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Teen Beaten to Death at Party; New Air Cargo Security Rules; Family Lost at Sea Rescued; Showbiz Update; Hot Off The Political Ticker
Aired November 08, 2010 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Top of the hour. Hello, again, everyone. I'm Tony Harris in the CNN NEWSROOM where anything can happen. Here are some of the people behind today's top stories.
Beating death at a teenager's party.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This little 5'6, 125-pound 18-year-old kid. Well, (INAUDIBLE) had to come by. They beat him down on the ground and stomped him and killed him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Unbelievable. The young victim chosen randomly. Dozens of people saw it. We are digging deeper on why it happened with the man investigating the crime.
Lost at sea. A family's ordeal on the open ocean. How were they found? We've got details on their rescue. You're online. We are, too right now. We're following what's trending right now.
Queen Elizabeth royal entrance onto Facebook is raising hopes of adding royalty to your friend list.
Let's get started with our lead story.
An outrageous act of violence, apparently random and unprovoked, and it cost one young man his life. Four Georgia teenagers in court a couple of hours ago now. We have mug shots of three of them.
They're accused of beating, kicking and stomping another teen to death. It happened this weekend at a party in suburban Atlanta.
One of the suspects reportedly boasted he'd beat up the next guy who walked in the door. Police say dozens of people saw what was going on, but did nothing to help the young man.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: One fellow fell on the ground. Another fellow kicked him. But there was a whole lot of kids around them.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just thought he was hurt. I never thought that his life was ending.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: The victim is 18-year-old Bobby Tillman of Douglasville, Georgia. He had a slight build and was no match for his alleged attackers. He weighed just 124 pounds.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MONIQUE REVAIDA, MOTHER OF BEATING VICTIM: He loved basketball. He loved helping people. He loved being fair and he loved life.
Bobby was very funny. He was very outgoing, very personable, very caring. Just a good person. He was -- Bobby was an angel here on earth, but his main was he loved basketball.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Obviously, you had a very strong reaction when you saw those people in court. Tell us what was going through your mind.
REVAIDA: You know, I just felt that I didn't need to see that. My focus is my son. I'll let the D.A. handle them. I don't need to see them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Phil Miller is the sheriff of Douglas County, Georgia.
Sheriff, thank you for joining us.
Now, I've got to tell you, I just read some of what we know about this case, and I'm still not quite believing it. So I'm going to ask you if you wouldn't mind to walk us through the events and the circumstances of this attack as you know them to be at this time.
SHERIFF PHIL MILLER, DOUGLAS COUNTY, GEORGIA: Well, there was a party Saturday night, and the party was supposed to be a fairly small party, but e-mails were sent out and people talked on Facebook. And before long, there were 60 to 80 people at that party.
The parents realized that things were getting out of hand, and they told the people to leave. And as some of the people were leaving, some girls got into a fight.
One of the girls hit a guy, and the guy said, "I'm not going to hit a girl back, but the next guy that comes by, I'm going to beat down." And unfortunately, it was the little Tillman boy who weighed 125 pounds, was 5'6", had braces, super kid. And he walks into the path of these guys, and they beat him to the ground and stomped him, and he died as a result of it.
HARRIS: Can you describe the scene for us when your officers arrived? What did they see? What did they find? What kind of shape was the young man in?
MILLER: Well, he was still breathing as we were waiting on the ambulance to arrive. His breath got shorter and shorter. And we gave him CPR and mouth-to-mouth, and tried to save him, but to no avail.
There were still a lot of people hanging around. Some people had left, but there were a lot of people still there. And we rounded them up and brought them to the sheriff's office and interviewed them.
HARRIS: Did the attackers in this case, did they know Tillman?
MILLER: I don't think they did.
HARRIS: My understanding --
MILLER: They went to Douglas County High School. I'm sorry. They went to Douglas County High School and Tillman went to Chapel Hill High School.
HARRIS: My understanding is that the parents authorized this party, but in the aftermath of the events that night, I'm just curious -- I'm not suggesting anything, but I'm curious, are the parents expected to face any charges?
MILLER: No. We don't expect to charge them with anything.
