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American Morning
Crisis in Korea; Pat Down Protest; Jennifer Grey Wins "Dancing" Finale; High School Students In The U.K. Protest Tuition Hikes; Concussions Suffered By Football Players Can Have Long-Term Effects; Tax Cut Compromise Possible; University Students Protest in London; Men Avoiding Doctors; Hard Hits, Dangerous Game?; Make Money in 2011
Aired November 24, 2010 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Good day to you. And thanks so much for joining us on this AMERICAN MORNING. It is Wednesday, the 24th of November, the day before Thanksgiving. Big travel day. I'm John Roberts.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Big travel day. You're probably getting ready for dinner tomorrow. So, happy Thanksgiving Day in advance. I'm Carol Costello, in for Kiran Chetry.
There's a lot to talk about this morning, so might as well get right to it.
South Korea is threatening to strike back in a big way after the biggest attack in decades by the North -- thousands of U.S. troops on the line and the White House now in the middle of it.
ROBERTS: Sarah Palin out of Alaska, but not out of her element this morning. She's on the road shaking hands, signing copies of her new book. Palin plans to hit 16 cities in 11 days, that includes two stops in, yes, Iowa, home to the nation's first presidential caucuses.
COSTELLO: And the past three years have been tough on everyone's bottom line. But we have some tips to get ahead next year from CNNMoney.com. Today, jobs -- how to get one if you're out of work and how to get a raise if you're already working.
ROBERTS: But first, this morning, a dangerous situation unfolding on the Korean peninsula after North Korea fired dozens of artillery shells at an island that South Korea claims at its own. The directed deadly assault in South Korea by its neighbor to the north was the biggest attack of its kind since the war in the 1950s.
This morning, South Korea is threatening, quote, "enormous retaliation," and the White House is responding with a very strong show of force, agreeing to hold joint military exercises with South Korea not far from where that attack took place.
Our Jill Dougherty is live in Washington this morning.
And a very delicate dance here because you don't want to provoke too much. If all-out war were to erupt on the Korean Peninsula, it could have devastating consequences.
JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN FOREIGN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, John. And, you know, there's a high degree of uncertainty about what North Korea will do. So, this announcement that the U.S. and South Korea would be engaged in four days of military exercises off the coast is part of sending that message, warning North Korea -- but not going too far.
You know, those exercises had actually been put off for a little while because of the concern about how China would react. But now, after that attack by the North, they're definitely back.
President Obama yesterday afternoon was here at the White House huddling in emergency session with his top national security advisers. And then after that meeting, he went to the phone, called the South Korean president. Both countries involved in mutual defense pact and the United States, the White House, is issuing a very strong statement, saying, "The United States remains firmly and fully committed to the defense of its ally, the Republic of Korea."
But the U.S. doesn't want to go too far and say precisely what it would do. So, listen to this interview last night with Barbara Walters in which President Obama stopped short of being specific.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARBARA WALTERS, ABC NEWS: Is an attack on South Korea an attack on the U.S.?
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: South Korea is our ally. It has been since the Korean War, and we strongly affirm our commitment to defend South Korea as part of that alliance.
WALTERS: Will we perhaps send warships? Or would you put U.S. troops on alert?
OBAMA: Well -- you know, I'm not going to speculate on military actions.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DOUGHERTY: And, John, you know, if you look at this area, it's very complex. You've got the North, the South, you have China involved and, in fact, the entire region, plus, the United States. So, it is very delicate and I think we're mentioning last hour that Victor Cha, who was with the Bush administration, was saying at a panel calling it the "land of lousy options." And it presents a lot of very serious challenges to President Obama.
ROBERTS: The White House always likes to leaves what it calls constructive ambiguity when talking about places like North Korea and Taiwan. But if the North were to attack again, would the U.S. have any choice but to go in there and do something, maybe try to take out some of those artillery pieces?
DOUGHERTY: Well, that is -- they do have a defense pact. How that would be defined and when it would go into effect and the degree of force that you use is really the question. You have a different South Korean president. This is a president who stopped the Sunshine Policy just recently that rapprochement with the North.
So, there's a hardening on both sides, North and South Korea. The U.S. is kind of in the middle trying to tamp down the -- any chance that this could spin out of control.
ROBERTS: Jill Dougherty for us this morning outside the White House -- Jill, thanks.
Planes, trains and automobiles, what is typically the busiest travel day of the year is well under way right now. More than 40 million people are going somewhere today.
COSTELLO: Yes. If you're watching in the airport, hello. We feel for you, because we know the lines are getting longer right now.
There's a pat down protest going viral on the Web -- all in an effort to prove a point to the TSA that the so-called the "naked body scanners" must go. We are covering travel conditions live from across the country this morning.
ROBERTS: We spoke to TSA administrator, John Pistole, this morning and asked him whether the new security measures are maybe a bit much.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: You feel like criminals, some of them have likened it to sexual assault. They don't like the idea they're feeling groped. Do they go too far? Are they a little bit too intrusive?
