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President Tells Congress to Get to Work; 'Teddy Bear' Teacher Pardoned; Brad Pitt's New Orleans Rebuilding Campaign

Aired December 03, 2007 - 11:00   ET

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

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: You are here with us at CNN, and you are informed.
Hello to you all.

I'm T.J. Holmes.

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everybody.

I'm Betty Nguyen.

Tony and Heidi are off today.

New developments keep coming into the CNN NEWSROOM on this Monday, the 3rd of December.

Here is what's on the rundown.

A wind gust as strong as a Category 3 hurricane, but in Oregon? Fierce winds throw thousands in the dark today.

HOLMES: Also, a murdered NFL player. Family, friends and teammates say good-bye to Redskins safety Sean Taylor this hour.

NGUYEN: A Hollywood star unveils plans to help rebuild New Orleans, homes that are environmentally friendly. Brad Pitt's green day -- in the NEWSROOM.

HOLMES: They are remembering Sean Taylor today. A funeral being held this morning in Miami for the Washington Redskins safety. You're looking at a live picture of the service that's just ready to get under way there in Miami.

Of course folks will remember he was shot, killed at his home last week there in Miami. The Redskins held a tribute before their game yesterday. Then, on the first defensive play of the game, really a stirring tribute here. The team honored him, lining up with just six players -- excuse me, 10 players on the field, rather than the 11. Of course, just leaving a spot empty to honor Sean Taylor.

We'll show you some of Taylor's funeral again at the 11:00 Eastern hour. Expect it to get right under way.

You can see just a beautiful scene there on a tragic day, a sad day for a lot of folks. The NFL, family, friends and fans of Sean Taylor. But we'll be taking you there this hour. NGUYEN: Well, it is a Monday. A new workweek gearing up. Two regions of the country actually hunkering down.

Let's begin now in the Pacific Northwest. Hurricane-force winds slice into the coast. One gust this morning measured at 129 miles an hour. That's also whipping up ferocious surf.

HOLMES: Yes. And the West Coast getting whipped right now. Wind advisories happening, we've got flood warnings in effect. We've got all kinds of stuff.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HOLMES: Talking about the coast there, if you will, well, the heartland having some issues as well. A killer storm barreling through there. This morning it's piling into the Northeast now, but much of the region battered with snow, sleet and freezing rain. Parts of New England could see a foot or more of snow.

We're going to be talking about that, of course, like Jacqui just said, in a little bit. That could mean some ugly travel in the Northeast again today.

The same storm created more chaos in the nation's midsection. Hundreds of flights canceled over the weekend. And The Associated Press now reporting 14 traffic deaths linked to this storm.

NGUYEN: Well, a message from the president to Congress this morning as lawmakers return from a holiday break -- get to work, you are running out of time. The president speaking in the Rose Garden about an hour ago. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Congress returns from its two-week Thanksgiving break today. They have just two weeks to go before they leave town again. That's not really a lot of time to squeeze in nearly a year's worth of unfinished business.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: CNN Congressional Correspondent Jessica Yellin is on Capitol Hill this morning.

You listened to that speech, and we talk about it. Was everything correct in what he was saying?

JESSICA YELLIN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Betty, there were a number of issues that he hit on, and we can go through them one by one.

I should tell you that the broad scope of this is basically the president telling Congress that they better act on his priorities, otherwise politically they will be cast as a do-nothing Congress. The Democrats, in turn, are making it clear that they plan to get down to business very quickly, but they have been stymied, they say, by Republican obstructionism.

They say what the president is saying is not at all fair because as much as Democrats try, Republicans are blocking their efforts. It's a classic political struggle.

Now, you asked about the specifics. One of the first criticisms the president had was that Democrats refused to pass war funding, more money for Iraq, without a timeline for withdrawal or a deadline. I think the president used the words "deadline for withdrawal."

Harry Reid, the head of the Senate here on the Democrat side, is going to give a speech this afternoon on the Senate floor, and he's going to say, "The president and his enablers are starting to blame Democrats for refusing to send money to troops. This is plainly untrue. It is cynical politics at its worst, and the American people are far too smart to fall for it."

