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Building a Quake-Proof City; Congress' Full Plate; Charles Rangel Walks Out of Ethics Committee; Backlash Over Body Scans; Taking Charge of Your Debt; Freed Activist Speaks Out; Hot Off The Political Ticker; NASA Reveals New Space Find

Aired November 15, 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: You know, any city worried about earthquake should look at Kobe, Japan. After a devastating quake there, the city is today about as earthquake-proof as modern engineering allows.

Here's CNN's chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Would you even know what to do if you found yourself in the middle of that?

What we're experiencing here is a 6.9 magnitude earthquake. What they'll tell you to do is go into the corner of a room, structure the most sound, stay away from glass as much as possible. Also cover your hands, cover your face, get underneath the table if you have to, just something to protect yourself.

Of course, all of this is just a simulation. And that's what you need to do as an individual. But given that so many people live in urban centers all across the world, how do you recover and rebuild after something like that?

That's exactly the question they were asking themselves in Kobe, Japan, in 1995. A 6.9 magnitude earthquake just like that one, 20 seconds in length; 200,000 buildings gone, 5,000 lives lost. There's a lot of work to do to try and rebuild this place.

Well, Kobe did it in less than 10 years, and now they serve as a model for the rest of the world. A lot of lessons have been learned. For example, don't put all your disaster resources in one particular area. Also, try and engage the survivors of an earthquake as much as possible in the rebuilding process.

And finally, hospitals. They have to be able to stay open and functioning even after an earthquake.

Of course, there are the buildings, the awful images like this one. Remember, 200,000 went down. This was one of them. Well, take a look at what it looks like now. This is the same building, rebuilt just quickly after the earthquake.

What did they do specifically? They used materials here to try and isolate the building from the ground and the shaking that accompanies an earthquake. They also used metal plates to allow the building to move, as well as materials that sort of allow this building to sway if the ground is shaking

It is by no means perfect. And if you ask Kobe officials, they'll say about 80 percent of the city is now rebuilt.

There are some problems still. Narrow thoroughfares like this would be tough to navigate in the middle of an earthquake. And these buildings could come down into the streets, making rescues that much more difficult.

But the balance, it's always there, trying to maintain what Japan has been for hundreds of years in the middle of all this reconstruction.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Hello again, everyone. I'm Tony Harris.

Top of the hour in the CNN NEWSROOM, where anything can happen. Here are some of the people behind today's top stories.

A girl found tied up in a basement. Searchers are looking for her mother, brother and a family friend. We have got the latest on the search in Ohio.

And how to ease your money fears. A couple shares how they became debt-free in just three years.

Let's get started with our lead story. The lame-duck Congress returns today to a full plate. Actually, a full platter of unresolved issues.

Take a look at this long list behind me, this long to-do list. We are focusing on three of these: tax cuts, the budget, and Medicare.

Last hour, I spoke with our senior congressional correspondent, Dana Bush, about the so-called Bush tax cuts and what we can expect. Here's what she said about that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DANA BASH, CNN SR. CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: What I am still told is potentially, the most likely compromise, Tony, is across the board, doing an extension on all income levels, maybe temporarily, two or three years. But really, it is very early.

These discussions have not yet started in earnest, and this really is going to be the thing that takes up all of the oxygen in this lame- duck session, trying to figure out how to do this. It is politically potent and it is incredibly important for really every American in this country.

HARRIS: Yes, it is.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: OK. So this hour we focus on the spending bills and the budget.

Dana, what can we expect to happen with this area?

BASH: Well, the thing to remember, Tony, is that not one of the dozen spending bills that Congress is supposed to pass and send to the president's desk was done. Not one of them.

So, Congress has been passing what's called continuing resolutions to keep the government running for months and months and months. The latest is going to run out on December 3rd, so they have to deal with that soon. Very soon.

Republicans are saying, well, you know what? Let's do that, but let's bring back the spending to 2008 levels, so a lot lower than what the government is spending now. Democrats are saying no, that is not going to happen. There is a chance that Democrats will go for some reduction in spending, but they have to come to some compromise on this in the next couple of weeks to keep everything in the government running -- Tony.

