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American Morning
Turkey Plane Crash; Missing Mom, Stacy Peterson, A Mystery; Digital Divide: Inside Putin's Russia
Aired November 30, 2007 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: if a player should come off the field. On this AMERICAN MORNING.
High technology, and it's helping out a lot apparently. We're taking a closer look at that.
Friday, the 30th of November. Thanks for being with us. I'm John Roberts.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Kiran Chetry. And there's big news on the economy and what it could mean for your money today. Last night, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke dropped strong hints about rough times ahead for American consumers and how the fed may react to that. He says the fed needs to stay "alert and flexible" to head off any threats. So does that mean we can expect another rate cut on the horizon?
Wall Street apparently already thinks so. Ali Velshi is at the business update desk with more. Hi, Ali.
ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Kiran. Ben Bernanke is making a lot of people happy today. Some of them investors and the rest of them are just people who don't understand what's going on in the economy because what he said last night is that if you can't figure this out, you're not alone.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BEN BERNANKE, FEDERAL RESERVE CHAIRMAN: Economic forecasting is always difficult. But the current stresses in financial markets make the uncertainty surrounding the outlook greater than usual. We at the Federal Reserve will have to remain exceptionally alert and flexible as we continue to assess how best to promote sustainable economic growth and price stability in the United States.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELSHI: Here's what we need to know. December 11th, about 11 days from now, is the next fed meeting. Most people are expecting that the fed will once again, for the third time in a row, cut interest rates, this time about a quarter of a percent. That's not a for sure, but that was a strong hint that we got from Ben Bernanke. The Fed rate right now is 4.5 percent. That means your prime rate, always three percentage rates higher than that is 7.5 percent. You probably have loans or credit cards that are tied to that prime rate. Obviously, we will be on this story all of the way to tell you how it affects you, your mortgage, your credit, and anything that's got to do with your investments. But right now, futures looking about 84 points higher on the news that the fed is heading toward a rate cut -- Kiran.
CHETRY: Ali, thank you.
ROBERTS: We're also following breaking news from Turkey this morning. A passenger plane carrying 56 people crashed overnight. It went down in the mountains near Esparta. That's in southwestern Turkey just minutes before it was set to land. Rescue helicopters reached the wreckage, saw a plane in pieces, some of them quite large, but reported back that there was no one left to save.
Our Emily Chang has got the late breaking details from the world update desk in London. And Emily, any clearer idea on what might have caused this plane to go down?
EMILY CHANG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, John. Still no idea what caused this. The weather at the time was better than it could have been. The plane, as far as we know, had no technical problems. Rescue workers right now still going through the wreckage but say there really is no hope of any survivors.
There were 49 passengers and seven crew members on board. It took off. No problem about 1:00 a.m. this morning from Istanbul headed to Esparta. 1:36 a.m. local time, the pilot radioed in asking for permission to land. It didn't seem like there was any problems then either. But strangely, it went off the radar and went down in an area of southwestern Turkey.
All morning long, distraught relatives have been showing up at airports in Esparta and Istanbul wanting any information about their loved ones. Now, a little bit of information about the airline and this aircraft. Atlas Jet is a low fare Turkish airline, a fairly young airline. It was founded in 2001. There are no crashes in its history.
I can tell you about the aircraft. It was an MD-83. The MD-80 series is a fairly older series. It's basically a modernization of the DC-9. It does have crashes in its history. That crash in Phuket last September was an MD-82. But according to airline experts we spoke to, its safety record isn't any better or worse than any of its equivalents, for example, a 737, -- John.
ROBERTS: Do we know anything about the weather in the area at the time?
CHANG: Well, the weather at the time, we're told, couldn't have been better. There was no fog, no strong winds. So really at this point still trying to figure out what happened. There are experts on the scene looking for the black boxes, which will hopefully give some insight into how and why this crash happened -- John.
ROBERTS: Emily Chang for us from London this morning. Emily, thanks. We'll get back to you with more on that -- Kiran.
CHETRY: Also new this morning. Two big stories about your health including a startling look at just how much salt all of us are eating every day. The American Medical Association says it's two to three times more than we should. A lot of it in processed foods or foods we have at restaurants.
Too much salt can lead to high blood pressure, stroke, or heart attack. The FDA is considering mandatory limits on salt for food manufacturers.
And if you're just getting home from work, you might have a higher risk of getting cancer. Research by the World Health Organization showing that people who work the graveyard shift have higher rates of breast and prostate cancer. Doctors say your body makes melatonin, which fights tumors at night, but people working the early a.m. shifts are usually under artificial light and not producing the hormone as much.
Well, the government announcing progress on gun safety. The justice department says that the number of people banned from buying guns because of mental health problems have more than doubled since the Virginia Tech shootings. Attorney General Michael Mukasey made the announcement yesterday during his first public remarks since taking the post. He said 32 states are contributing to the screening list, and he's urging the rest to get on board.
