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American Morning

Human Remains in Aruba May Be Natalee Holloway; Biden Lays Out Likely Compromise For Bush Tax Cuts Extention; Securing the Skies; Some Airports Allow Passengers to Light Up in Lounge Area; New Evidence in Holloway Case; GM is Back; Surfer Kelly Slater Wins Tenth Championship Title

Aired November 19, 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 to you. Happy Friday. It's November 19th. Glad you're with us on this AMERICAN MORNING. I'm Kiran Chetry.

JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you. I'm John Roberts. And here are this morning's top stories.

The Natalee Holloway case is heating up again this morning. We have new exclusive videotape of her mother face-to-face with Joran Van Der Sloot pleading with him, once and for all, for the truth saying "I can't close the book," and possible new forensic evidence which was found on an Aruba beach. We're live on the island with the very latest this morning.

CHETRY: Something you certainly don't want to see at 34,000 feet, a cracked windshield in the cockpit of the 737. Some tense moments for passengers with the pilot who was forced to make an emergency landing. One of them captured that photo of the windshield.

ROBERTS: And ditch the TSA. That's the order from a Florida congressman. He's calling on the nation's busiest airports to replace their federal employees with private security guards, but what does that mean for your security?

CHETRY: Also, awaiting the royal details today. Where and when will Kate Middleton marry her prince? The couple is said to be very close to making an official announcement about the nuptials, and we'll have more on that.

ROBERTS: First this morning, new information in the case of Natalee Holloway. After all these years, what could be a huge break in the case? She vanished in Aruba five years ago, 2005, the prime suspect, Joran Van Der Sloot in jail in Peru and accused of murdering another woman.

Right now Dutch investigators at the Hague are looking at a jawbone with a tooth found at a beach in Aruba. Also new this morning, DNA testing now underway, and we're awaiting results to see if that jaw fragment turns out to be the remains of Natalee Holloway's. CHETRY: And at the same time we're getting a look a surreal meeting that took place between Natalee Holloway's mom and Joran Van Der Sloot, the prime suspect in the case. This is exclusive videotape of a conversation released to Nancy Grace on our sister network HLN. Take 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. You have your whole life ahead of you. And I want to know what happened, and I want to know why. 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, 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'm here.

JORAN VAN DER SLOOT, SUSPECT IN NATALEE HOLLOWAY'S DISAPPEARANCE: It's very hard for me to talk to you. It's really not easy. I'm 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, just giving me some time to think, and I promise you even if you give me your address, I will write you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTS: Jean Casarez is on the telephone with us from Aruba. And what an extraordinary piece of videotape that is, Jean. The mother of the murdered woman in a jail with the fellow she believes killed her daughter, and she's talking to him so calmly, just pleading for information.

JEAN CASAREZ, HOST, "IN SESSION" ON TRUTV: It's amazing, isn't it? And this is all taking place at Castro Castro, one of the most maximum security prisons in the world. And you can tell she wants answers.

But you can also tell she is being very, very -- I don't want to say calculated, but she's saying what she says for a purpose, because all the psychological testing that has been done on Van Der Sloot in Peru, and believe me, he's had numerous tests since he was arrested. But they all say he loves to have the attention focused on him, centered on him, he doesn't like altercation because if there's an altercation, then his temperament can change and he can have violent tendencies when he doesn't get his way.

CHETRY: It's important for people to remember he is in this prison because he is in custody related to another murder that took place there. He's not been charged in the Natalee Holloway case. But it makes you wonder, how was she has able to get in there and be able to talk to this murder suspect? CASAREZ: Right. Well, the journalist she was with said everything was above board. They knew they were coming, knew they were coming in with cameras, and the only thing they were told was that they couldn't discuss the Stephanie Flores case.

And if you listen to that whole piece there, Van Der Sloot says at the end, look, I was just told five minutes here. Maybe he was told she was there. His attorney is saying, look, my client was forced to talk with Beth Holloway, and there has been an investigation ongoing.

And just recently the guards were suspended, even the director of the prison, for allowing it.

ROBERTS: We talked about this other piece of forensic -- potential piece of forensic evidence, this jawbone discovered on the beach. It's now gone to the Netherlands for DNA testing. What do we know about that?

CASAREZ: Well, everybody here in Aruba is on the edge of their seats waiting to find out what this is. Now, it was tourists, two tourists from Massachusetts that found it on the beach, took it to their hotel here, and then it got in the hands of police.