JOHN PISTOLE, TSA ADMINISTRATOR: That's the challenge, John. Obviously, what we're dealing with and we're looking at: are there less invasive ways of accomplishing the same outcome -- that is providing the highest level of confidence for everybody getting on that flight that everybody else has been securely screened? So that's the challenge.
I believe that they are necessary and I believe that 71 percent of the public, just in the Gallup Poll I just saw this morning, agrees that we need thorough security and they understand the threats are real and that we're trying to help them get safely home to loved ones.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: So, it doesn't look like there are any changes -- any big changes are going to go into effect now but maybe in the future.
ROBERTS: Yes, he did say that they're looking at ways to maybe change them a little bit -- made some news there this morning.
COSTELLO: Yes, made some news. We'll just have to wait and see what those changes are.
But, right now, the security measures stand as they are. Jeanne Meserve is live at Reagan Nation Airport this morning.
So, Jeanne, I guess my question is: Have you seen any protesters?
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: We haven't here. If people are opting out, they aren't causing any kind of delays. As a matter of fact, if you look behind me here at the lines, they're virtually nonexistent even though this is one of the busiest if not the busiest travel day of the year.
We have spoken to number of travelers here about opt-out day. Many of them didn't know what it was. Everyone else who did know what it was who would speak to us said they were opposed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: At the end of the day I think that security is security. It's their job to protect our lives. And as a passenger, you know, I'm susceptible to it as well as everybody else. So, I want my life to be safe.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'd rather just get to my gate and get on the plane and get home, you know? They're doing their jobs. It might be misguided, but they're doing their jobs. I don't want to make it harder.
MESERVE: Are you participating in opt-out day?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not.
MESERVE: Tell me why.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I'm trying to get home and I just really don't have time. And I'm in favor of improved security if it helps us keep the terrorists at bay.
MESERVE: Did you adjust your travel times or anything today because you thought there might be disruptions here at the airport?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I got here a little early.
(END VIDEO CLIPS)
MESERVE: Of course, we can only see what's happening here at Reagan National at this particular checkpoint with two of the body imaging machines -- but at this point in time, no disruptions. Perhaps an indicator of how this is going to go today.
There's a new poll out from Gallup and "USA Today." It indicates that 71 percent of frequent travelers have no problems, no privacy concerns over the pat downs and the body scanners. They are more concerned with preventing a terrorist attack.
But we'll be monitoring. Things may change later in the day. We are at least expecting some people to come here to Reagan National to be passing out pamphlets, literature, about these new pat down and body scan procedures.
Back to you, Carol and John.
COSTELLO: So, Jeanne, the passengers, they looked a little tired. And you know how trying travel can be. So, let's say one of the protesters come up and present a pamphlet to these travelers and maybe delay their time in the security line a little longer. What do you think the reaction might be?
MESERVE: Oh, who can predict? I mean, I don't think people will object to a piece of literature explaining what concerns may be about the security measures.
But I think if you see major tie-ups, if, in fact, security lines are greatly delayed because people are opting out of the body scanners and asking for the pat downs, then maybe you would have a little bit of tension. I know I have talked to some officials here at the airport. They've got their eyes open for that kind of thing.
But let's see how it plays out. This may all be much ado about nothing. On the other hand, there could be active at other airports, not at others, and how other travelers will react, will undoubtedly be idiosyncratic. Carol, back to you.
ROBERTS: Keep watching it. Jeanne Meserve for us at Reagan -- Jeanne, thanks.
Severe weather could also impact your travel plans. It's going to be a white Thanksgiving in parts of the west, where there's been heavy snow and blizzard-like conditions. That storm system now is slowly making its way east. And more rough weather is expected today from Midwest to the Plain States.
COSTELLO: So, we know you want the know more. So, let's get the travel forecast.
Reynolds Wolf -- I'm sorry. I butchered your name.
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: No, you didn't butcher my name. You said -- it was wonderful.
ROBERTS: She's got a headache already. She's not even traveling.
COSTELLO: I know.
(CROSSTALK)
WOLF: I got that effect on people. It's all good. You know what's going to give you a headache?
Hey, the weather is going to be interesting today. You know, if today's weather was kind of like an old western novel, it would be like this, or western movie, it's be the good, because you to the sunshine towards the east. And then you got the bad -- a chance of thunderstorms. And then you get the flat-out ugly, especially in the Northern Plains and back into the Rockies. The worst that we're really going to be seeing in parts of the Eastern Seaboard is really not the Mid-Atlantic States but when you get into the New England, it's going to be looking good, but it's going to be feeling awfully rough with some strong winds. We'll get a high wind warning that's going to be in effect with some gusts going up to 40, 50 miles per hour. That's going to cause quite a few delays in Boston, at Logan. The same deal in Portland, Bangor, a lot of your regional airports you're going to be kind of stuck on the tarmac for a bit.
