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Treasury Floats $13.4 Million Loan for Automakers; Big Storm Hits Northeast; Will Bill Clinton's Business Links Hurt Hillary?

Aired December 19, 2008 - 13:00   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): A little roadside assistance from Uncle Sam, pumping GM and Chrysler's tank with $13 billion in change and enough strings to fill a couple of Suburbans.

A big hunk of the U.S. is long on wintry, short on wonderland. Even people in Chicagoland, who know their snow, are being told not to drive.

Plus, orphans in Africa and their angels from America. You won't believe what two young women are doing for these forgotten children.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: And hello everyone. I'm Kyra Phillips, live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta. You're live in the NEWSROOM.

Let's get right to it. Yes, GM and Chrysler, there is a Santa Claus, and he works at the treasury. The government is making $13.4 billion available to those two automakers right now, with another $4 billion available once more money is released from the financial rescue account.

The money is like that little spare tire in your trunk: OK for the short-term but not the long haul. It's designed to keep the companies going for now, and there are a lot of strings attached. The one that really sticks out? Well, the companies have to repay the money, if they don't prove viable by March 31.

Now, obviously, a lot to talk about here. We've got Christine Romans in New York. She's going to talk about what the loans mean for the auto industry. And Kate Bolduan is at the White House, covering the government's end of the deal. That money pretty much taps dry the first half of the $700 billion set aside to rescue the financial industry.

Kate Bolduan, you get the feeling that President Bush was darned if he did open up the checkbook and double darned if he didn't. Yes?

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. I mean, and he pretty much laid it out when he made the announcement, Kyra, saying this was not the decision that he wanted to make but he had no other choice, considering the fallout that this could have on the economy.

In all, you broke it down really well. In all they could be looking at about $17.4 billion, if they get all of the money that we're talking about in this loan.

How that breaks down by the two companies, GM and Chrysler, well, we hear that GM will be getting, if they get all the money, $13.4 billion and Chrysler would be getting $4 billion. You can see there that GM in a much tougher position than Chrysler in terms of the cash they have, or the lack -- or don't have at this point.

President Bush made the announcement, saying it was tough choice, but along with this money comes some very strict deadlines, as us mentioned, Kyra. March 31. It's a three-year loan.

But March 31 is the date they're going to have to keep their eye on. If they don't meet that deadline by that point proving that they're on a path to viability. That's cutting cost. They're boosting revenue. Then they'll -- then they'll recall the loan and have to repay it, as I hear it, within 15 days. The White House deputy chief of staff, Joel Kaplan, talked about this in the White House briefing earlier today. Listen here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOEL KAPLAN, WHITE HOUSE DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF: It is an ambitious time frame, but there's a big challenge out there, and the American public and the members of Congress and the president want these manufacturers and their stakeholders to step up to that challenge. They've got to fundamentally restructure. That's been the whole essence of this debate starting with the legislative proposal last week or two weeks ago, and with this proposal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: Now, with this proposal comes some very, some strings attached. Some conditions on this money. One being that the automakers are going to have to open up their books. They're going to have to let the government see their financials. There's going to have to be transparency in this process as they work to restructure.

They're going to have to limit executive compensation. They're also going to have to get rid of some of those perks, Kyra, we've been talking about. Those pricey corporate jets. They're going to have to get rid of those.

And also, look towards meeting targets. And this was a sticking point in the Senate and what really broke down negotiations, of cutting wages for autoworkers at these American plants, to be more competitive, more on level with the wages at foreign automakers that have plants here in the U.S. Something to keep an eye on as they move ahead.

PHILLIPS: All right. Kate, thanks so much.

We're going to move ahead, too, and we'll continue to talk about General Motors and Chrysler, two very thankful companies today. So let's talk more about the rescue plan with our Christine Romans.

Christine, a lot of people are wondering why not all three? Why just two?

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, Ford has said that, even when it went to Congress and its -- and its two competitors were asking for federal help, Ford had said, "Look, we'd like access to a line of credit, but we don't think we're going to need it." Ford is in a better shape financially.

And the reason why Ford was so concerned about one of its competitors going down, is because that really hurts the supplier base and would have been a big disruption and a real problem for Ford.

So Ford is thankful for what the federal government has done here with our taxpayer money, frankly, to rescue these two with short-term loans, but Ford is not a part of this deal.