They acted responsibly. And when things got out of hand, they told the people to leave. And nobody could have expected what happened.
HARRIS: OK. Any drugs or alcohol found at the home?
MILLER: None at all.
HARRIS: OK. How you do you explain -- how many people -- my understanding is the number at the party grew to somewhere between 60 and 80, and there were a number of people who witnessed this attack. Is that correct? And how do you explain that so many people can witness an attack like this and no one do anything to intervene?
MILLER: Well, it makes you wonder. I was not there. I don't know how many people were standing around when it happened, and I don't know how long it took to accomplish killing Tillman.
But it makes you wonder why somebody would not step in and assist this young man, but it didn't happen. I wasn't there, so I'm trying not to be too judgmental, but we have the same questions you and the people of this community have.
HARRIS: OK. Sheriff Miller, we appreciate it. Thanks for your time. Can't believe the story.
MILLER: You're very welcome.
HARRIS: Thank you.
We have some breaking news to tell you about. This story from the Department of Homeland Security. We're learning about new security measures put in place following a thwarted terrorist plot last week. CNN's homeland security correspondent, Jeanne Meserve, is on the phone with us.
And Jeanne, what are you learning?
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Tony, these measures being taken, of course, in response to the discovery of those toner cartridge bombs in Dubai, in the U.K., a number of new screening rules that are going to take effect today, the Department of Homeland Security says.
Specifically, the ban on air cargo from Yemen will continue and has now been extended to all cargo from Somalia swell. We're told no high-risk cargo will be allowed on passenger aircraft at all.
Toner and ink cartridges over 16 ounces will be prohibited on passenger aircraft in both carry-on bags and checked bags on domestic and international flights inbound to the United States. The ban will also apply to certain inbound international air cargo shipments, too.
In addition, all cargo identified as high risk will go through additional and enhanced screening. And also, international mail packages will be screened individually and certified to have come from an established postal shipper.
The department says it's working closely with industry and international partners to expedite the receipt of cargo manifests for international flights to the U.S. prior to their departure to identify and screen items they found (ph) risk and current intelligence. They are also working, of course, to deploy more sophisticated screening technology.
Now, interestingly, some of these measures were taken last week by the British. Last week, the British announced that they would not be allowing any cargo into the country from Somalia. They also announced restriction on toner cartridges.
I did an interview with the secretary of Homeland Security last week and asked questions about those things. At that point, she was not willing to say that they were extending the cargo ban to Somalia.
And when it came to toner cartridges, she told me, "If it's not toner cartridges, it's something else. And if it's not something else, it will be something beyond that. We are trying to think not just reactively, but also proactively about what we in the United States wish to do." Obviously, there's been a little bit of rethinking since she spoke to me.
HARRIS: Yes.
MESERVE: Notable also, Tony, they are not saying here that they are going to screen inspect every piece of international cargo, something which experts have said is a virtual impossibility if you don't want to clog the air cargo system entirely.
Back to you. HARRIS: OK.
Jeanne Meserve for us.
Jeanne, appreciate it. Thank you.
Qantas discovers oil leaks in three of its Airbus A380 aircraft. That means the fleet of super jumbo jets well be grounded until at least Thursday. Last week, a Qantas plane was forced to return to Singapore after a covering on the engine tore off in flight. Qantas says 500 passengers stranded because of the grounding are expected to leave Los Angeles today.
Police are investigating reports that a laser was pointed at a plane bound for the Seattle-Tacoma Airport. The plane landed with no problems, but this is the latest in a series of incidents involving planes landing at the Seattle-Tacoma Airport. Pilots from at least a dozen jetliners report having someone shine a laser into the cockpits.
We will check stocks straight ahead.
And the president in Asia looking for jobs for American workers, boosting India's global profile.
And what is this root right there? That? Women who are bored in the bedroom say it's like Viagra. Wow.
First, though, our "Random Moment" in 90 seconds.
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HARRIS: Whoa, whoa, whoa. What do we have here? Hand-to-hand combat in racing?
The "Random Moment of the Day" asks, what's going on here?
Check this crash at Texas Motor Speedway. Ready? Ready? Ready?
