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American Morning
Clinton Questions Pakistan's Policy on Al Qaeda; Somali Pirates Kidnap British Couple; Healthy Distrust in Government; Obamas Discuss Their Marriage and Life in White House; Hotels Increasingly Charge Hidden Fees; Ice-Free North Pole in Ten Years?; CNN Top Ten Heroes
Aired October 30, 2009 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: That brings us close to the top of the hour. It's a minute before 8:00 on the East Coast on this Friday, October the 30th, one day before Halloween. I'm John Roberts.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Kiran Chetry. Glad you're with us. We have a lot of stories we're going to be telling you about in the next 15 minutes.
First, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton with some blunt words for a critical ally in the war on terror. She said she finds it hard to believe that Pakistan can't find Osama Bin Laden and other al Qaeda leaders. Our Jill Dougherty goes one on one with the Secretary of State.
ROBERTS: The White House releasing new numbers on how many jobs the stimulus created, this as many people look for proof in their own lives that the economy really is getting better. "STATE OF THE UNION" host John King is going to join us to take a look at the president's challenges ahead, the big three including issue number one, the economy, also health care, and the war in Afghanistan.
CHETRY: Hijacked on the high seas. A British couple being held hostage by Somali pirates. And, for the first time, we're learning just what happened the moment that their yacht was attacked in a dramatic phone call from captivity.
First, though, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton taking Pakistan to task over what she calls its failure to go after al Qaeda, her blunt talk seemingly at odds with her mission there which is to build trust between the key ally and Washington.
Our foreign affairs correspondent, Jill Dougherty, sat down with the secretary of state in Pakistan and she has more this morning on what Hillary Clinton is saying.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN FOREIGN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: John and Kiran, what really got the attention here was the comment by the secretary to local Pakistani journalists that it is hard to believe that no one in your government knows where al Qaeda is and can get al Qaeda. Now, when I talked to her, I asked her if she could explain exactly what she meant by that comment.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILLARY CLINTON, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: What I was responding to is what I've been really doing on this trip, which is that there exists a trust deficit, certainly on the part of the Pakistanis toward the United States, toward our intentions and our actions. And yet, we have so much in common, we face a common threat, we certainly have a common enemy in extremism and terrorism.
And so, part of what I've been doing is answering every single charge, every, you know, question. I'm going to continue today to put myself as in many different settings as possible because it's not adequate just to meet with government officials.
But trust is a two-way street. And I think it's important if we're going to have the kind of cooperative partnership that I think is in the best interest of both of our countries, for me to express some of the questions that are on the minds of the American people. And I'm not prejudging the answer. But I'm asking the question.
DOUGHERTY: But isn't that your -- isn't it that question? Your own personal question?
CLINTON: Well, I'm an American and I think we have -- we have every reason to say, "Look, we are applauding the resolve you're showing and going after the Taliban extremists that threaten you. But let's not forget, they are now part of a terrorist syndicate that in sort of classic syndicate terms would be headed by al Qaeda. Al Qaeda provides direction and training and funding, and there is no doubt in anyone's mind that they are certainly encouraging these attacks on the Pakistani government, which are so tragic, and which the Pakistani people are determined to beat back.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DOUGHERTY: Also on Iran, I asked the secretary about this apparent decision by Iran not to follow through on the commitment it made to ship out much of its low-enriched uranium for reprocessing. I asked her, "Is it time to stop talking and move towards sanctions?" And she actually said, "Let the process play out." That's what she wants to do.
And she said that U.S. and other officials, the allies who are working on this want to clarify right now, in fact, they're trying to clarify what Iran actually plans to do. Could it be the final answer that they will not go ahead, or could it be the beginning of a process that actually could end up where the international community wants it to be -- John, Kiran.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS: All right. Jill Dougherty for us this morning -- Jill, thanks so much.
A day after we found out the economy snapped its slump in the third quarter, the White House has released new numbers on how many jobs the stimulus either saved or created. It comes as many people are asking the question, "When will my recession be over?"
Joining us live from Washington is "STATE OF THE UNION" host John King to talk about this and more.
And so, John, we had the positive numbers on the economy yesterday -- 3.5 percent growth in GDP, which was good. Government saying it's because of the stimulus package. Now coming out with figures that say 650,000 jobs have been saved or created.
They're definitely looking for some good news on the economy after so much bad news over the last year.
JOHN KING, CNN HOST, "STATE OF THE UNION": They are, John, but this is such a difficult balance for the administration. Remember, we saw Michelle Obama in the back of the White House with a hula hoop last week. You would think, when the economy grew 3.5 percent, we would see the president doing handstands.
But, because the jobs are still missing from this recovery, they have to be very careful politically. Yes, they want to say that the economy is starting to bounce back, and yes, they want to claim that their stimulus plan has a lot to do with why it's bouncing back. But they can't say, look around you, jobs are being created, because even as they say this morning that the stimulus bill helped create or save, and "save" is the word we need to underline, 650,000 jobs. They know that unemployment will probably crack 10 percent in the next few months.
