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Former President George W. Bush Promotes His Memoir; President Obama Visits India; Financial Expert Gives Advice; Lame Duck Congress May Address Bush Tax Cuts Expiration; Actresses Reflect on Their Roles in Film "For Colored Girls"; New Technology Enables Billboards to Tailor Advertisements To Passing Individuals

Aired November 06, 2010 - 14:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking his silence after a long absence, former President George W. Bush is everywhere promoting his new book "Decision Points." Find out why he's still emphatic about water boarding.

And next hour, viral videos. Some of the NFL and NBA cheerleaders have a lot more going for them other than their looks and moves. They're also scientists and engineers.

Then at 4:00 eastern time get ready to turn back the clock. Not at 4:00, but we'll tell you about it. You get an extra hour tomorrow. So what do you do with that hour? Dr. Bill Lloyd will be along in the 4:00 hour to give you some healthy ideas.

And all afternoon I'm talking face-to-face with two of the stars of the movie "For Colored Girls." How playing these intense roles literally aged one of them.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM where the news unfolds live this Saturday. It's November 6th. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

A developing story about the recent terror plot involving cargo planes. We're getting word the U.S. learned several weeks ago something may be in the works. Our Homeland Security correspondent Jeanne Meserve is on the phone with us now. What are we learning exactly, Jeanne?

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, according to a U.S. counterterrorism official, about three weeks before those bombs were discovered in the U.K. and in Dubai, the U.S. had received a piece of intelligence with Saudi Arabia indicating that Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula might be hatching a plot involving the use of one or two planes, perhaps simultaneously.

This counterterrorism official tells CNN that the information we received in early October contained no mention of cargo planes or the precise details of the plot. To include what planes might be involved where they might originate or who the perpetrators might be. no one knew. The official says, for instance, that AQAP was specifically targeting planes departing Yemen.

Now later in the game, we do know that Saudi Arabia passed another tip to the United States which was very specific, and included the tracking numbers on those two toner contract ridge bombs. That is why the U.S. was able to detect them. This U.S. official says one of the reasons the U.S. moved so quickly and was able to move so quickly is because they put that piece of intelligence together with the earlier intelligence they had received from Saudi Arabia.

This U.S. counterterrorism official is saying that this does represent a success for the U.S. intelligence community.

Fred, back to you.

WHITFIELD: And so, Jeanne, the bottom line, that gap in between when U.S. officials first learned of something and when they made it public, intelligence takes a little bit more time to refine certain details. Is that also what they're trying to underscore?

MESERVE: I think that what they're trying to underscore here, Fred, is that the earlier intelligence was not precise. And they get intelligence all the time. This was a piece of intelligence that was put in the hopper with a lot of other items. Then when they got the second, more precise piece of intelligence just last week, then they were able to put the pieces together.

WHITFIELD: All right. Jeanne Meserve, thanks so much for joining us on the phone from Washington. Appreciate that.

Meantime, President Barack Obama talked about terrorism today as he began his three days in India. He signed a guestbook for victims of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. And he says he's staying at the hotel that was targeted, one of the two hotels targeted during those attacks to send a message that the United States and India stand united.

India is the first stop on a ten-day Asian tour that also will take the president to Indonesia, South Korea, and Japan. CNN's senior White House correspondent Ed Henry has more on the president's first day in India.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: This three-day visit to India is President Obama's longest to any country since taking office. And that's for personal and political reasons. The personal is, few people know this, but the president has a fascination with the life and legacy of Mahatma Gandhi. He hung a picture of him in his Senate office back in the day.

And so he and the first lady, Michelle Obama, came here to the Gandhi museum in Mumbai. They signed the guestbook. The president was saying it was pretty cool to see another guestbook had been signed by Dr. Martin Luther King in 1959.

Of course the White House knows, however, that all this globe- trotting could backfire on the White House so quickly after that pivotal midterm election so the president's big focus here politically is on creating jobs back home in America. The president noting that U.S. exports here to India have quadrupled in recent years, and he announced some big contracts today for American companies. And Boeing and GE are going to get contracts for commercial and military aircraft here, as well as jet engines, totaling $10 billion, meaning over 50,000 jobs back home in America.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, (D) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: For America, this is a jobs venture. As we recover from this recession, we are determined to rebuild our economy on a new, stronger foundation for growth. And part of that foundation involves doing what America has always been known for -- discovering and creating and building the products that are sold all over the world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY: On Sunday the president holds a town hall meeting with local students, then has private meetings with Prime Minister Singh, followed by a joint news conference with him in New Delhi on Monday. Then it's on to Indonesia, South Korea, and Japan.

