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Shakeup in Illinois; Obama Keeps Focus on Energy, National Security; Rescue Plan for Detroit; Home Heating Costs

Aired December 15, 2008 - 12:00   ET

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

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everybody, on this Monday morning. I'm Betty Nguyen in the CNN NEWSROOM. Tony Harris is off this week.
All right. So here are the headlines from CNN on this Monday, December 15th.

The future of Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich -- one top state official says he may step aside today.

And American on ice. Crews work to get almost a half-million customers back on line after a winter preview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Look out!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Uh, it's close. Driving toward wintertime -- in the NEWSROOM.

And we start with this: shakeup in Illinois. The state legislature meets this afternoon. Lawmakers will consider measures to remove Governor Rod Blagojevich. Now, Blagojevich is charged with corruption for trying sell Barack Obama's U.S. Senate seat. And the governor, well, he is staying mum.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Rumor is you intend to resign. Is that true or false?

GOV. ROD BLAGOJEVICH (D), ILLINOIS: I just think that you should all have a great holiday season.

Sam, I'll see you my friend.

Sir, how are you? Thank you. I'll see you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Illinois's attorney general said yesterday that her office had heard Blagojevich would step aside today, but the governor's spokesman is denying that.

Our Ed Lavandera is at the capitol in Springfield.

So, Ed, what do we expect out of lawmakers today?

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, a lot of political drama, perhaps some chaos here in the coming hours and days, as state lawmakers convene back here in Springfield to begin the process of writing up legislation that would essentially remove the power that this governor has of appointing the next person to the U.S. Senate. So lawmakers are gathering here to begin that process, but as they do that, there are a lot of other options being thrown down on the table, including talk of impeachment. Those proceedings could take anywhere from weeks, perhaps months, to do.

There's also talk from the attorney general of the state talking to the Supreme Court to have the governor declared unfit to lead, essentially removing him from office. And there's also talk of trying to create a special election to fill that vacant seat in the U.S. Senate. So all of these options appear to be on the table as lawmakers convene back here in Springfield, Illinois, to begin this process. So, essentially, as one political writer here in Springfield wrote this morning, you've got all these guys coming back here to begin this debate, and one thing is for certain, and that will be chaos -- Betty.

NGUYEN: Yes, a lot of options on the table. And just to be correct, it could take weeks to months? I mean, this is something that' not going to happen very quickly?

LAVANDERA: Right. And you know, that's the interesting thing, because you do get a sense from the various reports that are coming out of Springfield and all of the different legislatures that are talking, that it does seem to be a growing sense of a quick resolution. So maybe that's a hindrance to impeachment. It's really hard to say.

As these lawmakers come back at this point and we begin to hear -- after their meetings, we know that they have a round of meetings scheduled later this afternoon -- that perhaps things will begin to be hashed out then and things will become clearer as to what direction state lawmakers will take.

NGUYEN: CNN's Ed Lavandera at the capitol in Springfield.

Thank you for that, Ed.

Well, President-elect Barack Obama trying to keep the focus on energy and national security instead of the Illinois governor scandal. A little bit later today, Obama introduces his team on energy and environmental policy, but first, though, he is meeting with his national security team.

Let's talk now with CNN's Brianna Keilar, live from Chicago.

All right, Brianna. So, what can you tell us about this meeting?

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, one Obama aide tells me that the team is talking about Iraq and Afghanistan, but really, the Obama camp saying they're talking about a range of topics, and not being very specific. In fact, being quite vague.

They've obviously -- they're being sensitive to President Bush, repeating their regular refrain that there is one president at a time. And being sensitive to any appearance of discussion of a topic that there could be daylight, which obviously there would be, between President-elect Barack Obama and President Bush on.

But in this meeting right now is Hillary Clinton, who is president-elect Obama's obviously designated secretary of -- or going to be secretary of state under the Obama administration, as well as a number of other officials, Vice President-elect Joe Biden, as well as Defense Secretary Robert Gates. But, you know, there are so many things confronting this administration when they start on day one, Betty. Not only the two wars, but also nuclear threats from, say, Iran, a recent terrorist attack in India. So obviously, those things would be on the agenda, but we're not getting that confirmation from the president-elect's office.

