Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Health Care Rescue Talks; From Gitmo to the Heartland; Toronto 18 Terror Plot

Aired December 15, 2009 - 12:00   ET

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

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Time for your top-of-the- hour reset.

I'm Tony Harris in the CNN NEWSROOM.

It is 12:00 in Washington, where President Obama summoned 60 senators to the White House hoping to rescue the health care overhaul.

In Canada, police say this explosion was intended for downtown Toronto. Whoa. A CNN investigation looks at the Toronto 18 terror plot.

And in New York, training for green jobs, one woman's project that is transforming the Bronx and lives.

Let's get started.

The health care reform bill on the ropes today. A White House meeting three hours from now may determine its fate in the Senate this year.

Congressional correspondent Brianna Keilar on Capitol Hill with us.

And Brianna, a lot to work through here. Sixty senators going to the White House. What brought about the meeting, and what's the president likely to say?

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is President Obama really trying to exert all of his clout to say, look, you need to pass this, and if we fail at this, it's going to be a generation before health care reform is going to be taken up by another president. So that's really his message today.

He's trying to exert a lot of pressure on them because Democrats still have not come to an agreement on a plan to get the 60 votes they need. The big issue here, we've been talking about this all morning, Tony, Joe Lieberman.

Senator Joe Lieberman, an Independent who normally votes with Democrats on domestic issues. This, of course, being one of those. He has, Senate Democrats will tell you, thrown a bit of the wrench into the works by saying, I don't like a tentative agreement that you have come up with. So let's just recap exactly the progress of this Senate bill, Tony. First, it had a government-run insurance option. That was the bill that was introduced on the floor. It was obvious that wasn't going to get the 60 votes needed, so then some moderate and liberal Democrats worked to try to come up with a compromise. And that tentative agreement was one that included a Medicare buy-in, allowing people between the ages of 55 and 64 who are uninsured to buy in to Medicare.

Senator Lieberman has now made it clear he will not be the crucial 60th vote if that goes forward. And so it appears at this time the Democrats are really going to have no choice but to abandon that plan.

Senator Lieberman spoke just a few moments ago. Listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOSEPH LIEBERMAN (I), CONNECTICUT: ... where I can say what I wanted to say all along, that I'm ready to vote for health care reform. My whole point has been here that the president laid out a couple of big goals for this process -- bend the cost curve down for individuals, families, businesses, our government, our economy of health care. And secondly, bring a lot of people in who can't afford health insurance now.

The basic core bill does that. I think some of the other things were going to add to our debt, increase taxes, and were just not necessary to achieve those two goals. So, I think we're heading in the right direction.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: So, Senator Lieberman trying to get on the record here, because he's really been skewered, as you know, by some liberal blogs saying that he is in the pocket of insurance companies that are headquartered in his Connecticut office, that in the past he's been for this Medicare buy-in. But now he says you can't do it because of the deficit, because of the strain on Medicare, and he says it's just not necessary to him.

What he would like to see instead is, what what's in the core bill, as he calls it. He wants to see those insurance industry reforms, some of those insurance industry practices that are not consumer friendly.

He is a fan of the subsidies, these federal subsidies, basically coupons to help people purchase insurance, who right now they can't, and to get those millions of uninsured Americans insured. He said that's what he wants to see, and this idea of a government-run insurance plan, or the more watered-down idea of this Medicare buy-in, and he says that just gets in the way and he cannot be on board with that.

HARRIS: Well, and it sounds to me, Brianna -- I don't know if you would agree -- that Senator Lieberman, by going on the record just minutes ago -- you saw it right here in the CNN NEWSROOM -- has put the ball squarely in the court of the president and the Senate leader, and is, in essence, saying here's the path to getting health care reform. I will support the core bill, but none of these other options and amendments that would bring back the public option.

Does that sound about right to you?

KEILAR: And this is what he has been saying, Tony. And I think that Senate Democratic leaders are very clear on this, that he's not going to get on board with these things.

And like I said before, they're not really, Senate Democratic leaders, waving the white flag yet, officially, on this Medicare buy- in, but they see the writing on the wall. What they're waiting for today, possibly tomorrow, is for that nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office to come back with that all-important number-crunching that they do to say how much the bill costs.

When they have knows numbers, it is then possible to maybe strip this Medicare buy-in out and see if they can move forward. They're clearly leaning in that way, because when you hear some of these liberal Senate Democrats indicating, look, we want to pass health care reform, even if we have to forgo this idea of the Medicare buy-in or the public option -- so, that's the write on the wall.

