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American Morning
Snow Strands Upstate NY Drivers; The Battle Over Tax Cuts; LeBron Brings the Heat; "Do Not Track" List; Palin's Presidential Plans; Every Pound Counts
Aired December 03, 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: Good Friday morning to you. And thanks so much for joining us on this AMERICAN MORNING. It is the 3rd of December. I'm John Roberts.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Kiran Chetry. Glad you're with us. Let's get you caught up this morning.
Buffalo buried. A complete standstill for miles after upstate New York was slammed with three feet of snow. Hundreds stranded after part of the New York State throughway shut down. And some cold and hungry drivers actually spent the entire night stuck in their cars. And it's not over yet.
ROBERTS: Cleveland booed and booed. They made them feel horrible. And it definitely had an effect on LeBron James. He only had 38 points last night. Total domination in his first game back in Cleveland in a Miami Heat uniform. We'll have all the highlights and the hostility for you.
CHETRY: Sarah Palin back in the headlines this morning, but more for what she's not saying as opposed to what she's saying. Our Jim Acosta caught up with the former Alaska governor during her book tour stop in Iowa yesterday. Tried to ask her a question about whether or not she's running for president in 2012. And we'll show you what ensued.
ROBERTS: Up first this Friday morning, you might not have ever experienced it before, but they've got it in upstate New York, thunder snow.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a good situation and everything.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Holy cow!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: There you go, a thunder snowstorm. Parts of the New York State throughway reopened overnight after drivers endured many cold and hungry hours stranded in the Buffalo area. Cars and 18- wheelers, moms and truckers backed up and buried in as much as three feet of snow. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just want to be home. I mean, they're all home from a snow day and I've been working for -- I've been up for like over 24 hours. I want to go home.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: From the official throughway radio, it was saying, oh, traffic is heavy, it's stop and go. And we'd been stopped dead for six hours.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Yes, where was the go part in that? While the north end of the city got a relative dusting, the southern end got slammed. This is how lake effect snow operates. And even in a place like Buffalo, there is such a thing as too much snow in too short of time, and more of it is in the forecast today.
ROBERTS: Yes. For a check on that, let's go to Reynolds Wolf. He's in the extreme weather center in Atlanta this morning. It's amazing the way that the snow totals varied wildly within just a few miles. But how about that thunder snowstorm? You've ever seen anything like that?
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It does happen occasionally. It's not a common occurrence but when it does, it is awfully dramatic seeing how the sky illuminates up when you have that filter of the snow coming down.
What's interesting is we're going to have that snow coming down not just in Buffalo, but we already have lake effect snow warnings and, in fact, for Erie, just to the east of Cleveland. Also, north of Syracuse along parts of 81. Any place that is going to be right along the lakes, either Ontario or back towards Lake Erie where you have that west/northwesterly flow. And one of the reasons why we're seeing the heavy snowfall is because the lakes are relatively warm this time of year. And, of course, water is always in a constant state of evaporation as that water vapor goes up and mixes in with that cold air aloft and then it begins to pile up along parts of 90.
You know, yesterday we had a conversation with a young fellow who was actually trapped along parts of 90. He had been there since about 8:00 the night before. People had been going up and down the roadways on ATVs giving water to people who are stranded. Certainly in rough condition that may continue for today.
Great illustration of what you guys were talking about earlier, but how random this lake effect snowfall is. Check out Buffalo here. Everything points south along 90 is coming down in sheets. But then when you get north up towards Lockport, not much whatsoever. That is going to continue. That onslaught of snowfall possibly another foot before the day is out for the eastern Great Lakes.
Meanwhile, that's not the only place getting some heavy snowfall. Back towards the Twin Cities and places a little bit more to the southwest, you might be getting some heavy snow, some places maybe a foot. Still dry out towards much of the four corners into the southeast. But still, the snow is going to be the big story, possibly through the weekend in spots like Buffalo.
Coming up, we're going to take more of a look at your travel weather and give you national perspective what you can anticipate into the weekend. Back to you.
ROBERTS: Looking forward to that. Reynolds, thanks so much. We'll see you again soon.
WOLF: You bet.
CHETRY: There were some pleasant moments in the snow, as well, yesterday. This may help get you in the holiday spirit. We have an iReport sent in from Brandon Sparks in upstate New York. His dog, Brooke, doing hurdles through the snow, was up to her ears at the time. So cute.
Well, whether you're stuck enjoying the snow or you're stuck in it, we do want to hear from you. Log on to CNN.com/ireport and upload your pictures and your videos. You may just see them on the air.
ROBERTS: Other stories developing this morning. The whistle- blowing WikiLeaks Web site back online now after it was taken down by its U.S.-based domain name provider. The company says the WikiLeaks site was the target of multiple cyber attacks that threatened access to thousands of other Web sites. WikiLeaks says it's back up now using the company out of Switzerland to host its Web site.
