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American Morning

Last Call for Caffeinated Alcohol; Reality Odd Couple in Safe Sex PSA; A Royal Engagement; Thanksgiving Travel Deals; Jay-Z's New Book

Aired November 17, 2010 - 07:00   ET

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

KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Thanks for being with us on this AMERICAN MORNING on this Wednesday, November 17th. I'm Kiran Chetry.

JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning to you. I'm John Roberts. Thanks so much for being with us. We're going to have more on that royal engagement in just a moment, but first, let's get you caught up on this morning's top stories.

The Food and Drug Administration taking aim at caffeinated alcoholic drinks. They could be banned as early as today. The makers of one of those drinks, Four Loko promises to remove the caffeine from the mix. More ahead on exactly why doctors say caffeine and alcohol combined are a recipe for disaster.

CHETRY: Outrage over airport security spilling into the courtroom. The head of the TSA and Homeland Security now getting sued over the scanners and pat-downs. We'll tell you who is filing the complaints and what they're demanding straight ahead.

ROBERTS: And new developments in a murder mystery. A former reality television producer accused of killing his wife in Mexico is now in custody. Details of his arrest just ahead for you this morning.

CHETRY: We begin this morning with a royal engagement of Prince William and Kate Middleton. If yesterday morning was all about the announcement, today is about how it went down, where the ceremony will be, the ring, and, of course, hearing from the couple.

ROBERTS: The headlines say it all this morning in the "London Times." "Diana's ring seals royal engagement," "The Telegraph," "Proposal brings the two women in Williams life together," and "The Daily Mail," "Kate and Will finally announced the engagement after eight years." Ahead our Alina Cho takes a look at just who Kate Middleton is. Few of us know much about her, where she comes from, and we'll hear from the woman who may be queen.

CHETRY: We'll also go across the pond to check in with our correspondents at Buckingham Palace and Middleton's hometown. But first the couple, William and Kate, in their own words.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: William, where did you propose? When, how, and Kate, what did you say?

PRINCE WILLIAM, U.K.: About three weeks ago on a holiday in Kenya. We had a little private time away together with some friends. And I just decided that it was the right time really. We've been talking about marriage for a while. So it wasn't a massively big surprise. But I took her up somewhere nice in Kenya and proposed.

KATE MIDDLETON, ENGAGED TO PRINCE WILLIAM: It was very romantic.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And you said yes, obviously?

MIDDLETON: Of course. Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And you knew you were going to do this from day one of the whole day? You waited until the end?

PRINCE WILLIAM: I'd been planning it for a while. But as every guy out there knows, it takes a certain amount of motivation to get yourself going. I was planning it and it felt right in Africa, and it was beautiful at the time. I'd done a bit of planning to show my romantic side.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kate, you'd been on holiday for a while. Did you see this coming? Was he getting nervous and jumpy?

MIDDLETON: No, not at all. I really didn't expect it at all. I thought he might have sort of maybe thought about it, but no. It was a total shock when it came, and very excited.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And did you produce a ring there and then?

PRINCE WILLIAM: Yes, I'd been carrying it around in my rucksack for three weeks before that and I would not let it go. I knew if it disappeared, I'd be in a lot of trouble. Yes, I planned it and it went fine as. You know, you hear a lot of horror stories about proposing, it went really, really well and I was very pleased she said yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And it's a family ring?

PRINCE WILLIAM: Yes, my mother's engagement ring. I thought it was nice. Obviously she's not going to be around to share in the fun and excitement, but this is my way of keeping her sort of close to it all.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I guess we better have a look at it. What kind of ring is it? Are you an expert?

PRINCE WILLIAM: I'm not an expert at all. I'm informed it's a sapphire with some diamonds, but I'm sure everybody recognizes it.

MIDDLETON: It's beautiful.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And Kate, you'll be an envy of many.

MIDDLETON: Well, I hope I look after it.

PRINCE WILLIAM: She loses it, she'll be in trouble.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It has to be said, you both look incredibly happy and relaxed.

PRINCE WILLIAM: We are. We are. We're like sort of ducks, very calm on the surface, but little feet going under the water. No, it's very exciting. We've been talking about it for a long time, so for us it's a real relief to tell everybody. The last two or three weeks have been difficult keeping it to ourselves for reasons we had to. And it's really nice to finally be able to share it with everyone.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a massive thing you're going into now. But it's in such a public way. Excited, a little bit terrified?

