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American Morning
New Info on Natalee Holloway Case; Holloway's Mom Confronts Joran Van Der Sloot; Obama at NATO Summit; Afghanistan Tops Agenda; Miners Arrive in Los Angeles; How to Get a Raise; The Royal Details; GM is Back; "I Can't Close The Book"
Aired November 19, 2010 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Happy Friday to you. Thanks so much for joining us on AMERICAN MORNING on this 19th day of November. I'm John Roberts.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Kiran Chetry. Glad you're with us. We want to get you caught up this morning.
The Natalee Holloway case heating up yet again. There's a new exclusive tape of her mother face-to-face with the long-time suspect in her disappearance, Joran Van Der Sloot, pleading with him once and for all for the truth saying I can't close the book.
Also, possible new forensic evidence found on a beach in Aruba. We're live there with the very latest.
ROBERTS: Hillary Clinton for vice president in 2012. The current number two says don't bet on it. Vice President Biden appearing on "LARRY KING LIVE" last night shooting down the speculation saying he's already spoken with the president about running again. What the top two Democrats decided just ahead.
CHETRY: The president is in Lisbon, Portugal for a weekend summit with NATO allies. The combat mission in Afghanistan will be at the top of the agenda. We're going to get a look ahead with our Chris Lawrence at what the president hopes to accomplish just ahead.
ROBERTS: Up first this Friday morning, new information in the case of Natalee Holloway. After all these years, what could be a huge break in the case. Right now, we're awaiting for the results of forensic testing to see if a jawbone found on a beach in Aruba could belong to the Alabama teen who disappeared five years ago.
CHETRY: And at the same time, we're getting a look at a surreal meeting between Holloway's mother and Joran Van Der Sloot, the prime suspect in her disappearance. Videotape of their conversation was recently released exclusively to Nancy Grace on our sister network HLN. It's exclusive this morning. Here's a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BETH HOLLOWAY, NATALEE HOLLOWAY'S MOTHER: You can sit here for the rest of your life, and I can sit here for the rest of my life. You can make some choices here, Joran, and you can make the right decisions. You have your whole life ahead of you. And I want to know what happened, and I want to move on, Joran. I want to move on. You know, I want to move on in my life. And I cannot close the book and I feel as if we've lost your father, we've lost another young girl.
Joran, you don't need to lose your life here in prison and be sitting here when you're 60 years of age and insisting to me that you don't know what happened. If it was an accident, tell me. You know, I don't know. I don't know. But I am -- I'm here.
JORAN VAN DER SLOOT, SUSPECT IN NATALEE HOLLOWAY MURDER CASE: I hope you can understand also it's very hard to -- hard for me to talk to you. This is really not easy. I'm really doing my best. I know you have a very good heart. I know that for a fact. And I don't know if you would mind just giving me some -- I really have been thinking a lot and giving me some time to think. And I promise you even if you give me your address, I will write you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Amazing exchange. truTV's Jean Casarez is live for us in Aruba. We know that Beth Holloway has done this before. I mean, she's confronted his family. She has, you know, taken it upon herself to continue the investigation. What was she hoping to achieve in this face-to-face conversation with the prime suspect in her daughter's disappearance?
JEAN CASAREZ, CORRESPONDENT, "IN SESSION" ON TRUTV: At the Castro Castro prison in Lima, Peru, I think she wanted answers, number one. I think also, remember she's a teacher, so I think the way she spoke right there, I think, is who she is and what she's all about, and she was psychologically trying to get those answers.
You know, I read all of the psychological reports that had been ordered by a judge in Lima, Peru for his murder case. And they said that he was very selfish, self-centered, wanted the attention focused on him. Notice she doesn't get confrontational and that's because the psychological report is saying that if he doesn't get his way, then he can become violent toward women.
ROBERTS: Jean, a question a lot of people might be having right now is they take a look at that extraordinary video of the mother confronting the person who she believes killed her daughter. How did she get into the prison?
CASAREZ: Well, that's the big question. What we have heard was at least the attorney for Joran Van Der Sloot is saying that there were bribes. Not by Beth Holloway, but by those with her to get in, to get cameras. But the documentary reporter out of the Netherland says no, it was very upfront. They knew exactly what we're doing. They allowed us in. And if he noticed he says in one part, they told me I only had to be in here for five minutes. So maybe even he knew. But I will tell you the prison director, everyone that I met when I was there, they have not been suspended because of this.
CHETRY: Oh, wow, that is amazing. And I know that there was talk that this had happened some time back and we're just getting the tape now. Meanwhile, it's interesting timing because in Aruba, where you are, a discovery of a jawbone. They're doing DNA testing on. What's the latest?