Had Seung-Hui Cho been on that list, the feds say he likely would not have been able to buy the guns he used to kill 32 people at Virginia Tech last year.
ROBERTS: Scared for his life. That's how a childhood friend described NFL star Sean Taylor in the days before his shooting death. The Washington Redskins star was shot early Monday morning at his home in Miami. Police are still looking for a suspect, and they're investigating a possible link to a burglary reported at his home earlier in the month. His father Florida City police chief Pedro Taylor spoke exclusively with CNN's Rick Sanchez.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PEDRO TAYLOR, SEAN TAYLOR'S FATHER: Sean is a young man that took a passion to football at a very young age. And not only that, he took a passion to be a scholar/athlete. It's been a dream of his to accomplish so much, and he had a goal to reach, and that was to get to the top of the pyramid, which he did.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Antrel Rolle who plays for the Arizona Cardinals says former friends have been targeting Taylor for three years. The Redskins will honor Taylor this weekend by wearing number 21 on their helmets.
A new message from Osama bin Laden. This time he is telling Europe to stop helping the United States in Afghanistan. The Al Jazeera Network aired the new audiotape in which bin Laden says he is the only person responsible for 9/11 and that the people of Afghanistan, the Taliban government knew nothing about it. This would be bin Laden's fourth tape this year. U.S. analysts say the tape does not appear to contain any specific threats, though.
Pakistani opposition leaders split this morning on participating in elections. Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf says he will end the state of emergency by December the 16th and hold elections on January the 8th. Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto says she will enter the elections under protest, but former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif plans to boycott them. He was ousted by Musharraf in a coup eight years ago.
For the first time, we're hearing from a seven months pregnant Ohio woman who was tasered at a police station. A police officer threw Valreca Redden to the ground on her stomach and then tasered her on the neck two weeks ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VALRECA REDDEN, TASERED BY POLICE: I just really gotten scared. I didn't know they would attack you from behind like that.
MICHAEL ETTER, TROTWOOD PUBLIC SAFETY DIRECTOR: At no time did any of these officers dealing that were dealing with this person had any idea that she was pregnant.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: The FBI is now investigating the incident. The officer who was involved in the tasering is still on duty -- Kiran.
CHETRY: There's some more shocking revelations in the case of missing Illinois mom Stacy Peterson. A new report says she told a clergy member that her husband confessed to killing his third wife and made it look like an accident. A pastor is also coming forward saying that she requested a meeting because Drew Peterson was making her afraid. That was back in August, three months before she vanished.
The church says that the pastor made a "judgment call" to not alert police about it. AMERICAN MORNING legal analyst Sunny Hostin joins us now with more. Exactly what duty clergy -- members of the clergy have in disclosing this type of information?
SUNNY HOSTIN, AMERICAN MORNING LEGAL ANALYST: Well, they don't have any duty to disclose this type of information. There is the clergy-penitent privilege, and that is much like the attorney-client privilege as much like the physician-patient privilege, Kiran. And really in a situation this where a penitent is not saying, I'm going to harm someone. I'm not abusing a child, something like that. The clergyman doesn't have any duty whatsoever to say anything.
CHETRY: In the cases where they do have a duty, it's what? Child abuse?
HOSTIN: Child abuse, child neglect, harm to themselves, meaning I'm going to hurt myself or I'm going to hurt someone else. And so, if someone confesses that they are planning to kill their wife, there is duty for that clergy person to alert police authorities.
CHETRY: Can authorities at least question these clergy members based on these media reports?
HOSTIN: Well, you know, I've been thinking about this. What's interesting is we think now that she is no longer alive. And so I think that is why people are coming forward now and discussing it because in some states the privilege belongs to the penitent, the person that confessed, and sometimes it dies with that person. And so perhaps that is why we're hearing, and maybe we'll hear a little bit more about it. But some clergymen still will maintain that privilege and not say anything.
CHETRY: What impact, if any, will these revelations have either on Stacy Peterson's possible homicide case or the new opened investigation in the death of Drew Peterson's third wife Kathleen Savio?
HOSTIN: Well, you know, it's hard to tell, but I think at least, in terms of Savio, perhaps that will give them some leads, and we don't have a body in the Stacy Peterson case. And perhaps, in that sense, we may get some additional leads. And if they have to prove a circumstantial case, this is something I think that we may hear about at a trial or more so in the media.
CHETRY: Would that be admissible in court at least, the I heard this, this, this type thing? One of hearsay.
HOSTIN: Again, it's hearsay. There are exceptions to hearsay. If it's being offered not for the truth but for the fact that it was said...
CHETRY: Right.