NGUYEN: Well, we may get a little confirmation later today, according to the energy team, or about the energy team. I understand there's going to be an announcement on that?

KEILAR: Yes. And we're not getting that officially from the Obama camp, but we do understand that in this press conference that we're being told is all about the energy and the environmental future of the U.S., that we're going to be hearing the announcements of President-elect Obama's pick for secretary of energy, Dr. Steven Chu, as well as his pick for his climate czar, Carol Browner.

These are actually announcements that we reported here on CNN last week. So you can see, Betty, the cabinet filling up. But we are still awaiting an announcement of not only the interior secretary, but also the labor secretary.

NGUYEN: All right. A lot on the plate today.

Brianna Keilar, thanks so much for that.

And you can see President-elect Obama's news conference announcing his energy team live, right here on CNN. It is scheduled to start at 5:00 p.m. Eastern.

Well, weeks of back and forth. Detroit and Washington, they are still trying to work up a rescue plan for the automobile industry. President Bush indicates there will be some sort of loan package to prop up the automakers, but he says he's not quite ready to make an announcement just yet.

Reports do say auto executives and the White House are trying to figure out how much cash Detroit needs for the short term. The White House indicated late last week that it might tap into the $700 billion financial industry bailout to help Detroit.

And CNN's Kathleen Koch is at the White House day. Kathleen, this back and forth seems to be taken a long time given the crisis. And what, GM and one of the other ones says, look, we need the money now.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Certainly, but what we're hearing at the White House here, Betty, is that they want to get this deal done right. That getting it right is more important than getting it done fast. But the pressure is certainly building on the White House to take some action soon.

Senator Carl Levin from Detroit, from Michigan -- you know, an auto-producing state -- held an impromptu press conference there in Detroit just about an hour ago. And he said that -- and this is his take on things -- again, that the president, in his words, has indicated that loans will be provided. And Levin said that in his opinion, that President Bush has what he called an understanding with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CARL LEVIN (D), MICHIGAN: The president made a deal with the House of Representatives. And that deal was entered into between the president, personally, and Speaker Pelosi. It passed the House of Representatives, and once the president makes a deal, he is not likely to walk away from it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOCH: Now, the word here in Washington though is quite different from the Treasury Department. They're saying no deal has been reached.

Right now, Treasury officials continue poring over the bank books of Detroit, of the automakers, taking a look at the data on those balance sheets. The White House says no decisions have been made. As a matter of fact, a senior administration official who I spoke with this morning pointed out that these are publicly trading companies that, in their opinion, it would be irresponsible to signal what the White House might do when. The official saying, "When we have something to announce, we'll announce it."

Betty.

NGUYEN: All right. There's all kinds of speculation, all kinds of talk, all kinds of worry about what's going to be done.

What does the president have to say about all of this?

KOCH: Well, Betty, right now, the president is aboard Air Force One on his way back from these two surprise visits to Iraq and Afghanistan. He did take some questions from reporters though when he was flying between the two countries, and he said they are working right now with the stakeholders, trying to come up with a way forward, but they're not quite ready to announce a deal yet. The president said that he understands that this can't be a long process, as you mentioned right out at the start, because of the fragility of the auto companies. GM, Chrysler saying they could be out of cash in a matter of weeks -- Betty.

NGUYEN: Kathleen Koch live from the White House.

Thank you for that.

And you know, there is one key party to the automaker negotiations that says it has been left out. The president of the United Auto Workers says that he hasn't heard a word from the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RON GETTELFINGER, UAW PRESIDENT: The White House and the congressional leadership come up with a compromised bill. The House of Representatives passed it overwhelmingly.

Why did we have problems in the Senate? Somebody needs to be asking that question. There's no question, there's a lot of politics going on here. But look, of all people to have a direct line with the White House, it's certainly not me or the UAW.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Well, the UAW had been instrumental in negotiations with Congress, and those talks ended in collapse.

Let's look at the numbers today as we watch Wall Street. The Dow down 51 points. We'll be talking more about this with CNN's Susan Lisovicz at the next half-hour as she discusses interest rates and what's going to happen there.