CASAREZ: Well, the latest is everybody is aware of it here in Aruba. Everyone is waiting because this partial jawbone as forensic experts in Aruba have described it is not -- they're now in the hands of the Hague that's doing the forensic DNA and dental record comparison.
ROBERTS: Jean Casarez for us this morning. Jean, thanks so much live in Aruba. By the way, don't miss Jean Casarez every weekday on "In Session." That's on our sister station truTV, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Eastern.
CHETRY: Well, are Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton trading places? You know, that was a very fun parlor game people were speculating about last month. Not according to the vice president.
ROBERTS: Yes. There's been a lot of buzz about the secretary of state joining President Obama as his number two in the Democratic ticket in 2012, paving the way for a run by her in 2016. But on CNN's "LARRY KING LIVE" last night, Vice President Joe Biden said the 2012 team is set and everyone's onboard.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LARRY KING, HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": Shot down the rumors that you and Hillary Clinton were going to do a switch.
JOE BIDEN, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I tried, but it didn't work. No, I --
KING: Because you wanted state, didn't you?
BIDEN: No, no, no.
KING: OK to lie.
BIDEN: No, no. Look, here's the deal. The president and I -- there was never any serious talk ever that anyone ever heard about me not being on the ticket with him or her not staying as state.
KING: Woodward started it, though.
BIDEN: Well, if you look at even Bob backed off a little bit on that. What he said as I read -- and I read his book. What he basically said was when she was being considered for secretary of state, it was suggested by one of her pollsters she should take it because maybe there would be the opportunity to be vice president.
Hillary's made it clear right from the first time I came out, Joe, I don't want to be vice president. The president's made it clear, Joe, I expect you to be on the ticket, I want you on the ticket. So it was really kind of, you know, sort of a Washington parlor game. (END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Our White House correspondent Ed Henry joins us in our next hour here on AMERICAN MORNING. We'll get his take on the 2012 Democratic ticket and Biden's other comments about tax cuts and who should get them.
CHETRY: Well, Charlie Rangel pleading for mercy. In the end, the 20-term congressman from New York didn't get it. The House Ethics Committee voting last night 9 to 1 to censure Rangel for 11 violations. It's the stiffest penalty short of getting kicked out of the chamber leaving the 80-year-old Rangel in tears and fighting for his name.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. CHARLES RANGEL (D), NEW YORK: I hope that you can see your way clear for the record to make it abundantly clear as the record would indicate that any action taken by me was not with the intention to bring any disgrace on the House or to enrich myself personally or to -- or considered by counsel to be corrupt. That would be of a great help to my family and my community.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: The full House takes up the committee censure recommendation some time after Thanksgiving. That panel also recommending Rangel be forced to pay back taxes that he still owes the federal government.
ROBERTS: Also new this morning, another mind-rescue drama that's unfolding on New Zealand's west coast. Twenty-seven coal miners are missing after an underground explosion at the Pike River mine near Greymouth. Two survivors emerged on their own. They say they lost communication with the other miners. Concerns about a gas build-up has so far kept rescuers from entering the shaft up to a mile and a half long.
CHETRY: Wow. Well, federal agents say that a sophisticated cyber thief from Malaysia somehow hacked into the U.S. Federal Reserve's computer system. They hacked the Fed. The Secret Service claims the 32-year-old was caught with more than 400,000 stolen credit and debit card numbers on his heavily encrypted laptop. Agents nabbed him in a Brooklyn diner selling some of those hot card numbers for $1,000 last month.
ROBERTS: Anything like this ever happen to you while you were flying? A scare in the sky aboard a Delta flight out of Atlanta. The windshield cracked. It didn't just crack. It really cracked at 34,000 feet. The co-pilot watched it slowly spread across the window as the Boeing 737 diverted to Dallas. No word on what caused the crack, whether it was maybe some heating differential or maybe it was hit by something. Passengers continued on to Santa Ana, California in another aircraft. We'll talk with one of them coming up in our 8:00 a.m. hour this morning. CHETRY: Meanwhile, 8 1/2 minutes past the hour. Time to get a check of this morning's weather headlines. Rob Marciano is in the extreme weather center with a look at what's in store for the weekend for folks out there. Hey, Rob.
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Hey, guys. Listen, the eastern half or at least the northeast taking a bit of a break to recharge the weather battery. That's good news. It means relatively quiet weather right now. Temperatures are in the 30s and the 40s as you start out the day. A little bit of snow moving across upstate. That is about it there. A little disturbance rolling across the western Great Lakes, upper Midwest. And this is going to be the storm track I think for the next three or four days until next week. And even so right now, just a little bit of wind expected in Chicago.