PRINCE WILLIAM: Massively excited, quite happy when the interview's over. But we're hugely excited. And we're looking forward to spending the rest of the time, the better of our lives together and seeing what the future holds.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kate, for you, you've had a long time to sort of contemplate that moment --

PRINCE WILLIAM: Let's not --

(LAUGHTER)

MIDDLETON: No, it is obviously nerve-wracking because I don't know what I am -- sort of I don't know the ropes really. But no, I'm willing to learn quickly and work hard.

PRINCE WILLIAM: She'll do really well.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A lot of opportunities, obviously, within the family, a huge ability to change people's lives for the better. And I guess that's something you must have contemplated, as well.

MIDDLETON: Yes. Well, I really hope I can make a difference, even in the smallest way. Yes, I'm looking forward to helping as much as I can.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTS: Those were among the first words that many had ever heard Kate Middleton speak.

CHETRY: They're so adorable. They really seem to like each other and support each other.

ROBERTS: And she's going to have to learn quickly too, because the wedding is now right around the corner. Kate's remained a very private person even as their eight-yearlong romance blossomed on to the front pages. Our Alina Cho with more on the woman who one day could be queen.

ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. You talk about her voice, and it is rare we ever hear her speak. And it's that discretion that the royal family is said to like. It's one of the many things that they've said to like.

You know, I think it's clear by now the public has not been this excited about a royal wedding since Charles and Diana. That was dubbed the "wedding of the century." This could be too. So we wanted to know who is the woman in line to be queen? Who is Kate Middleton?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHO: In England, she's that media darling, a household name. But until now, the rest of the world has not seen much of her. All of that is changing now that Prince William has asked Kate Middleton to marry him.

MIDDLETON: It was a total shock when it came and very excited.

CHO: A rare chance to hear her speak.

MIDDLETON: I went bright red and scuttled off.

CHO: That's how she described the first time she met Prince William. It was 2001 while both studied art history at St. Andrews in Scotland. A year later they were flat mates and then a couple.

KAITY NICHOLL, ROYAL CORRESPONDENT, "THE MAIL ON SUNDAY": She's thoroughly charming, good fun, very sporty. She's very, very down to earth. She comes from a family that is incredibly close and tight knit. And she is middle class.

CHO: The daughter of a former pilot and a flight attendant. Parents who now own a party supply business, self-made millionaires. She's 28, the eldest of three, and grew up outside London.

NICHOLL: She's incredibly private. She's incredibly discreet, and she's incredibly loyal. These are all reasons why Prince William has chosen to be with her.

CHO: Today the London tabloids document her every outfit. Women watch and copy what she wears. A lot like Princess Diana before her. The comparisons are inevitable.

MIDDLETON: I would have loved to have met her. And -- and she's obviously -- she's an inspirational woman to look up to.

CHO: Middleton wears the same ring Diana wore as her engagement ring. Within a year, she too will join the most famous royal family in the world.

MIDDLETON: It's obviously nerve-wracking because I don't know what I'm -- sort of -- I don't know the ropes really. But no, I'm willing to learn quickly and work hard. And I --

PRINCE WILLIAM: She'll do really well. We'll do really well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHO: I'm sure she will. She is exceedingly elegant, for one. Now that the announcement has been made about the engagement, of course, let the relentless obsessing begin about the gown, all of the wedding details. One thing that we do no according to royal watchers is that, of course, it will happen in 2011, spring or summer.

And 2011 is very important year. It would have been the 50th birthday of Princess Diana and the 30th anniversary of the wedding of Charles and Diana. And remember, 750 million people watched on television as Charles and Diana got married. I remember waking up at 5:00 in the morning. She was just a teenager. She was 20 years old, with that massive gown --

ROBERTS: People might be wondering, you know, not a great track record with royal weddings, they're zero for two so far. But does this couple know each other? Have they gone through more of a growth together?

CHO: Most certainly. They met in 2001, they were flat mates. They were friends before they became lovers, of course. But they lived as roommates.

ROBERTS: Broke up for a time.

CHO: They broke up for a time. And they called her "Waity Katie" because she stuck around for so long without that engagement ring. Well, you know, it paid off.

ROBERTS: And it was still a surprise when she got it.

CHO: That's right.

And one of the things we talked about her discretion and keeping quiet. One of the things that the royal family is said to like about her is her discretion. When they broke up in 2007, it was splashed across the tabloids. She didn't say a word about it.