And this just in to CNN. The attorney for Caylee Anthony's parents spoke to the media just a few moments ago in Orlando. Talk a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRAD CONWAY, ANTHONY FAMILY ATTORNEY: "Our hearts and prayers go out to every family who has lost a child under any circumstances. In the event this is not Caylee, we will immediately continue to search for our beloved granddaughter. Please respect our privacy and understand that we will not be making any statements or appearances in the near future. We would ask you to continue your prayers for Caylee and all other missing children. Sincerely, George and Cindy Anthony."

Are there any questions that I can...

QUESTION: What are they doing to get through things right now?

CONWAY: Relying on each other and their pastor and their church and prayers.

QUESTION: There isn't any talk of the Anthony family (INAUDIBLE) with any criminal charges against them, right?

CONWAY: We have discussed that with the state attorney's office, as well as the Orange County Sheriff's office, and at this time there are no pending charges. And I'm not aware of any plans to prosecute them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: And that's the latest on the Caylee Anthony case.

As you'll recall, police do believe they have found the remains of the little girl about a half-mile from her home. Those remains were found Thursday by a utility worker, although they are waiting for positive identification through DNA testing. But at this point, it does seem that police do believe that those remains are indeed of Caylee Anthony.

Of course, we'll stay on top of this story for you.

But in the meantime, President Bush may have dodged a few questions during his term, but what about a shoe?

Oh my, he ducked pretty nimble. What happened there?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: All right. So let's check some of your economic headlines.

If there is a bright side to a recession, it's got to be those gas prices. The average cost for a gallon of regular unleaded now $1.66. Missouri has the cheapest, about $1.49.

And the talker of the day, AIG, the insurance giant that's getting that enormous government handout, well, it is reportedly dishing out retention bonuses to roughly 2,000 senior executives. As you'll recall, last week the company's CEO told Congress that only 168 people were getting them.

All right. Let's turn now to the dreaded job search. So how do you land your dream position if you're new to the field?

Well, CNN's Josh Levs asked a career coach.

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JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Maggie, let me toss this at you. And we'll zoom in on the board. It's this. This is one example from Maria.

She says, "I have no work experience. How can I find a job when every positions requires at least two years of experience?"

You know, this hour we've been talking about there are fields that are growing. But a lot of people saying when they look into those fields, you have to have experience. So what should they do?

MAGGIE MISTAL, CAREER COUNSELOR: To get in. Well, one of the best ways, Josh, to gain experience when you don't have it is to volunteer. It's one of those missed opportunities I think a lot of people don't look to.

But there are nonprofits all over this country that are looking for support. For example, I recently had a client who wanted to do marketing and communications and didn't have it on her resume, so now she's leading the efforts of a nonprofit right here in New York City to launch that nonprofit.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: CNN Personal Finance Editor Gerri Willis' special series airing all this week. It's called "Layoffs: The Survival Guide." And if you have any questions, all you have to do is go to CNN.com/askgerri.

Well, for many Americans, the stumbling economy looms as close as their doorstep. The nation's housing crisis has caused trillions of dollars of value to simply evaporate into thin air, and millions of Americans now owe more than their homes are worth.

New numbers offer crushing detail. Here to explain that is CNN Financial Editor Gerri Willis.

I'm almost afraid to ask, but you know, we've really got to get a grip on the situation. And the best way to know is just to find out the truth.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Yes, you might as well look at the numbers. Right, Betty?

Here they are from zillow.com. It's a real estate Web site. Home values down $2.2 trillion. That's all of us. All of our homes this year.

Some 11.7 million homeowners are under water. Now, that means they owe more on the house than it's actually worth at this point. Now, according to Zillow -- and there are lots of sources for this data -- prices, housing prices, year over year, through the third quarter, down 8.4 percent this year.

So we're all looking for solutions out there. Word today that it's possible President-elect Obama may lower interest rates below 5 percent as part of his plan to help distressed homeowners.

Now, there's been a lot of talk already about cutting 30-year fixed rates to 4.5 percent. All of this an effort and a conversation to stabilize the housing market, really what got this whole credit crisis, the economy, the recession going here. But analysts still think that the economic crisis will continue at least through next year -- Betty.