HOSTIN: ... and going through her state of mind and what was going on, I think it's very likely it could be admissible. This is breaking, breaking news and important turn of events in this case.
CHETRY: Sunny Hostin, great to see you. Thanks -- John.
ROBERTS: Ten minutes after the hour. It is the 30th of November, and you know what that means. We bid farewell to another hurricane season. Our Reynolds Wolf in for Rob Marciano this morning. We've got plenty of other weather too, don't we, Reynolds, this morning?
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Always. We certainly do, John. But you're right about what you mentioned. This is the end of hurricane season and good riddance, but we did have some tremendous storms to deal with this hurricane season.
Let's go right to the weather computer and show you a couple of note. One of those, of course, would be Hurricane Dean, that had maximum sustained winds of 165 miles per hour. Actually made landfall twice, once on August 21st in Costa Maya. The one on the other side of the Yucatan Peninsula, that was on August 22nd, but the second landfall as a category two. We didn't know they're mammoth storm and that one was Hurricane Felix. Take a look at this monster. This storm had maximum sustained winds of 165 miles per hour. Made landfall in Nicaragua on September 4th, and it was the first time in recorded history that we had two category hurricanes make landfall in the same season. So just massive storms to say the least.
Back at the home front, here's what we're dealing with. We're talking snow again. We've got a winter storm watch in effect for parts of Pennsylvania and New York. And lake effect snow warning there remains in effect through this hour and should remain in effect through a good part of the weekend. We're going to be dealing with that snowfall from Syracuse back over to Utica. Also, looking at some snow through a good part of the Great Lakes back into the Midwest, even into the central plains.
And, John, looking at an ice storm warning that is in effect. Also, freezing rain advisory for parts of Kansas and into Missouri. More than a mouthful this morning weatherwise, but isn't that always the case? Let's send it back to you, John.
ROBERTS: On hurricane season, did you see the story that some hotel operator in Orlando was trying to sue Bill Gray, who's the big hurricane forecaster saying, hey, you said it was going to be a terrible season, it wasn't. All our customers stayed away. You owe me money.
WOLF: You know, I did not see that, and I'm just going to keep that one at arm's length.
ROBERTS: Yes.
WOLF: Staying away, I think, that's the safest way to go.
ROBERTS: Probably a good idea. Reynolds, thanks. We'll see you soon -- Kiran.
CHETRY: Well, Rodney King recovering from gunshot wounds this morning tops your "Quick Hits." Police say that he was shot in the face, the upper torso, and the back with a shotgun. King says it happened late Wednesday night while he was riding his bike near his home about 15 miles east of L.A. King says he was able to make it home and call police.
He gained national attention back in 1991 when a videotape surfaced of him being beaten by four white Los Angeles police officers. Their acquittal touched off the riots back in 1992.
And a lawsuit over O.J. Simpson's book "If I Did It." Fred Goldman says that he's going to file -- going to file this lawsuit after a file sharing Web site in Sweden lets people download the book for free. Goldman owns the book's rights and says that the Web site has cost him at least $150,000 so far.
ROBERTS: Coming up on AMERICAN MORNING, Christiane Amanpour on the shattered dream of democracy in Russia. What's behind Putin's eyes, and why America needs to pay attention? Ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Welcome back to the most news in the morning here on CNN.
A power struggle in Russia ahead of elections this Sunday with crackdowns against protesters, including the arrest of former Chess Champ, Gary Kasparov. He's the authoritarian state of the past reemerging under President Vladimir Putin.
CNN's chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour went to Russia for a closer look for her special tonight called "Czar Putin." She joins us this morning from London. This morning, Christiane, you're taking a specific look at Anna Politkovskaya, who's this Russian journalist who was killed and the intrigue surrounding her killing, which is fully believed to be an assassination.
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right. You ask, is it becoming more authoritarian? The answer is a simple yes. Democracy is being rolled back, whether it's political democracy or indeed whether it's the Democratic press.
The free press has been silenced. The television, independent television, practically does not exist, and the murder of Anna Politkovskaya, Russia's most intrepid journalist, a year ago, still has not been solved.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AMANPOUR, (voice-over): Anna Politkovskaya became a reporter for the newspaper "Novia Gazetta." In her book, she blasted President Vladimir Putin for snuffing out Russia's democracy.
As the most vociferous critic of Russia's brutal war in Chechnya, the breakaway republic, Politkovskaya investigated the corruption of local leaders installed by Russia and the terrible price paid by civilians in the pacification campaign.
ELENA MOROZOVA, POLITKOVSKAYA'S FRIEND: We always say say, Anna, stop. It's a kind of addiction. You can't risk your life all the time. Think about yourself. Think about the kids.
AMANPOUR: Putin's government didn't want the public receiving any more bad news about Chechnya, and Anna's voice was increasingly isolated. On October 7th, 2006, it was silenced forever.