HARRIS: OK. So, Dana, they are called lame-duck sessions for a reason. They don't traditionally get much done because there's a lack of incentives. So you've got GOP members -- they will have much more power, right, to get what they want in the next Congress?

BASH: A lot more power, and that's why even though Republicans are saying they want to reduce spending right now, they know that they really are going to have a lot of pressure on them to do it when they get the majority here in the House, where I am, especially. And what we're seeing today is a flood of newly elected members.

And I spoke to one of them on this subject. He is kind of a classic member of the new class of Republicans.

His name is Billy Long. He is an auctioneer. He has never -- not only been elected to government office, he's never been to the Capitol before. I asked him what his priorities are. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILLY LONG (R), MISSOURI REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT: I'm 55 years old. I don't have a long political future ahead of me. So I'm going to do the right things for the right reasons every day I'm here.

I'm not going to be afraid to push back. I'm going to push politely. I'm not a big rabble-rouser, but I'm certainly going to come up here and do the things that the people -- they elected me to do. And that is to get this out-of-control spending under control.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: Now, Tony, Billy Long is not alone. We have talked to several members of the newly-elected Republican class who said that they were either elected with a lot of Tea Party support, or just their own convictions. They say that this time, now that they have -- or they are going to have the majority, they are going to have to do what they say, and that is to reduce that spending.

How they are going to do that is going to be one of the big questions, one of the first questions that we are going to be looking for them to answer.

HARRIS: Oh, I cannot wait to hear what they decide they want to take on and how they go about reducing the spending. I just can't wait to see the choices that they make.

All right, Dana. Good to see you. Thank you.

BASH: You, too.

HARRIS: You know, one item Congress is not expected to approve during the lame-duck session, extending jobless benefits. A program that allows unemployed workers to apply for extended benefits expires at the end of the month unless Congress acts. About two million people will lose their federal unemployment benefits in December.

Also at the Capitol today, a House panel is holding an ethics hearing into long-time New York Congressman Charlie Rangel.

Congressional Correspondent Brianna Keilar is at the Capitol for us.

And Brianna, Rangel showed up to say he wants more time. Then he walked out. More time for what?

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I mean, can we say drama here? He said that he wants more time to get a lawyer, and also, most importantly, most significantly, to raise money to pay for his legal fees.

He told the committee that he spent about $2 million in legal fees so far, and that about a month or so ago, he basically told his lawyers as they were talking about the case -- his lawyers let him know it could cost a million more dollars to take him through this process. When he said he couldn't guarantee that he could pay it, he said they withdrew from representing him. So now he's telling the committee that this is unfair, that he's being deprived of a fair trial.

And this is what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. CHARLES RANGEL (D), NEW YORK: Since I don't have counsel to advise me, I'm going to have to excuse myself from these proceedings, because I have no idea what this man has put together over two years that was given to me last week, and I just hope that the history of this committee, in terms of fairness, would be judged for what it is.

So, with all due respect, and recognizing how awkward it is for the members of this committee as colleagues, and someone that would like to preserve the right of members to be judged by their peers with counsel, I respectfully remove myself.

(END VIDEO CLIP) KEILAR: Now, this was quite the surprise. And after this, the committee, this Ethics Subcommittee, went behind closed doors, talked about what they were going to do, and they came out and said that, really, they are going to continue with this hearing, and they went ahead and continued with it.

They hit the law firm that had been representing Rangel. And I have to tell you, Tony, we're trying to get their side of the story here, but they haven't commented to us yet.

And the committee though did say, we've given Charlie Rangel advice on basically paying for legal fees or how he can do that on several occasions. We've also given him the evidence. He's had it for a long time.

So they kind of seem to be pushing back on that as well. And then what you saw was the lawyers for the committee, really the prosecution here, starting to try to poke holes in Rangel's story. They actually used his own words from a floor speech in August to make their case that he violated some of these House rules.

HARRIS: Wow. Brianna, maybe we can attempt to bottom-line this.

What is it that Charlie Rangel wants, if we can figure that out? Does he want the proceeding delayed until the Republicans take over?

KEILAR: No. I mean, that would make you wonder.

HARRIS: Yes.

KEILAR: It's kind of unclear what he wants. And he said that he's been begging and screaming and wants to get this done quickly. And now he's saying that he does want some of a delay.