NGUYEN: So personally, if we wanted or if I wanted to find out the value of my home, how do I go about gauging that?

WILLIS: Well, you know, Web sites are one thing and they're good, but you might be able to get a more up-to-date feel for the value of your home by getting information locally. Here's how. Think about what sold in your neighborhood recently. A lot of this information, it takes months, as much as three months, for it to become part of the public record, and then that's what everybody picks up. But let me tell you, it's one of the most loosely guarded secrets out there.

Talk to a realtor, talk to neighbors. You can find out what that house actually went for. Then divide that number by the total square footage of the house. That's going to give you a price per square foot.

This allows you to compare apples to apples. You'll know what the most recent price is in your neighborhood. You can figure out what your home would be worth using that data in the market right now.

It's a way to just keep up with what's going on, particularly if you're trying to sell your house in this marketplace, or just thinking about putting it on the market right now. You've got to get the most up-to-date data.

Another data point to think about is also time on market. That's how long it takes to sell a house. The longer, obviously, the stickier the market is, the worse it is for home sellers.

If that number stabilizes or starts to become shorter, then it's time to think about putting your home on the market because buyers are starting to step up to the plate. But again, we're still looking at a while here before there's real stabilization in this market.

Betty, one interesting note from this study we just talked about, Stockton, California, is the town that had the biggest price plummet this year, some 32 percent. That's according to the Zillow numbers.

NGUYEN: Really? Well, maybe, hey, if you're investing, you can get a good deal there.

WILLIS: That's right. That's right. That's the way to look at it.

NGUYEN: Buy low, sell high.

All right. Gerri Willis, we do appreciate it.

WILLIS: My pleasure.

NGUYEN: And, of course, you can catch Gerri on the weekends. "OPEN HOUSE" airs at 9:30 Saturday morning on CNN, and at 3:30 Eastern Saturday and Sunday on CNN Headline News.

Freezing cold and left in the dark. How much of the Northeast is still without power? We have information on that.

And parts of the Midwest are digging out as well. When will these things thaw out? Meteorologist Chad Myers has the answer.

(WEATHER REPORT) (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CONAN O'BRIEN, "LATE NIGHT WITH CONAN O'BRIEN": Blagojevich scandal continues. Earlier this week, of course, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich was accused of auctioning off a Senate seat to the highest bidder. Now his approval rating is at 8 percent. Yes. When he heard this, Blagojevich said, eight? Do I hear a nine? Ten? Eleven? Ten?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Well, media attention remains focused on the blossoming scandal involving Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich. You know "Late Night" host right here, Conan O'Brien, poking fun at the federal corruption charges Blagojevich faces. And those charges are laid in part of allegations that the governor was looking to sell or trade President-elect Barack Obama's open seat in the U.S. Senate.

Well, the Illinois legislature meets this afternoon to discuss what to do about the governor. Also, the Illinois attorney general is asking the state Supreme Court to remove Blagojevich.

Our Drew Griffin has more now from Chicago.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DREW GRIFFIN, CNN SPECIAL INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): It may be a cold day in Chicago, but the governor is feeling the heat.

PAT QUINN, ILLINOIS LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR: I hope the governor does resign. I think that's best for the people of Illinois, as well as for himself and his family.

GRIFFIN: The Illinois legislature meets today to talk about stripping him of power or outright impeachment.

LISA MADIGAN, ILLINOIS ATTORNEY GENERAL: It is absolutely obvious that is he is incapable of governing and the best thing to do is to move aside.

GRIFFIN: At the same time, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan is trying to get the state supreme court to declare Blagojevich unfit for office. But will Blagojevich give them a chance.

MADIGAN: We have heard that there is a possibility that tomorrow he will make an announcement that he will step aside.

GRIFFIN: His office denies it and there are signs he's preparing for the fight. He spent nearly eight hours Sunday talking to a high- priced Chicago attorney, known for helping big-shots in a bind, but gave little hint as to his next move on the way out. GOV. ROD BLAGOJEVICH, (D) ILLINOIS: There will be an appropriate time to talk about this. But let me just wish everybody happy holidays and things will be -- work out just fine (ph).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The rumor is you intend to resign. Is that true or false?

