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Denver Airport Accident; Bitter Winter Arrival; Travel Nightmares; Canada Providing Aid to Automakers; Obama's Jobs Projection Boost Confidence; Caroline Kennedy Campaigning for Clinton's Senate Seat; Denver Airport Accident; Part Crime Scene, Part Memorial at Caylee's House; Warren Responds to Gay Rights Activist
Aired December 21, 2008 - 22:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm on the side of the plane. I could see the engine. I know that it was on fire, and I could feel the heat coming from the window.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The ceiling actually had collapsed from about row 7 all the way down to the left, your left. So it was just totally down.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You had people that were totally dazed, just had the gear and the headlights type look on them. We had people that were very emotional, crying. It is a miracle.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I like to think so, that everybody was alive.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RANDI KAYE, CNN HOST: A nightmare flight, that's for sure. I'm Randi Kaye in the CNN NEWSROOM. Don Lemon is off tonight. We begin in Denver. Flight data recorders from this crippled airliner are due to arrive in Washington tonight. One thing is for sure, 117 people are lucky to be alive this holiday.
This is an aerial view of Denver International Airport. Last night, Continental Flight 1404 was taking off from Denver, bound for Houston. The 737 was nearing takeoff speed on a runway north of the terminal when it suddenly veered left and crashed into a ravine. You see that highlighted there in red.
This is what it looked like this morning from a news helicopter. You can see where the wheels plowed right through the snow, ripping up the dirt for hundreds of yards. An engine fell off of the airplane, the wheels are gone and the body nearly broke in half. Firefighters say they arrived at a scene that looked like something out of a movie.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHIEF PATRICK HYNES, DENVER FIRE DEPT. AIRPORT DIVISION: They did find it north of firehouse number 4, north of taxiway Whiskey/Charlie. They described a surreal scene when they pulled up. Heavy fire on the right side of the aircraft. All chutes deployed from both sides of the aircraft, people evacuating, and walking up the hillside towards them. They had to drive off road to get to the aircraft, but were able to extinguish the fire rather quickly. It was described as a heck of a fire fight from the commanding officer on the scene.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Many of the passengers were able to continue onto Houston today. Our affiliate KPRC captured some of their reactions.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's more scary this morning than it was yesterday, for sure.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) been great...
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: They've been great?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ...through of all of this. And taking care of everything that we needed.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, it was terrifying for a few moments, for sure. But end up coming up OK for me and people on board so that's -- that's great.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Definitely.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, glad to be home. Bumpy, very bumpy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bumpy.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Slippery. Just being like a rag doll.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are fine.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, we just want to get out of here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Certainly understandable, those people appear a bit shaken up and not wanting to talk too much. You will appreciate that even more when you listen to Jeb Tilly of Boulder, Colorado, described the crash.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEB TILLY, PASSENGER OF FLIGHT 1404: It was incredibly violent. It was a big left-had turn, and we sort of started bouncing a lot, as if we were in a roller coaster. You know, you kind of just getting tossed around in your seat, and then there was kind of a lot of silence all of a sudden, and we took a big drop, and then when we hit the ground, that's when the thing really got kind of screwy. You know, I think the plane cracked in half at that point, and all the overhead baggage compartments broke open and fell down and stuff. (END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: And we're learning of a new development tonight. "The Wall Street Journal" is reporting there is apparently some evidence suggesting there was some kind of brake problem coupled with fierce crosswinds at the airport. CNN has called the NTSB. Its spokesman says investigators are aware of that report, but cannot confirm anything this early.
Our Susan Roesgen has been at the Denver International Airport all day.
Susan, you have been talking to passengers.
SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's true, Randi. And regardless of what might have been a problem with the brakes, what we still don't know is what caused that aborted takeoff. We know that there was a fire, that the plane skidded off the runway and that passengers just panicked.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROESGEN (voice-over): The plane had just started to accelerate for takeoff, and among the passengers was a young couple with their 1- year-old baby.
MARIA TREJOS, PASSENGER: We are looking out the window just show the baby the lights, and he was going, oh, oh -- you know, like to look at the lights. And then all of a sudden, it was too much light.
ROESGEN: The Boeing 737 was on fire and skidding off the runway. The wheels were disintegrating as the plane finally stopped belly down in the snow. That's when passengers seemed to forget the right way to evacuate.
GABRIEL TREJOS, PASSENGER: Some people were trying to get luggage from their top, and that the engine was on fire. So I was worried, you know, about getting out of there. And then we had another guy yelling out, "The plane is gonna blow up," you know? "The plane is going to explode."
