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Britain's Royal Engagement; Saying No to Pet Projects; Chicago Uses Coyote to Hunt Down Vermin; Oksana Grigorieva Accuses Mel Gibson of Assault; Michael Vick's Six Touchdowns
Aired November 16, 2010 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, guys. 9:00 a.m. on the East Coast. 6:00 a.m. out West now. Here's some of the stories that have us talking this morning.
One of the world's most eligible bachelors is off the market. Britain's Prince William now formally engaged to long-time girlfriend Kate Middleton. Word is wedding bells will ring in the spring or summer of 2011.
President Obama awards the Medal of Honor to the first living service member since the Vietnam War. Army Staff Sergeant Salvatore Giunta braved a withering Taliban firefight to rescue two fellow soldiers. The 25-year-old Iowan says the honor should go to his comrades who didn't survive.
And Beatles' fans, you've been waiting for this news. "Wall Street Journal" reporting that Apple won the rights to sell the fab four songs on iTunes.
But we begin across the pond this morning where the royal rumor mill has been churning furiously on the future of Prince William and his long-time girlfriend Kate Middleton. Now confirmation from Buckingham Palace. The two are engaged. And a royal wedding is in the works for next year. Something that Brits haven't seen in nearly three decades.
Boy, who can forget that? July 29th, 1981. Prince William's father Charles and his mother, Lady Diana Spencer, married at St. Paul's Cathedral and it was watched by a global audience of 700 million plus.
CNN's royal watcher Richard Quest live in London already planning to offer up his services to do the flowers.
That's so nice of you, Richard.
RICHARD QUEST, CNN ANCHOR/CORRESPONDENT: And indeed. What magnificent celebrations there are at the mere thought of a royal wedding in the spring or summer of next year. My bet if you like to know and what to think when to book a tickets, it will be more July and August than earlier in the year but they're going to be looking at that.
Let's go through it. The proposal took place in Kenya in Africa when the two of them were on holiday. Since then and since she said yes after an eight-year wait, they used to call her "Waity Katie" because, of course, it had taken him so long to pop the question.
But now, the Queen said yes. Charles has said yes. Everybody who needs to say yes seems to have said yes, and now we know it will be next summer for the wedding.
PHILLIPS: So Richard, he apparently -- the prince -- popped the question on holiday in Kenya. Tell us about that.
QUEST: Well, they look -- let's look at the history of this couple. They have been together since they shared a house together when he was a student. They weren't -- if you like together-together in that sense when they first -- you know what I'm talking about, Kyra.
Anyway, they then -- they then became girlfriend and boyfriend after university. They've been together except for a breakup period in 2007. Now, if you think that they got together in 2003, that gives you an idea this has been a romance that can hardly be described as fast and furious and a shotgun type.
It's slow, it's serious. It's very much in keeping with the way William views his role and his life and future. And now, of course, after this holiday that they had in Kenya, the decision to get married.
PHILLIPS: And Richard, you know, you bring up an interesting point about their relationship. You know, when we watched Prince Charles and Lady Di and that fairytale wedding, and you thought that they had the perfect relationship and it ended up being such a tragic relationship in so many ways.
How do we know or do we even know that this relationship is very different and if both of these young individuals sort of looked at that as an example of how they don't want to be?
QUEST: Kyra, I cannot emphasize this more strongly. This relationship is worlds, poles, galaxies, universes apart from the relationship that existed between William's parents. First of all, Charles and Diana had barely met. There was a vast age difference. A vast experience difference.
They'd only been together 14, 15 times before they popped the question and got married. It was -- she was aristocratic. She was the simpering girl. He was the older prince.
Take this relationship. They've known each other for years. They're living together de facto as man and wife in North Wales at the moment. They've had a break-up. She's gone to the law to protect her privacy and, and crucially the royal family itself knows that they made some terrible mistakes when they were grooming Diana.
They left her alone in the Buckingham Palace or Clarence House where she became depressed and miserable even before her wedding. They will not make that mistake again.
And I think finally, Kyra, tonight when we see that interview with William and Kate, you'll see it's poles apart from the one we saw with Charles and Diana.
PHILLIPS: Points well made. Richard Quest, thanks so much.