Ed Henry, CNN with the president in Mumbai.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Meantime, the former president George W. Bush is already beginning the press tour for his new memoir. The 481-page book called "Decision Points" hits store shelves next week. Mr. Bush so the down for an interview with Oprah Winfrey, which will air on Tuesday, and he opened up about his future and explained why he doesn't criticize President Obama.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GEORGE BUSH, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: It's hard for people to believe, I already said that, I am through.

OPRAH WINFREY, TALK SHOW HOST: Is that why you haven't commented on what Obama is doing or how he's doing?

BUSH: No, because I want to treat my successor the way I'd like to be treated. I don't think it's good for a former president to be out there opining on every darn issue. He's got a plenty tough job, trust me. And there's going to be plenty of critics. He doesn't need me criticizing him. I don't think it's good for the presidency.

WINFREY: Yes.

BUSH: Other people have a different point of view.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: So in his book, the former president also takes responsibility for the decision to allow the water boarding of terror suspects which has prompted some new criticisms directed his way. Now let's bring in our Sandra Endo in Washington with more on that.

SANDRA ENDO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, yes. Specifically about enhanced interrogation techniques, the former president defends his decision. In his book, he writes about when he was asked by his CIA director, George Tenet, for permission to use these techniques, including water boarding.

Bush writes, quote, "I thought about the 2,973 people stolen from their families by Al Qaeda aid today on 9/11 and I thought about my duty to protect the country from another terrorist. "Damn right," I said."

And he also has a whole chapter, Fred, about 9/11 and said the day the country was attacked his blood was boiling. So there are a lot of other issues he goes into as well in this book, including his take on his campaigns and the domestic issues he took on like immigration and Social Security reform. Fred?

WHITFIELD: And there were regrets. Among those regrets, any of those items that you just mentioned?

ENDO: Yes, interesting, he did admit he should have focused more on immigration reform first during his second term instead of Social Security reform. And he said he would have gotten that done and it wouldn't have been so polarizing as it is right now.

But also, interestingly enough, on the way that he handled the aftermath of hurricane Katrina, the former president admits, quote, "I should have recognized the deficiencies sooner and intervened faster. The problem was not that I made the wrong decisions. It was that I took too long to decide."

So, obviously some reflection there in this book. And it may be the bulk of what we hear from the former president for awhile, at least his version of his administration.

WHITFIELD: Sandra Endo, thanks so much from Washington on "Decision Points." And we're going to be talking to historian Mr. David Brinkley a little bit later on about that book.

All right, April 15th. Well, still five months away. But you should start thinking about your taxes right now. We'll tell you why, coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, I'm getting some inside tips right now because we're going to have a financial analyst, Karen Lee with us, because experts say it's a small step in the right direction even though the unemployment rate was still stuck at 9.6 percent last month, the economy added jobs for the first time since May. A net total of 151,000 jobs were created with a big gain in the private sector jobs, far exceeding its small decline in government jobs.

And there are still concerns about the long-term unemployed. According to one estimate, 800,000 Americans will stop getting jobless benefits checks come next month unless Congress steps in to once again extend the benefit period. President Obama is urging Congress to do just that. But the prospects are uncertain, at least for now.

So tired of paying too much in taxes every year? Who isn't? Well, you can lower your taxes, perhaps, but only if you start working on it right now, says financial expert Karen Lee, who is with us and giving me little tips on the side there. Now tips for everybody on what we can do to prepare for taxes, everyone loathes tax season.

KAREN LEE, FINANCIAL EXPERT: Of course they do.

WHITFIELD: Now is the time to start thinking about what to put your ducks in order, right?

LEE: Right. Many people think that week before April 15th, I've got to make my Roth IRA and my regular IRA contributions. And you do until your tax filing deadline for those, and profit sharing contributions. But the things we're going to talk about today must be done by December 31st in order for them to count.

WHITFIELD: And this is your Roth IRA conversion?