ROESGEN: Passenger shoved each other and scrambled over each other, as the overhead luggage bin started to melt from the heat. At daylight, you can see how the plane cracked right down the middle like an eggshell, and how incredible it was that everybody made it out alive. Nearly 40 people were injured, two critically.
ROBERT SUMWALT, NTSB MEMBER: The flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder, they were located. They were secured and they were intact.
ROESGEN: National Transportation Safety Board investigators pore over every piece of wreckage, and interview the crew to try to find out what went wrong with the plane and the panicky evacuation. They will also talk to passengers who say they knew there had been a problem before they got on. G. TREJOS: I heard something over the intercom, you know, before you get on, they were having problems, engine problems with the plane. And shortly after that, they said everything is fine and that there's going to be an on-time flight.
ROESGEN: One more thing for investigators to explore.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROESGEN: Now, Randi, as you can tell, it is bitterly cold here in Denver. The NTSB investigators say that's going to be another challenge as they try to pore over the wreckage and that fuselage is still here. They will probably have some preliminary results of some sort after they listen to the cockpit voice recorder and check out the data recorder, but they say the whole investigation could take up to a year.
Randi?
KAYE: And certainly, Susan, they want to know what was going on inside that cockpit at the time. Do you know if investigators have had a chance yet to speak with the pilot or possibly the co-pilot?
ROESGEN: You know, they said this afternoon that they hadn't spoken to either of them, which seemed a little unusual to me, but they said that they definitely plan to talk to them and all the flight attendants. We don't even know yet, Randi, who the pilots were, what their experience level was, whether they are men or women. You know, we just don't know any of that yet. But hopefully we will know more tomorrow.
KAYE: All right. Susan Roesgen for us on the ground in Denver. Thank you.
And later this hour, we'll be speaking with Mary Schiavo about this accident. She is a former federal official with the Transportation Department, and now has a private law practice representing plane accident victims. She knows her stuff and has some very interesting insights that you don't want to miss.
Let's turn now to the weather and the bitter conditions that are complicating life for millions of people as we head into the holidays. From the Pacific Northwest all the way to Maine, the first blast of winter is snapping power lines, stranding motorists and testing of patience of holiday travelers. New England is especially rough. New Hampshire has seen 14 inches of snow in some areas just since this morning.
Snowplows are out in force in Connecticut where they had to clear the way for last-minute shoppers on the always busy last weekend before Christmas. State government offices won't open until noon tomorrow to give temperatures a chance to warm up.
It is a similar story in parts of the Midwest, where wind chills fell to 30 below in some parts of the region. A Michigan snowstorm caused a chain reaction interstate pileup involving about 100 cars, six semi-trucks. At least one person was killed in the accident.
Not surprisingly, the weather is causing travel nightmares for people leaving town for the holidays. This, take a look at it -- it's the scene at Union Station in Portland, Oregon, where Amtrak was forced to cancel service out of the city. Passengers slept on benches, the floor, wherever they could get some comfort.
Next door in Washington, hundreds of people were left stranded when airlines canceled scores of flights at the Seattle Tacoma Airport. They are stranded and frustrated.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was told I had to wait in about an hour, just get on standby, because I can't get through security without a current boarding pass.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: So all the flights you were hoping to be on standby are leaving.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are starting to leave. They're starting to leave, yes. It's been fun.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: You have a smile on your face?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, it's hard not to when you've been up so long and you're getting to the point where you can't do this anymore.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: At last check, two of the three runways at the Seattle Tacoma Airport were open, and at least two airlines, Alaska and Horizon have suspended all flights from Seattle.
Bonnie Schneider in the weather center for us tonight.
Bonnie, that's not good news when you hear about flights being canceled and we're so close to Christmas.
(WEATHER REPORT)
KAYE: Flying back to New York tomorrow. Hopefully that delay will be all gone. All right, thanks, Bonnie.
He's the 3 million man. Barack Obama ups the number of jobs he plans to create or save. But how is he going to do it, and where will the money come from?
I want to know, you want to know, and yes, our political editor, Mark Preston -- there he is -- he wants to know, too. We'll talk politics and stimulus money straight ahead, live.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: The auto industry bailout going well beyond America's borders. The Canadian government is making good on a pledge to Canadian subsidiaries of U.S. automakers. The Canadians agreed to provide those subsidiaries with 20 percent of the amount of loan money U.S. automakers are getting from their government. That now comes out to roughly $4 billion an aid. Hundreds of thousands of Canadians rely on the auto industry for income.
And here in the U.S. with layoffs and a downed economy, we need jobs, too, lots of them. And according to President-elect Obama, 3 million of them are soon to come.
CNN political editor Mark Preston is in Washington tonight.