CHETRY: And now to politics and the battle in Washington over tax cuts with your paycheck hanging in the balance. Senate Republicans plan to vote tomorrow on extending tax cuts for the middle class.
ROBERTS: But Republicans want all of the Bush tax breaks extended even for the wealthiest Americans. So is there a compromise potentially in the cards? Brianna Keilar is following developments for us. She's live in Washington.
The Senate was supposed to hold a vote today. They've delayed that until tomorrow. Trying to work some things out here?
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right. It seemed last night like there was a bigger chance for a compromise and then things kind of fell apart. Votes tomorrow on two Democratic- backed bills to extend these Bush-era tax cuts. One is going to be for those making $250,000 or less. And then another one would raise that cap to $1 million.
But this deal between Republicans or potential deal between Republicans and Democrats to vote on some other tax-related items was scuttled late last night when a Republican senator, whose identity we still don't know at this point objected. So negotiations to figure out who gets this extension on these tax cuts that are set to expire at the end of the year continues less than a month before Americans will see their tax bill balloon if Congress doesn't act. Both sides really staking out their positions here. Republicans, as you said, John, they want all tax cuts extended, and some Democrats join them, as well. But Democrats want to let them expire for the wealthy. And to make that point yesterday in the House, Democrats passed an extension just for people making a quarter million dollars or less. And that prompted the House Minority Leader John Boehner to say this very colorful -- I guess, we'll call it a sound bite.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R), OHIO: Trying to catch my breath so I don't referring to this maneuver gone on today as chicken crap, all right. But this is nonsense. All right. The election was one month ago. We're 23 months from the next election, and the political games have already --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: Yes, as you can imagine, chicken crap popping up on twitter over and over again from reporters off the Hill. But back to these votes in the Senate, none are expected to get these 60 votes that are needed to pass. The real action going on right now behind closed doors where the White House, Democrats, Republicans, they are continuing their efforts to hammer out a compromise and time is running out, guys.
CHETRY: It's interesting, though, because Democrats prior to the election said we need to use this. I mean, this is a slam dunk for us in terms of, you know, most people agree with our side about it. And you have a poll about what people say.
KEILAR: Yes. There's some division in the Democratic caucus and that's really the issue. But check out this latest CBS News poll about where Americans fall, where -- who they think should get these extensions of these tax cuts. Twenty-six percent say that they should continue for all. It's 53 percent, a majority that says they should just continue for families who are making $250,000 or less. Fourteen percent say they should expire for all. Obviously this is not representative of what we're seeing in Congress because you have Republicans who want them to continue for all. You've got some Democrats joining them, and so that's really more towards where, I guess, the deck is kind of stacked at this point when you're talking about these members of Congress and how they want this all to shake out.
CHETRY: All right. Brianna Keilar for us this morning. We'll see where it goes. Thank you.
Meanwhile, embattled New York Congressman Charlie Rangel heard the other shoe drop on the floor of the House yesterday. Lawmakers voting overwhelmingly to censure Rangel after he was found guilty of 11 counts of violating House ethics rules. The 20-term congressman addressed his colleagues and admitted making seriously mistakes but he called the vote very political.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. CHARLIE RANGEL (D), NEW YORK: I know in my heart that I'm not going to be judged by this Congress, but I'm going to be judged by my life, my activities, my contributions to society, and I just apologize for the awkward position that some of you that are in. But at the end of the day as I started off saying, compared to where I've been, I haven't had a bad day since. Thank you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Rangel is the first member of Congress to be censured since 1983. That was when two congressmen were punished for sexual misconduct with pages.
ROBERTS: Well, two top aides in the John Edwards for president campaign talking to a federal grand jury testifying in Raleigh, North Carolina, yesterday. Jennifer Palmieri, a former spokesperson, and Jonathan Prince, deputy campaign manager back in 2008. The Justice Department is trying to find out if the campaign illegally paid off Rielle Hunter. Edwards fathered Hunter's baby, you'll remember, during an affair.
CHETRY: New developments this morning in the shooting death of famous Hollywood publicist Ronni Chasen. She was gunned down in Beverly Hills execution-style two weeks ago while driving home from a movie premiere in Los Angeles. Well, police say the man being questioned in connection to the murder -- as we know -- shot himself in the head. Well, investigators are now trying to find out whether the gun in the suicide was also the murder weapon. Also, the suspect's neighbor is telling ABC News that he bragged about the killing saying he was a hired hit-man and was due to be paid $10,000.
ROBERTS: Well, the World Cup soccer tournament awarded to Russia in 2018 and not the United States but Qatar in 2022. Big disappointment to fans here, which the United States hasn't hosted a World Cup since 1994, but cause for celebration in Qatar's capital.
The crowd just going wild in Doha there. And the small nation becomes the first in the Middle East to get the World Cup.