And forensic investigators looked at it first in Aruba, which I think is very interesting and could be significant because they believe that it is, number one, a human jaw, that of a Caucasian young female, and the investigators personally flew it to the Hague, and they are now doing the final analysis and will have the definitive answers on if this could be at all Natalee Holloway.

ROBERTS: Jean, I know you're going to keep following the story. And just a programming reminder, don't miss Jean Casarez every week day on "in session" on our sister station TruTV. That's 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. eastern.

CHETRY: Also new this morning, another mine rescue drama unfolding. This is on New Zealand's west coast where 27 coal mines are missing after an underground explosion at the Pike River mine. Two survivors were able to get out on their own and they say they lost communication with the others. There are concerns about a gas build- up, so far kept rescuers from entering the mine shaft, which is said to be up to a mile and a half long.

ROBERTS: Passengers forced to sweat it out when the passengers in a Delta jet announced there's a crack in the windshield. We have to make an emergency landing. It did land safely in Dallas last night. The cause of the crack is still a mystery. We'll talk live with the passenger who snapped this photo live in our next hour.

CHETRY: And president Obama is in Lisbon, Portugal this morning. The combat mission in Afghanistan will top the agenda. The goal of U.S. and European allies is to hand over security to the Afghan government in 2014.

Well, there is a showdown looming on Capitol Hill over tax cuts. Vice President Biden digging in his heels last night on "LARRY KING LIVE" when asked about the issue. Here's a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LARRY KING, HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": Now, are you going to extend the Bush tax cuts?

JOE BIDEN, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, look, I'll tell you --

KING: For all the rich folk?

BIDEN: No. Let me tell you what our position is. Our position is we want to permanently extend the tax cuts for middle-class people for the top 98 percent for the wage earners in America, or the 98 percent of the wage earners in America. We don't think we can afford to extend permanently the tax cuts for the top two percent.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: Ed Henry's live at the White House this morning with more on Joe Biden's interview. Who blinks first on extending these tax cuts, because unfortunately the way that it's going, you can't separate the two. You have to decide to extend them or not. And that would include the wealthiest Americans.

ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: You're right. And I think Vice President Biden basically laid out the most likely compromise of all. House Democrats yesterday sort of positioning themselves and say we're going to have a vote as you suggested on permanently extending the middle class tax cuts and that's it. And let the Republicans push for tax cuts for the rich.

Then you have Republicans on the other side saying, look, we want to permanently extend for everybody, the middle class, rich, et cetera. I think what the vice president laid out to Larry King is the most likely scenario in the end. After all the posturing, it's likely you'll see the middle class tax cuts extended permanently and then the tax cuts for the rich extended for a year or two but not permanently.

That's the most likely scenario. I think the vice president was basically laying out the middle ground.

CHETRY: Also Sarah Palin was brought up on the show last night. Let's take a listen to that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Sarah Palin has apparently now confirmed that she's thinking about running for president. How does that make Joe Biden think?

(LAUGHTER)

BIDEN: Well, you know -- I -- look, I think Sarah Palin's turned out to be and she is a real force in the Republican Party.

KING: What do you think of her?

BIDEN: Well, I like her. No, no, I personally like her. If you met her, she's an appealing person. When we campaigned, we debated, there was not a harsh word. We have a fundamentally different outlook on the world. And I think that would be a really -- a really interesting race.

KING: Would that be a race you'd like to take on?

BIDEN: Well, you know, my mom used to have an expression, be careful what you wish for, Joe, you may get it. So I never underestimate anyone. But I think in that race it would be a clear, clear choice for the country to make. And I believe President Obama would be in very good shape.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: There you go. He's pretty candid about it. He says she's a nice person. You remember famously, "can I call you Joe" and the wink when they debated.

HENRY: Well, look, the bottom line, this is the essence of Joe Biden. When he gets into trouble, there'll be a gaffe. But more often what happens is he gives you the unvarnished truth.

And in fact, I've heard plenty of people inside this White House say -- sort of laugh at the prospect of Sarah Palin in suggesting, look, if she's the candidate and the nominee in 2012, there'll be a polarized election and President Obama will win.

But in the next breath, the vice president was honest in saying a lot of people have underestimated her before. And be careful what you wish for. You know, he was pointing that out. And I think that's right. A lot of Democrats believe this would be a slam dunk reelection victory for the president if he faces Sarah Palin. But the vice president is right that might not be as easy as Democrats think, Kiran.

CHETRY: When he said be careful what you wish for, I thought he was saying that to Republicans who may choose her as their nominee.