So, it's really unclear. We haven't had a chance to talk to him again and really get that sense. But certainly, he's saying that he doesn't feel equipped to be handling this on his own. He is a lawyer, but he was working with a team of lawyers, and he doesn't have that now.

HARRIS: You know what? I wanted to wrap, but I'm not going to wrap with you, because I want to maybe sort of paint the fuller picture here.

We're talking about 13 et things charges against Rangel. Remind us, if you would, of the most serious allegations, Brianna.

KEILAR: You know, one of the most serious ones has to do with not paying taxes on a rental -- on income from a rental property in the Dominican Republic. It's such a big deal. And Rangel has admitted to this, although he says more -- his indication is it's sloppiness, not that he was trying to do this.

But remember, Tony, he is no longer -- he was the chairman of the very powerful Ways and Means Committee --

HARRIS: That's right. KEILAR: -- the tax-writing committee in the House. So a lot of people have said, are you kidding me? You didn't pay taxes, and you're the guy who's in charge of this committee for tax writing.

HARRIS: All right. OK.

Brianna Keilar on Capitol Hill for us.

Brianna, good to see you. Thank you.

A search resumed today in Ohio for three people. We have live pictures of the search in Mount Vernon. Have a look.

Thirty-two-year-old Tina Hermann, her 10-year-old son Kody and 41- year-old friend Stephanie Sprang, they haven't been seen since Thursday. But police found Hermann's 13-year-old daughter bound and gagged at a house 10 miles away.

You're looking at live pictures now. Let's get more on this story from Andy Rose

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDY ROSE, CNN RADIO (voice-over): Residents in Mount Vernon, Ohio, are wondering how such a crime could happen in their neighborhood.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They found that girl, like, tied in a basement. Who would do that to a kid? I mean, she's only 13. It's really sad. There are really sick people.

ROSE: Sarah Maynard was recovered in a Sunday morning SWAT team raid on the home of 30-year-old Matthew Hoffman.

SHERIFF DAVID BARBER, KNOX COUNTY, OHIO: She was being held against her will. She is in good condition and she was taken to a hospital for evaluation.

ROSE: She had been missing since Thursday, along with her mother, brother, and a family friend. Blood has been found in their home in a nearby town.

BARBER: As of right now, we have no one that we are aware of who is deceased, so it continues as a missing person's investigation.

ROSE: Hoffman faces one count of kidnapping. Authorities believe he can lead them to the rest of the family, but so far say he has not cooperated. Hoffman has served prison time for arson, and neighbors say he didn't quite fit in.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He was a weirdo. I mean, he really was a weirdo. There's a hammock where he would sit and watch people. He's just different.

ROSE: Relatives and friends plan to resume the search today for those still missing.

Reporting from Atlanta, I'm Andy Rose.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Facebook taking a giant step. Now they want your e-mails.

And what's the one thing a burglar doesn't want to see during a random break-in? It is our "Random Moment" in 90 seconds, and this one is pretty random.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Oh, you've got to love this. Game show contestants say the darnedest things. But "Family Feud" host and friend of this program, Steve Harvey, didn't see this Freudian slip coming. It is the "Random Moment of the Day."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVE HARVEY, HOST, "FAMILY FEUD": Something a burglar would not see when he breaks into a house?

Rob (ph)?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Naked grandma!

HARVEY: Naked -- huh?

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Naked grandmother.

OK. So the show gave the contestant credit for naked grandma even though "occupant" was the word that came up on the board.

Survey says, keep watching the "Random Moment of the Day."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Got to tell you, with announcement like these, Facebook could make enemies out of -- let's see -- Google, Yahoo!, Microsoft. The company, with 500 million friends -- man, that's a big number -- making a foray into the e-mail market.

Josh, will you explain this, please?

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's amazing, isn't it?

HARRIS: Yes.

LEVS: A half a billion people.

What we're talking about today could shake up the entire world of e- mail. It really could. TechCrunch.com has reported that it's called "Project Tighten," and that internally, at Facebook, some are calling it the Gmail killer. Think about it this way -- all right? More than half a billion people are on Facebook. Right now you can only use Facebook's inbox messaging feature to write to other people who are also on Facebook.

