Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

Winter Weather Gives American Airlines Passengers Scare; Bargain Shopping During a Recession

Aired December 25, 2008 - 08:00   ET

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


JOE JOHNS, CNN ANCHOR: It is zero zero after the hour, I guess you'll have to say, on this Christmas morning. I'm Joe Johns in for John Roberts.
Here are the top stories right now.

Some scary moments for the 54 passengers on board an American Airlines plane that skidded off a runway at Chicago's O'Hare Airport. The MD-80 was taxiing for takeoff last night when it hit an icy patch and slid onto the grass next to the runway. No one was hurt.

Whoever said getting there is half the fun didn't have to spend Christmas sleeping on a cot at O'Hare Airport. Bad weather has stranded hundreds of passengers at O'Hare for the past two nights. Now they're holding out for a break in the weather so they can finally get home for Christmas.

And malls around the country are open for business today. Retailers are hoping to salvage something from the dismal holiday shopping season. The good news? Bargain shoppers can score big discounts.

They're a world away, but not forgotten. U.S. troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan are getting a message of thanks from the incoming commander-in-chief.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, (D) PRESIDENT-ELECT: Many troops are serving their second, third or even fourth tour of duty. And we are reminded that they are more than dedicated soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Coast Guard. They're devoted fathers and mothers, husbands and wives, sons and daughters, sisters and brothers.

This holiday season, their families celebrate with a joy that's muted, knowing that a loved one is absent and sometimes in danger. In towns and cities across America, there is an empty seat at the dinner table. In distant bases and on ships at sea, our servicemen and women can only wonder at the look on their child's faces as they open up a gift back home.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JOHNS: CNN's Jill Dougherty has been chowing down with the troops at Camp Liberty in Baghdad. She joins us live. And Jill, your office is right next to mine in Washington. I don't remember you asking my permission to go to Baghdad. Send somebody a memo next time.

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Listen. It's worth coming for the food, I have to tell you, Joe.

(LAUGHTER)

I'm serious. You know, I had the impression that they were eating MREs over here. I guess I was under the wrong impression. But they have amazing food. And seriously, logistically, this has been a sight to be seen.

Behind me, we're in the DFAC, you know, where they -- it's called the chow hall -- where they eat. But just a couple of hours ago, the main feast took place. And they made -- we just got the statistics -- 4,407 dinners, turkey dinners. It was a complete turkey dinner with all the fixings. And even logistically, that is amazing.

But there are a lot of people, of course, who can't be with their families. And so, we've been talking, as we went through yesterday and today with the troops, we've been talking with some people who actually, really came close to tears thinking about their families, and trying to, you know, have some type of communication with them. They can actually phone home, and they can actually use the Internet.

Last night, for instance, we went over to a small party with the support battalion. And they gave each other Christmas presents, saying "Feliz Navidad," and congratulating each other, and had some Christmas food. That was very nice.

And then we went over after that to the chapel, to Warrior Chapel, where they had a service, a candlelight service -- very beautiful. A talk, a sermon by the minister and a lot of Christmas carols.

And then today, where we've been all day, an amazing sight. Long lines, people waiting to come in and get that food. They had a choir here that was singing songs, and a lot of jollity in the midst of being separated from their families, Joe.

JOHNS: Jill Dougherty, a long way away, but still feeling the spirit. Thanks so much -- Carol.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Awesome.

You know, I don't know, it's cliche, but I have to say it. It's every holiday traveler's worst nightmare. Instead of being home for Christmas, you're stranded at the airport -- no flight, no way out.

That is the situation in Chicago this morning. Michelle Gallardo with CNN affiliate, WLS, has the latest from O'Hare International Airport.

MICHELLE GALLARDO, WLS CORRESPONDENT, O'HARE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, CHICAGO: Well, you know, O'Hare has had a lot of excitement this week, and certainly not the good kind. First we had hundreds of flights that were cancelled earlier in the week due to some pretty bad weather.

Then yesterday, there were incidents with two American Airlines flights. First, one of them skidded off the runway, apparently when it hit a patch of ice. Another one had to make an emergency landing when it ran into some engine trouble shortly after takeoff.

Now, fortunately, nobody was injured in any of those cases. But it really just added to the stress and to the number of stranded people already here at O'Hare Tuesday night. Some 500 people had to spend the night.

Then yesterday night, 75 people slept on cots here at O'Hare. Really not the way any of these passengers were hoping to bring in Christmas Day.