Well, two weeks ago today angry voters went to the polls demanded change and, boy, did they get it. Republicans seized on the message and captured the House. Today, more evidence that GOP lawmakers will change the way business is done in Washington.
The first casualty may be the pork-filled pet projects known as earmarks. The Senate Republican leader says that he hears the public outcry and will abandon his long-time support.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R), MINORITY LEADER: Nearly every day that the Senate's been in session for the past two years I have come down to this very spot and said that Democrats were ignoring the wishes of the American people.
When it comes to earmarks, I won't be guilty of the same thing. Earlier this month, voters across the country said they are counting on Republicans to make tough decisions. They gave us a second chance.
With this decision, I'm telling them that they were right to put their trust in us.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: But the ripples extend far beyond the lawmakers.
CNN congressional correspondent Brianna Keilar on Capitol Hill.
So how significant of a shift is this for lawmakers, Brianna?
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Kyra.
This is a significant shift, especially for Mitch McConnell. He is the leader of Senate Republicans. I mean just take a look at the "Hill Rag" headlines this morning. "McConnell U-Turn," says one of them. And then here's another one that says, "McConnell Flips, Backs Earmark Ban."
So this is significant because obviously him throwing his weight behind this is an indication of where this is going. This is a vote that's going to go down at about 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time and this is within just the Republican conference in the Senate.
And it's some -- it's sort of something that's garnered a lot of momentum, especially among the more conservative senators in the Republican Party, in the Senate. This was something that a lot of them took away from the election, from the midterm election, from voters who were saying, you know what?
We want to rein in spending and so earmarks which of course are colloquially known as pork or pet projects, and also known sort of more diplomatically here on the hill as congressionally directed spending. They're really the target here and we're going to be seeing the vote in a little while here -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: So will this ultimately pass with all Republicans support?
KEILAR: This statement by Mitch McConnell is seen as sort of laying down the law, and there could have been a bit of a showdown between some really prolific Republican earmarkers who make no apologies for requesting earmarks.
They say these are pet project that are needed in their states and so this is really seen as kind of bringing the Republicans together in the Senate. That said, is this going to be a full earmark ban? No.
Because even though some Democrats have said they support this, Kyra, there are a lot of Democrats including Harry Reid, the head of Democrats in the Senate, who are throwing cold water on the idea of a full earmark ban.
This is a non-binding resolution just for Senate Republicans.
PHILLIPS: Thanks, Brianna.
Well, I wonder if the drama will continue. We're talking about the ethics trial of Congressman Charlie Rangel. You know, this morning the panel sits in judgment. The defiant Democrat stands by his refusal to take the part. Remember this?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. CHARLES RANGEL (D), NEW YORK: I object to the proceeding, and I -- with all due respect 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.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Well, we definitely weren't expecting that. But we know this politician is pretty dramatic at times. Rangel actually just balked out of his own trial and the deliberations moved behind closed doors. So this morning, we're keeping close tabs on this and waiting to see if a decision is even made. We're going to pass along any announcement that comes forward.
Lights are out in Seattle. More than 150,000 customers without power this morning after a storm blew through last night. Winds brought down power lines across the Seattle-Tacoma area.
Tacoma Power actually reporting about 54,000 customers without power. Those winds also toppled trees, big limbs, blocking several streets and highways.
Rob, we saw it in Minneapolis yesterday, now Seattle. But, you know, they're used to this.
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes.
PHILLIPS: And they rebound very quickly.
MARCIANO: They do. And October, November, this is the time of year when they typically get their windstorms and Seattle, and through Portland, the middle part of fall is when they -- these things kind of tend to crank up. As does the rainy season.
(WEATHER REPORT)
PHILLIPS: Yes, it will be good.
MARCIANO: Yes.
PHILLIPS: Good for everyone that loves the snow, as well.
MARCIANO: And the coyotes.
PHILLIPS: Speaking of coyotes --
MARCIANO: Have you seen this -- are you about to --
(LAUGHTER)
PHILLIPS: You remember the Wile E. Coyote versus Roadrunner cartoons? Right?
MARCIANO: Who doesn't?