ROBERTS: Good for her.

CHO: That's right. And in short order, they got back together. Look at them now.

CHETRY: Well, we wish them the best. They seem like a really good fit.

CHO: They do. And he has a great sense of humor in that interview that came out.

CHETRY: They seem like they can laugh at things and they're going to need to be able to laugh as they get scrutinized moving forward.

Speaking of that, let's talk about the ring. Of course, looks familiar because, as Alina reported, it is the same ring that William's father gave to his mother, the late Princess Diana. She chose it herself, 18 carat sapphire and diamond ring valued at around $130,000, although, really, it's priceless.

ROBERTS: Because it's a family heirloom now. You're saying it came from the jeweler's catalog?

CHO: Yes, it was not that expensive, I think it was about 30,000 pounds at the time that Princess Diana --

ROBERTS: That's pretty expensive.

CHO: Well, for the future queen.

ROBERTS: Kate showed off that stunning ring yesterday during an appearance at St. James Palace. And apparently since the ring came back out on public display demand for look-a-likes have been skyrocketing. So jewelry stores in New York City apparently already swamped with orders.

CHETRY: My mom has a look-a-like one from back in the day. Yes, it's popular.

CHO: Everyone wanted to be like her.

CHETRY: We're just getting started this morning. In about 20 minutes we'll be talking with Atika Shubert live outside of Buckingham Palace in London. The city's all abuzz this morning. And we'll take you live to Kate Middleton's hometown of Bucklebury, England.

ROBERTS: Looking forward to all that.

A real Hollywood who-done-it that has detectives completely baffled. Police in Los Angeles are searching for a suspect in the brutal shooting of publicist to the stars Ronnie Chasen. She was shot multiple times in her car when driving home from a movie premiere party last night. She died later at the Cedar Sinai hospital. Police say they have no suspect, no motive in the shooting.

CHETRY: A former TV producer accused of killing his wife is due in Los Angeles court today. Bruce Redman who at one time worked on the reality show "Survivor" was taken into custody, charged with killing his wife while on vacation in Mexico. Her body was found in April in a hotel sewer.

ROBERTS: A civil liberties group is suing Homeland Security chief Janet Napolitano and TSA administrative John Pistole on behalf of two pilots who refuse to submit to body scans and pat-downs. And a public interest group says it's suing Homeland Security to get their hands on medical records that the department used before proving the use of the scanners.

CHETRY: This is going to continue for some time it looks like.

(WEATHER BREAK)

CHETRY: Coming up, there's still time to get a great travel deal for Thanksgiving weekend. Travelocity's senior editor will have some tips for us coming up in about 15 or 20 minutes.

ROBERTS: The key here is flexibility. And after selling 50 million albums and winning 10 Grammy awards, what's next for Jay-Z? A new book. The rapper tells us why he felt he had to write "Decoded."

CHETRY: And looks like the party is over for Four Loko and other caffeinated alcoholic drinks. A government crackdown could come in a matter of hours. It's 13 minutes past the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROBERTS: Seventeen minutes now after the hour and "Minding Your Business" this morning. Mixed results on overseas markets following Wall Street's worst day in months.

The Dow Jones index plunged 178 points yesterday closing just above the 11,000 mark. It's the Dow's biggest one-day loss since August. The S&P, the Nasdaq also down sharply highlighting concerns about the global economy.

CHETRY: Well, the timing couldn't be better for GM. They're unveiling the new Chevy Volt today. It was just named Motor Trend's car of the year for 2011. The plug-in hybrid gets about 73 miles to the gallon, 50 miles on electricity for a backup gas engine then kicks in. The Volt goes on sale next month. And you get the federal tax credit.

ROBERTS: Yes.

CHETRY: So it will run you about $33,500.

ROBERTS: Talked to somebody not long ago who drove one of those from Washington to New York. He said he really liked it.

And it's the last call for caffeinated alcohol in a can. The Food and Drug Administration could effectively ban the drinks as early as today. Critics say Four Loko and others pack a combine punch of three cups of coffee and in Four Loko's case almost a six pack of beer in one can. Doctors say that's a dangerous mix.

Our senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen joins us now from the CNN center in Atlanta. So what's up with the drinks? What's the FAA expected to do?