But, you know, this morning the weather looks good. And even though it is unusually crowded for a Christmas morning at O'Hare, no doubt a lot of people still trying to get out from cancelled flights earlier in the week, it does look good. And hopefully, most of these people will be able to reach their destinations and salvage at least part of their holiday.

For CNN, I'm Michelle Gallardo. Back to you.

COSTELLO: Yes. We hope Chicago is the exception to the rule. And the man in the know.

ROB MARCIANO, CNN'S AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, he said it was a travel nightmare to be stuck in an airport. And the one thing I can only think of is that, you know, you're actually forced to watch CNN there. So, is that what you meant? Or ...

(LAUGHTER)

(CROSSTALK)

COSTELLO: No, actually ...

JOHNS: You have to keep your priorities straight at all times.

(LAUGHTER)

MARCIANO: That's one of those smartest thing Ted Turner and company did.

JOHNS: Yes.

MARCIANO: Anyway, but if, you know, if you're watching and you're stuck, we're sorry. But we appreciate you watching, even though you don't have much of a choice.

(LAUGHTER) Here's a shot of the Hudson. You know, I was driving down the Henry Hudson Parkway last night, and I saw this barges going up river with the lights on and going, you know, Christmas Eve, driving a big old freighter. It's got to be a lonely job. So, there's a lot of folks out there who are not with their friends and family, including the pilots piloting those ships up and down the river.

There's the GWB. Looks like a nice day firing up there across parts of Upper Manhattan.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: You know, Gerri Willis has been working hard this morning. She's blogging away. It's the end of the year.

It's time to take care of your finances, you know, for the end- of-the-year planning that you must do every year. She's getting a lot of questions from viewers. When we come back, she will answer your questions.

It's seven minutes past the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JOHNS: CNN, the karaoke news network.

(LAUGHTER)

Oh, my.

COSTELLO: (INAUDIBLE) had eggnog.

JOHNS: I know. Clearly. Yes. Something.

(LAUGHTER)

COSTELLO: Well, at least they're happy.

JOHNS: Maybe they dispensed with the eggnog and just went straight to the hard stuff.

(LAUGHTER)

COSTELLO: Exactly. I would say that was beautiful, but it wasn't.

(LAUGHTER)

JOHNS: Right. We just didn't get the right pitch.

COSTELLO: No.

So, Gerri, you have been blogging all morning, and people have actually been, like, sending you questions your way. That's amazing.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: We've been having an online conversation. It's fantastic.

You know, I picked this first one for you, because you were interested in credit cards, and I got a great question, this one from Joanne.

She says, "My boyfriend is 47 and never believed in credit cards, and has no debt whatsoever."

JOHNS: Wow.

WILLIS: You love him, right?

COSTELLO: Yes, I love that.

WILLIS: "He only pays for everything in cash, and because of this, he is penalized and his credit report is like nonexistent."

JOHNS: And it's so not fair.

COSTELLO: It's not.

WILLIS: "I think that is pretty sad," she says, "to make people have to go into debt to get a credit score. Maybe the answer should be to give people like us a credit score for being smart instead of penalizing us for not going under with debt. It is just not fair."

JOHNS: Totally. I totally agree with that.

COSTELLO: So, it seems, (INAUDIBLE) the whole country is fed up to force you to use credit cards.

JOHNS: Yes.

COSTELLO: Who do you think is responsible for that? Could it be the credit card lobby?

JOHNS: You're being patriotic by getting in the hole.

WILLIS: But you know what? I mean, I understand your pain here. I know exactly what you're talking about.

But you have to have to have a credit score. You have to have a credit DNA in this country -- not only to get credit, not only to borrow money to buy a house, to get a car, whatever -- to get insurance, to get a job these days.

COSTELLO: On your credit report, why don't they count things like paying your mortgage on time, paying your gas bills on time.

(CROSSTALK)

Why does it have to be your credit card?

JOHNS: Or just have a check-off somewhere that says, he paid cash.

WILLIS: Well, it's not that your mortgage is non-existent on your credit score. That's not true.

In fact, your credit score is an important part -- or paying your mortgage is an important part of your credit score. But credit cards are an incredibly important part, because they get that money for free -- or that information for free. It's very easy.

COSTELLO: Right. It's (INAUDIBLE).

WILLIS: We're going to move on to the next one.

COSTELLO: OK.

WILLIS: We love this credit card stuff, though.

JOHNS: I know. I could talk about it all day.

WILLIS: Next question.

"My husband and I have over $40,000 in credit card debt on four different credit cards, $16,000 in student loan debt. We're considering debt consolidation, but not sure where to go for this since our credit is in poor shape already."