Same situation when you head back towards Minneapolis, a little bit freezing precipitation. Fargo looks good for the time being. Rapid City, you got some scattered snow showers.
St. Louis, we've had some imbedded thunderstorms this morning. We don't have it yet, but I would not be surprised if we have some flash flood watches or warnings that are posted in the greater St. Louis area. Just keep that in mind.
Also out towards parts of Denver, it looks OK. And then when you get back into the Front Range and along I-70, white-out conditions are going to be possible. Wind gusts topping 60, 70 miles per hour, approaching an equivalent of category-1 hurricane at times. That wind pushes t through with these high mountain passes.
Whiteout conditions are going to be really difficult to deal with, and if you happen to be in one of those high profile vehicles, the semi- truck, maybe some camper, Winnebago, some sort of camper, you're going to really feel those winds, too. So, take it easy up there.
Something else to contend with in terms of your forecast into Thanksgiving Day, many of you are going to probably be sitting on the couch watching football having a great time. But for those of you planning to go out, bring the umbrellas with you for parts of the Southeast, up in the central Great Lakes.
Michigan, snowfall still in the picture for you. Twin Cities, you better believe it, but it looks pretty good for you in parts of the Four Corners. West Coast is going to be great.
Surfing at Pismo Beach, waves coming in two to three sets, anywhere from four to five-foot wave sets, it's going to be nice. Get out there, long boarders, good times.
Back to you.
COSTELLO: Well, I'm glad you ended with surfing. That makes me feel better about life.
(CROSSTALK)
WOLF: Yes. You know, the people in the Midwest are going to be thinking about that tomorrow. As they're shoveling the snowfall, some guy out on the West Coast is going to be waxing up the board.
ROBERTS: It's never a complete weather forecast unless you hear about Pismo Beach.
WOLF: We cover all the bases here.
ROBERTS: All right. Thanks, Reynolds.
WOLF: You bet.
COSTELLO: A couple of headlines for you this morning.
Investigators are looking for answers after a second blast at a New Zealand mine that killed 29 miners. The miners have been trapped underground after an initial explosion that happened last Friday. Not clear if they survived the first accident. And rescue attempts were not possible because of a dangerous gas levels underground.
Investigators at Aruba say a jawbone discovered on the beach earlier this month does not belong to Natalee Holloway. They made the determination after comparing the bone which had a tooth attached to Holloway's dental records. Holloway disappeared five years ago while on a class trip to Aruba.
ROBERTS: Still to come this morning, we're talking or we're actually taking holiday travel into our own hands this morning.
David Mattingly ready to board his flight to Tampa on AirTran. We'll see how his day is going so far.
COSTELLO: And forget about snakes on a plane. These snakes don't need planes to fly. They're literally slithering through the air, kind of like a snake Frisbee. So, why is the military studying them? We'll tell you.
It's 14 minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Seventeen minutes after the hour. We take you to London. This is the Whitehall section of London near (ph) the Parliament Building and Number 10 Downing Street. Grass roots Protest Organization organized by students there who are organizing a day of action against a rise in proposed tuition fees of some 9,000 pounds which is about $15,000.
Right now, the students seem to have a security van surrounded here. They've been rocking it back and forth. They've been calling for peaceful protests, but they're definitely getting a little bit aggressive with it comes to this one particular vehicle.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Interestingly enough, the students, the university hikes are almost double.
ROBERTS: Yes.
COSTELLO: So, these are huge hikes and the government is doing this to lower the deficit in Great Britain and the students don't much like -- well, they don't like that bit of civic duty they're about to be forced to perform, so they're protesting this huge -- I mean, that's huge.
ROBERTS: It is.
COSTELLO: More than doubled rise in university fees.
ROBERTS: You can imagine the protests that would ring out here if similar thing would happen, but there are so many countries -- ours included, that so many countries in Europe that are having debt crises and trying to trim wherever they can, get the money wherever they can.
COSTELLO: Our country, they've already decided to raise taxes.
ROBERTS: Yes.
COSTELLO: Raise fees on universities to cut their huge deficits. So, you see what it's doing there.
ROBERTS: Students speaking out about that. And we'll be watching that today, as well.
Meanwhile, back to our getaway day coverage. And this morning, we're at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.
COSTELLO: Well, we aren't exactly, but David Mattingly is. He's been navigating his way through the airport. He's on his way to Tampa. At 6:a.m., we saw him check in for his flight. At 7:00 a.m., he stopped in at the Air Tran Control Center, and now, he's getting ready to board.
ROBERTS: Yes! He is at the gate and getting ready to get on. There he is. What are your impressions, so far? How's the trip been?
DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, John, everything seems to be going as business as usual. You know, I fly out of this airport all the time. I mean, hundreds of flights over the years with CNN, and today, I really haven't seen anything that unusual for a holiday weekend. I mean, there's a large volume of passengers. The airlines are all running at capacity today.