Ouch! Jeff Burton knocks Jeff Gordon into the wall right there. Gordon didn't think the crash was an accident.
Have some.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Uh-oh.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, we've got a fight breaking out.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, Jeff not happy. Jeff Gordon not happy with what happened there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Yes. A stunning blowup by the Rainbow Warrior. Jeff Gordon known as, what, NASCAR's choir boy? And how about this? At Churchill Downs in Louisville, a pair of jockeys let their hands do the talking after horses bump.
Have some!
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Calvin Borel and Javier Castellano are fighting in the winner's circle.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Because we're looking for teachable moments here. You've got to control your rage and your anger.
Come on, people! A teachable moment? A deep cleansing breath, please.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: How about this story? A family rescued after spending six days lost at sea. Rescuers spotted them in the Pacific, 2,300 miles south of Hawaii. Right?
A Coast Guard boat picked them up over the weekend. The man, woman and -- man, this is scary to think about, Chad -- and two boys were treated for mild hypothermia and malnutrition. OK. They had sailed from a Pacific island in a 13-foot boat.
You've got more on this, Chad?
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, I've seen a lot of headlines saying that they found them 2,000 miles from Hawaii.
HARRIS: Right.
MYERS: Well, yes, but they found them 6,000 miles from L.A. They didn't leave from Hawaii, they didn't leave from L.A. They left from this little, tiny, little atoll out here, which I think anybody -- didn't he sing "Two Tickets to Paradise"? Because that's about as close to paradise as you're going to get out there.
They were in this 13-foot boat. They had a 15 horsepower motor. The motor failed and they couldn't get back to their atoll. They were only going six miles, and six days later they were found 230 miles away from where they were trying to get to.
Now, I'll tell you what, this is experience. The mom and dad did not allow them obviously to drink the salt water. You cannot drink the ocean water.
HARRIS: That's right.
MYERS: That would be the worst possible thing. They had two pieces of fresh fruit and no water. OK, they were dehydrated and all that, but they were found. A New Zealand Air Force went by and flew over this thing, flew over these guys. They were in a 600-square-mile search area.
OK. That's a large area. That's big-time to be flying over it.
They found it, they found the little boat. They couldn't do it because they were in an Air Force plane, but they rescued and they relayed and they radioed, and they said, hey, these guys are 230 miles from where they were supposed to be. The U.S. Coast Guard got them.
HARRIS: What a good story.
MYERS: Got them on the dolphin (ph) and got them out of there, and got them on the ship. And now they're good. Now they're all safe.
HARRIS: Yes. And if you look at those -- where are the stills? Can we put the stills back up?
Take a look. They look in pretty good shape. Look at them!
MYERS: Yes. OK, and this boat doesn't have, like, a cuddy, doesn't have a cover. So they're out there six days in the sunshine, too.
HARRIS: Oh, man.
MYERS: You know? This was supposed to be a little three-hour tour, so to speak.
HARRIS: Right. Hello?
MYERS: And you know what happened to the other three-hour tour.
HARRIS: Look at the little guys.
All right, Chad. Appreciate it.
MYERS: All rescued, safe and sound.
HARRIS: Yes, safe and sound. Thank you, Chad.
MYERS: You bet.
HARRIS: See you in a little bit.
(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
HARRIS: Got to tell you, some claim it's women's answer to Viagra, an herb that women claim is fueling their passions. Hey, now.
CNN's Elizabeth Cohen travels to Peru to get some answers.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(NEWSBREAK)
HARRIS: Got to tell you, lots of women who are looking for a bit more pizzazz in the bedroom are looking to an herb in South America for answers.
CNN Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen went all the way to Peru to find out if maca is really women's answer to Viagra.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
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, ETHNOBOTANIST: 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 and other parts of the world to get their sex lives going.
(on camera): So if I took a scoop of this maca powder, let's say (INAUDIBLE), every morning, what would it do to me sexually?
KILHAM: Sexually, it might cause Chinese New Year's fireworks in your pants.
DIANA MOERBECK, MACA USER: It works like a charm.
COHEN (voice-over): Diana Moerbeck grew up in Peru and now lives in the United States. She's been taking maca for a year.
