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LAVANDERA, (voice over): Interstate 40 ends or starts, depending on your perspective, in Barstow, California, 2,554 miles to the east. Cutting through eight state, I-40 reaches Wilmington, North California. No other cross-country interstate will be watched like I- 40 this Thanksgiving holiday.
LT. PETE NORWOOD, OKLAHOMA HIGHWAY PATROL: Putting the word out. Letting them now, hey, this is your warning. We're going to be on I- 40.
LAVANDERA: Oklahoma State Trooper Lieutenant Pete Norwood helped organize a multi-state patrol that will post state troopers every 10 miles along this interstate.
NORWOOD: And it's all the way across I-40 from sea to shining sea.
LAVANDERA: But what authorities are most concerned about this holiday weekend, of course, are people who drive drunk and at high speeds. So they're hoping that by staggering troopers every 10 miles along the interstate, that will encourage people to be on their best behavior.
Four hundred and fifty eight people died in highway accidents last Thanksgiving weekend. More than half of those were not wearing seatbelts.
NORWOOD: If everybody drove right, there'd be no accidents. If everybody abided by the law, there would never be an accident. And that's what we're trying to do here.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I like to speed a little myself. But, you know what, I want to see more people alive this year.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To reduce the cost of lives, I don't think it's that extreme.
LAVANDERA: AAA estimates almost 32 million Americans will be taking to the roads this went. The national average on gas prices is $2.23 a gallon, about 80 cents cheaper than this past summer. That kind of statistic makes drivers thankful.
MIKE PINA, AMERICAN AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION: People are more likely to put up with congested roads and gas and whatever hassles that are necessary because they're determined to see their friends and family this time of year.
LAVANDERA: And with millions of Americans determined to see their families, for those traveling on I-40, but your saving gas money might easily be lost to speeding tickets.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No tickets. Not so far. Hopefully I won't get none. NORWOOD: Spend your money on the turkey, not on a fine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LAVANDERA: All right. So people taking to the roads here this morning. To do the math for you, 2,500 miles of interstate, that's about 250 patrol officers that will be staggered every 10 miles along this interstate. And it won't be just on the ground as well. These troopers will be taking to the air and monitoring from above as well.
Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: And he doesn't have to cross his fingers and sort of say, ooh, I hope I don't get -- you know, he could just not speed. That would work, too. Ed Lavandera this morning for us.
Thanks, Ed.
Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: I know what interstate to avoid today for sure.
Further than 1 percent of those traveling this weekend will take to the rails. We are a car-crazy country after all. But Amtrak riders will still feel like sardines in a can today. CNN senior correspondent Allen Chernoff went inside Amtrak's command center. He joins us from Penn Station in New York City.
Allen, good morning.
ALLEN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Miles.
And that command center is already hopping. It's the early birds that are trying to beat the rush. Later today, Penn Station is going to be packed with travelers who hope to avoid all the traffic by taking the train.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHERNOFF, (voice over): Amtrak locomotive engineer Paul Schirf is hoping for good thanksgiving weather, especially since the forecast calls for a chance of rain Thursday in the northeast.
How would severe weather affect the rails?
PAUL SCHIRF, AMTRAK LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEER: It can take out the signal system or heavy rain this time of year, you've got leaves on the rail. It affects the traction of the locomotives. It makes it harder to get up to speed and maintain track speed.
CHERNOFF: But if the weather's good?
SCHIRF: If the weather's good, we roll, no problem.
CHERNOFF: Avoiding problems is the responsibility of dispatcher Jeffrey Harris. JEFFREY HARRIS, TRAIN DISPATCHER: CSCC to the conductor of Amtrak 173. Yes, we're looking for departure (ph).
CHERNOFF: With trains packed before Thanksgiving, it will be a challenge to keep everything running on time.
HARRIS: The normal rush hour Monday through Friday is just a rehearsal or practice for the Thanksgiving rush.
CHERNOFF: The day before Thanksgiving is Amtrak's version of the Super Bowl. It's busiest day of the year. The railroad will be adding an extra 16 trains to handle the capacity of 125,000 passengers nationwide.
Riding the train involves planning. Amtrak requires reservations. In fact, some of the most popular northeast trains are already sold out.
TOM PYLE, AMTRAK SUPERINTENDENT OF OPERATIONS: It's too late. We encourage folks to buy their tickets early, reserve early to be guaranteed.
CHERNOFF: Then there's the question of arriving on time. In the northeast, where Amtrak serves the majority of its passengers, performance has been improving. Better than four of every five trains on the Boston to Washington route arrives on schedule, thanks to track and other infrastructure fix-ups. But on long-distance halls, Amtrak's performance remains abysmal. In fact, if you were thinking of taking the train from San Francisco to eat Turkey in Los Angeles, forget it. It's already to late. Only 4 percent of trains on the route arrive on time. Freight lines own the tracks out west and they're constantly holding up passenger trains so freight can move through.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHERNOFF: At least here in the northeast though, many people believe that the train is certainly the easiest and most relaxing way to Thanksgiving dinner, especially with all the hassles of air travel these days.
Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Allen Chernoff at Penn Station, thank you very much.
Let's take a look at the weather. Planes, trains, or automobiles. One way or another, the weather will have an impact. Rob Marciano in for Chad Myers who is wisely already in place at home or wherever he is.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: He is.
M. O'BRIEN: Not having to travel today.
Hello, Rob.
(WEATHER REPORT)
M. O'BRIEN: If you need some travel tips at your fingertips over the next couple of days, we invite you to go to cnn.com/holidaytravel. The latest is all there.
Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Also happening this morning.
There's news that President Bush is going to meet with Iraq's prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, to talk about the growing violence in his country. The two will meet in Jordan as early as next week. It's going to be the first lengthy talk between them since Mr. Bush promised a new approach on Iraq after the midterm elections.
Investigators are back on the scene of that Alabama school bus crash. One of the things they're looking at this morning is just how the bus driver ended up on the overpass while the bus plunged 30 feet over the guardrail. The driver and 15 students are still at the hospital. A fourth student died in the hospital on Tuesday from her injuries.
In Washington today, a new Latin America free trade agreement will be signed. This time with Colombia. Most to attract foreign investment, create jobs. Congress still has to sign off on it and Democrats are already saying the deal is weak on worker protection.
And O.J. Simpson's book and TV interview may have gone away, but he certainly hasn't. Scheduled to call in to a Miami radio show this morning in his first public response to Fox's canceling that controversial project.
M. O'BRIEN: North of Boston, in Danvers, Massachusetts, a spectacular fire raging this hour. It's happening in a propane storage facility. It began with an explosion about three hours ago. Several homes destroyed or damaged. No word yet on the cause. Here's what some nearby residents saw right after the blast.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VINCENT ERCOLANO, DANVERS, MASSACHUSETTS, RESIDENT: Total chaos. Everybody coming out of their houses screaming.
TED SPELIOTIS, DANVERS, MASSACHUSETTS, RESIDENT: Windows are blown out four or five streets down, so you really have to wonder if somebody's on the second floor. The other thing is, those apartments in there. So, you know, I think that that's the number one concern, obviously, is the loss of life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
M. O'BRIEN: There are reports of injuries. We'll keep an eye on it and have more information throughout the show for you.
In New York, the lighter than air tribute to the holiday retail frenzy is taking shape today. Macy's Parade workers will be inflating Kermit, Snoopy, Bullwinkle and Rocky and others with helium today. This despite a worldwide helium shortage. The parade team proved they are not lightweights, however. They bought their supply far in advance before the gas became scarce.
The turkey isn't even out of the freezer and, guess what, we're talking Christmas now. This afternoon in Lehighton, Pennsylvania, they're going to cut down one of the Christmas trees headed for the White House. This one headed for the Blue Room. An 18.5 foot Douglas Fir.
And another holiday tradition. The presidential pardon to the official national turkey. This is last year's winner. I can't remember his name. Do we remember his name?
S. O'BRIEN: No, I'm sorry.
M. O'BRIEN: No, we don't know his name. Anyway, the nameless turkey -- he's still alive, though. At 10:30 Eastern -- that might be the other turkey. Isn't there one in the Rose Garden usually? Anyway, at 10:30 -- there's a lot of turkeys that get spared, but sadly more perish. At 10:30 Eastern, Mr. Bush will enter the Rose Garden to spare yet another gobbler from the ax, as is presidential custom. Get this, though. After the ceremony, the lucky winner is flying first-class to Disneyland to be one of the stars of the holiday show there.
S. O'BRIEN: That can't be true. There's no way they'd put a turkey in first-class.
M. O'BRIEN: Yes, can you imagine buckling in for, you know, your seat and . . .
S. O'BRIEN: That doesn't happen. That's not possible. They put the turkey in a crate and shove him in cargo with everything else.
M. O'BRIEN: No, no, first class. It has to be true. We'll get to the bottom of it.
S. O'BRIEN: We're going to talk more about that turkey this morning.
Also more about the crowds and the lines that you're going to face today as you head through airport security. And while you're waiting you can ponder this. How much would you pay to breeze right through security? What would that be worth to you, Miles?
M. O'BRIEN: Big bucks.
S. O'BRIEN: We're going to show you how you can get the VIP treatment when you're at the airport, straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
M. O'BRIEN: That is Charlotte, North Carolina, this morning. Not a very good morning there. Rainy, windy, 50 degrees. We thank you, News 14, and we hope that you're snuggling up with loved ones this cold and rainy Thanksgiving eve.
If you're flying off to be with those loved ones for the feast and the football this weekend, you're bracing for the security gauntlet. Standing there barefoot, beltless, holding our baggie. We all must be thinking there has to be a better way. Well, there is. CNN's Rusty Dornin with more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): A traveler's life, hurry, hurry, hurry and wait. If you had a choice between this security line and this one, would you pay for it? Thirty thousand flyers out of Orlando, Florida, have.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just need to see you're verified.