CHETRY: Well, step aside, Isabella. There is a new top baby name in the U.S. It is Sophia. Number one for girls in 2010 according to babycenter.com. Isabella is still up there though, second. Followed by Olivia, Emma, and Chloe. Aiden, the number one for boys for the sixth year in a row. Then Jacob, Jackson, Ethan, and Jayden.
ROBERTS: Well, LeBron James rubs it in, brushing off the boos and dominating on his old court in Cleveland. He didn't even need the fourth quarter to put up 38 points. We're live in Cleveland as the fans try to move on this morning.
CHETRY: Yes. Who's watching your every move online? Well, a new plan to keep the advertisers off your tracks when you're on the web. ROBERTS: And losing Lennon. His first son, Julian Lennon, tells us how he dealt with the death of his famous father. A father that he hardly even knew. We've got all that just ahead.
It's 10 minutes now after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Well, he came home, and he brought the heat. So did the fans, though. Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANNOUNCER: 6'8", number six, LeBron James.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Yes, he got booed to the sounds of the Imperial March. And, of course, LeBron James returned to Cleveland for the first time in a Miami Heat uniform.
ROBERTS: Oh, yes, and those boos really affected him. He had just a terrible night. He only put up 38 points. Just drove the Cavs, outscoring the entire starting five of his old team. Carol Costello live for us in Cleveland this morning. And, you know, Carol, you were saying to us yesterday, wouldn't it be great if the Cavs dusted the Heat and put LeBron James in his place? No, it didn't happen.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, it did not happen. So here's the story. He came, he was booed, he annihilated the Cavaliers, and he's gone, end of story. I mean, there was plenty of this in the crowd and there was plenty of booing, and there was, unfortunately, profanity at times. The crowd chanted, oh, a word I can't say on television, but it starts with "a" and the last syllable is hole. They chanted that throughout the evening. But as you said, John, nothing affected LeBron James. Even chants of "Akron hates you," and those came off in two, did not affect LeBron James. He played perhaps his best game of the year, 38 points.
It was incredible. In the third period, he scored 24 points. It was unbelievable. After the game, I asked him, did any of those chants affect you at all? Even the chant "Akron hates you"? He said no. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEBRON JAMES, BASKETBALL PLAYER, MIAMI HEAT: There's nothing personal. I mean, you know, it's -- it's a basketball game, and my -- I had to maintain my focus no matter what's said or -- or what's done throughout that game.
It's nothing personal, I mean, at all. To me, sort of (ph) the fans, you know, I don't -- I don't hold any grudges. I mean, you know, they came out to support their team, support the Cavaliers in any way possible to try to get anybody, myself or any of our guys, unfocused on what the task was. So, you know, they -- they tried anything.
So it's nothing, and I don't have any hurt feelings or hard feelings about this game at all from these fans. I wish them the best.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Nothing, nothing, nothing made him lose focus or the rest of the Miami Heat. The biggest cheers of the night, John and Kiran, came for Dan Gilbert, the owner of the Cavaliers, who of course blasted James as he left Cleveland. He came in like a rock star.
Let me tell you, the creme de la creme of Cleveland was there, as comedian Drew Carey, who's from Cleveland, was in the crowd. Also, most of the Cleveland Browns, and Travis Hafner, a slugger from the Cleveland Indians, all in the crowd, hoping the Cavaliers would win or at least put on a better show, which they did not.
CHETRY: Yes. It's interesting you mentioned Dan Gilbert, because apparently he's also, according to -- this scathing sports editorial today from Cleveland. He also slipped out after -- after the first half, after realizing how it was probably going to go down for his team.
And -- and a lot of people just said, you know what? Despite all of the anger and everything about LeBron James leaving, after watching the Cavaliers last night, you can't really blame him.
COSTELLO: No. I hate to say it, but you can't really blame them.
I did ask the fans, though, if -- if they can let it go right now, let LeBron James go and all the hatred the crowd feels toward him. I mean, finally, can Cleveland move on? I'll let the fans tell you for themselves.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He is who he is, you know? I mean, he quit on us. He left. He frauded the city, you know, by stopping other players from coming to Cleveland. And so now it's like, you know, I've got no -- ain't nobody got no more energy for him. You know, he's useless now.
COSTELLO: When LeBron was laughing during the boos, you -- what -- what went through your mind?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It made me pretty -- pretty angry. I wanted to wipe the smirk off his face.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You know, we don't like him, with don't want him here, but we don't have to be rude.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Other fans, I must say, John and Kiran, said they got all of the anger out tonight and it will become sort of a -- a traditional rivalry between the Miami Heat and the Cleveland Cavaliers, and maybe at some point down the line it'll actually become kind of fun. Who knows?