MOERBECK: It increases your sexual drive, I would say, from 30 percent before to a good 95 percent.
COHEN (on camera): How high up are we?
KILHAM: Well, I figure right now we're probably at about 10,500, 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.
(on camera): There it is.
KILHAM: This is a maca root. 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.
(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 products earned $5 million in U.S. sales last year. Supplements like maca don't require approval by the Food & Drug Administration.
(on camera): Now, Chris, I've got to say, some people would say, look, this is hooey, 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)
HARRIS: Wow. All right. Elizabeth Cohen joining us now.
Boy, they sent you to Peru to do this story. I need the medical unit's budget, please.
OK, so this is an herb, right?
COHEN: Right.
HARRIS: This is what we're talking about here. It's not a drug.
COHEN: No.
HARRIS: Are we close to the day when we really have something that is the equivalent of Viagra for women?
COHEN: You know, there was so much hope when Viagra came out that they could do something with it for women, or invent some kind of parallel drug for women. But I'll tell you, it is not working out very well.
There was one drug for which there were pretty high hopes, and the FDA said, no, forget it, last spring. And that is never going to see the light of day. There's another drug that the FDA may be considering in the next year or so, but it's really not looking good for a drug to help sexually frustrated women.
HARRIS: I'm trying not to be 12 in this segment. I'm trying really hard.
COHEN: I would say you're 14. So just keep going.
HARRIS: I'm having a hard time getting past -- what's the bite from the guy? You asked him -- what is it, the Chinese -- COHEN: Firecrackers in your pants. Yes, that was the way he described how one might react to maca.
HARRIS: Really. Does this stuff work for guys? Do we know? Do guys --
COHEN: Apparently, there's some thought that it works for men as well.
HARRIS: Maca for men?
COHEN: Yes, but there's also all these drugs for men. And in America, people tend to take drugs. That's just the way it goes.
HARRIS: Oh. Good to se you, Elizabeth.
COHEN: Good to see you, too.
HARRIS: I need that medical unit budget. That's what I need.
It has been, what, 65 years? But one town will never forget the selfless act of a U.S. pilot.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Major Doak Weston was 27 years old when he made the ultimate sacrifice saving his crew and an unknown number of civilians on the ground.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Wait until you hear how this young pilot saved a town.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: We are certainly all aware of the sacrifices our men and women in uniform make. This week, we're highlighting a few of them.
Photojournalist Bob Crowley goes back to Melrose, Massachusetts, where the actions of one brave young pilot saved the town.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We thank you for joining us this morning to honor a man and his family, Major Doak Weston.
SISTER MARY SAMSON, CRASH WITNESS: I remember that morning so vividly.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Today is the 65th anniversary of the flight of Major Doak Weston, pilot.
SAMSON: I was in fifth grade.
MAJ. ROBERT DRISCOLL, USAF RESERVE: The B-25J took of from Grenier Field at approximately 10:30 a.m. SAMSON: We heard the sound of the plane.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It had this unearthly sound coming over the school.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The pilot started to feather the left engine.
SAMSON: I don't know whether it was sputtering or what, but it was kind of, that's not the way a plane is supposed to sound.
DRISCOLL: But as he did so, the engine burst into flames.
BOB ATTUBATO, USAF WITNESS: We saw just as we got to the window this bomber coming over the school. It had an engine on fire.
DRISCOLL: Major Weston ordered his crew to bail out.
ATTUBATO: The engine and the wing fell off.
DRISCOLL: Soon after the crew jumped, it plunged to the earth below.
ATTUBATO: We saw a big column of smoke, and then we heard this big explosion. We were just stunned by it.
WARREN LEGER, CRASH WITNESS: It was a hole in the ground. Airplane parts all over the place. There was an engine in this place, part of the wing over there, something else was over there. It looked like a junkyard.
DRISCOLL: Major Doak Weston was 27 years old when he made the ultimate sacrifice, saving his crew and an unknown number of civilians on the ground by directing his aircraft to the fairway below, leaving behind his pregnant wife and two sons.
MAYOR ROBERT DOLAN, MELROSE, MASSACHUSETTS: And it is right and just that we honor him today.