DORNIN: It's called "clear." A registered traveler's program that's been up and running in Orlando for more than a year.
MARLENE GREEN, PASSENGER: To get through quicker if you travel a lot.
DORNIN: Marlene Green signed up online. She paid her $100 and has to finish up her application at the airport using biometrics to scan her fingerprint and iris.
What did you have to provide to them?
GREEN: Just two forms of I.D.
DORNIN: Which were, Passport and drivers license.
Then she must wait about three weeks while TSA does a background check. The agency has the final word on whether a passenger is approved.
For Donna White, life in the fast lane makes sense.
That's it?
DONNA WHITE, PASSENGER: That's easy. Yes. It's about 15 minutes quicker on a good day and then when all the tourists are here for spring break, it's probably an hour.
DORNIN: This program should be available in five airports, including New York's JFK, by year's end.
STEVEN BRILL, CEO, "CLEAR": It's layers of security.
DORNIN: And Clear president Steven Brill hopes to use his card in 18 airports by the end of next year.
BRILL: People who are signing up for this are, you know, the road warriors who are salesmen, who are, you know, advertising people, who are media people. They're not, you know, the rich, and the program doesn't cost that much. CHARLES SLEPIAN, SECURITY ANALYST: The average family applies once a year.
DORNIN: Security analyst Charles Slepian questions why everybody can't have the same opportunity without paying for it.
SLEPIAN: You're getting a free pass, so to speak, to a shorter line for $100 under the theory that there's better security being provided, and I just don't think that's the case.
DORNIN: The bottom line, all passengers must still go through the same TSA physical security screening.
We decided to do an experiment. I'll stand in the regular line, which is actually fairly shot now, and see how long it take me to get through compared to the man with the Clear pass.
Rick Blanchet (ph) presented his pass and had his fingerprint taken, but was long gone by the time we were through the security line.
Then there was Sherrod Cooley. She made our flight just before the doors closed, late because of a traffic accident.
SHERROD COOLEY, PASSENGER: If I hadn't been able to go through as a registered traveler, I would not have made it. I was really frantic. (INAUDIBLE) on fire.
DORNIN: Rusty Dornin, CNN, Orlando, Florida.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
S. O'BRIEN: And all morning long, we're going to be checking in at the airports around the country for you. So let's head down at Washington, D.C., see how things are lining up at Reagan National Airport. Sarah Lee's there. She's with our affiliate WJLA this morning.
Hey, Sarah, good morning. How is it?
SARAH LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Soledad, it seems that here at Reagan National Airport, the early bird gets off the ground much more easily. We've been here since about 4:30 and it has been filling up fast.
Take a look behind me. This is the upper level of the terminal where they have the ticket counters and the baggage screening. It's a little bit misleading from where we're standing, because if you take a walk down the terminal, it is really getting crowded down by carriers such as United and American.
It seems for a lot of people this is their first time traveling since new TSA liquid and gel regulations went into effect. So a lot of people seem to be opting to check their bags in at the counter before going down to those security screening lines. But for those people who do decide to take their personal effects on to the plane with them, they are offering zip lock baggies at the airport here at Reagan National and Dulles in Washington as well. They are giving out zip lock baggies for people who forget to bring them.
Now I just checked with the TSA. They said people seem to be getting all the warnings and the reminders and that the delays are not so bad. Yesterday at peak time they said the longest wait was 13 minutes. But, again, don't ever take that for granted, especially during the holiday season. Allow yourself plenty of extra time. Reporting live from Reagan National Airport in Washington, I'm Sarah Lee.
Soledad, back to you in New York.
S. O'BRIEN: All right, Sarah, thank you very much. And that is excellent advice. I've got to tell you, over the holidays, you don't have a 13 minute wait. You're going to have a much longer wait than that. That's my prediction. Thanks, Sarah.
Other news this morning. Six Islamic scholars are calling for a boycott of U.S. Airways after being removed from a flight to Phoenix. A passenger raised concerns after see the six men holding evening prayers before boarding the flight on Monday in Minneapolis.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NIHAD AWAD, COUNCIL AMERICAN-ISLAMIC RELATIONS: We live in a free society and freedom of religion is a cornerstone and foundation of this great nation. And we cannot force people to change their religious belief or their religious practice because some other people are ignorant of these people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
S. O'BRIEN: Well, they were taken off the plane. No charges were ever filed against the men and U.S. Airways says they're investigating the incident.
Ahead this morning, one reason or another reason maybe to give thanks. A plan to give you a break on your groceries. We'll tell you what they're doing at Wal-Mart straight ahead. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
S. O'BRIEN: Oh, there's no place like home for the holidays. And if you've the chef in the family, tomorrow morning is all about the turkey. Turkey, turkey, turkey. So you can e-mail us with any of your turkey cooking questions at turkey@cnn.com. I can't possibly help you at all having never actually cooked a turkey, but we will . . .