First of all, Mark, what does the auto industry bailout loan mean for the president-elect now that it will be in his hands? It's because President Bush here really threw them a lifeline?
MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: Yes. Absolutely threw them a lifeline. Let's just look at why he did that. Really, I think it was a moral issue, Randi. He had to throw them a lifeline. You are talking about all of these jobs, all these people that could be put out of work. And you're talking about these plants that were -- that were already talking about closing down. They had already scheduled plant closure across the country.
The second thing is he had to build a bridge into the new administration, into the New Year. This buys Barack Obama some time once he is sworn in on January 20th. Buys him about six weeks to figure out what he needs to do with the auto industry once this money runs out.
And really, for President Bush, Randi, it's a legacy for him. Could you imagine under his watch if the auto industry collapsed? No president wants to see that. So I think that's the three reasons why we saw that happen just on Friday.
And, look, what does it mean for Barack Obama? It means Barack Obama has a whole lot of hurt that he needs to deal with once he is sworn in, but they know that. They've been talking about that, and they are going to try to deal with it.
KAYE: Yes, certainly a lot of hurt, especially when it comes to jobs. Now, he's talking about instead of creating or saving 2.5 million, he's talking 3 million. So, is he getting a bit of a reality check here as to what awaits him?
PRESTON: Yes, I think there was a reality check. Just earlier this week, where, you know, originally, he talked about 1 million jobs during the campaign. It increased to 2.5 million jobs, now it's 3 million jobs. You have a lot of people losing their jobs now. I think the unemployment rate is about 6.7 percent.
One of his transition officials, Randi, said that they thought that that unemployment rate might even rise up to 9 percent. So when something like that happens, he has to take some drastic action and that's why we've seen that number increase.
Now, how does he do that? It looks like he is probably gonna try to spend money into infrastructure. That's what lot that he's talked about, whether that be technological infrastructure, whether that's modernizing schools, whether that's rebuilding roads and bridges. So, in fact, you're putting people to work. You're getting -- you know, you're putting money back into the economy and you're hoping that there's payoff down the road.
KAYE: And let's talk about Obama's partner here, Joe Biden. What is his role shaping up to be? What does he want?
PRESTON: Yes. He's been very quiet, hasn't he? You know, certainly. And, you know, ever since the election, he's really been this loyal soldier right next to Barack Obama. I suspect that Joe Biden is going to be right at Barack Obama's elbow.
You know, he does have the signature issue today which was announced where he will work on the middle class. He will focus on how the economy is affecting the middle class. But, look, he has a lot of experience in foreign policy. He's been in Washington since 1973 as a senator. Expect Joe Biden to be right at his elbow and really trying to help Barack Obama really guide all through the -- all through the channels of Washington. That's what Joe Biden's role is going to be.
KAYE: Yes. He certainly said that just today, that he wants to be included in every important decision, every key decision. So, we will see if that happens. All right, Mark, stay right there.
She is a lawyer, a mother, an activist, but is she a politician? Caroline Kennedy is facing a ton of questions. We'll see if she has the answers. Mark Preston is back, straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: New Yorkers, Caroline Kennedy would love to be your senator. She would like to replace Hillary Clinton, and here's why in her own words.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAROLINE KENNEDY, INTERESTED IN SENATE SEAT: I come at this as a mother, as a lawyer, as an author, as an education advocate. And, you know, from a family that really has spent generations in public service. And I feel this commitment, this is a time when nobody can afford to sit out, and I hope that I have something to offer.
KAYE: CNN political editor Mark Preston, back with us again.
What do you think, Mark, is she sounding a lot like a politician?
PRESTON: Yes, absolutely. What did she say? She comes at this as a mother, as a lawyer, as an education advocate. You know, a lot of people have talked about this not being a campaign. That, really, it's not the voters of New York who is going to choose this -- this person to replace Hillary Clinton. It's going to be Governor Paterson. But clearly this is a campaign. We saw Caroline Kennedy go to upstate New York to meet with local politicians. We saw her in Harlem just this past week, meeting with Al Sharpton. This is a campaign. And by some stretch, it could be a pressure campaign on the governor to choose her.
KAYE: Mark, a lot is being made about her experience, or lack of it, as some people say. I want to play one sound byte for you and get your reaction to it. It's from the New York Representative Gary Ackerman, a Democrat. He was on CBS this morning. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. GARY ACKERMAN (D), NEW YORK: The very fact that right now that she has handlers around her. We've not been able to see who she's been all these years. She's never written a letter to the editor expressing a view or fighting for this as far as I know. They basically Sarah Palinized her, if I can coin a phrase.