I learned about it maybe about a year ago. And I just couldn't imagine that this individual doesn't have some remembrance for what he has done.
(APPLAUSE)
MICHAEL WESTON, MAJOR WESTON'S SON: No question it was my father. Lots of people came together and made this happen. So I'm just very impressed. It's made me very happy.
I was only 3 years old in 1945 and remember almost nothing of my father. But what I did understand was that my father sacrificed his life for the lives of others.
LEGER: He stuck his neck out to protect other people.
SAMSON: The way we define heroes now is -- to me, it's a very loose definite nation. Major Weston is a true hero. WESTON: There are lots of people who follow that instinct to do the right thing for their fellow man. That's what he stood for, for me.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Wow. Catch more of these stories all week here in the CNN NEWSROOM, and tune in Saturday at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time for an hour-long special. You can also visit CNN.com/veterans.
OK. Bear with me here for a second. We know beauty is in the eye of the beholder and all that, right? But scientists at the University of Texas wanted to know what men who are looking for a long-term mate find beautiful. So, fill in the blanks here. Men looking for a long-term relationship care twice as much about her blank than her blank. Your choices -- her face or her body. The answer in three minutes.
Also, unbelievable pictures of the volcano that continues to erupt in Indonesia.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Ah, the science of attraction. Now, before the break we asked you to fill in the blanks. Men looking for a long-term relationship care twice as much about a woman's blank than her blank. What a good talker if you're at the airport right now. Maybe you're at the office, out for lunch with friends, colleagues. Your choices? Face or body.
According to a new study at the University of Texas at Austin, men who want a long-term relationship care twice as much about her -- about her face than her body. It seems the face is a better indication of emotion and character. There you have it.
Got to tell you, health care triggered -- you know this -- one of the most contentious debates in Washington that we've seen in a long team. But the industry also has been the brightest spot in this economy. Month after month, it consistently added jobs during the labor meltdown.
Christine Romans, author of the new book "Smart is the New Rich," has the story.
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TANNEKE BURNS, STUDENT, BUNKER HILL COMMUNITY COLLEGE: Are you okay?
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Tanneke Burns enjoys her job. Drawing blood for a Boston area blood bank. But over the past couple of years, she's watched her hours shrink. Seven or eight-hour blood drives now last just five.
BURNS: I've always been told that as long as you have a job in health care, you pretty much are set. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is this thinking --
ROMANS: So Tanneke is pursuing a more secure career in nursing. She goes to class at night and works during the day.
BURNS: I don't consider myself to be a risk taker but I guess on some levels this is.
ROMANS: A risk that will likely pay off. The population is aging. And an estimated 50 million Americans enter the health care system when reform kicks in 2014.
ANDREW RUBIN, NYU LAGONE MEDICAL CENTER: They are going to need hospitals and doctors and nurses to take care of them. Demand for health care services equals demand for good jobs.
ROMANS: Where are the jobs in health care? It's not just nursing but up and down.
RUBIN: It's up and down the spectrum. It's a big field. Any health care profession is a big field and you have all levels of people in there. And the jobs are going to be found in all those levels.
ROMANS: There's already a shortage of health care I.T. professionals, medical coders and medical assistants. The government estimates hundreds of thousands of personal aides and home health aides will be needed over the next decade. Often those jobs come with on the job training but low pay. Median wages for registered nurses, however, is $66,530. Tanneke Burns is hopeful. There will be student loans to pay off, but she's confident she made the right choice.
BURNS: I always tell my children you need to go to school and get an education, but if I haven't gone to college, how can I expect them to do something I haven't done myself?
OK.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROMANS: Of course, going to school isn't an option for everyone, nor are the student loans. The Labor Department expects an explosion of 900,000 new jobs for those home health care and personal care aides by 2018. No medical experience, Tony, is necessary, no education experience necessary there. At least not a traditional college setting.
But be warned, those jobs often start at a low salary. They don't leave much room for advancement. If you are training for a job in health care, make sure it's what's called a ladder position, like climbing up the ladder. Has some upward mobility, like nursing. Millions of low-paying jobs in health care are being created, but there are those who offer opportunities and promotions and meaningful pay increases.