So how does it look? It's $9.4 billion to GM, $4 billion to Chrysler. Four billion more will be available in February. Altogether, it's more than $17 billion that completely taps out, as Kate said, the first half of that $350 billion in the bank bailout.

A lot of people talking how much scrutiny the automakers were under for asking for what is now $17 billion, compared with how much money has already been spent on the financial infrastructure and on the banks. So there's a lot of talk about the strings attached to this deal and the lack of strings attached to the banking deal, and a lot of folks are concerned that there should have been more strings in the first place to the other part of the deal. Maybe -- maybe the White House and Congress learned their lesson. I'm not sure.

So some of the things about the conditions here, you know, has to be paid in three years. There are limits to executive pay, as you pointed out. The government can review the accounts of these companies. You know, the auto companies have to meet fuel efficiency requirements. They can't pay out new dividends.

And the White Houses really trying to make sure, frankly, Kyra, that the taxpayer is protected, that the taxpayer gets paid first. But keep in mind, everyone I've talked to says this doesn't prevent a bankruptcy in the industry. These -- this is breathing space. This is what the company said. They said they needed cash to tide them over, and then they really had to get their restructurings under way.

So this is that breathing space. By March they have to show they're on a path to viability. And then we go from there. But, you know, they've got to really show some improvements here, or the government's going to ask for its money back, for our money back.

PHILLIPS: All right. Christine, thanks.

And these loans are a bit of good news for the city of Detroit, which hasn't had much this year. From the economy to politics even to sports, 2008 brought nothing but trouble. We'll get to that at the half hour.

And for anybody who's hurting in Detroit and beyond, tune in this weekend for our guide on how to recover from this financial crisis. Ali Velshi tells you how to take control of your finances and grow your money. Don't miss "Gimme My Money Back," Saturday and Sunday night, 8 Eastern, only on CNN.

ANNOUNCER: You're watching CNN, your severe weather headquarters.

PHILLIPS: Two days ahead of winter a storm to remember in the Midwest and millions of people in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Michigan in a deep freeze this hour. In parts of the region, the power's out, roads and highways are dangerous, airports and schools are shut down, and authorities now pleading with people to just stay home.

As for the northeast, get ready. You're next in line. Meteorologist Chad Myers is tracking it all for us.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: If you're not ready, you're late.

PHILLIPS: Forget about it. Yes. You're hosed.

MYERS: It's coming. It's there.

(WEATHER REPORT)

PHILLIPS: All right, Chad. Thanks.

MYERS: You're welcome.

PHILLIPS: Well, Milwaukee is one of the cities just about paralyzed by this big storm. Reporter Nick Bohr with our affiliate, WISN, joins us now live.

Nick, tell us what it's like.

NICK BOHR, WISN REPORTER: Well, Kyra, it's finally stopped snowing after about 12 hours here of about an inch an hour. But I want to show what you it looks like here now, as I go further into the drift toward this car. You can see I'm already in knee-deep snow. And it's like this everywhere as people try to dig out.

The roads are finally improving. I want to show you. This is an on-ramp here by U.S. Highway 45, where we've been posted for the last six hours or so as the snow really came down and the roads are finally to the point where people are getting around fairly well, at least on the main highways here.

But certainly in the city, there's a lot of trouble. People getting around with this snow just piling up, where's it's been plowed over. People getting cars hung up. Even the county buses here having a lot of problems getting around. They've had the tows out all morning long, trying to get those city buses, even, taken out of there so that people can get around the city.

PHILLIPS: Nick, I remember my days in Green Bay, Wisconsin, about an hour and a half from you...

BOHR: Right.

PHILLIPS: ... depending on how fast you drive. And I remember days where I would have to call my photographer to come get me and bring me in to work, because I just didn't have the ability to get in. What was it like for you? Are you guys operating as normal?

BOHR: Well, it is -- it is pretty treacherous. I mean, the way in, I came in about 4 a.m. this morning. and I thought about bringing the four-wheel drive with the car, but I left that in case the kids had to go to school, which they didn't today, as it turned out.

But we made it in OK. But certainly, people taking a lot of extra time to get to work today. A lot of things eventually were closed down. All the schools throughout the area today. A lot of businesses decided to shut down rather than people, you know, risking things and trying to come in.

PHILLIPS: Makes perfect sense. So who shoveled your driveway this morning at 4 a.m.?