These CCTV cameras showed that Anna was followed into the lobby of her apartment building, where she was shot four times at point blank range.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
AMANPOUR: So we'll put this one human story in perspective and context during tonight's special at 10:00 p.m. Eastern, but it boils down to the fact that hopes for democracy in Russia are being rolled back. And it's strange because Vladimir Putin has very high popularity ratings within Russia itself. The Russians approve of the prosperity he's brought and the stability he's brought. Nonetheless, it appears he will not tolerate any political opposition or any press scrutiny. And therefore, those clear indicators of democracy are on the back foot right now -- John.
ROBERTS: And Christiane, the tentacles from this killing of Anna Politkovskaya really kind of reach out because Alexander Litvinenko had claimed before his death that he was assassinated because he was closing in on who killed her.
AMANPOUR: Well, these is -- this is exactly what's going on. The tentacles that really sort of interlock in all sorts of ways. There's corruption. There's this idea of silencing opponents. The Kremlin denies, of course, each and every one of this involvement, in any of these situations. But it's the climate that's been created there, the climate that there is no allowance or patience for any kind of opposition that many are saying is leading to these kinds of crimes that are going on.
ROBERTS: Well, it's a fascinating situation over there, and, of course, all wrapped together in what is the future of U.S.-Russia relations and how we're going to deal with this.
AMANPOUR: Yes.
ROBERTS: Great piece tonight. Christiane Amanpour for us. As a reminder, you can catch Christiane's special tonight "Czar Putin" tonight, 10:00 Eastern, right here on CNN.
CHETRY: Well, booze for sale on Sundays? Topping your "Quick Hits" now. There are several states, including Colorado, now considering changing their policies known as "Blue Laws" that forbid the sale of alcohol on Sundays. Recently, five states have changed their laws allowing individual communities to make the decision themselves, but similar legislation failed in many others. One lawmaker says it just takes time to change laws that have been on the books for so many years.
Well, two of the co-defendants in the Michael Vick dog fighting case will be sentenced today. The length of their sentences could give an indication of just how much time Vick will get because they will all eventually plead guilty to the same charge. Vick will be sentenced December 10th, but he voluntarily entered prison earlier this month to get a head start on serving his sentence.
So is it art or politics? Should doctored mugshots of the president and his most trusted advisers be on display in a public building? We'll take a look at the controversy coming up.
And the digital divide. Does your race influence which social networking site you use. The result of a new study ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Welcome back to the most news in the morning here on CNN. A bold anti-war display topping your "Quick Hits". On display at the New York public library, doctored mugshots of President Bush, Vice President Cheney, and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice holding a clapboard with the date when each made so-called incriminating remarks about the war in Iraq. The library says it's one of 23 displays from contemporary print makers around the world and causing an awful lot of controversy as well -- Kiran.
CHETRY: Could race, ethnicity, and education play a part in which social networking site you choose? Our Veronica De La Cruz joins us now with the results of a new study on this. Hi, Veronica.
VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, good morning. Yes. Really interesting study from Northwestern University that might make you change the way you think of the Internet breaking down the racial divide. It found students of certain races and ethnicities had a tendency to hang out at one social networking site over another.
For example, the study found that Facebook is the social networking site of choice for white students. Hispanic students prefer MySpace. Asian-American students seem to use Xanga and Friendster. And then research show, the black students really didn't have a preference.
It also found that students whose parents have college degrees are more likely to use Facebook, while those who have parents with a lower level of education use MySpace. The survey was conducted with more than a thousand freshman on the campus of the University of Illinois, a school that is known for its diversity.
And Kiran, I just want you to take a guess because I found this to be really interesting as well. Out of the 1,060 students that were surveyed, how many do you think had never heard of any of these sites -- MySpace, Xanga, Friendster, Facebook?
CHETRY: These are students, right?
DE LA CRUZ: They're college students.
CHETRY: Less than one percent have never heard.
DE LA CRUZ: Out of the 1,060.
CHETRY: Five?
ROBERTS: What percentage?
DE LA CRUZ: No. How many students?
ROBERTS: How many students.
DE LA CRUZ: Had never heard of these networking sites.
ROBERTS: Six? DE LA CRUZ: One.
ROBERTS: One.
DE LA CRUZ: One student had never heard of it.
CHETRY: Hey, we're pretty close.
ROBERTS: We were.
CHETRY: It's close as it comes at any of these.
DE LA CRUZ: This goes to show you how prevalent these sites are nowadays.
CHETRY: It really --
DE LA CRUZ: And everybody has a profile.
CHETRY: Do you have any reasoning for why they pick one site over the other? Is it the marketing of these sites? Or --
DE LA CRUZ: You know, I just think that it goes to show you --
CHETRY: Where their friends are?