HARRIS: Yes. Yes.

Congressional correspondent Brianna Keilar.

Good work on this, Brianna. Appreciate it. Thank you.

An announcement expected from President Obama, confirming that a prison in rural Thomson, Illinois, will house detainees from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The Thompson facility is practically empty. It is to be acquired and upgraded by the federal government. We're told a limited number of terror suspects will be transferred from Gitmo to the prison in the U.S. heartland.

More details and a live report two minutes from now.

In Pennsylvania today, a federal indictment charges two men with a hate crime in the death of Luis Ramirez. Prosecutors say the attackers shouted racial slurs when they beat and kicked Ramirez to death in 2008 in the town of Shenandoah. Four police officers are also indicted in the case for allegedly obstructing the investigation. Among them, the Shenandoah police chief.

President Obama wants you to winterize your home with the government's help. The president pitched his plan at a Virginia Home Depot today. He wants to offer tax breaks for Americans who retrofit their homes to be more energy-efficient.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The simple act of retrofitting these buildings to make them more energy-efficient, installing new windows and doors, insulation, roofing, ceiling leaks, modernizing heating and cooling equipment, is one of the fastest, easiest and cheapest things we can do to put Americans back to work, while saving money and reducing harmful emissions.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: The president says the plan will also help put small contractors back to work.

Thirteen people killed today in two bombings in Afghanistan. One of the bombs going off in Kabul, near the home of the former vice president. He was unhurt. But one of his guards and an assistant were among those killed. Several civilians died in the second Afghan explosion. That one at a guard post in the southeast.

Several bombings also today in Iraq. A total of eight people killed in Mosul and Baghdad. The first set of the explosions happened in the heart of the capital. Three car bombs detonating within minutes of each other near the heavily fortified Green Zone, while in Mosul, it was two car bombs and a roadside bomb exploding minutes apart.

Now let's get back to the terror suspects coming to the nation's homeland.

We expect President Obama to announce soon that Guantanamo detainees will be transferred to a prison facility in rural Illinois.

Live now to CNN White House Correspondent Dan Lothian.

And Dan, this is going to be a controversial decision by the president.

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, it really will be, Tony. As you know, this administration has been looking for host countries, if you will, to accept some of these detainees. There's been a lot of pushback on that, so increasingly they've been looking at facilities here in the United States.

And it's controversial in that some people, some critics, believe that this would only be a threat to national security by housing these terror suspects on U.S. soil. But the administration pointing out that this simply is not the case, releasing a statement this morning that says, in part, "Closing the detention center at Guantanamo is essential to protecting our national security and helping our troops by removing a deadly recruiting tool from the hands of al Qaeda. Today's announcement is an important step forward as we work to achieve our national security objectives."

On the flip side as well, Tony, there are those who believe that this is something that could really help this community that's been struggling now for quite some time, especially with this prison facility which has been empty, mostly empty since 2001. And so they believe that if they can get these inmates in there -- these detainees, rather, in there, that it could bring some 4,000 jobs to the region, inject about a billion dollars into the community as well. So, they see it -- a lot of people there see it as a plus for the community -- Tony.

HARRIS: Yes.

Hey, Dan, didn't Congress prohibit detainees onto U.S. soil unless it's for prosecution? How will the White House deal with that?

LOTHIAN: That's right. You know, there's a law that says if they are brought here, then it has to be for purposes of prosecution.

It's unclear at this point if the White House has been working with Congress behind the scenes to try to, you know, pave the way for this to happen. We hope to get more information on that, but certainly there are some hurdles that remain. While the administration has made the call and decided that this will be the facility, it will still be some time before this will actually happen.

HARRIS: OK.

Our White House correspondent, Dan Lothian, for us.

Dan, thank you.

LOTHIAN: Thank you, Tony.

HARRIS: And, of course, we want to hear from you on this story. Despite the fact that it is nearly impossible to escape from a maximum security prison, are you worried bringing Guantanamo detainees to the U.S. will pose a security threat to the country?

Just go to CNN.com/Tony and leave me a comment. I'll read some of those comments a little later this hour, right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Homegrown terror in Toronto, a CNN special investigation. If you think the crime is shocking, wait until you hear the punishment.

First, though, our "Random Moment" in 90 seconds.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: No, honestly -- no, honestly, you won't believe our "Random Moment of the Day." Pretty outrageous stuff here.