M. O'BRIEN: You have never cooked a turkey?
S. O'BRIEN: Not in my entire life. But we will have the answers. We'll be checking in with our experts at Butterball who will be helping us answer your questions tomorrow morning.
M. O'BRIEN: We tried to deep fry one, one year.
S. O'BRIEN: My husband did it. It was fabulous.
M. O'BRIEN: Raw. It was raw.
S. O'BRIEN: Oh.
M. O'BRIEN: Terrible. It was a disaster.
ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I hear it's really dangerous.
S. O'BRIEN: Dangerous. But if it works, it's fabulous.
VELSHI: All right.
M. O'BRIEN: Yes. Well, it was dangerous if you serve people raw turkey, that's for sure. It was a good thing we had a ham in the refrigerator just in case. Ten people were hungry.
All right.
VELSHI: But if you're looking for food . . .
S. O'BRIEN: (INAUDIBLE).
M. O'BRIEN: Yes.
VELSHI: If you're looking for food, you might get a break on the prices right now. Wal-Mart is announcing 20 percent discounts on some of its food. In fact, some of it is going to be discounted even more than that. Now Wal-Mart has had a rough couple of months in sales in September and October. It's shares are not doing so well if you're an investor. It's near a five-year low. They've got a couple of interesting initiatives. One is these $4 prescription drugs. Target's got the same thing. I think Wal-Mart's . . .
M. O'BRIEN: Not everywhere yet, though, right?
VELSHI: No, it's about 38 states.
M. O'BRIEN: Oh, it's getting there.
VELSHI: They've added a few states last week.
Now the issue here, Citigroup's analyst Deb Weinswig was says, that this is not entirely unusual. Wal-Mart does this before. The difference is, Wal-Mart is telling everybody about it in an effort to get more people from other stores. There is some evidence that the grocery part of the business will draw people who otherwise shop at Kroger's or places like that.
S. O'BRIEN: Well, yes, that makes sense.
VELSHI: And what Wal-Mart hasn't done so well is succeeded where Target has is getting a more affluent customer. Wal-Mart gets almost everybody in the demographic that Wal-Mart looks for. They need more customers. So that's what Wal-Mart is doing. They're thinking that if people come over for the holidays to buy discounted food, they will -- they may stick around and buy some other stuff.
M. O'BRIEN: And you can get your tired rotated while you're doing it.
VELSHI: Exactly.
M. O'BRIEN: It's kind of a one-stop operation there.
VELSHI: Yes. It could work well.
M. O'BRIEN: Yes.
VELSHI: I'll come back and talk about the stocks in a little while.
M. O'BRIEN: All right. Great.
VELSHI: OK.
M. O'BRIEN: Thank you, Ali.
Coming up, Fox may have canceled that awful "If I Did It" book and interview, but there's no stopping O.J. Simpson. He will be talking to a Florida radio station this morning and we'll explain about that ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
S. O'BRIEN: Highway tragedy. Another teenager dies after that school bus crash in Alabama. Could a flat tire be responsible for four lives lost.
M. O'BRIEN: A travel mess in the southeast. Even snow down in those parts. A new meaning to snow white at Disney World this morning. The forecast for the Thanksgiving drive is ahead.
S. O'BRIEN: And before you hit the road or the skies, you want to stick around for some advice on what you should bring with you. Those stories and much more on this AMERICAN MORNING.
M. O'BRIEN: Good morning. Wednesday, November 22nd. I'm Miles O'Brien.
S. O'BRIEN: And I'm Soledad O'Brien.
Some people, of course, are going by air. Some people are going by train. Some people going by car. This Thanksgiving eve is one of the busiest travel days of the year with millions of Americans heading off to visit friends and loved ones, trying to make it home, maybe, for turkey and mashed potatoes. So we're watching the skies for you, and the rails, and the highways and the weather, too, which could make your trip fast or it could really slow you down if you're a traveler.
We've got reporters all across the country this morning. We're going to bring you the information you need if you're heading out to begin your journey today.
Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Airport is the world's biggest -- busiest is what I'm trying to say. CNN's Reynolds Wolf is right outside the airport this morning.
Good morning to you, Reynolds. How is it looking?
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Soledad.
It is looking very busy. We've been here since 5:00 a.m. We've really seen traffic begin to pile up. And you're absolutely right, this is the world's busiest airport, and they've just added a fifth runway, which is a great thing, because they're expecting 1.7 million people to come through this venue over Thanksgiving week, and that's over 290,000 people per day, and already we've seen lines begin to really pile up.
In fact, over in the Delta terminal it is described as madness. It is -- it is really getting quite hectic there.
They're advising people there, travelers, when they come in, if you happen to be a couple, you need to get here -- originally it was 90 minutes before your flight. Now they're saying two hours before your flight. If you happen to be a family, mom, dad, couple of kids, they're saying up to three hours.