BOHR: Nobody yet. That will be waiting for me when I get home.

PHILLIPS: All right. Thanks, Nick.

BOHR: You bet.

PHILLIPS: All right. Well, one worker was killed and 17 others were injured today when a pedestrian bridge under construction had collapsed in Atlanta. A crew was actually pouring concrete on the bridge at the Atlanta Botanical Garden when the accident occurred.

Some of the injured were reported in critical condition when they arrived at the hospital. No word yet on the cause of that collapse.

Well, he helped bring down a president. The man who revealed himself as Deep Throat has died at the age of 95. We'll look back at the role that Mark Felt played in the Watergate scandal that toppled Richard Nixon.

President-elect Barack Obama is close to the finish line in filling his cabinet. We'll tell you about his latest nominations.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: Live in the CNN NEWSROOM, Kyra Phillips.

PHILLIPS: For three decades his identity was a secret known as a shadowy Washington figure called Deep Throat. Today, the man who helped bring down the Nixon presidency is dead.

Mark Felt was the No. 2 man at the FBI when he started leaking information to "Washington Post" reporters Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward. Bernstein tells CNN that Felt's tips were invaluable.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) CARL BERNSTEIN, FORMER "WASHINGTON POST" REPORTER: What his information enabled us to do was to confirm stories that we had really obtained elsewhere more than anything else, rather than give us that much primary information, but it was invaluable, and he performed a great act of courage and national service.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Now Mark Felt decided to reveal himself at Deep Throat in 2005, and he acknowledged that his actions will be debated for years to come. Mark Felt was 95.

President-elect Barack Obama plans a news conference next hour. We expect him to name more choices for his cabinet. He's also weighing in today on the auto industry rescue plan.

Brianna Keilar is in Chicago.

Brianna, busy Friday.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A very busy Friday. Now, Barack Obama issued a statement saying this was a necessary action, this step taken by the White House, saying that it was necessary to prevent the collapse of the auto industry, and for that to further affect the ailing economy.

He went on to say, "The auto companies must not squander this chance to reform bad management practices and begin the long-term restructuring that is -- that is absolutely required to save this critical industry and the millions of American jobs that depend on it."

Now, we knew from the White House that they had been in touch with the incoming Obama administration. But we're learning a little bit more about those discussions. According to a transition aide, the Obama team was briefed by the Bush administration over the last several days about the avenues that the Treasury Department was considering with this package.

But we also found out from this aide that the administration did not ask for approval or for the opinions of Obama on their final decision. They say, also pointing out that Obama, back when he had a meeting with President Bush, that historic meeting on November 10 following the election, that he urged the president to help out the automakers. We reported this then.

In fact, CNN reporting that officials who were briefed on that discussion said that President Bush was very skeptical about having another bailout of an industry on the heels of the bailout of other industries.

So while you see that Barack Obama obviously supporting this move by the Bush administration, he's also, you know -- that he's onboard with this idea, that it was the Obama team pointing out he has been a proponent of this idea from the get-go, Kyra. PHILLIPS: All right, Brianna. Well, we'll be waiting to hear how that news conference goes at 2 p.m. Bring it live. And hopefully, we can talk some more when we hear about his picks.

Well, don't go anywhere, because we will bring that news conference live from Chicago, 2:15 Eastern Time.

And that overtime Senate race in Minnesota is probably going to drag into next year. A state canvassing board is still working through hundreds of disputed ballots. They've been at it now for four days, and about 1,600 absentee ballots, which had been improperly rejected, also have to be counted.

Now, as of this morning, Democrat Al Franken had edged ahead of Republican incumbent Norm Coleman for the first time. He leads Coleman by just a handful of votes out of about 2.9 ballots that were cast.

He's been telling us he's eager to talk. And in less than two hours, we're going to finally hear what Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich has to say. He's going to speak publicly at 3 p.m. Eastern in Chicago. And of course, you can see that live, right here on CNN.

Blagojevich was arrested on federal corruption charges back on December 9. But his attorney says he's done nothing wrong and that he plans to remain in office. Prosecutors say that Blagojevich planned to sell the Senate seat being vacated by President-elect Barack Obama.

Well, he's not leaving office without a fight. Vice President Dick Cheney is locked in a legal battle with a government watchdog group. We'll find out what the fight's all about.