Now, the bottom line in this struggle, Betty, is the Democrats did, in fact, pass a $50 billion supplemental, a bill to give some -- or a bridge fund to give money to the troops. But they had not a deadline for withdrawal, the language the White House and the Republicans are using, but a goal date, meaning it's not a fixed date, it's an ideal that they'd like to aim for, which mean it is wouldn't tie the generals' hands.

So there is a struggle back and forth about how this money is -- what strings are attached to this money, and it's a game of brinksmanship you are seeing between these two sides -- Betty.

NGUYEN: Yes. And we're going to hear another side of this game a little bit later today, 1:00 Eastern. Senator Harry Reid is going to be speaking live, and CNN will take that.

Jessica Yellin joining us live right now.

And we thank you for that.

And do want to give you this note. The president is going to be speaking tomorrow, holding a press conference in the Brady Press Briefing Room. That's going to be at 10:10 Eastern.

Now, this is pretty rare for the White House to announce this in advance, but secretary -- press secretary there Dana Perino said that she was going to announce this a little bit earlier because the president gave her a little latitude. So we'll see what he has to say tomorrow at 10:10 in the Brady Press Briefing Room, and we'll bring that to you live.

HOLMES: A snowstorm hits the Northeast. A powerful Pacific storm hammers the Northwest.

Hurricane-force winds and towering waves delivering a vicious one-two punch, and the latest now from reporter Chad Carter in Lincoln City, Oregon. He's with CNN's Portland affiliate, KPTV, and he has been getting a bit of that one-two punch, as you can see. He's being beat up pretty good by the wind and the rain. Thanks for sticking with us. Good morning to you, sir.

CHAD CARTER, REPORTER, KPTV: Good morning to you, T.J.

Perfect timing. We're getting another one of those big gusts that you just mentioned. We've been seeing that all morning long, although those peak gusts came during the overnight hours.

Word here topping -- that one gust topped 125 miles an hour. Let's show you some of the after-effects of that.

This is the Chinook Winds Casino here in Lincoln City, Oregon, and it sits literally on the oceanfront. And you can see the siding that was ripped off here of the building, and now it's just studs and the interior portion of the building that's left.

Now, I was just inside about 15, 20 minutes ago, and everyone told me that things are just fine. They're not concerned about any further damage. And this has actually become a place of refuge, because here in Lincoln City, one of the coastal communities, the entire city is without power right now.

In fact, one firefighter I spoke with just a little while ago told me that the one radio station equipped to broadcast emergency messages has also gone down. So the city, many people coming here to take refuge and take shelter because it's one of the few places that has heat, warmth, and food and water. In fact, I see a lot of people come by with very small children, and they told me that they just have to go somewhere because they can't stay at home.

Now, the beach is right over this way, and I don't know if we can see it, but you might be able to catch a glimpse of the waves that are crashing upon the shoreline. Directly on the other side of that hotel is the seawall, and the waves are crashing up against it this morning.

Here comes one more big gust for us. Right now things kind of status quo. We're going to see how things shape up for the rest of the morning. The winds have died down briefly, but we're getting another good dose of it right now.

Back to you in the studio.

HOLMES: All right. Chad Carter, you have been getting a good dose of it all morning. We appreciate you hanging tight for us.

Chad Carter with KPTV, our affiliate out there.

Thanks so much.

NGUYEN: He's just being blown around out there today. We'll stay on top of that.

In the meantime, though, bullying on the schoolyard. How about bullied in cyberspace? It may be a life-and-death issue.

Minutes ago, a prosecutor in Missouri announced that he will not seek charges in the death of a 13-year-old girl. Megan Myers' (ph) parents say bullying on MySpace caused their daughter to kill herself. They say an adult who was one of their neighbors posed as a boy who was first affectionate to Megan and then turned menacing.

Several other communities in the state are considering laws on cyber bullying.

HOLMES: Well, a British teacher convicted of insulting Islam out of jail this hour, and now at the British Embassy in Khartoum. Sudan's president pardoned Gillian Gibbons this morning.