LEE: So the first thing we're going to talk about is the Roth IRA conversion. First of all, it used to be that only people that earned under $100,000 could even do these conversions. And now everyone can do them. And that's not changing.

WHITFIELD: OK.

LEE: The thing that's different for 2010 is we got the special opportunity to do a conversion, to defer a whole year of paying those taxes, and then spread the tax payment over 2011 and 2012, so a much less burden on you.

WHITFIELD: OK.

LEE: The only thing to be cautious of is, as we know, those Bush tax cuts might be expiring. If nothing's done tax brackets might go up. So some people that convert might still decide to go ahead and pay in 2010.

WHITFIELD: Who knew it was going to get so complicated with those Roth. Started as the simplest form --

LEE: And a great opportunity.

WHITFIELD: Right.

LEE: And it's still a good thing to do. It's just the tax planning around it is what's going to be a little more complicated.

WHITFIELD: Also really good thing to do is take advantage of those 401(k) plans that your employer might extend to you. But people still need a little nudge every now and then, some advice to you on how to really maximize, how to take advantage of it, what to do with it. LEE: The thing about the 401(k) is we want to encourage everyone to maximize your contributions. When I ask people, so how much are you contributing to your 401(k)? A lot of times they say well I'm maxing out. When we dig down, they're maybe only doing up to a matching amount.

WHITFIELD: The company's match.

LEE: Right. And it doesn't get them up to the government maximum that they can do, $16,500. And if you're 50 or older, $5,500 more, so $22,000 that you can do. And that's if you turn age 50 any time during the year. Even on the last day of the year.

WHITFIELD: Oh, wow.

LEE: So my idea here is call your hr department and ask, what am I on track to defer? Many of the companies will let you catch up in the last couple of paychecks. And if you've got the money to do it --

WHITFIELD: You definitely want to set that aside.

What's tax harvesting all about?

LEE: Tax harvesting is something that hopefully your financial adviser is helping you look at. But basically what you want to do annually is take a look at your investment accounts that are not retirement accounts, and say, do I have losses in these accounts and also gains?

A lot of people right now are sitting on investments that are still at a loss from pre-2007. And any investments that they did since 2009 are gains. Well we can sell both positions and equalize owing any taxes.

WHITFIELD: Oh, wow, because that's why people are afraid sometimes to let go.

LEE: A lot of people don't want to pay those capital gains. So that's something that should be done every year. The only thing to be conscious of is what's called the wash rule. You've got to stay out of that investment for 30 days before you go back in to it.

WHITFIELD: OK. Now what is a Solo-K?

LEE: Solo-K.

WHITFIELD: That's why I have you.

LEE: Thank goodness. It's just the way it's written.

A solo 401(k), also called an individual 401(k). These things have been around like ten years and I know people that are self- employed that still don't take advantage of them. Let me explain this one to you. I personally have one.

WHITFIELD: I crack myself up. LEE: A solo 401(k) is for a self-employed person that doesn't have other employees. They're the employer and the employee. As the employee they can put away they're $16,500, or the $22,000 if they're 50 or older. As the employer they can make a 25 percent contribution of their profits in addition up to a maximum -- are you ready for this -- $49,000 you can put away pretax.

WHITFIELD: Really?

LEE: If you're under 50, and $54,500, if you're over 50 as long as you're self-employed, the employer with no employees.

WHITFIELD: Wow.

LEE: It's a wonderful --

WHITFIELD: That's huge.

LEE: It is huge. It's one of the greatest ways to defer money and so few people know about it.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

LEE: But here's the tip on that -- got to be established by December 31st.

WHITFIELD: So you better get moving.

LEE: You can fund it later. But you've got to get it established by the end of the year.

WHITFIELD: OK. And real quick because a lot of folks really took advantage of what they hoped would be some tax breaks by installing some high efficiency appliances.

LEE: Yes. This one came up for me because I don't know about you, but the heat was unbearable and my electric bills were through the roof and I thought, you know, I have about a 15-year-old unit. I really should replace it.

There's a tax credit, not a deduction, a credit, that's the best kind. And that's when you do a high efficiency heating or air by the end of 2010, you get to take a tax credit of 30 percent of the cost, but no more than $1,500.

WHITFIELD: Wow.

LEE: So if you've been thinking I really need to replace that, maybe get that done before the end of this year.

WHITFIELD: And what do you need to have in order to get that going? Because I did take advantage of that, I did buy a high efficiency unit.