And Bill Clinton's foundation counts friends from Saudi Arabia to Bill Gates and lots of wealthy people in between. We're going to look at whether the donor list will mean big problems for Hillary Clinton becoming secretary of state.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Vice President Dick Cheney is leaving office in a fighting mood. He's battling a government watchdog group over his vice-presidential records.

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington is suing Cheney to try to make sure his records end up in the national archives. Cheney is asking a court to dismiss that suit. He maintains that he alone has control over which records should be made public.

A 1978 federal act requires presidential and vice-presidential records to be transferred to the National Archives, but the law includes exceptions for personal or purely partisan records.

Very wealthy people, very wealthy countries. They're all among the donors of former president, Bill Clinton's, foundation. And he released the names in hopes of smoothing the way for his wife, Senator Hillary Clinton, to become secretary of state. Are there potential conflicts of interest?

Here's CNN's Joe Johns.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you.

JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: After resisting this for ten years, his list of more than 200,000 donors who gave at least $492 million is now an open book. Nearly 3,000 pages long, and posted online.

The biggest two donors far and away are a British charity group called the Children's Investment Fund Foundation, dedicated to improving the lives of children in poverty, and UNITAID, a World Health Organization partnership to fight HIV/AIDS. Both donated more than $25 million.

CLINTON: Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.

JOHNS: But the eye-openers, if you could call them that, are the foreign interests in the Middle East. The kingdom of Saudi Arabia, at least $10 million. Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Dubai, each at least $1 million.

(on camera) So the question is whether donations to Bill Clinton's foundation could somehow complicate Hillary Clinton's confirmation as secretary of state. And, if she's confirmed, her getting the job done.

SHEILA KRUMHOLTZ, CENTER FOR RESPONSIVE POLITICS: Saudi Arabia, specifically and the Middle East and India are all going to be flashpoints that the next secretary of state is going to have to deal with, early.

JOHNS (voice-over): Other donors seemingly could complicate things for Hillary Clinton or at least create questions at her confirmation hearing.

Amar Singh lobbied Congress, including Senator Clinton, to allow India to get nuclear fuel and technology. The same guy gave at least $1 million to the Clinton Foundation.

And the controversial security firm Blackwater, which recently had five employees indicted over a firefight in Baghdad, also gave a small donation. The next secretary of state will have to decide whether Blackwater keeps its contract to protect American diplomats.

If any donor starts looking like a conflict of interest for Hillary Clinton, a longtime friend and aide says she can just take herself out of the loop.

LANNY DAVID, FORMER CLINTON AIDE: The commitment is 100 percent that whatever the White House, whatever the president wants, the secretary of state will do, because he's the president.

JOHNS: With such a long list of names, at least the mine fields are out in the open.

Joe Johns, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: And the president and first lady unveiling their portraits this morning at the National Portrait Gallery. The president's portrait painted by a classmate from his days at Yale. The National Portrait Gallery says this is the first time the gallery is presenting portraits of a sitting president and first lady.

Defeated in Detroit. From the gridiron to the assembly lines to city hall, 2008 has been a rough and tumble kind of year.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Hello everyone. I'm Kyra Phillips, live in the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta. You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

1:28 Eastern Time. Here are some of the stories we're working on in the CNN NEWSROOM.

He's been doing it all week, and next hour we expect him to do it again. President-elect Obama expected to name more cabinet choices at a news conference in just about 45 minutes. Stay with CNN, and you can watch it live.

And coming up at 3:00 Eastern, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich steps up to the microphones. It will be his first public comment since his arrest on corruption charges. Of course, we'll cover that live, as well.

And President Bush today announced a rescue plan for General Motors and Chrysler. Notice, I mentioned two of the big three. More than $13 billion in government loans will be available immediately for the struggling automakers. That money comes from the $700 billion fund created to help Wall Street.

Now, the president of the local United Auto Workers unit in Lansing, Michigan, says the rescue plan will not only help the industry but other workers, as well. We spoke by phone with Mike Green just a short time ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE GREEN, UAW: I think it's a lot better than what we had yesterday. I mean, any way you look at it, you know. I'm glad that this has been -- this has been extended to us. I don't believe that the American auto worker will let them down.

And let's not forget, this is more than autoworkers. This is middle-class America and all the jobs that are attached to this. And I think that the parties should be able to sit down and put something together that -- I have faith in Ron Gettelfinger that what looks good for one will be good for all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Just how is that money going to be divvied up? Susan Lisovicz on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange to explain. Susan, how's it going to work?