Here's our Emily Chang for us in London.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

EMILY CHANG, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): After eight days in detention, British teacher Gillian Gibbons is free and in the hands of British authorities in the Sudan. The move follows days of concerted diplomatic efforts, including a meeting between two British lawmakers who are Muslim and the Sudanese president, Omar al-Bashir.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The president was very warm, he was welcoming. He said that he appreciated the initiative by Muslim parliamentarians and the fact that we had come here and actually talked to people and listened to their concerns and their views. He was willing to grant this pardon.

CHANG: Gibbons' son was visibly relieved.

JOHN GIBBONS, GILLIAN GIBBONS' SON: Just had a call this morning. Obviously we're very pleased. And we're saving our complete excitement until she's on the plane. I hope you understand that. But obviously it's been very good news this morning. Yes, it's been -- it's been a good news morning, but the family aren't going to be 100 percent fulfilled until she's on the plane and on the way home.

CHANG: Gillian Gibbons was convicted last Thursday of insulting Islam and sentenced to 15 days in jail. She asked her students to name a class teddy bear. They picked the name "Muhammad" after the most popular boy in the class. A violation of Sudan's laws.

Since the verdict, angry protesters filled the streets calling for a harsher sentence. Some even calling for Gibbons to be executed. But supporters, including British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, maintained she simply had made an innocent mistake.

GORDON BROWN, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: It was completely wrong. She's been detained for eight days. She's been imprisoned for these four days. But now I hope -- and I have talked to her son this morning, John Gibbons -- I hope that her family can have some peace of mind that she will be released.

CHANG: In a statement read by one of the British lawmakers, Gibbons apologized for any distress she caused and said she was sorry to be leaving Sudan. She says she never intended to "knowingly offend anyone." British authorities say Gibbons will leave Sudan as early as possible and return to Britain.

Emily Chang, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(NEWSBREAK)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Going just a bit too fast in Chicago. Federal investigators say an Amtrak train was going 25 miles an hour over the speed limit when it crashed into an idle freight train. Friday's accident in Chicago's south side injured about 70 folks. Investigators say they will try to reconstruct this crash and they may dismantle the locomotive to see if they can figure out exactly how the accident happened.

NGUYEN: Let's talk about Brad Pitt for a minute, shall we?

HOLMES: Take your time.

NGUYEN: Yes, I will take my time. He's a busy guy these days trying to Make it Right. And that's the name of his campaign, to help rebuild New Orleans' Lower Ninth Ward, which was, as you know, devastated by Hurricane Katrina.

CNN's Sean Callebs is in New Orleans with this wonderful assignment.

Hey there, Sean.

SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Betty.

And if you look out here to my left, out over the Lower Ninth Ward, you may remember it as simply a disaster site. Well, look at it today. Just awash in what look like pink cubes. Well, actually, these are homes.

Brad Pitt and his charitable organization Make it Right scheduling a news conference here today. It's going to take place in about 45 minutes or so.

Brad is very active in trying to redevelop the Lower Ninth Ward, and he wants to do it in a very environmentally friendly fashion. He has pledged $5 million of his own money. He has teamed up with a number of green organizations, green companies, green architects.

What they did, they sought designs from all over the world. And they're going to pick 13, four locally, four from the United States, and five internationally. And what they want to do, rebuild homes here in the Lower Ninth Ward, making them affordable for the people who used to live here, about $150,000.

They must have at least three bedrooms and must have a porch. The reason, so much of the Lower Ninth Ward, as you look out over this area, is just built on the community spirit. Now, this is an area that was predominantly inhabited by -- African-Americans lived here, and it was simply devastated. And there's been a lot of concern of what would happen to this area.

And Betty, Brad Pitt and his organization want to make sure that it's going to be rebuilt and they want to do it in a very safe, environmentally friendly fashion. Also, these homes are going to be built either on stilts or elevated, because there's no question this area is going to flood again. The question is just how bad.

One final point. If you look out at that floodwall there in the distance, that is where a barge crashed in to the floodwall. Beyond that is Industrial Canal, and that led water just to wash all over this area. And really, this is an area that was a metaphor for misery in the days, weeks, months after Hurricane Katrina -- Betty.

NGUYEN: You know, when we talk about being environmentally friendly, you think green. Well, these things are covered in pink. What's up with that, Sean?

CALLEBS: All I can tell you is Brad chose the color. If he was trying to make a statement, if he was trying to get attention, it certainly worked.