Thirty to 60-minute delays expected there. San Francisco may receive some delays because of the western half of the country is enduring some storms, and that will be the case through the weekend. Portland, Seattle, even down to San Francisco, rain today, some wind, some higher elevations snows. Winter storm warnings up. We'll talk more about that and the big changes that are on the way for next week for the eastern half of the country. We'll see you guys in about 30 minutes.
ROBERTS: Wait a second. You can't just leave us hanging like that. What kind of changes?
MARCIANO: Well, with the storminess you see out west, may eventually be tracking east.
ROBERTS AND CHETRY: You're talking snow?
MARCIANO: For some. John, we've got to keep them tuned in here. We don't want --
ROBERTS: Can we disinvite Rob?
CHETRY: To what?
ROBERTS: To the party here? Mr. Snow?
MARCIANO: I doubt it's going to snow in New York City, but we'll talk about those chances.
ROBERTS: All right. Thanks, Rob.
Coming up, getting NATO troops out of Afghanistan. President Obama and the NATO allies will try to formalize a handover plan at the Lisbon summit. We're live at the preview just ahead.
CHETRY: CNN heroes bring the Chilean miners and their own heroes, their rescuers, to Los Angeles and we're with them as they get their first taste of Hollywood.
ROBERTS: And how Facebook could be hazardous to your health. Have your inhaler handy if you're keeping tabs on your ex. It's 10 minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: It's 12 minutes after the hour, 13 minutes now. President Obama in Portugal this morning for the NATO summit. Air Force One touching down in Lisbon in just the past half hour.
The combat mission in Afghanistan will be a top priority with the president trying to reassure European allies that the conflict is winding down. Our Chris Lawrence is live in Lisbon this morning with a look at what's ahead for the president. And certainly one of the big things that's going to be talked about is the handover in Afghanistan. And this comes just after President Bush said he believed that the allies were reluctant about being involved in the Afghanistan war and weren't really pulling their weight.
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: And they're still reluctant. You know, a lot is going to be riding on this. And, John, you talked about winding down. Even as that message goes out, there's another message that's going to be going out to the Afghan government, which is we hope to end combat operations by 2014, but we expect to have a U.S. presence there well beyond that. So if you're sitting at home thinking that, you know, massive amounts of U.S. troops and officials are going to be pulling out of Afghanistan, they are going to be there for some time to come. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton talked about this just about an hour or two ago here in Lisbon.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILLARY CLINTON, SECRETARY OF STATE: On the beginning of a transition to Afghan security starting next year with the intention and goal of turning over Afghan security to the government and people of Afghanistan in 2014. At the same time, there will be a continuing commitment of civilian support, of training and other ancillary activities that will enable the security situation in Afghanistan to be sustainable.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAWRENCE: So how are they going to get to 2014? Last night, a senior official told me that the goal coming out of Lisbon is to get President Karzai to sign some sort of agreement, which would lay out some benchmarks to get to the end of combat operations hopefully by 2014.
They're also revising the protocol by which they would turn over certain provinces from NATO control to Afghan control, and by revising that basically means lowering some expectations. The phrase that's been tossed around is Afghan good enough. So maybe you wanted it to be here, but hey, if it's down there and it's good enough, it could be handed over -- John.
ROBERTS: At the same time, Chris, there's also talk of a complete makeover of NATO. What -- what would that look like? LAWRENCE: Yes. Publicly you're going to hear that lot of speeches over the next day or two about this new mission for NATO. Taking it well beyond just defending Europe from -- from the old Soviet Union, which was the original mission. And now talking about tackling 21st century threats, cyber attacks, terrorism, piracy, things like that well beyond Europe. Well, that's publicly.
The reality is, more than half of the NATO members are cutting their defense budgets and, again, this goes back to Afghanistan. We're being told that a lot of these hinges on how well NATO does in Afghanistan. If Afghanistan is seen as a big success, some of these NATO countries are going to be much more likely to embrace this new role around the globe. If NATO -- if Afghanistan fails, these already wary allies are going to be much less likely to fund this kind of venture going forward.
ROBERTS: All right. Chris Lawrence for us in Lisbon, Portugal at the NATO Summit. Chris, thanks so much -- Kiran.
CHETRY: When we last saw the 33 Chilean miners live on our show yesterday, their family members, they were all in Altlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Airport. They were getting ready to catch a connecting flight to Los Angeles.