PHILLIPS: We grew up with that.
MARCIANO: Yes.
PHILLIPS: All right. Well, this isn't really a Warner Brothers production, shall we say? But we are going to tell you why this coyote is enjoying a bit of a stroll through the streets of Chicago.
And Rob, the city actually blessed this, as well.
MARCIANO: Only in Chicago.
(LAUGHTER)
PHILLIPS: All right. And viewers didn't exactly refudiate Sarah Palin's new reality show. The one with Todd, Track, Trigg, Trip, Willow, Bristol, and the state of Alaska in the supporting role. Well, the show is a hit and the star's star seems to keep rising.
We're going to talk about that next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Let's head Cross Country, starting in Chicago, where we're hot on the trail of a coyote running wild in the streets. But city officials, apparently, aren't worried. The coyote's working for them. His job? Hunt down vermin, such as rats and mice. How do you keep tabs on a coyote, besides following it with a video camera? Well, officials I guess got him a tracking collar, as well. No tracking technology needed to find this vehicle. It ended up in a Miami post office yesterday when the driver lost control of her car. A woman and her nine-month-old grandson were standing in front of the postal facility when that car plowed into them, sending both into the glass, later to the hospital for minor injuries. So far everybody's OK.
Nominated for "Time" magazine's Person of the Year in 2008 when no one really knew who she was. Coined the word of the year for a word that never existed. A record-setting reality TV star and maybe future president of the United States. Boy, have the standards and expectations of Americans changed. Or have they?
I'm talking about Sarah Palin. "Refudiate," the word she invented via Twitter. Kind of a hybrid between "refute" and "repudiate." Yes, the New Oxford American Dictionary has now made this non-word its word of the year. As for Palin, the reality TV star? Well, Momma Grizzly's tearing up the ratings.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SARAH PALIN, "SARAH PALIN'S ALASKA": Let's get the fish before the bear gets the fish.
PIPER PALIN, SARAH'S DAUGHTER: Roar.
SARAH PALIN: Piper, don't. A bear's coming towards us. We're going to back up. Look at his claws, McKinley.
TODD PALIN, SARAH'S HUSBAND: OK, let's back up.
SARAH PALIN: Yes, you know, I'm looking around to Todd going, "Are you feeling what I'm feeling? It could think that we are its lunch instead of those little, tiny salmon."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: About five million people watched "Sarah Palin's Alaska" Sunday on the Learning Channel. The best premier show that TLC has ever done. But about half the number of viewers who watched "Jon and Kate Plus Eight" when the couple got separated.
Now, Parin is a candidate -- Palin, rather, is a candidate for "Time" magazine's 2010 Person of the Year. All of this is why she's our Talker today. Eric Deggans is a media critic for the "St. Petersburg Times." So, Eric, Sarah Palin is everywhere. It seems like becoming president would be a step down for her.
ERIC DEGGANS, MEDIA CRITIC, "ST. PETERSBURG TIMES": Certainly it would be a step down in pay, I think. Definitely. You know, everyone's talking about Sarah Palin. We love to talk about her in media because, as TLC found out to its great delight, people are attracted to her story. We like -- even people who don't like her like to talk about her and think about her and criticize her. And I think that's something that we've seen in the ratings for this show. PHILLIPS: If she were, though, really gearing up for the presidency, wouldn't we see her at the desk making phone calls, out campaigning with people, working, reading, studying? She doesn't do any of that.
DEGGANS: There you're talking about your book learning there, you know? She seems to have taken an unorthodox path to everything that she's doing. It seems that this series right now is aimed at speaking to her base and humanizing her in a way that she can control. So, we get to see her family the way she wants them seen. We get to see her in Alaska the way she wants to be seen.
And this is her way, I think, of sort of addressing some of the tougher coverage that she's gotten from journalistic outlets that she can't control. There's plenty of time. We've got two years for her to try and look serious. But frankly, I think this show proves that perhaps she shouldn't run for president, and that she's better as someone who funnels a very powerful niche of supporters to somebody else who has a broader base of support.