Jane, my heart goes out to you this holiday season.

You know what I would do? I would get some professional help. Go to NFCC.org. That's the National Foundation for Credit Counselors.

They'll help you get all your debt together, figure out a way to pay it, put you on a plan. They're not going to charge you a lot of money to do it. They're not going to charge you for something you could do yourself.

That's really the way to go.

Question number three. "How can you take advantage of the new mortgage rates" -- we were talking about these earlier, right, 5.04 percent, yummy -- "if you don't have a good credit score?"

That from David.

Absolutely true. You've got to have a decent credit score, especially now more than ever -- 690, 680, 700, 720, depending on the borrower or the lender that you want to use. You absolutely have to have a good credit score.

And you can't be in the hole on your mortgage. You can't owe more than the house is worth.

So, yes, the devil's in the details here. But I just wanted to make sure everybody heard us today, that these mortgage rates are really at lows. It's a great time, if you can, to refinance.

And there's another good -- I'm coming with the good news today. Guess what? Gas prices -- the lowest since February 2004, at $1.64 a gallon. JOHNS: Totally. We're going to Disneyworld.

COSTELLO: Yes. Let's go.

WILLIS: Well, maybe not. But, you know, every little bit helps. Right?

JOHNS: Yes.

(LAUGHTER)

You got it. All right.

Keep those questions. Gerri will be here online all morning.

WILLIS: That's right.

JOHNS: Ask her for your financial questions. And then just head to CNN.com/am.

WILLIS: Perfect. Love to hear from the viewers. It's been a great conversation today.

JOHNS: (INAUDIBLE).

WILLIS: Me, too.

COSTELLO: The Obama daughters are about to become the nation's first kids. What do they have to look forward to? And will they be able to keep their privacy, really, you know, with those paparazzi pictures coming out?

It's 15 minutes past.

Need money for Christmas?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID HATFIELD, OWNER, CAST LOCATIONS: People, I mean, literally, are flooding my e-mail box and wanting to get into this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Lease your house to Hollywood. Why some people are rolling out the red carpet for the stars, and making big money.

You're watching the Most News in the Morning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: You know, (INAUDIBLE) some terrible weather along the Northeast Corridor. But today, a gift, a Christmas gift. Take a look at how beautiful New York City looks today. I guess we're heading to a high somewhere around 50 degrees.

Oh, what a day to just walk along the streets and look at the Christmas displays in the windows. I can't wait.

Welcome back to the most news in the morning.

Need some extra cash? Here's a good story, too. Regular homeowners are now getting the star treatment from movie and TV producers desperately seeking locations.

CNN's Brooke Anderson takes us on location.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Homeowners are getting creative when it comes to making money during this slumping economy by opening their homes to Hollywood.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Action, roll.

ANDERSON (voice-over): This may look like a typical Hollywood studio set. But in fact, this set is the Pasadena, California, home of Linda Pawlik.

LINDA PAWLIK, HOMEOWNER: They move out what they need to move out. And for instance, all of our living room furniture went into a moving van and left.

ANDERSON: Pawlik, a former actress, began renting her home for film, TV and commercial shoots six years ago following the example of a neighbor.

ANDERSON (on camera): What prompted you to do it?

PAWLIK: The money, first.

ANDERSON (voice-over): Today, a crew is on site shooting scenes for the television series, "Monk."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right, guys. Picture (ph), please.

ANDERSON (on camera): Do you see it as, especially during this economy, a great supplement to your income? How do you view it?

PAWLIK: I do right now.

(LAUGHTER)

I do this week.

ANDERSON: Because it can be very lucrative. How lucrative can it be?

PAWLIK: Lucrative.

ANDERSON (voice-over): So lucrative that more and more people are leasing their homes for this purpose.

David Hatfield runs CAST Locations, which represents more than 1,000 homes in the Los Angeles area.

HATFIELD: People, I mean, literally are flooding my e-mail box, submitting their homes, wanting to get into this as an alternative source of income. The real estate market has slowed. So, when houses are sitting, they think, what else can I do with the house?

ANDERSON: Hatfield and his team write contracts, photograph properties and submit them for gigs. And just like talent agents, there's a payout for them as well.

HATFIELD: We work on commission, exactly.

ANDERSON: So, what's the potential profit for homeowners? Hatfield reveals pay ranges from a couple thousand dollars a day to as much as $15,000 total. And for 14 days per calendar year in California, it's tax free.