DE LA CRUZ: Exactly. How it's all cliquey, I mean, regardless of whether you are on the Internet or in real life, people are still choosing a place to hang out. So it's kind of eye opening, I think.
ROBERTS: All right.
CHETRY: Thanks, Veronica.
ROBERTS: Veronica, thanks.
All right. Here's our daily look at. Is it reasonable or outrageous? A retired New York City police officer has fired a federal complaint asking the state DMV to let him keep his vanity license plate. It's an interesting plate. It calls for the capture of terror master Osama bin Laden.
Here's a picture appearing in the New York newspaper "Newsday" showing Arnold Hurworth (ph) with his plate that says "GetOsama." He says he is surprised that the DMV wants the plates back. The agency says they could be considered offensive.
Which brings us to this morning's "Quick Vote" question and your chance to ring in here. Should he have to give the plates back to the DMV?
Cast your vote at CNN.com/AM. We'll have the first tally of votes a little bit later on this hour. Should he have to give back the "GetOsama" vanity plate that he's got?
CHETRY: All right. Something interesting to see how people weigh in.
ROBERTS: And this is a retired New York City police officer. And we all know, they're a little sensitive about 9/11.
Look at the story now coming up in our next half hour that you just can't miss. Does your son or maybe even your daughter play football?
CHETRY: I hope not.
ROBERTS: There are a lot of little girls who play football.
CHETRY: Well, she's 21 months old, but you don't want to die. What we want to talk about is this new helmet. How this helmet can tell what kind of hit a player took when they had it on and how it can help save young athletes lives. We're going to talk more about this and show you how it works and also the day's headlines when AMERICAN MORNING comes right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Beautiful shot this morning of the White House. A live look. That's a 28-foot banner for World AIDS Day. It went up this morning, draped over the north Portico, and it will stay there through tomorrow. That is the day officially proclaimed World AIDS Day. Thirty-eight degrees there right now. And our Reynolds Wolf tells us it could get into the mid-50s. No, I'm sorry. Hit the low 50s today in Washington D.C., a very mild end of November.
ROBERTS: Yes. It's interesting to see a shot that clear at the north portico because there's a fence there. So obviously, the cameraman's got the lens stuck right up through the fence there. Hope the U.S. Secret Service doesn't come along. He might have something to say about that.
CHETRY: Very pretty shot nonetheless.
And welcome back. It is Friday, November 30th. I'm Kiran Chetry.
ROBERTS: And good morning to you. I'm John Roberts.
We're following breaking news this morning out of Turkey where an airliner went down. All 56 people on board are feared dead today. It crash in the mountains of Esparta just minutes before it was supposed to land. The plane, a McDonnell Douglas MD-83 was in pieces when rescue teams arrived by helicopter five hours later. A spokesman for Atlasjet which owns the aircraft says it's not clear why the plane went down, but the weather was clear at the time.
CHETRY: More than 1 million computers under the control of one person. Police in New Zealand investigating a cyber crime network are eying a teen as the mastermind behind it. The 18-year-old was questioned and released without charges. He's part of the investigation. Eight people have been indicted worldwide, and 13 have been arrested here in the states. Investigators say hackers seized control of regular computers without users knowing it, and then used those computers to really launch chaos from attacking Websites to skimming millions from bank accounts.
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke hints at another interest rate cut. Speaking to go a business group in Charlotte, North Carolina, last night, Bernanke said the housing slump and high oil are creating "headwinds" for the consumer. Bernanke says the fed policy makers will have to remain extremely alert and flexible, and is many on Wall Street are taking that to mean there will be a rate cut at the next fed meeting on December 11th.
Senate judiciary chairman a step closer to holding the White House in contempt. Patrick Leahy says presidential aides are not covered by executive privilege and they must testify about what they know about the firing of federal prosecutors. The White House says he's wasting his time.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DANA PERINO, WHITE HOUSE SPOKESWOMAN: We were baffled by the decision. Senator Leahy himself has said these contempt filings would be futile, and yet they continue to move forward with them. They only have six legislative days left in the session. Their focus should be on funding the troops, making sure the intelligence gap remains firmly closed, and by passing a budget, which is something that our country, our democracy should be able to do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Senator Leahy says the White House is stonewalling. He could ask the full senate to move on contempt charges in December.
ROBERTS: Also new this morning, a clergyman reveals a shocking confession in the case of missing mom Stacy Peterson. He told the "Chicago Sun-Times" that Stacy came to him and said her husband Drew confessed killing his third wife and making it look like an accident. Investigators are reexamining Kathleen Savio's death that happened back in 2004. It was ruled accidental when her body was found drowned in an empty bathtub.