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the FDA is expected today, John, to ban these drinks because they combine all that caffeine and all that alcohol. So if you take a look at these drinks, what's -- the thing that's going on here is that the caffeine is allowing people to drink more. So I mean, these things are quite large, but if you're heavily caffeinated, it means you don't pass out or fall asleep, and that's why some people call this a blackout in a can. In fact, some kids who drank them out in Washington State, some college kids who ended up at the hospital so drunk that authorities actually thought they had been drugged. And so the FDA is expected to take these off the market -- John, Kiran.

ROBERTS: Yes. Sorry, I said FAA instead of FDA. I guess maybe I was subconsciously thinking that --

COHEN: They banned it too.

ROBERTS: They banned it, as well, but I was thinking maybe just how high these people are when they drink this stuff. FAA does need to regulate them.

One manufacturer already making changes, Elizabeth. What are they doing?

COHEN: Right. The folks who make four Loko put out a press release yesterday saying, all right, we're going to take out the caffeine. We're going to take out the other stimulants. And it was interesting. They did note, all right, we're going to do it. We're going to take it out, but we do want to note that people have been drinking alcohol and caffeine for quite some time now, whether it's an Irish coffee or rum and coke. So really at the 11th hour, they said OK, we're taking it out.

ROBERTS: Even without the caffeine, though, this is not like drinking a beer.

COHEN: Right. I think that's an important thing for people to remember that even once the caffeine and the stimulants come out of these drinks, you're still getting a six-pack worth of alcohol in one beverage, partly because they are so large, and partly because they're 12 percent alcohol by volume. Sometimes they're six percent, but in many states they're 12 percent. Like here in Georgia, when we bought these, they're 12 percent. That is a lot of alcohol. And because they've got these fruit punch, lemon lime, blue raspberry kinds of flavors, you might not realize how much alcohol you're getting.

ROBERTS: All right. Elizabeth Cohen for us this morning with the latest on that. We'll keep watching and, of course, to see what the FDA does. Elizabeth, thanks so much.

COHEN: Thanks.

CHETRY: We had some of our own taste testers here in the studio who said it was -- what did you guys say?

ROBERTS: Really you tried it?

CHETRY: Yes, they tried it. Donny (ph) over there tried it. He said it tasted horrible but he kept drinking it because it did the job.

ROBERTS: You've got to wonder, though, if they take the caffeine out, is there any reason to buy this anymore? And you get a tall Colt 45, rip the top off of that, put it in the paper bag and off you go.

CHETRY: There you go. You've already found the solution when they take this off the market.

ROBERTS: If it doesn't have the caffeine, why buy it? So, maybe they'll go out of business altogether. We'll see. CHETRY: Well, Americans love a good comeback story. Do you think they'll love this one? Michael Vick shakes his dark past. Just 18 months ago, think about this, he was in prison. Now he's dominating the NFL. Could be a major award, as well, in his future.

ROBERTS: And you can blame reality TV for this odd couple. Bristol Palin and "The Situation" join forces? See what they've teamed up to do just ahead. You don't want to miss this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: Welcome back. It is 24 minutes past the hour right now. Some of the stories that got us talking this morning in the newsroom.

She is an arcade basketball machine. We were trying to figure out is there any way this could have been faked, you know, like the baskets in Sydney? But no, this is really -- she's really doing this. It's gone viral. She knocked down 128 consecutive shots in one minute. She did not miss one time. Look at that.

ROBERTS: That's pretty amazing.

CHETRY: People are coming and going, walking behind her, doesn't break her concentration. And there you go.

ROBERTS: Unbelievable consistency. She's going to be a heart surgeon, hands like that.

Teen mom, Bristol Palin, and "The Situation" from MTV's fabulous show "Jersey Shore" teaming up again. This one-time co-star -- the one- time co-stars on "Dancing with the Stars" taped a public service announcement together. And the topic, safe sex. Have a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRISTOL PALIN, SARAH PALIN'S DAUGHTER: I hope you're as committed to safe sex as you are those abs.

"THE SITUATION': I know you're all about that abstinence thing, you know. But I mean, come on, B. Palin, you're serious, you're not going to hook up like before you're married for real?

PALIN: For real.

"THE SITUATION": For real?

PALIN: For real, for real, for real. But I'm worried about you and you practicing safe sex.

"THE SITUATION": I actually practice a whole lot. I mean, a whole lot.

PALIN: I'm talking about the safe part of that.

"THE SITUATION": Oh, the safe part, we got the safe part down pat. Wapow (ph). Magnums. You know what? I might be able to spare one. I mean, you know, I'll give you one.