PAWLIK: To see your house completely changed and reinterpreted, and then watch these dramas go through, it's fun. It is fun.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. Is that all good, guys?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, that's good.

ANDERSON (on camera): In terms of how these shoots impact neighbors, it's an inconvenience. But Hatfield told me some savvy residents in the vicinity seize the opportunity to make money themselves by renting a driveway for catering.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Brooke Anderson reporting.

We want to make an important clarification this morning on one of our stories. Yesterday we reported that King Abdullah of Jordan had given U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice jewelry worth nearly $150,000.

Well, the State Department now says it made a mistake, and that jewelry was actually a gift from the king of Saudi Arabia, not King Abdullah.

JOHNS: Not bad.

The Obamas are getting ready to move into their new house -- the White House, in fact. So, what will it be like for the two first daughters living in a fish bowl?

It's 21 minutes after the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JOHNS: Merry Christmas, and welcome back to CNN.

We're talking a little bit about Christmas at the White House, which is going to change hands very soon, in fact. This is Doug Wead. He is a historian.

And among other things, you've looked into the first family, all the members of the first family, the children of the first family.

When you look, for example, at Barack Obama and his family about to come into the White House, and the two young daughters, Sasha and Malia, a lot of people say, perhaps they'll be treated like Chelsea Clinton was and cloistered a bit.

But when you look at all the media coverage and the paparazzi, if you will, following her around, you often wonder. It's going to be a different story entirely, that perhaps she's -- they are going to be treated like the sons of royalty.

What's your view on this? Is it going to be closer to Chelsea Clinton, or is it going to be closer to the princes, Harry and so on?

DOUG WEAD, AUTHOR, "ALL THE PRESIDENTS' CHILDREN": Well, I think it'll depend a lot on the president and the first lady. The Clintons were proactive in keeping Chelsea out of the news. I mean, they ...

JOHNS: Right.

WEAD: They'd call up an editor and jawbone a little bit. So, it's not going to happen naturally. The president and first lady will have to be proactive, if they ...

JOHNS: Is that a good idea, though?

WEAD: ... want to keep that (ph) goal (ph).

JOHNS: Is that a good idea for the president and the first lady to get involved and say, don't take pictures of my children? Is it realistic?

WEAD: It's a good idea.

Jackie Kennedy studied the children of presidents and came to the same conclusion that anyone else who studies them comes to, and that is that those who stay out of the limelight -- in fact, those who stay out of Washington, if it's physically possibly -- tend to be high achievers.

There's exceptions to that, but it's a very dramatic trend. So, it's worth the try.

JOHNS: What are the holidays like in the White House?

WEAD: Well, you know, I interviewed 19 of the living presidential children. And one described it to me as pure bedlam. Like the rest of us, there's a lot of people, maybe an exaggerated version of the Christmas that the rest of us experience.

There are first run movies in the White House theater. There's not just a Christmas tree, but a forest of Christmas trees on the state floor. But usually, the White House Christmas moves on to Camp David, so it's not really a White House Christmas.

JOHNS: So, but everything is just bigger than life. Are there any other significant differences?

WEAD: Well, it can also be a stressful time, like it is in many families.

For example, in five different Christmases, over the holiday, the president's mother has died. Three times a president's father has died. We just had President-elect Obama losing his grandmother who raised him. That's very, very common to all of us.

So, it can also be a stressful time, the holidays.

JOHNS: So you said, one good idea is to hide the children from the media.

What are the other things that a president would have to do to raise a, you know, a super kid?

WEAD: Well, the balance that they teach for all parents is, to reduce it to two words, is gentle but firm. A child needs structure and discipline, and a child needs love.

And really, a president and a first lady, they can't provide the discipline in a consistent way that they should. So, they've got to spend -- use that power they have of celebrity -- and even the children can pick up that their parents are celebrities -- they've got to use that to catch their children doing something right instead of catching their children doing something wrong.

I would say Mrs. Robinson, the mother-in-law, is going to be a key here for the future of Malia and Sasha.

JOHNS: And there's always the Secret Service to help, too, I would imagine.

(LAUGHTER)

WEAD: Right. Well, sometimes. Sometimes the Secret Service can get in the way of child-raising.

JOHNS: You bet. Thanks so much, Doug Wead in Washington.

WEAD: Thank you.

JOHNS: Carol?

COSTELLO: It is now 28 minutes past the hour on this Christmas morning. Here are the top stories.

