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Outrage Grows Over Airport Security Screenings; Natalee Holloway Investigation Heats Up; Charlie Rangel Gets Censure; Royal Wedding Buzz; Bone Test Results: Not Public Yet
Aired November 19, 2010 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: We are less than a week away, if you can believe it, from the start of some of really the busiest travel days of the year, and passenger outrage abounds, calls for protest, allegations of sexual assault, and refusals to the new heightened airport screenings, the pat-downs. Perhaps even you have had to go through this recently.
Let's take a look at how all of this got started.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED TSA AGENT: Also, we're going to be doing a groin check. That means I'm going to place may hand on your hip, my other hand on your inner thigh, and slowly go up and slide down.
JOHN TYNER, AIR TRAVELER: OK.
UNIDENTIFIED TSA AGENT: I'm going to do that two times in the front and two times in the back.
TYNER: All right.
UNIDENTIFIED TSA AGENT: And if you would like a private screening, we can make that available for you also.
TYNER: We can do that out here, but, if you touch my junk, I'm going to have you arrested.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
BALDWIN: Ah, the sound bite heard round the world this week. That was John Tyner. He caught national attention earlier this week when he said heck no. And by week's end, many more people have been speaking out.
So, why the outrage? Well, this is why. Take a look at some of these pictures with me. We wanted to pull these and just run through a couple of them. These are pictures from "Denver Post," DenverPost.com, in fact, and they show really how these new pat-downs, what they look like.
In fact, in Ohio, we have learned that authorities there are even investigating allegations of sexual assault against the TSA. But TSA Administrator John Pistole says he is not backing down. So, really, what is the solution now? Do we need more advanced scanners, perhaps a privatization of airport security?
Well, homeland security correspondent Jeanne Meserve has this report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Privacy has become a punch line.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO")
JAY LENO, HOST, "THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO": You know what TSA stands for? Does anybody know? Touch someone's ass. That's what it stands for.
(LAUGHTER)
(APPLAUSE)
LENO: That's what it stands for.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN")
DAVID LETTERMAN, HOST, "LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN": That excessive body pat-down, there's your stimulus package.
Hello!
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MESERVE: Even overseas, the new protocols are generating laughs. A Taiwanese animation asks, what's next? But not everyone is amused, including members of Congress.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I wouldn't want my wife to be touched in the way that these folks are being touched. I wouldn't want to be touched that way.
MESERVE: The head of TSA said he and other top officials had gotten the pat-downs. Yes, they were intrusive, but:
JOHN PISTOLE, ADMINISTRATOR, TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION: If you're asking, am I going to change the policies, no.
MESERVE: Pistole said the old pat-down procedures weren't thorough enough to find threats like the underwear bomb. But, he said, technologies being tested now might provide a solution. The images created by next-generation scanning machines look like paper doll cutouts. Possible threats are highlighted, but there's no anatomical detail.
But, in tests, he says, the machines are sounding alarms when they shouldn't.
PISTOLE: With a high rate of false positives, that results in more pat-downs. So, we're trying to stay away from that.
MESERVE: In the meantime, a few passengers receiving pat-downs have become angry, belligerent, even physical. A group representing screeners says, in Indianapolis, one screener was actually punched by a passenger.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BALDWIN: Punched by a passenger.
Jeanne Meserve been all over this TSA story.
And, Jeanne, you know, we have actually -- talk about public outrage. We have video. And I want to just get your reaction. And this will be the first time I have seen this video as well.
Guys, let's play the video.
We have a child getting patted down in one of the airports. Look at this little boy. You see the TSA agent, you know, following procedure, maybe touching around his pants, scanning, you know, his body for anything. I mean, a lot of people would look at this and some of the other instances you pointed out in your piece and wonder, is -- has the TSA gone too far?
MESERVE: Well, the first thing I would say, Brooke, is look what the TSA screeners are wearing, white shirts. They haven't worn those for a couple years. This is not current video. This is not the current protocol. They're now all dressed in blue.
But let me tell you what they're saying about kids. They're saying that kids 12 and under will not be subjected to these enhanced pat-downs. Now, obviously, the kids have to go through screening. They have to go through either the body imagers, which might, of course, give some parents discomfort. They have to go through metal detectors.