Andrew Ruben, who we quoted in that piece, Tony, he said be careful about nursing in particular in some of the big cities where they're closing the hospitals. If you're seeing hospitals close around you, that could be a problem. But in other parts of the country where health care is booming, you're seeing good opportunities for nurses.
He also says translate your I.T. skills to nursing -- or to the health care field. Accounting, risk management. Just about anything you think of can be translated to health care. It is a huge part of the economy.
HARRIS: You know what? I love you've highlighting these sectors. Let's recap. So, health care. And last week, you were talking about engineering. So, you really are identifying some sectors where there are some jobs, right?
ROMANS: Trying to figure out what you can take control of and what you can do because so much is out of your control. You can't control the most dynamic labor market in the world that apparently is ailing still, right? So, there are places where you can try to take control. This is one of those in health care. We've profiled a few people ho have made really smart choices in health care, Tony, and they're doing great.
HARRIS: Yes, yes. And get that wellness piece going, too.
All right, Christine, appreciate it. We've got to get some books sold here. It's good stuff. Me, more, now. Look, you've got to forget about those three words. The financial game really has changed. You've got to pick this up. Christine Romans' new book is titled "Smart is the new Rich." Pick it up now.
Ash everywhere. The rain making even more of a mess. The latest on the erupting volcano in Indonesia. Mount Merapi and the thousands of people who fled.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: We're going to talk to Chad in a second about Mount Merapi. Let me get a couple you of the facts that we are aware of at least right now. The death toll in Indonesia continues to climb in the wake of the eruptions at Mount Merapi.
Boy, look at the pictures. I guess they're new pictures we're just getting in here at CNN. Chad Myers is going to help me --
CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: That's ash you're seeing. Very much different from, let's say, what we think about in Hawaii.
HARRIS: Right.
MYERS: The volume that just kind of -- the lava oozes down and it's real pretty and you want to look at it and fly over in a helicopter. This is an explosive volcano where puffs come out every once in a while. Still waiting for waiting the main eruption -
HARRIS: I heard that this morning! The folks are waiting for the big, big event.
MYERS: The problem now is not so much the little villages where all these people have died so far, but there is a town or city, I guess you might want to call it, almost 350,000 people, Yogi Carta (ph) there. That's 20 miles away.
You remember what happened to Mount St. Helens. If you were within 20 miles of Mount St. Helens, you were vaporize, basically. They are moving these people out of the way of the town, literally mile by mile by mile, getting them away from right there, Mount Merapi.
There's a lot of peaks. You see a lot of peaks here. This is Indonesia. This is still part of that ring of fire. There are volcanoes everywhere. This is it the one that just happens to be firing right now. And it will continue to go for a while. Air space was closed, 44 flights were canceled over the weekend to places around Indonesia, Jakarta and all that.
But you know what? Hey, the president is on his way. Not to the volcano but to Indonesia proper. He'll only be 250 miles from this active volcano.
HARRIS: I was wondering that.
MYERS: Safe, but you might see something.
HARRIS: Well, that's kind of rough. Chad, appreciate it. Thank you, sir.
A new song from the late Michael Jackson. Have you heard it? Well, you're not alone. It seems a lot of his fans aren't exactly singing and shouting with joy about it. What's up with that? Brooke Anderson, wow, there she is, she's got the scoop from Los Angeles right after a break here in the CNN NEWSROOM. Good to see you, Brooke.
BROOKE ANDERSON, HLN HOST, "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT": You, too!
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Boy, a lot to tell you about today on the entertainment front. Brooke Anderson, co-host of "Showbiz Tonight" on HLN, is in Los Angeles for us.
Brooke, good to see you. What are you leading with this hour?
BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT": Well, we're talking about some concerns about an upcoming Michael Jackson album, Tony.
HARRIS: Yes.
ANDERSON: Because a brand new Michael Jackson song has just been released this morning on the Internet on MJ's Web site. And, first, it's my job to let you hear it before I go any further.
HARRIS: Oh, OK. ANDERSON: This is called "Breaking News."