They're answering questions that you have to submit in writing. She's not talking to reporters as she makes this grand tour. They're kind of building a mistaken industry around her when we need somebody to fight. She has a very famous name, and she's a very attractive candidate. Those are good things in politics, but it's not an entitlement.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Yes, he said it, Mark, she's been Sarah Palinized. What do you think of that, and what is the measure of experience anyway these days?
PRESTON: Yes. Really, it's not an entitlement. You know, I hate to ruin (INAUDIBLE), but in many cases is the entitlement, and that we've seen that in politics. You know, since the beginning. The founding of our country.
But I'll tell you, what is the marker? I mean, clearly, she's a very smart woman. I mean, she's very smart. But what you're seeing is some backlash, from some corners who are upset that she hasn't paid her dues. She hasn't been a state lawmaker in New York. She hasn't been down here in Congress. And people, certainly, her detractors, are upset about the whole idea that this is a dynasty, and that she's entitled to this job. But she has a very powerful backer.
She has Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid who has called Governor Paterson and told him to please pick her, and she has the Kennedy machine, Randi. And that's very, very important.
KAYE: Certainly worth a lot. All right. Mark Preston for us tonight. Thanks so much for your insight. We always appreciate it.
PRESTON: Thanks, Randi.
KAYE: Have a good night.
He'll fight, and fight, and fight. But how much fight does he have in him? The Illinois governor speaks out, and so do our radio talk show hosts. Martha Zoller on the right, Warren Ballentine on the left. Get ready to rumble.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich did more jogging than talking after the feds released parts of wiretap conversations. Conversations that suggest the governor was trying to sell Barack Obama's Senate seat. But the governor finally traded in his jogging suit for a real suit and spoke about the case.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. ROD BLAGOJEVICH (D), ILLINOIS: I'm here to tell you right off the bat that I am not guilty of any criminal wrongdoing. That I intend to stay on the job and I will fight this thing every step of the way. I will fight, I will fight, I will fight, until I take my last breath. I have done nothing wrong.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Chicago Mayor Richard Daley hasn't said whether Blagojevich should step aside, but he did say that a special election to fill Barack Obama's Senate seat would cost too much.
And from what I hear, Warren and Martha, your listeners are totally into these stories.
Martha Zoller, host of the "Martha Zoller Show," and the people's attorney, as they call you. Warren Ballentine, host of the "Warren Ballentine Show."
Good to see you, both.
WARREN BALLENTINE, RADIO HOST, "THE WARREN BALLENTINE SHOW": Hey, Randi.
KAYE: So, Warren, let's start with you. We have here a Democratic governor. No one in either party really standing up to support him. Do your listeners think that it's time that he step aside?
BALLENTINE: Well, they do. But this is the reality of this. And I said this last week on the show. This man isn't going anywhere. He has two years left on his term. By the time this gets into a court of law, it's going to be two years from now. They can't impeach him because they have hearsay evidence. They don't have hard evidence. He's going to be the governor for the next two years. He's not going anywhere.
And unfortunately, people in Chicago and Illinois can say he needs to step down, but they're not going to be able to get rid of him. And Mayor Daley said he doesn't want a special election because they don't want a Republican to get that seat. That's what it's all about.
KAYE: So are your listeners frustrated by this?
BALLENTINE: Well, they are. They are frustrated, because they think it's politics as usual. And you know, I do a national show, but I also do a local show in Chicago every afternoon. And the listeners in Chicago had the reaction -- you know, their reaction is this is normal. The national show, my audience is like, that guy needs to step down. But this is politics in Chicago.
KAYE: And Martha, you know, the Obama camp has really shut down reporters on this issue. Lots of folks trying to get some answers about this. What are your listeners saying about that?
MARTHA ZOLLER, RADIO HOST, "MARTHA ZOLLER SHOW": Well, they are kind of concerned that if he is going to be an open book and be transparent, then why isn't he being transparent here, meaning President-elect Obama. But I got to tell you one thing that's interesting about it is that, unless the Chicago legislature steps up and says that, hey, Blagojevich cannot appoint the senator, then Blagojevich can appoint the senator, and Harry Reid can say he's not going to seat the senator, but is he going to go two years without that?
So, it's a very interesting game. A political game, that's going on right now. And I think that it hurts President-elect Obama the longer it goes on, because he was supposed to be a different guy. And even though they are not from the same tribe, as the Chicago newspapers call it, it is -- it does hurt him the longer this goes on.
BALLENTINE: No, Martha, no, no, no, no, no.
ZOLLER: It does.
KAYE: All right. Warrant, be quick here, because I want to get to our other hot topic.