LEE: I think you just claim it. It would be a matter if you got audited you would need to produce your payment, your receipt for it. WHITFIELD: OK.

LEE: Good.

WHITFIELD: Karen Lee, I like that one a lot. I can relate to that one. Not to Solo-K. I know it's not "Solok." Now I know. Advise my self-starter friends.

LEE: That's right.

WHITFIELD: Wonderful. Karen, good to see you.

LEE: You, too.

WHITFIELD: All right, well Congress, you know, it has seven major money issues on its to-do list before the year ends. You know that there was a to-do list. Maybe you didn't know about the seventh part. Josh Levs is going to be along to explain the breakdown of those things.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, midterms now behind us, and Congress is about to make some big decisions that could impact your pocketbook. Details in one minute.

But first, a look at the top stories. Violence in the streets of Oakland, California, after the sentencing of a former transit officer. Protesters were angry after the former officer, who was white, was given a two-year sentence for killing an unarmed black man on a train platform last year. More than 100 people were arrested in last night's protests.

And the streets turned into rivers after then-hurricane Tomas slams Haiti. There's no word right now of any deaths. Many of the 1 million Haitians displaced by January's massive earthquake still live in tents. The country is also coping with a deadly cholera outbreak.

And a major drug cartel leader in Mexico has been killed in a shoot-out with Mexican naval troops. Four other suspected members of the cartel were also killed, along with three naval officers. The gun battle happened in the border town of Matamoros.

All right, Congress will face seven key money decisions when it returns for its lame duck session in just over a week, and almost all of them could have a direct impact on your wallet. Here with details now, CNN's Josh Levs. Josh?

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We're all focused on the makeup of a new Congress, right, in January. But we've still got this one. And they still got work to do. And if they do some of that work it could impact you directly.

Our folks at CNNmoney.com have been taking a look at this to-do list, and they have come up with this list of seven key money decisions facing the lame duck Congress. First thing here, the Bush tax cuts. We hear of the debate about the wealthy but actually, all the Bush tax cuts are set to expire at the end of this year across all the income levels. And so far, they have not been renewed.

Democrats and Republicans agree that they should be for most Americans. But there's still that debate over who should not keep those tax cuts, and in the meantime none of them have been renewed.

Unemployment benefits extension, at the end of this month, a program which allows jobless Americans to file for extended benefits expires. Also this issue about the 2011 budget which is already under way because of the way the fiscal year works. They would need to pass another measure to keep the government funded or pass a remaining spending bill slated for fiscal year 2011.

There's a big debate going on about the estate tax. It's lapsed for a year. Lawmakers are still battling over what to do about this. A couple more here -- patching the AMT. You hear about this every year. It's the alternative minimum tax. If Congress doesn't act, an estimated 27 million taxpayers could be hit with the AMT he they file their 2010 returns.

And one more here, actually two more -- the tax extenders. You hear about these once in awhile. There's this basically package of tax breaks that regularly gets extended pretty much every year. We talk about extending a bunch of tax breaks.

Well, it's been held up this year, and that includes a research and development credit affects a lot of businesses. There's also the option to deduct your state taxes on your federal tax return. All of that being held up right now with this package of tax extenders.

And finally inside Medicare, there's this thing called the "doc fix" extension. In December Medicare reimbursement rate for doctors is going to be sliced substantially unless Congress passes a fix.

So for these are the seven points that folks at CNN Money are talking about. And we'll watch to see if they are resolved by the end of the year or left to the next Congress. A lot more details at CNN Money.

But it is important to keep in mind when they get back to work November 15th, there is a lot that they can do and there's a lot that they should really try to tackle before the whole new Congress comes in January and starts a whole new realm of debates about all these issues.

WHITFIELD: Yes, and possibly a whole new realm of priorities as well. Josh Levs, thank you.

Inside stories from Washington -- a former president talks about his days in the White House. And he's not the only politician on a book tour these days.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) WHITFIELD: All right, India is the first stop today on President Obama's ten-day, four-nation Asia tour. He's staying at a Mumbai hotel that was targeted by a terror attack back in 2008. Mr. Obama says he wants to send a message that the U.S. stands united with India in the fight against terrorism.

Also today, the president met with Indian business leaders. He says one of the goals of his trip is to expand the market for U.S. exports.