HENRY: He could be saying that, but I think also if you read the fact that he's suggesting that, look, I like her, she's a likable person, she could connect with the American people. He did point out in the end it could be a clear choice and President Obama would be reelected, but it might not be a slam dunk that a lot of Democrats think.

She is somebody who a lot of people had predicted two years ago she would already be out of the sweepstakes. She's still a player and she's still sticking around. So who knows where this will end up in two years?

CHETRY: It'll be fun to watch for sure. Thanks, Ed. Good to see you. ROBERTS: Yes, remember back in 2000 when the predictions were that Vice President Al Gore was going to mop the floor with George Bush.

CHETRY: Yes. And in 2008, a lot of people said this is going to be a match-up between Rudy Giuliani and Hillary Clinton. It's set.

ROBERTS: And like Joe Biden said, you've got to be careful what you wish for if you're a Democrat. What might seem like the easiest race now could turn out to be the toughest one.

(WEATHER BREAK)

ROBERTS: Still to come, it's the hidden danger inside a quarter of the major airports in this country, and it has nothing to do with terrorists. How it could affect you coming up.

CHETRY: Also, ditch the TSA. That's what some of the busiest airports are being asked to do this morning. But is private security any better? It's 12 minutes past the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROBERTS: Fifteen minutes after the hour. We're just six days away from Thanksgiving now. One of the busiest travel holidays of the year. And the outrage is growing over those new airport security measures. Florida's Republican Congressman John Mica wrote a letter to the nation's 100 busiest airports urging them to ditch the TSA and use private screeners instead. Isn't that how we got into this whole thing?

CHETRY: Yes.

ROBERTS: Yes. He says it's the only way to make travelers feel more comfortable. The TSA chief, John Pistole, insists the revealing full body scans and the pat-downs are all in the name of safety.

CHETRY: So what do airports do about all the outrage? Christine Romans joins us now with more on this. I don't know if they thought that they realize when they approved these enhanced pat-downs, just what an uproar this would cause across the country, but it has.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: It has. And you've got congressmen now writing letters. And you've got executives of many airports say hey, look, how we do it, we do it better. We manage to do this without having the uproar. So this is -- this is what's happening here. What can be done about it? Do you fire the TSA as some are suggesting? Do you get new technology?

Well, in Boston, the full body scans are going to be replaced by something that is more like a stick figure that shows an area of the body that's got some kind of anomaly and that can be examined further later down.

CHETRY: So they take a picture of you and then they turn it into a stick figure image. ROMANS: Yes, and it's a more -- the g-rated version of what you're seeing right now. For example, a cell phone, a belt, or a watch, the scanners should be up and running by late winter. And officials say they hope it speeds up the scanning process altogether. Other reports are considering private screening quite frankly going back to the future with private screeners. Orlando's second largest airport which, by the way, is in the district of that Republican congressman, Orlando Sanford International Airport could begin the process of switching to private screeners.

We should mention those private screeners still have to meet all the TSA guidelines. But what critics say is that private industry may be able to be more responsive to concerns than a huge blow to government bureaucracy, which is what critics say it is. And also private screeners would have to do pat-downs when necessary. But executives from Orlando, they studied private screenings at airports in Rochester, New York, Jackson Hole, Wyoming. There are 16 airports that already have their own private screenings. They do not use the TSA. Some airport officials say that those services have been more responsive than other airports where there is the TSA because if the private screeners aren't doing a good job, they ditch them and get a new company, a new contractor.

ROBERTS: It's so difficult for travelers to understand because it was the private screeners who were the problem in the first place --

ROMANS: That's right.

ROBERTS: -- which is why the TSA was created. And now they're saying no, the private screeners are better?

ROMANS: The bottom line here is that the air travel experience has been rotten for about 10 years. And first we blamed the private screeners and what was happening after September 11th, and now they're blaming the new government bureaucracy that quite, frankly, has replaced the DMV as the government bureaucracy you least want to interface with but is most necessary for you to get anywhere.

CHETRY: Right.

ROMANS: So it is really interesting. But some of these small airports, Jackson Hole, Rochester, do not use TSA screeners. And some of those executives are saying that it's been working out fine for them without the TSA screeners. They have not had these big problems.

CHETRY: We'll see where this goes.

ROMANS: We'll see.

CHETRY: Thanks, Christine.

ROBERTS: Christine, thanks.