Well, this morning, they're waking up in L.A. "CNN HEROES" responsible for the trip. They brought the group to America as special guests for "CNN HEROES, THE ALL-STAR TRIBUTE." They'll be at the taping.
Our Gary Tuchman is traveling with the miners and he has an inside look now at their whirlwind visit so far.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): The 33 Chilean miners and five rescuers and their families traveled for 13 hours today from Santiago to Atlanta to Hollywood to get here. And now they're out partying. We're in a double-decker bus. Most of these people have never left Chile before. They certainly have never been to the United States for one or two of them. But now they are touring Hollywood, having a great time. Este bien?
MINERS: Yes!
TUCHMAN: Chile! Chile! All right.
You can see -- you can see they're all here to have a good time. That makes us very happy. Because just remember, I mean, it was just last month that they were under ground. Ten weeks, 2,200 feet under ground. And now here they are having a great time in Southern California and attending our "HEROES" program which airs on Thanksgiving night. It's wonderful to be part of the story.
This is Gary Tuchman, CNN, in Hollywood.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHETRY: They look like they're enjoying themselves. It's fantastic.
ROBERTS: What a remarkable trip they're having. As Gary said, most of them have never been out of Chile before and of course they land in Los Angeles. It's kind of like, wow, what do we do know?
CHETRY: They still have -- still have their Oakleys on. Yes.
ROBERTS: It's a good place to wear your Oakleys.
CHETRY: Yes. Well, as we mentioned, the miners will be on hand to see who will be named the next CNN hero, and be sure to watch. Anderson Cooper hosts "CNN HEROES AN ALL-STAR TRIBUTE", 8:00 Eastern, Thanksgiving night.
ROBERTS: Now, from the Atacama Desert to Hollywood, what a change.
Love sick on Facebook. An ex triggers an asthma attack. What's that all about? We'll tell you.
CHETRY: I guess they're going to just blame Facebook for everything that goes wrong from now on.
Meantime, a big new story about the baby panda at the zoo in Atlanta. Folks, they are celebrating this morning because they finally figured out, was it a boy or a girl? We'll tell you, coming up.
Nineteen minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: "Morning Talker" time. And it is a boy. It means the name game can begin. The zoo in Atlanta's veterinary team finally got a chance to examine a panda cub born 16 days ago. Takes them a little while before they can determine the sex, but it's a boy, tipping the scales at 11 ounces. The only panda born at a U.S. zoo this year.
ROBERTS: Well, for the past month, she's been a human exhibit at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry. The 24-year-old Kate McGroarty won a contest to spend an entire month 24/7 living at the museum. You win a contest to do something like that?
CHETRY: Yes. That sounds fun.
ROBERTS: It sounds like a sentence. She's going home today. Kate says that nights at the museum are not as quiet as you might think. And, of course, we all know that because we saw the movie, right?
CHETRY: Well, it's cheaper than space tourism, and what a thrill. It is the world's fastest roller coaster. Formula Rossa -- there it is, opening at Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi. It is designed to look like the famous Ferrari Formula One cars, built from the same technology that propels fighter planes from aircraft carriers. It launches you from zero to 150 miles per hour in under five seconds -
ROBERTS: Wow.
CHETRY: -- pulling an incredible 4.8 Gs off at the start.
ROBERTS: So these catapult, I guess, to get you going?
CHETRY: I don't know. No way. I think my days of enjoying roller coasters that fast are over.
ROBERTS: Oh, come on. Bump it up a little.
A warning for Facebook users with asthma, don't e-stalk your ex because it could be hazardous to your health. Doctors in Italy say they treated an 18-year-old whose asthma attacks were apparently being triggered by logging on to Facebook and seeing his ex in pics with other guys.
CHETRY: That's a stretch, though, to blame Facebook. I mean, what if he saw her walking down the street (INAUDIBLE)?
ROBERTS: Facebook -- isn't Facebook responsible for all of the evils of the world?
CHETRY: I guess so. It seems like that lately.
Well, if you're feeling overworked and underpaid, now may be the time to negotiate for a raise. We're going to tell you why it may be a good time to do it now.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Twenty-seven minutes after the hour, and Christine Romans is here, "Minding Your Business" this morning, with news about unemployment benefits. And -- and the currently employed may be starting to --
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: They're getting a little --
ROBERTS: -- look for greener pastures.
ROMANS: They are, and they're getting a little restless.
But first, to the unemployment benefits, the House yesterday failed to pass an extension of jobless benefits. A lot of you have been asking us about this, am I going to be able to continue to get a jobless check? At least for now, the House has let this be, unless they take it up again or it gets somehow buckled into, packaged into, an extension of -- of the tax cuts for the middle class, this thing is dead for now.