PALIN: It's fine. I avoid situations.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: Cringe inducing. Interesting?

ROBERTS: Jaw dropping?

CHETRY: Yes.

ROBERTS: Yes.

CHETRY: Well, how about this one? It was just 18 months ago that he was in a federal prison, convicted public enemy number one after the dog-fighting incident. Well, now, Michael Vick is the talk of the NFL. Record-breaking performance against the Washington Redskins Monday night and now some are hailing the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback as a possible league MVP.

ROBERTS: How things can change.

CHETRY: Yes.

ROBERTS: America, the land of second chances.

Have you seen Dick Cheney lately? He slimmed down, slimmed down a whole lot. His spokesman says the weight loss occurred during Cheney's recovery from heart surgery over the summer. And that the former VP is trying to keep the pounds that he lost off. That would be good for his health. Cheney was on hand yesterday for the ground- breaking of the new George W. Bush presidential center on the campus of Southern Methodist University in which he said this is really the only shovel-ready project in America.

CHETRY: Got a little dig in there. Well, he was digging.

Well, the House ethics panel finds clear and convincing evidence, they say, of Charlie Rangel's guilt on 11 ethics violations. So what kind of punishment does that mean for the 21-term New York congressman?

ROBERTS: And President Obama's so-called "Slurpee summit' has been postponed. All those Slurpees could melt by the time that they actually meet. Was it a slap in the president's face?

CHETRY: And rapper Jay-Z and his new book, why he wrote it and how he felt when President Obama admitted publicly that the rapper's music is on his iPod. He sat down with our Poppy Harlow. We're going to be checking in with her about Jay-Z had to say, coming up.

Twenty-seven minutes past the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: Crossing the half hour right now. Time for a look at our top stories this morning. The House Ethics Committee will meet tomorrow to consider a punishment for New York Congressman Charlie Rangel after his conviction on 11 counts of violating House ethics rules. It's expected that the committee will recommend to the full House that Rangel be reprimanded not expelled.

ROBERTS: Could be a major break in the Natalee Holloway case. A jawbone found by tourists on a beach in Aruba. Dutch forensic experts are testing it for a DNA match to see if it is Holloway's. She was last seen on the island back in 2005. Joran van der Sloot was arrested twice in connection with Holloway's disappearance, but he's never been charged.

CHETRY: A deadly accident caused by heavy fog. Many cars crashing into one another on interstate 77 in Carroll County, Virginia, it's near the North Carolina border. Police say that two people were killed and more than a dozen others injured in that crash. It involved 75 vehicles over a three-mile stretch of highway.

ROBERTS: And it's beginning to look a lot like Lisa Murkowski will be re-elected in the Alaska senate race. Murkowski now appears to have enough of a lead over Joe Miller to win even without counting the misspelled votes that could be challenged in court. Murkowski lost a write-in campaign to keep her Senate seat after Miller beat her in the Republican primary. And if she wins, that'll be the first time since 1954 -

CHETRY: Strom Thurmond all the way back then, launching that write-in successfully.

Well, she said yes. And now the whole world is waiting for the royal wedding bells. Prince William and Kate Middleton tying the knot and they're also talking about it for the first time.

ROBERTS: William says his prowess in the kitchen and his sense of humor were what won the future princess over. So when might we hear the pitter-patter of little royal feet? Here's what they said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People are bound to ask, you know, it's a bit of an obvious question, but children? Do you want lots of children? You know, see what comes? What's your -

PRINCE WILLIAM: I think we'll take it one step at a time. We'll get over the marriage thing first then look at the kids. But obviously we want a family. So we'll have to start thinking about that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: Well, we've got the royal engagement covered like no other network can. We have Dan Rivers. He is in Kate Middleton's hometown of Bucklebury, England. We're going to get to him in a moment. We'll start though with Atika Shubert live at Buckingham Palace this morning. So I'm sure a lot of buzz there this morning, Atika.

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right. As you would imagine, this is the talk of the whole country. It's the top headline on all of the papers. I want to show you some of them now. The new romantics is the headline of "The Times." Something borrowed, something blue. Diana's ring steal royal engagement. Also here we have "The Daily Mail" with the slightly cheekier headline "we got there in the end, darling." Perhaps a reference to the many years that Kate Middleton was waiting for that engagement.