Well, the list of things that you can't bring to the airport gets longer every year, but go ahead and bring your cigarettes because chances are you'll find somewhere to smoke them. One in four major American airports lets travelers light up inside the building. Here's the list. Atlanta, DFW, Denver, Vegas, Charlotte, Dulles and Salt Lake City. But the Centers for Disease Control says those dedicated smoker lounges in the terminals aren't doing enough to protect millions of travelers from the dangers of secondhand smoke. Our senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen joins us this morning from Atlanta. So what does the CDC want these airports to do?

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Oh, John, it's very simple. They want these airports to get rid of these smoking areas. They want airports to be smoke-free both inside and outside. The CDC says the people have actually measured the air outside of these lounges, the places where you and I and everybody else has to walk. And they said that you can actually find the toxins and the carcinogens from the smoke outside of the lounges. So they just said get rid of the smoking altogether.

ROBERTS: I spend an awful lot of time, more time that I'd like at the Atlanta airport and most times you can't smell anything coming from those lounges, but every once in a while it sort of permeates the entire terminal building, the concourse. The areas are enclosed. They've got their own separate ventilation systems. So how is it a big deal?

COHEN: Well, you know, John, the CDC tells us that about 10 percent leaks out. So you could have a great state-of-the-art ventilation system and still you get about 10 percent leakage. And, John, I'm with you, I mean, I'm also a frequent visitor to the Atlanta airport. I must say I don't really notice it when I walk by it. But what doctors tell me is that you may not notice it, but you're still breathing it in.

ROBERTS: It looks bizarre when you see all those people inside that fog of cigarette smoke.

COHEN: Yes.

ROBERTS: I always think that they're intentionally trying to poison themselves. Are the airports listening, though? Will these lounges be done away with?

COHEN: No, actually they're not listening. We called the Atlanta airport and they said, look, we have these smoking rooms for a reason. And let me read you exactly what they had to say. They say the smoking lounges eliminate the need for passengers wishing to smoke to exit and then reenter the secured areas. So they basically say it would be a pain in the neck for smokers to have to leave and come back.

CHETRY: The other thing I also find is strange is if you're standing outside the airport when you're on your way in, you're in a cloud of smoke.

ROBERTS: Oh, when you pass through the smoker's --

CHETRY: No, when you're outside and everybody's standing out there smoking. It almost seems like that's worse to inhale than the enclosed enclosure.

ROBERTS: Has anybody studied that?

COHEN: And, Kiran, you're right. They are talking about smoking areas both inside and outside. The CDC says there should be no smoking either in or out. Because I'm with you when you're sitting there waiting for a taxi or waiting for your ride and sometimes you can't move and you've got people around you smoking, you're kind of stuck.

CHETRY: Right.

COHEN: And that's almost worse than being inside sometimes.

CHETRY: All right. Elizabeth Cohen for us, interesting. Thanks.

ROBERTS: Well, there has been a breach. Men now allowing their wives into the man-cave.

CHETRY: Do you have a man-cave?

ROBERTS: No.

CHETRY: In New York City, I guess you have to call that a closet.

ROBERTS: And maybe turn the bathroom into a sort of pseudo-man keg (ph). Convert it. But dude, what's going on here? They've come a long ways since the dingy basement, these man-caves. A look at some $100,000 setups and the reason that women want in.

CHETRY: Of course, I said there's guys and beer in there. What woman doesn't want in?

ROBERTS: Everything a woman should ever want, right?

CHETRY: Well, few athletes in the world.

ROBERTS: What are you hecking around with?

CHETRY: -- matches dominance. Most Americans wouldn't know this guy if they ran into him. Why you should be totally stoked about pro- surfer Kelly Slater.

Twenty-two minutes past the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: Twenty-five minutes past the hour. Morning talker time. We love this one.

The women suffering from man-cave envy. The places women go to hide. Usually fully stocked bar, flat-screen TV, a tricked out garage. Some of them now apparently over $100,000 worth of man stuff. So why aren't wives allowed in? Well, the "Wall Street Journal" says they're becoming so fancy and mysterious that wives do want in now and the guys are actually allowing this. We even saw a mimosa and a pink football jersey in one. So times are changing.

ROBERTS: And unfortunately, the guys out in the parking lot for the tailgate, as well, because the women have the man-cave.

Plus cheaper than space tours and what a thrill it is, too. Check this out. The world's fastest roller coaster, the Formula Rossa, opening at Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi. It's designed to look like the famous Ferrari formula one cars and it's built from the same technology that propels fighter planes from aircraft carriers. The steam catapult reportedly launches you from zero to 150 miles an hour in under five seconds. And when the catapult goes off, you pull an incredible 4.8 Gs.