If you -- look, that is the bridge that leads from the Upper Ninth Ward, which is separated by the canal, here in the Lower Ninth. And as you get to the apex of that bridge, this really catches your eye. I mean, it jumps out at you.

They want to have 150 homes here, but if everything works out well, if they can get the kind of financing they want and if people can donate, that's what they're really trying to do, to get people to adopt either a house or a portion of a house, whether it be a tankless water tank, a low-flow showerhead, something like that, part of a solar panel, then they think they can get lots of money and put hundreds of people back in this area.

NGUYEN: There are so many ways to help.

Sean Callebs joining us live with all that pink behind you.

Thank you, Sean.

HOLMES: For homeowners on the brink of foreclosure, a new plan may save you from ruin and keep you in your house. New information in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Let's check out the markets today. Look at that, the Dow back down to negative territory, minus 15 on this Monday morning. The Nasdaq also not doing so great. It's at minus 3.50, but the day is still young.

There's still a lot to go. We'll see how it shakes out toward at the end of the day. We will stay on top of your money. HOLMES: Well, the housing crisis. Another wave of foreclosures could be around the corner. But hey, to the rescue, a new plan to save homeowners teetering on the brink.

CNN's personal finance editor Gerri Willis here with us again.

Well, this sounds good, a new plan to the rescue. That all sounds like good stuff.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Well, T.J., let me explain what happened today.

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson talked about what the federal government is doing, working with mortgage market lenders and investors to develop solutions to help subprime borrowers. Now, there are three major points here.

Number one, stepped-up efforts to reach borrowers who are struggling with what we call those mortgage resets. Now, the Treasury secretary said half of foreclosures, 50 percent of foreclosures, occur without borrower's ever even talking to a counselor or their lender.

Now, to stop this, industry representatives will contact borrowers 120 days in advance of their mortgage reset to help them navigate this problem. Also, letters are being sent to those who can't be contacted by telephone.

Number two, more mortgage products will be made available to homeowners who were struggling with these higher rates. Now, those people may be given loan modifications and refinancings to help them afford their mortgage, to make it more cost-effective for them each and every month.

Number three, they're developing industry and state and local efforts through the Hope Now Alliance to fast-track help, including -- and listen to this -- using tax exempt bonds for home mortgage refinance. So mortgage bonds would be available to regular investors to help finance this.

Now, you should know that Henry Paulson did not mention freezing introductory or teaser rates on ARMs. And this is an idea which has been widely discuss.

And remember, the solution is being put together and put forward mostly by private industry, with some help from Treasury. But there's no indication whether regulators would be involved at all in making sure this all comes to pass, that the actual help does get to the people who know it.

Now, if you're concerned about losing your home today, call this toll-free number: 1-888-995-HOPE. One of the major points here, the housing market downturn is threatening economic growth. These guys are trying to find a way to get around this problem, and, of course, we'll continue to follow this and let you know what happens to this initiative as it goes forward -- T.J. HOLMES: Yes, of interest to a whole lot of folks. And a whole lot of stuff to keep in mind, and there is help out there, and there might be more help on the way.

Gerri Willis for us.

WILLIS: That's right.

HOLMES: Thank you so much.

WILLIS: My pleasure.

NGUYEN: A horrified homeowner watches his Christmas display destroyed, then goes after the grinches who did it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: We were telling you earlier about Brad Pitt and his initiative making it right there in New Orleans, helping to rebuild the Lower Ninth Ward, where we're expecting an announcement from the actor around noontime. Stay in the NEWSROOM for the latest on this. Not exactly sure what the announcement will be, but, again, he's there in New Orleans with his initiative making it right, trying to rebuild the Lower Ninth Ward that was devastated during Hurricane Katrina.

And, of course, he will also, as we've been telling you, be a guest of Larry King, "LARRY KING LIVE," Wednesday 9:00 Eastern from New Orleans, where this initiative is happening. Our Larry King will talk to him from there. A lot to talk about, not just about what's happening there in New Orleans, but about Brad Pitt and his personal life, which seems to always be on people's radar. So don't miss a special "LARRY KING LIVE" on location with Brad Pitt. That's Wednesday night, 9:00 Eastern, right here on CNN.