BLAGOJEVICH: I just think you should all have a great holiday season.

GRIFFIN: One issue could be money. The governor, accused of trying to sell a Senate seat, is said to be in a tough spot financially. One option could allow him to step aside, but keep his salary.

MADIGAN: I have heard as well that that is one of his main concerns is his financial circumstances right now.

GRIFFIN: And while Illinois waits to see if the governor resigns, the legislature meets in Springfield later today, possibly to pass a new bill. A bill that would strip the governor of his power to appoint the next U.S. senator and, instead, Illinois would hold a special election for the seat. Ironically, the sitting governor would still need to sign that bill into law.

Drew Griffin, CNN, Chicago.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: Well, he did pick her as his presidential running mate, but Senator John McCain says he's not sure whether he'd support Sarah Palin for president. In an interview on ABC's "This Week," McCain was asked whether the Alaska governor could count on his support.

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SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, (R) ARIZONA: We've got some great other young governors. I think you're going to see the governors assume a greater leadership role in our Republican Party. Pawlenty (INAUDIBLE) ...

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, ABC'S "THIS WEEK": But why not? Six months ago you thought she was the best person to succeed you if something had happened to you.

MCCAIN: Sure. Yes. Sure. But now we're in a whole election cycle.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Not really a ringing endorsement there. Well, Senator McCain says no one should doubt his respect and admiration for Palin.

President-elect Barack Obama holds a news conference today. He's expecting to introduce the choices for his energy and environmental team. We're going to have live coverage of the president-elect's news conference scheduled for 5:00 p.m. Eastern. So watch it right here. There Let's talk money now. There are big questions on Wall Street this week. Questions about a possible auto bailout and what the Federal Reserve will do about interest rates. Susan Lisovicz is at the New York Stock Exchange with details on this and the latest market action today.

Look at it so far, down a little.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's down a little, yes. I would say inaction. You know, Betty, it's the last full trading day of the week, but we're seeing extraordinarily light volume. And it may be because of those questions you were talking about. Whether it's Detroit or the Federal Reserve. Also, OPEC making a decision later this week on production cuts because oil has come down so far, so fast. Right now trading under $47 a barrel. Remember, it was $147 a barrel this summer.

Apple shares are on the move. They are down more than 4 percent on a report that maybe consumer spending will weaken further and will hurt, believe it or not, even iPods and iPhones.

JPMorgan Chase has been downgraded. Also on the sense that credit costs in the U.S. will get much worse. Its shares are down more than 6 percent. Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs report their quarterly earnings this week. So a first look at how this quarter has -- this past quarter has been for the financial firms and, well, everybody's braced for that.

The Fed is expected to cut tomorrow from 1 percent down another half a point to 0.5, half a percent, in order to try to free up the credit markets and also get people to get consumers to spend again.

We're watching, obviously, Ford and GM shares. They are higher now. President Bush repeating his stance that he's working on something. Maybe some TARP money so that they'll be able to make it through the next few weeks without filing for bankruptcy.

And we're also seeing more victims of Bernie Madoff's giant Ponzi scheme. I mean this is something where you're really seeing the affects around the world. HSBC, which is an international bank. Is based in Hong Kong. Banco Santander, a Spanish bank, BNP Paribas of France, Royal Bank of Scotland. You know, a really tough time for a giant stock fraud to come about and that's exactly what happened and we'll be monitoring that in days to come.

But, you know, in the meantime, the sell-off we're seeing here is not too bad about midway through the session.

Betty, back to you.

NGUYEN: All right, Susan Lisovicz, thank you.

LISOVICZ: You're welcome.

NGUYEN: You know, Detroit's carmakers aren't the only ones in trouble. Several European car companies, they are running on empty as well.

Here's CNN's Frederik Pleitgen in Berlin.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): The Senate's rejection of the proposed bailout for the U.S. auto industry . . .

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The motion is not agreed to.

PLEITGEN: Is sending shock waves across the Atlantic. GM employs more than 55,000 people in Europe. Most of them at Opel in Germany. GM announced it is "very disappointed in this development." GM says it's working to cut costs and boost sales for its European operations, but it's subsidiary, Opel, has asked the German government for loan guarantees in case General Motors files for bankruptcy.