A first grade teacher in Milwaukee took a pair of scissors to this little girl's hair. Yes, she chopped off, sliced off a braid. It seems the student just kept twirling her hair and that frustrated the teacher.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LAMYA CAMMON, FIRST GRADE STUDENT: I went to my desk and cried. And they was laughing. She threw it away and she said -- she said, "Now what are you going to go home and tell your mama?"

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Yes. Mama wasn't happy.

The teacher has been charged with disorderly conduct, but she's still in the classroom.

There you have it, our "Random Moment of the Day."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: The Toronto 18 arrested for planning their own Canadian version of 9/11. The target date? September 11, 2006. Only now are we learning the full details of the plot and how close it came to happening.

Here's correspondent Drew Griffin with CNN's Special Investigations Unit.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DREW GRIFFIN, CNN SPECIAL INVESTIGATIVE UNIT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Investigators say this is the devastation their bomb would have caused. The aim? Kill as many Canadians as possible. The target? Downtown Toronto.

(on camera): Three buildings, three bombs, all right here in the heart of downtown Toronto, and all to go off almost simultaneously, using one cell phone.

MUBIN SHAIK, YOUTH DIRECTOR: It would have been that same phone, probably would have been three different numbers and so the -- I mean, the time it takes to dial three numbers.

GRIFFIN (voice-over): Mubin Shaik was the mole on the inside, a paid informant of Canadian police. And this was the so-called ring leader of the conspiracy. His name is Zakaria Amara, seen here on police evidence tape testing a cell phone-triggered detonator.

SHAIK: He wanted to do it around 9/11. He wanted it to have the maximum effect on the Canadian psyche and the public psyche, and that is where the strength of terrorism lies.

GRIFFIN: Shaik, a Muslim youth director in Toronto, infiltrated the group that he calls high school friends who played soccer together and hung out at after-school Muslim youth groups. Shaik says they also began looking at perceived injustice towards Muslims around the world and literally self-radicalized.

SHAIK: And some have termed them jihadists because it becomes a -- it's a hobby. They're online. They're checking all this stuff out, and then it's, you know, a cause for celebration when one of them actually goes and does something.

GRIFFIN: The Toronto police chief Bill Blair. How this plot started and then became more serious is the new and growing threat of terror.

BILL BLAIR, TORONTO POLICE CHIEF: It's one thing to keep a threat outside your borders. It's another to realize that that threat can germinate and grow inside your borders and inside your own communities.

GRIFFIN: What prevented catastrophe three years ago was inside information, allowing Shaik to penetrate the group, actually going on these training missions. Some of the suspects were caught on tape buying what they thought was enough ammonium nitrate to make three one-ton bombs. This test explosion of a real bomb by police played in court showed a jury what the chief says was the real intent -- to kill Canadians.

And you don't say that lightly. They could have killed thousands.

BLAIR: The detonators that have been obtained worked. Had they been able to obtain the chemicals, all of the chemicals that they were trying to obtain, had they been able to detonate that in the city of Toronto, thousands of citizens would have been killed.

GRIFFIN (on camera): What may surprise you even more than the plot to kill thousands of Canadians is the punishment handed down for trying to pull it off.

(voice-over): Of the two conspirators seen loading and unloading what they thought was ammonium nitrate, one got a 14-year prison sentence, but can apply for parole in just two and a half years. The other will be sentenced in January.

Zakaria Amara, the mastermind who was fine tuning his cell phone triggers has pled guilty and faces a sentence next month of up to life in prison. But in Canada, life means 25 years with a possibility for parole after serving just 15.

One of those convicted is already free and charges against seven others were either dropped or stayed. Toronto's police chief doesn't believe the punishments fit the crime.

BLAIR: You know, the police always wants, you know, greater sentence to reflect the accordance we have to such crime. I think this was a very real plot. Had they been successful, they could have killed thousands of citizens in the city.

GRIFFIN: Now many are back on the streets with no guarantees for the future.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Elaborate plot going on here. Why are we just learning -- Drew Griffin joining us, by the way.

Why are we just learning about the details of the plot? It's 2009.

GRIFFIN: The Canadians have strict laws about what you can report when somebody is charged with a crime. Basically, you can't report anything until they are adjudicated or the trial is going on. These pleas are just taking place right now, in the last couple of months. So, only now are we getting into the records and seeing what actually took place, and hearing from the police who trailed these guys, and from the mole on the inside who helped bring them all down.

HARRIS: Yes. The mole on the inside. How did they identify this guy? And trust of this guy has to be huge if this is to work.