(AUDIO CLIP)
ANDERSON: OK. The big debate that's been raging is whether the vocals are really Michael's. The song is being released by his record company Sony, which will release the complete album called "Michael" on December 10th. The album is apparently going to have about 10 never-before-heard MJ songs.
But here's the kicker. Michael's mom Katherine, his sisters, even his kids have reportedly said they think a bunch of the tracks are fake, are phonies. But Sony says it's got independent experts who have authenticated the voice. So, fans can listen and decide for themselves. I am sure that uber (ph) MJ fans are going to be closely inspecting every single word and sound.
And, Tony, we're also talking about Pam Anderson this morning because she has just arrived in Israel to promote her appearance on Israel's version of "Dancing With The Stars," but she's saying that she's also there trying to meet with ultra orthodox lawmakers. Yes, Pam's a champion of animal rights and also an honorary director for PETA. She wants lawmakers to ban the use of fur in Israel. An anti-fur bill has been put on hold in the country over concerns by ultra orthodox leaders that it could affect production of the fur hats worn by men on holidays. So we'll see if Pam Anderson accomplishes her mission there.
HARRIS: OK. Got you.
ANDERSON: Also, we're talking about actress Jill Clayburgh, because she died of leukemia on Friday. Very sad. "Showbiz Tonight" spoke with actor Jake Gyllenhaal, who co-starred with her in one of her last films. It's the upcoming "Love & Other Drugs." Jake told us he was really surprised by this news. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAKE GYLLENHAAL, ACTOR: I had no idea that she had been sick for 20 years. And we worked for two days on the movie. And over those two days, like, I actually grew to like -- to love her.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: She will be missed, Tony. A very talented actress.
HARRIS: Yes, you've got that right. She really was. Man.
Big news coming to late night, Brooke. Tell us all about it.
ANDERSON: That's right. It's time to laugh again, Tony, because Conan O'Brien is back in late night with his big new show "Conan." It's on TBS, our sister network. Conan has lined up the lady who opened the Nutcracker Museum in Washington state, "Glee's" Lea Michelle and Seth Rogen. And, Tony, you may think, what, the woman from the Nutcracker Museum? That's pretty random. But, as we know, Conan and his sidekick, Andy Richter, can definitely make random very, very funny. And I've got one word for you with that one, "props."
HARRIS: Nice. Nice.
ANDERSON: There will be lots of props.
HARRIS: Yes, I can image. I can't wait. It's tonight at, what, 11:00 on our sister network.
ANDERSON: 11:00.
HARRIS: TBS. Following the "George Lopez Show."
Brooke, it's good to see you. Thank you.
ANDERSON: You too.
HARRIS: All right. We're back in a moment. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
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HARRIS: The Tea Party may flex its muscle again in 2012. It is warning several big-name Republican Senators that it may challenge their re-elections. Among them, Orrin Hatch and Olympia Snowe. Wolf Blitzer, OK, leader of "The Best Political Team On Television," joining us live from the political desk in Washington.
Wolf, good to see you. Is this a challenge to Republican senators from Republicans?
WOLF BLITZER, HOST, "THE SITUATION ROOM": Yes. There's no doubt about that. And the Tea Party activists were very instrumental in getting some mainstream Republicans defeated in Republican primaries this year. Mike Castle, for example, in Delaware. You remember Christine O'Donnell. Out in Utah, they got the longtime senator in Utah, they got him removed. They got the Tea Party activist who was elected, unlike in Delaware. So Orrin Hatch in Utah right now is feeling the pressure. I'm sure Olympia Snowe in Maine, although Maine is a very different state than Utah is. But there -- a lot of these incumbent Republicans are looking over their shoulders, looking ahead to 2012, wondering if there's going to be a problem going forward with a Republican challenge in some primaries.