The case of a missing college student takes a new twist. Police say a body found on the side of a Kansas highway appears to match the description of 18-year-old Emily Sander. She was last seen leaving a bar last week with 24-year-old Israel Morales, who is now the suspect in the murder case. Sander lived a double life as an internet porn star named Zoey Zane. Police say they don't think that had anything to do with the disappearance, though.
A new search for Natalee Holloway. A benefactor donated an estimated $500,000 to have a boat equipped with the latest sonar equipment to search the waters where her body may be. Also, the chief prosecutor has agreed to meet with Natalee's parents. A lawyer for Beth Holloway contacted the prosecutor last week after suspects Joran Van Der Sloot and brothers Deepak Kalpoe were arrested on suspicion of manslaughter. Hitting interstate. Sheriff's deputies tasered a man to force him to stop pacing back and forth across the highway and holding up the morning rush hour. The deputies decided to give the guy a jolt after he pulled a knife on them. He had been complaining that cars had been chasing him all night. Police say he may not face any charges. The man was taken to a hospital for observation.
CHETRY: To politics now and Barack Obama's New York state of mind. This morning he'll have coffee with New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Last night it was Showtime at the Apollo. Comedian Chris Rock introduced Obama in a show at the famed Harlem theater, and Obama took the stage making his pitch to African-American voters. He addressed the Jena Six case and also made a few promises.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm tired of reading about Jena. I'm tired of reading about nooses. I'm tired of hearing about a justice department that doesn't understand justice. When I am president of the United States, we will have a civil rights division that actually is investigating crimes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Chris Lawrence covered the Obama event and joins us live from the Apollo this morning. How did it go, Chris?
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kiran, I think he changed more than a few minds last night, and this had been Clinton country. I mean, I can see Bill Clinton's office from here. His wife is extremely popular. So Obama definitely has a gap that he needs to close.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRIS ROCK, COMEDIAN: Mr. Barack Obama.
LAWRENCE: Barack Obama arrived in Harlem to cheers, but he's still got work to do courting black women.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't want to vote for Barack because I'm African-American. That's just too typical.
LAWRENCE: Even Obama's supporters agree.
TATSHA ROBERTSON, ESSENCE MAGAZINE: When she and I do errands on campaigning for him, we have to work hard to convince black people.
LAWRENCE: Especially black women. 68 percent of whom prefer Hillary Clinton. That's more than two to one.
ROBERTSON: She is who she is. Where Obama, you know, has to prove that he can -- you know, his message can resonate with everybody.
LAWRENCE: Essence Magazine Editor Tatsha Robertson says Obama has to prove to white voters he'd be everyone's president. So some black women may feel he's not specifically connecting with their concerns.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Maybe he has to bring that across a little more strongly in his delivery.
LAWRENCE: Another factor, Clinton herself and how black women relate to her.
ROBERTSON: Even though she's Hillary Clinton, they see themselves, you know, within her dealing with those family issues. The infidelity issues.
LAWRENCE: Robertson says Clinton's ultimate embarrassment is her greatest asset.
ROBERTSON: She decided whether she wanted to stay or not, and I really think people respect that about Hillary Clinton, especially black women.
LAWRENCE: Now Oprah Winfrey is about to hit the trail on Obama's behalf, and his wife is campaigning in beauty salons in South Carolina. With the primaries just eight weeks away.
ROLAND MARTIN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: If he can create some inroads there, he is going to have a very good chance of winning that state.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LAWRENCE: Black women are important because they vote more than black men. Black voters are important because they make up about half the democrats in South Carolina. The state is important because not only does it represent the south, but it's coming right before Super Tuesday, when all those other states are going to vote. So the winner of that primary is going to have a heck of a lot of momentum going into February. Kiran?
CHETRY: There has been a lot of talk about how black women respond to Barack Obama and whether they're supporting him over Hillary Clinton. What about black men and how they respond to Barack Obama?
LAWRENCE: Completely differently. In a CNN poll taken last month, black men prefer Obama by a small margin. Now, new this morning, the nation's first elected black governor, Doug Wilder, backed off a little bit. Initially he had sounded like he was ready to endorse Obama. Now he's saying, he's not ready to make a final choice just yet. But overall, we talked to a lot of folks, I got to tell you. Even the people who said they would support Senator Clinton had nothing negative to say about senator Obama. So there's a tremendous amount of good will out there for him, and it's easy to see how those numbers could flip in his favor at some point.
CHETRY: Chris Lawrence outside of the Apollo this morning for us. Thanks. ROBERTS: Coming up now to 22 minutes to the top of the hour. Charges against hip-hop star Akon. Your Quick Hits now. Endangering the welfare of a child among the charges after Akon tossed a 15-year- old off the stage at a concert. The young man landed on a girl who says she suffered a concussion. She also says she has hired an attorney to look into all of it.