Another scary holiday flight, this one at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. American Airlines Flight 1544 skidded off the runway while taxiing after it hit an icy patch. The airline says none of the 54 passengers or five crewmembers aboard were hurt.

And Washington state's governor has declared a state of emergency on the record snowfalls in that state. That's going to free up cash to activate the National Guard. They're going to help with that snowy mess. Unfortunately, more rain and snow is in Seattle's forecast.

And just when you thought it was too late to get that last Christmas gift, FedEx has you covered. The company's domestic sorting stations are actually open for four hours this morning, allowing customers to pick up packages that were late because of this week's horrible weather.

And speaking of the weather, Rob Marciano is here. And what a beautiful day in New York. I can't get over how warm it is.

MARCIANO: Are you excited? What are you going to do? What kind of plans you got?

COSTELLO: I just want to walk in Central Park. And I'm going to walk and look at the Christmas displays windows.

MARCIANO: That sounds lovely.

COSTELLO: Doesn't it? We can go -- let's all go ice skating.

(LAUGHTER)

JOHNS: I just want to go and hang out with my kids.

COSTELLO: Oh. Oh, them on Christmas.

JOHNS: Yes, right.

MARCIANO: Yes. What? Kids, Christmas? Is that what it's all about?

JOHNS: Pretty much.

MARCIANO: Good to see you guys. Merry Christmas again.

JOHNS: You bet.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Yes. Thank you, Rob.

JOE JOHNS, CNN ANCHOR: Still early too, huh?

Well, there's no place like home for the holidays. That is if you can get there. Reporter Regina Waldroup from affiliate CLTV is live at Chicago's O'Hare Airport where some people aren't so lucky. Regina, what's the situation at the airport now? Are more planes getting out?

REGINA WALDROUP, REPORTER, CLTV: More planes are getting out. We have very few cancellations and delays this morning, but you know, yesterday it was quite a story here, an MD-80 jet slid off the runway. Apparently, it hit a patch of ice but there were also at least two other incidents involving a United flight and another American Airlines flight. And this all comes during one trying week for holiday travelers.

JOHNS: The risks and benefits - oh, got you. OK. I'm sorry. Now what I'm looking at there is a picture of a lot of people lying on the floor. And my question to you is are these people who have been there two days or three days or what?

WALDROUP: Well, the people here this morning are people just flying out today. We talked to 3 or 4 people though who had been camped here overnight. One couple, they're trying to get to Uganda. They've been here since 9:00. Another young man - he is hoping to get to St. Louis from Seattle. He was hoping to eat Christmas dinner with his family. He still has his fingers crossed. They're trying to get him on a stand-by flights. So just a few stragglers. But right now delays are running about 15 minutes, and you know, fewer than 100 flights canceled right now.

JOHNS: Got you. OK. Great. Thanks so much, Regina there in Chicago, and we'll keep looking.

COSTELLO: The risks and benefits of turning back the biological clock, in our on-going series "Baby Quest," we looked at older women trying to become mothers. It's 32 minutes past.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

COSTELLO: See? A video wall fire can be fun.

JOHNS: Yes, absolutely.

You sort of wonder if they're using one of those chemical starter logs for the wall fire.

COSTELLO: And if they're really going to eat those fake marshmallows. But it is a beautiful holiday scene. And thanks Phil and Laura, for bringing that to us.

JOHNS: That picture's just incredible. I can't get over that.

COSTELLO: It is amazing. This is too actually.

For many people starting a family is one of life's biggest blessings. But sometimes having a baby the old-fashioned way just isn't possible. So all this week, we're looking at the ways people are trying to have a child, including using cutting edge technology and our special series "Baby Quest."

JOHNS: Today in part 4 of our series, rolling back the biological clock, herbal remedies, acupuncture, in vitro fertilization are some of the treatments some women try to have a baby later in life. Alina Cho shows us the chances of their success. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALINA CHO, CNN, CORRESPONDENT: Joe and Carol, it's become a familiar story, more and more women are delaying pregnancy because they're focused on other things, like their careers. Ten years ago, women who waited too long had to give up. But now with advances in reproductive technology and alternative methods, women are pushing the limits. And in many cases, having success.

MEREDITH KOLK, MOTHER OVER 40: Pictures of healthy children.

CHO: A treasure map to a baby? That's just one of the many things that Meredith Kolk tried. At 40, she longed for another child, but knew the odds were against her.

KOLK: You hear about so many of the statistics, that fertility really goes down at 40.

CHO: Did that freak you out?

KOLK: It did. It was very scary.