And what we're seeing as people go through security, there are delays (ph). There are lines, but they're all moving. They're getting to their gates the way they expect. The flights seem to be doing well. We have some fog here in Atlanta. The FAA has actually put a ground stop for flights coming into Atlanta. So, that's going to start sort of a domino effect for later in the day.
But right now, for flights getting out of here and going on to the destinations like the one going to Tampa that I'm about to get on right now, everything's going just fine. I did talk to quite a few passengers through security. They had their minds made up whether it was going to be a pat down or a full body scan before they even came through, but that people being selected for that, that's being done entirely at random here. We didn't see a lot of people being pulled aside, but it was steady, and so far, so good.
This is one holiday weekend that's starting off with everything seeming to be working the way it's supposed to, but again, we still got a long day to go. We've got big weather delays out west. We've got a ground stop for flights coming in here because of fog, and when you start having delays, then tempers start to get a little short. So, we're going to see what happens as this pre-Thanksgiving Day travel day progresses.
ROBERTS: What time's your flight scheduled to take off, David?
MATTINGLY: We're scheduled to take off here at about 10, 15 minutes. I'll be keep looking outside. Again, the weather here is fine. This is a very busy concourse, one of the busiest in the world, actually, for the number of flights that actually go out of this part of the airport. And we are looking at -- you know, it looks like a normal day here. I see a lot more families traveling than you would normally see during the week because you don't have the business crowd. You got people going home to visit relatives, be with loved ones for Thanksgiving. But again, everything so far so good. Let's hope it stays that way.
COSTELLO: The Thanksgiving Day spirit is in all of us this morning. I'm feeling warm and cozy right now.
ROBERTS: Still a little foggy outside, though. So, we'll see if (INAUDIBLE) things down. David, thanks very much. Good luck on your trip. I guess, maybe, we'll talk to you either just before you're about to take off or when you get into Tampa. Thanks.
COSTELLO: Thanks, David. You heard David mention, there's a powerful storm out west and it's now heading east, and of course, that could put (INAUDIBLE) and all that happy Thanksgiving Day feeling at the airports across the country now. We're going to check in with Reynolds Wolf right after this.
ROBERTS: Yes. I mean, what's Thanksgiving if you're not stuck in an airport, right?
COSTELLO: That's right.
ROBERTS: It wouldn't be the same.
And slithering through the skies, snakes that fly? How freaky is that? It's 22 minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Here are some of the stories that got us talking in the newsroom this morning. Bristol Palin's run on "Dancing With The Stars" over.
COSTELLO: Oh.
ROBERTS: The show's underdog finished third in last night's finale not before telling America, though, that the win would be, quote, "like a big middle finger to all the people out there who hate my mom and hate me."
COSTELLO: Classy.
ROBERTS: Yes. Actress, Jennifer Grey, took home the trophy. The "Dirty Dancing" start earned near perfect scores from the judges in her last dances, enough to overcome Palin's wave of (ph) votes.
COSTELLO: Because nobody puts baby in a corner.
ROBERTS: Exactly. But she did have the time of her life.
So bad.
ROBERTS: Scoring on your own goal. It rarely happens, at least, like this. The Dutch pulled their goalie down to one minute -- in the final minute. They're down one. Corey Perry tries to feed the puck to a teammate, but ah, no one's home. Keep an eye on it. Slides all the way to the other end of the ice, nearly 200 feet and into their own net. whoops.
COSTELLO: He will never live that down.
ROBERTS: Oh, come on. Where was the center?
COSTELLO: That's very sad.
Betty White did it. Now another TV legend wants a shot at hosting "Saturday Night Live" and that would be the Cookie Monster. He's made an audition tape. We're going to show you a bit of it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COOKIE MONSTER: Oh, and live, from New York, it Saturday Night! Thank you. Yes. It's great to be here hosting "Saturday Night Live." blah blah blah. Cookie joke. Cookie joke. Cookie joke. We got great show, so stick around. We'll be right back.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: I don't know if the -- I think "Sesame Street" might be behind that, but I'm not really sure. Anyway, Cookie Monster also brought along a special musical guest to up his chances of getting on the show.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COOKIE MONSTER: Ladies and gentlemen, Monster Gaga. (SINGING) Cookie face note me me cookie face.
COOKIE MONSTER: It's been great to be --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: "Sesame Street" got to be the most fun television program in the world.
COSTELLO: That was Lady Gaga. Did you know Lady Gaga?
ROBERTS: Monster Gaga.
COSTELLO: Monster Gaga.
ROBERTS: Monster Gaga. And two words for you this morning. Flying snakes. Have you ever heard of snakes on a plane? Well, check this out.
COSTELLO: Disgusting.