ROBERTS: Wow. I love the fact that -- that LeBron, in answer to your question, kept saying, it's nothing personal. It's nothing personal. For the fans, it was all personal. Oh, my goodness.
COSTELLO: I'm telling you, he was shoot -- he was shooting foul shots and -- and the crowd was chanting Akron hates you, and he was smiling and laughing. You know, his face was big on that big scoreboard up there.
ROBERTS: Wow. That is focus. That is focus.
COSTELLO: He has nerves of steel.
ROBERTS: I'm telling you.
All right. Great to see you this morning.
CHETRY: Poor Cavs.
ROBERTS: Of course, to add insult to injury, it's snowing in Cleveland this morning.
All right. Thanks, Carol.
CHETRY: Thanks, Carol.
Will she run for president? Is Sarah Palin any closer to a decision?
Well, it was just a simple question that Jim Acosta asked at one of her book tour stops, and then there was an exchange that took place. We'll show it to you, coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Some of the stories that got us talking this morning.
A month-old panda getting a clean bill of health this morning at Zoo Atlanta. The cub weighs just about two pounds, just less than 14 inches long, which is about average for his age.
CHETRY: You know, the last time -- the last time we checked in, he was only 16 ounces or 11 ounces.
ROBERTS: He was a little nude pink thing --
CHETRY: Yes.
ROBERTS: -- and now he has fur as well.
The unnamed cub is the only panda born in the United States this year. As is tradition, he will be named when he's a hundred days old. Got any good names?
CHETRY: He's so adorable. No, I can't think of any for the poor little guy right now.
ROBERTS: Not much cuter than a baby panda.
CHETRY: I know. It has to be a nice Chinese name.
ROBERTS: Unless it's a French bulldog playing with a door stop.
CHETRY: With a door jamb.
Well, it is the biggest LEGO Christmas tree in the world, and right now the lights on it are shining bright. Here is a look. Two- hundred-fifty thousand LEGOs went into that.
Brooke Burke from "Dancing with the Stars" flipped the switch in front of a nice crowd in Carlsbad, California. And to honor the event, LEGOLAND donated $10,000 to Operation Smile, which is a medical charity that provides repair surgeries for children with cleft lips and palates.
ROBERTS: Yes. That's a great charity. No question about that.
Maybe one of the hottest toys on Santa's list this year, we're talking about Computer Engineer Barbie. She's pretty tech-savvy as well, comes with a pink laptop and an iPhone.
So if Santa wants to know how much for the new Computer Engineer Barbie? How does about $13 sound?
CHETRY: I love how she has her bluetooth headset in, as well. Nice touch. Nice touch, Barbie.
Well, there is a "do not call" list for your phone number. Coming up soon, there may be something sort of like that for your computer.
How to protect your online privacy, coming up.
ROBERTS: Wouldn't that be nice?
And CNN caught up with Sarah Palin yesterday at a book tour event. She answered a question about her possible plans to run for president. Jim Acosta just ahead, and he'll tell us what she said.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Twenty-six minutest past the hour right now. Christine Romans is here, "Minding Your Business" this morning with the Federal Trade Commission's new proposal for the web. It's almost like a "do not track" list. It's like the "do not call" list that keeps track of telemarketers from calling you during dinner.
How's it going to work, Christine? CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: You know, that changed my life, that "do not call" list, but will the "do not track" list change our life and the way that we behave on the Internet?
Now, keep in mind, this is a proposal, and all the, quote- unquote, "stakeholders" get until January to weigh in on what they think about it. So far, the tech companies are not very happy about it, because, guess what? Tracking what you do on the web is how they make money.
But this is what it would be. It would be some kind of an add-on software feature that would allow you to say, look, I'm going to go dark. I want to go off the radar here. I'm going to privately browse, and you can't take and store all of my information so that you can package it up and sell it.
The problem here, of course -- it's quite interesting. The problem here, of course, is that there have been widespread security lapses with your information. But, also, basically, you don't know who is collecting your information, what information, and what they're doing with it and how they're targeting you with it. So this would give you a little bit more privacy on the web.
Quick problem, though. Some of the free Web sites and free applications say, yes, but we're free because we manage to sell your information and your tracking behavior. Would Gmail have to be paid for? Would Facebook have to be paid for? Would CNNMoney.com have to be, you know --
ROBERTS: Well, Google's got enough money that they can give us e-mail. (INAUDIBLE)?
ROMANS: I think -- I think they do, too.
But, look, here is the question. How do you do this in an -- in the right way so that our privacy is protected but also so they can make money?
Also, some of them point out you're actually better off because they know what to target -- what kind of advertising to target with you. We're better off, right, because they know how to target you better instead of just spamming you with a bunch of stuff that you're not interested in.
I'm not sure I buy that a hundred percent, either. But there's got to be some kind of compromise here between just no one knowing -- you don't know what they're doing with your information and how widespread they are selling it.
