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Tropical Storm Gabrielle Threatens Carolina Coastline; Madeleine McCann's Parents Prime Suspects; Remembering Pavarotti
Aired September 08, 2007 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: It is Saturday, September 8th. And you are in the CNN NEWSROOM. Good morning, everybody, I'm Betty Nguyen.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm T.J. Holmes. So glad you all could start your weekend off with us right.
NGUYEN: Straight ahead this hour, missing Madeleine. The parents of this little girl now appear to be the prime suspects in her disappearance. We've got the latest on this international mystery.
HOLMES: Also, first lady Laura Bush in the hospital today. Our Dr. Sanjay Gupta will explain why she is having surgery.
Plus this...
(VIDEO CLIP OF LUCIANO PAVAROTTI SINGING)
NGUYEN: Remembering Pavarotti, a huge voice and its even bigger heart. Thousands are paying their respects to the opera icon.
HOLMES: But we are going to start this hour with some weather. It is just in to us here at CNN. We have got an update here from the National Hurricane Center on Tropical Storm Gabrielle. Get the latest now from Reynolds Wolf. He is standing by for us.
Hello there, sir. What's going on?
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hey, guys. The update that we have is twofold. First and foremost, we now have a tropical storm warning that is in effect for virtually the entire coastline of North Carolina with a few exceptions.
But if you happen to be on the North Carolina coast, you can expect for conditions to really deteriorate over the next couple of hours. And this is the reason why. This is Gabrielle. Gabrielle gaining a little bit of strength. This is the watch that we had that was in effect. Much of this has been switched over to a warning as I mentioned.
And the storm itself is continuing to march its way to the east and to the northeast -- or rather west to northwest. The winds in this system still well below hurricane force. But we do anticipate that it will strengthen with winds of at least 60 miles per hour as we get to 8:00 a.m. Sunday. Then the storm expected to stay up right along the outer banks. So anywhere from say, Pamlico Sound, back out to places, I would say, anywhere from --shoot, even all the way up into parts of the Virginia coastline, as far south as the South Carolina coastline, you are going to have that heavy, heavy surf that should continue through much of the weekend into early next week.
Now the storm is expected to veer off and just move parallel to the coastline before being caught up and then pushed farther out into the Atlantic. But you are going to see the potential of anywhere from say 2 to 4, maybe even as much as 6 inches of rainfall for the outer banks.
Then, of course, you're going to have that surf that's going to be an issue with those winds sustained up to around 60 miles per hour, with some gusts that could exceed 70, maybe even 75. But at this point, we do expect that it is going to remain below hurricane force. But a lot of things could change between now and Sunday.
So it is something we have to watch minute by minute, hour by hour and we will right here at CNN, your hurricane headquarters. Back to you.
NGUYEN: All right. Reynolds, we thank you for that.
HOLMES: Well, it's a stunning turn of events that shocked Britain and much of the rest of the world. A family spokesman says Portuguese police have named both Gerry and Kate McCann as suspects in the disappearance of their 4-year-old daughter, Madeleine. CNN's Paula Hancocks is live for us in Portugal this morning.
Hello to you, Paula.
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, T.J. Well, Kate and Gerry McCann are staying in the villa behind me here in southern Portugal. They have decided to stay in the country now since they've been named as formal suspects in the disappearance of their 4-year-old daughter. Now they were planning to go back to Britain either today or tomorrow because they wanted to keep a lower profile during what has just been an international campaign to try and find their daughter.
All of four months ago, Madeleine went missing near their holiday apartment very close to where they are staying in southern Portugal. And really, in the past 48 hours, this investigation has just turned 180 degrees. Up until that point, the two parents had always been questioned as witnesses, but now they are formal suspects.
Now the Portuguese police have been talking to both of them over the past couple of days for hours on end, saying to Kate McCann that they believe there was forensic evidence that there was some of Madeleine's blood in a rental car that the two had rented 25 days after Madeleine had gone missing.
Now, the McCann family is outraged. They're very, very worried about the way that this investigation is going. The line of questioning, and certainly, we have heard from family friends that the two parents are very worried about the tone of questioning by the Portuguese police as well. But the one thing in their favor, if you like, the fact that they are "arguidas" gives them extra legal protection.
It means they do have the right to remain silent. They have right of legal representation. But really, the past 48 hours protection have seen so many twists and turns in this story, which really has become an international campaign -- T.J.
HOLMES: And, Paula, tell us how much official word is coming from authorities. So much of what we're hearing is coming from family members and close friends and so on and so forth. And also there was talk of a possible -- or, trying to get her to confess -- the mother to confess to something and she would get a lesser prison sentence. So update us on all that.
HANCOCKS: Well, basically, the information we're getting is the majority of it is from the family itself, from the lawyers of the family, the family have spokespeople who speak to the media and give out the information they want the public to know.