And if something alarms, the TSOs still have to do something to try to resolve it. We're told they will try and treat this with sensitivity.
But, as we know, things vary from airport to airport, from screener to screener. I would be surprised if we didn't some -- some tales of woe and outrage after this next heavy travel week, Brooke.
BALDWIN: Jeanne, what about -- people now are talking about private security screeners. But -- but my question to that is, doesn't the TSA still set the standards? Wouldn't these private screeners still have to follow all the protocol?
MESERVE: That's exactly right.
They have -- the -- the private firms have to be approved by the TSA, they have to follow the very same protocols. So, going to a private screening company at an airport wouldn't do away with the pat- downs. It wouldn't do away with the body imagers.
But there are some people, like Congressman Mica, who's very influential in the whole transportation area on Capitol Hill, who believe that the private firms would be more accountable, that they'd be more responsive, that there wouldn't be as much bureaucracy.
But I can tell you, there have been a number of studies over the years that have evaluated private screeners, because they're at about 16 airports now, and the TSO screeners. In some cases, they perform equally poorly, in others, the private screeners a little bit more. So, you know, the jury -- some people would say the jury is still out on whether -- how much of a difference it would really make, the private screenings, but we do know that Orlando is now opting to go with a private firm. They're going to do away with TSA screeners there.
BALDWIN: Jeanne, we're also just now hearing that TSA any minute may make some sort of announcement with regard to pilots going through all of these security measures, the screenings. So, could you do me a favor and just stand by? I would love to get your reaction --
CAVUTO: Certainly.
BALDWIN: -- once we hear from the TSA momentarily. So, Jeanne Meserve, stand by for that. Thank you.
Meantime, though, there have been false alarms before, but we could be on the verge of a major break in the Natalee Holloway case. I know a lot of you have been following this for -- for years now. The latest is that the jawbone and a molar found on an Aruban beach has already gone through several preliminary tests. We're going to get the latest on that ahead.
And it's happened yet again. Dozens of coal miners are missing after an explosion. Two did manage to survive the blast. Might there be others? That's next in top stories.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: There is a lot going on today on this Friday, including the fact, again, we're awaiting some sort of statement from the TSA regarding pilot screening. We will bring that to you momentarily.
But, also, we're watching the story, another cable network news anchor been disciplined. I'm talking about MSNBC. They took the morning program co-host Joe Scarborough off the air, suspending him for two days after the Web site Politico uncovered he had given a couple thousand dollars to a number of political candidates, one of them his brother. And that is against the rules over at MSNBC.
The same network suspended yet another of its on-air staff, remember, Keith Olbermann, earlier this month, for a similar policy violation. Scarborough released a statement saying he was just being kind to friends and family, and he has apologized.
President Obama back overseas today. This is his arrival at the NATO summit in Lisbon, Portugal. The most pressing issue for him there, ending combat operations in Afghanistan, when exactly to pull out, where exactly a cease-fire would most likely take hold, and who exactly will provide what military support during that transition.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai is there attending the summit as well. Rough timeline here, NATO hopes to turn over three provinces in Afghanistan to local security forces by June of next year, and then several more provinces just a couple months after that. The NATO summit in Portugal goes on all this weekend.
And this is the entrance to a coal mine in New Zealand. And deep inside, deep underground, you have at least 27 men, they're trapped. We don't know how they are, conditions unknown. Something caused some sort of explosion there today inside that mine. Right now, there's no power in the mine and no communication with the miners.
Emergency crews have to get some sort of ventilation system running before they can start any sort of rescue mission.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KATE MIDDLETON, ENGAGED TO PRINCE WILLIAM: He's a true romantic and it was -- we had a wonderful holiday in Africa.
PRINCE WILLIAM, UNITED KINGDOM: The timing is right now. We're both very, very happy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: Ah, the -- the -- the couple, the bride-and-groom-to- be, Kate Middleton, the blushing bride, certainly no stranger to public scrutiny in the United Kingdom, but she's about to reach a whole new level of fame, as speculation heats up over her choice of wedding gown -- more on that in just a couple of moments.
Look at these beautiful gowns they have set up here in the studio. I hope you stick around for that.
Also, apparently, Senator Harry Reid got quite an earful from his fellow Democrats. Let's just say their problem with -- the problem there isn't quite the message; it's with the messengers.