PHILLIPS: She's definitely outside having fun, spending time with the family, but she doesn't completely disconnect. Let's listen to her daughter, Bristol.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PIPER PALIN: My mom is super busy. She is addicted to the BlackBerry. She's like, "Hang on, Piper. I'll be there in a second."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Actually, I meant to say Piper. The one that is -- has no problems speaking her mind.
DEGGANS: You're making the same mistake David Letterman did. You'd better be careful.
PHILLIPS: I know. It's hard to keep track of all of these kids. I've got to keep these names right. It's interesting -- OK, so she's not completely disconnected here. She's obviously still working that BlackBerry, according to her daughter. But you say that this show might actually keep her from running for president.
DEGGANS: Yes. You know, cable is a sort of niche-oriented environment. I'm sure I don't have to tell you that. And I think what this show proved is that she has a very powerful niche of followers who are very interested in what she's doing. Five million is great in the cable world. But in the TV world --
(CROSSTALK)
PHILLIPS: But it doesn't prove --
DEGGANS: Where you have to appeal to a broad base --
PHILLIPS: She has the substance to govern a nation, right? DEGGANS: It's not the same thing.
Well, she has to appeal to a broad base to win the presidency. And I think that's something that folks like Karl Rove can see very clearly in the poll numbers that they're looking at. There was a Gallup poll recently released that showed that as popular has she is with Republicans, 80 percent, 52 percent of the people polled didn't like her, and among independent voters, which are certainly the determining force now, she's at 50 percent, as well, unfavorable.
So, she has a very powerful appeal to a very strong segment of society. Does that add up to the presidency? I don't think so. But it certainly adds up to media royalty and TV riches.
PHILLIPS: Yes. And you pointed out, 3.9 million of Palin's record viewership for this show was ages 35 and up, and that's a pretty senior crowd for cable television. Well, we'll track it, definitely. Eric, appreciate your time.
DEGGANS: Hey, be careful. I'm in that demographic.
PHILLIPS: I was just going to say, you and I are way past 35. Boy, OK. Feeling really young today.
DEGGANS: Thanks a lot, Kyra. Thanks for reminding me.
PHILLIPS: Exactly, you made my day, too. Thanks, Eric. Us old folks are going to move on now. Great to see you, Eric.
Mel Gibson's former love interest speaks out on the night that she alleges that the movie star physically assaulted her. You're going to hear what she has to say coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Oksana Grigorieva is on "Larry King Live" tomorrow night, talking for the first time publicly about her bitter custody dispute with actor and father of her daughter, Mel Gibson, and describing what she calls the beating at his hands.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OKSANA GRIGORIEVA, MEL GIBSON'S EX-GIRLFRIEND: Well, January 6th --
LARRY KING, HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": This year?
GRIGORIEVA: This year. The beating took place. Mel actually assaulted me whist I was holding the baby in my arms. And --
KING: At whose house? Your house?
GRIGORIEVA: That was his house. Well, our house at that point. And I ran into my son's bedroom, told him to hide because Mel is crazy, you know, he's getting very violent. So, my son was getting ready for bed, and he jumped around the bed and kind of behind the bed and I was standing in the middle of the room with the baby, like -- like, mother protecting her cubs. And I was standing in the middle of the room holding the baby as Mel proceeded into the room and --
KING: Struck you?
GRIGORIEVA: Struck me twice and --
KING: In front of your boy?
GRIGORIEVA: In front of my boy.
KING: Was he drunk?
GRIGORIEVA: No. He wasn't. He wasn't drunk.
KING: So, how did that lead, though, to the subsequent phone call and that being released?
GRIGORIEVA: Well, he hit me and choked me in front of my son and then brandished the gun at me. And we left him -- I left him on the 6th of January. And the very following morning, the very following day, he was already apologetic, asking for apologies, saying -- asking for a chance for us to be together. That he will be cured. He will be treated. He will be evaluated. All those words, and I was covering up for him. And the --
KING: So, you didn't report it?
GRIGORIEVA: I didn't report it. I was covering up for him, and I believed him. And if somebody's asking for you for a chance, you give them the chance.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: We've asked Mel Gibson for a response, have not received one. However, in a legal filing in connection with the custody dispute, Gibson states that he slapped Oksana once, not hard, with an open hard and not with a closed fist as she alleged. Neither Mel Gibson nor his representatives have answered our repeated requests for a response, but you can see the full interview with her on "Larry King Live" tomorrow, 9:00 PM Eastern, right here on CNN.