It's very interesting. Physiological and aerodynamic feature out there in the animal world. At first, it looks like the snakes just falling, but wait for it, it starts slithering in midair, flattens it body out, kind of turns into a snake frisbee.
COSTELLO: So, you're walking through the field.
ROBERTS: No arms and legs. I'm gliding. They're found in Asia. They live in trees. And the "Washington Post" says the Pentagon is actually studying this for their aerodynamic qualities to see if maybe there's a military application for it.
COSTELLO: So, you can plant little bombs on the snake and the snake -- I'm just kidding.
ROBERTS: No. I don't think they're going to do that. I think that what they might do is -- you know, a high altitude drops. Fly them out. That sort of thing.
COSTELLO: Well, I'm glad the snake can help them out.
Still to come this morning, your top stories, plus making money in 2011. Is it even possible? We're going to tell you that it is possible, at least, one person's going to tell you it's possible. We'll tell you how.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Crossing the half hour now. And our top stories this day before Thanksgiving, tensions remain high on the Korean peninsula. The death toll is rising from yesterday's attack by North Korea on a South Korean island. A total of four people now have been killed.
President Obama is reaffirming U.S. support for South Korea. The U.S. aircraft carrier George Washington is dispatched to the region for joint military exercises.
COSTELLO: We are learning more about the Pope's new stance on condom use. In a new book Pope Benedict XVI said condom use is acceptable in some cases. The Vatican says that it and supports the use of condoms in the fight against the spread of HIV for all sex work earls, men and women.
ROBERTS: The maker of Tylenol is announcing another major recall. Johnson & Johnson is pulling nearly five million children's products because of manufacturing insufficiencies. Children's Benadryl and Junior Strength Motrin were made at a Pennsylvania plant closed earlier this year because of quality control lapses. The company says this is not a consumer alert yet because the products have yet to hit store shelves.
COSTELLO: Live to London right now. We have breaking news there. Look at all of those students. Thousands and thousands of students protesting huge hikes in tuition fees at universities.
ROBERTS: Yes. Because there are -- the deficit there and the debt is so bad in England they are making cuts to a lot of departments. One of the departments getting hit hard is the education department. And to try to make up the shortfall, they're planning on charging students an extra 9,000 pounds, about $15,000 a year for tuition, which would essentially in many cases double their tuition.
COSTELLO: It's insane. Two weeks ago they had similar protests, 50,000 students participated in that one and it ended in violence. Windows were broken. Cars were rocked and overturned.
Atika Shubert live in London right now. Atika, tell us about this protest.
ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (via telephone): Well, the protesters, it was on the 10th of November where tens of thousands of students came out protesting the rise in tuition fees. This is a sequel to that. This time, in addition to university students, a lot of high school students come out, and they are concerned because tuition fees go up this year. They will be affected by it when they graduate. So that's a group that's out today.
The numbers are a lot less. There were about 50,000 students. This really just numbered in the hundreds. But it is a very unruly crowd. A lot of high schoolers are not as organized as university students were previously. And so, what we're seeing here is they have surrounded a police van and rocking it back and forth. They have been letting off firecrackers.
But police do seem to have it under control. They formed basically two barriers, one that borders on Parliament Square and another one which is blocking them off and going further up the street to the prime minister's street at 10 Downing Street.
So basically the protesters are penned in, and it seems to be stretching out. Police are letting themselves burn out before letting them out of the area.
ROBERTS: Atika, my understanding is that this was a march that began at Trafalgar Square and was making its way up to White Hall where the parliament buildings are, 10 Downing Street, the prime minister's residence.
We see them attacking the police vehicle in the middle of the crowd there. The front window smashed out a. There's a fellow on top trying to knock the emergency lights off of it. Will they just let that go on or really start to damage property, they'll respond with something a little more effective than just penning them in?
SHUBERT: Yes. I think the police at this point saying they have it under control. What they do not want is a repeat of the November 10th when university students managed to pour into the conservative party headquarters and trash the area, costing about more than $1 million in damages.
So what they have done now is coming into the area. It's an unruly crowd and haven't caused a lot of property damage. There is that police -- in the middle of the road here. There is graffiti all over it, rocking it back and forth.
But they haven't caused any property damage in the area. There's a number of businesses and government offices here and none of them touched. In fact, a lot of the employees in the area sort of looked out the windows of this whole scene that's unfolding.
And so police really content to let them -- you know, yell, make their point and burn themselves out, and it probably they eventually will start leaving the area slowly.
COSTELLO: Atika, I just wonder, I know the British government made difficult choices. They've raised taxes, slashed programs, all in an effort to decrease the deficit. Will these student protests make any difference as to the decisions that have already been made?
SHUBERT: Well, you know, the government says they have to make the cuts, that's it's simply not -- they cannot afford it in this sort of economic climate that they're in.
But will it have an impact? It certainly might. That's what the students are hoping. A lot of this anger is not just being directed at the conservatives but at the Liberal Democrats for this coalition government.