Stand by.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: Welcome back to the NEWSROOM. Have you heard about the raucous caucus? This is the talk right now on Capitol Hill.
So, about this time yesterday, remember, we -- we cut away to show you this guy? Where is he? He was walking toward his podium. He was coming out of a meeting with his fellow Democrats. I'm talking about Senate Majority Leader -- there he is -- Harry Reid.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV), MAJORITY LEADER: We have had three days --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: So, what we didn't know at this time yesterday was that, apparently, that meeting had gotten pretty heated, and the target of a lot of the heat was -- Guess who? -- President Obama.
Gloria Borger is our senior political analyst -- analyst.
And, Gloria, what is happening there? What do we know about that meeting among the Senate Democrats?
GLORIA BORGER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Well you know, nothing really focuses the mind like the prospect of losing political power.
And I think Senate Democrats are rightly very nervous about the next election, 2012. They have got three times -- almost three times as many Democrats up for reelection in the Senate as Republicans, and so they're really, really scared about what's going to happen.
And so what you had was kind of a therapy session, right? And they sat in there, and they -- they -- like, Senator Nelson of Florida was saying, you know, Barack Obama's not popular in my state. This is a real problem for us.
There were some Democrats who felt that the president needs to be more partisan. There were other Democrats who felt that he needs to be less partisan. Of course, this being a group of Democrats, they couldn't agree on what they ought to do, but they wanted to kind of vent a little bit, which really needs to happen after when all get back together for the first time after you have taken a shellacking, right?
BALDWIN: Right.
BORGER: And that's exactly -- that's exactly what they did. Did they come out of there with any message? Well, no.
(LAUGHTER)
BALDWIN: Well, the president's word, taking a shellacking? And speaking of the president --
BORGER: Right.
BALDWIN: -- we're -- we're hearing some of the Democrats essentially saying they have the right message, but the wrong messenger.
So, I want to give one quick example. We have just, you know, done a poll on tax cuts. And it shows the Democrats' plan --
BORGER: Mm-hmm.
BALDWIN: -- beats the Republicans' pretty soundly. You see the number there.
Forty-nine percent --
BORGER: Sure.
BORGER: -- of Americans, they want tax cuts for all but the wealthy. And you know as well as I do that is the Democrats' plan.
So, I guess my question, Gloria, is this. How can you have the public totally behind you, or a lot of the public behind you, on the whole tax thing, which is huge, in and of itself, and then lose an election, as the Democrats did?
BORGER: Right. It's -- it's really interesting.
And the tax issue is always very, very tricky in -- in politics. And what happens is, when you ask people in a vacuum and say, OK, would you like to repeal those tax cuts for the wealthy, people will say, yes, we would like to repeal those tax cuts for the wealthy.
Once the Democrats -- say the Democrats were able to that. Once they did that, the Republicans would label them as people who want to raise your taxes. Somehow, the notion of raising the taxes on the wealthy would go away, and Democrats would be known as tax-hikers.
And that always works against them. So, in the abstract, people say yes, but when it comes down to brass tacks and you say to people, who is raising taxes here, and, if it's the Democrats, they come up on the short side of that. And that's always been a problem for them, which is why the Democrats couldn't agree what to do about the tax cut issue before the election and punted it into this lame-duck session.
BALDWIN: Well, let's talk about something positive that, you know, we were reporting on yesterday. And we heard from the president, himself, right? GM, we know they officially went public just --
BORGER: Yes.
BALDWIN: -- yesterday. And the president was out. We took it live. He said, look, we have created, you know, 75,000 new jobs in the American automotive industry.
In fact, let's -- let's -- let's listen to the president real quickly.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Our automakers are in the midst of their strongest period of job growth in more than a decade. Since GM and Chrysler emerged from bankruptcy, the industry has created more than 75,000 new jobs. For the first time in six years, Ford, GM and Chrysler are all operating at a profit. In fact, last week, GM announced its best quarter in over 11 years.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: So, Gloria, why does the president not get credit for this? Is he turning into the anti-Teflon president --
(LAUGHTER)
BALDWIN: -- gets credit for --
(LAUGHTER)
BALDWIN: -- for none of the good --
BORGER: Right.
BALDWIN: -- and all the bad?
BORGER: Well, it -- it's interesting, because, during the election, during the midterms, we also had the news that a significant amount of the TARP was being repaid.