I was traveling last week in the state with the lowest unemployment in the country, Nebraska. Even there, 300 jobs at a drywall factory, gone, because housing hasn't bounced back. Jobs at a cabinet factory, gone.
So, the administration is happy that it appears things are getting better, but the jobs equation, John, which you know is critical to the politics of the economy, that still months away.
ROBERTS: Yes. Timothy Geithner out there yesterday, the treasury secretary, telling Congress that for many people, this recession is still not over. You know, do they have any good news at all in their back pocket for people out there who are among the ranks of the unemployed, as you said, as it approaches 10 percent?
KING: This is going to become a jigsaw puzzle of modest pieces because, in part, they spent $800 billion on the big stimulus package. And again, they say it's working, others say it isn't. That's part of the big political debate.
But the political reality is, with all this deficit spending, there's not a lot more money the administration can get to try to help. So what are they doing? There's a fight on Capitol Hill to extend unemployment benefits. They want to extend that home owner's credit, but if you buy a new house, you get a bigger tax credit from the government because they think that has helped a lot.
And they will do some modest things like that, and they're hoping -- hoping -- that this pressure on the financial industry and more financial reforms will cause lending to increase and the credit market which is still a little bit tight to loosen up a bit. But their ability to use the levers of government right now are more restricted by the fact that there's still some stimulus money still to be spent, John, but they cannot politically heading into the midterm election year, run up the deficit much more.
ROBERTS: And, of course, the president is still pushing health care reform as a way to save money, trim money off of the deficit. We got that 1,990 page bill out of the House yesterday. The Senate is still looking at trying to get a public option through.
Do they have the votes in the Senate to push through a bill with a public option?
KING: It's a question we still can't answer definitively. They do seem to have more and more of the conservative Democrats who say, "I don't want a public option." At least saying they would saying they would support a procedural vote to let the debate go forward.
This gets a little confusing, but if they get 60 votes in the Senate, then they can have a debate on the floor. And once they get to that point, they only need 51 votes to pass the bill. Do they have 51 votes in the Senate for a public option? Yes, they do.
Now, what exactly does that look like? They still need to negotiate the specifics. But they can reach an agreement, they believe, in the Senate for 51 votes on a public option.
It will not be the robust, big government roll that many House liberals want. But you were talking to Dana about this in the last hour, the House has already had to retreat some, too. Do they have the votes? Probably. But there's still a lot of negotiating to do.
ROBERTS: Yes, of course. The other big topic in Washington this week: Afghanistan. The president's been holding a series of meetings with officials, meeting with the Joint Chiefs of Staff today as pressure mounts for him to make a decision on whether to send more troops. We understand it may be some time between November 7th, the runoff election, and, I think, the 11th, when he heads out to Tokyo.
But does the White House need to make a decision more quickly than that, John, you know, given what's going on on the ground there?
KING: The White House insists, no, that the president will not be rushed and they say Secretary Gates has sent in some support troops because of the violence in recent days. You hit the date just about right. They say in about 10 days or so, look for the president to make this decision.
This is a big meeting today, because he will be with the Joint Chiefs. And the commander-in-chief, regardless of his decision, needs to have the trust and support and the public relations support of the men who, you know, wear the uniform.
And so, this is a political decision, but it's also a huge policy decision and the comfort level here, most believe, that the president is going to increase troops and the big debate is over how many. Do you have what's called McChrystal-lite and you send 10,000 or 20,000 more , or do you send 40,000 more?
Look, John, they understand that they're being accused by former Vice President Cheney of dithering. Other conservatives say, look, with this violence playing out, you got to get all the help you can there. The reality is, if the president signed the papers today, those new troops wouldn't get there for two or three months. And so, they think they'll take the heat on this short term, with the goal of trying to make the right decision. But the pressure on this president from the right and the left is enormous.
ROBERTS: Who have you got on this weekend?
KING: Well, we're going to kick these varying issues around. One of the things we'll talk about is Republican criticism of the vaccinations of H1N1, the new health care bill in the House, and we'll have an exclusive with the House Republican leader, John Boehner.
And remember, there are some elections next Tuesday. So, one of the people we want to talk to this Sunday is Haley Barbour. You know him, John.
ROBERTS: Yes.
KING: He's the governor of Mississippi now, but he was the Republican National Committee chairman back in 1993 and '94 when the Republicans stormed back into power. We want to see if there are any parallels out there as well.
And we also got out to New Jersey this week to take a look at an independent candidacy there that could tip the balance. Most people think the independent can't win in New Jersey, but they think he might possibly help the very unpopular Democratic incumbent sneak by to get re-elected.
ROBERTS: All right, looking forward to it. John King, thanks so much.
And don't forget. Don't miss the next generation in Sunday talk, "STATE OF THE UNION WITH JOHN KING" every Sunday morning beginning at 9:00 a.m. Eastern.
CHETRY: There you go.
Also new this morning, we're following a developing story right now. The navy and coast guard are searching off the southern California coast for nine missing people. They're looking after a coast guard plane and a marine helicopter collided in midair. It happened just before midnight Eastern, about 15 miles off San Clemente Island. The coast guard says debris has been spotted in the water.