Now, if you're flying international -- I know this is mostly domestic flights we're talking about -- but if you are going international, they're saying up to four hours.
So it is just crazy. It has begun to pile up.
The parking lots are beginning to fill up; however, there are many spaces still available. So what we advise you to do is simply go online for your prospective airport, type in your flight number. You can get all kinds of information, including parking.
And some people not even parking here. They're just dropping people off, saying goodbye, saying goodbye to their loved ones, and off they go to grandma's house.
We're going to have more coming up from here at Hartsfield- Jackson International. A cold and busy morning, but no surprises.
Back to you.
S. O'BRIEN: All right. No surprises yet.
Reynolds Wolf for us this morning.
Thanks, Reynolds.
Nine out of 10 people who are traveling this long weekend are going to be in cars.
That's an interesting statistic, isn't it, Miles? M. O'BRIEN: Yes, it is. And if you have a lead foot, here is a road to avoid. Interstate 40, from all the way to the West Coast, in California. They'll have a trooper every 10 miles.
Let's go to CNN's Ed Lavandera, who is along Interstate 40 in Knoxville, Tennessee -- Ed.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Miles.
Well, here at this gas station along Interstate 40, just east of Knoxville, people gassing up and heading on to the roadway. A rather unique approach to keeping this Interstate 40 safe this holiday weekend.
As you mentioned, it runs from North Carolina all the way to Barstow, California, 2,500 miles. And state troopers through those eight states with those interstate crisscrosses have teamed together and have decided to stagger state troopers every 10 miles along the interstate, and they will be looking out for everything.
We were told that there will be a no tolerance policy as to anything that they see wrong going on, on the roadway. So if you have a busted tail light, you're not driving with your seat belt on, basically any excuse to pull people over and check them out, we're told that state troopers will be taking advantage of that over the next couple of days, and they will be manning this interstate around the clock -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Hey, Ed, why this particular interstate? Is it because this one particular trooper had the idea? That's where he is?
LAVANDERA: Absolutely. There were a couple of troopers that came together with this idea. It had done perhaps in, like, Oklahoma, and they thought it would be kind of a good idea to extend this. And it just happens to be one of the interstates that crossed through all of these states. It's one of the four interstates that goes from coast to coast, and it cuts right through the heart of the country.
M. O'BRIEN: Well, we hope everybody drives safely. We hope they avoid a ticket, as well.
Ed Lavandera, thank you very much.
Let's take a look at the weather for where you're headed this morning. All kinds of strange weather in the South.
Rob Marciano here to tell us about that.
Hi, Rob.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hi, Miles.
(WEATHER REPORT)
M. O'BRIEN: If you need some tip over the next few days for travel, we have just the place for you to go. Just a couple of mouse clicks away, cnn.com/holidaytravel. Constantly streamed real-time latest information about travel all throughout the country right there -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Happening this morning in Alabama, there's some new details about Monday's deadly school bus crash. The car that hit the bus before it plunged on the overpass reportedly had two flat tires after the accident. Now, investigators aren't saying yet just if it contributed or how it contributed to the accident.
North of Boston, in Danvers, Massachusetts, a spectacular fire. Look at these pictures. It's raging at this hour.
Happening at a propane storage facility. It began with an explosion about three hours ago. Destroyed several homes, damaged them, too. People felt the impact several miles away, saying it sounded like a plane had crashed. Only minor injuries, though, have been reported so far.
Washington today, a new Latin America free trade agreement will be signed, this time with Colombia. It's supposed to attract investment and create jobs. Congress, though, still has to sign off on it. Some Democrats say the deal is weak on worker protection.
In New Jersey, an autopsy scheduled for the last of four women who were found dead in Atlantic City. Their bodies were discovered in a ditch behind businesses, not far from the beachside casinos. So far only one of the women has been identified.
And O.J. Simpson's book and TV interview gone away but he isn't going away. He's scheduled to a Miami radio show this morning in his public response to FOX canceling that controversial project.
Overnight, word that President Bush is going to meet with Iraq's prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, in Jordan. It could happen as early as next week. It will be the first lengthy talks between the two since Mr. Bush promised a new approach on Iraq after the midterm elections in the United States -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Coming up, a White House official beaten and robbed in Hawaii. We'll have an update for you on that.
And what goes together better than turkey, family and politics? Ah, yes, the dinner table divide ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
S. O'BRIEN: The family of a Florida mother who killed herself after her son went missing is suing CNN and "Headline News" host Nancy Grace. They want the network and Nancy Grace to pay for an interview that they claim triggered her suicide.
We begin with some background on the case.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
S. O'BRIEN (voice over): A wrongful death suit accuses Nancy Grace and CNN of contributing to Melinda Duckett's death. Duckett's 2-year-old son Trenton has been missing since August when he disappeared from his bedroom. His mother was home at the time, she says, watching videos with friends.