CHETRY: Would you do it?

ROBERTS: Oh, yes, of course, I do. I'd love to do it. I've always wanted to be launched off a carrier, as well, in a plane.

CHETRY: Yes, right. In a cannon ball or the plane?

Well, can't start shopping until Oprah tells you what to buy. Right? Of course, today she reveals her favorite things for the holiday season. It's one of the biggest shows of the year but everyone wants to get in because she gives away so many freebies and favorite things. Well, this is the clip from a few years ago. This is expected to have a huge surprise since her last favorite things special in the 25-year history of the show, it was really amazing.

What happened again? What did she do?

ROBERTS: Didn't she give everybody a car?

CHETRY: She did.

ROBERTS: Yes.

CHETRY: She gave everybody a car once and then people were griping about having to pay the taxes. So then she gave everybody a car and paid the taxes.

ROBERTS: And then, of course, in turkey I think the next year.

CHETRY: She gave a cruise once. I mean, hey, people want to get in on that.

ROBERTS: The only thing I ever won in my entire life, a frozen turkey.

CHETRY: We can arrange that. We could get you one in an hour.

ROBERTS: Yes, I know, but it's not winning it. Winning it makes all the difference. CHETRY: Oprah says there's going to be paramedics on standby, by the way, because some people get so excited.

ROBERTS: Exactly what we need.

CHETRY: Well, Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway almost baring it all on the cover of "Entertainment Weekly." There's a look at three different special covers of this shot. And in the article they opened up about how they got in the mood for their film, for their on-film lovemaking. Yes, it said R-rated dramatic comedy called "Love and Other Drugs." They were also husband and wife in "Brokeback Mountain," however, they didn't have as many love scenes.

ROBERTS: It's a pretty provocative cover, isn't it?

CHETRY: Yes.

ROBERTS: Yes. Coming up, blue laws may soon be obsolete in the United States. More states are allowing liquor sales on Sunday to help shrink massive budget deficits.

CHETRY: General Motors off and running on Wall Street again. President Obama says it's proof that the gamble paid off. But who will get paid? The blue-collar workers who sacrificed to keep the company afloat? Or will the federal government get paid back first? How about the shareholders? Time for an a.m. gut check about GM, coming up.

Twenty-eight minutes past the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

ROBERTS: It's a great Friday song, isn't it? Gets you in the mood for the weekend. Half past the hour. Time to check in our top stories.

Natalee Holloway's family now awaiting the results of forensic tests to see if a jawbone that was found on a beach in Aruba belongs to their daughter. Holloway, as you remember, disappeared five years ago in Aruba. Natalee's dental records have been sent to the Hague for a DNA comparison for an optical comparison with the new evidence.

CHETRY: Well, something way, way out there. Astronomers have for the first time identified a planet that originated outside of our galaxy. They say the planet known as HIP13044 is as big as Jupiter and was drawn into the Milky Way, perhaps as many nine billion years ago.

ROBERTS: Another sign of the economic times, more states are now permitting the sale of alcohol on Sundays as a way of generating revenue. Since 2002, 14 states have done away with so-called blue laws. In all, 36 states now allow Sunday sales of distilled spirits.

CHETRY: Also, buy a Hyundai, get an iPad. Hyundai's new luxury cars, the new one, the Equus, comes fully loaded with an interactive owner's manual on an iPad. The Equus goes on sale next month, it'll be equipped with a 16-gigabyte wifi enabled iPad, it'll cost just under $59,000 to have one in your garage.

ROBERTS: So wait a second, they're putting an iPad in a car and we're sort of trying to persuade people not to text and drive?

CHETRY: Yes. Maybe you can only use it if you're in park.

ROBERTS: There's an interphase like a lockout. That'll be interesting.

Well, an AMERICAN MORNING "Gut Check" now. On General Motors, its (INAUDIBLE) profits and who will get to share in its wealth of the company continues to grow.

CHETRY: It's a big question with not a lot of easy answers this morning. Carol Costello joins us live from Washington. Hey, Carol.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kiran, if you ask the United Auto Workers Union how GM failed so spectacularly, it accepted some of the blame. I talked with UAW President Bob King who told me both GM and the union lost sight of providing for the consumer. It was all about how much money each side could made.

Now they say that's changed. And GM is 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 union 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, UNITED AUTO WORKERS PRESIDENT: 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.