You are in the CNN NEWSROOM. Hello to you all. I'm T.J. Holmes.

NGUYEN: Yes, good morning, everybody. I'm Betty Nguyen. We are following this story today, funeral in Miami for Washington redskins safety Sean Taylor. Here's a live picture of that funeral as its taking place right now. You can imagine thousands are going to be showing up for this. He was a hero to many, and obviously a very big star on the Washington Redskins' lineup. We want to turn now to CNN's John Zarrella, because he's going to give us an update on the murder investigation.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Police have only said maybe, but an attorney for one of the suspects in Sean Taylor's murder says cops don't have all their men yet. There's another one out there.

WILBUR SMITH, ATTY. FOR ERIC RIVERA: I just wanted to confirm that there is fifth a suspect that the police are looking for. My client's family is also trying to locate his whereabouts. ZARRELLA: Over the weekend the four men the police do have in custody went before a judge in Ft. Meyers. Eric Rivera, Charles Wardlow, Venjah Hunte, and Jason Mitchell all face burglary, robbery, and murder charges, possible life in prison. Each of the four have a long history of problems with the law, and they're all now behind bars.

CNN has learned fingerprints found inside Taylor's home belong to one of the men, and in their confessions more than one of the suspects admitted to going to Taylor's home, but only to burglarize it. Meantime, two questions remain unanswered. Where is the murder weapon? And who fired the shot that killed Sean Taylor?

SAWYER SMITH, JASON MITCHELL'S ATTY.: Mr. Mitchell is not being accused of being the alleged triggerman.

JOHN EVANS, ATTY. FOR CHARLES WARDLOW: A lot of those facts are going to show that my client may have been inside the house, but was not, in fact, the triggerman.

ZARRELLA: There's no evidence any of the men knew Sean Taylor, but sources say Taylor's sister, Sasha Johnson, once dated one of the suspect's brothers.

John Zarrella, CNN, Ft. Myers, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(WEATHER REPORT)

HOLMES: Got to turn to some not so good news here actually. A homeowner set up his Christmas display, then vandals destroyed it, so he goes after the grinches.

Aaron Baskerville (ph) of affiliate CLTV reports from suburban Chicago.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

AARON BASKERVILLE (ph), CLTV REPORTER: It's a Christmas display that's won several awards. But on Friday night the homeowner woke up to his wife screaming. Vandals were destroying their Christmas decorations. He tried to catch up with them, and ended up in the hospital.

(on camera): Several Christmas grinches tried to steal the holiday cheer from this Hoffman Estates house.

PHILLIP OBRILL, VICTIM OF VANDALS: Teeter-totter is busted and all the lining is -- the frame of him, I have to figure out how it goes back on.

BASKERVILLE: Vandalizing this elaborate Christmas display on Winston Drive.

OBRILL: These kids are rotten. I mean, just to destroy it like that. That's just rotten.

BASKERVILLE: They ruined Christmas trees, tore through his manger scene, and cut electrical wires.

OBRILL: This whole line right here is a tree actually, and what's left of the tree is a couple pieces there, a couple pieces on the driveway.

BASKERVILLE: According to Phillip Obrill, he chased the eight teenage vandals Friday night, but they ended up dragged him with their car, driving over his foot and sending him to the hospital.

OBRILL: He's dragging me and dragging me and I finally got my hand loose, and I fell off the car, and hit my head and I was there with blood everywhere.

BASKERVILLE: He's been serving up Christmas cheer for 18 years. It took Obrill more than three days to set up his decorations, but in less than 20 minutes, it was all gone. And now the bright lights are dim and the suspects are on the loose.

OBRILL: I'd ask them why, and I'd want to see their houses. I want to see if their dads and their mothers put up Christmas trees. Would they like someone to come in their house and tear their Christmas trees apart.

BASKERVILLE: The vandals caused $1,000 in damage. Obrill says it hasn't ruined his Christmas spirit, and vows to have everything back in order before Santa arrives.

In Hoffman Estates, Aaron Baskerville, CLTV News.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Well, the manger, that's the part...

NGUYEN: Yes, that was too much at that point. I mean, who tears up a manger scene?