And Sweden has agreed to a multi billion dollar bailout that would help Saab, which is also owned by GM and Volvo, owned by Ford. In all, Ford employs about 70,000 people in plants across the continent.

This is a 1957 Ford Thunderbird from the glory days of American automotive engineering. But experts say even if one of the Big Three were to go bust now, that would not necessarily help their competitors from here in Europe or Asia.

Auto expert Roland Kayser worked for both European and American carmakers. He now restores vintage models. Kayser believes even if GM or Chrysler were gone, Americans wouldn't necessarily by BMWs or Volkswagens instead.

ROLAND KAYSER, ATELIER AUTOMOBILE : We will go through a deep valley and I'm not sure if each European automotive company will survive.

PLEITGEN: Automotive suppliers would be hit too. European companies, like tire maker Continental and car electronics giant Bosh (ph), export a lot of their production to the U.S. and both are grappling with massively falling demand. Some experts believe a failing U.S. auto industry will affect the entire global economy.

JOHN REED, FINANCIAL TIMES: We do have the likes of a Chapter 11 filing from GM that would be the largest business failure in U.S. history. So I think the overall macro impath (ph), which then effects car sales generally, would be much larger than an sort of, you know, industry specific effect.

PLEITGEN: And experts say that means a longer worldwide recession which would hurt Europe just as much an America.

Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Berlin.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: Well, listen to this. Heading to work before dawn, coming home after dark. For some people, that is life in these trying times. But at what cost?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Take a look. Buried by snow. One person was killed, another rescued in a pair of avalanches in the mountains of Utah. Authorities say 27-year-old Heather Gross was buried by a snow slide at the Snow Bird Ski Resort. Now rescue teams found her about an hour later. She was then taken to a hospital where she died from her injuries. And a second person was trapped by an avalanche in a nearby area known as Lake Desolation. That person, though, is in good condition.

There are some new developments in that bizarre bank bombing in Oregon. Police in Salem are holding a suspect in the explosion today. Now the bomb was actually left outside the bank, but police officers took it inside and that is when it exploded. Police asked for the public's help in finding the man shown here in surveillance camera photographs. Take a good look. But they're not saying whether the person is in custody or whether the person that they have in custody is that man in the pictures. Now the explosion did kill two bomb explosive experts. A third police officer is in critical condition today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RUSS ISHAM, MARION COUNTY SHERIFF: It's a very difficult thing for everybody in the community. Everybody in the law enforcement community as well. And it's a very difficult situation and we're hoping to put some closure to this as soon as we can. And with the new details that we have and the information, we're hoping to get some more from the public and get their help in closing this case.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: The district attorney's office is expected to give us some info about the suspect and possibly even a motive a little bit later today. We'll continue to follow this story for you.

And with that, you can see why it's now the most Googled video of the day. Can you believe it? That shoe throwing incident happened yesterday during President Bush's surprise trip to Iraq. The man who hurled the footwear, well, he is an Iraqi journalist and the gesture is a regional insult. CNN's Michael Ware is in Baghdad.

You know, Michael, the president's headed back to the states now, but this trip in Iraq was surely memorable and maybe not in the way he wanted it to be.

MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, no, I suspect not, Betty. But, I mean, this really was an extraordinary event. And for the president, it would be unfortunate that it doesn't matter what he said or what he did here, all the people will remember is this moment.

And the journalist, the 28-year-old from Sadr City here in the capital, is currently enjoying the hospitality, so to speak, of an Iraqi jail. But let's go back first and have a look at just what happened.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WARE (voice over): This will be something few in Iraq will ever forget. U.S. President George W. Bush beside Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al Maliki. A press conference during a surprise visit. And then shoes hurled at the president by an Iraqi TV correspondent. He's quickly tackled. The journalist from Al Baghdadia Television called the president a dog in Arabic and cried "this is your farewell." When calm was resorted, President Bush saw to brush the incident aside.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: So what if a guy threw a shoe at me.

WARE: And then tried to turn it into a positive.