You didn't hear them bragging about that either, because the notion of bailouts, whether it was to the banks on Wall Street or whether it was to the automakers, is just so unpopular that, during the election, even when there was good news, they couldn't talk about it, because they -- they thought that it would only backfire on them.
So, at this point, the public is sort of going to sit back, and, at some point, if the American taxpayer makes money on its investment in General Motors, and if all of the TARP money is repaid with interest, and the American taxpayer makes money on that, by the time of the next election you can be sure the Democrats are going to be talking about it, and may get some credit for it.
BALDWIN: And perhaps we will be seeing change --
BORGER: But, in this last election, there just wasn't enough time.
BALDWIN: Right. Perhaps we will be saying change, you know, toward Democrats in another two years. We will have to wait and see.
Gloria Borger --
BORGER: Right.
BALDWIN: -- thank you.
BORGER: Right.
BALDWIN: And, you know, talk about --
BORGER: Sure. BALDWIN: -- political theater, you had that ethics hearing into lawmaker Charlie Rangel, was full of drama, even after his punishment was recommended. There he was, sitting down. Look at some of the moments that really went under the radar yesterday. That is next.
And just in -- we have been talking about the TSA here -- new screening measures for pilots. Jeanne Meserve has the details just now coming in from the TSA.
That is in just a moment. Stay there.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: Just got some news in from the TSA regarding specifically pilots in the -- the security screening process that they through, along with you and me.
I want to bring back in homeland security correspondent Jeanne Meserve.
And, Jeanne, I'm staring at this press release, as I'm sure you are as well, and what jumps out as -- at me is they're taking additional step to streamline security screening for the pilots. So, is this a good thing for them?
MESERVE: Oh, the pilots have been pushing for this for some time. They say it's been a ridiculous waste of resources to put them through the same kind of screening that the general public goes through. And they, too, have raised objections to those scanning machines and the pat-downs.
In fact, a couple of pilots have been involved in a lawsuit that was filed this week against the TSA.
But let me tell you what they're going to do. Now, immediately, pilots, when they get to the sterile area of airports are going to present their airline I.D., another form of identification, the TSOs at the checkpoint are going to run them against a database of flight crew deck members.
They will be able to verify who they are and pass them through. Now, eventually, they want to expand something that's been piloted in three airports of Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Columbia, South Carolina. They have been trying out something called crew pass for a while.
This gave pilots a special identification which had a biometric. They would present that and be able to get through screening. It has been judged a success. And the TSA in this press release says it's looking to expand that.
But doing this for pilots certainly will -- will decrease the pushback they have been getting from that quarter, some very prominent pilots, including the heads of the unions. And, also, Sully Sullenberger --
BALDWIN: Sully Sullenberger. MESERVE: -- the most famous pilot --
BALDWIN: Right.
(LAUGHTER)
MESERVE: -- has been out there complaining about these new security procedures.
BALDWIN: I mean, he's -- he's essentially, Jeanne, been saying, look, you know, you're -- you're handing us the -- the biggest weapon you could possibly hand us in the sky.
MESERVE: Exactly.
BALDWIN: Why do I need to be doing through all the pat-downs and the full-body screening, like everyone else, when you're entrusting me with -- with a plane?
MESERVE: Exactly.
They say, we are partners in security. Many pilots have been trained to use firearms in the aircraft. They're saying, come on, guys. We're with you, not against you. Can't we work on a better way so we don't have to go through these machines and through the pat- downs?
They have been particularly concerned about the machines, because they traveled so, so much. And there is still, as you know, a very active debate about the radiation levels in the body-scanning machines.
BALDWIN: Right.
MESERVE: And they have voiced concerns because they have to go through them so often. They also get exposed to radiation when they're up in the air.
BALDWIN: There we go, news just in from the TSA.
Jeanne Meserve, thanks for sticking around. Appreciate it.
MESERVE: You bet.
BALDWIN: Got one more developing story for you.
We have just gotten word that the House ethics trial of Democrat Maxine Waters, it's been delayed. It was scheduled to start pretty soon here, November 29. Just a short time ago, the Ethics Committee released a statement saying the case has been referred back to the subcommittee.
And you know we have people digging and making phone calls right this second to figure out precisely why.