Now, I want to point out, there are private browsing features on a lot of browsers. I use this religiously. You can kind of -- I do.
CHETRY: Which one?
ROMANS: Which one? No, on -- on my Mac, I use the private browsing feature. But, you know, you can -- you can do that, but -- John, why are you laughing?
ROBERTS: Oh, because I remember when we first talked about private browsing, that fellow that we had in from "Wired" magazine called it --
ROMANS: What did he say? He said it didn't work?
ROBERTS: No. He called it porn mode.
ROMANS: Oh, my. No, that's not why I use it.
ROBERTS: I know (ph).
ROMANS: That's not why I use it, John. Please.
But I, you know, I don't -- you know, I don't like the idea of people, like, seeing everything, where I'm going and knowing what my -- you know, what kind of things I'm looking for on the web. I just -- it bothers me.
But, this is the way it is. So, it'll be interesting.
ROBERTS: Yes. Keep that -- keep that private browser up and running.
ROMANS: Yes. So January is when -- (INAUDIBLE).
And so, in January is when we'll know for sure what this -- what this proposal would look like.
ROBERTS: It's (INAUDIBLE) --
(CROSSTALK)
ROBERTS: --- from "Wired" magazine. They know all about this stuff. That's what he called it.
ROMANS: It's a little early to be talking about the "P" word, John.
ROBERTS: It certainly is.
All right. Top stories now as we cross the half hour.
Drivers chilled to the bone waking up in their cars and trucks this morning, stranded on the New York State throughway for as long as 12 hours after a storm dumped three feet of snow on the Buffalo area, while the north end of the city just got a dusting.
The southern end was slammed, though. Forecasters say more snow, as much as an inch an hour, possible in some areas this morning.
CHETRY: And a war of words in Washington over tax cuts. Can the two sides agree before your taxes actually go up? Senate Democrats plan to vote tomorrow on extending the Bush tax cuts only for families earning less than $250,000. There is little chance, though, that will pass. Republicans want tax breaks extended for everyone, including the highest income earners.
The Bush tax cuts are set to expire December 31st.
ROBERTS: And the Army has now launched a criminal investigation into misplaced remains at Arlington National Cemetery. It comes after the cremated remains of eight people were discovered in a single grave site marked unknown.
Back in June an army inspector general's report found widespread problems at Arlington, including more than 200 unmarked or misidentified grave sites.
CHETRY: Well, she's rarely available to answer questions from reporters, but yesterday, Sarah Palin spoke to us, I guess you could say.
ROBERTS: Didn't necessarily answer our question, but did speak to us.
Jim Acosta got the attention of the former governor of Alaska yesterday at a Walmart in Iowa.
Jim, she was promoting her book when you caught up with her. But she didn't seem to necessarily appreciate your innately inquisitive nature.
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I think that's fair to say, John. I think you're right about that.
Let me set the stage for you. As you mentioned, she doesn't do a lot of interviews these days. And she wasn't doing interviews yesterday at this Walmart where she was signing her book.
But Sarah Palin's people did allow us to observe her book signing, which was good for us, there was only one problem. They had the music playing really loudly in there, presumably, to drown out any questions we ask. And then, at one point it stopped, so we asked her about her presidential ambitions.
Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: Any chance you're closer to an announcement on running for president?
SARAH PALIN (R), FORMER ALASKA GOVERNOR: Am I doing interviews?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, you're not.
PALIN: I thought I would get to talk to some nice people.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
PALIN: What do you think? Where is the good enthusiasm?
ACOSTA: Well, we're nice too.
PALIN: Not always, but maybe you are.
ACOSTA: Are you getting any closer?
PALIN: No, not any closer yet. No.
ACOSTA: Any comment on what Governor Romney said last night on the "Tonight Show"?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, no, no --
PALIN: What did Governor Romney say on the "Tonight Show"?
ACOSTA: He said he would quit as governor of Massachusetts. I'm just curious what you thought.
PALIN: He probably had some different conditions.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Get him out. Get him out. Get him out.
ACOSTA: OK. All right.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're done.
PALIN: Sir, were you the one that turned off the music?
ACOSTA: I did not turn off the music. No, ma'am.
PALIN: OK, cause that wouldn't be cool if you did that.
ACOSTA: No, no, Governor, I would not do that. I promise.
PALIN: These Iowa people, they got back.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: Now, for the record, we did not turn off her music, we can assure you of that. But one thing about her presidential ambitions we should talk about for a moment. She is a FOX News contributor, so she's not doing interviews with media outlets outside of FOX News for the most part. But she's got plenty of time to make up her mind and change her game plan when it comes to dealing with the media. The Iowa caucuses are more than a year away. They're set for February 6th, John and Kiran. So, she's got time to change this game plan up.