CHO: So Meredith turned to in vitro fertilization, hoping to increase her odds. She also used alternative approaches, meditation, acupuncture, changes in her diet and that treasure map that kept her focused on her goal. There are those people who think, this is - a little nuts. It's a little crazy.

KOLK: They might, but the process itself makes you feel a little crazy.

CHO: What Meredith is going through is increasingly common. As more women, 40 and older, try to get pregnant.

DR. ALICE DOMAR, EXEC. DIR., CENTER FOR MIND BODY HEALTH: When I first got into the field, women over 40 weren't even encouraged to have treatment because they weren't going to get pregnant.

CHO: Dr. Alice Domar says times have changed. She runs the mind-body center in Boston that specializes in women struggling to get pregnant. Her research shows a medical link between stress and infertility.

DOMAR: If you can teach women stress management and relaxation techniques, their pregnancy rates on average double.

CHO: On this day, 39-year-old Sarah Weatherhead undergoes acupuncture. She believes being more relaxed could help her chances of getting pregnant. She's had IVF three times without success. And is waiting to hear whether the fourth time worked.

SARAH WEATHERHEAD, TRYING TO GET PREGNANT: I attempt to be very positive about it, but it's difficult, especially when I've had so many failed cycles.

CHO: Sarah is playing the ultimate game of beat the clock. In fact one study shows 33 percent of women are infertile by age 40. Increasing to 87 percent by age 45. Doctors say the best hope for older women is donor eggs.

DR. JANE RUMAN, INFERTILITY SPECIALIST: A lot of women initially are very reluctant to go down the route of donor eggs. Because they'll lose that genetic connection. The fastest way to get a child into your home is usually with donor eggs.

CHO: So successful, a few weeks ago, a 70-year-old woman in India gave birth. While no age limits are enforced in the U.S., most fertility centers maintain a cutoff between 50 and 55. What do you think you could offer now that you couldn't have offered as a 25-year- old mother?

WEATHERHEAD: I think I'm smarter, I like myself better.

CHO: Sarah is still hoping. And Meredith? At age 41, her family has just increased by two. When you were making that manifestation board, is this exactly what you pictured?

KOLK: If there was one baby in the original thought. But we were lucky enough to have had two. But yes, this is.

CHO (on-camera): Infertility experts say pregnant women over 40 do carry some health risks, like gestational diabetes, hypertension and in some cases, premature babies. But they also point out that the vast majority of older pregnant women deliver safely. And with life expectancy increasing some believe that the cutoff age at fertility clinics will only go up. So if 40 is the new 30 for pregnant women, soon 50 could be the new 40. Joe and Carol.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: You know, while many people are turning to science to have babies, right now thousands of children are in foster care in the United States hoping to be adopted. Here's 14-year-old Steven from Michigan telling his own story.

BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVEN, AGE 14: I'm Steven, my favorite color, blue. My favorite food to eat is pizza, macaroni and cheese, hot dogs, hamburgers. I want a family, so I guess - see what the world were of stuff and just, can have lots of company around me right now. And talk to them. And see what it's like having a mom and dad again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Handsome guy. If you're interested in adopting Steven, go to mare.org. The agency says, Steven is really laid back.

JOHNS: Sharp kid too.

COSTELLO: Yes. He has excellent grades in school and he's a football player too. So he's got it all. He's got it going on.

JOHNS: Exactly. That NCAA scholarship written all over him.

COSTELLO: He prefers to be placed with an African-American family. Joe, he's asking for a mom and dad. So there you have it. If you're interested in Steven, you can go to mare.org and you can learn more about Steven and how you can adopt him or you can hook up at cnn.com/am, we have information there too.

Coming up tomorrow on our "Baby Quest" series, how hard or easy is it to adopt? We'll check it out tomorrow right here on AMERICAN MORNING. It's 41 minutes past the hour.

JOHNS: Why not celebrate Christmas today by not giving big gifts? Meet the pastor who wants you to reclaim Christmas with a little less glitter and a lot more love. It's 41 minutes after the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JOHNS: There's a Christmas conspiracy, or is there, as part of a movement created three years ago to reclaim the holiday from commercialism. It's called the advent conspiracy. Churches worldwide are now observing Christmas by asking their members to spend less, give more, and love all.

Chris Seay, pastor of Houston's Ecclesia church is one of the founders of the advent conspiracy. He joins us now. Christ, thanks for coming in, especially so early.

CHRIS SEAY, URGING CONGREGATION TO SPEND LESS GIVE MORE Oh, you bet. I could talk about this any time of day.