The Portuguese police are saying very little. They're in the middle of a criminal investigation here. So their hands are tied to a certain extent. But certainly we heard from Kate's half-sister -- sorry, Kate's sister-in-law, Philomena McCann, on Friday.
And she said that Kate had been offered a deal while she was talking to the Portuguese police. But whilst a suspect, she was told that if she had admitted to accidentally killing her daughter, then she would have a reduced sentence -- T.J.
HOLMES: All right. Paula Hancocks on this story for us. Strange twists and turns, you are right. Paula Hancocks, thank you so much.
NGUYEN: So have you seen the tape? Well, it is Osama bin Laden talking and it is a recent video. That confirmation from U.S. experts who have been studying an al Qaeda tape released just days before the 9/11 anniversary.
CNN's Brian Todd takes a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The same clothes and calm demeanor as his video in October of 2004. But this time the beard is black, not streaked with gray. The appearance and body language of Osama bin Laden on this latest tape is the first thing we analyzed with Steve Coll, Pulitzer Prize-winning author on bin Laden.
STEVE COLL, NEW AMERICA FOUNDATION: There's a long streak of self-consciousness and vanity in his appearances. He often re-tapes some of his presentations when he feels he hasn't done a very good job. He's a performer and a marketer. TODD: Early on, he crows about September 11th, saying despite America's status as the world's status as the greatest economic and military power...
OSAMA BIN LADEN (through translator): Nineteen young men were able to change the directions of this compass.
COLL: Now he more or less concedes this is his doing and he's quite proud of it in a way. So I think the more time has passed, the more pride he has taken in that attack.
TODD: But there's contradiction. He almost condemns 9/11 in the transcript, quote, "burning living beings is forbidden in our religion, even if they be small like the ant." Is he ignoring the images of the World Trade Center on fire?
COLL: He has often contradicted himself in this way, particularly when he feels defensive, when he is accused of violence against civilians.
TODD: And what to make of him ticking through news events, the Democrats taking power in Congress, even an apparent reference to the American mortgage crisis. Coll says he wants to do more than prove he's still alive.
COLL: Like American news consumers, he seems sometimes to get irritated at politicians and newsmakers talking about him in a way that he doesn't agree with.
TODD: It's bin Laden's seeming consumption of news that Coll believes might offer insight into where he is. Satellite TV access to news outlets is widely available in Pakistan. Coll believes that's the most likely place this video was made.
Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Paul Cruickshank is a fellow at New York University Center on Law and Security. And he has written extensively on al Qaeda and Islamic extremism. He joins us now from New York a little perspective on this.
Taking a look at that tape and the message that was sent there, what do you make of it?
PAUL CRUICKSHANK, NYU CTR. ON LAW & SECURITY: Well, you know, the most important thing about this is it shows that bin Laden is alive, he is well. This is the man that invented al Qaeda, that is somebody who has inspired jihadists around the world. He's sending out a message to say, I'm still here, I'm still important. And people -- jihadists around the world will be looking at this, they will gain inspiration from it.
So it's a significant event. Bin Laden is a significant figure here. NGUYEN: Well, you talk about that message. And let's dig a little bit deeper into it. Because the message is a little bit different this time. Talk us to about that.
CRUICKSHANK: It is a little bit different this time. It's less bellicose than usual. There is some threatening language, but it is less bellicose. He goes into the American system, he criticizes the American system. His mentor is a man called Sayyid Qutb. He was the man who first coined the phrase "clash of civilization."
Bin Laden is positioning himself as a spokesman for a different form of civilization here. He is criticizing the American system. But he also using some threatening language in the tape. He's saying that American citizens are not innocent because they voted for President Bush in 2004, the administration that went into Iraq.
So there's some aggressive language here. He also says that al Qaeda is going to up the ante not only in Iraq but also around the world. So it's a different sort of style here, but there is some threatening language nevertheless.
NGUYEN: This is a man who has been on the run for many years now. And you know, when we look at the search for bin Laden and we look at the war in Iraq and we look at all these other events that have occurred in this time, do you think that this has benefited bin Laden in any way?
CRUICKSHANK: Can you repeat that? Sorry.
NGUYEN: Do you think this has benefited bin Laden in any way, the fact that we have waited so long to try to find him and the search has been going for years now? Is he using that now in his message to say, look, let's spread this out, I've been able to do this and be in hiding so long, so we can move this jihad forward?
CRUICKSHANK: That is absolutely right. The fact that bin Laden is alive is incredibly important to al Qaeda, that the world's largest superpower has not been able to capture him. He's still there. He's still an inspiration. He's able to still exert strategic direction over the international jihad.
The war in Iraq, for example, has really benefited al Qaeda, it has given him a lot more recruits. Bin Laden is only as good and as strong as the number of people he can recruit into his organization. So if bin Laden can get back on to television and start getting the message out still that the United States is at war with Islam, he's able to get more recruits into the organization, he's able to unify jihadists around the world.
Remember, jihadists -- there tend to be lots of divisions between these groups and bin Laden is the one man that can really unify them.