Foreclosure's a big, unpleasant deal, and it seems like it should have taken a little longer than two minutes to lose your house. But Florida is speeding that process along with something called the "rocket docket." More on that in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: All right. Breaking news out of Ohio right now. This is what I can tell you. It's at Ohio State University. I'm looking at the web site here for one of our affiliates WBNS from where this live picture is coming from.
Apparently police there at Ohio State University told students to stay away from some campus buildings, including the Thompson Library, because of a bomb threat. Four buildings have been evacuated and closed now. Police had sent text messages to the students just shortly before 9:00 a.m. and the students were warned about this bomb threat and to please stay away from the library, along with the McPherson, Scott and Smith laboratories.
Once again, those buildings have been evacuated as a precaution. I don't know exactly according to police any additional information about that threat. So far, no injuries reported. But I can tell you that our affiliate WBNS is all over the story and we will follow it and let you know what exactly is taking place here at Ohio State.
(BUSINESS HEADLINES)
PHILLIPS: All right. Well it's 9:30 in the east. The sun's just up in L.A. Three stories that we're following for you. A Medal of Honor ceremony this afternoon in Washington, for the time since the Vietnam era. The recipient will be there to accept. Staff Sergeant Sal Giunta will receive the honor for his heroic actions in Afghanistan. Back in 2007, he fought off Taliban fighters who were dragging away one of his wounded comrades.
A dog named Target helped save soldiers from a suicide bomber in Afghanistan. But it couldn't survive Animal Control in Arizona. An Army Sergeant brought the back to Phoenix from the war zone. Target was loose somehow, ended up at a shelter and put to sleep by mistake. That worker responsible is now on leave.
And executives with Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase, and other banks go before Chris Dodd's Senate Banking Committee today. Lawmakers want the know more about the problems of foreclosure documents and if any of the banks improperly seized peoples' homes.
Well, while that foreclosure hearing is going on today, in Florida judges ripping through foreclosure paperwork at record speeds. Our Poppy Harlow with CNNMoney.com had an exclusive behind the scenes look at exactly how it worked.
So Poppy, they're literally spending about two minutes per case. How's that even possible?
POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: Yes. Some cases even one minute. This is sort of an anomaly in the country right now. It's only happening in the state of Florida. They decided this summer that they had 460,000 foreclosure cases to get through, a backlog. So the state legislator allocated $9.6 million to hire some of these retired judges. You'll see some of it playing right here on the monitor. Those retired judges go in Monday through Thursday, four hours a day and try to get through say, 44 foreclosures. That's how many were on the dock the day we were there. Now, some took 20 minutes, some took one minute.
But the issue here is that this takes the concern about robo-signing to another level. They're concerned that the judges, like Judge Mitchell (ph) right there, sitting in the courtroom, aren't paying enough attention to the documents. That they're just looking at what the lawyers give them, the lawyers representing the banks. The homeowners often don't show up and they're signing off on the foreclosure and that means that people lose their homes.
Jaclyn Fitzhue (ph), the woman there, she's one of the people we talked to. I want you to take a listen to what we asked Judge A.C. Soud, he's the head of Florida's Fourth Circuit Court in Jacksonville. We pressed him on the issue.
Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JUDGE A.C. SOUD, FOURTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT COURT: We will try to schedule as many foreclosures on the average of 25 an hour.
HARLOW: But are two or three minutes -- is that enough time to look at a foreclosure case and make that final judgment?
SOUD: Most of the cases where you see a property owner not there, that means that property owner has defaulted. So, when that is the case, then three minutes if the lawyers who we know say that everything is in order, then we feel like that's adequate time.
HARLOW: Those lawyers represent the banks. Doesn't the judge need to look for --
SOUD: No. We do not. I'm not there to -- I am not there to check every exhibit.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARLOW: I am not there to check every exhibit. The judge saying that is not their responsibility. The ACLU disagrees, Kyra.