That means four million people will roll off their unemployment benefits in the near future. That's a lot of folks, got a lot of big implications for the economy (INAUDIBLE) for recovery.
At the same time, bosses beware, because those of you who have a job, you are restless, and, as John says, he's exactly right, you're looking for greener pastures. Again and again, we're seeing these surveys that show that people are very -- their -- their satisfaction on the job is basically at record lows, and that means when the economy starts to percolate again, they're going to be looking to get out and find a new job.
So bosses, you need to treat your -- your employees right, and here's how employees can take advantage of that. First of all, ask to take on more responsibilities. If you are at work and you think that you want to be moving forward, ask to take on responsibilities. Don't brag about your successes, but make sure your boss knows about your results on the job.
Now, you might be able to even go in there and ask for a raise. How would that feel? More and more employees are -- employers are saying that they are going to be open to raises next year. Some 31 percent say that they're going to be giving raises next year, in 2011, because they want to keep these good employees.
So research your salary range with HR and online. If you're offered a bonus, push for a raise instead, for a couple of reason. A raise lasts you all year, and then your next salary is pegged on that, not on a bonus.
Also, if they're not going to give you a raise or a bonus, look for some other perks, vacation days, flexible hours, tuition reimbursement. You can even ask for that. A lot of times, companies, they can't give you the number because they're all trying to cut costs or they -- they simply can't, but they might be able to give you little perks elsewhere. So --
CHETRY: Good advice. A lot of the reason why -- you -- we have talked about this before, people -- because of the tight economy, taking jobs that maybe they felt they were overqualified for or were overqualified for. And also, because layoffs, the people who kept their job are doing the jobs of all their fellow co-workers who were laid off.
ROMANS: Right. That's right.
And that's why people are so dissatisfied on the job, because they're doing more work. They've seen all of these positions frozen around them. But, as the economy starts to get a little better -- and it is. And especially for those top 20 percent, those people who are the top 20 percent performers, there's actually a war for talent there right now. So you are in a position to move.
ROBERTS: We've got great perks here.
ROMANS: Coffee cup?
ROBERTS: That's where I got this swell mug.
ROMANS: Water?
ROBERTS: It's beautiful, don't you think?
ROMANS: I know.
ROBERTS: I can get you one too.
ROMANS: Thanks.
ROBERTS: Christine Romans this morning. Thanks.
Coming up to the half hour now. Your top stories this Friday morning.
What could be a new lead and potentially a huge break in the case of Natalee Holloway. Five years after she disappeared in Aruba, tests are being done on a jawbone that was found on the beach. Holloway's father says a forensic scientist in Aruba says the bone is from a human female. .
There's also video of Holloway's mother pleading with the prime suspect in the case, Joran Van Der Sloot to finally come clean about what happened.
CHETRY: President Obama's in Portugal this morning, attending the NATO summit. The president and European allies will try to formalize plans for turning over security duties to the Kabul government by 2014. The president will also meet with Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
ROBERTS: Charlie Rangel pleaded for mercy, but in the end, the 20-term congressman from New York did not get it. The House Ethic Committee voting last night, nine-to-one, to censure Rangel for 11 violations, leaving the 80-year-old Rangel in tears and fighting for his name. The full House takes up the committee's recommendations some time after Thanksgiving.
CHETRY: Well, behind each wedding is, of course, a delicate logistical dance. You have to nail down the date, then the place, then the dress, the politics of where people are seated. Well, now imagine the pressure of planning a royal wedding.
That's Kate Middleton's life right now. She was spotted scouting out Westminster Abbey late Wednesday. And we could find out where and when the royal is set to take place.
With me now is Hugo Vickers. He's a royal historian and the author of "The Private World of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor," among other books on the royal family.
Thanks so much for joining us this morning, Hugo.
HUGO VICKERS, AUTHOR & ROYAL HISTORIAN: It's a pleasure.
CHETRY: As we said, Kate is spotted leaving Westminster Abbey. Talk to us about that church and why she and William might pick it as their wedding venue.
VICKERS: Well, it's definitely the most obvious choice. It's very much what you might call the royal church in London. It's what's called the Royal Peculiar, which means it comes under the jurisdiction of the queen rather than the archbishop of Canterbury.
And if I tell you that every --- virtually every English kings since William the Conqueror has been crowned there. Kings from Henry III to George II, including Henry VII are being buried there.
The present queen was married there. The queen mother was married there. And, of course, there was the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales, Prince William's mother, took place there in 1997. So, it has a lot going for it.