HOLMES: Who tears up a manger. Didn't you remember a few years back or last year they were stealing Baby Jesuses out of the...

NGUYEN: Yes, what is going on with this world?

HOLMES: Well, "The Chicago Tribune" reporting neighbors say they will help the man restore that display. So hopefully he'll get it up and running around Christmastime.

NGUYEN: Yes, good to hear that. Listen to this, though -- she claimed beauty pageant sabotage. So where is the pepper stray, Miss Puerto Rico? Police are itching to know.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWSBREAK)

(BUSINESS HEADLINES)

HOLMES: Held at Guantanamo Bay, labeled enemy combatants. What rights do they have? The Supreme Court takes it up Wednesday.

CNN's Jamie McIntyre here now with a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For one hour the justices will hear arguments about whether foreign prisoners held in Guantanamo, some for as long as five years, are entitled to a fundamental right guaranteed to every American, habeas corpus, the right to petition for relief against unlawful detention.

Charles Swift is a former military attorney who vigorously defended a Yemeni man accused of being Osama bin Laden's bodyguard and driver.

CHARLES SWIFT, FMR. MILITARY DEFENSE ATTY.: They want to look their accusers in the face. They want to be able to say, this is what I did. They want to have an opportunity to exonerate themselves.

MCINTYRE: But the Bush administration argues that the more than 300 detainees held in Guantanamo are enemy combatants whose rights are adequately protected by the Military Commissions Act passed by Congress last year.

DAVID RIVKIN, FMR. DEPT. OF JUSTICE LAWYER: Frankly, the detainees under MCA have more due process than any captured enemy combatant, lawful or unlawful, ever had in any war in human history, including anywhere in which the United States was a party.

MCINTYRE: But attorneys bringing the case before the Supreme Court argue military officials, not independent judges, are deciding the fate of detainees in a process that does not allow prisoners to have lawyers or present their own evidence. The defendants in the case are an Algerian arrested in Bosnia in 2001 and a Kuwaiti citizen captured in Pakistan in 2002.

ED LAZARUS, AUTHOR, FMR. FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: I do think that's going to trouble a number of the justices, particularly with respect to the ones from Bosnia, where the Bosnian government conducted an investigation, decided these people were not implicated in the alleged attempt to bomb the U.S. embassy over there.

MCINTYRE: The Constitution says a writ of habeas corpus may be suspended only in cases of rebellion or invasion. It's a high standard.

SWIFT: But it is a greater threat than the Nazis? This is a greater threat than the Civil War to our union and our freedom? That's difficult for me to swallow.

MCINTYRE (on camera): There's an unusual wrinkle in the case. Back in April the high court declined to hear it, but then in June reversed itself and said it would decide if Guantanamo prisoners enjoy the same rights as Americans. One legal expert thinks that means the Supreme Court wants to set some guidelines, but is unlikely to overturn the military commission process.

Jamie McIntyre, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: You'll want to stay tuned for "YOUR WORLD TODAY." That is coming up next.

HOLMES: Yes, and Hala Gorani is here to tell us what they've got going on. Hello there to you, Hala.

HALA GORANI, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, Tony and Betty.

We're going to take you around the world on "YOUR WORLD TODAY." A lot going on. Vladimir Putin's political party wins overwhelmingly in parliamentary elections, but some international organizations are saying the vote was unfair. What does this mean for Russia's relationship with the United States?

Also, we will take you to Venezuela. The reforms proposed by Hugo Chavez rejected. We're going to be bringing you the latest on that story.

And we'll take you to the U.K. You know the world's most famous spy is British. It's 007, James Bond, but apparently real life spies in the U.K. aren't so glamorous. We're going to be bringing you that story, in case you're thinking of a career in the secret service in the U.K. At noon, Jim Clancy and myself. That and a lot more. Hope you can join us.

NGUYEN: I don't know, T.J. has got the Bond-like qualities.

GORANI: I'm sorry. It's T.J. I called you Tony.

HOLMES: It's quite all right. I know you meant well.

NGUYEN: Thank you, Hala.

HOLMES: Look out below. Santa's on the slopes. He's skiing -- which one is the real? Will the real Santa...

NGUYEN: ... please stand up?