And that brings me back to this man, Congressman Charlie Rangel, whose ethics case is now nearing its end. As we pointed out to you yesterday, Mr. Rangel looked like a -- a broken man. Look at him sitting there. I heard there were some tears at some point sitting there before the committee and at one point, like I said, crying.
As we left you -- really, after we left you, the committee reached a decision to recommend censure for the 20-term Democrat for violating 11 House rules. Let's take a listen to some of that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. ZOE LOFGREN (D), CALIFORNIA: The committee voted 9-1 to recommend that Mr. Rangel be censured by the House and to be required to pay restitution for any unpaid taxes.
REP. CHARLES RANGEL (D), NEW YORK: I know how much discussion went into this decision, but as I started out earlier, I hope that you can see a way clear for the record to make it abundantly clear, as the record would indicate, that any action taken by me was not with the intention to bring any disgrace on the House or to enrich myself personally or to -- or considered by counsel to be corrupt. That would be of great help to my family and my community.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: So there was Mr. Rangel speaking in front of the full committee.
He also released a statement a little later on saying this: "This has been one of the most difficult days of my life. All of this has been brought upon me as a result of my own actions. In the end, I hope that you would judge me on my entire record as a soldier and a dedicated public servant, not by my mistakes. To my beloved colleagues, my constituents and the American people, I am sorry" -- Charlie Rangel.
You may not know the name, or perhaps you didn't just a couple days ago, Ronni Chasen, but you definitely know her work, "Slumdog Millionaire," "Driving Miss Daisy," "The Hurt Locker." She traveled in very exclusive Hollywood circles. So, friends, as you can imagine, they are shocked by these reports that she may have now been targeted by a gunman who shot her on a Beverly Hills street. That is next.
Also, a cab driver in some hot water, accused of taking a passenger on a ride so fast, so harrowing, she picked up her cell phone and dialed 911. We have the call and the cabbie's side of the story coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: Trending today, some new details in that real-life Hollywood murder mystery.
Question: Who killed one of the movie industry's most powerful publicists, and why? Ronni Chasen was shot several times early Tuesday morning. She was driving home, literally minutes after walking on the red carpet, attending this premiere and party for the movie "Burlesque."
She's known as the promoter behind huge movies, "Slumdog Millionaire," "On Golden Pond," "Driving Miss Daisy," just to name a few. So, why would someone want her dead?
I want to bring in Kareen Wynter, in Los Angeles.
And, Kareen, I read this this morning and thought, wow -- I mean, the fact that she might have been targeted. That's certainly a new development today. What do you know?
KAREEN WYNTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Well, we learned quite a bit, the revealing interview that the mayor of Beverly Hills did yesterday. First of all, Brooke, just to update you, police -- they do have their hands full. This is a case where they're sifting through all the 911 calls that came in following those gun shots that rang out.
But listen to this -- the mayor of Beverly Hills, Jimmy Delshad, he says the shots in the passenger side window of Chasen's car, that it probably came from another vehicle, perhaps, an SUV, and that the shots may have been fired from the passenger side window and not from the sidewalk or from the street.
Now, Chasen was driving her Benz that night. And the reason the mayor suspects that the vehicle was, in fact, an SUV, Brooke, is that it appears the shots were fired from a taller vehicle. The mayor also told local reporters, quote, "The most indication is that it was targeted, a random killing will not happen like this. Five shots in the chest area and it seems like it wasn't just a random killing."
Get this, Brooke -- the mayor's own press secretary on the phone with all day long is trying to distance the mayor from what he said, saying that this was the mayor's speculation and that it doesn't reflect the police investigation. But this is the case they're far from cracking. Police still have no suspects, no motive. In fact, they're trying to find out the exact location where Chasen was shot. And right now, they're reviewing all the 911 calls that were made largely from that residential area to try to piece together this timeline, Brooke.
BALDWIN: So, what I'm hearing from you right now, it sounds like police don't have a lot still right now. But at least what they do have, of all places, perhaps, for this to happen, is this affluent area of Beverly Hills. All these homes have cameras. And so, they have a lot of surveillance cameras, a lot of surveillance footage they can sort of go through. Anything from that yet, Kareen?