Well, if Facebook enters e-mail, then, boom, you've got your e-mail inside Facebook. And the question is going to be, why would you go anywhere else?

And I will show you something right now. Look, the reality is that Internet users are choosy. And if Facebook does launch e-mail, it's not just up to par, then the truth is, people will stick with their other e-mail accounts.

But this is who is keeping a close eye on this today. Here, Tony, is the breakdown for Web-based e-mail traffic in the United States.

HARRIS: OK.

LEVS: Almost half of it is Yahoo! right now. Forty-four percent of Web-based e-mail in this country is Yahoo!

Over here, 30 percent is from Hotmail. And 15 percent is Gmail, is Google. So that's the breakdown there, and then you've got some others filling out the rest.

This is from Compete.com that breaks it down here. So, all of these companies keeping a close eye on this announcement.

And here's something interesting. AOL did this. In advance of this Facebook announcement, they announced a big change, what they are calling "Project Phoenix." They are revolutionizing their e-mail system.

So, that battle is on, Tony. Expect an announcement is going to be actually less than an hour from now. It's 1:00 p.m. Eastern. We're following it really closely.

Let me show everyone where to follow this online as well.

HARRIS: OK.

LEVS: You might be online while you're watching this show. I'm at Facebook and Twitter, @JoshLevsCNN.

Everything we get we are Facebooking and tweeting. Also, we have a Twitter account for @CNNTech that is getting all the details from inside.

Tony, we'll be all over this. It really could have repercussions for years to come.

HARRIS: So Yahoo! is number one. I didn't know that.

LEVS: Yes. HARRIS: I never thought it was number one, but Yahoo! is number one when it comes to e-mails.

LEVS: You know what Yahoo! did? Yahoo! was really early on.

HARRIS: OK. OK.

LEVS: So, Yahoo! established a relationship e-mail users a long time ago, and since then, Gmail came along later on and actually managed to get a pretty good chunk of the market given how much later they started.

HARRIS: This could be huge.

LEVS: It could be huge.

HARRIS: You're right. I think this could be huge.

All right, Josh. Appreciate it. Thank you.

LEVS: You got it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BUSINESS REPORT)

HARRIS: Let's look at top stories right now.

The Haitian government now says the cholera outbreak has killed 917 people and has spread to the capital, Port-au-Prince. Medical workers call that number understated. The U.N. says 200,000 Haitians could come down with cholera, overwhelming hospitals there.

Police in California have stepped up their search for a Honda involved in a horrific crash, a car and motorcycle crash. Five people died second after the Honda passed a group of motorcycles on a two-lane highway early yesterday. Another car swerved to miss the Honda and plowed into the bikers.

In Arizona, after counting all of the ballots, voters have approved the sale of medical marijuana. Fourteen other states already allow the use of pot for medicinal purposes.

A revolt at the airport. One passenger says new enhanced body pat- downs amount to a sexual assault.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: OK. As we approach the busiest travel time of the year, there's a growing backlash over body scans and pat-downs at airports. Case and point, a California man who got into a dispute after refusing to undergo a body scan at the San Diego Airport. He was told he could have a pat-down instead.

He recorded the confrontation on his cell phone.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come on over here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you have anything in your pockets?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't think so. I had to take it all out.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No belt, no nothing?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nope, no belt, no nothing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you have any external or internal implants that I need to be aware of?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're going to be doing the standard pat-down on you today, using my hands, going like this on your body.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Also, we're going to be doing a groin check. That means I'm going to place my hand on your hip, the other hand on your inner thigh, slowly go up and slide down.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm going to do that two times in the front and two times in the back.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And if you'd like a private screening, we can make that available for you also.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We can do that out here, but if you touch my junk, I'm going to have you arrested.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Actually, we are going to have a supervisor here because of your statement.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: "If you touch my junk, I'm going to have you arrested." OK.

The screener is doing his job.

Let's drill down on this.

Josh, this guy says they are threatening him with a $10,000 fine. I guess the first question is, can they do that?

LEVS: You know what? That caught us all off guard, which is part of what's so interesting about this. This big question now as a result of this, can the government fine you if you leave during a security check at an airport?