Just yesterday they sent a letter to the Florida Supreme Court and also to the Fourth Circuit arguing the public doesn't have full access to these hearings. There needs to be more transparency. In response to that, I want to read you what the Chief Justice of Florida's Supreme Court has written. You can pull it up for you on the screen, as well.
He said, "I've received the letter. I'm deeply concerned about the allegations it makes. Today I am directing the Office of the State Court's Administrator to make recommendations concerning appropriate corrective action."
So this is really just the beginning of this story, Kyra. We'll keep on top of it for you.
PHILLIPS: All right. Thanks, Poppy.
A revealing, full body scan at the airport, or an up close and personal pat-down? It's a choice that a lot of people don't want to make and now frustration over security hassles is ballooning beyond passengers, to pilots and crew members. Just ask Sully Sullenberger, the pilot that landed that U.S. Airways plane on the Hudson River last year after it was damaged during takeoff. He feels the frustration, simmering, pointing out on "AMERICAN MORNING" that pilots are the last line of defense in the air and that brings us to this morning's AM Extra.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHELSEY "SULLY" SULLENBERGER, CAPTAIN OF US AIRWAYS FLIGHT: We have the technology now to avoid much of this waste of time and delay. We have the means now to -- through biometrics means -- identify pilots and flight attendants as working crew members. And through a database that we have, we can verify their current employment status. So really, there's no need for us to go through these things.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR, "AMERICAN MORNING": So Sully, so your argument isn't just with the body scanners. Are you suggesting why are flight crews going through security screening at all?
SULLENBERGER: Well, there certainly needs to be an acknowledgment we're trusted partners. You know, many of us are former Military officers who formerly had top-secret clearances. We've been thoroughly screened and vetted throughout our careers and we continue to be. We're among the most scrutinized professional groups in the country, even more than doctors. It's really not an efficient use of our resources to put us through this. There are much better ways that exist, if we choose to use them, to solve these issues.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Well, we asked your thoughts on the new screening process at U.S. airports.
Soloman (ph) writes, "This is about our common security. Why all the fuss about it? If you're not comfortable about the scan or search, take a train or bus. Those opting out are just fueling the ego of al Qaeda. Seeing all of these protests about our security measures make them feel they're causing chaos in our society."
Mike says, "I welcome the scanners as an acceptable substitute for the personally invasive pat-downs employed by TSA personnel. Scanners are a good option, and, I for one am willing to make that small concession, considering the war that terrorists are waging against us and our loved ones."
Barbara writes, "I can't understand why anyone would resist the full body scanner. All you can see is basically a body outline. I don't think anyone would know who was being scanned if they didn't see them standing them. I would rather have a scan than a pat down. I fly a lot. I want my family, myself and everyone else to fly safely."
Remember, we always want to hear from you. Just log on to CNN.com/kyra. Share your comments. Appreciate you weighing in.
Well, as you can imagine, late-night comics having a heck of a good time with the TSA's more intimate inspections.
Guys like Conan O'Brien.
(VIDEO CLIP, COURTESY OF TEAM COCO) PHILLIPS: All right. Our political ticker, let's check in on it. CNN Congressional correspondent Brianna Keilar on Capitol Hill.
What do you have for us, Brianna?
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, can you believe it? An intraparty feud and it's continuing here on Capitol Hill. This has to do with the Democratic leadership races going on in the House right now. The Congressional Black Caucus decided it's not going to support the spate of Democratic House members who are running for these leadership positions.
As you know, with the Democrats going into the minority, they lose a leadership position. So they have said the CBC, which is pretty powerful, 42 members, they said, if only -- they're only going to support Jim Clyburn who is one of their members. He is currently going to be going for the number three leadership spot created for him, it's called assistant or -- pardon me. Yes, assistant leader and they say they want to make sure this is more than just a ceremonial position before they weigh in.
And then, we have some news on the Ticker. Take a look at this. This has to do with Lisa Murkowski, she is the incumbent senator in Alaska and right now she is pulling ahead in the race. This is the only undecided senate race in the country. She lost her primary to Republican Joe Miller. She went with a write-in candidacy.