BALLENTINE: No, no, no, no, no. Barack's -- look, the sheriff already came out and said Barack Obama had nothing to do with this. There's no ties to Barack Obama's camp with this. I think this is a reach for somebody to say Barack is tied to this in any kind of way. I don't think this is hurting him at all.
ZOLLER: No, I didn't say he was tied to. What I meant was is that it just keeps Chicago politics in the news too long. And clearly, he tried to avoid that during the campaign and he doesn't want it now.
KAYE: All right. Let's move on to Caroline Kennedy. Because that's another issue that I know that your listeners are really hot on.
Martha, you actually wrote an article that seems to be in support of Caroline Kennedy. Do you think she has the experience for the New York Senate seat?
ZOLLER: Well, I think there's a different level of experience certainly for her than for vice president. And it wasn't really support for her, but I think it's a done deal. I think that she is going to be appointed the senator from New York. She's had as much experience as, you know, say Debbie Stabenow did before she went in and other senators. So I think that she's going to be in there. But it is interesting that they are, you know, until this morning, they weren't equating her with how Sarah Palin was treated.
KAYE: And Warren, is this an issue in your opinion, and maybe from your listeners as well, of experience versus entitlement here?
BALLENTINE: Well, this the argument that I made 22 months ago on CNN, on Lou Dobbs show when I predicted Barack Obama was going to be the president, when everybody was yelling about experience. I said, look, you know, I went to law school. I'm trained as lawyer, but when I first got out of law school, was I ready to do a murder trial. No, I needed some experience. Nobody is going to have the experience unless they have done that job before. She is just as qualified as anybody else. She's a lawyer.
In order to be a senator, you need to know how to interpret the law. She is a lawyer. She's big on education. If you're a parent in New York, you want to have her in that Senate seat, because with this global economy, education is going to be the new economy in the next five or ten years. And she's big on that. And if you are a Democrat, you definitely want it, because she knows how to raise money. This woman is going to be the senator of New York, and she is just as qualified as anybody else.
ZOLLER: Well, and the appointment is not going to be the issue. It's going to be whether she can be re-elected, and that's -- that's the real key there.
KAYE: Right. Because you'll have to actually finish the term, run for that seat in 2010 and then run again in 2012.
BALLENTINE: She will be re-elected. She will be.
KAYE: All right. We're going to have to leave it there, both of you. Martha Zoller, Warren Ballentine, always fun to have you on the show. Thanks so much.
BALLENTINE: Thank you, Randi.
KAYE: A holiday flight turns into a fiery nightmare. We will update our top story out of Denver's Airport, and talk to a woman who has made a living out of holding airlines accountable.
Plus, investigators taking away evidence, mourners leaving memorials. There's a lot going on around the home of little Caylee Anthony.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARIA TREJOS, PASSENGER: I was just worried about my son, just making sure that he was OK. We just -- we saw the -- I looked to the side and I saw my husband, and there was this big, like fireball out the window, and I was just -- you know, it was surreal. I didn't know what to do, you know? And then, they made us get out of the plane. So I took my seat belt off, and I grabbed my son from my husband, because I was the first one out. And I can remember we were in the aisle, and I didn't want to leave without my husband, you know? But I know I needed to get the baby out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Just one mother's harrowing story of trying to escape a burning plane with her infant. Accounts like that, no doubt, will play an important role in this investigation.
Mary Schiavo is an aviation attorney who represents plane crash victims. She's also a former inspector general in the Transportation Department. Mary Schiavo joins us by phone.
Mary, tonight, we are getting some new information from "The Wall Street Journal" reporting that possibly strong crosswinds, maybe even some problems with the brakes might have been the cause of this accident, this Continental flight veering off the runway in Denver. What do you make of this?
VOICE OF MARY SCHIAVO, FORMER INSPECTOR GENERAL, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION: Well, actually, it makes a lot of sense because of one of the passenger's reports that they had received information in the terminal before they boarded that there was either a problem with the engine or some kind of an engine light on.
If they had to abort the takeoff, and were attempting to brake, and they had a brake problem, maybe it was just one side of the brake, then they would veered off the runway.
It would also make sense if they had an engine failure and then deployed the thrust reversers at some point, because it would veer to one way or the other. For example, if the right engine failed, it would veer to the left when they deployed. (OFF-MIKE)
KAYE: And tomorrow at daybreak is when the NTSB will begin looking at the wreckage there that's still on the runway. Knowing that it might have been a problem with the brakes, what will they be looking for?