ROBERTS: Say hello to America's new top doctor. The Senate has confirmed Dr. Regina Benjamin to be the next surgeon general. The Alabama family physician is best known for rebuilding her rural health clinic after Hurricane Katrina hit the state's gulf coast.
CHETRY: And the New York Yankees is tying up the World Series last night. Now, it's a game apiece, Phillies, Yankees. They beat Pedro Martinez and the Phillies 3-2 last night in game two at Yankees Stadium. The Bronx Bombers had two solo homers off of Pedro and that's all they needed. The series now goes to Philly for three games and that all starts tomorrow.
ROBERTS: Certainly, the monsoon season is over in the Indian Ocean and you know what that means, Somali pirates are back at it kicking it into high gear. Among their latest victims: a British couple who were sailing from the Seychelles to Tanzania onboard their private sailboat.
Phil Black is live in London, coming up. He's tracking the story there and will give us the very latest. They have been able to make contact with loved ones back home, but what's the next step in the pirates' game?
Ten minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning. Twelve and a half minutes past the hour now.
And for the first time, we're hearing how a British couple was taken hostage by Somali pirates. Paul Chandler says that he and his wife, Rachel, were sailing their yacht last week off the coast of Somalia when pirates snuck aboard in the middle of the night while they were sleeping. When asked how they're being treated, well, that's when their phone connection was cut off.
CNN's Phil Black is following the story live from London.
First of all, what were they doing sailing in those waters?
PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, they are a retired couple and they were simply enjoying their retirement. Experienced sailors, and both of them had spent a long time at sea. It was essentially a holiday, but it has certainly taken a dark turn.
As you say, we've managed to hear from one of these kidnapped sailors. It was a short telephone can conversation, but Paul Chandler was able to tell an extraordinary story during that brief period of time.
But just over a week -- or just less than, I should say, a multinational naval force has been looking for this couple in a big part of the Indian Ocean. Then on one day, two big breakthroughs in this story. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BLACK (voice-over): A floating mystery, the yacht Lynn Rival under sail in the Indian Ocean with no one on board. It was found by a British warship -- a tantalizing clue, but there was no sign of its owners, Paul and Rachel Chandler, missing for almost a week. The retired British couple was sailing between the Seychelles and Tanzania when their yacht emergency beacon activated. Then silence.
In these dangerous waters, Somalian pirates were always the obvious suspects, but it was only confirmed when CNN's British affiliate, ITV, made contact by phone with the couple's captors. They were allowed to speak directly with Paul Chandler.
PAUL CHANDLER, HOSTAGE (via telephone): We were in the waters 60 miles from Victoria in the Seychelles. Three to four boats came alongside. I was off watch. I went to sleep and men with guns came aboard. Then we were forced to sail six days, sail and motor towards Somalia.
BLACK: It was a brief conversation but Chandler said he and his wife were now being held upon this Singapore-flagged container ship hijacked by the same pirates two weeks ago. He said it's anchored just off the Somali coast.
For the Chandlers' relatives in Britain, hearing this conversation was difficult but also encouraging.
STEPHEN COLLETT, RACH CHANDLER'S BROTHER: They're both very tough people. They've been used to long-times traveling on the ocean.
BLACK: Tough people but not wealthy. And security experts believe that's where the pirates have miscalculated. They're used to negotiating and getting millions of dollars in ransoms with big companies that own ocean-going cargo ships.
CRISPIAN CUSS, DEFENSE CONSULTANT: It depends on the value of the cargo, the value of the vessel, and the number of crew. In this case, two middle-aged British couple without a vessel, they'll be lucky to get anything at all.
BLACK: The British government has demanded the couple's freedom. Experts say it's likely a military operation to rescue them will at least be considered, but it's risky. A French assault on pirates in April resulted in the rescue of four hostages, but another died.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLACK: So now the couple has been taken to Somalia and a military rescue operation is considered unlikely, but a ransom demand is expected imminently. So, this is where the process really slows down. The pirates traditionally come in high, asking for big numbers, many millions of dollars and they're reluctant to budge from that point, so the process of negotiating them down from there takes some time. It all means that it's very likely the chandlers will spend months in captivity. Kiran?
CHETRY: Just another example of how dangerous and in some cases deadly that area is and those waters. Phil Black for us this morning. Thank you.
ROBERTS: Earlier this morning, Kiran, I spoke to Captain Richard Phillips, who was taken hostage when his ship, the Maersk Alabama was attacked by Somali pirates. That was back in April. I asked him if he thought the pirates are changing their tactics by going after private citizens as well as commercial ships.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAPTAIN RICHARD PHILLIPS, MAERSK ALABAMA: They are going after anybody they see out there, ships, naval ships, yachts, boats, fishermen, tugs. There's no one who's outside their target area. It's a crime of opportunity and they are taking the opportunity. With the monsoonal change, with the winds and the sea conditions, they will increase. It's more advantageous, the environment, for the pirates. So they will take advantage of it. They are evolving and you will see an increase in incidences and situations on ships and yachts and boats in the Indian Ocean.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: And Phillips says that the pirates are always changing their tactics. They were operating up to about 300 miles out. Now they've extended that range out to about 700 miles off the coast. He said if he were to go back on board a commercial ship, he would feel much more comfortable if there was an armed security team on board.