And just four days after winning the Florida Senate election, Marco Rubio is a rising Republican star. He delivered the weekly GOP media address today, and he used it to warn his fellow Republicans to keep their promises.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARCO RUBIO, (R) FLORIDA SENATOR-ELECT: For too long Washington has taken our country in the wrong direction -- bigger government, reckless spending, and runaway debt. And though I'm a proud Republican, here's the truth -- both parties have been to blame.

This election, the American people said enough is enough. That message was loud and clear. We Republicans will be mistaken if we misread these results as simply an embrace of the Republican Party. This election is a second chance, a second chance for Republicans to be what we said we were going to be.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right a new movie in theaters this weekend paints in vivid detail the universal struggles of a group of multigenerational women. Straight ahead more of my face for face interview with "For Colored Girls" actresses Kerry Washington and Kimberly Elise.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, turning your health, the FDA this summer rejected a drug to help women who suffer from a low sex drive. Well, however, in other countries, many women are turning to an untested natural aphrodisiac. And scientists are taking note. Here's senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. ELIZABETH COHEN, SENIOR CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: When a woman in the United States is having problems with sex, she goes to a doctor or to a therapist. But here in Peru, she goes shopping.

What do we have here that can help a woman who is suffering from sex problems?

CHRIS KILHAM, ETHNO-BOTANIST: We have maca, and this is really the sexual power herb of the Andes. COHEN (voice-over): Chris Kilham travels the world. He calls himself a medicine hunter. One of the herbs he's found, maca, used by women in Peru to get their sex lives going.

COHEN (on camera): If I took a scoop of this every morning, what would it do to me sexually?

KILHAM: Sexually it might cause Chinese new year's fireworks in your pants.

COHEN (voice-over): Diana grew up in Peru and now lives in the United States. She's been taking maca for a year.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It increases your sexual drive. I would say from 30 percent before to good 95 percent.

COHEN (on camera): How high up are we?

KILHAM: Well, I figure right now we're probably at about 10,000, 11,000 feet.

COHEN (voice-over): Maca needs altitude to grow, so Kilham is taking me more than 14,500 feet up into the Andes Mountains to see the aphrodisiac's origins, Peru's maca fields.

COHEN (on camera): There it is.

KILHAM: This is a fresh maca root.

COHEN: Who would think that something so ugly could lead to such pleasure?

KILHAM: Yes.

COHEN: I mean, really. It's not so beautiful.

COHEN (voice-over): Kilham sells maca as well as other supplements. Some mice studies have found that maca is an aphrodisiac but there's no major human studies. No strong scientific evidence that it works in women. Maca earned $5 million in U.S. sales last year. Supplements like maca don't require approval by the Food and Drug Administration.

Now Chris, I've got to say, some people would say, look, nobody's ever done big studies on maca and women. How do we really know that it works?

KILHAM: People who take it get a sexual effect. Non-Peruvian women eat maca and say, wow, this has made a huge difference in my sex life. And that's what matters to me.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right, Elizabeth Cohen reporting there.

And on face-to-face with two stars of the few movie "For Colored Girls." That's coming up in just a moment. But first, a quick check of today's top stories.

President Obama says his visit to the Taj Mahal Palace hotel at Mumbai, India, is intended to send a message that the U.S. and India stand united against terrorism. Terrorists staged an attack at the hotel back in 2008, and other sites, killing 164 people.

The president and first lady are staying at the Taj and signed a memorial guest book for the victims. India is the first stop of the president's ten-day Asian tour.

And in Connecticut, jurors are deliberating again today, trying to determine the sentence for convicted murderer Steven Hayes. The choices are life in prison or death. The jury deliberated for more than five hours yesterday. Hayes was found guilty of killing a mother and her two daughters during a home invasion back in 2007.

The father survived the attack and testified against him. An alleged accomplice will be tried later.

And the launch of the space shuttle Discovery is being postponed until November 30th, at the very earliest. NASA scrubbed yesterday's scheduled launch because of a fuel leak, and that was the fourth postponement in a week either triggered by technical problems or bad weather. Discovery's planned mission to the International Space Station will be its final voyage.

Three decades after it was a hit on Broadway, "For Colored Girls" is now on the big screen. It's a collection of stories of women from different ages and phases of their lives confronting universal struggles.