And students feel particularly betrayed by the Liberal Democrats because they were out in campaign season, they had promised to oppose any hikes on tuition. And of course, that's exactly what's happened. Now the Liberal Democrats say it is not an ideal solution but the best they can offer for now.
And this is what has angered a lot of students. In fact, protesters originally supposed to go down to White Hall end up in front of Liberal Democrats' headquarters. Police clearly are not allowing that to happen. They blocked them off at Parliament Square. We'll have to see what happens next if the students are content with the statement here and if they'll attempt to try to go further.
ROBERTS: All right. Atika Shubert for us live in London for us this morning.
Coming up next, Fred McNeill spent 12 years dishing out punishment to opposing NFL players. Years later his brain is paying the price. Dr. Sanjay Gupta's special series "Hard Hits, Dangerous Game" just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COSTELLO: All this week Dr. Sanjay Gupta has been examining the concussion problem in football from the pros on down.
ROBERTS: This morning in the last part of his special series, "Hard Hits, Dangerous Games," Sanjay tells us about a former NFL star who paid a severe price for years of hard hits. And Sanjay joins us now from Atlanta.
And you found out some stunning facts about the long-term impact of concussions and sometimes hits that would seem to be fairly innocuous.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. You know, it's interesting because the long-term impact is what researchers have been focused on for some time. And what they're finding is some players it can cause the sort of early, pretty early onset dementia, almost an Alzheimer's-like problem.
If you look at football games, on average, for example, this season you have one concussion per game. That's why they're focused on what are the repeated concussions doing to the brain? They find people develop symptoms like memory problems, depression, and rage, eventually progressing into this early onset dementia state. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GUPTA: They are thrilling and terrifying. Watch a football game and you can't miss them -- the hits. But what is the real impact? What is happening to the player's brains?
GUPTA (on camera): How many times did you take a hard hit playing football?
FRED MCNEILL, FORMER NFL PLAYER: It was one time when I had a real serious concussion. And it was so serious that I was dizzy for, like, you know, for, like, two or three weeks.
GUPTA (voice-over): Thirty years ago Fred McNeill was a linebacker for the Minnesota Vikings. He played for 12 seasons and in two Super Bowls. Relentlessly hitting opponents was his job.
FRED MCNEILL: You got to be able the move, right?
GUPTA: No question McNeill is robust physically. But you can tell his brain paid a price.
GUPTA (on camera): What has it done to you?
FRED MCNEILL: Well, impact is on memory. I meet people, and they talk about the conversation that we had, you know, two weeks ago or three weeks ago or a month ago or whatever. And I don't remember.
GUPTA: If we saw each other again, would you remember me?
FRED MCNEILL: Sanjay, I don't know. When I started out --
GUPTA (voice-over): The not knowing, it happens often. There was also rage.
TIA MCNEILL, FRED MCNEILL'S WIFE: It got to where I would say things that really shouldn't upset him, and he would get angry really quick. His temper was very short.
GUPTA: Followed by remorse.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think that was the biggest thing for my dad. He felt like it was all his fault.
GUPTA: It wasn't, but there was no doubt he was different.
TIA MCNEILL: It was a moment where I realized I wasn't living with the person that I knew and married.
GUPTA: No one seemed to know what was happening to Fred McNeill until reports about other former NFL players who had been through similar issues. Like McNeill, they had memory problems, rage issues, and depression. Most disturbing, all died young. Could concussions, the common denominator, be to blame?
Researchers at Boston University Medical School are looking deep into the brain and spinal cord of former athletes to find out. What they're seeing is startling. This is a normal brain, this one, a 45- year-old former NFL player. See the brown tangles? That's brain damage. It looks a lot like this 70-year-old brain with dementia.
TIA MCNEILL: To see the kind of changes we are seeing in 45-year-olds is basically unheard of.
GUPTA: It's called chronic traumatic encephalopathy. And here's the kicker. Those changes are directly associated with rage, memory problems, and depression.
FRED MCNEILL: I was actually considering not living. I was actually considering that.
GUPTA (on camera): You wanted to end your life?
FRED MCNEILL: Yes. I was just thinking it would be so much easier.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GUPTA: I can tell you it's hard to see Fred McNeill like that. He is doing better nowadays, but all those symptoms that he was just describing he attributes to concussions.
We did reach out to the NFL to ask them about Mr. McNeill and other players like them. They gave us a statement specifically saying "What we're trying to prevent is multiple concussion without recovery. We know there are a lot of long-term effects of concussions but they have not yet been fully characterized.
The whole goal of the NFL is to sit them out when in doubt, sit them out and let them recover so there aren't long-term effects."
But again, this is what a lot of researchers are focusing on, the long-term impact, as you asked, of all those concussions.
COSTELLO: It's just so frightening. So how common is dementia among ex-football players?