GRIFFIN: Yes. He played in two worlds. He was obviously steeped in the Muslim community in Toronto.

HARRIS: Yes.

GRIFFIN: But he had also come out of the Canadian military. And so the police knew that they had a guy who was "on their side," that could also pretend to be on the "other side."

But this guy, I mean, he's a real hero, I think, in that he's now ostracized from the Toronto Muslim community. A lot of people believe he is a rat, but what he's saying is, look, if the plot took place...

HARRIS: Oh, yes.

GRIFFIN: ... if Toronto blew up on September 11, 2006, every Muslim in my country, Canada, would face that ostracization.

HARRIS: It's a terrific story.

Appreciate it, Drew. Thanks, sir.

Can the so-called Cash for Caulkers program help plug more holes in the economy? Our CNN Money team is looking at how a similar program worked on the local level.

We're back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: And checking our top stories now.

The Pentagon's top military officer says most of the 30,000 additional troops being sent to Afghanistan will probably arrive by August. Joint Chiefs Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen is in the Afghan war zone touring U.S. bases and a small village.

And General Motors plans to pay back $6.7 billion it received in federal loans by the end of June. CEO Ed Whitacre says GM will make quarterly payments starting this month.

Crews have temporarily suspended the search for two missing hikers on Oregon's Mt. Hood because of bad weather. A storm is expected to dump at least a foot of snow on the area. They've been missing since Friday.

We will get another check of our top stories in 20 minutes. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Ooh, it's the "Energy Fix" music.

OK. The president is pushing for a federal rebate plan now known as Cash for Caulkers.

CNNMoney.com's Poppy Harlow has our "Energy Fix" from New York.

Poppy, good to see you.

Let's start with what the program might look like.

POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: Good to see you, too, Tony.

Yes, the president talking about this at Home Depot, and I've got to say, I loved it when the president said "insulation is sexy." That got a few laughs this morning in this speech.

He's talking about providing these financial incentives to folks to retrofit their homes, to make them more energy-efficient. And what we know, Tony, we already have a lot of these plans across the country. They're funded by your local or your state government.

One is in the town of Babylon. It's right outside of New York City, on Long Island. We went there. We visited some folks using the program back in June.

Let's show you a little bit of what they did, because the town here provided funds to hire local contractors and energy auditors, and they would actually give loans to the families to do these upgrades. Right there you see them pressure-testing the home for leaks, where energy may be leaking out.

Also, they replaced old furnaces with new Energy Star furnaces. They got loans for that. And then they paid those loans back. The plan is over 10 years, and you make up the difference by the energy savings you have each month.

Also, a big push here with insulation, and you heard the president talking about that as well. Well, this guy, Rich Manning (ph), is that energy auditor we spent the day with. He says, Tony, as a result of these incentives, his business has increased tenfold. He says 2010, he expects business to explode.

And we've seen this program that was just in that one isolated town now expand into seven neighboring towns here in New York. And Rich Manning (ph) told us, "Listen, this year I've inspected about 100 homes. Next year I'm going to do 300 to 400. And I'm going to hire eight more workers."

And that's what President Obama talked about a lot today, again, bringing those jobs back and not throwing money essentially out of the window -- Tony.

HARRIS: Well, that's what we're talking about here. So, his business is benefiting, but will homeowners across the country really take advantage of this plan?

HARLOW: That's a good question. I mean, if you're struggling to pay your mortgage, if you're under water on your home, you're not going to have the money to do this. So it's a very valid point.

What we have seen, though, is that in this town in New York, over 300 of their homes have been retrofitted. They say that's about 10 percent of all the homes in the town, so it's making a difference.

But we hit the streets of New York this morning. I went out and I asked folks on their way to work, would they do this? Sort of a mixed reaction. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it's a great incentive to save energy. I think it makes our homes smarter. I think it helps the consumers save money, and I think it's a great use of government funds.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think our debt level is high enough now in the country that we don't need to take on any additional debt.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If they were giving me the money for it, then, sure. But I can't afford it right now.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's always those who can and will take advantage of the programs that are out there. Those who can't won't be able to.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: That's exactly right. She has a good point.

And Tony, let's look at these numbers, because Cash for Clunkers was the precedent for all of this. The rebate was about $4,000, the average cost of the new car was about $22,000. But, Tony, more than 600,000 Americans took advantage of that program, so I guess the president is banking on that success to make Cash for Caulkers a success in its own right.