We knew at this point or we have known that the write-in ballots were ahead or more than what Joe Miller was seeing and that she's been getting 89 percent of them. But for the first time now we can say, Kyra, that she -- these write-in ballots with her name on them have surpassed Joe Miller.
So that's good news for Senator Murkowski -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right, what's -- what's the story about the Tea Party going high-tech?
KEILAR: Yes and this is interesting because, I mean we kind of think of them as somewhat high-tech. They were able to use the Internet in this last -- in the midterm elections and make such a difference.
Well, they're trying to go even further. Freedom Works, a conservative group which is headed by former Republican Majority Leader in the Senate Dick Armey, they're trying to -- they're -- they're trying to really create a network.
So you've got all these decentralized Tea Party groups in states and they're going to try to build a network so that they can talk to each other and they're hope here, Kyra, is that, they'll make even more of a difference in coming elections than they made in the last one. Can you imagine that?
PHILLIPS: I think we can imagine anything after those midterm elections. Brianna thanks. KEILAR: Exactly.
PHILLIPS: We'll have your next political update in an hour and a reminder for all the latest political news you can always go to our Web site 24/7, CNNPolitics.com.
Wedding bells soon will be ringing for Britain's Prince William and his soon-to-be princess. Royal family's biographer takes us -- talks to us live about the nuptials.
But first, "Flashback", November 16th, 1978, the movie version of "Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" opened that day. These are the acting debuts of the Bee Gees and Peter Frampton. Also in the cast: George Burns, Aerosmith and Earth, Wind and Fire.
Look at Peter, wow. He has no hair now by the way. He's totally bald. Do you think with all those big names the movie would have done great. Sadly, as one viewer said, it was quite possibly the silliest movie ever conceived. But hey, we still love the music.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Well, new video just coming into the CNN NEWSROOM on the heels of the royal announcement from Buckingham Palace of Prince William's engagement to long-time girlfriend Kate Middleton. Kasim Reed, the mayor of Atlanta may be the man to talk to, to get the royal skinny on the story. Reed is in England today, actually visiting Prince Charles and his community.
It's the Prince's brain child, by the way, an experimental eco- friendly village, a dozen or so years in the making.
Well, let's talk more about the upcoming wedding with the royal biographer Mark Saunders, shall we? He's joining us by phone from London this morning. So Mark, were you expecting this? Is this all the buzz in your world right now?
MARK SAUNDERS, ROYAL FAMILY BIOGRAPHER (via telephone): Yes, well, it's been the buzz for about -- well, for some time now. But the announcement, as always with the royal family, it came unexpectedly and -- and very thankfully, actually. I mean everybody at the Windsor Castle and here at Buckingham Palace are just so excited.
So it's kind of like -- they -- they always seem to know exactly when to make these announcements.
PHILLIPS: And you know, this couple has definitely broken the rules so to speak in many ways, from living together prior to marriage, to dating, breaking up, taking a time off, getting back together, doing certain events together, being more open and candid at times.
So do you think that there is just a complete difference, shall we say, between where they're going, and where Prince Charles and Lady Di were going at this point? SAUNDERS: Yes, I do think so, but I think that's -- that's a natural evolution. The royal family have always adapted to the times. I mean, it's so easy now for us to look back on Charles and Diana. But -- I mean, I -- you were probably a bit young, but back in 1981, people were saying exactly the same thing about Charles and Diana. You know this young couple. They are doing it their own way.
Yes, William and -- William and Kate have done it their own way, but I think what you've just described is -- is -- is just a very normal relationship between a man and a woman who are in love and now want to get married.
PHILLIPS: But Prince -- but Prince Charles and Lady Di didn't even know each other.
SAUNDERS: Well, this is it. This is the way we did things back in those days. Princess Diana was from the upper drawer of -- of the British aristocracy. I mean, she was born on the Queen's estate at (INAUDIBLE). Her family was one of the oldest in England. They'd had a relationship with the royal family for hundreds of years. It was a good move.
In terms of computer dating, if you were looking for a bride for the future King of England in 1981, Princess Diana would have been perfect. It's -- it's only now that we can look back and see how things went wrong.
But I think William and Kate, this is a tribute, really, to Diana and Charles and the way they decided to bring the children up, which was not a normal royal upbringing.