SCHIAVO: Well, the first thing they are doing right now, they are looking through all the records if there was really any kind of a problem light on with the engine, and they're trying to talk to the pilots. But what they will be looking for is the condition of the engines. They're going to be trying to find out. It's difficult to see from these pictures that if they could use the brakes, the thrust reversers, the carriage snapped off, the wheels and landing gear snapped off, apparently, when it crossed the service road and the ravine.
So up until that point, they did have to use obviously the wheels and hopefully the brakes, at least some of them, and they will be looking for all of those things on the plane as well. But most important, they will be playing those black box, the cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder, and they will probably have their answer right there.
KAYE: You have been quite a crusader for airline safety over the years. What do you think in terms of improvements? What still needs to be done to prevent something like this from happening?
SCHIAVO: Well, one of the improvements is it's certainly -- it may not feel like an improvement for the poor folks who went through this accident. It's the fact that it was at Denver. There were some spaces to go off the runway. They didn't hit any buildings. Denver has the longest runway, public-use runway in the United States. They went off the runway and they didn't contract any buildings, other planes or cars. And the fire station was right there, even though they did have problems finding the plane.
I've worked some accidents where the fire crews are delayed by minutes. So in many ways, the improvements are improvements to the airport that probably here saved lives. And this is the kind of airport we need to see all over the country -- long, wide runways, big open spaces, nothing blocking. I guess here the only problem might have been the ravine and the road. Had they not hit those, it's possible the wheels would have stayed intact.
KAYE: Those pictures certainly that we are looking at are awfully disturbing. Mary Schiavo, thank you for your insight tonight. Always appreciate it.
SCHIAVO: Thank you. My pleasure, Randi.
KAYE: It has been a somber day of remembrance in Lockerbie, Scotland. Today marked the 20th anniversary of the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103.
All 259 people on board that plane were killed when it exploded over Lockerbie. 11 more people died on the ground. Memorial events were also held today in the U.S. and London's Heathrow Airport. That's where the flight took off from, bound for New York.
A former Libyan intelligence officer was convicted of the bombing in 2001. He is serving life in a Scottish prison, but continues to appeal his conviction.
Brotherly love or damage control? Pastor Rick Warren responds to gay rights activists. We will show you just what he said.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Could California's Proposition 8 end thousands of same-sex marriages? Backers of the plan asked the state Supreme Court to nullify all the same-sex marriages that took place before voters passed the initiative. But they had some tough opposition. California's attorney general wants the ban tossed out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JERRY BROWN, CALIFORNIA ATTORNEY GENERAL: It's our belief, and we have looked at this thing very carefully, that the court should strike down Proposition 8. My job is to defend the law of the people, but that law also includes the constitution itself. And when we harmonize the two, we come down on the side of the fundamental liberty interests and that's the issue that really turns this case to strike down Proposition 8.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Prop 8 supporters have added some high-powered help to their legal team. Ken Starr, the lawyer who took on President Clinton in the Monica Lewinsky scandal will serve as the lead counsel.
Gay rights activists are also up in arms over Barack Obama's inauguration plans. He's taking heat for asking Pastor and best- selling author, Rick Warren, to deliver the invocation. Warren opposes same-sex marriage. But who says he doesn't like gays? Not him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PASTOR RICK WARREN, SADDLEBACK CHURCH: Now this one will shock you. I happen to love Democrats and Republicans, and for the media's purpose, I happen to love gays and straights.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Obama has defended his choosing of Warren, saying it's impossible for all Americans to agree on everything.
Now, even though the economy is struggling, Evangelical churches like the one led by Rick Warren are booming, and apparently, that is not a coincidence. Here is CNN's Susan Candiotti.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When the economy is sagging, so is the collection basket. But pews are packed at Evangelical churches, and membership is growing despite an economy on the brink. Preachers say it's easy to explain.
REV. A.R. BERNARD, CHRISTIAN CULTURAL CENTER: We focus on encouraging them, trusting, having faith in spite of the circumstances.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I promise to meet all of your needs according to my riches in glory, not the economy.
CANDIOTTI: At Brooklyn's Megawatt Christian Cultural Center, attendance is up about 20 percent, and Reverend A.R. Bernard's message tailored to tough times.
BERNARD: You lose your job, you lose your home, you lose your car because it's repossessed, but don't lose your faith.
CANDIOTTI: So you're saying trust in God?
BERNARD: As long as you have your faith, as long as you have hope, you can get another house. You can get another car.
CANDIOTTI: At the Life Christian Church and others, Evangelical growth also may be a matter of style, more contemporary than mainline Protestant churches.
REV. TERRY SMITH, LIFE CHRISTIAN CHURCH: It's about a denomination. It's about a building. It's about history and tradition. All those things are good and fine, but that's not what meets people's needs.