We actually all want to know this now. TSA administrator John Pistole was on "AMERICAN MORNING" this morning. We asked him about it. And you'll see here, he didn't really answer it.

Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN PISTOLE, TSA ADMINISTRATOR: Well, there are a number of different possibilities there. The bottom line is, if somebody does not go through proper security screening, then they are not going to get on the flight. So that's what it comes down to.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEVS: Yes, but the question is still, can the government come along and fine you?

So we have calls out to the TSA. We're asking, can you actually come up with a fine?

But, Tony, this is where the actual language that is in our laws comes to matter so much. And I want to read everyone a quote from the TSA. This is a TSA statement.

It says, "Anyone who refuses to complete the screening process will be denied access to the secure area" --obviously. It also says, "and could be subject to a civil penalty."

So, then you get into this question, why could the government fine you if you just say, I want to leave the airport? Well, they point to a decision that was made by the Ninth District Court of Appeals that said in this era, after 9/11, it doesn't really make let someone start and then leave. Maybe they've got something. Maybe all of a sudden they think someone is going to catch on to them, and they keep leaving and coming back.

And here's a quote from the court's ruling. "Such a rule would afford terrorists multiple opportunities to attempt to penetrate airport security by electing not to fly on the cusp of detection until a vulnerable portal is found."

So, the TSA points to that. They don't want people leaving partway through and coming back.

HARRIS: Yes.

LEVS: You can see why. On the flip side, as a person, as an American, don't you have the right to just leave?

So, we still want to know, what are the penalties? What would the punishment be, a $10,000 fine? They are not telling us now -- Tony.

HARRIS: OK. Can you maybe explain why we're seeing all these new rules? LEVS: Yes. You know, I mean, look, the government is trying to keep up with all the threats of terrorism, but certainly ever since this.

HARRIS: Yes.

LEVS: This was the failed Christmas Day bomber last year, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, as we remember. We're coming up actually not too far now, Tony, on the year anniversary of when that happened.

HARRIS: That's right.

LEVS: And what we have is a government that's basically dealing with the eternal tussle between security and freedom, trying to do everything they can that you don't have anything you shouldn't have on that airplane while still protecting your security.

So that's the basic idea. That's why it's happening now, because a lot has been going on ever since that failed underwear bombing -- Tony.

HARRIS: Yes. OK. So, Josh, let's do this -- clearly, the story raises a lot of questions about your rights and the efforts being taken now by the TSA to protect all of us. Let's get to some of those questions in a moment, in two minutes.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: All right. We are back with Josh. A lot of people are watching us right now from airports across the country. So let's continue our conversation about these more invasive searches. Who is being subjective to them and what are your rights in this area?

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, you know, people are going to be facing it more and more partly because people start to travel now, but also because more airports are getting more machines.

Look, I mean, we have video of, you know, typical screenings. The TSA obviously encourages everyone to do the basics off the top, right? Have your shoes and coats off. Turn your laptops out. You know the rules on the liquids. All of that can help speed up the process and help reduce the likelihood that you'll face some of the more of invasive things.

Now, they are also now using, the TSA is using this advanced imaging technologies. Not in every airports at about 70, but they are deploying at lot more of them actually using stimulus funds. Some people are uncomfortable of being subjected to these images and it's important to understand what happens with those images.

The officer who looks at that is in another area somewhere and doesn't see the passenger, just the image and the officer who's with you doesn't actually see the image and the government says that helps protect your security. Also, those images are not retained and can help people stay safe. The question though is about the patdowns, who is subject to those? So I have something here that should make it simple about who is getting hit by these patdowns. A lot of people of saying they don't want to experience it.

If you for some reason set off an alarm at the metal detector and if you have what the government is called an anomaly during screening, which is a broad term, something they're wondering about. Something they want to check about.

Also, if you opt out of what we're showing you, this advanced imaging technology then they get to you do this pat down. It's supposed to be conducted by someone of the same gender. You have the right to a private screening. You also, a lot of people don't know this. You have the right to have a travelling companion there while the screening is done for you, if you feel like I need a witness. I need what's going on.

But that doesn't solve all of the problems. I mean, look, a lot of people say it's too invasive for them and makes them very uncomfortable. That debate continues, Tony.