ROBERTS: Wow, you got the hand, Jim.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: Yes. Just tell us what was going on behind the scenes as that happened. They were not pleased that you were asking questions. They usually pipe in pretty loud music. And then what happened after we got the hand?
ACOSTA: Yes. Well, we were told that our time was up. The media -- they were escorted in, three people at a time, and they were basically given 10 minutes to observe Sarah Palin signing these books. And we waited until about nine minutes into those 10 minutes to ask her a question and just by luck, the music turned off, we were able to repeat our question.
They came over and asked us, you know, politely to leave and we obliged them of that. We left the book-signing area. We were allowed to stay in the Walmart after that. We just couldn't go back into the book-signing area. But everybody was very polite about it.
ROBERTS: Pick up a few Christmas gifts while you were there?
ACOSTA: Yes, for you, it's in the mail, John. It's on its way.
ROBERTS: All right, Jim. Good try and thanks very much.
ACOSTA: It's the book, actually. You may have heard of it. All right. Take care.
ROBERTS: Sarah Palin book? All right. Thanks, Jim.
Coming up, Julian Lennon in his own words -- how did John Lennon's first son deal with his father's murder?
CHETRY: Also, those extra holiday pounds. Every single one could actually mean you're shortening your life. There's new research about just how few pounds overweight you have to be to have big health implications.
Thirty-three minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
ROBERTS: Coming up now at 37 minutes after the hour.
All this week, we've been previewing our CNN documentary this weekend on the death of John Lennon. It's called "Losing Lennon: Countdown to a Murder." It examines the entire year preceding his death. It's going to be 30 years this coming Wednesday since John Lennon was murdered by Mark David Chapman.
And this morning, John Lennon's first son, Julian, talks about Chapman and what it was like after learning that his father had been murdered.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Former Beatle John Lennon has been shot at his Manhattan apartment tonight. Police say that Lennon was taken to Roosevelt Hospital where his condition --
JULIAN LENNON, JOHN LENNON'S SON: Hard to imagine it was reality. Still to this day, in so many ways, it still feels like a dream.
ROBERTS (voice-over): John Lennon's first son Julian was in Liverpool when he got the news.
LENNON: I came downstairs, all the curtains were closed. You know, found out what had happened and then, of course, you know, when mom arrived, we were in bits.
ROBERTS: He immediately flew to New York.
LENNON: Every person on that plane had the -- had the newspaper of dad's, you know, picture and John Lennon slain, murdered, and that was a toughie. That was a toughie.
ROBERTS: He went right to the Dakota for a tearful reunion with his 5-year-old brother Sean.
(on camera): You had a sense of responsibility, of duty as a big brother?
LENNON: Well, yes. Reminded me of something.
ROBERTS: What did it remind you of?
LENNON: Well, my life, you know. We were of similar age when he sort of left us. I mean, the first time around that it happened to me, at least, you know, he didn't pass away. But this was going to be tough on a little boy that had a great deal of love going for his father.
ROBERTS (voice-over): Love that Julian never received from his father as a child.
LENNON: To a degree I was abandoned as a kid, you know, twice -- if not three times in many respects.
ROBERTS: It was the height of Beatlemania and John was on the road constantly. Eventually he divorced Julian's mother Cynthia, moved to New York, and started a new family with Yoko Ono. Julian only saw his father a handful of times before his death.
LENNON: He obviously was trying to reach out later in life, no question about it. And he knew that, you know, I still was looking -- longing for that relationship with him.
ROBERTS (on camera): Do you feel cheated that you were denied that opportunity?
LENNON: Well, of course, I do. I mean, no question about it. It's beyond sadness that he's not around, obviously. But there's nothing anybody can do about that.
ROBERTS (voice-over): December 8th marks the 30th anniversary of Lennon's murder. His killer Mark David Chapman was just denied parole for the sixth time.
(on camera): Should he ever be released?
LENNON: I can't answer that. You know, there's supposed to be room in our hearts, all of our hearts for forgiveness. My own thoughts are personal on that and my own and will remain that way. That's for me and my own thoughts in my own quiet time.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS: So Julian wouldn't tell us whether or not he thought that Mark David Chapman should be released. But he and literally every other person we talked to who knew Chapman or knew John Lennon said the same thing about if Mark David Chapman got released. And that is that some John Lennon fan probably within a matter of days or perhaps a matter of months would take Chapman out.
CHETRY: I mean, I don't doubt it. You know, the type of anger is still there after all of these years for what he did. Is there any chance -- I mean, he's been denied again and again and again and again -- that he ever would be let go?
ROBERTS: Yes, six times. And so many people have said, if it wasn't John Lennon that he killed, he probably would be out walking the streets of America now. Yoko Ono, while she doesn't go up there to the parole board hearings, she has on occasion, but she is campaigning behind the scenes to keep him in jail forever and ever and ever.