Melinda told police when she went to check on Trenton his window was slashed and her baby was gone. Nearly two weeks later Duckett taped a telephone interview for Nancy Grace's "Headline News" show. By the time the segment appeared the next day on September 8th, Duckett had committed suicide.
Here's a portion of the interview where Grace asked Duckett about her movement on the day that Trenton disappeared.
NANCY GRACE, HOST, "NANCY GRACE": I mean, where were you? Why aren't you telling us where you were that day? You were the last person to be seen with him.
MELINDA DUCKETT, COMMITTED SUICIDE: And we've already gone out and distributed the flyers and spoken...
GRACE: Right. Why aren't you telling us and giving us a clear picture where you were before your son was kidnapped?
DUCKETT: Because I'm not going to put those kind of details out.
GRACE: Why?
DUCKETT: Because I was told not to.
GRACE: Ms. Duckett, you're not telling us for a reason. What is the reason? You refuse to give even the simplest facts of where you were with your son before he went missing. It is day 12.
S. O'BRIEN: The lawsuit claims Grace's aggressive questioning pushed Melinda Duckett over the emotional edge. It alleges Grace's producers "intended to surprise Melinda Duckett with accusations, questions and verbal assaults clearly intending to intimate she murdered her child..."
A statement issued by "Headline News" said, "While we have no comment on pending litigation, we stand by Nancy Grace and fully support her, as we have from the beginning of this matter."
Grace said in an earlier interview that allegations she contributed to Duckett's death are hateful, spiteful and ridiculous.
The boy's father. Josh Duckett, is also named in the suit, not for wrongful death, but to ensure that money that was donated to help in the search is used properly. Just last week, as new evidence surfaced that Trenton Duckett may still be alive, Josh offered his support for Nancy Grace, saying this: "I've met Nancy Grace and I've talked to her personally while a lot of people have not. To me, she is very sincere and wanting to help in any way possible."
(END VIDEOTAPE) S. O'BRIEN: Brian Neary is a criminal defense attorney, also a professor at Rutgers Law School. He's appeared on Nancy's show, never as a paid contributor.
Good morning. Let's walk through some of the merits or lack thereof of this case.
First, you know, you can find the actual lawsuit itself on Smoking Gun, and I pulled it up. And basically what it sounds like the family is alleging here is there were misrepresentations from Nancy's producers. They also say there was severe interrogations, fist-pounding, accusations that she was responsible, Ms. Duckett, for her child, T.D.'s death and disappearance.
What do you think of all those things that they're alleging there is going to be the most serious for Nancy Grace in court?
BRIAN NEARY, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: The key to the Duckett lawsuit is that there was a misrepresentation as to what the purpose of the interview was. They suggest that they were being misled, that Nancy Grace would use the show to publicize the missing child and that Nancy Grace might assist the family, or Ms. Duckett in finding the child.
S. O'BRIEN: Which is why they did the interview, they say.
NEARY: That's why they say they did it, but what they have to confront is the fact that Nancy -- Nancy Grace is a journalist, on a news show, who has the right to ask, as protected by the First Amendment, a series of questions that she will push along, in essence, the interview.
S. O'BRIEN: So you think that overall she's protected by the First Amendment?
NEARY: The first thing that comes to mind is that Nancy Grace, as a journalist on what appears to be a news show -- it is publicized as a news show -- that, in fact, that she has certain protections and she is allowed to conduct an interview so long as it's within the bounds of the First Amendment and maybe by journalistic standards. But she's allowed to ask questions as she deems appropriate as a journalist.
S. O'BRIEN: We saw a little clip of her interview. I'll show you a little bit more of how this interview went with Melinda Duckett on the phone.
Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DUCKETT: Because I'm not dealing with the media very well.
GRACE: Well, can you remember where you were that day?
DUCKETT: I can remember perfectly well where I went that day. Just like I've spoken to the FBI with it. But as far as anything else goes, we haven't had very good dealings with...
GRACE: Well, don't you think it would be a great idea, for instance, if you were at a local J.C. Penney or Sears Roebuck, to tell the viewers right now, this is where we were? Did you see anything? Did you notice anything?
Here's your child's picture. Here's my picture. Help me?
I mean, where were you? Why aren't you telling us where you were that day? You were the last person to be seen with him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
S. O'BRIEN: After this interview, Melinda Duckett went to her grandparents' house, went into a closet, and shot herself in the head, killed herself.
Is there a fine line between a tough interview and pushing an anguished mother to kill herself?
NEARY: The issue of the anguished mother may be if the preexisting condition, which the family will have to show, either Nancy Grace knew about or Nancy Grace contributed in such a way that it overcame that. On the other hand, as a journalist -- and what might be a little confusing or what might blur the line here is, Nancy Grace is first trained as a lawyer.
She may be using techniques that may seem appropriate for a courtroom, a cross-examination. And her reputation, of course, is that she was a tough prosecutor. She uses that style of questioning.