You can get many more details on it and see if you qualify. We'll be watching. It's one of our top stories today on CNNMoney -- Tony.

HARRIS: Poppy, good to see you. Thanks.

I guess people do -- if you can, you can. If you can't, you can't. Maybe you just do a little bit at a time until you get it done.

Poppy, good to see you. Appreciate it. Thank you.

HARLOW: Exactly.

HARRIS: And if the weather cooperates today, Boeing is planning a test flight for its new energy-efficient jetliner this afternoon. Boeing says the 787 will produce fewer emissions, will be quieter, and use 20 percent less fuel compared to regular aircraft. The test flight was supposed to take place two years ago, but the program has had a lot of technical setbacks.

That's a big bird.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: And how do you prepare people to work at green jobs? I'm going to talk to someone who is making it happen.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Oh, shoot. You caught me. I was trying to read the header on the top story at cnnmoney.com. But "dumbest moments in business." That's the lead story? That's a t-1 story? OK. For the latest financial news and analysis, just go to cnnmoney.com.

Want to get you to the big board now. Three hours into the trading day and stocks are -- ew, wow, selling off. We are down 24 points. And the Nasdaq, at last check, was basically flat. Susan Lisovicz is back from vacation and she is following these numbers throughout the day for you right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

The U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon arrived at the Copenhagen climate conference today and immediately scolded delegates. Developing countries, such and China, India and Brazil boycotted talks for a while Monday. They're angry developed nations aren't bearing more of the burden in the fight against greenhouse warming.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BAN KI-MOON, U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL: We must do much more, developed and developing countries. This is a time where they should exercise the leadership and this is a time to stop pointing finger. And this is the time to start looking in the mirror.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: More than 100 world leaders are coming to Copenhagen this week hoping to leave with a climate agreement.

President Obama is pushing green collar jobs as a way to save energy and get people back to work. My guest has been there, done that. Majora Carter set up one of the first green training centers in the United States a few years ago in the Bronx, and she is joining me from Washington.

Do you know what, it is good to see you again.

MAJORA CARTER, FOUNDER, SUSTAINABLE SOUTH BRONX: You too.

HARRIS: Thanks for taking the time.

So, been there, done that. Am I to understand here you are actually now training and placing people in green collar jobs?

CARTER: I did that with the agency I founded, an environmental justice Solutions organization called Sustainable South Bronx. What I'm doing now is actually helping leaders, business leaders, community members, municipalities actually do that kind of work through my green economic development consulting firm, The Majora Carter Group. We really work to unlock the potential of places.

HARRIS: And what kind of a challenge is that to bring businesses and corporations on board?

CARTER: It's a challenge. You know, we are used to sort of living in the fossil fuel economy, where it's kind of like, you know, we'll deal with it later. And what we're encouraging people to do now is think about how we can best, with the tools of a green economy, actually meet the goals and agendas of lots of different stakeholders. You know, because when you think about it, if you employ someone to do the kind of environmental services that need to be done in your municipality, you're creating a taxpayer instead of a tax burden.

HARRIS: Yes.

CARTER: And isn't it interesting that it also provides the kind of cooling needs for our cities, storm water management needs as well. And so there are all the -- and also provide great quality-of-life benefits for the people that both do the work, as well as for the people who live with that work that's been done.

HARRIS: So, Majora, part of your pitch has to be that you've been able to do it. You can tell the story. You talk the talk. You walk the walk. What kinds of jobs do you see as being available here in this sector moving forward? And in your view, are they sustainable?

CARTER: Yes. There's plenty of jobs in horticultural engineering fields in particular. For example, urban forestry management. When you train people to do that kind of work, you know, so that you can allow trees to grow to full canopy, you're cleaning the air, which reduces respiratory problems and other public health issues associated with pollution. You're also providing great storm water management benefits because all of those trees and all of the green roofs, et cetera, actually allow that water to be processed naturally, as opposed to in huge sewage treatment plants, which are huge energy wasters as well.

And wetland restorations. You know, I -- it makes me really sad to think of what happened in the gulf coast region, you know, simply because we destroyed so many of the wetlands that actually served as a natural protection, natural sponges, against much of the hurricane damage that we saw in Katrina and before and after.