So, will he ever be released? There's been no indication from the parole board that he ever will. He's still deemed a threat to society, despite the fact he says, "I gotten over all of the demons that possessed me and drove me to kill John Lennon. I'm a changed person. I can exist in society."
So far, the parole board hasn't believed him. He won't be up for another two years. We'll see what they say then.
Well, the documentary "Losing Lennon: Countdown to Murder" premieres this weekend. Saturday and Sunday night 8:00 Eastern, right here on CNN.
And stay tuned, because after the documentary, you'll see "John Lennon: Living in America," exploring Lennon's years in New York City. That's Saturday night at 10:00 Eastern and Sunday night at 10:30 Eastern, right here on CNN.
CHETRY: We'll look forward to it, for sure.
Meanwhile, still to come, Reynolds Wolf is in for Rob this morning. He's tracking the snow near Buffalo this morning. Quite a mess. They're used to snow in Buffalo, but many major throughways shut down because of it yesterday. And he's going to have a look at the travel forecast this morning.
ROBERTS: Right. Plus, NASA's brand new discovery right here on earth. And what it could mean for life out there.
Forty-two minutes after the hour.
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CHETRY: This is exciting news from NASA, at 45 minutes past the hour. It's a scientific find that really opens the door to new forms of life here on earth and beyond. NASA scientists say they've discovered a new organism that changes what they thought it takes to sustain life.
The bacteria found at the bottom of a California Lake thrives on arsenic in place of phosphorous, which is one of the six elements considered essential to sustain life. The results, if confirmed, would expand the notion of what life could be and also, where it could exist.
ROBERTS: That's exciting stuff. So, it sort of completely turns on its head all of our notions of what it take to sustain life. Reynolds Wolf is at the Weather Center in Atlanta. A fellow who sustains his life on chick-fillet-chick sandwiches. Good morning to you, Reynolds.
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Hey, guys. You know, (INAUDIBLE) to find out if there was any life out of this world. I had two roommates back in college that were more evident of extraterrestrial life, trust me.
Hey, guys. Let me show you we have this morning. The top story, we've got, of course, is the lake effect snowfall. Now, in place like Buffalo, Syracuse, and Erie, there used to having some snow, but the snow we've been getting there has just been amazing. In fact, take a look at the video. I mean, the radar shows you one thing, the map showed you something else, but the video really takes the cake.
There are people that are stranded not just for four or five hours, some up to 12 hours, some maybe there even longer. People stranded by the heavy snow that fell at such a quick rate. They were unable to move the snow out of the way for people to get from point "A" to point "B." Parts of I-90 still getting (INAUDIBLE) by the heavy snowfall that's going to continue through the good part of the day before all is said and done, possibly 3 to even 4 feet of snow come again.
Winter striking with a vengeance. And take a look at it from parts of Lake Erie, you see the lake effect snowfall beginning to pick up. The lakes are very warm. The water heightened sense of evaporation. And with that wind coming into the west, and northwest is going to interact with that cool air aloft, and the snow is coming down. Much of it really south of Buffalo, some of it -- up towards a lock forth (ph). Not so much in terms of the heavy snowfall, just that one band especially south of the city that is really going to stack up there as we make a way in the next couple of days.
Obviously, some issues in the roadways. Obviously, there are going to be issues at the airports. Minneapolis due to the afternoon snow, you might be waiting on the tarmac up to an hour. In Newark, Denver also and into Cleveland, anywhere from say 30 minutes to maybe a full hour on the tarmac might be your wait. Some places due to wind, others, like Cleveland, due to the heavy snowfall.
Now, as far as national perspective is concerned, things are looking pretty good for parts of the West Coast, about San Francisco southward, it's dry business, but once you get north of the bay area back (INAUDIBLE) California, rain is going to be an issue in the Sierra Nevada, snowfall, also snow possible in parts of the Midwest. Nice and dry for you in the southeast. Very quickly as we wrap things up. Temperatures, 45 in Washington, D.C., 43 in New York, 32 in Chicago, 73 the high in Dallas out by the old Cotton Bowl, 60 in Denver, and 69 in Los Angeles.
You know what? You're up to speed in terms of the forecast. We've got even more coming up after the top of the hour. So, sit tight.
ROBERTS: And you know, Reynolds, it's the fact that on a bright, sunny, summer day, you can sit on the runway in New York City for an hour or more.
WOLF: It's always a good time.
CHETRY: Yes, it's great. It's fun.
ROBERTS: Thanks, Reynolds.
CHETRY: Middle seat makes it even more fun.
This morning's top stories just moments away, including from hero to villain, the anger and the bitterness, the frustration of an entire city coming out as LeBron James returned to Cleveland. You guys probably saw the score. It did not rattle him at all, but the highlights of this year, hatred lie from Cleveland.
ROBERTS: Yes, had a terrible night. Just 38 points.