GUPTA: Well, you know, this science is pretty new, Carol. And the lab that you saw there, they're looking at brains of former athletes, you know, obviously, after they die to figure out is there any objective evidence of these tangles and flax.
They've examined 16 brains so far examined, and 15 so far out of 16 did have evidence of it. The youngest incidentally is 18 years old. So the process seems to occur and starting at very early age if it does happen.
ROBERTS: I have seen research, too, Sanjay, that suggest not just the big concussions that can have a cumulative effect over time. Sometimes it's the little hits just off the line where they come together.
GUPTA: No question. The sub-concussive hits --
ROBERTS: Yes.
GUPTA: -- and those have been harder to characterize and also John, you may have read that some people may be genetically predisposed to having their brain suffer the worse consequences of concussions. Who those people are exactly, that's another fertile area of research. So that maybe -- something people want to look into before they get in to a sport like this.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN GUEST ANCHOR: You know, it brings up baseball because it's becoming a problem in baseball, as well with players getting in the head or getting hit in the head. Who's the first baseman for the Minnesota Twins? I cannot remember his name. It's not Joemar (ph), he's the catcher, the first baseman suffered a concussion sliding into second base and he -- he simply took the rest of the season off. He didn't want to take -- Justin Morno (ph) -- that's his name. But he took the whole season off. He didn't want to take a chance.
GUPTA: Probably a good advice. If he did it on his own or his coaches, other players told him to do so, that seems to be the key. If you let the brain rest after a first concussion, that second concussion is not exponentially worse. Otherwise it is as -- as you saw yesterday with Max Conrad. It could be devastating if you get two concussions right next to each other.
ROBERTS: Well, it's great to see all of this research coming out and learning more of about what happens out there on the playing field. Sanjay Gupta, great to see you this morning.
GUPTA: You too.
ROBERTS: Happy Thanksgiving by the way, doc.
GUPTA: You guys -- you too, guys. Thanks. COSTELLO: The key to making a buck and getting ahead in 2011? What is it? Are you out of a job? Will you get one next year? If you have a job, will your boss actually give you a raise or maybe a bonus? "Money Magazine's" Amanda Gengler (ph) is here to tell us what we can expect.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: 2010 drawing to a close and we could all use a fresh start. On the money front this year "Money" magazine is dedicating their December special outlook issue to making money in 2011.
And we're kicking off a three-part series this week with "Money" magazine writer Amanda Gengler and of course I hope you have some good news for us.
So let's start with the outlook for 2011. The unemployment rate remains at 9.6 percent. Will -- will businesses finally start to hire in the New Year?
AMANDA GANGLER, WRITER, MONEY MAGAZINE: Well, the good news is that if you've held on to your job thus far chances are you're out of the danger zone. Most of the firing and mass layoffs that we've seen over the past couple of years have ended. So companies aren't going to be firing a whole lot, but unfortunately, they're not going to be hiring a whole lot either.
Job creation is only expected to grow modestly throughout the year. Not enough, unfortunately, to put a serious dent in joblessness. The consensus among economists is that even by the end of the 2011 the unemployment rate will still probably be above nine percent.
COSTELLO: Oh, ok. So let's think positively. So you have a job. You're one of the lucky people who have a job. I mean, are businesses -- are bosses ready to start giving people raises and bonuses?
GENGLER: They absolutely are because they're really going to focus on retaining their current employees in 2011. So with that, raises are back. Companies on average plan to increase the salaries of their employees by three percent next year.
So this is definitely the year that you and I and everyone else should be pressing for more money, asking for that promotion. And I should --
COSTELLO: That big three percent, huh?
GENGLER: Well, I should point out, here's the interesting thing that companies are really -- they're differentiating between their super star performers and just average Joes and Janes. So they're best, most valued employees are actually going to get increases as much as six percent as well as larger bonuses.
COSTELLO: Ok. So let's say you're one of the valued employees, you're a superstar which all of us think we are anyway. You say one of the -- the ways that you can increase your chances of getting a raise is you need to keep learning.
GENGLER: That is the top reason that employers say they will give a bonus next year; specialized industry knowledge so you absolutely have to keep learning. You could quickly become obsolete if you don't. You want to master the latest, whether its technology solutions or marketing tools, even if your company has yet to adopt them. And that may sound like common sense but so few workers do it that investing the time actually can have a huge payoff.
COSTELLO: And sometimes when workers do learn new things, they don't know how to toot their own horn and that would be your next tip, right?
GENGLER: Of course. Well we've all heard of portfolios but they are not just for artist. Actually anyone can build one and career experts recommend that all workers do create a portfolio. Put their best work in it, including testimonials maybe. Thank you notes from colleagues or clients and bring that to your annual review.
You'll have physical evidence in front of your boss of all of the noteworthy accomplishments you've had over the past year and then it's also a great jumping point then to talk about what you're going to do for the company in the upcoming year.