CHETRY: That's right. That's right. And he also said that maybe this would work for now, but they'll always find a way to change their tactics.
ROBERTS: Absolutely. Necessity is the mother of all invention, I guess.
CHETRY: Absolutely. Well, still ahead, this is going to be a very, very interesting story if you're fascinated by political marriages, presidential marriages.
ROBERTS: Remember, there was that book out, right, that you interviewed the author on.
CHETRY: Yes. And this is just a really interesting look. Also, the New York Times had a chance to sit down for 40 minutes with the Obamas and talk about how the presidency, the campaign, and living inside the White House has shaped their marriage and changed it. 18 minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning. A live look at New York City right now where it's 52 degrees, going up to a high of 59. It's going to be mostly cloudy today, but fairly mild for this time of year.
CHETRY: Wow, did they make it cloudy just for Halloween? He's making fun of me, because earlier we had a perfect shot of Atlanta. It looks like one of the buildings was lit up in orange, so I got all excited. He was like, no, it's that color every day.
ROBERTS: It's just the monitor reflecting her sweater.
CHETRY: Well, you know, it's the day before Halloween. You've got to look the part. Christine Romans joining us this morning. You're not ghoulish today. You have some good information.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: No, I'm not. I do, you know, and this is - I just want to - you know, the president has a couple of good pieces of economic news this week. In particular, that GDP report that the economy grew in the third quarter. This is really the most upbeat thing that's happened on the economy since the president became the president. The GDP returned to growth, 3.5 percent growth. I mean, this is something that is a well- received piece of news by the White House.
Also, this morning this news that 650,000 jobs have been created by the stimulus. The White House even extrapolating that because that only accounts for about half the money that's been spent, they think that they have surpassed their 1 million jobs created by the stimulus and that they are on track for 3.5 million jobs to be created or saved by the stimulus over the next couple of years. So good news there. So what's going right with the economy? Stabilizing, housing market has stabilized, we know this. Stocks are at a year-high.
But the president can't really do a victory lap here and they know it and that's why the tone is a little more subdued on all this good news. Because you've got an unemployment rate of 9.8 percent. Christina Romer, one of the President's Economic advisers says it is likely, highly likely we'll see 10 percent. Foreclosures are up 23 percent from last year and consumers are still nervous. So, it's still kind of a tough -- there's economics, there's politics, and right now there's strange bedfellows.
(CROSSTALK)
CHETRY: Well, we're switching gears and we're having a little bit of fun with your "Roman's Numeral" today. It has to do with Halloween.
ROMANS: The Roman's numeral, a number trying to make you think. We wanted you to think on this all Hallows eve.
ROBERTS: Seventeen pounds. I know what it is.
ROMANS: Okay, what is it?
ROBERTS: That's the weight of the new health care bill.
ROMANS: Haha. That's very funny. It probably is!
CHETRY: Maybe it is.
ROMANS: Or it is the average weight of the stash per trick-or- treater.
CHETRY: You're kidding me!
ROMANS: No, I swear -- 598 million pounds of candy will be sold, according to Nielsen. There are 36 million trick-or-treaters, aged 13 and under. That means 17 pounds per kid. Now...
CHETRY: And if you let them, they'd eat it all that night.
ROMANS: Oh, yes, my mom would never let me. Okay. This is a little, this is the most capitalist of holiday -- this holiday is so capitalist. It's about getting the most with the least amount of work, right? Zilo.com, you can go on Zilo.com, you can find out the top five cities where the best neighborhoods are based on how rich the neighborhood is, how drivable it is, its crime rate, so that you can teach your children how to make sure they can get the most, best candy with the least amount of output.
CHETRY: That's interesting.
ROMANS: I would love that.
CHETRY: Because that is fun, but there's a lot more that goes into it than that.
ROMANS: And the costume. So Boston is Cambridge, in L.A., it's Venice. In San Francisco, Presidio Heights. In Seattle, it's Wallingford. Those are the best places to get the best candies with the least amount of effort. Think about it, I mean, have you ever thought about this? Teaching your kids the economic lessons based on Halloween. I mean, it's really the first time that they learn how to get, right? It's so American.
CHETRY: They love it. And kids absolutely love Halloween.
(CROSSTALK)
ROBERTS: I remember back when I was a kid, and we're going back a long time ago. You know, we used to get things like ginger bread cookies and that sort of thing from houses that we knew. Oh yes. And you looked forward all year to that. It's just -- no such thing as gingerbread cookies.
ROMANS: My mom, maybe this is why I became a reporter. My mom took all my candies, four kids, divided it up equally, and then gave it all back to us in equal amounts and I realized...
ROBERTS: That's like socialism in Romans' household. There you go.
ROMANS: It's not right. Not right, mom.
ROBERTS: Are we a nation of cynics? Do we trust government? Is it a bad thing to be skeptical? Carol Costello, just saying. Coming right up after the break. 24 and a half minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning. Trust. The dictionary defines it as the reliance on the integrity of a person or thing.