And thank you for being a friend. Hard times creating a whole new generation of real life golden girls. Ladies in their 50s, 60s, and 70s living together to save money. Those stories and more coming your way beginning at the top of the hour.
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CHETRY: Fifty-two minutes past the hour right now. You know what it's like around the holidays. You have all the good intents in the world, but because of the parties and the celebrating, you pack on a few extra pounds along the way. But you don't have to be Santa- sized, though, to end up with a serious problem. There is new research in the New England General of Medicine suggesting that even a little bit overweight with a body mass index just above the healthy range, increases your risk of dying from heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and stroke.
Joining us to explain is Dr. Louis Arome. He is the director of the Comprehensive Weight Control Program at New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center. Thanks for being with us this morning, doctor.
DR. LOUIS AROME, DIRECTOR OF THE NEW YORK PRESBYTERIAN WEILL CORNELL MEDICAL CENTER: Thank you, Kiran.
CHETRY: So, we know that it's not good to be overweight, and it's certainly not good to be obese. There's a lot of health concerns, but what is new about this research that people should really listen to?
AROME: This is the largest study ever done that demonstrates that an increase in body weight increases your risk of dying from heart disease and every other cause.
CHETRY: And it's not -- you don't need to be very overweight. You're talking about a few pounds?
AROME: That's right. What this study shows because there are so many people involved, 1 1/2 million people is that as your weight goes up, there is an increase in risk. So, for example, if you're 30 pounds overweight, your risk of having a heart attack or stroke, any kind of cardiovascular disease is doubled. That's a big risk.
CHETRY: And you also talk about, you know, even being 10 or 20 pounds overweight. We have 2/3 of Americans who are considered either overweight or obese. I mean, what are the implications of this study?
AROME: I think that this underscores how serious a health problem obesity has become in the United States. And we know that it's affecting health care costs. 1/3 of the increase in health care costs over the past 20 years is just due to the increase in obesity.
CHETRY: You talk about the importance of knowing what your BMI or your body mass index is. You can just go, you said, to the NIH Web site, is it?
AROME: Yes, there are many BMI calculators. But it's not just BMI, your waist also plays an important role. But if you know what your BMI is, usually that will give you enough information to make a decision what to do about it.
CHETRY: So, they recommend that your body mass index or BMI and they have these calculators, as you said, on NIH.gov., we linked it up with our Web site as well. But bring along a tape measure, because, you say, to really get an accurate portrayal, you should also measure your waist. And you want to be between 22.5 and 24.9 in the BMI range. Explain how many people are -- fall within that range and how likely it is that you're probably not in that range.
AROME: Not very many people fall in the optimal range. The majority of Americans are actually in the higher risk range. And we've been trying, trying to get people to stop gaining weight, but one of the findings of this study is that there were five times as many deaths in this study than were seen in previous studies in the high-weight range. That shows you what we're facing. We're facing an epidemic of people dying as a result of their obesity.
CHETRY: You know, the problem is, I mean, it can fall on deaf ears after a while. I mean, everybody probably knows that they shouldn't be gaining weight. And everybody probably thinks they're trying to lose weight. And what we wanted to do is just offer a couple of tips for people that can make a difference today. You know, in the middle of the holiday season. One of them is cutting down on the sugared sodas and juices. Explain more about why this small change can make a difference.
AROME: There are a lot of calories in not only soda, but also juices. So, by cutting back on them, you can save a lot of calories.
CHETRY: You're talking even a glass of orange juice in the morning, you think you're doing something right. But it can have as many calories and sugar as a soda.
AROME: It does have the number of calories of soda. It has vitamins, it has nutrients, so I don't want you to think that it's bad for you, but drinking a lot of juice can cause you to gain weight.
CHETRY: You also say eat protein for breakfast. This is something that can only set you on the right path for the whole day.
AROME: Right. Because if you have a protein breakfast, there's study showing that it can actually calm down your appetite throughout the day. It's easy to tell people not to eat as much food. It's very hard to do it. And what we've found over the years is that if you have protein for breakfast, yogurt, cottage cheese, some eggs, that will tend to keep your appetite under control better throughout the day.
CHETRY: And you also say eat your vegetables first.
AROME: That's right. Think about vegetables as a natural appetite suppressant. First of all, if you eat them first, you've eaten vegetables. A lot of people aren't doing that at home. And you'll wind up eating starches and higher calorie, higher fat foods later in the meal, you're going to be full.
CHETRY: All right. Some good advice because I know it's not easy, you know, to try to get on the right path, especially around the holidays. Dr. Louis Arome great to have you with us this morning. Thanks so much.
AROME: Thanks, Kiran.
CHETRY: John.
ROBERTS: Thanks, Kiran.
Coming up now on three minutes to the top of the hour. We'll have your top stories right after the break. Stay with us.
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