HARRIS: OK. So, obviously, you're big in the conservation movement, serving on conservation boards and such. Isn't the truth here that the conservation movement in this country has done a terrible job of bringing everyone on board, integrating poor people, people of color, poor communities, into this movement, Majora? CARTER: Well, the environmental movement I think in the past really did think that people were separate from the environment. What environmental justice and other, you know, groups that are really interested in bringing people to the table understand that we're all the same and we really have to create opportunities for us to be a part of the environment and not just pretend that we can completely subvert it whenever we need to. And this is a way to do that. The green economy provides us those wonderful opportunities, whether it's through horticultural engineering or, you know, creating a clean energy economy.

HARRIS: Yes.

CARTER: Those are the kinds of things that we can do, because those -- the climate, the last time I checked, sea levels are still rising. The earth is still getting warmer. We have got to start literally creating opportunities where we're adapting to climate change and not just talking about mitigating, which is important, but right now we're seeing how the environment -- and what you're seeing in Copenhagen actually is rich countries, you know, and poor countries at odds with each other because there was a lack of -- there still is a lack of equality in terms of, where do we put the environmental burdens that have -- that basically support the quality of life of just a small percentage of people, where the worldwide and certainly in this country. What the green economy is actually doing is saying, everybody has to be a part of this. Everybody's got to be a great player. And we all need all hands on deck in order to make this happen.

HARRIS: You're passionate about this. You can go, can't you? I don't have any more time, Majora, but you can go!

CARTER: All right.

HARRIS: It's great to have you back.

CARTER: Thank you so much.

HARRIS: Let's do this again.

CARTER: Love to.

HARRIS: Majora Carter, thanks for your time.

CARTER: Bye-bye.

HARRIS: All right. One way authorities have been able to track potential terrorists is through their e-mail activities. It is a high-stakes, high-tech battle.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: And checking our top stories right now.

President Obama says insulation is sexy. Yes, he said that. He pitched a plan today to give Americans who make their homes more energy efficient a tax break. He said the plan will save you money and put contractors back to work.

Supporters of gay marriage rallying in Washington last night. Today, the D.C. city council is holding a final vote on a bill to legalize gay marriage in the city. The bill was co-sponsored by a majority of the council and is expected to pass.

Silvio Berlusconi's personal doctor says the Italian prime minister should be out of the hospital tomorrow, but full recovery could take another month. On Sunday, a man threw a small statuette at Berlusconi, hitting him in the face. He has a broken nose and broken teeth.

New developments in the arrest of five Americans in Pakistan. Police have reportedly seized luggage and a mobile phone from a hotel room where some of the teens stayed. And we're learning more about how they may have communicated with each other and a militant. CNN's Brian Todd takes a closer look at this case.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): Ahmed Abdullah Mini, known as an accomplished wrestler at West Potomac High School outside Washington. And according to an interrogation report by Pakistani police, it was Mini's interest in online YouTube videos of attacks against U.S. forces. Videos like this one that drew attention from a militant named Saifullah. The report says that person contacted Mini after Mini repeatedly praised the attacks.

It is also says Mini, and his four friends from northern Virginia, now being held in Pakistan, communicated with each other on an e-mail account without fear of interception by the FBI. The report says they set up an account they could all access, would leave messages only in the draft section but never send them, then delete the messages after reading them.

IRA WINKLER, FORMER NSA ANALYST: So the text is what's coming across. Whether or not it's in the form of a sent message, received message or draft message.

TODD: Former NSA analyst Ira Winkler says authorities could at least see that text was being created on an account and see who was using that account in the U.S. and overseas.

TODD (on camera): And I read this and then I delete it and then I save out. If I've got no prior history, if I've got no criminal record and the FBI would have no reason to know that I'm doing anything, isn't that undetectable by the FBI?

WINKLER: Yes and no. What's happened is, if you delete this message, they still -- they were still able to see the data was sent to you to be -- to be displayed our monitor. So the data was still sent to you.

TODD (voice-over): Winkler says some deleted message might have vanished, but some might have been kept in a back-up system by the service provider. The five young men are now in legal limbo. For the moment, blocked by Pakistani courts from being deported or handed over to U.S. authorities. Back home, the leader of their mosque says family and friends simply want to turn back the clock.

ESSAM TALLAWI, ISLAMIC CIRCLE OF NORTH AMERICA: I still imagine, I still, you know, my memory see them just walking into the mosque and praying with us. And I want -- I want them to come back and pray with us. For things to go back to normal.