JOHNS: OK. So here's my first question. It's Christmas day, last night was Christmas eve, you have kids, you have family, how do you -- how do you experience this Christmas morning?

SEAY: Well, hopefully like a lot of families. But maybe with a few more unique things. What we're trying to do -- my child actually explained it back to me well this week. As we tried to walk through what Christmas really means to them, they understood it, I think better than we did. They thought if this is Jesus' birthday, then we ought to give gifts to Jesus. And if you read the Christian scriptures and all. You hear what Jesus said, if you want to give to me, then you give to the least of these. Those that are hungry, those that are thirsty, those that are in need. And we live in a world where one child is dying every 15 seconds because they don't have access to clean water.

At first, that was a statistic to me, but now that I meet parents across the globe that have lost their children because their children drank polluted water, it's now a reality. What we're doing is saying, let's let the central gifts be the Jesus. And the way my son, my five-year-old puts it, he said we get to kind of get the goody bags at the end of the party favors, if you will.

JOHNS: So no Christmas presents? SEAY: No, we do Christmas presents. We do Christmas presents but we say, let's let the main gifts go to Jesus, let's spend less, and then let's give things that are really meaningful. When we do give gifts, if it's something you say I'm going to buy at a store, then what we're reminding people to sit down, and actually look one another in the eye and have a meaningful moment, write a note, share something that really has meaning.

JOHNS: Got it.

SEAY: So my kids are going to get gifts. What we're not going to do is what maybe what we used to do which is overload them with gifts to the point where they didn't even know what to play with.

JOHNS: Your movement sort of went viral in something like 700,000 hits, I think, on youtube. Let's take a look at the clip.

(PLAY VIDEO CLIP)

JOHNS: Now, Chris, the other thing you have to think about right now because we're in sort of an economic crunch and a lot of people say the only way this country's going to get out of it is with consumer spending. So with that in mind, isn't it sort of a good idea to say go ahead, America, spend money otherwise we might even find ourselves in a worse position economically?

SEAY: You know, Joe, everybody's got to make their own decisions. I think as a pastor what really has bothered me historically is our bondage to debt and consumerism really hits its peak on Christmas morning. And we're saying that the birth of Christ isn't a reason for more and more consumer spending. It ought to be. For those of us that are people of the Christian faith. A day of real true meaning. At a time that we're gathering far beyond just the buying and giving of gifts. So there's a big scandal going around years ago where some people of faith were angry that they weren't saying Merry Christmas when you went into Best Buy or Wal-mart. And I've said, you know what? I would prefer that's not the place we invoke the name of Christ. It might not be the most sacred place in our culture today.

JOHNS: That's so interesting because as you know, there are a lot of people out there who go exactly the other way. They say, I'd rather hear you say Merry Christmas than anything else. But anyway, Chris Seay, thanks so much for coming in here, the pastor of the Ecclesia Church and happy holidays.

SEAY: Thanks, Joe. Merry Christmas to you, buddy.

(LAUGHTER)

COSTELLO: That was a good compromise.

CNN NEWSROOM just minutes away. Alina Ch0 is at the CNN Center with a look ahead. Merry Christmas, Alina.

ALINA CHO, CNN, CORRESPONDENT: Merry Christmas, Carol. Good morning to you. And here's a check of what we are working on in the CNN NEWSROOM.

A Christmas message of goodwill and the mysterious intent of the woman who charged at the Pope. We'll show you the video and tell you what happened this morning. Bethlehem, Christians flock to the birthplace of Jesus. We'll look at the message behind today's festivities.

And far from home for holidays. Live reports from Iraq and the loved ones in uniform serving at Camp Liberty.

A lot to get to, including a check of the weather, we get started at the top of the hour right here on CNN. Carol, back to you.

COSTELLO: Thanks, Alina

It is 48 minutes past the hour.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHNS (voice-over): From broke to businessman.

WALTER (RUSSEN): I'm treading above water. Water's right up below my chin. Any day can sink me.

JOHNS: The man who is working hard on his recipe for success and trying to help others along the way. You're watching the most news in the morning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

COSTELLO: Remember that one, back in the day, in 1984, super group Band-Aid released the song, "Do they know it's Christmas" to raise money for starving children in Ethiopia.

Well in the spirit of the season we're profiling people who are going the extra mile to help those struggling to survive. We call them the guardians of Main Street.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is Charlie. He is homeless but he doesn't go hungry. Thanks to the man who own this restaurant. A man who himself knows what it's like to be down on his luck.