I go face-to-face with actresses Kerry Washington and Kimberly Elise. They join a cast including Phylicia Rashad, Whoopi Goldberg, Janet Jackson, and Loretta Devine. Kimberly and Kerry tell me face- to-face, playing the roles of Crystal and Kelly sparked gray hairs, literally.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: What are you hoping if there is kind of a real resonating lesson to be learned as a viewer to go to see this film?

KERRY WASHINGTON, ACTRESS: To really have the courage to see people as full human beings, with complicated stories, no matter what their race is or their gender, to know that everybody got a complicated story and we may not understand all of it, but to be open to what's going on for them.

KIMBERLY ELISE, ACTRESS: At the end of the film, there's a line, "I found god in myself and I loved her fiercely." And there's a journey for all of these women to find the light within themselves and love themselves first.

But I think -- and that's important, but I think it's even more important for anybody who goes in to see this film to take from it whatever it is they need. There is no one message that's going to fit everybody. And that's what's so magical about this piece.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I know why you get mad sometimes. I get mad. But sometimes when you drink, you get out of control. Don't drink tonight.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You love me?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Man, I've loved you since we were 14-years- old.

WHITFIELD: Was there something like -- was there something that you take from this experience that you know will just stay with us?

ELISE: Gray hairs.

(LAUGHTER)

WASHINGTON: She actually got gray hairs playing the character.

ELISE: I did.

WASHINGTON: Because her body was caught up in the reality of the role.

ELISE: It's true. It's true. I went with about five gray hairs and came home with 50, seriously, in a matter of weeks. It was that intense. But it was that gratifying, too. And I wear them proudly now.

(LAUGHTER)

WASHINGTON: That's right. That's right.

ELISE: I got the dye bottle. But they're there.

WASHINGTON: I think the other thing is that, you know, in the film you have all of these women who work side by side or live in the same building, and they are around each other, but at the top of the film they don't really know each other.

And I think there's a lesson there, because they move toward being a community for each other. And there's something about that. There's something about that that we all in our own lives can be more aware of the people that we pass in the street, or the people that we work with or that we live next door to, to not make assumptions about who they are.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Kerry and Kimberly joining me again in more face-to- face in the next hour. And you're going to hear them talking about their personal lives. We're going to shift gears a little bit. Find out about what it's like when they're not making movies. That's in the next hour of the Newsroom.

And I want to take a minute to tell you what we have next week on my face-to-face interview with mogul, fashion mogul, jewelry mogul, music mogul Russell Simmons. Maybe you know him mostly as the hip-hop pioneer. He is so much more. He's also has a new reality television show that's coming out. We talk a little bit about that and other things, as well.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: So I just wonder, you know, do you like how hip-hop has evolved? Do you like the product of tip hop today?

RUSSELL SIMMONS, HIP-HOP PIONEER: It's the same.

WHITFIELD: Is it the same?

SIMMONS: Yes. Voices for voices, people, and here we are 20- some odd years later, 30 years later, it's still got a voice. Still people who had been shut down and shut out are still talking. And now they're talking to their kids if you live in the suburbs or the White House. You got to hear them. And so that's great.

WHITFIELD: So the hip-hop of the '70s, with --

SIMMONS: Well '79.

WHITFIELD: Yes. You think there are strong parallels between, the late '70s and 2010 hip-hop?

SIMMONS: Yes, the same thing.

WHITFIELD: So you like it?

SIMMONS: I don't listen to as much hip-hop as I used to.

WHITFIELD: That would be because?

SIMMONS: I listen, but I don't listen as much. I'm very busy. I listen to different kinds of music more often than I used to. I hear old records sometimes, they're more inspired. And I kind of don't want to grow old. When people say what's your favorite record I like to say the one on the radio.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: You will meet Russell Simmons and his candor next week face-to-face. He'll also talk a lot about his business sense and how he managed to turn that instinct into a mega-million dollar empire. Somewhere -- some places that you read it's a billion dollar empire. He says no, no, it's not. Let's stick with multimillion dollar empire.

That's at the heart of our conversation, and also at the heart of him and what his inspiration is, spirituality. We'll talk about that. It's a very fascinating face-to-face with Russell Simmons. You don't want to miss it next Saturday beginning at noon eastern time.