And Goren Visjnic, who plays Dr. Luca Kovatch on "E.R." has settled a child support case. He admitted he's the father of an 8 month old born to a woman in his home country of Croatia. He's been married since 1989 and just adopted a baby boy with his wife this spring.
A woman gets dragged across the parking lot while trying to fend off a purse snatcher. We'll show you what the quick thinking thief did next ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
CHETRY: Coming up on AMERICAN MORNING, saving athletes' lives through science.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We get beeped when there's an impact over a certain threshold, and then we act or don't act based on what the clinical situation is.
CHETRY: High tech football helmets helping players stay safe on the field. Inside the helmet of the future ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
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ROBERTS: 18 minutes to the top of the hour. Welcome back to most news in the morning on CNN.
Quick Hits now. President Bush demanding that congress approve billions of dollars in additional war funds without strings and without delay. Mr. Bush wants action before lawmakers leave for the Christmas break. He says the military has been waiting for the money for months and could soon face harm as a result. Spending bills have bogged down over provisions of calling for a troop pullout. Democrats in the house, though, say, hey, we passed a $15 billion spending bill. We don't need to pass another one.
The latest on the Minnesota pipeline blast. Enbridge Energy conned investors by saying the gas line would be back up around a couple of days. We also learned the names of the two men killed in the blast. They had been sitting in a truck near the pipe when it exploded during a routine repair job. Still no word on what caused that blast.
And in Bakersfield, California, a purse snatching outside of a grocery store caught on surveillance video. The thief tries to grab the woman's purse, but she resists. He then drags her on the ground. Another woman comes in, tries to help her. The thief says, target of opportunity here. Snatches the other woman's purse from her shopping cart. He then darts off and hops into a getaway car. Police are still looking for the man and the driver of the car.
43 minutes after the hour.
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CHETRY: You know, nearly 800,000 football players every year suffer concussions, and the scary thing is their coaches and parents may not know until it's too late. The national Center for Injury Prevention says that almost half of all high school players get a concussion every season, and many suffer multiple concussions. But this thing right here is a new high tech helmet that could help players and coaches know when it's time to get off the field. Inside this helmet actually are sensors that can tell where the player was hit and how hard. Our chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta shows us how it works.
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DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: University of Oklahoma quarterback Sammy Bradford knows the risks associated with playing football.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Going the other way. Bradford's going to make the tackle on Marlon Williams.
GUPTA: He suffered his latest concussion just two weeks ago, but many experts are trying to stop serious head injuries before they happen. Teams like Bradford's Sooners are using helmets equipped with the hit system. It stands for head impact telemetry. Sensors similar to those found in car air bags line the sides of these helmets. They monitor the impact in exact locations where the players are hit. It sends that information in real-time to a sideline computer.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So far today we've had 208 total impacts.
GUPTA: Athletic trainers and team doctors monitor the data. Now doctors and trainers need to determine how fast and how hard a hit has to be to cause serious damage, like a concussion, a contusion, or even bleeding in the brain.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We get beeped when there's an impact over a certain threshold, and then we act or don't act based on what the clinical situation is.
GUPTA: OU's head team physician says the helmets don't prevent concussions but do provide valuable information.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We saw this as an opportunity to study our kids' head injuries to find out how bad they're getting hurt and try to make changes in helmet design, how we treat our athletes, how we take care of them before and after an injury.
GUPTA: And how head injuries impact the brain. And better ways to treat them. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHETRY: These helmets, by the way, are already being used at more than a dozen colleges. They also have a consumer version of the helmet available online. They're expensive. They cost about $1,000 each.
ROBERTS: Outfitting a team can be upwards of $50,000. I thought the helmet felt a little heavy because of the technology inside.
CHETRY: I did too.
ROBERTS: There's sensors, a computer chip, little board, and the battery as well. The manufacturer says it only adds six ounces to the weight of a helmet. Helmet is a lot heavier than when I played football. We were still using those leather helmets back then.
CHETRY: The moleskin helmets. I don't know how a high schooler -- this is a lot of weight for a high schooler's head. It's interesting because some say why hasn't the NFL looked into this as well? They say they were interested. They've been looking into these types of systems for years.
ROBERTS: 250,000 head injuries every year from football in this country. We know how popular it is. Anything that can help save those kids. The effect, as Sanjay said, is cumulative. Want to get a good read on what's going on.
Another Grinch ruining Christmas. Time for Quick Hits. Police in Providence, Rhode Island, busted a man they say was stealing UPS packages off of people's doorsteps. The delivery driver tipped off the cops after he spotted the thief trailing the truck. Police tracked him to his house and say they found some of the items wrapped under the man's Christmas tree.
After two weeks on the bargaining table, the studios offer the writers more money. We'll have all the details of their proposal ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
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ROBERTS: Welcome back to the most news in the morning. It is nine minutes to the top of the hour. If you're just joining us, here's a look at what's making headlines this morning.