S. O'BRIEN: But if a prosecutor did that to, let's say, a suspect or a witness on the stand and that person then killed themselves, would that prosecutor be held liable for pushing that person to kill themselves?
NEARY: Absolutely not. That's the issue -- would -- is Nancy Grace's conduct the causal link between that? And as a prosecutor she can ask those questions in a courtroom, governed by the principles of law.
As a journalist, so long as its for a journalistic principle -- she's running a news show -- is that she is allowed to ask tough questions to elicit information. However, the style might be maybe in question, but the content and the way that -- and what is being done on a news show is usually not subject to a lawsuit.
S. O'BRIEN: How do you think this ends? Do you think there's a settlement? Do you think it goes to court? I'm asking you to guess, because you're not involved in it.
NEARY: I guess the family believes it has a legitimate lawsuit, CNN and Nancy Grace believe they have a legitimate journalistic principle. It would be well served by all to quietly discuss this, but in light of other cases such as the Jenny Jones case, that this case may have legs and may continue far beyond quiet negotiations. S. O'BRIEN: I think that was lawyer speak for I don't really know.
NEARY: I tried.
S. O'BRIEN: Brian Neary, always nice to see you, sir.
NEARY: Thanks, Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Thanks for coming in to talk to us.
NEARY: Thank you.
S. O'BRIEN: A short break. We're back in just a moment.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
S. O'BRIEN: Here's a look now at stories that CNN correspondents around the world are covering today.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANTHONY MILLS, CNN BEIRUT BUREAU CHIEF: I'm Anthony Mills in Beirut, where the normally celebratory atmosphere of Independence Day has been replaced by one of somber unease. The killing yesterday of Pierre Gemayel, industry minister in the current cabinet, comes at a very fragile time in Lebanon's domestic politics, amid threats of demonstrations by pro-Syrian politicians and threats of counter- demonstrations by anti-Syrian politicians. All of this amid rising sectarian tensions.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: I'm Barbara Starr in the operations center at the U.S. Central Command's desert headquarters. Here, officials have been looking at reports that Osama bin Laden was in a Pakistani hospital earlier this year, suffering from kidney disease, not typhoid, as originally reported.
Officials were very interested in the report because had it been true, it might have been their best opportunity to get bin Laden. And it all came from an area of Pakistan they thought he might be hiding in. But so far, no confirmation of it. And officials say at this point they believe the only person in direct contact with Osama bin Laden is his son.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SETH DOANE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Seth Doane in New Delhi. For the first time in 10 years, a Chinese president is visiting India. The two countries have had a strained relationship for decades, and this trip is designed to improve ties between the two giant Asian nations.
One of the points officially mentioned in this trip is cooperation in the field of civilian nuclear energy. Neither country has elaborated on exactly what that means, but an expert I spoke with here in New Delhi said it shouldn't impact the Indian-U.S. civilian nuclear agreement, but that it might show the U.S. that "they're not the only game in town."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
S. O'BRIEN: For more on these or any of our top stories, log on to our Web site at CNN.com.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
M. O'BRIEN: Good morning, Boston, WHDH there. What's the weather in Boston? Mostly sunny.
S. O'BRIEN: Rainy. Rainy there.
M. O'BRIEN: A high of 47 it says right now.
No, you say rain.
S. O'BRIEN: No, it looks -- I can se it's raining. Look.
M. O'BRIEN: Mostly sunny, high of 47.
S. O'BRIEN: Well, later...
M. O'BRIEN: I'm going along with the screen here.
And we thank you. And later, who knows?
Thank you very much, WHDH.
Is that the Mass. pipe? It could be.
S. O'BRIEN: It looks like the Mass. pipe.
M. O'BRIEN: In New York, the lighter-than-air tribute to the holiday retail frenzy is taking shape today. Macy's parade workers will be inflating Kermits, Snoopy, Bullwinkle, Rocky and SpongeBob with helium today. This, despite a worldwide helium shortage.
The parade team proved they are not lightweights -- lightweights at all. They bought their supply far in advance before gas became scarce.
S. O'BRIEN: I wonder what the weather's going to be like, because of course it's all about the wind with these balloons. And last year, you know, they had that... M. O'BRIEN: It is supposed to be windy and gusty.
S. O'BRIEN: Ooh, that's a problem.
M. O'BRIEN: So hopefully they won't be grounded. That has happened.
S. O'BRIEN: Right.
M. O'BRIEN: Well, the turkey isn't even out of the freezer and we're talking Christmas, of course. This afternoon in Lehighton, Pennsylvania, they'll cut down one of the Christmas trees headed for the White House.
S. O'BRIEN: It is a beautiful tree. Look at that.
M. O'BRIEN: It's a pretty one. It goes to the Blue Room, an 18.5 foot Douglas Fir. Perfectly shaped.
And another holiday tradition for you, a presidential pardon for a pair of turkeys. This is one of last year's winners.
S. O'BRIEN: Who's that guy in the suit holding the turkey? I don't believe that.
ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: He drew the...