And then we have a lot of these sort of souvenir supplements that have been put out by some of the papers. This one is from the "Daily Mirror" and it focuses on Kate as a little girl going into her childhood, her kind of favorite birthday cakes and so forth. And of course, how she met William. And I want to show you actually at the back of it is sort of a comparison of the two families of the working class Middleton family and, of course, the royal family.

And it charts both families there. Her parents and their siblings. So a lot of scrutiny on Kate Middleton right now. She, of course, is very much in the spotlight. What the couple will be doing today is meeting with royal advisers, going over some of the details, trying to pick a date. There's a lot of speculation as to whether it'll be a spring wedding and a summer wedding and, of course, all of those other details that people are looking forward to such as -- who will be designing the wedding dress, what the venue will be. Will it be Westminster Abbey, where the queen herself was married. There has been a lot of speculation that this could be one of the favorite venues by Prince William.

So all of these details have yet to come out and that's what they'll be discussing with royal advisers today.

CHETRY: Atika Shubert for us this morning. The royal advisers come into the picture. That's what it's like when you're royalty.

ROBERTS: Exactly. So many people to listen to.

Well, now to commoner Kate's hometown, reporters from all over the world swarming the leafy hamlet of Bucklebury, England. And our own Dan Rivers is there too. Are they talking about the engagement there in Bucklebury or they're talking about the wedding?

DAN RIVERS, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: They are very excited here. Clearly this is the biggest thing to happen in Bucklebury ever, I would imagine. So it's very much put this sleepy village in the spotlight. People are thrilled. They've had a lot of time to get used to the idea, though. The couple have been going out for about seven years now.

So obviously speculation has been growing and growing as time has gone by. But yes, they're thrilled. Clearly it's not going to take place in the small village church behind me. That's miniscule. We're talking about possibly Westminster Abbey or St. Paul's Cathedral. But people here are delighted. A lot of people saying it's going to give something for the country to look forward to next year. In a time when there are cuts, where there is this sort of age of austerity, when there are job losses, and the economy is really in a terrible state. This is one bright beacon that everyone can look forward to next summer. ROBERTS: Well, what are they saying about Kate there in Bucklebury? Is she a sort of a favorite daughter of the town?

RIVERS: She's pretty well known, yes. And, you know, comes from a well-known family here. But by no means from a sort of aristocratic family. She comes from a very middle class family, her parents, Michael and Carol, live in a very nice house down the road. But they run their own business. They sell children's toys, you know, for children's parties. They are very well off, but by no means big sort of aristocratic landowners here at all.

So I think that's part of this enchantment with this engagement that she is someone from a fairly normal background who, you know, is going through this dramatic transformation. The name Kate will be dropped for Katherine, we're told. We don't know what her formal title will be once they're married. Normally she would get a title of a duchess. We don't know, which (INAUDIBLE) she will be given as part of her ascent into the royal family but certainly life is about to change forever for her as she becomes a princess after marrying William.

ROBERTS: And when you look at the background of her parents. Dad was a pilot, mom was a flight attendant and they really sort of pulled themselves up by the boot straps to do very well with that business that they've got. So I'll tell you, it's all very exciting. And we'll be watching this anxiously awaiting the wedding bells.

Dan Rivers for us in Bucklebury. Dan, thanks.

CHETRY: Just got to go back to Katherine now, from Kate.

ROBERTS: Princess Kate. That's good.

CHETRY: I like it.

ROBERTS: Katherine's -

CHETRY: It's more royal.

ROBERTS: It certainly is royal.

CHETRY: Coming up, still haven't booked that trip for Thanksgiving? Well, it's not too late to get a real deal. The senior editor of Travelocity joins us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

ROBERTS: Well, the big day is just about upon us. Just about a week away from Thanksgiving now. We are a week and a day away. It's the busiest travel time of the year. AAA is forecasting a double digit increase in Thanksgiving holiday travel from last year. And can you still get a great deal if you've waited this long before planning your Thanksgiving travel?

Well, let's find out. Genevieve Shaw Brown is a senior editor at Travelocity and she joins us now. Good to see you this morning.

GENEVIEVE SHAW BROWN, SENIOR EDITOR TRAVELOCITY: Thank you for having me.

ROBERTS: So can you get a deal out there?