TODD (on camera): The attorney representing the families of the five men did not want to go on camera with us, but also told us she is waiting to see when or if they'll be sent back to the United States and what, if any, charges they might face. With some frustration, she told us she doesn't have those answers yet.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: You know, we expect the White House to announce soon that a prison in rural Thomson, Illinois, will house dozens of detainees from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. We've been asking you to weigh in on this issue, despite the fact it is nearly impossible to escape from a maximum-security prison, are you worried Gitmo detainees in the United States would pose a security threat to the country?

Josh from Illinois says, "I'm not worried. As a matter of fact, I'm relieved that some kind of money is coming into the state."

Robin says, "I think the school kids in areas of Illinois are more dangerous than half the Gitmo guys." OK. Thank you, Robyn.

And George says, "I believe this administration is going crazy. Why not leave these prisoners right where they are? Who wants to have these savages in their backyard?"

All right. The president and Senate Democrats meet this afternoon to try to salvage the health care bill. The public option is already dead and now its stand-in, a Medicare buy-in, is out. Without those key ingredients, what's left in the reform bill? Let's bring in our congressional correspondent, Brianna Keilar, who is busy, busy, busy.

And, Brianna, this is essentially a question about what's in the core bill.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, what's in the core bill, and also as some changes are expected, Tony, what we're expecting to it be. Because take a look at some of these graphics that we've brought up. No public option expected. The actual bill that's being debated on the Senate floor does include a public option. Not to confuse you too much, but that is expected to change, of course, because there just appear to not be the votes for this, Tony.

Also, let's take a look at what this does to get people who are uninsured insured. It expands Medicaid for the poorest of Americans, beyond what it is now, so they would be insured through Medicaid, which is a government program. And then for other Americans who make slightly more money, who are still low income to middle class, they would be given federal subsidies. Basically coupons to help them purchase insurance and, in the absence of a public option, that would be private insurance.

Also, there's the individual mandate, Tony, which says to everyone, you have to have insurance. If you don't, there will be penalties. And these are things that are going to not necessarily be put into place immediately.

HARRIS: Yes.

KEILAR: These are, of course, things that go into effect over the next few years.

And then I think something that's really interesting to a lot of people, Tony, are these insurance industry reforms that we've talked so much about. But let's just remind people. It would say to insurance companies, you cannot deny people insurance coverage on the basis of a pre-existing condition. It would also say you cannot drop a person because they are sick.

And also, there's an insurance industry practice of saying to someone who has insurance, that you can hit a limit, either over a year or over the course of a lifetime, and once you hit that limit, you're kind of on your own and everything's out of pocket. That is going to change so that insurance industries -- so the insurance companies cannot say that to people, Tony.

HARRIS: Yes. That is -- and thank you for that, Brianna, because we're starting to hear this language. We heard it from Senator Lieberman talking about the core bill. I can support the core bill. Good to revisit that and just explain to folks what, at least, is in the core bill as it stands right now.

Brianna Keilar on Capitol Hill for us.

Are you at least planning to spend any part of your holiday in London or the British Isles? If you are, or you know someone who is, you're going to want to stay with us for an important travel update from Richard Quest.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Got to tell you, a massive airline strike is threatening to update holiday plans for thousands of people. The strike involves British Airways and more than 12,000 of its workers. CNN's Richard Quest is live now from London.

And, Richard, good to see you.

How many travelers are potentially left in the lurch here?

RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's the size and scale of the strike. No one really knows, but I'm guessing it's more than -- it's an educated guess. The chief executive of British Airways, Willie Walsh, says that if this strike goes ahead, a million Christmases will be spoiled.

HARRIS: Whoa!

QUEST: So we're talking at over a million passengers. And the reason, Tony, is because this strike goes from the 21st right the way through until the 2nd of January. It's a 12-day strike. And it would affect all of BA's flights worldwide.

HARRIS: Are we talking about -- how many destinations? Someone threw a figure at me, about 100 or so destinations, potentially impacted here?

QUEST: Yes. And it's not just the sheer number, particularly in the United States. BA is the largest single carrier across the north Atlantic into the U.S. So if you look at those places where BA has multiple flights, to Kennedy and Newark, to Chicago O'Hare, down to Dulles in Washington, across to LAX in Los Angeles and San Francisco, this is going to be a -- if this strike goes ahead . . .

HARRIS: Yes.

QUEST: It will be deeply, deeply damaging to the airline and to passengers. Tonight, though, I can tell you that BA is applying in the courts for an injunction against the strike, hoping that a judge is going to rule a strike illegal for the time being. A hearing on that's expected tomorrow.

HARRIS: Well, all right. Pardon me for asking an obviously and silly question here, but why can't travelers holding BA tickets simply get passage on another airline?