WYNTER: They've actually taken to the streets, Brooke. They're going door to door there, trying to get some footage from residents in that affluent area where the shooting happened. They want to get their hands on this footage that could provide important clues here, Brooke. They, again, still have no suspects, no motive. But they believe someone somewhere may likely have video of what happened.
This neighborhood is lined with mansions and fancy security systems. So, it's quite possible that there's a camera or two, maybe even more, that caught this crime on tape. But right now, their lips are sealed. Police aren't saying anything, if anything that they found on any, of, perhaps, footage.
BALDWIN: Kareen, I know you are digging, as is our whole bureau, I'm sure, in Los Angeles. As soon as you get anything new, let us know. Kareen, thank you.
WYNTER: Absolutely.
BALDWIN: All right. I know you have to be just a wee bit curious about the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, right? Just a teeny, a bit. I definitely am, to be totally honest. And it may have something to do with the fact that I'm planning or should be planning a wedding of my own -- should be.
But I did call in the best of the business when it comes to selecting a gown. Look at this -- Monte Durham. Do you recognize this guy from TLC's "Say Yes to the Dress"? He is good enough to join us live in studio in Atlanta. His advice for the princess to be and maybe me -- coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Medicine has always been Dr. Brad Berk's passion, a cardiologist and CEO of University of Rochester Medical Center. Berk was known as a real go-getter. But that changed in May of 2009 when Berk had a bicycle accident. He knew immediately it wasn't a simple fall.
DR. BRAD BERK, CEO, UNIV. OF ROCHESTER MEDICAL CTR.: I quickly noticed I couldn't feel my legs. I couldn't feel my left arm. I moved my right arm and then suddenly it couldn't move.
GUPTA: Berk had broken a spine and was paralyzed from the neck down. As paramedics loaded him into the ambulance, he turned to his wife, Mary, and apologized.
MARY BERK, DR. BERK'S WIFE: I knew when he said, "I'm so sorry," that he had a pretty good sense of how our lives were going to change.
GUPTA: Berk spent 12 days in the ICU of his own hospital. And there, he began to see the importance of compassion in patient care. On a ventilator, unable to communicate, he knew the technology was keeping him alive but it was his family and the staff that made his life worth living -- something as simple as a friendly nurse washing his hair brought him tremendous joy.
B. BERK: I called it the healing power of touch because I felt so good after that. And what she didn't know is the only part of my body that could feel sensation normally was my head.
GUPTA: In less than a year, he was able to return to the hospital he loved as CEO, but he was different. B. BERK: I really came to realize how critically important what I call compassion and attentiveness are, both for provider satisfaction, patient satisfaction, and driving quality and safety.
GUPTA: Berk instituted the patient and family center care initiative designed to improve patient care and the employee work environment.
B. BERK: It's about valuing and respecting everyone.
GUPTA: And today, Berk works with a therapist to help him walk. Even though he can't feel his steps, he has promised himself to live as normal a life as possible.
B. BERK: Courage is not the roar that you make when you go into battle, but it's the quiet voice that helps you get up every day and try again.
GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: Do we have a treat for you or what? The headline from Buckingham Palace might as well read this -- wanted: something borrowed, something blue, and a wedding planner who knows royal protocol through and through. It looks like Britain's royal couple could be closing in on a venue for their big day.
Prince William's fiancee, Kate, Catherine Middleton, recently given a private tour of Westminster Abbey. And if chosen, it would another link to the late Lady Di. That is where her funeral was held. You will also remember that Prince William proposed to Middleton with his mother's sapphire and diamond engagement ring and Queen Elizabeth was married at the abbey as well.
Look at that rock. Gorgeous, right?
But what dress will the budding princess choose? And if anyone knows bridal fashion, it is Monte Durham with TLC's "Say Yes to the Dress," and Lori Allen, owner by of Bridals by Lori here in Atlanta, where the big show is filmed.
And what a pleasure to have you guys in here. I wish if only you could see all the people standing that way watching the segment.
But let's begin, both of you, with -- look, British royal weddings, you think of that, that must be fairly formal. When we talk gowns, right? Is that --
MONTE DURHAM, HOST, TLC'S "YES TO THE DRESS": Yes, extremely formal, I would think. I -- obviously, there will be a nod to tradition. I think she'll put her own little twist on it. But we're in agreement -- it will probably be very traditional.
LORI ALLEN, OWNER, BRIDALS BY LORI: I think so.