WALTER (RUSSEN): Which one is the medium?

ZARRELLA: Walter (Russen) doesn't make a whole lot of money cooking up chicken wings, burgers and fries.

RUSSEN: I'm just treading above water. Water's like right up below my chin. And it's just you know, any day can sink me, but until them I'm still going to keep my prices low. ZARRELLA: Keeping prices low because he says many people on this Main Street, the (inaudible) in Sarasota are struggling. He gets $3.50 for a burger, $1 for fries.

RUSSEN: Most people around here in this neighborhood here don't have the money, you know, the economy is bad, people are losing jobs.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I like it very much though.

ZARRELLA: How come?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, because I only work maybe two or three days a week. And I get a chance to treat myself.

ZARRELLA: And (Russen) knows what it's like to have barely a nickel to your name. Seven years ago, he lost his job. He and his family were homeless. With help from his mom and a local shelter, (Russen) he slowly got back on his feet. Now he's got his own barbecue joint, Janina's, named for mom.

RUSSEN: It's nice to walk in and put a key in the door and say, hey, this is mine.

ZARRELLA: And Russen has not forgotten his sobering times or those who cared. On Thanksgiving at the shelter that helped his family, Russen served up turkey dinners for 200 homeless people. And every day, Charlie Brienzo -

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where do you live?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I live in in my car.

ZARRELLA: Stands out by the street in front of the restaurant.

BRIENZO: I hold this sign that advertises his business, and in return, I know I've got a free supper every night.

JOHNS: And now Russen seems to be rubbing off on others.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm a person who has no money. And I'm giving you $100.

RUSSEN: Oh, geez.

ZARELLA: Walter Russen, serving up chicken, burgers, and kindness. It's a small restaurant, and there's really no place to eat in, but Walters made room for donations to the charity that once helped him get back on his feet. John Zarrella, CNN, Sarasota, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: That's pretty awesome.

We all know the classic holiday movie "Miracle on 34th Street," but farther south of New York, there's a different kind of Christmas cheer on a different 34th street. 55 minutes past the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

JOHNS: Thousands of people are flocking to one block in Baltimore this Christmas. Photo journalists (Jaye McMichael) shows us the "Miracle on 34th Street."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAYE MCMICHAEL: Here we are on 34th street in Hamden, some call it the miracle of lights. It's one more wonderful year of having lights come on for all of the people. Some neighbors it takes a month, so they start the day after Halloween, and other neighbors just takes a few days. And if any of the neighbors need help, we're there to help them. At different times, we've had traffic backed up for four miles all the way up to exit 10. I had one gentleman say, I saw your hub cap tree on my tele. I said where is your tele located. He said Australia.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My name is (Yen). I'm from Sydney, Australia. Nobody decorates their house to this extent. They put up a few lights and you know make like a blow-up doll or something.

MCMICHAEL: A blow-up doll?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You know, like a snowman.

(LAUGHTER)

MCMICHAEL: For Christmas, OK.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The other night when I was up here, young girls from Italy, that lady there from Ecuador, people come from all over, they love it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it's really tacky, but pretty awesome.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I like it.

MCMICHAEL: This is so unique, this is so Baltimore.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They take whatever they've got, they make what they can out of it. With a bunch of Christmas lights, people can come look at it. It's a good time. You know, it's pretty fun.

MCMICHAEL: So this has been a long-standing generational tradition. The whole neighborhood cooperates. Everybody is lit up, it's famous. People come from all across the country.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And having lived in Baltimore, I can tell you, it is spectacular. If you're anywhere near Baltimore, please go to 34th Street.

We want to talk Christmas displays though, did you see the winner of our i-report contest for the best rocking Christmas display? Tim Lizotte of Callahan, Florida rocks it out. We'll take a look.

And, you know, it's a drag to work on Christmas, but I must say that my co-workers - well, they make it worth it because we have a very special Christmas image from this morning. Look at Joe. This is in slow-mo.

JOHNS: I can't believe they actually recorded that. That is so mean.

COSTELLO: And we're going to play it over and over for you all day.

JOHNS: All day.

And Lara's here. Lara, it is time for what she's been working on all morning, the world's best drawing. All right. There it is. Come on. Let's get a shot. All right. It's fantastic. All right.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is a T. Rex. T. Rex!

JOHNS: It's a very good T. Rex.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Merry Christmas to you.

JOHNS: Oh look, it's a self-portrait. All right, we've got to go.

COSTELLO: Alina, take it away.