NGUYEN: All right. We appreciate your time, spending a little bit with us today to talk about the tape and indeed the search for bin Laden. Paul Cruickshank, joining us live from New York, thank you. HOLMES: President Bush is heading home. He left the Asia Pacific summit in Australia aboard Air Force One and will stop in Hawaii before returning to Washington. At the summit, President Bush pressed Pacific Rim leaders to revive global trade talks and cooperate on climate change. But this was going on outside the summit.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PROTESTERS: One , two, three, four, we don't want your racist war.
Five, six, seven, eight, we will not cooperate.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Antiwar protesters making their voices heard. Police say most of the 3,000 demonstrators were cooperative, but 17 people were arrested and two police officers injured.
NGUYEN: Well, back here in the U.S., Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel may be ready to retire. The influential Republican has scheduled a news conference on Monday. Now his hometown newspaper, The Omaha World Herald, reports Hagel will announce he is not running for re-election, he is not running for president and will not be a candidate for any office in 2008.
HOLMES: Former Durham County District Attorney Mike Nifong is a free man again after being released from a North Carolina jail this morning. Yes. He was only in there 24 hours, but he was sentenced to that 24 hours for lying to a judge about DNA evidence in the Duke lacrosse rape case. The state prosecutors declared the three players innocent earlier this year. Nifong resigned and was disbarred. The players are now seeking a $30 million settlement.
NGUYEN: Coming up next on CNN right here in the NEWSROOM, just how much progress being made in Iraq? Josh Levs will join us for a "Reality Check."
HOLMES: And the world says good-bye to opera great Luciano Pavarotti. We take you live to Italy.
NGUYEN: And a little bit later, a behind-the-scenes look at my trip to Sierra Leone, it is a story that you'll find only on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Congress is getting ready to hear a report on the Iraq War from the top American commander there. General David Petraeus is scheduled to testify next week. He spoke at Fort Benning, Georgia, yesterday but only mentioned Iraq in passing, if you will. And he was at Fort Benning to see his son graduate from Airborne School, Jump School, as they call it. And sources say Petraeus opposes any troop reductions in Iraq before next spring.
NGUYEN: All right. So for months now we've been hearing that progress report in Iraq will be measured in the Petraeus report. But actually, there is no such thing. CNN's Josh Levs is here to explain in this "Reality Check."
Are we just talking semantics or is there really no such thing as a Petraeus report.
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we were talking about this earlier. First of all, just a moment of celebration to have Betty back. So cool.
NGUYEN: Oh stop it.
LEVS: And as far as I'm concerned, you're not really back until you've introduced the "Reality Check" segment. So she's really back now.
NGUYEN: This is true and here we go.
LEVS: But, yes, we were talking about this. Is it just semantics? Because he is going to talk to Congress. So what's wrong with just calling that the Petraeus report, right? Here is what is going on. There's a lot politically that is happening, we want to help you understand this.
In recent days, both the Defense Department and White House have been pushing really hard against this, saying, folks, there was never going to be a Petraeus report. They even used the words, "there is no such thing as a Petraeus report."
And here is why. Some people expect a written report from General Petraeus and then they're upset when they hear President Bush is going to provide it. They think maybe President Bush is going to fiddle with what Petraeus was supposed to write, that kind of thing.
I want you go into this coming week with all that is going to happen, understanding exactly what is expected of our government leaders. So here is the "Reality Check."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-OH), MINORITY LEADER: General Petraeus.
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), SPEAKER: General Petraeus.
BILL CLINTON, 42ND PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: General Petraeus.
LEVS (voice-over): The pressure is on the top U.S. commander in Iraq as he prepares to tell Congress how things are progressing. But don't be fooled by the term the "Petraeus report." Lawmakers talk about it in news releases and news conferences.
SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY), MINORITY LEADER: The Petraeus report in September.
LEVS: There isn't one. Even the Defense Department says there's no such thing. The general will testify to Congress, as will U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Ryan Crocker. Expect sharp questioning. PELOSI: The facts are self-evident that the progress is not being made.
LEVS: The written report about the state of affairs in Iraq comes from the president. Congress mandated that he submit it by Saturday, September 15th. He says he'll go largely by what these two say.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The main ingredients in that report for me to report to the country will be what General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker report.
LEVS: What can we expect his report to say? Based on his remarks during his recent surprise trip to Iraq, we know he'll argue troop increase is helping.
BUSH: The surge of operations that began in June is improving security throughout Iraq.
LEVS: As for the idea of withdrawing some troops, he gave no suggestion that such a step could be imminent.
BUSH: If we begin to draw down troops from Iraq, it will be from a position of strength and success, not from the position of fear and failure.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEVS: I just jumped on myself there. CNN has learned that Petraeus himself is not going to recommend any kind of troop withdrawals before the spring when what's being called the surge is scheduled already to start pulling back a little, to start phasing out.