CHETRY: Yes, well according to a new poll, trust appears to be in very short supply these days, especially when it comes to the American people and the government. It seems a lot of us believe that we're being misled or lied to a lot. Our Carol Costello is live in Washington this morning and you're asking the question today, are we a nation of cynics?
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I think the answer is yes, Kiran. I put the question on my Facebook page, do you trust the government? Nobody said yes. Some said stuff I can't tell you on TV. There are many who believe that cynicism is bad for the country because it's difficult for the president or congress to get anything done. But, just sayin', is it really a bad thing? Could distrust in government actually be a good thing?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Despite President Obama's campaign promises...
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Where there's cynicism, hope is always stronger.
COSTELLO: But hope has not put more trust in government. We feel as we've always felt, but worse. According to a "Wall Street Journal"/NBC poll, if you ask Americans if they trust government to do the right thing all or most of the time, just 23 percent say yes. That's the lowest number since 1997. It is so abysmal, some say, it's hurt president Obama and congress.
GLORIA BORGER, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: What you find now is because people don't trust government, it provides a political opening for both parties to say, don't trust the other guy.
COSTELLO: CNN analyst Gloria Borger says that distrust has made the health care reform debate agonizingly slow. What's worse, some Americans are so loathe to put their trust in government, they don't even believe health officials are telling them the truth about the swine flu.
I also question the severity of the problem. It seems to be a little bit blown out of proportion.
COSTELLO: According to the CDC, 20,000 Americans have been hospitalized, 1,000 have died. On the other hand, swine flu skeptics aside, too much trust in government has gotten the country into trouble.
CROWD: USA! USA!
COSTELLO: After 9/11, trust in the government was high. According to a CNN-USA Today-Gallup poll in October of 2001, 60 percent trusted the government to do the right thing always or most of the time. And some say that helped president bush make the case for what some call the disastrous Iraq war, which most Americans now oppose. Just sayin', can distrust in government be good?
GENE HEALY, CATO INSTITUTE: I think people ought to see the bright side in distrusting government.
COSTELLO: Gene Healy works for the conservative Cato Institute.
HEALY: When you have lower trust in government, you tend to get fewer foreign wars, you tend to get fewer expensive government programs, and you also tend to get fewer abuses of civil liberties.
COSTELLO: Healy says trust in the government was high in the '60s during the Kennedy-Johnson years when the U.S. got into another unpopular war, Vietnam.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Healy says today our overly healthy distrust in government may slow something else down, and that would be government spending. I asked you to comment on my blog this morning and you certainly have. And I appreciate it. I have some of your comments right now.
Erin says, "No government deserves absolute trust." Scott says, "I think this trust in government is essential. But we tend to focus on the president. The people who most deserve our suspicion are all in Congress."
Thomas says, "Trust the government? Ha, just like we trusted them after 9/11? The elected politicians will tell us anything. And once they get elected they go after their own personal agendas."
So the answer to your question, John, we are a nation of cynics. I want to comments to continue coming, CNN.com/amfix.
ROBERTS: It's probably good to be a nation of skeptics. It's always good to have a healthy sense of skepticism about most things, but cynical, is that a good thing?
COSTELLO: Some say it's skeptical, some say it's cynicism. It's all in how you look at it.
ROBERTS: Carol Costello, "Just Sayin'" this morning. Carol, thanks so much.
We're crossing the half hour and checking our top stories now. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton coming down hard on Pakistan this morning, saying it's hard to believe the Pakistani government hasn't been able to find Osama bin Laden.
Mrs. Clinton leaves Pakistan for the Middle East this weekend. She'll be trying to get peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians back on track. An early blast of winter and what a blast it was -- three feet of snow falling in parts of Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah. The nasty weather now moving across the plains and heading east. It's the biggest fall snowstorm in 12 years in the Denver area.
And good luck to all the trick-or-treaters on Halloween tomorrow. You better put on your snow shoes. The same storm system brought rain and floods to parts of Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana.
And in just a few hours time President Obama will sign an extension of the Ryan White AIDS bill. The legislation provides care, treatment, and support services to nearly a half a million mostly low income people. The new measure will provide more equitable distribution of funding to areas seeing an increase in HIV/AIDS cases - Kiran.
CHETRY: John, thanks.
And to many it looks like the picture-perfect marriage. President Obama and the first lady Michelle are celebrating 17 years this month. And for the first time we're getting a candid look at their relationship and the stress of living in the spot light in their own words.
Jodi Kantor is the Washington correspondent for "The New York Times" and she had a chance to interview the first couple. Her article "The First Marriage" appears in "The New York Times" Magazine that's out this Sunday.
Hi, Jodi, thanks for being with us.
JODI KANTOR, WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT, "THE NEW YORK TIMES": Thank you.
CHETRY: You had a very rare opportunity to get to sit down with both of them for 40 minutes and ask them a lot of personal questions about their marriage. What struck you the most about that interview?
KANTOR: A couple of things. One was just being in the Oval Office, the place that symbolizes executive power. And we were talking about things like date night.