We are following breaking news out of Turkey where an airliner went down. All 56 people on board are feared dead. The plane was an MD-83. It was in pieces as rescue teams arrived at the scene. A spokesman for Atlasjet, who owns the aircraft, still not clear why it went down. Ruled out weather because it was clear at the time.
Your favorite television shows may be back on the air soon. A new contract is on the table for Hollywood's striking film and television writers. Studios presented the contract on Thursday, offering $130 million in additional compensation for work shown on the internet. That had been the sticking point in negotiations. Writers have requested a four-day recess to consider the proposal.
The bright lights are back on Broadway. For the first time in nearly three weeks, the shows were back on as striking stagehands went back to work. As an incentive to fill the houses, theatergoers were able to get prime seats for many shows at just a fraction of the usual cost. New York City estimates it lost $38 million during the 19-day strike.
Take a look at the White House this morning. This is a live shot of a 28-foot World Aids Day ribbon draped over the north portico. It's going to stay there through tomorrow, the day that president Bush has officially proclaimed World Aids Day. Kiran?
CHETRY: The graveyard shift. We all know it well here on AMERICAN MORNING. there are new risks beyond an addiction to coffee and fluorescent lighting tans. I didn't know you could get a tan from fluorescent lights. New research shows we're at a higher risk apparently for breast and prostate cancer. Even if you work normal hours, chances are you know someone who does not. One in five workers around the world works this overnight or graveyard shift. Docs say that one reason could be the tumor fighting hormone melatonin made in our bodies at night and that the artificial lights around us stifle the process. If you sleep during the day and you're in a dark room, if you're able to be in a room that's dark, doesn't that make up for it?
ROBERTS: I wouldn't know. I have started using a light to wake me up in the morning, and I know it makes me feel more awake. I'm hopeful that maybe the processes are going on as they should. I can tell you, getting up in the middle of the night, you're missing something. I'm not sure what, but you're missing something.
CHETRY: It's definitely sleep.
ROBERTS: The Centers For Disease Control or American Cancer Society may actually designate shift work as a known carcinogen. That's crazy.
CHETRY: Scary stuff.
ROBERTS: Wonder if we can get compensated.
CHETRY: We should look into it. We'll ask sunny.
ROBERTS: Quick Hits now. Late night funnyman Conan O'Brien is coming to the rescue of his staffers. He's paying the non-striking workers who face layoffs out of his pocket. About 75 non-strike workers work on late night with Conan O'Brien.
And a homeless man trying to do some good during the holidays gets booted from his shelter. Paul Tucker spent about ten hours a day ringing a Salvation Army bell outside of a Vermont supermarket. But the shelter says he was supposed to be spending the time looking for a job and permanent housing. The shelter says Tucker has been staying there since May. They've given him until tomorrow to get out. I detect another Christmas Grinch here.
Imagine having to choose between your baby or your country. Coming up, they did everything by the book. Why won't the U.S. government let one couple bring their adopted baby home? That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
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CHETRY: Retired New York City police officer filing a federal complaint asking the state DMV to let him keep his vanity license plates. They call for the capture of Osama Bin Laden. There's a picture. It appears in Newsday, the newspaper for Long Island, New York. And it shows Arnold Hurworth with his plate that says "Getosama." He says he's surprised the DMV now wants the plates back. The agency says they want them back because they could be considered offensive.
ROBERTS: Looking at the vehicle, there's a theme going on as well.
CHETRY: Forget just the car. It brings us to this morning's quick vote question. Should he have to give the plates back to the DMV? Right now a whopping 94 percent say no, he should keep it. 6 percent say yes. We'll continue to tally the votes later on this morning. We had another interesting e-mail about this. Angela Richardson writes the right to not be offended does not exist. The right to freedom of speech does. So what doesn't the DMV understand?
ROBERTS: You look at the car, it's painted like an American flag. It's got the words "Kill Bin Laden" on the side of it. What other license plate would you put on it? My name is pookie. I don't think so.
CHETRY: I don't think that would fit. Plus you already have that one. Hi, Ali.
ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. Friday. I got some beer.
CHETRY: What the heck is going on?
VELSHI: I got my box of bud here. The maker of Bud and Bud Light and Michelob, Anheuser Busch, says, by the way, it's going to get more expensive to buy this stuff. You know why it's more expensive to brew beer? Same reason everything is more expensive in the entire world. Hops and barley have gone up in price because, a, increased demand. And, b, we seem to replace every crop in this country with corn so we can put that in cars. So land becomes more expensive. Hops and barley have increased, will increase more in 2008. Guess what they say at Anheuser Busch? They say Americans are prepared to pay more money to drink the beer.
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