But any decision about troops ultimately comes down to President Bush, and that's what a lot of people are focusing this week. So, Betty, that's why you're hearing a lot of people try to shift that focus back to President Bush.
In the end, it's the Democratic-controlled Congress saying to President Bush, you have to tell us in writing where everything stands in Iraq, not just militarily, but also socially, politically, economically, the whole gamut.
NGUYEN: So just -- so that we have this straight, the Petraeus report is essentially a verbal testimony before Congress, not a pen- on-paper kind of report.
LEVS: Nothing but -- nothing.
NGUYEN: So where did that term come from then?
LEVS: There's back and forth about that. There was kind of a debate about this. In the White House the other day, Tony Snow was talking about this with some reporters. And Tony Snow was saying, well, you all started calling this. And reporters were saying, well, really, we're calling it the Petraeus report because the White House started calling it.
What did happen is ever since Congress mandated that the president turn in this report, the president and White House officials very, very often spoke about General Petraeus, listening to what he would have to say. That became a seminal part of the discussion about creating this report. And then over time it just got shorthanded into something that was technically inaccurate.
NGUYEN: Well, regardless, we are going to get that information from General Petraeus in this coming week. And we will be watching very closely. Thank you, Josh.
LEVS: Thanks.
HOLMES: We have much more in store for you this morning. One story that is on our radar, food water shipments arrive for victims of Hurricane Felix.
NGUYEN: And next, my assignment in Africa. I'm going to give you a behind-the-scenes look at how we covered the elections in Sierra Leone when CNN NEWSROOM continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: As many of our viewers probably noticed over the past month or so, that there have many different women who have occupied this chair.
NGUYEN: This seat.
HOLMES: But I just want you to know, they meant nothing to me, Betty.
(LAUGHTER)
NGUYEN: That makes me feel so much better, let me tell you.
HOLMES: But you have been on assignment. But Betty is back. You have been in Africa for the past month.
NGUYEN: It has been such an incredible experience. Really unforgettable. You know, I spent a week in Sierra Leone, the world's second-poorest country. It is a nation that is still recovering from one of the most brutal civil wars in recent history and often you, the viewer, only get to see what happens in front of the camera.
But I wanted to give you a glimpse of what it is like to cover a country with such a storied past.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN (voice-over): Welcome to Sierra Leone where chaos is a common sight at the airport. It's a good thing photographer Chavon Racen (ph) was ready for an adventure. With press credentials in hand, we purchased tickets for a ride into Freetown, the nation's capital. Our bags were quickly loaded into a van. And while we waited on a cab, producer Kim Norgaard took another look at our so-called travel tickets.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think this is the ticket, or something. I'm not sure. These are worth a lot of money. It gets you away from all the screaming people in there. Whether it gets us to Freetown, I have no idea.
NGUYEN: Finally, the baggage bus was headed for the hovercraft. We followed close behind and got our first glimpse of the second- poorest country in the world, a fact that stuck in my mind when I saw this.
(on camera): What is that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just a few (INAUDIBLE).
NGUYEN: And they patch it up?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
NGUYEN: OK. Thanks for telling me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's Diamond Airlines.
NGUYEN (voice-over): Yes, it was a real gem, except we all started to get seasick on the choppy waves.
(on camera): It's 11:00 at night and we have got a very long day tomorrow, lots to get done. So now that you've gotten the nickel tour of this lovely room, which I will be calling home for the next few days, I'm going to try to get some sleep.
(voice-over): The next day we headed out for shots of the city. I was amazed at the things people carried on their heads. Now that's some skill.
But what struck me the most is how poverty could be found on every corner. I could barely handle seeing children dig through trash dumps alongside pigs. No one should have to live like this, but they do and it's a daily routine.
Those faces still haunted me the next day as we headed on a bumpy six-hour drive to the diamond mines, which fueled this country's civil war. During a brief stop, children were eager to have their picture taken. It was nice to see smiles in a place known for so much suffering.
We spent days capturing their stories, working out of vehicles, recording my scripts over the sink and editing wherever we could. From live reports just as the storms rolled in, to election day coverage that drew crowds of people and even livestock.
We may not have gotten much sleep, but we managed to keep our sense of humor. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've lost my chicken (ph), it was around here somewhere.
NGUYEN: What we did find is an experience that we will always remember. So for everything that Sierra Leone lacks, this country has given us an opportunity to share its story while creating one of our own.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: The thing that really struck me so much about the people in Sierra Leone is that while they are just so poverty-stricken, they are people with hope and they really put a lot into this democratic election. And today, they're having the runoff election for the person who is going to become the next president of Sierra Leone.
And people were ecstatic about that, 75 percent voter turnout. And it is going to be very interesting to see where this country goes because it has been through so much in its past.
HOLMES: But it's on the right track. And they have -- I mean, all they have now is hope after what they've been through. But certainly curious to see how this election is going to work out. Another round of elections, if you will, that is coming up here. Curious to see, 75 percent the first time around, I wonder how it is going to be this time.