COSTELLO: Ok. You know, it's funny because I -- I talked to some economists last week, actually, who said that it's unlikely that people will get raises this year because the unemployment rate will remain high and when there are 100 people standing in line for your job, there's really no incentive for bosses to give you a raise but you say that's --
GENGLER: Well, so companies aren't going to be firing. They are not going to be hiring. What are they going to be doing? They're really focusing on retaining their current employees into this recovery. Developing them and, again, taking those superstars and making sure that they stick with the company. And what's the best or most effective way to do that, is probably give them more money?
COSTELLO: Ok, I'm putting together my portfolio right now. I'm a superstar, right, John?
ROBERTS: Absolutely, master that Facebook page too. You've got to have the new technology.
COSTELLO: That's right, I'm going to learn maybe -- I'm going to learn how to Tweet more effectively.
GENGLER: I will try to do that, as well.
COSTELLO: Amanda, thank you very much. Have a good day.
GENGLER: Thank you.
COSTELLO: Tomorrow home is where the heart is but it's also the key to your financial success in the coming year. Thanksgiving tips to make money in 2011. Amanda, you'll be back to tell us more about that.
It's 52 minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Five minutes now to the top of the hour. Let's get a quick check in your morning's weather headlines with Reynolds Wolf who is in the Extreme Weather Center for us this morning. Hey Reynolds.
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Hey, guys. And things are going to be extreme weather-wise today. If you happen to be in the West Coast, picture perfect; East Coast it's ok with the exception of some strong wind that's going to develop in parts of the northeast. But for the center of the U.S., it's like as though Mother Nature put a giant bull's eye in the middle of the continent. That's going to be the situation for today.
Showers, thunderstorms, some heavy snowfall possible; in the northeast, as we mentioned, the wind is going to be the big story, especially into the afternoon with some gusts approaching 40 to 50 miles per hour. That's going to cause some delays up there.
For the Northern Plains and for the Western Great Lakes, it's going to be snow. That's could be an issue. We've got some warnings, watches and advisories. They're already popping up across the landscape.
And into the Rockies, it's going to be a blizzard warning that's going to cause real slowdown in many spots, especially in parts of I-70 where blowing snow is going to be a problem. Some wind gusts -- get this -- approaching 60 to 70 miles per hour. Again, later in the day is when those winds will really accelerate.
And then when you get into the Central Plains, freezing rain will be a problem along parts of I-80. So making that drive westward from Lincoln, you're going to have some issues there, as well.
As we fast forward very quickly into Thanksgiving Day, that storm system is going to drift a bit more to the east. Scattered showers all the way from parts of New England, clear into the Gulf Coast, improving on to the west; still snowfall for parts of the Rockies. Great for skiers but if you're driving through it, it's going to give you a few headaches. Back to you.
COSTELLO: Thank you, Reynolds.
WOLF: You bet, guys.
ROBERTS: As long as it's on the mountains, it's usually a good thing right?
COSTELLO: So stay there. That would be nice.
Fifty-six minutes past the hour; we'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) ROBERTS: Well, before we let you go this morning, if you need some help with the bird over the next couple of days, our friends at Eatocracy will be live blogging starting tonight through dinner time tomorrow. They won't be talking turkey; they'll be talking about turkey. Just leave a note in the comment section or reach out on Twitter; that's twitter.com/eatocracy -- e-a-t-o-c-r-a-c-y.
You cooking a bird?
COSTELLO: Are you kidding? Every time I try to cook a bird, something dire happens so, no, I'm not.
ROBERTS: Well, as long as you don't deep fry it and set the house on fire, you're going to be ok.
COSTELLO: That's only thing I haven't done.
ROBERTS: I'm doing the stuffing this year.
COSTELLO: What do you put in your stuffing?
ROBERTS: all sorts of great things.
COSTELLO: Hearts, gizzards -- because that's what I like in my stuffing?
ROBERTS: No, I don't go that far. But, you know, some cornbread, some sausage, things like that. I asked my sweetheart if she wanted an oyster stuffing and she said --
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR, "CNN NEWSROOM: Hell no. And by the way, Carol, can I just make --
ROBERTS: I thought she was on the other line.
PHILLIPS: Let me make something clear, Carol. He stole my recipe, ok. I'm famous for that Italian sausage stuffing. And listen to him, "I'm making the stuffing. Oh, let me tell you about my recipe." Typical man.
ROBERTS: We're making the stuffing.
PHILLIPS: Oh, yes.
COSTELLO: I've eaten dinner at Kyra's house before and she is an excellent cook.
ROBERTS: She is. Just making stuffing and trimming the tree.
PHILLIPS: And Carol is an excellent eater. Love you both. Happy Thanksgiving, Carol.
ROBERTS: Take it away, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Happy Thanksgiving, Carol.
ROBERTS: Happy Thanksgiving.
PHILLIPS: Bye, guys. See you soon.