HOLMES: Please. All right, skiing for a good cause.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: All right, so it's a bit of a traffic jam on the slopes of a Maine ski resort.

HOLMES: It happens. It happens sometimes.

NGUYEN: Especially around this time of year. HOLMES: Yes, check out Santa on the slopes. The eighth annual Santa Sunday in Nury (ph), Maine. Anybody with a head-to-toe Santa outfit got to ski, but it was for a good cause.

NGUYEN: Yes, For a $10 contribution to the local toy drive. Looks like a lot of fun. For 10 bucks, boy, that's a real deal on the slopes. I can see why so many turned out. Good for them.

HOLMES: You got on the red today.

NGUYEN: I could have put a hat on and donned some skis.

HOLMES: We'll find you a hat before the show's over.

All right, to this story now. There's a grinch on the loose. Do you remember the Hamburglar with McDonald's. He would steal actual hamburgers, but we've got hamburglars on the loose as well in Australia. They just want the ham.

Robert Ovadia is with us from Channel News 7.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERT OVADIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Christmas is always a busy time at Zammit Ham and Bacon. Very busy now. There's plenty of catching up to do.

MATTHEW CAUCHI, ZAMMIT EMPLOYEE: Now we've been stocking up for weeks to get ahead, and they just put us behind here.

OVADIA: The "they" are the balaclava-wearing hamburglars, who disabled security cameras at midnight on Sunday, stealing 16 tons of produce. That's $100,000 worth, 650 boxes, roughly 18 of these pallets.

ANTHONY ZAMMIT, COMPANY DIR.: Yes, it's pretty hard work. But we've got to work 24 hours a day now, seven days a week.

OVADIA: An unusual crime, but this third-generation family business isn't laughing at the theft or the message scrolled on the warehouse wall -- "Thanks and merry Christmas."

SGT. ROD ORMES, PARRAMATTA POLICE: I would agree it's a very cheeky crime.

(on camera): Sixteen tons. That's a lot of meat to load onto a truck without a forklift. Took them a while, too. About 4.5 hours passing the ham and bacon through this hole. The thieves had detailed knowledge of the warehouse. Investigators haven't ruled out an inside job. The Zammits are offering a $5,000 reward to encourage witnesses.

ORMES: If they have any information regarding their disposable (ph) Zammit hams, bearing in mind they have a short shelf life.

OVADIA: In other words the cut price meats are already being sold on the black market. Police are looking for suspicious sellers who also spell Christmas with a double 's.'

Robert Ovadia, 7 News.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: The things people do.

All right, from Portland, Maine to Portland, Oregon savage storms pound the U.S. coast, and if you're traveling anywhere in between you will want to know the latest.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Okay. She's a pretty girl. What do you think? Yes.

NGUYEN: Definitely.

HOLMES: Would that gorgeous woman tell a lie, a beauty queen? Beauty queens don't lie. Police say there is no trace, however, of pepper spray in Miss Puerto Rico Universe's clothes or her makeup brush. Ingrid Marie Rivera had claimed somebody tried to sabotage her pageant performance.

Now investigators wonder if Rivera or somebody else made the whole thing up. Rivera had said the pepper spray made her swell up and break out in hives during last month's pageant. It didn't even matter, even with hives the woman is so beautiful she overcame the hives. It doesn't even matter. She took the crown anyway.

NGUYEN: Well, speaking of looks, let the women take a gawk here. Brad Pitt making an announcement today dealing with the Lower Ninth Ward there in Louisiana. What he's doing is trying to bring environmentally friendly housing to the Lower Ninth Ward, and of course he's going to be having a news conference at 12:00 noon Eastern, and we will be following that for developments.

But we also want to let you know, if you like what you see, you're going to see more of it. Brad Pitt is going to bear his soul to our Larry King.

HOLMES: And that's all he's bearing, OK, you need to remind folks of that.

NGUYEN: Set your TiVo folks. Nothing is off limits when Larry goes one on one with Brad Pitt in New Orleans, from making it right in the city to his family life and rumors that he may actually quit acting. "LARRY KING," Wednesday, at 9:00 Eastern. Don't miss it.

HOLMES: Of course the NEWSROOM continues in one hour, but "YOUR WORLD TODAY" starts right now.

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