NGUYEN: Well, there is some worry though, because there's a lot of frustration, a lot of people aren't really sure why they have to vote again. Again, it's a fledgling democracy. This is all very new to them. So as they go to the polls, there is some worry that with that frustration may come some violence. So there are police out on the streets ready should that occur. And hopefully it won't, but we'll be watching very closely.
HOLMES: We'll be watching, and pulling for them. But good to have you back, Betty.
NGUYEN: Great to be back, it really is.
HOLMES: All right. Well, first lady Laura Bush now, she is having surgery this morning for a pinched nerve. Our resident doctor, Sanjay Gupta, he breaks down the surgery for us.
NGUYEN: And can you really be too hot to fly? Well, a Southwest Airlines passenger was grounded until she made a little wardrobe adjustment, shall we say. We'll tell you about the ruckus surrounding a miniskirt.
WOLF: And Gabrielle continues to spin out of the Atlantic with its sights set on the Carolina coast. We're going to give you the very latest on that coming up. Plus, we have some flooding in parts of Oklahoma, some compelling, compelling images to share with you, that is only moments away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) HOLMES: Well, this word just in to CNN. Iraqi authorities confirm a suicide car bombing in Sadr City. That's northeast of Baghdad. They're reporting now that at least 10 people are dead. It also says that 30 people are wounded.
Sadr City is largely Shiite are of Baghdad, controlled by Islamic cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.
Also happening now, experts confirm that a new Osama bin Laden video is authentic and seems to have been made recently. The Al Qaeda leader made no actual threats against the U.S., but urges Americans to embrace Islam.
Also, family members say both Gerry and Kate McCann have been named suspects in the disappearance of their 4-year-old daughter, Madeleine, in Portugal. A family friend says the McCanns are determined to clear their names.
Also, the National Hurricane Center has issued a tropical storm warning for part of the North Carolina coast. Forecasters say North Carolina could begin feeling the effects of Tropical Storm Gabrielle by tomorrow.
NGUYEN: Well, we have double trouble for Oklahoma -- the remnants of Hurricane Henriette and another storm system are both crossing the state this weekend. There was, overnight, flooding in the Tulsa area. A number of cars stalled in high water. A flash flood watch is in effect for 30 Oklahoma counties.
HOLMES: And we get more on the weather now.
And Reynolds Wolf standing by for us. And we seem to be going through these names now...
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, it's...
HOLMES: We're up to Gabrielle and...
WOLF: Isn't it weird?
I mean everything, it seems to me, is tropical related, especially in Oklahoma.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HOLMES: Well, some aid is arriving for victims of Hurricane Felix. Food, medical help and mattresses are coming in from the U.S., as well as Cuba and Venezuela. But some say it's not enough. The storm passed over the Honduran/Nicaraguan coast, devastating seaside villages. Death estimates right now range from about 50 to more than 100. Many Nicaraguan villagers say they still face severe shortages of food, water and fuel. And some say the Nicaraguan government isn't doing enough to search for possible survivors.
NGUYEN: First Lady Laura Bush having surgery this morning. The White House describes it as "a minimally invasive procedure to relieve pressure on pinched nerves in her neck."
CNN chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, explains the problem.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're learning many more details about Laura Bush and what this problem has been with her neck.
In turns out she's probably had it for some time and it may have worsened after a hiking trip that she took more recently.
It's neck pain. It sounds like it's also arm pain that's been radiating down into her arm. In fact, some of our reporters say that she was actually rubbing her arm a lot. That's not unexpected, given that, oftentimes, with this sort of problem, you get a pins and needles sort of sensation from the neck radiating all the way down into the arm.
Now, typically, what is done in a situation like this is that non-operative types of therapies are tried first -- so medications that are anti-inflammatories to try and reduce some of that -- that pain. Also, just things like traction and exercise. Those things may help. A lot of times they do. It turns out, in her case, it sounds like it didn't help and she was so troubled by it, she was even concerned about taking long plane rides.
So the option was surgery.
Let me give you a little bit of sense here of what the operation would be like. What you're looking at is the back of someone's neck. What we're being told is that this operation was done from the back. And it actually was done probably right in this area here, where they remove some of the bone and they actually take out some of the bone there, decompressing that nerve -- taking the pressure off that nerve by removing the bone, possibly removing some of the disk in between the bones, as well.
It is done through a very small incision. It doesn't require a large incision. But the first lady does need to be under general anesthesia, as we know, for this operation.
Typically, it takes about an hour-and-a-half and we're being told that it will be outpatient, meaning that she'll go home the same day.
Her recovery period will be over the course of the next few weeks. Probably she'll have a little soreness there. But don't be surprised if we see her back in action within the next several days.
Again, this is what her MRI might look like. This is the sort of bulge right in here that would actually cause the sort of problem, pushing on that nerve. That is what's being removed and that is what -- probably what she has had done today.
As we get more details, we'll bring them to -- back to you.