HARRIS: I think I heard the secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano in her news conference last hour suggests that the TSA is still open to ideas, feedback on this area. So maybe this is where we are now, but it doesn't mean that we're forever, right?

LEVS: It's also - look, it's changing every few weeks.

HARRIS: All right, Josh. Thank you.

You will hear from the California man who recorded his confrontation with airport security screeners (inaudible) have a live interview with John Tyner during the 4:00 hour of CNN NEWSROOM.

Something else you may not like at the airport, having to pay baggage fees. The airlines are cashing in. Raking it in. The top 20 companies ranked by baggage fee revenue collected more than $1.6 billion in the first two quarters of this year.

That's according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Delta Airlines tops the list followed by American Airlines and U.S. Airways.

No job and steep in debt, after many sleepless nights, one couple decided to take charge of their finances. How they went from down in the dumps to debt-free?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Live within your means. How many times have you heard that in the past few years? Mama probably told you that, too. For some it is a difficult lesson. Our Christine Romans found a couple in a story in New York who climbed out from under a mountain of debt.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: There are more than a dozen accounts here that you had to close up?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

ROMANS (voice-over): Three years ago, Carole and Don Carroll were $88,000 in debt. Today, they are debt free.

DON CARROLL, PAID OFF $88,000 DEBT: It's not like we said, let's go buy a Maserati. All it takes is one little pickup to start this horrible, horrible snowball effect going downhill.

ROMANS: The Carroll spent every penny and then some on credit cards, gas cards, medical bills, even though they had health insurance. Then, Don lost his job.

(on camera): You were literally near a nervous breakdown over these bills?

CAROLE CARROLL, PAID OFF $88,000 DEBT: When you can't sleep, it just gets to you.

DON CARROLL: Yes.

CAROLE CARROLL: And that was the straw that broke the camel's back. I stopped sleeping.

ROMANS: They did not want to file for bankruptcy.

CAROLE CARROLL: We made the debt. We should pay for it.

ROMANS (voice-over): A non-profit credit counselor put the Carroll's on a five-year payment plan. They finished in just over three.

GAIL CUNNINGHAM, NATIONAL FOUNDATION FOR CREDIT COUNSELING: I think if there is a silver lining to the recession, it is that it has refocused people's attention on their own personal finances. I think they are ready to move back over into the driver's seat.

ROMANS: So how did the Carroll's do it?

DON CARROLL: You just have to get organized. I don't know if you really call it having less. It's just not having it immediately. You learn to live with what you need, not with what you want.

ROMANS (on camera): What is your message for people who might see your story and think, wow, I have 40, 50, $60,000 in credit card debt. I will never get out from under this?

DON CARROLL: Never say never.

CAROLE CARROLL: It is totally fixable, but you have to -- you have to take the steps to say, I need help.

(END VIDEOTAPE) HARRIS: Christine Romans joining us from New York. That's great, Christine, but I want to know specifically what they did. How did the Carroll's do this?

ROMANS: First, they had to find the number, Tony. How much in debt they were? They didn't even really know. This number was hidden for a long time. You know, you kind of rack up interest and fees and you don't know how much you owe.

First they found out how much they owed when they couldn't sleep at night anymore from all the bills. Then they went to a non-profit credit counselor who helped them put him on a payment plan that a complicated spreadsheet of what comes in the household or what goes out. They used every single penny of their income to pay off what they had already spent.

They cut out Broadway shows. They cut out dinner with friends. They did not get takeout food, anything nonessential. Bottom line is, for everyday items, they only bought something it if they absolutely need it.

Needs versus wants. They planned to do this for five years. They got done in less than four. A little over three years, Tony.

HARRIS: That is terrific.

ROMANS: An $88,000 is a lot of money. I couldn't believe -- and you can't point to one thing, Tony, that really racked up all of that debt. It was a couple of hip replacements and then somebody was out of work for a little bit, ordering in all the time.

They were afraid to sort of tell their friends what kind of financial trouble they were in and they went out with friends until they said, we have to stop.

Now, ironically, their credit score is so good now from paying off all of that debt that all of the credit issuers are dying to get them as customers again. Sending them all of this stuff. They said, we will not do it again because it's a slippery slope.