All right, picking up bed bugs with tweezers for fun? It's a game just in time for the holidays.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: We're going to have a little fun now with some stories that you just might want to repeat around that water cooler. First up, has the bed bug epidemic got you terrified, an outbreak that may be coming to a bed near you? Well, maybe it's time to unwind just a little bit about this.

Oh, that '80s bed bug game is back. Do you remember that? I actually don't. But this is kind of fun. Me either. Just like the pests, it's made a comeback. It's nothing high tech or digital right here. You can chase these tiny little plastic jumping bed bugs around a small motorized bed with those little tiny tweezers.

And the reason you might want to play this game, well, at least here you have a chance of actually beating the bugs. But it's really no laughing matter if you've got this problem at home. I know a couple of folks not happy about it.

Anyway, rescued Chilean miner Edison Pena is making his most of the trip to the U.S. Known by many to "Miner number 12," tomorrow he's actually running in the New York City marathon. Earlier this week he appeared on David Letterman's show, and even with the language barrier and all, it made for a very interesting chat.

And hanging, by the way, is a big fan of Elvis. You get a little chance to see him in his best impersonation of Elvis. Take a look.

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WHITFIELD: Just call him Pena, Elvis Pena. He really got into the moment there.

So while this -- while he was trapped in the mine, Pena said he kept himself sane by running through tunnels. He was jogging all the time, which is why the New York City mar marathon invited him to be a part of it. So good luck to him. And of course we'll keep you posted on the results tomorrow.

All right, a newborn giant panda cub is getting a lot of TLC in Atlanta. The cub was born earlier this week -- so cute. And it's the only giant panda born in the U.S. this year. It's hard to see the cell phone size cub because momma panda is so protective, as they always are.

The birth will help save the critically endangered species. Fewer than 1,600 giant pandas remain in the wild. It's always nice when there's a birth of a new panda in this country.

(WEATHER BREAK) WHITFIELD: Online stores sometimes use your shopping history to predict other items that you might like. But soon advertisements in the streets could predict your interest based on what you look like. Kyung Lau has more in today's "Edge of Discovery."

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KYUNG LAH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: In the world of advertising, you look at the ads. But soon, they'll be watching you. It's a future imagined in the 2002 movie "Minority Report." Cameras capture and read Tom Crude's face, then customized ads for his character pop up.

That future is now. This billboard sees you, scans your face, then pulls up an ad you'll like.

LAH (on camera): Here's how this works. When you walk up to the ad, a camera captures your image. The computer figures out if you're a man or a woman and your age. Meanwhile an age and gender specific ad rolls. This shows that I'm in my 30s and I like seasonal pasta. The computer then determines how interested you are. How long you stay. That data is then recorded for the company.

LAH (voice-over): An NEC engineer says the facial recognition technology is accurate to within ten years of your actual age. And the next gen system they're testing out is even more age accurate. This is a new age of advertising, she says. We can learn something we never knew from marketing.

The new ads give real-time reactions to street signs, so marketing can be more targeted and more effective. NEC believes the use of this technology in advertising is just the next step.

Kyung Lah, CNN, Tokyo.

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WHITFIELD: All right, we've all heard the expression, bury the hatchet. We'll tell you why it was more than a figure of speech for Delaware Senate candidates.

And the loser of Florida's gubernatorial election thinks the White House is partly to blame. We'll tell you why in our Political Ticker.

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WHITFIELD: We begin this hour with the presidential tell-all from George W. Bush. His new memoir "Decision Points" is expected to be released next week, and in it the former president makes some interesting revelations about his time in the Oval Office. And some of them could get him in hot water, potentially.

Our Sandra Endo gives us a preview from Washington. Sandra?

ENDO: Talk about some revelations, and also some reflections in this book.

Former President George W. Bush goes on the defensive in parts of this book. For one, he defends his decision on the use of enhanced interrogation techniques against terror suspects. In his book he writes about when he was asked by his CIA director George Tenet for permission to use techniques, including water boarding.

Bush writes, "I thought about the 2,973 people stolen from their families by Al Qaeda on 9/11, and I thought about my duty to protect the country from another terror attack. "Damn right," I said." Fred?

WHITFIELD: All right, so I wonder did he mention -- did he -- did he really kind of elaborate -- OK, well I'm going to ask you a little bit later on. We're going to take a short break for now. Sandra, I'll see you in a little bit.

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