NGUYEN: All right, don't take this the wrong way. We want you to watch.
HOLMES: We do.
NGUYEN: But almost any news story that you're interested in here can be found just a click away at CNN.com.
HOLMES: And Veronica de la Cruz of the Dot-Com Desk has been checking out this morning's top clicks on the home page.
DE LA CRUZ: You know, you can always surf the Web and watch TV at the same time.
NGUYEN: That's true.
HOLMES: Yes.
DE LA CRUZ: You can do both at the same time.
NGUYEN: Just make sure you keep it tuned in to CNN.
DE LA CRUZ: Yes. OK.
NGUYEN: That's all I'm saying.
DE LA CRUZ: You know, do you guys like to hear about those people who win the lottery, they become instant millionaires?
Yes. Not jealous. Yes, not at all.
NGUYEN: Absolutely jealous.
HOLMES: (INAUDIBLE).
DE LA CRUZ: Well, in New Jersey, there has to be something in the water, because a couple who won the lottery before are back for more. They're back for seconds. John and Sandra Belawsky of Southern New Jersey came forward Friday with one of the four winning tickets in a $330 million Mega Millions Lottery.
Now, years ago, they pocketed a few thousand dollars. And this time, they are taking home a cool lump sum -- get this -- it's a pretax payout of $48.6 million dollars.
Yes.
Also popular today, I'll bet you have never seen this before -- a Chihuahua adopting a litter of squirrels. Yes, those are squirrels. These homeowners found baby squirrels outside. They brought them indoors to take care of them. And when their pet Chihuahua caught wind of what was going on, well, she pretty much took over. Her owners say she's a better mother this time go-around than she was four years ago to her own pups.
And, finally, are you familiar with the Disney hit "High School Musical?"
Well, the goodie two shoes female lead has some explaining to do. Lucy, you've got some explaining to do.
Nude photos of Vanessa Hudgens suddenly popping up on the Internet. It's caused quite a mild scandal for Disney's wholesome image. At first, people thought they must be fake. But Hudgens has now publicly apologized for these racy images -- T.J. and Betty.
NGUYEN: All right, Veronica.
We thank you.
And we do have much more to come, because you've got to check out these guys. This video is a favorite on the Internet. And we're going to tell you the story behind this little thriller.
HOLMES: Also, tenor Luciano Pavarotti was honored today is his home country of Italy.
CNN's Jennifer Eccleston is there -- Jennifer.
JENNIFER ECCLESTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Tens of thousands turned out to pay their final respects to homegrown hero, Luciano Pavarotti, in his funeral mass.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
GERRI WILLIS, PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR (voice-over): Your mailbox isn't the only place suffering from junk mail. The environment is, too.
PANKAJ SHAH, CEO, GREENDIMES: There are 100 million trees and 28 billion gallons of water wasted every year producing junk mail that nobody wants.
WILLIS: But getting rid of it can be time consuming.
ANDREW CRUM, GREENDIMES CLIENT: First, you've got to find out all the different kind of clearinghouses that are harbingers of these junk mail lists. Then you have to contact each one of those individually and send them a letter and request to be removed.
Greendimes did all the research.
WILLIS: For about a dime day, or $36 a year.
STRAIGHT AHEAD: Every time you sign off and we help reduce the amount of mail you get, it's a positive impact on the environment. The secondary part is we plant a tree every single month on each member's behalf.
WILLIS: And that also means fewer trips to the mailbox.
That's this week's Greenhouse.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) NGUYEN: A voice we will never forget. It is a final farewell, though, to opera great Luciano Pavarotti. Family, friends and dignitaries attending an invitation-only funeral ceremony. Fans also paying tribute outside.
So let's take you live now to CNN's Jennifer Eccleston in Modena, Italy with the latest on the ceremony today.
I have to ask you about the mood because at times, this can be a celebration of a person's life.
ECCLESTON: Yes, which is precisely what he wanted, Betty.
He said that he would like his remembrance to be luminous and not to be dark, that there should be a celebration of a life that was lived fully.
And in many respects, that is exactly and precisely what we saw today. A great deal of adoration, a great deal of respect and pride from the community here in Modena and those dignitaries that attended the funeral today.
Tens of thousands of people showed up. Inside, they could only fit 700. But many, many more -- thousands more were standing outside, watching the funeral mass on a large screen television here in the Piazza Grande, which is just outside of the main cathedral.
One of the highlights of the mass today, which was quite unusual -- they actually played a recording of Pavarotti singing with his father, Fernando. And once that piece -- that musical piece finished, there was a standing ovation inside the church and also outside here on the Piazza. People were clapping and waving and it was quite a sight to behold and not something you often see during a solemn funeral ceremony -- Betty.
NGUYEN: Jennifer, we appreciate that live report there. So many have come out say their final good-byes.
Thank you for that.
We'll be tuning in a little bit later as we speak with you throughout the day.