CHETRY: Would that be one of the reasons why they might want to do it elsewhere because of the fact that Princess Diana was -- had her funeral there.
VICKERS: You know, it could go either way, couldn't it? Because I would have thought that, in a way, if you think of a church, it's a place you go for happy occasions and sad occasions, for important occasions and that sort of thing. I don't think that would play against Westminster Abbey.
I mean, my money -- if I was putting money on it, it would be Westminster Abbey. I think St. Paul's Cathedral, which is the other main possibility, is really in a way too big. Westminster Abbey although it appears very large, also has a feeling of intimacy, which is rather special.
CHETRY: Right. And they also talk about it being a nice route for a procession from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace, because, of course, this was going to be a made-for-TV event seen around the world, just as his parents' wedding was back in 1982.
VICKERS: Yes, absolutely. There is a -- there is an absolutely prescribed processional route and exactly which way they would go and then they would come back to Buckingham Palace where there's a fantastic balcony and they can make an appearance and many crowds and indeed many television watchers can see them on the balcony and wonder whether they're going to kiss each other or not.
CHETRY: Right. 1981, actually, but, man, that was a long time ago and most of us remember it like yesterday.
One of the other issues is the date. They had said it was going to be 2011, a lot of talk about whether it would be spring or late summer. Do we know any more about what needs to be considered when they decide on a date?
VICKERS: And -- well, there are certain considerations that have to be taken into account. It's not going to be on the 10th of June, which is Prince Phillips' 90th birthday. I would suggest it's most likely towards the end of July, which is the time when most of the royal weddings take place because then they have the whole of August for the honey moon. And I don't think it'll be in August because the palace is open to the public and all the staff were on holiday.
It could, of course, been in April or the beginning of May. A lot of it depends on the weather. You know, we have -- we have a very lovely climate that is very unreliable. It's a little bit more reliable in July. And I think there's a lot to be said for glorious summer wedding. So, I'd probably be proved to be totally wrong, but I would say Westminster Abbey towards the end of July.
CHETRY: Well, you put up a good case for July. You got that month-long honeymoon. You go anywhere you want to.
That brings up the next question of just how lavish this is going to be. I mean, this is the wedding of the century for Britain, but then they're dealing with a recession. They don't want to appear to be too grand and opulent when taxpayers are worried about their jobs.
So, how do they balance that?
VICKERS: Well, I think we see the benefits of a royal wedding, however much they spend on it will be enormous because -- let's face it, people are going to come flocking into London. It's going to be a huge boost to the nation. Everybody's going to be very excited. It's a great morale boost generally.
So, I hope they will do it as well as ever. Carriage procession so that we can see them. We do this thing extremely well in Britain.
Having said that, I think there'll be a strong emphasis on the personal commitment between the two -- the young couple getting married.
CHETRY: Yes.
VICKERS: And I think that although there'll be many demands, many people who have to be invited, I think that that's something which is I think will be to the fore on this occasion because it's clearly a love match, it's not a dynastic alliance.
CHETRY: Yes.
VICKERS: It's not a political thing. They know each other very well.
CHETRY: And, Hugo --
VICKERS: They're excited like most young couples to marry.
CHERTY: And, Hugo, speaking of that, you talk about the royal protocol, looks like she's not taking up full-time royal duties right away. But she's also not going to continue working in her family business. That's fueling speculation that they're getting started on a family straight away. What do you think?
VICKERS: Well, it would be a lovely thing if another generation of the royal family arrived during the reign of the present queen, who celebrates her diamond jubilee in 2012. How lovely it would be for people like me who like seeing lots of generations of the royal family, for the queen to see not only a son but a grandson and also another generation within her reign.
So, yes, I hope they'll do that.
CHETRY: That's wonderful.
Hugo Vickers, author and royal historian -- thanks for joining us this morning.
VICKERS: Thank you.
ROBERTS: Great-grandma, wouldn't that be something?
CHETRY: Yes.
ROBERTS: Well, still to come, here's something, GM's incredible turn around. We'll take a look at what the company did to make that happen. Was it all worth it?
Carol Costello with a gut check -- just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Forty minutes past the hour right now.
Well, General Motors is back -- back in a big way. GM stock began trading on Wall Street again yesterday, allowing the corporate icon to repay some of its $50 billion government bailout.
ROBERTS: But, there's a growing divide between Wall Street, Washington, and Main Street in Detroit over who should get paid first. Aren't they always arguing about that?
Our Carol Costello joins us live from Washington this morning with an AM gut check.
Good morning, Carol.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John. Good morning, Kiran.