HARRIS: Well, that last bit is really encouraging. You can be in a mountain of debt and with a bad score to go along with that and you can get out of it and get your credit score restored in a few years.

ROMANS: Tony, a lot of people don't know that. If you pay off your debt quickly and aggressively, your credit score will be almost perfect. It will skyrocket.

And then they want you to borrow more money again because you're a great candidate to borrow more money, but isn't that what got you in trouble in the first place?

HARRIS: Exactly. "Smart is the New Rich." The author is right there on your screen, Christine Romans. Good to see you, Christine. Thank you.

ROMANS: Thank you, Tony.

HARRIS: A big announcement coming from NASA today, but they haven't said what it is about. The agency is holding a news conference right now and they've invited journalists from all over the world. Where is Chad Myers? We're going to get him up on this in just a moment. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Newly freed activist, Aung San Suu Kyi vows to keep working toward restoring democracy and improving human rights in Myanmar. She also told supporters not do give up as they greeted her at her party's headquarters following her weekend release. Suu Kyi has spent 13 in the past 21 years under house arrest.

The Nobel Peace Prize recipient spoke earlier to Kristie Lu Stout of our sister network CNN International.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AUNG SAN SUU KYI (via telephone): I want to see significant progress in the way of democratic practices and human rights.

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Now, you are one of many individuals who have been in prison for their political activities in Myanmar. Estimate say about 2,200 dissidents have been imprisoned in Myanmar. What would you like to say to the world to remind people of not just your story but their story as well?

SUU KYI: It's very simply that what they are having to go through is much, much worse than what I had to go through. Life in prison is very different than life inside your own house, if you're under house arrest.

It's much, much easier than being in prison. So whatever I went through was nothing compared to what those in prison are going through. So I would like very much everybody all over the world to work for the release of the prisoners.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: OK. Top words of 2010, I know you've been waiting for this one. According to global language monitor, here are a few pegged off the news. Spill cam. That's from the oil spill in the Gulf. Refudiate, made famous by former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. That's not even a word.

Hu. The Chinese premier was the name of the year and there is one word on the list you probably never heard of before this year. We will tell you what it is.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: OK, top words of 2010. One that you probably never heard before. I love it. Vuvuzela. Yes, those defining horns that became a real symbol of the World Cup soccer matches in South Africa. Some people like them a lot. Like me. Others wanted them barred from the games. Now Global Language Monitor lists vuvuzela as one of the top words of 2010.

A brand new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll measures the post- election climate. Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser, part of "The Best Political Team On Television," joining us from the political desk in Washington.

Paul, if you would, first of all, good to see you. Give us some of those new numbers.

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Tony, I don't have any vuvuzelas. I didn't think I could pronounce it. So, more credit to you.

Let's take a look at these numbers. Brand new from CNN/Opinion Research Corporation. As you mentioned, a national poll. We conducted it just this past weekend. The 11th through the 14th. And check this out, we asked the Republican victories, they retook the House of Representatives in the midterm elections. Is that good or bad for the country, Tony? Fifty-two percent, a slight majority, saying it is good for the country. Thirty-nine percent saying it is bad for the country.

So does that mean it's a mandate for the Republicans in these elections? Well, no. Take a look at the next board. We asked, will the Republicans in the House do a better job than the Democrats? Only a third say, yes, they'll do a better job in the next Congress. One out of five, 21 percent, say, you know what, they're going to do a worse job than the Democrats, and 44 percent say, ah, makes no difference.

Want some more proof, Tony, that this maybe wasn't a mandate? Look at this next one. And we asked just that, was this election a mandate for Republican policies? Seventeen percent say yes, seven out of 10 day now. And, Tony, stick on that board for a second, because that's interesting. Similar numbers in 2006 when the Democrats reclaimed Congress and similar numbers in '94 when the Republicans reclaimed Congress. It was more of a throw the bums out attitude than we like what you're doing, in this case meaning the Republicans.

HARRIS: Right.