HOLMES: And coming up in THE NEWSROOM, hard core inmates doing hard time.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
HUGH RIMINTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's rehabilitation one step at a time.
(VIDEO OF PRISONERS DANCING)
(LAUGHTER)
HOLMES: Yes, this is not exactly your typical day in the yard for these inmates. Oh, he is (INAUDIBLE). Stick around for that story.
(VIDEO OF PRISONERS DANCING)
NGUYEN: Time now for a CNN news quiz.
So, which Internet giant went online nine years ago this week?
We're going to have that answer coming up, right after this break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: All right, so just before the break, we told you the CNN news quiz question.
And here it is -- which Internet giant went online nine years ago this week?
Now the answer.
Do you have it?
Google, of course, which was founded on September 7th, 1998.
HOLMES: All right, we were telling you about some popular stories on CNN.com. Another one that is extremely popular -- the passenger's outfit gets her tossed off a plane for a short while.
CNN's Carol Costello reports.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Southwest says it always tries to do the right thing, touting itself as a no-frills airline with a sense of humor.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, COURTESY SOUTHWEST AIRLINES)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you're embarrassed to fly the airline with the fewest customer complaints in the country, Southwest will give you this bag.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: But Kyla Ebbert isn't laughing. The 23-year-old college student, who is also a Hooters waitress, was escorted off a Southwest flight to Tucson for wearing this outfit -- a mini skirt, a tank top and a sweater. And, yes, she is wearing a bra.
Too hot to fly?
Southwest Airlines thought so.
KYLA EBBERT: I've worn that outfit before and nobody's ever said anything. I was just sitting there reading my magazine and playing on my cell phone. COSTELLO: In a statement to CNN, the airline said, "Southwest Airlines was responding to a concern about Ms. Ebbert's revealing attire on the flight that day. As a compromise, we asked her to adjust her clothing to be less revealing. She complied, and she traveled as scheduled."
So much for that sense of humor.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, COURTESY SOUTHWEST AIRLINES)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Remember what it was like before Southwest Airlines?
You didn't have hostesses in hot pants.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
EBBERT: I was really embarrassed. I was really upset. So I asked for a blanket and I just covered myself in a blanket.
COSTELLO: According to the San Diego "Union Tribune, " when Ebbert's mother complained, Southwest wrote to her saying there were concerns about the revealing nature of her outfit.
Not a concern among people we talked to.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, well, I think that's outrageous.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She paid the money, she should be able to fly.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it's ridiculous.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's something that's very difficult to police.
COSTELLO: Feminist Ann Friedman can't imagine this happening to a man.
ANN FRIEDMAN, FEMINISTING.COM: The fact that she's a very attractive younger woman is something that, you know, perhaps somebody on the plane was offended by more than just some, you know, schlubby (ph) dude.
COSTELLO: Ebbert says before she was allowed back on the flight, she had to listen to a lecture on proper dress and agree to pull down her skirt and pull up her tank top.
(on camera): Kyla told me she simply wanted an apology from Southwest Airlines. That did not come, so now she's thinking of filing a lawsuit.
Carol Costello, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
NGUYEN: Well, the NEWSROOM does continue at the top of the hour with Fredericka Whitfield.
And she joins us with a look at what's coming up -- giggling.
HOLMES: Have you got that mike?
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: How are you guys doing?
Good to see you.
HOLMES: Are you good to go?
WHITFIELD: Hello, T.J.
Hello, Betty.
Welcome back.
NGUYEN: Hello, Fred.
WHITFIELD: He's still giving me a hard time because I've been saying hello to the ladies first.
And he's like what about me?
NGUYEN: Oh, really?
HOLMES: No, no, no, not first. She was excited, like, hey, Veronica!
Hey, T.J. , what's up?
WHITFIELD: No, no, no, no, no.
(LAUGHTER)
(CROSSTALK)
WHITFIELD: I'm excited about both of you all the time.
Betty, welcome back.
NGUYEN: Thank you.
WHITFIELD: Good to see you.
NGUYEN: It's great to be back.
WHITFIELD: Well, we've got a great, great lineup coming up, starting the noon hour. Lots to delve into.
Let's talk about a cop -- a police officer in Philadelphia, who was shot. The person -- the gunman who shot him and apparently injured him certainly did time. But then the police officer, years later, decades later, in fact, died.
Should that same gunman now serve time for his murder? HOLMES: Wow!
NGUYEN: Oh.
WHITFIELD: That's being investigated in Philadelphia.
And, also, the documentary "Alive Day Memories" -- soldiers from Iraq talk about their prewar lives, as well as their post-war lives. This kind of documentary has been getting a lot of buzz. James Gandolfini has kind of, in part, helped make it very popular, because he is the executive producer. People remember him from "The Sopranos".
We're going to be talking to the director of this documentary about how they, indeed, got a lot of these war vets to talk so candidly. It's an incredible documentary coming out.
NGUYEN: I've heard a lot about that.