And another thing, you know, I think the question that elicited the most memorable response was I asked the president and first lady if it's possible to have an equal marriage when one member was president, and it was a little tough for the president to answer the question.
CHETRY: So how did he answer it?
KANTOR: Well, he took a couple tries. I mean, he's normally so eloquent and fluent, and he tried once, and he tried again, and then he said, I have to be really careful about how I answer this question.
And Mrs. Obama is looking at him intently to see what he's going to say. And finally she sort of stepped in to say, you know, in our jobs, we are not equal now, but in our private lives, we are.
CHETRY: And are they equal or does she kind of call the shots a little bit more? He has talked about how she's a really, really important person when it comes to getting a read. He jokes that she's the everyman and she has some really good insight when she advises him on perhaps how things are going to be received.
But is there a clear upper hand in terms of who runs the show?
KANTOR: What's interesting now is they're getting into each other's fears. President Obama didn't live full-time at home for a long time. This is the first time since 1996 that the Obamas are under the same roof.
So, now he has more of a chance to do some of the domestic duties. And Mrs. Obama, while she's not that involved in administration policy, she does play a political role as first lady. And she's getting more involved in politics.
CHETRY: For people who are scratching their heads saying, wait a minute, they didn't live under the same roof. He was a state senator, so that would involve him traveling between Springfield and their home in Chicago. Of course, as we know, he was on the campaign trail.
And she talked to you about how she is just starting to realize now how much she missed having him there seven days a week.
KANTOR: It was the major issue in their marriage for a long time. The absence was just incredibly hard to cope with. And they say that this is their favorite thing about being in the White House, that they finally know that they're going to wake up seeing each other every morning.
CHETRY: Get a chance to work out together, which is nice. Not a lot of people get to do that.
President Obama also talked about the one time, he claims, that he's been annoyed since being at the White House. And he said that was when he took first lady out for date night in New York and that people made it into a political issue. What else did he tell you about that?
KANTOR: Well, he almost gave this poignant soliloquy about it. The Obamas have a long history of date nights. They've been doing it for a long time to spend time together.
And he talked about wanting to take his wife out on a date and how he made her this promise during the campaign. And they came to New York and they saw a show.
And, as we know, they were subject to criticism for using federal money on their own private entertainment. And he talked about how upsetting it was to him that he was just trying to do something nice for his wife, and it became political.
CHETRY: Quickly, you also asked them if they ever thought that their marriage was going to not work out and whether they sought counseling. How did he answer that?
KANTOR: They said that they never feared the marriage would actually come to an end, but they did have a serious period of tension in their marriage.
CHETRY: And he didn't really answer either way whether they had sought counseling for that?
KANTOR: Well, I would urge viewers to go to NYTimes.com, read the story, read his answer and see what you think it means.
CHETRY: We'll actually link it to up to our Web site too. It's a great, great story that you wrote. Jodi Kantor with "The New York Times," thank you.
KANTOR: Thank you.
CHETRY: John.
ROBERTS: So all of those hidden fees that you pay, not just on credit cards, but they could be everything from your bank account to your hotel room. Just how much do they add up to every year, and is there something you can do to avoid them?
Our Gerri Willis is with us in a couple of minutes to add it all up and tell you what you can do to save some money.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: You know how they always say you've got to read the fine print, but it's hard to read because they make it so fine.
(LAUGHTER)
ROBERTS: Should try reading it with my eyes.
CHETRY: I don't think mine are much better, exactly. Or I'm the opposite. I'm like this.
But the bottom line is, it's all of these hidden fees, and most of the time you probably don't know you're getting slammed for them.
ROBERTS: Sure. Like what the heck is a resort fee? Industry is becoming master right up there with cell phones and credit cards with nickel and diming you.
Gerri Willis is here to tell you how you can avoid getting burned by all these little fees that add up.
WILLIS: In case you can't see them, we have our reading glasses right here.
Yes, it's the gotcha fees, guys, the hidden ones, the ones you don't know about that come to your attention after you've receive the service or product. Those are the ones that hurt the most, and they are everywhere, and they are growing. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GERRI WILLIS, PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: From cell phones to cable service, to credit cards and banks, to airline travel and hotel stays, experts say the average American is spending close to $1,000 a year extra on hidden fees and surcharges, a nickel here, a dime there.
BOB SULLIVAN, AUTHOR, "RED TAPE CHRONICLES": That's real money. Married couples, we're talking about $2,000. That's a nice chunk of change to stock a healthy retirement pay, a nice vacation, get a head start on school costs.
WILLIS: Bob Sullivan is the author of "The Red Tape Chronicles."
SULLIVAN: Almost every transaction now, if you're buying a car, buying a house, getting a cell phone, the company knows far much more than you do, including they know what the real cost is. And when there's all this confusion over what things cost, well, consumers lose.
WILLIS: And they're losing in a big way. The average fee ranges from less than $1 to $10. While that may not seem like a lot of money, it adds up.
Cell phone fees average $9.40 a month, more than $116 a year. Cable and satellite fees on average run $9.52 a month, totally $114 a year. Every time you fly, $33.44. With a national ticket of three and a half tickets a year, that totals $102 a year.