If you ask the United Auto Workers Union how GM failed so spectacularly, it accepts some of the blame. I talked to with UAW President Bob King, who told me both GM and the union lost sight of providing for you, the consumer. It was all about how much money each side could make.
Now, they say that's changed and GM may be on its way to profitability. But there's a looming question. If GM continues to prosper, should workers who gave up salary and benefits profit too?
A gut check this morning.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO (voice-over): Management and unions standing together at the New York Stock Exchange as the new General Motors goes public.
It truly is a new day, not only for GM, but for -- now don't laugh -- bipartisanship.
United Auto Workers president, Bob King --
BOB KING, PRESIDENT, UNITED AUTO WORKERS: We understand, to be globally competitive, we have to work together. And what's exciting about this, there's so much division and partisanship in America -- here's labor and business and government all working together to keep jobs in America.
COSTELLO: To accomplish that, thousands of UAW workers retired early, wages for senior workers are frozen at about $28 an hour, while new hires now make 50 percent less, $14 an hour, or about $30,000 a year. Fat pension plans are gone for new employees. They now contribute to 401(k)s.
For union workers, the cuts have been painful -- some feel betrayed by union leaders.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're breaking us apart.
COSTELLO: Still, the UAW accepted the cuts and GM's CEO credited them and increased worker creativity for his company's resurgence.
DAN AKERSON, CEO, GENERAL MOTORS: It's inspirational how good the company has come out of this. And it's largely because of the employee base.
COSTELLO: If GM continues to prosper, it's projected to make $5 billion to $6 billion in profits this year.
Should employees prosper too? It's a valid question. Negotiations on a new union contract start next year.
AKERSON: We're paying competitive rates vis-a-vis our competition. So, it's going to be a success-based pay structure is what we strive for, like you do in most businesses.
COSTELLO: For the union, that sounds promising. Its goal is to share in the company's up side while helping the auto industry remain viable.
KING: It's a different world we're in. And top management in General Motors recognizes you've got to work together every day. And when there's an upside, workers have to share in that upside, and we will.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: And that means no more union concessions. The immediate goal for both sides is repaying taxpayers and keeping GM in business.
So, the question for you this morning, if companies become profitable, at what point should workers profit, too? Now, keep in mind, economists say, even if your company is healthy, it's unlikely you'll get any substantial raise as long as the unemployment rate remains high. There's no incentive for any company when 100 people are standing in line for your job.
CNN.com/amFIX -- please weigh in on our blog, CNN.com/amFIX.
CHETRY: All right. Well, we're going to eagerly await what people say about this one, because a lot of people have an opinion on it, you know? It's a story we covered in the wake of our financial meltdown, and a lot going on with that still.
COSTELLO: And frankly, a lot of people have a poor opinion of unions. So, it'll be interesting to see what people say this morning.
ROBERTS: All right. We'll see you back here again soon. Carol Costello with a gut check this morning -- Carol, thanks so much.
And at 43-and-a-half minutes after the hour -- still to come, Rob Marciano's got this morning's travel forecast.
And in 10 minutes' time, from pat downs to flying pasties? Jeanne Moos takes a look at the griping over groping.
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CHETRY: Forty-six minutes past the hour. Time to get a check of the weekend weather headlines. Rob Marciano teased us last hour about the potential of -- I don't know -- some changes, a.k.a. snow somewhere. So, what's going on, Robbie?
MARCIANO: These changes are going to be slow. So, I think we'll get through most of the weekend, at least the northeastern third of the country, with relatively tranquil weather. And we're seeing that that this morning, Boston, New York, Philly. It is chilly, temperatures upper 30s, lower 40s. A little bit of snow showers trying to cut through the Finger Lakes and parts of upstate New York, maybe getting into the cat skills.
That's about it, really, with this. And similarly quiet across the Midwest, although, this little storm is trying to crank up a little, I see. And you can see that, as well, across parts of the lower hand of Michigan. Temperatures here certainly cold enough for snow, but this system relatively weak. It will create some wind, 30 to 60-minute delays across Chicago.
San Francisco, that's the other main player as far as travel delays because of the weather. We've got a pretty decent storm out there. Continued snows across parts of the northwest and the sierras could see 2 to 3 feet of snow before this weekend is done. And yes, that storminess and troughiness is going to be heading our way as we go through the weekend. But, into early next week, we'll start out warm in the eastern half of the country.
It could be anywhere from minus 10 to 40 degrees below average across the northwest. And that air and associated storminess will track along this storm track as we get through Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and into Thursday. Big travel there across the Midwest. We could be looking at some issues in the form of a wintery mix and through Chicago up through Minneapolis, mixture of ice and snow, and then that storm getting into the northeast.