BUSH: I know what the guy's cause is. But one thing is for certain, he caused you to ask me a question about it. I didn't feel the least bit threatened by it. These journalists here were very apologetic. They were, you know, they were -- said, this doesn't represent the Iraqi people. But that's what happens in free societies where people try to draw attention to themselves. And so I guess he was effective, because he caused you to say something about it.

WARE: For Iraqis, throwing shoes is the rudest of insults, reserved for the likes of a statue of Saddam Hussein, or somewhat prophetically, an effigy of President Bush himself just weeks ago.

But this trip, the president's fourth and last, was meant to be a farewell and a celebration. Wanting to thank his troops . . .

BUSH: I am honored to be at Camp Victory . . .

WARE: And to applaud a new deal with Baghdad called SOFA, the Status of Forces Agreement, governing a complete, non-negotiable U.S. troop withdrawal within three years. It's the beginning of the end to the U.S. phase of this war, though the president declared the war not yet over. And while President Bush hails the agreement a success, some American officials on the ground see it as far less. To them, it's merely the best that could be gained from a weaker negotiating position. Yet, for the president, the agreement is one worth having.

BUSH: I consider it an important step on the road toward an Iraq that can sustain itself, governor itself and defend itself.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WARE: And this new Iraq, full of progress, as President Bush would like to see, is exemplified by the action of this journalist. According to the president himself, as you saw, he said that, you know, this is an act of free expression. That free expression has landed the journalist in jail and perhaps reflecting popular opinion here in Iraq today, the charges they're investigating are not for insulting the American president . . .

NGUYEN: President. Yes, it's more about the prime minister because he was standing next to him, right?

WARE: Yes. Exactly. Exactly. And I think that's the government or the investigators tapping into the way Iraqis are responding to this incident -- Betty.

NGUYEN: That is very interesting. OK. Michael Ware joining us live.

Thank you, Michael, for that.

Well, you know, Britain is sending some 300 more troops to Afghanistan. The UK currently has just over 8,000 troops stationed mainly in southern Afghanistan. Prime Minister Gordon Brown says the additional forces will help ensure that next year's Afghan elections are free and fair. The prime minister traveled to Afghanistan, Pakistan and India over the weekend. He visited British troops and urged other NATO countries in share the burden of bringing stability to Afghanistan.

OK. So heading to work before dawn and then not coming home until after dark. And for some people, that is life these days. But at what cost?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: All right. So you can look at it two ways. Last week's ice storm in the Northeast left behind a slippery mess or -- boy, that's pretty -- a winter wonderland. Seventeen-year-old iReporter Jordan Meehan (ph) says you can trees like this all over Londonderry, New Hampshire. And if you look really close, you can see the beauty in it.

I'll tell you what, this is not pretty. Winter heating costs. Well, I guess it can be. They're dropping a little. And while that's good news for most of us, some folks in cold weather states, they are hot under the collar. CNNMoney.com's Poppy Harlow has our "Energy Fix" from New York.

All right. So what's got people so fired up, Poppy?

POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: You know, because when oil was so expensive this summer, they locked in those prices and now they're really paying for it. We're talking about tens of thousands of customers in New England. They're really suffering, Betty, right now from buyers remorse. They opted to lock in their oil prices over the summer, when it looked like oil would keep on climbing. But when oil prices started to fall, that gamble really backfired. Now they're stuck with those contracts.

The Energy Department recently significantly lowered its forecast for heating oil prices. Take a look, though. The average for customers across America this winter, just over $1,500. That's nearly $400 less than last year. In Connecticut, the average customer who locked in their prices in July, when oil was $147 a barrel, they will pay more than $3,700 to heat their homes this winter. People who didn't lock in their prices will pay $2,000 on average. Betty, that's a difference of more than $1,700.

NGUYEN: Yes. And you know what, that is frustrating if that happened to you. So what do people who actually locked in those prices, what can they do now? I mean can they change the situation?

HARLOW: Not really. That's the tough news. There's not much they can do this year. By law, dealers who offer fixed price contracts have to pre-purchase that oil from their suppliers. They've already bought the oil, so they can't lower the price now.