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, GM is in the worst shape. It's the biggest and in the worst shape. So GM is going to get the most money. Just under -- let me see. Just under $12.5 -- wait, $9.5. I'm sorry. Couldn't read that for a second, Kyra. I got my numbers mixed up. Meanwhile, Chrysler will get $4 billion. GM will be entitled to another $4 billion with the release of more TARP money in February. It's around that time that both GM and Ford will also have to present a plan for long-term viability, and someone designated by the president-elect, will decide in the spring whether in fact it's the real deal. If not they would have to return the money. A very difficult thing to do because they're so cash strapped now. The bottom line, Kyra, is that bankruptcy still looms. This is a short-term, it's a band-aid solution but it gets them through these very difficult days. Kyra?

PHILLIPS: For a lot of us, this comes down to jobs. That's what a lot of people want to know.

LISOVICZ: No question about it. That's what it's about. President Bush said as much today. If it were a different time, the free market would just probably do what it has done to many good companies who could not compete for one reason or another. We're in the midst of a deep recession. We're in the midst of the worst financial crisis since the great depression, and the economy has lost already 2 million jobs. Why does this affect so many jobs? It's not only the big three, it's the part suppliers, the manufacturers, its dealers. That's why we're seeing such a huge rally in companies like Lear, American Axle and Visteon whose shares are up 25 percent today. But of course this money comes with strings attached Kyra. I know you've been talking about it. Curbs on executive pay for instance. You could say good-bye to those corporate jets and a very controversial program known as the jobs bank, where workers can collect almost all of their full pay and benefits, for sometimes years. That's going to go by the wayside. There's going to be some very big changes, and it's not going to be difficult to do these changes, because they're going to be working with creditors as well, of course, as the union to get this plan going, because it's only a couple of months before they have to present this plan for long-term viability. Kyra?

PHILLIPS: All right. Susan we'll be talking a lot in the next couple hours.

The government loans come not a moment too soon, actually, for Motown. The city of Detroit has suffered through a horrendous year. CNN's Carol Costello takes a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You could call Detroit the big hurt. Unemployment stands at 10.1 percent, foreclosure rates staggering and the city's mayor.

KWAME KILPATRICK: Your honor, I'm asking for, you know, your forgiveness. It will never happen again.

COSTELLO: He lost his job and landed in jail for lying under oath about a lurid sexual affair. Detroit -- the big hurt.

DREW SHARP, COLUMNIST, DETROIT FREE PRESS: Detroit needs help, not just from the economic standpoint, but people in this town count on the sports teams to kind of help them get through the real world. As bad as the Lions were this season, it's just kicking the city in the stomach even more.

COSTELLO: Are they ever. The Detroit Lions far from uplifting, they have become a metaphor for what's wrong with Detroit. Owned by William Clay Ford, yes, of those Fords, the Lions are on the verge of an historic NFL record. If they lose this Sunday, they will be 0-15. Yes. 0-15. For you non-sports fans that means they have not won a game all season. If they lose the Sunday after, they'll be 0-16. Fans are beyond angry.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: With any luck, maybe William Clay Ford will hire George W. Bush to be our new general manager. And if that happens, you thought 0-16 was bad? We might even lose the preseason.

COSTELLO: Detroit seems to be taking out all of its woes on the team booing them so relentlessly that Lions center Dominic Rayola(ph) gave the finger to his own fans with no regrets.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've gotten tired of being a doormat for people to just talk to us how they want to talk to us. I'm just not going to put up with that any more.

ROD MARINELLI, DETROIT LINES COACH: Heard desperate times calls for desperate measures.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. Why do you say that?

Are you desperate for a win.

MARINELLI: I want to win.

COSTELLO: Some fans are starting to drift away but for many, there remain those beautiful things that Lions fans have always had and that Michigan possesses, intense loyalty and hope. You can hear it in the governor's voice.

GOV. JENNIFER GRANHOLM, (D) MICHIGAN: In Michigan, we are going to be all right.

COSTELLO: And in sports' fans' hearts.

SHARP: I'm one of the few people in this town who actually thinks 0-16 is impossible in the NFL.

COSTELLO (on camera): Actually some fans are hoping the Lions really will go 0-16 because at least they'll have won at something. A rather embarrassing place in NFL history. Carol Costello, CNN, Washington.