CANDIOTTI: According to a Texas State University study, during every recession cycle between 1968 and 2004, Evangelicals have mushroomed.
PROF. DAVID BECKWORTH, TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY: If I'm someone who has lost my job, and I'm looking to feed my family, and I have a choice between a church that sells me that message or one that is more intellectual, more abstract about God, I'm going to go for the one with certainty.
CANDIOTTI: Debra Mills lost her accounting job this week after 34 years. An Evangelical, her trust is in God.
DEBRA MILLS, EVANGELICAL CHRISTIAN: You never put your trust in man, you always put your trust in God. Even though God, per se is not going to literally put a meal on your table but God will provide.
CANDIOTTI (on camera): And with no economic salvation apparent in the near future, for many, spiritual salvation maybe the only path to better times. Susan Candiotti, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: Part crime scene, part memorial. That's what the land around Caylee Anthony's Florida home is turning into. Mourners are out in force and so are the police. We will bring you the latest in a tragic story that is gripping the nation.
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KAYE: Welcome back. Crime scene investigators have come to the former home of Caylee Anthony for a third time in ten days. They spent a couple of hours at the home yesterday, a day after the medical examiner identified Caylee's remains. Her mother, Casey, has been charged in her death. But Casey Anthony's attorney cautions against a rush to judgment.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRAD CONWAY, ANTHONY FAMILY ATTORNEY: We, as Americans, enjoy a presumption of innocence. And I think to a large degree that's been forgotten in this case. And a jury of Casey Anthony's peers need to make the decision about whether the state has proven her guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: As investigators probe, sympathizers gather. They have set up a makeshift memorial close to where Caylee's remains were found. People moved by the little girl's tragic story left flowers, notes, stuffed animals and prayers. Erik Von Ancken from CNN affiliate WKMG in Orlando has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CATHARINE CUBANO, MOURNER: (INAUDIBLE)
ERIK VON ANCKEN, WKMG CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A note for a little girl Catharine Cubano never knew, but wished she had.
CUBANO: I'm a 45-year-old woman who could not bear a child. I would have been extremely blessed with a beautiful, little girl like you. I want you to know that I am very sad and hurt with how your lives was abruptly ended without even yet beginning.
ANCKEN: Her note is neatly nestled among hundreds of other momentous where the hope has now left Hope Spring Drive. Never before has this corner seen so much grief. So many people all day with so much hurt.
This little girl couldn't help from being drawn in. The resemblance is heart-wrenching.
THERESA DAVIDSON, MOURNER: Those are Caylee's. She would see the pictures of Caylee on the news and would scream, "that's me." I guess just because of her age and how she looked similar to Caylee, and a lot of the things that she would do at home was similar to Caylee. Playing house, watching Spongebob Squarepants. I just couldn't see where somebody could take a child like this and harm it. When I got to the corner and it was emotional.
ANCKEN: Caylee's memory lives on in so many others' memories.
CUBANO: Although we never met, I love you, and I will forever miss you and your sweet smile, and your big, precious brown eyes of innocence. I am very sorry that this happened to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: After ten days of searching the site where Caylee's remains were discovered, investigators have removed the crime scene tape, and that is what is allowing people to go there and pay their respects.
Parents of another little girl are ramping up efforts to find their daughter. 3-year-old Madeleine McCann disappeared from a Portuguese beach resort back in 2007, while her parents, Kate and Jerry, were dining. A number of leads turned up nothing. And Portuguese police closed the investigation in July. Today, the parents launched find madeleine.com on the Web, to appeal for any information. The site features previously unseen footage of Madeleine at home with her family in England.
A young victim of an unspeakable crime. Remember little Youssif? His story shocked and captivated you. His recovery will warm your heart.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: An unspeakable crime. A brave child who is no longer a victim. It was a story we brought you from Iraq a while back and it got an overwhelming response for you. Here's Arwa Damon with an update on a young Iraqi boy whose face was set on fire in Baghdad two years ago.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ARWA DAMON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Youssif loves going to school and for good reason. The little guy already has a very serious goal in mind.
(on camera): Do you remember when we were talking and I asked you what you want to be when you grow up? What did you say you want to be?
YOUSSIF: A doctor.
DAMON: A doctor. Why do you want to be a doctor?
YOUSSIF: So I can help.
DAMON: So you can help?
(voice-over): Nearly two years ago, masked men in Baghdad doused Youssif with gasoline and set him on fire. He was just 4 years old at the time. Slowly, he's putting that behind him and inspiring everyone in the process.