Credit card bills are $7.72 a month, bringing the annual costs to $92. And the average fee incurred for a hotel stay is close to $25, roughly $95 a year per person.
Bjorn Hanson is a professor at NYU's Tisch Center for Hospitality. He says hotels have become more creative in what he calls the "surprise fee."
BJORN HANSON, PROFESSOR, NYU TISCH CENTER: The hotels in 2008 collected about $1.75 billion on fees and surcharges. Some of the fees that surprised guests the most would be an early departure fee, a cancellation fee, mini bar restocking charges, luggage or baggage holding fees.
WILLIS: Some hotels go as far as charging resort amenity fees for towels, and some urban hotels even charge a daily fee for receiving faxes.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS: That's amazing.
CHETRY: It is amazing. And Gerri, what is it that we can actually do about these fees, if anything, besides just being annoyed?
WILLIS: You can negotiate them. That is possible. Experts say the best way not to avoid being surprised by hidden fees or surcharges is to ask up front before every transaction, what's the final cost I'm going to pay, and then you can negotiate from there.
ROBERTS: That actually works? You can phone them up and say, I don't want to pay, and they we'll take it off?
WILLIS: Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't. But the groups that are most likely to work with you on this are the credit cards and the hotels. Those are the groups that will most likely cut your costs and your prices.
You know how this is. We were talking about this earlier this week. You call up your credit card company and you're like, I don't want to pay this fee, and they're like, oh, OK, we'll take it off. Did they need that money? I guess not. It was just extra fees, extra surcharges, and that's what we've been talking about all week.
ROBERTS: I guess they just figure that most people will just like, suck it up, right?
WILLIS: I know. And so you've got to challenge them at every turn. That's what it comes down to. You've got to negotiate for yourself. You've got to be vigilant. You've got to be watching that bill, making sure that you're not paying extra.
CHETRY: It's good advice. A little bit extra time could save you a lot of money.
WILLIS: That's right.
CHETRY: Gerri, thank you.
WILLIS: My pleasure.
CHETRY: Still ahead, we'll talk about climate change and some concerns right now and some really ambitious goals about making a difference. Eric Larson will be joining us about how one person -- can one person a make a difference?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Climate change. Is it happening more quickly than previously thought? A team of experts who just spent three months in the Arctic says all of the ice at the North Pole will completely melt each summer in just ten years' time.
Our next guest wants to raise awareness to these problems. So in the next year, he's going to head to the North Pole, to South Pole and to the top of Mt. Everest.
Joining me now is polar explorer, Eric Larson. Eric, great to see you; boy, this is an ambitious year that you've got planned out.
What are you hoping to do by traversing the ice to the South Pole which I guess is going to be your first track and then the Arctic and then climbing Everest?
ERIC LARSON, POLAR EXPLORER, DOG MUSHER AND EDUCATOR: Well, the goal of the expedition is really documenting what I call the last great frozen places left in the planet: the North Pole, South Pole and Mt. Everest. In doing so hopefully, building that connection to those places and really reinforcing the idea of climate change to people, that yes, it is happening, it is real. And making people realize that there is things that we can all do, either on an individual level or regional, or larger level.
ROBERTS: Now, you had been to the South Pole and to the North Pole before.
LARSON: Correct.
ROBERTS: This is going to be your first time to Mt. Everest. But in the places that you've been already, what evidence have you seen of the effects of global warming?
LARSON: In 2006, I did an expedition to the North Pole. It was the first ever summer expedition to the North Pole. And as we traveled north, where we had expected to find more ice and thicker sheets of ice, we found less ice and more open water. In fact, we actually paddled our canoes at the North Pole in a place that we thought would be mostly frozen.
ROBERTS: Right. And I guess because the Northwest Passage may open up in the next three or four years, there is actually a homeland security concern about all of that as well.
LARSON: That's right.
ROBERTS: So it's being recognized in a number of different areas.
However, the man-made component of climate change is still being hotly debated and discussed. In fact, the Pew Research Corporation took a poll in October and they found that the number of people who believe that a human component is responsible for global warming was at a three-year low; 57 percent compared to 77 percent back in 2006.
Any idea why public opinion on the man-made component of global warming is shifting?
LARSON: Global warming is this huge, big issue. And in one sense, it isn't affecting you or I directly. And however, if you talk to a lot of the people that are living in the circumpolar region or the ends of the earth, they're seeing a lot of these dramatic changes that's affecting them right now.
But it is an issue that affects everyone and I think the goal of my expedition is just to remind people of that. And also inspire people, for them to recognize that while global warming is a big issue, it may take just that one step. Just like in an expedition, sometimes when I'm overwhelmed with a challenge, all I need to do is to take that first step. And I think that's an important thing for all of us to remember.
ROBERTS: So this is going to be a tremendous personal undertaking for you. And you'll probably get a lot of coverage of it as well. But can you turn that public relations value into actual progress in terms of cutting through the convoluted and far-ranging politics that surround global warming?
LARSON: Yes global -- again, global warming is this issue that doesn't really have a human side to it right now. And what I hope to do is use the drama of the expedition as a hook to talk about issues that are bigger than myself.