Although, I don't think in New York we'll see a tremendous amount of snow. You go upstate, we could be looking at lake effect snow for Thanksgiving. So, for some folks, it could be a little bit of snow on the berg (ph). Of course, that is a week away. And we'll update that prognostication as we go forward. John and Kiran, back up to you.
ROBERTS: It's the start of the holiday season might as well have snow, right?
MARCIANO: That's right.
ROBERTS: Rob, thanks so much.
MARCIANO: All right, guys.
ROBERTS: This morning's top stories just minutes away now, including exclusive new video of Natalee Holloway's mother face-to- face with Joran Van Der Sloot pleading for information about her missing daughter. And five years later, there could be a big break in the search. The latest from Aruba coming up at the top of the hour.
CHETRY: And the "Don't Touch My Junk" movement. Some airports now considering a congressman's call to ditch the TSA, but is that really the safest move?
ROBERTS: And the man cave where manly men go to be manly. So, why do women now want in? Those stories and more coming your way at the top of the hour.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHUCK LEAVELL, KEYBOARDIST, ROLLING STONES: Hi. I'm Chuck Leavell. I'm keyboard player with the Rolling Stones and also the co- founder of the Mother Nature Network. And between those things, I'm on the road usually about 150 days a year. I'm blessed to have two different careers. And how do I balance it? It's a matter of just, you know, looking at the books and saying, OK, this day, I can go through programs and then yes, and then I can do a recording session here.
When I'm touring, I'm always looking for places to be outdoors. And so, I'll carry a book with state parks or national parks. I'm a musician, so when it comes to gadgets and gizmos, I carry a digital recording device, my iPhone, my Mac computer. Those are very important to me. It's like a puzzle to me when you're packing because you got a little space like this and let rolled up T-shirt will fit right in there. So, I always roll up my shirts. They tend to stay nice and tight that way. Ready to roll, baby.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: And coming up now at six minutes till the top of the hour. It is time for the Moos News in the Morning. People are up in arms of these new aggressive airport security pat downs.
CHETRY: Yes. Critics call it groping, and they've been griping about it quite loudly. Some are even voicing their displeasure in song. Here's Jeannie.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Not since Monica Lewinski has there been such sexy talk in public.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Having people feeling their underwear.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Feels up my wife in front of everyone!
MOOS: But all of this feeling up has left some feeling down.
(SINGING) I don't like the TSA.
MOOS: Jonathan Man (ph) is known for creating a song a day.
(SINGING) They scare me with their x-ray before they grope me, which is not OK.
MOOS: The thing is one man's pat-down is another man's grope.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This pat-down.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Grope down.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I've been patted down.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Groping your junk.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Advance pat-down.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have had my love pats.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When they grope me, I'm going to say, do I get a lap dance with this?
MOOS: Only on "Saturday Night Live," this old skit feels brand new.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's just checking the back pockets, checking it with the back of the hand, and now, I'm going to use the front of my hand.
(LAUGHTER) UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just security procedure, sir, and for the last thing what I need to do is I'm going to search the inside of your mouth with my mouth.
MOOS: Taiwanese animators have given the screening controversy their special twist, noting, for instance, the passengers who refuse a scan can get a private pat-down.
(SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
MOOS: And concluding that no one knows how far security measures will eventually go. But look where they've already gone.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The product is called flying pasties.
MOOS: Rubber shields you insert under your clothes made with materials that deflect the scanners to hide your private parts for women and men.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Which one did the old man wear?
(LAUGHTER)
MOOS: They come emblazon with one-liners like objects are larger than they appear. Just hiding my junk, and even the fourth amendment protecting against unreasonable searches. In a Skype interview from Thailand, flying pasty spokesman, Mike Francis, said, he thinks TSA agents can read the one-liners on their scanners through your clothes.
MOOS (on-camera): They'd pull you out for special attention because that would look like you're the underwear bomber because you have these pasties on.
MIKE FRANCIS, SPOKESMAN, FLYING PASTIES: Our advice all along is to say I'm wearing something called the flying pasty and just covers my privates parts, and I just want to maintain my dignity.
MOOS (voice-over): Ah, yes, dignity. I was groped by the TSA and all I got was this lousy T-shirt. We have entered the age of the audacity of grope.
Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHETRY: Leave it to the internet.
ROBERTS: I like the T-shirt. I was groped by the TSA and all I got was this lousy T-shirt. You probably see a lot of those around. It's fifty-six-and-a-half minutes after the hour. Stay with us.
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