(END OF VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: In Orlando, Florida, more developments in the Caylee Anthony disappearance. Investigators say that they have found more skeletal remains in the same area where a child's skull was found last week, and there are questions being raised about some tips that police received. Next hour, authorities are going to hold a news conference. On the phone with us now from Orlando, CNN all platform journalist John Couwels. John, why don't you bring us up to date. What are we expected to hear and how could this lead into the other cases possibly?

JOHN COUWELS, CNN ALL PLATFORM JOURNALIST: What we're expecting at 2:00 is a press conference with as much as they're telling us, is four individuals, should be the sheriff, Kevin Berry, investigator in the case, medical examiner Dr. G, and someone possibly from the FBI will also join the sheriff at this press conference. They're not exactly saying -- giving any specific details of what will be discussed, but very much expected that it's been over a week, been eight days since the original find of the remains in the Caylee Anthony neighborhood, and investigators have been working around the clock searching the area, and even finding significant human remains as of yesterday.

So at this press conference we could get the chance of the releasing the DNA evidence from the FBI lab in Quantico, telling us specifically who the remains might belong to. I did speak with the, the jail, Orange County jail, and they would not release any specific details, if Casey Anthony had been notified, because they said normal procedure would be if they -- once the positive ID of her human remains have been found, the next of kin would be notified, being her mother, Casey Anthony, then would be notified in jail. But they would not release any specific details of that notification. Kyra?

PHILLIPS: John, just quickly, just to give our viewers a little context. Why so many people have been intrigued by this case.

COUWELS: This case has been all over the national media since she was -- since Caylee originally went missing back in June. And she didn't notify anybody until 30 days later, until July when her parents, her grandparents calmed hysterically into 911 saying, my granddaughter's been missing for 30 days. We can't find her. My daughter just now told me about it. We need to find her, and since that point, there's been one development after another of various people from around the country have come in to bail Casey out of jail when she ultimately was arrested on child neglect charges, ultimately a grand jury did turn an indictment against Caylee's mother, Casey Anthony, of murder charges, which she is currently is in a pretrial, which was expected to be begin in January. Now it's been delayed possibly until March of 2009. PHILLILPS: So what could be announced today? Could it possibly lead to who the killer is?

COUWELS: Not necessarily who the -- we don't think so much who the killer would be. We just, the main thing everyone has been waiting for is to find out whose are those remains in the woods? We do know that it is a small child. At one point during one hearing a county attorney did reveal that it was a small girl's remains that were found, but the sheriff's office quickly later that day refuted those specific descriptions of being the remains of a little girl. The sheriff's office said she misspoke during that hearing and we still don't have the positive ID. But they did say when it was found a week ago Thursday, that it could be anywhere from one week to two weeks before a positive ID could be made by the FBI lab. Kyra?

PHILLIPS: CNN all platform journalist John Couwels. We'll monitor this, next hour, bring that news conference to you live. We'll talk to you again, John, thanks so much.

A judge says that the Iraqi reporter who fired a pair of shoes at President Bush now has bruises on his face. There have been conflicting claims about the reporter's condition since the incident at the Sunday news conference. Here's how it all went down.

That reporter is in custody and expected to eventually face charges of insulting a foreign leader. The judge says a complaint over the apparent beating has been filed on the reporter's behalf.

And the Iraqi reporter's shoe-throwing tirade has made him much of a star in the Arab world, and now an offer of a wife. The head of a large West Bank family says he's willing to send one of his daughters to Iraq along with her dowry and he says his 500 member clan has raised $30,000 for the Iraqi journalist's legal defense.

These scenes have gotten to be familiar ones in Greece's capital. Protesters back on the streets of Athens in mass demonstrations against the government. Union leaders, students, professors and other groups on the march today to demonstration against budget and education cuts and there are still violent protests two weeks after a fatal police shooting of a 15-year-old boy. In the latest incident, young people attacked the French institute in Athens with firebombs. That rage unleashed by the teen's shooting sparked anti government sentiment and has led to the worst rioting in Greece in decades.

Call them the unhappy lunch bunch. In today's "Health Minute" a look at a condition called shy eating. And a new way for dads-to-be to share in the pregnancy. Sorry, ladies. Still no invention that let's them share the labor.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: More than two weeks after her groundbreaking surgery the woman who got a face transplant doesn't even know what she looks like yet. She was only able to touch her new features for the first time just a few days ago. Her lead doctor shared some of those details last night on "Larry King Live." She says the patient is doing well but will stay hospitalized at Cleveland Clinic as long as necessary.