STEINHAUSER: And, finally, Tony, what about the president, Barack Obama, his approval rating. Look at this. His approval rating is just slightly starting to jump a little bit. It was at an all-time low in September. In CNN polling at 42 percent. Now it's up to 48 percent approval. But, Tony, still 50 percent approve -- 50 percent say they disapprove.

And, Tony, I'm going to ask Phil Littleton (ph), our cameraman, to zoom right in here. You want more on this poll? You know where to go, cnn.com/political. There it is right there on the CNN Political Ticker right now. So you know where to go when you want more -- more than I can give you, Tony.

HARRIS: There we go. And as we say good-bye to Paul, let's cue up the vuvuzelas. Let's do that. Your next political update coming up in one hour. For the latest political news, just go to cnnpolitics.com. There you go, Paul Steinhauser.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: So, Chad, honestly, all morning -- oh, Chad Myers is here with us. Let's -- yes. So, Chad, all morning we had these notes talking about there's something hot, interesting, compelling coming up. A big, big, big, big, big. Well, what was it?

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Have you ever noticed that some people are really, really intelligent?

HARRIS: Yes.

MYERS: And like at a party somebody tries to tell you how to program a computer in Unix and take your PC apart and you can do all this stuff and you're going, ah, I ain't got it.

HARRIS: Right. Right, you just want to get away.

MYERS: Yes.

HARRIS: Right.

MYERS: That's kind of what the NASA broadcast was like today. But they found, they think, this is slightly way up -- this is slightly up here. They found the youngest black hole known out of super nova 1979- C. We've only known it for 30 years. That now -- now, OK, this is 50 million light years away.

HARRIS: Right. Right.

MYERS: So, but they saw it. In 1979 they saw this collapse of a super nova. They saw this happen and now we're still seeing it 30 years later but all this energy, this pulsar wind, is being sucked into a black hole. Now I've just spit out everything that they just told me and it lasted --

HARRIS: That was it?

MYERS: That was it. That was 20 minutes with my brain exploding from these NASA engineers that are so smart.

HARRIS: And all of these notes.

MYERS: Oh, I have notes. I have notes everywhere.

HARRIS: Right, right, right.

MYERS: But the announcement is, we think that they have the earliest, youngest now known to person, known to man, black hole out there. Now we can study it for the next few years and even tens of years to see what happens to black holes.

HARRIS: Well did that information get you a cup of coffee today?

MYERS: No. And I thought -- I hope we were finding like a near earth object from Alpha Centauri, that was a planet with water. I could get my head around that one. Wow, there's water out there. Supernovas and pulsar winds. There was something else, pulsar nebula and neutron stars.

HARRIS: Oh, man.

MYERS: Wow.

HARRIS: Yes, that's some brain food for you. Talk about broccoli and lots of it. There it is, from NASA.

MYERS: I was standing out here hoping I can talk about a relief well somewhere, because at least I know about that. Wow.

HARRIS: OK. OK.

MYERS: All right, dude.

HARRIS: We're going to take a break. We're back in a moment. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: OK, here are some of the big stories we're following.

You will get a fuller treatment on this in just a couple of minutes with Drew Griffin, in for Ali Velshi, in the CNN NEWSROOM. A rival in Washington. Newly elected House members are at the Capitol today for freshman orientation. The lame-duck Congress is also back to decide wither to renew tax cuts that expire December 31st. Lawmakers still haven't passed a budget for the new fiscal year. They'll also consider, let's see, $250 checks to Social Security recipients.

A natural gas explosion rips a Mexican beach resort. Six people were killed south of Cancun on Mexico's Caribbean coast. The blast tore through the ground floor of the Grand Riviera Princess Hotel. Most of the dead are Canadians. Fifteen people are recovering from their injuries today, including two Americans.

And we are online, just like you. Hot stories trending right now. Michael Jackson's first single since his death, a duet with Akon from 2007 is on sale today. Have a listen. So the song is "Hold My Hand." Jackson left a handwritten note saying he wanted it to be his next single.

All right. Time for us to get. CNN NEWSROOM continues right now with Drew Griffin, in for Ali Velshi.

DREW GRIFFIN, CNN ANCHOR: Tony, thanks. Hey, that sounded pretty good.

HARRIS: Yes, sir. That wasn't bad.

GRIFFIN: Sounds good. Yes, OK.