(CROSSTALK)
M. O'BRIEN: It's the guy -- it's like the international turkey handlers society -- or whatever it is. You know, the association of turkey growers -- whatever.
That was -- that's either Marshmallow or Yam there. We're not sure which one. We can't identify them very well.
At 10:30 Eastern Mr. Bush will enter the Rose Garden to spare another pair of gobblers from the axe, as is presidential custom. After the ceremony, the lucky winner -- winners will be flying first class to Disneyland to be stars of the holiday show there.
S. O'BRIEN: That is not true. Is it really?
M. O'BRIEN: Apparently so. One of the airlines...
S. O'BRIEN: I want to hear from a person who's ever sate sat in a seat next to the turkey, because I don't believe it.
VELSHI: Near that turkey. Yes, tell me about it.
S. O'BRIEN: I don't think that is true. Does anybody believe that, that they put them in first class?
(CROSSTALK)
M. O'BRIEN: One can only imagine the smell. VELSHI: Yes.
M. O'BRIEN: And you can go to whitehouse.gov and vote on the names for the...
VELSHI: Marshmallow and Yam?
M. O'BRIEN: Ben and Franklin...
S. O'BRIEN: That's cute.
M. O'BRIEN: ... Plymouth and Rock...
S. O'BRIEN: That's cute.
M. O'BRIEN: ... Washington and Lincoln, Corn and Copia, Flyer and Fryer.
S. O'BRIEN: No. I don't like that one. I don't like that.
Corn and Copia's cute.
M. O'BRIEN: Turkeys can't fly, anyway, so -- all right.
S. O'BRIEN: Yes. Well, we will be working here tomorrow and be able to hang out with you in the morning, same bat time, same turkey channel, as they say.
I know. I'm stealing Mile's puns, and that's a new low for me.
If you're getting ready to put your turkey in the oven...
M. O'BRIEN: You're just kind of winging it.
(LAUGHTER)
S. O'BRIEN: ... you can e-mail us with any of your cooking concerns at turkey@cnn.com.
I have no answers for you, but we will be checking in with the experts at the Butterball hotline to answer your turkey questions.
M. O'BRIEN: Excellent. Excellent.
S. O'BRIEN: I believe in eating other people's turkey.
M. O'BRIEN: I have so many questions, so little time.
S. O'BRIEN: You do?
M. O'BRIEN: So that's good. Yes.
We've got to move on, though.
S. O'BRIEN: All right.
Google stock, to switch gears a little...
VELSHI: Yes, sure. I want to talk about the helium shortage.
M. O'BRIEN: Yes.
S. O'BRIEN: Yes, what's that about?
VELSHI: There is a helium shortage. Maybe I should...
S. O'BRIEN: We reported on that not too long ago.
VELSHI: Google stock, $500 -- $509.65 is where it closed yesterday. For those of you who remember the day it opened at $85, it topped $100 that first day.
People were asking me what I thought, and I thought it was overpriced at $85. But that's why I'm still working for the man.
(LAUGHTER)
VELSHI: The company's eight years old. They're -- it took -- those are the milestones. I'll be here tomorrow, too.
A lot of folks are split on whether this thing is overpriced or not. Google is -- let me just -- a metric that you don't need to worry about, but a lot of analysts say that you price a stock based on its earnings. Well, Microsoft is priced at 21 times what its earnings are. So that's just a number, the 21. Google, 37.
A lot of people say that that Internet strategy, the ability to make money off of things that other people can't make money on, is part of it. Right now most of the ads -- the money comes from those ads. When you do a search on the right hand side those little ads pop up. Now with YouTube they're thinking there's a whole new avenue to make money.
M. O'BRIEN: All right.
VELSHI: All-time high.
M. O'BRIEN: So get on record, $500, overpriced? I mean...
VELSHI: Listen, I'm not buying it. Five hundred bucks, I'll buy a computer.
Apple also hitting...
S. O'BRIEN: And you work for the man.
VELSHI: And I'm still going to work for the man. I'll use the computer to do my work.
M. O'BRIEN: You'll be here next year.
VELSHI: Apple also hitting another all-time high. One of those things where I thought the company was really smart, so I bought the iPod. Other people bought the stock and they're rich.
Apple, $80.14 right now. Some of that's holiday sales. And there's some speculation that in January or sometime next year they're going to introduce an Apple iPhone and will continue to rule the world.
And I'm done.
M. O'BRIEN: All right. And you're done. And get back to work.
VELSHI: Yes.
M. O'BRIEN: For the man. All right.
What have you got next?
VELSHI: We're talking about the airline industry, that Delta-US Airway and where's that going. And where are your frequent flyer miles going?
M. O'BRIEN: Get into that helium shortage.
(CROSSTALK)
M. O'BRIEN: The next hour of AMERICAN MORNING begins right now.
S. O'BRIEN: Strategy session. President Bush to meet with Iraq's prime minister. Could it signal a new course for American troops in Iraq?
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