Beyond anorexia and bulimia, eating disorders include a wide spectrum of conditions. Judy Fortin looks at one you probably haven't heard of in today's "Health Minute."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JUDY FORTIN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): There is no place to hide in a busy school lunchroom. That's a problem for those who suffer from a condition called "shy eating."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Typically what's going on is they're extraordinarily self-conscious about their weight and they fear that other people will be disgusted by watching them eat, so they're embarrassed to do it.

FORTIN: Clinical psychologist Mark Crawford believes shy eating could be the beginning of a serious eating disorder such as anorexia or bulimia.

MARK CRAWFORD, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST: If a child constantly refuses or avoids eating in public, especially at times when you know they're hungry or it's mealtime then that could be a warning sign.

FORTIN: Crawford has some advice for parents of shy eaters.

CRAWFORD: The first thing is to resist the urge to get into a power struggle. Don't try to force them to eat, don't sort of come in, in an accusatory way. Invite them to talk.

FORTIN: Talking not just with a parent but maybe getting professional help as well. For today's "health minute," I'm Judy Fortin.

(END OF VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: It's not as fun as gaining that sympathy weight, but dads to be have another high-tech way to share in their partner's pregnancy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She works, I'm in school. We couldn't always be together. So I had the idea to be able to feel kicks from a distance.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP) PHILLIPS: Well, maybe not feel them, but his invention let's him know when his wife does. The kick me came out about as a graduate project, it's a stretchy belt with sensors that the woman wears around her pregnant belly. When the baby's active, the belt transmits a text to dad's cell phone.

President Bush with Mahmoud Abbas before he leaves office in January. Let's take a listen. BUSH: -- to the holy land. You have done a lot of important and hard work in helping the region understand the importance of two states living side-by-side in peace. No question, this is a hard challenge, but nevertheless, the people must recognize that we have made a good deal of progress, and a lot of it has to do with your leadership, and I thank you. I was pleased to note that the U.S. Security Council passed a resolution which confirms the bilateral negotiation process is irreversible and it's a path to a Palestinian state and a path to peace in the Middle East. I've been looking forward to this visit. I'm looking forward to getting a briefing on not only the negotiations and discussions you've had with Israel, but also the fine progress that's being made in the West Bank, which is a credit to your leadership and the leadership of the prime minister. So welcome, sir, and thank you for coming.

[ Speaking in foreign language ]

VOICE OF ABBAS TRANSLATOR: Thank you very much, Mr. President, and thank you for finding the time to meet with us during these days.

[ Speaking in foreign language ]

TRANSLATOR: There is no doubt that we would always remember the efforts that you have undertook to promote the peace process.

PHILLIPS: That peace process will definitely be a challenge for the new president, President-elect Barack Obama, as he will also continue to meet with leaders, possibly President Mahmoud being one of them as he starts having his one-on-ones when he takes the office, or steps in after inauguration in January.

The children that nobody wants, and the two college students coming to the rescue. They'll tell you their story live right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

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PHILLIPS: So what are your plans for the holidays? Time with the family? Maybe a little vacation to a tropical climate? Well, listen to what a couple of Michigan graduate students are doing. They have packed their bags and are headed to spend their Christmas with the children that nobody wants, and these are the kids. Beautiful. So why does no one want them? The stigma of AIDS. Dora Gannes and Lindsay Catrell are here to tell us about why these kids fill their hearts. Great to see you, ladies.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi there.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thanks for having us.

PHILLIPS: It is my pleasure. Dory let's start with you, because you went to Tanzania as a volunteer, as a teacher, right, through the University of Michigan, what moved you, what touched your heart?

DORY GANNES, THE OLEVOLOS PROJECT: It was back in 2006 and I really didn't have any plans to return after I was teaching which was just going to be something to do in the summer, and the kids clearly touched my heart. They were so honest, they were so genuine, they just wanted to spend time with you. I didn't think that I could go forward without coming back to see them again.

PHILLIPS: And Lindsey, how did you join your partner here?

LINDSEY CATRELL, THE OLEVOLOS PROJECT: Well, Dory came back and she had all these pictures and she had all these wonderful stories and I was totally just inspired. I just started helping her along the way and the same thing happened when I got there, I was just touched and I knew that this was going to be a part of my life that I was going to be wanting to do it for a long time.