By the way, Sarah Palin, she's speaking out today on Ben Bernanke, the Federal Reserve chairman, making it clear she's not very happy with the Fed's decision to go ahead and print $600 billion and try to help jump-start the economy, if you will, create some jobs. At one point in her prepared remarks she says, what happens if the Fed becomes not just the buyer of last resort, but the buyer of only resort when it comes to U.S. Treasury bills? She's speaking out on a substantive issue like that. A couple of notes moving on the political ticker, Tony, I just want to update our viewers. MSNBC says they're going to let Keith Olbermann come back tomorrow night. He'll resume anchoring his show after a two show suspension for giving a total of $7,200 to Democratic candidates in the waning days of the election. MSNBC saying, we look forward to having him back on the air Tuesday night.
Finally, a nice shout-out to Robert Gibbs, the White House press secretary. He came to the defense of the White House press pool. There's a photo op in India. The president was meeting with the Indian prime minister, Singh. And the Indians -- the Indian press people at the end said only five members of the White House press pool instead of the usual eight could go in and Gibbs said, no way, all eight are going in. There was an exchange. At one point he had to put his foot through the door and the Indians were threatening to break his foot if he didn't remove his foot. He was worried about that.
But in the end, the Indians gave in and let all eight members of the White House press pool go in. At one point, Gibbs was going to say, I'm going to go tell the president to leave this meeting if you don't let the White House media in, in full. And in the end, the Indians said OK. But good for Robert Gibbs.
HARRIS: Oh, yes. Yes.
BLITZER: I used to be a member of that White House press pool for a long time when I was the White House correspondent and it's always important that we get in there, let the American public and indeed the world get pictures and sound of what's going on.
HARRIS: Absolutely. Yes, if a scrum (ph) is necessary from time to time, so be it.
Wolf, hey, how about this?
BLITZER: And good for Robert Gibbs. A nice shout-out to Robert Gibbs.
HARRIS: Yes. Absolutely.
So I've got a bit of an inside tip here. This is something apparently that is so new, you won't even find it on the CNN Political Ticker. You ready? You ready?
BLITZER: I'm ready. I'm ready.
HARRIS: You, Wolf Blitzer, Atlanta, Wednesday. And wait for it, the BET Soul Train Music Awards? Are you kidding me?
BLITZER: That's correct. Because when you think of "Soul Train," Tony, you think of Wolf Blitzer. Is that right?
HARRIS: (INAUDIBLE).
BLITZER: Hey, look, I grew up in Buffalo, New York. I watched "Soul Train" my whole life growing up. I love "Soul Train." Don Cornelius. Peace, love and soul. Remember that, Tony.
HARRIS: Absolutely.
BLITZER: I'm going to be at the Soul Train Awards Wednesday night. I'm making a special presentation. It's a surprise. I'm not going to tell you what the presentation is all about.
HARRIS: OK.
BLITZER: Needless to say, "THE SITUATION ROOM" will be at the BET Soul Train Awards Wednesday night. It airs, by the way, November 28th on BET and Centric. So I think millions of people will be watching. It will be a lot of fun and it will all be good.
HARRIS: Dude, I'm not going to -- I'm not going to miss that on television when the program airs. I am -- I'm not going to miss it when you're here. I'm going to find a way to get a ticket to that show at the Cobb Energy Center on Wednesday. I will be there in person to see this with my own two with eyes and --
BLITZER: I will see you Wednesday because I'll be anchoring "THE SITUATION ROOM" earlier in the day from Atlanta, from our studios where you are. So we'll have a few laughs and then we'll head over to the Cobb Energy Center and we'll rock 'n' roll a little bit with all our friends at "Soul Train."
HARRIS: All right. We can electric slide together. Wolf Blitzer.
Wolf, appreciate it. Thank you. Can't wait.
BLITZER: And, Tony, I forgot to ask you, have you learned how to do the Dougie yet?
HARRIS: The Dougie. I haven't, but I'll have it by Wednesday. We can do it together.
BLITZER: If you haven't -- if you haven't -- if you haven't learned by Wednesday night, we have to learn how to do the Dougie.
HARRIS: There's a little inside there. Maybe we can run the clip a little later in the show.
Wolf, good to see you. We'll see you on Wednesday. That's terrific stuff. Wolf Blitzer, bringing the entertainment factor to the CNN NEWSROOM.
Your next political update coming up in one hour. That's good stuff. For the latest political news, go to cnnpolitics.com.
Can you do the Dougie?
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