ROBERTS: But can one person or a handful of people who will be involved in your expeditions really make a difference?
LARSON: I think so. And I think to think otherwise is a little foolish, because I do believe in that idea of one step, that every little piece helps.
I have also another philosophy in expeditions when I'm working with a team, which is no one of us is as strong as all of us. And I think if you take each person's individual action and add that up with other people's action, there's a tide effect of change that can occur.
ROBERTS: There's going to be a lot of talk about climate change over the next couple of months. The climate change bill in Congress is now making its way through the Senate. There's also the Copenhagen talks coming up in December.
On the climate change bill, it calls for a reduction in green house as a 20 percent by 2020. This is from 2005 levels. Kyoto Protocol was looking for reductions from 1990 levels.
LARSON: Correct.
ROBERTS: This bill that's making its way through the Senate is it enough to make a change?
LARSON: Again, I think every little step helps, and as Americans, we need to take a lead in the global debate on what we can do to reduce carbon emissions. And I think this is a first step, but we need to take a comprehensive look at all of the things that we are doing.
ROBERTS: And in Copenhagen, even the Danish Prime Minister is saying, well, don't really hold out that much hope of a binding agreement from this.
If you could sit down and talk to the participants at the upcoming Copenhagen meetings which is supposed to right the successor to the Kyoto Protocol, what would you tell them?
LARSON: Well, I think we need to set our carbon emissions at 350 parts per million. And I think we all need to really invest in a lot of clean energy technologies and have the United States take a lead role in setting an example.
ROBERTS: Well, when you say set our carbon emissions at 350 parts per million, what exactly does that mean? LARSON: Well, I mean, the amount of acceptable levels of carbon dioxide in the earth's atmosphere has basically been established at around 350 to remain at a stable level of climate without these extreme kind of fluctuations of global climate.
ROBERTS: So you'll be heading to the South Pole next month, to the Arctic in March.
LARSON: Correct.
ROBERTS: And then Everest in that second window in the -- when is it?
LARSON: In the fall, September and October of 2010.
ROBERTS: Well, good luck. It's an ambitious undertaking. Eric thanks so much for dropping by.
LARSON: Thank you I appreciate it.
ROBERTS: We'll stay in touch and monitor your progress.
LARSON: Thank you.
ROBERTS: Eric by the way is going to be sending us all kinds of notes, videos and photos during the trip and you can follow along on our blog at CNN.com/amfix. Plus, Eric has more information about his trip on his site, savethepoles.com.
It's now 51 1/2 minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Looking for a big chicken in the control room. I heard a rumor there's one in there. It's Halloween Eve.
Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning.
The world needs its heroes, and one woman is making a big difference. She's helping young victims of abuse. Here is multibillionaire, business mogul and philanthropist Richard Branson, who introduces us to one of CNN's Top Ten Heroes of 2009.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICHARD BRANSON, PHILATHROPIST: Hello. I'm Richard Branson.
Last year I had the honor of serving on the Blue Ribbon panel that selected the Top Ten CNN Heroes of 2008. These everyday citizens who are changing the world are recognized during "CNN HEROES, AN ALL- STAR TRIBUTE".
As founder of Virgin Knight (ph), which tackles social and environmental problems around the globe, I'm absolutely thrilled to help CNN introduce one of this year's top ten honorees. Now more than ever, the world needs heroes. BETTY MAKONI, TOP 10 CNN HEROES: In Zimbabwe, ten girls per day are raped. They need an advocate to help them break silence. My name is Betty Makoni. I founded an organization that rescues girls from abuse.
When a girl gets to the villages, she is provided with emergency medication, reinstatement in school, as well as counseling. It gives them the confidence to transform from victims to leaders.
Say no to child abuse?
Say no.
Say no.
Say no.
This is the job I have always wanted to do. It gives me a fulfillment and in girls I see myself every day.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: There you go. And a reminder, all of the nominees in the top ten are going to be honored in an all-star tribute. It's hosted by our Anderson Cooper. It's on Thanksgiving night and you'll see it here only on CNN.
It's 56 minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Well, it is Halloween Eve. Devil's Night, Mischief Night, or as our executive producer calls it, Goosey Night. He lives in a town that was terrorized by a wild turkey. What would you expect him to say?
Whatever you call it, tonight Larry King is getting ghoulish. He'll talk with real-life ghost hunters and then hear supernatural stories from Dan Aykroyd and Joan Rivers. That's "LARRY KING LIVE" tonight at 9:00 p.m. Eastern, right here on CNN.
CHETRY: There you go. What a costume. Even Larry dressed up.
ROBERT: I think that Larry was Photoshopped.
CHETRY: Oh, all right. We'll have to Photoshop you tomorrow.
Meanwhile, continue the stories -- continue the conversation on all the stories that you saw by going to our blog, cnn.com/amfix.
That's going to do it for us for this week. Hope you have a wonderful week, a safe and Happy Halloween.
ROBERTS: All right.
The news continues here on CNN with T.J. Holmes in the "CNN NEWSROOM" -- hey T.J.