There is a kind of insurance though. It's called downsize protection. If this happened to you, think about this for next year. It's a way that you lock in a maximum price, but if the oil goes down, you get the lower rate. It comes at a premium. You may have to pay up to 50 cents for every gallon of heating oil that you buy on top of the cost. But after this year's experience, Betty, where people are paying up to $1,700 more than they would have had to, you can see the savings could be substantial. So not a fix for right now, but something to keep in mind for next winter certainly.

NGUYEN: Let me get this straight, it's going to cost you a little more for the chance at saving later.

HARLOW: Right. That's right.

NGUYEN: All right. Got it. Thanks, Poppy.

All right. So in these uncertain times, many people with jobs are working longer hours and they're hoping to stay employed just a little bit longer. And so what that means is it's leaving little time for those little ones.

CNN's Kyung Lah has the story of one family.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): It's 5:00 in the morning and the Takayama's are starting their day. Before Yoshinori Takayama leaves home, he says good-bye to his one-and-a-half-year-old daughter Yudia. She is still fast asleep.

Then, it's off to the office. A pre-dawn walk to the train station. Then a 90-minutes commute into downtown Tokyo for the computer engineer who works 12 to 14 hours every day and won't come home until 11 at night, working longer and harder as Japan dips into recession. It's what you do, says Takayama, to survive.

YOSHINORI TAKAYAMA, COMPUTER ENGINEER, (through translator): I have to support my family. I'm afraid of what would happen if I got laid off.

LAH: At home, Yudia plays with her mother, who doesn't work so she can raise her daughter full time.

TOMOMI TAKAYAMA, WIFE, (through translator): She's forgotten who her father is many times. She used to cry when she saw him.

LAH: The amount of time that fathers spend with their children has been shrinking in Japan since the '70s. According to the latest report by the government, one third of all fathers get home after 9:00 p.m. and a quarter of them never see their children awake during the week.

It's a problem notable even for a nation of workaholics. Japan's government says parents spend less time with their children now than in the past 40 years. The recession is only expected to make it worse.

Just next door, Yudia's neighbor, three year old Jenta (ph), barely sees his father either.

MISACHI MIKAZUKI, WIFE, (through translator): I see in Hollywood movies that fathers come home early and they take vacation. For me, that's like a dream.

LAH: But the nightmare in this economy, she says, would be getting fired.

At 10:00 p.m., Takayama has finished his day. A little early for him. Tonight, a rare gift. Yudia can't sleep. A few moments with his daughter, a brief reminder of why he continues to work the long hours away from home.

Kyung Lah, CNN, in Tokyo's western suburbs.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: All right. Let's shift to this for just a second. How do you decorate the White House for the holidays? What's on that list? Well, you can solicit the first dog for help, actually. The final installment of Barney Cam for the holidays.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: You know, there are few things that will get T.J. Holmes at work early. This being one of them. The White House -- early, see, I told you, right, the White House releasing Barney's annual Christmas video. One of your favorites.

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Love it every -- seriously, people love this thing. And I do -- you get a kick out of it every year.

NGUYEN: It's fabulous. So the first pet is getting ready for the holiday. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

G. BUSH: It's really great to have the whole family together like this.

LAURA BUSH, FIRST LADY: It really is special. BARBARA BUSH, PRESIDENT BUSH'S DAUGHTER: In fact, Willard, I think these are the memories we're going to cherish most about our time in the White House.

JENNA BUSH, PRESIDENT BUSH'S DAUGHTER: Well, that, Willard, and when Barney decorates the whole house for the holidays.

MICHAEL PHELPS, U.S. OLYMPIAN: Hey, Barney, I'm glad the decorations are finally coming together and you're using my favorite color -- gold.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Come on, Michael Phelps. Come on. I know.

NGUYEN: Let me tell you, Barney has got really -- he's pulling out Michael Phelps. He's got the president in his show. This dog right here has got some real clout. And for more on the Barney holiday fun -- why are you looking like that, T.J.?

HOLMES: Well, that was -- the facial hair on Michael Phelps. I guess you can't swim with all that hair.

NGUYEN: You're back to Michael Phelps.

HOLMES: Yes, that facial hair threw me off.

NGUYEN: All right. The entire video on cnn.com, facial hair and all.

CNN NEWSROOM continues right now with my good friend here.