MARIO DALEY, YOUSSIF'S TEACHER: I worked with children of all levels of ability. And for Youssif with what he's gone through, his motivation, his -- what he produces is fantastic.
DAMON: He's loving the first grade, making friends like Brandon. Youssif has gone through more than a dozen surgeries.
DR. PETER GROSSMAN, SURGEON: A lot of things that we've moved forward and done.
DAMON: And there's still a lot more to be done. The bulge in Youssif's cheek is a tissue expander, meant to stretch out the healthy skin so Dr. Peter Grossman can use it to replace the scar tissue.
GROSSMAN: The problem that we have with Youssif is at every operation we do tends to heal well after surgery. But then a month after he starts forming these really thick scars. And it's probably best at this time to let him -- his body relax. Let these scars mature over a period of a year or two years.
DAMON: It hasn't just been a physical transformation.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He talks to people. He plays, he does everything. Before --
DAMON: Yes, it was very different.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. He wouldn't talk to anybody.
DAMON: Now Youssif is definitely doing most of the talking.
YOUSSIF: Can you do one for me?
DAMON: Yes, here -- what do you want me to do for you?
And I'll do anything for this kid, who's touched all of us. Keely Quinn of the Children's Burn Foundation stops by for some extra reading lessons.
What's the biggest change that you see in him in the last year?
KEELY QUINN: Aside from reading and learning English, I think the change in confidence and his ability to handle himself in special situations.
DAMON: And from the looks of it, that ability is only going to be getting better.
Arwa Damon, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: Arwa Damon joins us live now from New York.
Arwa, you've done extensive reporting for us in Iraq as well. It is so great to see Youssif in that video, running with his friend, Brandon. But does he understand what he has been through? Does he ask questions about these scars?
DAMON: He does, and he is very aware of it. He knows that he looks different than other children. He will look in the mirror. He'll ask his parents, you know, why doesn't my sister look the same way that I do. But then at the same time, you know, he will get this little attitude where, he will, like say to his mom, oh, you know what, I'm more handsome than my father is or I'm prettier than my sister.
So, there is definitely like two levels and layers of dealing with it. And there's definitely a lot of psychological work that he's going to have to go through. But when you really think about the scope of what he's been through, and he's so young, the way that he's handling it, is really just phenomenal. I mean, I don't know any other word to say it that would actually describe it.
KAYE: And just quickly, tell us what's next for him. DAMON: Well, hopefully, he is going to have a break from surgery. They're going to be removing that tissue expander that you have been seeing in his cheek maybe on Tuesday or on Wednesday. He might have one or two minor surgeries after that, and then he will have a break for a year so they can see how the scar tissue is going to heal.
So, he definitely has a lot ahead of him in terms of healing physically, but mentally, I mean, you can see it for yourself. The transformation has been unbelievable.
KAYE: Yes, it's great to see him laughing and smiling. Arwa Damon, thanks for bringing us that story. Appreciate it.
DAMON: Thank you.
KAYE: Think the recession will take a break for the holidays? Well, don't bank on it. We'll get down to business.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Last week, the Federal Reserve made it possible for banks to offer interest-free loans. Stephanie Elam has a look at what's coming up next week in "Getting Down to Business."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN BUSINESS NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Stocks bounce around for much of last week after the Federal Reserved lowered its key interest rates to a record low target range of zero to a quarter percent. The central bank's move prompted a huge rally on Wall Street, Tuesday, but it was short-lived. Stocks also got a boost from a weekly reading of jobless claims that came in better than expected.
With the end of the year comes the final reading of third quarter Gross Domestic Product. The Commerce Department will release that report this week. GDP is expected to remain in negative territory in line with the prior revision as the economy remains in recession.
Also this week, we'll get reports on existing home sales as well as sales of new homes for November. Both numbers will likely decline but analysts say the recession isn't the only reason. As winter weather moves in to many markets, real estate transactions typically slow down.
It's not bad weather but the bad economy that's impacting the mail. A U.S. postal service spokeswoman says she expects about 1 billion fewer packages will come through the mail this holiday season compared to last year. But she says people still love to send cards as they have every year. That's this week "Getting Down to Business." Stephanie Elam, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: Long flight delays can lead to short tempers this holiday season. But at the Houston Airport, the mood is merry. Yes, you've got. The airport has set up a Karaoke machine for travelers who have some time to kill. Anyone with holiday spirit, a little bit of courage maybe, they can step right up to the mike and belt out their favorite Christmas tunes, free of charge. Which I think maybe could make for a longer delay, depending on exactly who steps up to that microphone.
I'm Randi Kaye in for Don Lemon, thanks for joining me tonight in the CNN NEWSROOM.