BROWN: You can. But you have to know what a deal s and be flexible to get it. So here are the facts. The average cost of a round-trip domestic ticket over Thanksgiving weekend is $378. Consider that the price to beat. If you're getting something in that price range right now, you're doing pretty well. Be as flexible as possible, avoid Sunday and Monday returns, they're going to be by far the most expensive days. If you can travel on Thanksgiving, that'll save you a bundle, as well. And connecting flights, hate to say it, not as convenient, but generally a lot cheaper.

ROBERTS: Because nobody travels on Thanksgiving morning. Everybody wants to be in place for Thanksgiving morning.

BROWN: Exactly.

ROBERTS: So there are probably flights that go wanting that day.

BROWN: Absolutely. Especially if you can fly very early in the morning and still get to your destination in time for turkey dinner at grandma's house or wherever it is that you're going to end up. You can not only save money but the airports are generally very quiet, you may find an empty seat next to you to stretch out a bit. Something that we haven't seen in recent months at all. So you might want to take advantage of that.

ROBERTS: I used to fly a lot on Christmas eve from New York to Washington and the flight was empty.

BROWN: Yes and that will still be the case this year.

ROBERTS: When you see $378 as an average, I assume that the distance traveled will also depend on - the price of your ticket will also depend on the distance traveled.

BROWN: Definitely, definitely. So you know, if flights from say New York to L.A. are probably going to be a little bit more than that, say going from Atlanta to Orlando, a little bit less than that. So you know, that's a good gauge to know if you're getting a decent price.

ROBERTS: You know what's interesting, I have relatives in San Diego. And just for fun, I checked it out and I found a ticket for $333 all the way to San Diego. My daughter goes to school in Charleston and lives in Washington, that same - that little flight, $650.

BROWN: And that has to do with the -

ROBERTS: You can go across the country for $330 and you know -

BROWN: That has to do with the number of flights. When there are not a great deal of flights between two cities, say Washington and Charleston in that case, you know, there's more demand, prices go up.

ROBERTS: Wow. So, one of the other things we're looking at is a potential backlash over these body scanners.

BROWN: Right.

ROBERTS: There's a group called opt out, which is encouraging people to not go for the body scan or to insist on the pat-down. What are we expecting at the airports next week?

BROWN: First of all, security will be slower just because of the larger number of people traveling. But it's possible that people opting out of the scanner will also slow security down. So people need to get to the airport at least 90 minutes before their flight. Your flight is not going to wait for you. You want to leave yourself plenty of time to get through security and get to the flight. And the truth of the matter is most travelers will not go through a body scanner. There are about 385 scanners compared to 2,300 security lanes in the country. So most of us will go through business as usual. But if you don't want to go through the scanner, you can always opt for that pat-down.

ROBERTS: You know, I was remiss - I should have asked you, when you're looking for a deal, what's the best way to find one? Do you go on your web site or do you go on a number of web sites? Because there's you, there's Orbitz, there's cheapairfares, there's Priceline.

BROWN: Right. Of course, I always shop on Travelocity, but certainly people want to shop around. You know, people want to travel but they're still very conscious of their travel dollars. So shop around, see where you're going to get the best price. But the most important thing no matter where you purchase is to be flexible. Be flexible about not only your dates but about the airports you're willing to fly into. Say you want to take a trip to Miami, don't forget to check out West Palm Beach and Ft. Lauderdale, very close by and a lot of cheaper fares.

ROBERTS: All right. And coming up, of course, everybody goes shopping on black Friday. Black Friday, on the internet, I'm hearing that there are going to be some hotel deals, not for that day but for future travel.

BROWN: That's right. Actually, Travelocity is having a sale. It's going to be travelociyt.com/blackfriday. It's a one-day sale. So expect to find things like hotels in the Caribbean, Turks and Caicos and Jamaica with free nights. Hotels in Hawaii, 50 percent off. Chicago, 40 percent off. But it's not just Travelocity, there's going to be a lot of travel sales that day. So for people who want to travel into December and even well into 2011. Take advantage of those deals by booking early, you're going to lock in the lowest price.

ROBERTS: So the bad economy, despite the fact that makes it more difficult for people to travel, at least there may be some deals out there.

BROWN: Definitely. ROBERTS: Genevieve, thanks for coming in this morning.

BROWN: Thanks you.

ROBERTS: It's good to see you. Kyra.

CHETRY: Thanks, guys.

Well, coming up, the GOP in 2012, one potential candidate says he's not running for the White House. So who's the front-runner now?

Also a super soaker this Wednesday for the entire East Coast this morning. Rob will have this morning's travel forecast for us, coming up right after the break.