PHILLIPS: And you see the kids and you look at these pictures, you see how they interact with you, and I can totally get it. Now, these are kids who have lost their parents to AIDS, that doesn't necessarily mean that they have AIDS, but there is a stigma there and nobody wants them, because they don't want to be associated, is that right, Dory?

GANNES: Yeah, it's really true. A lot of these kids, their parents have passed away and they live with relatives or other family members, extended family members, but the kids they feel that ostracism, too. They know that they are orphans, so what we try and do is really help them feel loved, feel encouraged so that they can go on and live a healthy life by themselves.

PHILLIPS: And you started with chicken coops, why did you guys do that?

CATRELL: Well, I think the idea behind it was to give a sustainable support to the children's centers. So chicken coops allow protein in the eggs for the children, and then they can also sell the eggs for extra income if there were extra eggs available. So it was a way that we could very quick and easy way, it didn't take too many resources to build the chicken coop, but it was something that would last that they had to be responsible for maintaining, so it really created a great sustainable way to support them.

PHILLIPS: Oh, well, it didn't stop there. You created a school, it's an orphanage now, and tell me how is it going? Are you getting enough money to keep it going? And you know, what do you need to keep this operating?

GANNES: Things are definitely moving along. I think it's hard for us to really comprehend how Tanzanian time works but it's not the same as American time. So we can't really work on our clocks, we had to stop construction because of all things the South African world cup in 2010 they're running out of cement, so there is no cement in East Africa and we couldn't build. Right now we're working on, we're still waiting for some words from the village chief and our lawyers just to make sure things are going smoothly. So in the meantime, we have been enrolling kids in the school and giving them educational opportunities to try and support them in other ways.

PHILLIPS: And you guys are headed back there for Christmas to put more time and effort into that. And before we go, I know you have been touched by so many of the kids, but tell me about Jackson, you guys?

CATRELL: Jackson is the one who I think both of us had a real connection with. He has this amazing ability to connect with everyone, and it is just every time I see him, I am shocked at his ability to really -- given his circumstances and the conditions that he lives in, he's so receptive to love and to really give that love to everyone around him. I think the first thing that always pops in my mind when I think about Jackson is the very first time that I was there all of the kids were lining up to get lunch and there were over 100 kids that were waiting for lunch and he waited until every single one of them got served and helped before he took it upon himself to eat for the day. It was just stuck with your heart to know that kids are in these conditions and they can still have that outlook, and it is pretty incredible.

GANNES: There was another time when I was with him, and I was walking him home from school, Jackson along with two of his friends, Cadada and Adial, and they're all fighting over who could hold my hand and Jackson said, hey, why don't we each hold one of her fingers and then we don't have to fight about it. He has a heart of gold that kid.

PHILLIPS: Well, I don't know how you guys don't try and take all these kids home, because it would tug at my heart strings too.

CATRELL: It is hard.

PHILLIPS: Yeah, it's got to be hard. Well, you are doing amazing things to make their life terrific there. Lindsey Catrell, Dory Gannes, check out the website the Olevolos Project dot org. You can get involved, you can donate and see what terrific things these two grad students are doing. Thanks guys.

GANNES: Thank you so much Kyra for having us.

PHILLIPS: All right. A quick break, we'll be right back.

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PHILLIPS: Well, as Christmas approaches the letters to Santa can really pile up. In Holyoke, Massachusetts, St. Nick is getting some help answering all the children's wishes from a few good postal workers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WAYNE DESROCHES, HOLYOKE, MASS. POSTMASTER: There is always some families that are looking for more basic essentials and things like that. There is quite a few that are looking for just even simple things like good days at home, health for their family, health for their friends. Santa sends some really nice messages back to tell them about, to thank them for being good kids and helping their parents out, and to make sure that they leave out snacks on Christmas Eve. (END OF VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Well, the Holyoke post office tries to make sure the almost the two dozen letters they receive each day are definitely answered by Santa.

An administration of firsts, Barack Obama's latest pick expected to boost diversity at the very highest levels.

BUSH: In ordinary economic circumstances I would say this is the price that failed companies must pay.

PHILLIPS: But with Detroit barreling toward bankruptcy in the middle of a recession, President Bush inflates a financial airbag.