They were aware of the world they lived in. They were aware that they were privileged but there were people who weren't quite like them. And also they were aware of the -- of the media, that the media was always going to be there, that you can't leave them, and it's best to work with them. And that is why, I think, this has been such a success, and why there is such a wonderful feeling in London today.
PHILLIPS: Well, the world will definitely be watching that wedding, that's for sure and I know you will, too, and we'll talk to you when the time comes. Mark Saunders, thank you so much.
Well, we'll find lots of developments in the next hour of CNN NEWSROOM. Let's go ahead and check in with Barbara Starr -- Barbara.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, in the next few hours, a 25-year-old American soldier will stand next to the President of the United States and step into history. We'll have that story for you next.
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And I'm Stephanie Elam in New York. So, for thanksgiving, are the roads going to be crowded? Are you going to have free sailing on the streets to get to grandmother's house? We'll have the AAA forecast for you coming up at the top of the next hour. ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: And I'm Rob Marciano in the CNN Severe Weather Center. Severe weather on the West Coast and severe rain across the East Coast -- we'll have that forecast at the top of the hour as well.
PHILLIPS: All right. Also head, Jay Z; you don't have to be a rap fan to get wrapped up in his story. Next hour, he talks with our Poppy Harlow about his old life selling drugs on the street actually prepared him for a new life as a music mogul, businessman and philanthropist.
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TONY HARRIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Exactly. If you are not hanging in the clubs, right, really, if you are not hanging in the clubs --
PHILLIPS: Tony Harris, straight in from the clubs. He had an all-nighter. He was hanging out with Michael Vick?
HARRIS: Yes, yes.
PHILLIPS: In a much different light, though. Hello, taking care of business.
HARRIS: Good morning. So here's the thing Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right. We're talking Michael Vick.
HARRIS: We're talking Michael Vick. You know, 18 months ago, he was in prison because he did something horrible.
PHILLIPS: Thought his career was over.
HARRIS: Absolutely.
PHILLIPS: Thought he wasn't going to get a job. Thought he wasn't -- and if he did get a job, it wasn't going to be a great team. It wasn't going to be a lot of money. Basically, everybody was like, whatever, he's a jerk, he killed dogs.
HARRIS: He was responsible for financing a dog fighting ring. It was taking place on one of his properties in Virginia. Bad, horrible thing; he has paid the debt to society. He was in prison for almost two years. Eighteen months ago, he was in prison.
Look at what he has done in terms of bringing back -- going to work, going to work, focusing on the job. Apparently not hanging in the clubs the way he was when he was here in Atlanta, right? Not hosting parties after the game, all right. Getting to his (INAUDIBLE) and he looked like a man playing among boys last night.
PHILLIPS: So this is the ultimate story of redemption, is what you're saying.
HARRIS: Do we care about redemption stories. We say we do --
PHILLIPS: Yes, people love redemption stories.
HARRIS: And by all accounts, Michael Vick has been a good citizen in the Philadelphia area. He is doing community service work.
(CROSSTALK)
PHILLIPS: But will people still forget what he did, though? That's the question.
HARRIS: That's the question.
PHILLIPS: I mean it's obvious, he took a big bite of humble pie. He's playing well. He stayed focused on doing what's right. But will everyone come around and support this journey.
HARRIS: It is -- what do you think of this story? I think it's one of the big stories of the day. This guy is in the conversation for Most Valuable Player of the League. I know you have to go in a second here.
He's in a conversation for MVP of the league. He has outplayed two really, really good quarterbacks. One a Hall-of-Famer in Peyton Manning, that was last week. And then he comes back and he outplays a really good, really credentialed quarterback in Donovan McNabb, a man who, actually with a back for Michael Vick when he came out of prison.
PHILLIPS: McNabb's getting some big money. That's a whole another story.
HARRIS: And that's the other thing. Michael Vick is playing for contract right now. If Donovan McNabb signs a new deal where $40 million of the money in the deal is guaranteed, after a performance like this, what is this kid looking at?
PHILLIPS: Well, we'll see what kind of money we gets. See if people love it.
Love you, Tony. See you in an hour.