And it's supposed to be really phenomenal, the piece.
WHITFIELD: Yes. It is.
HOLMES: And that first story is fascinating, about the police officer. That's an interesting question.
WHITFIELD: I know. It gets you thinking, right?
HOLMES: That's right. It does get you thinking.
WHITFIELD: That's what we do in the noon hour.
HOLMES: Get us thinking?
WHITFIELD: Yes.
HOLMES: All right, well, (INAUDIBLE).
WHITFIELD: Just thinking some more, because I know you guys get people really thinking, of course, but...
(LAUGHTER)
HOLMES: Fredericka...
WHITFIELD: We just keep them (INAUDIBLE)...
NGUYEN: Way to sell it, Fred.
(CROSSTALK)
NGUYEN: All right.
WHITFIELD: All right, thanks to you both.
NGUYEN: Up next, though, this will have you maybe scratching your head instead of thinking -- dancing inmates. Why are they doing it?
Well, we're going to take you to the Philippines, when the CNN NEWSROOM continues.
HOLMES: But first, Gerri Willis now -- and Betty Nguyen -- there she is, still. Well, Gerri Willis is going to tell us about the Tip of the Day.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
WILLIS (voice-over): It's decision time for Thanksgiving travel plans. We're in the critical window, 60 to 90 days prior. Some market's sticker prices are already on the rise. The typical Wednesday to Sunday trip is the most expensive. The average price -- $414.
Travelers who leave early on, say, Monday save an average of $60 per ticket. But travelers who extend their trip and return on Monday or Tuesday can save even more -- up to $100 per ticket.
Farecast.com offers fare predictions free of charge. Simply plug in your departure and destination cities, your desired dates of travel and cabin preference. You'll get a fair prediction for the next as to whether it will rise, drop or stay the same, along with a confidence rating, average reported fare change and a buying tip. You'll also get a fare history, a graph plotting the fare each and every day, 90 days back.
(on camera): I'm Gerri Willis and that's your Tip of the Day.
For more ideas, strategies and tips to save you money and protect your house, watch "OPEN HOUSE" every Saturday, 9:30 a.m. Eastern, right here on CNN.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: We want to turn now to some viral video you've just got to see to believe.
NGUYEN: OK. So they're dancing prisoners.
HOLMES: Yes.
NGUYEN: And it is a huge hit on the Internet.
HOLMES: And CNN's Hugh Riminton reports now from the Philippines, where hard time means keeping time.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
HUGH RIMINTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In Cebu Detention and Rehabilitation Center, every able-bodied inmate must dance.
(on camera): Just in case you get the wrong idea, these prisoners are in here because they're the toughest criminals in all the Central Philippines. Svnty percent of them are rated high-risk inmates. And that means most of them are rapists or murders.
(VIDEO OF PRISONERS DANCING)
(voice-over): Many, however, could be innocent, still waiting for their cases to come to trial. The prison overseer rejects claims he's abusing the prisoners' rights by forcing them to dance so many hours a day.
BYRON GARCIA, CEBU PRISON OVERSEER: We have dancing but still it does not effect how they feel about themselves. They are still men, although they dance.
RIMINTON: When Garcia took over three years ago, gangs and corrupt guards ruled this jail. Garcia sacked most of the guards and ordered the prisoners first to march and then to dance.
(VIDEO OF PRISONERS DANCING)
RIMINTON: He says there's been not a single act of violence in more than a year.
(VIDEO OF PRISONERS DANCING)
RIMINTON: Now, not guards, but fellow prisoners, guide the rehearsals, led by an accused mass murderer.
Leo Swako (ph) tells me the dancing has taught him love.
(VIDEO OF PRISONERS DANCING)
RIMINTON: Back in the cell, she shares with 11 other transsexual prisoners, Wenjiell Resane, who has waited three years for trial on drugs charges, is enjoying her taste of stardom.
WENJIELL RESANE, PRISONER (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): It never leaves my mind that I'm a prisoner, but I'm very happy and proud of what I have done.
RIMINTON: Her co-star, a one-time professional dancer, agrees.
CRISTANO NIERE, PRISONER (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): The atmosphere has changed. We're being treated as humans. Before my son was ashamed of me. But now he tells all his schoolmates his dad is a dancer on YouTube.
RIMINTON: It's rehabilitation one step at a time.
(VIDEO OF PRISONERS DANCING)
RIMINTON: Hugh Riminton, CNN, Cebu, the Philippines.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
NGUYEN: And with that... HOLMES: It's time for us to get to stepping and hand things over to Fredericka Whitfield -- Fredericka.
WHITFIELD: Hey, whatever it takes to help pass the time.
HOLMES: That's...
(CROSSTALK)
WHITFIELD: They looked like they were having a little fun there.
NGUYEN: They sure did.
WHITFIELD: Why not?
You all have a great day.
NGUYEN: You, too.
HOLMES: All right, thank you.
WHITFIELD: All right, thanks so much.
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