44 minutes past the hour.

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CHETRY: Forty-eight minutes past the hour right now. Time for a check of the weather headlines.

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ROBERTS: Coming up next, one-on-one with Rapper Jay-Z. His new book and why he says dealing drugs a long time ago prepared him to be one of the most successful entertainers in America.

CHETRY: Also, Bristol Palin, reaching the final round of "Dancing with the Stars." And Carol Costello has a gut check. People are crying conspiracy. So, how much has politics invaded reality TV?

Fifty minutes after the hour.

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CHETRY: Jay-Z's written a book. It is on sale now and don't be surprised if it becomes a bestseller because, really, everything the rapper does over-delivers.

ROBERTS: He certainly has got the Midas touch. He's sold more than 50 million albums, he's got 10 Grammy Awards, amassed a fortune, as well, with a net worth reported to be somewhere around a half a billion dollars. His book is called, "Decoded," and our Poppy Harlow sat down to find out why he wrote it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAY-Z, RAPPER: I wanted to make the case that rap is poetry, for one, and some of the decisions we made, to give those decisions context. Why these songs are the way they are. Why there's this certain gangster rap. You know, why this is taken place in America. And it just felt like the perfect time to write it.

POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: You've said President Obama had the courage to tell the press that he had your songs on his iPod. You've been a big supporter of his the entire way through.

Has he followed through on the hope that he promised?

JAY-Z: I think he has -- he has -- he's on his way to delivering that but it's impossible for someone to take eight years of our last administration and turn it around in two years. It's very difficult to deliver on everything. You know? I think he's moving in the right direction, yes.

HARLOW: You insist that rap is poetry and you wrote, "Chuck D. famously called hip-hop the CNN of the ghetto." Does it have a responsibility to report and not just to entertain? To take it one step further?

JAY-Z: Yes, of course. You know, you can't entertain -- it's everything. Rap is entertaining, it's informative, it's provocative, it's funny, it's silly. You know, it's all of these things. So, absolutely.

HARLOW: What do you learn on the street? Because you talk about being 13 and selling crack. Did that teach you something of how to be a successful businessman or how we all are common?

JAY-Z: All the things that you apply in business, you know, they say that he has great instincts. While on the streets having it can be the difference between life and death, not just losing a deal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTS: That's very interesting.

HARLOW: Yes.

ROBERTS: That he can take that and apply in it a totally different direction.

HARLOW: And he went on to say, look, I don't condone life on the streets. I don't condone selling drugs. But that was my reality. I had nothing else.

His father walked out when he was 11-years-old. His mother wasn't around much. That was his reality. And he went on to say that some of the greatest business instincts he learned, he realized were similar with Warren Buffett, who he actually sat down with for lunch a few months ago. He said it's about the instinct. It's all about the trust and instinct and following exactly who you are and what you know. And that has made him successful in music, in clothing, in restaurants. He owns part of a NBA team.

CHETRY: But does he acknowledge that he's one of the lucky ones? Meaning, often times you're -- rappers and the gangster lifestyle is at times glorified by young kids.

HARLOW: All the time. All the time, yes.

CHETRY: And he is one of the lucky ones who made good. He came out of it and he's now successful person giving back.

HARLOW: He is. He told a story about a friend of his that when they were both selling drugs, his friend was arrested when he was about 13- years-old. He was thrown in jail for more than a decade. And he said, if I didn't have my music, if I didn't have my lyrics to bring me out of this, not only could I have been in jail or dead, I would have been.

I mean, he realizes that that was his reality, that very much could have been him. And so when I asked him about giving back, how important is it for you to give back money? He said it's very important. But unlike like Bill Gates who had opportunity and computers, the people where I'm from -- the projects, the Marcy Projects -- not far from where we're standing now in Brooklyn, they don't have that opportunity. So I want to give directly to them. And he does that through a scholarship program.

But, you can see, I think, that he'll give more and more and more to them as time goes on.

ROBERTS: Good work that he's doing now and a far cry from what he was doing when he was a teenager.

HARLOW: Absolutely.

ROBERTS: A little snippet here this morning. Where do we see more?

HARLOW: CNNMoney.com, the full interview. We had about 20 minutes with him and I have to say very, very kind, generous man to spend that much time with us.

CHETRY: That's great.

Poppy, thanks so much.

HARLOW: You got it.

ROBERTS: Top stories coming your way after a quick break. Stay with us.

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