QUEST: Firstly, because BA hasn't canceled the flights yet.

HARRIS: Ooh, that's a biggie.

QUEST: So until the -- well, if you're holding a restricted ticket, which most of us do because we say Saturday night and we take . . .

HARRIS: Yes.

QUEST: We want a cheaper bargain by. Then if you're holding that sort of ticket, BA's basically saying, until we cancel the flights, you ain't getting your money back. Once they start canceling the flights, then you'll be OK. But, remember, Tony, we know from the airlines that they're running load factors of 80 and 90 percent over Christmas. So even if you had the money, you might not be able to find a seat across the pond.

And the truth is, it is the thing that's most worrying tonight is the -- is just a lack of certainty. What happens next? We've -- I personally have spoken to people who are planning to fly to Mexico for their weddings. HARRIS: Yes.

QUEST: They were planning to fly for holidays, for vacations. They are -- they basically say to me, what are we supposed to do?

HARRIS: Wow. All right, Richard, let's hope this thing gets sorted out to save some Christmases here.

Richard Quest for us in London. Richard, as always, good to see you.

And still to come in the NEWSROOM, America's bank crisis has hit home and one state in particular. What happened?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Boy, look at this. Live pictures right now. What an aircraft. Man. So if the weather cooperates, Boeing is planning a test flight of that big baby right there. It is the new energy- efficient jetliner, the 787 Dreamliner. It's a -- boy, talk about technology. It's said to produce fewer emissions, will be quieter and use 20 percent less fuel compared to regular aircraft. The test flight supposed to take place in just a few minutes. The maiden flight of the 787. Of course, we will have complete coverage for you when this happens next hour in the CNN NEWSROOM with Melissa Long.

Georgia leads the nation when it comes to bank failures. Why? Partly because the state's bankers gambled on real estate development and lost big time in the recession. CNN's David Mattingly spoke with a banker who lost his business and his savings.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): As president and CEO of the Community Bank of West Georgia, Richard Hayden thought he had all the bases covered.

MATTINGLY (on camera): And as long as they were building houses, and as long as people were buying them, you were OK.

RICHARD HAYDEN, FORMER BANK PRESIDENT: Absolutely.

MATTINGLY (voice-over): He says making loans to developers in metro Atlanta's booming real estate market was a way to double your money in five to 10 years. But when the subprime crisis hit, the real estate-heavy formula for success turned into a recipe for disaster.

MATTINGLY (on camera): What percentage of your bank's money was tied up in real estate development?

HAYDEN: In the neighborhood of 65 to 70 percent.

MATTINGLY: Isn't that a lot for one bank to invest in real estate that heavily? Weren't you leaving yourself open for a fall?

HAYDEN: Well, obviously, in hindsight, with the collapse in the real estate market, it wasn't the right thing to do.

MATTINGLY (voice-over): Georgia leads the nation in stories just like this. Twenty-four banks have failed this year, many of them small start-ups. The popular idea was to build up the bottom line quick, then sell out at a profit to a bigger bank. Construction and commercial real estate was a proven way to go, until the bottom suddenly fell out.

MATTINGLY (on camera): Were they just too busy making money to see the problem that was looming there?

BYRON RICHARDSON, BANKING CONSULTANT: Absolutely. They -- they were -- they were all chasing this -- and drinking the same Kool-Aid, if you will.

MATTINGLY (voice-over): Banking consultant Byron Richardson says many banks he worked with ignored conventional wisdom to diversify and counted heavily on real estate developers moving their new properties quickly to pay them back.

MATTINGLY (on camera): And when they stop, the money stops coming back to the bank.

RICHARDSON: Stopped coming back to the bank. The suppliers don't get paid. And there's a ripple effect.

MATTINGLY: How could they not see this coming?

RICHARDSON: Because it absolutely stopped.

MATTINGLY (voice-over): It took just a matter of months for that ripple effect to wipe out Hayden's bank. There was no government bailout and no time for a small start-up bank to recover.

HAYDEN: It was like somebody turned the light switch off. I mean, it just happened almost immediately. So it would have taken years for us to restructure and to do something different.

MATTINGLY: More than the president and CEO, Hayden was also his bank's fifth largest shareholder. The federal government protected the depositors at the bank, but not the investors. So, when the bank closed, he lost his life savings.

David Mattingly, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: And we are pushing forward now with the next hour of CNN NEWSROOM with Melissa Long.