BALDWIN: And when we say traditional, what does that really mean?
ALLEN: Traditional means keeping with protocol. It's maybe covering, covering the arms, like Princess Diana did. Maybe not strapless. Maybe a shrug like we brought here. And different things.
BALDWIN: Let's go through some of the dresses.
ALLEN: OK.
BALDWIN: These are maybe guesses.
ALLEN: A few guesses.
BALDWIN: Ballpark maybe of what she could be wearing. They're all gorgeous. I'm in love with this one.
ALLEN: Isn't that gorgeous?
BALDWIN: Tell me about this.
ALLEN: That gown is by (INAUDIBLE), which is a division of (INAUDIBLE), which is tulle, and it is actually something that's very in style now, which is the dimensional flower. All of that's done by hand. Isn't it lovely?
BALDWIN: Gorgeous.
DURHAM: Yes, it's gorgeous.
ALLEN: And those are (INAUDIBLE) crystals in the center of each of the flowers and a sweetheart neckline. Now, that gown is strapless. I don't know that Kate would go for strapless.
BALDWIN: What do you say, Monte?
DURHAM: Definitely. I definitely do not think that she's going to do strapless. I do think it will be a fitted waist, though.
BALDWIN: Fitted, that looks so princess.
DURHAM: Yes, exactly.
(CROSSTALK)
DURHAM: Fairy tale.
BALDWIN: Monte, can you tell me about this one?
DURHAM: Sure. This one is actually a duchess satin which, again, is a very formal fabric. It's actually one of the highest fabrics made, I mean, in quality and texture. So, you've got a light sheen on it. Here is a very slim, low (ph) gown. It gives a modern touch to a very traditional gown. BALDWIN: It's elegant.
DURHAM: (INAUDIBLE) buttons down all the way down the back. A sweetheart neckline I think she will probably opt for something a little higher than this. A lace shrug. So, there we go back to tradition, satin, lace, and buttons. I mean, you can't get more traditional than that.
BALDWIN: She will not be showing much skin?
ALLEN: I don't. I really don't think so. I think it may be scooped or maybe slightly "V." Pardon me, I don't think it's going to be very daring.
BALDWIN: What about all the beading on this third one? Might we see something that ornate?
ALLEN: We may. But I don't know. But we may. We brought this because a true princess gown, we thought of this one. This is blush pink. It's by Eve of Miladay.
And it has the buttons down the back, all the beading on the skirt. I mean, it is truly princess.
DURHAM: It truly is. And if you look back in history, her grandmother-in-law to be, her gown was very heavily beaded and ornate.
BALDWIN: We have pictures both of Queen Elizabeth and Princess Diana.
DURHAM: Yes, great. Yes.
BALDWIN: We got -- can we pull either one of those up? Because I'd love to sort of compare and contrast what we've seen in the past to what, perhaps, we'll see in the future -- maybe perhaps starting with Princess Diana.
DURHAM: OK.
BALDWIN: Talk to me about what her gown looked like.
DURHAM: OK, here we go with --
BALDWIN: Queen Elizabeth.
DURHAM: Queen Elizabeth -- here we go with a gown that is very fitted. You can see the neckline is very reminiscent of the period.
BALDWIN: Yes.
DURHAM: She's got a long sleeve. And you can see, it's embroidered and there's flowers, rosettes on this gown that are in batch (ph) with brilliance. I mean, you look at the skirt. She actually had the pages carry her train down because it was so extremely heavy. She actually was escorted down the aisle with pages carrying her train. BALDWIN: Wow. And then Diana -- Princess Diana, everyone remembers this. 1981. Look at the poof.
(CROSSTALK)
DURHAM: Yes. Big, long, fluffy, if you will.
BALDWIN: If we will.
DURHAM: And here is another nod to something Diana is of a royal house. So, she wore a Spencer tiara. So, she had a family tiara.
So, with Kate not being of that royal house, I'm sure Queen Elizabeth will loan or better yet give her one as well as she did Diana.
BALDWIN: So, we will likely not see Diana's tiara but rather --
DURHAM: I don't think so because it belongs to the Spencer, the house of Spencer.
BALDWIN: Show me the sparkliness we have in front of you.
DURHAM: Well, here we go. And Lori can take not on this for us.
ALLEN: Well, these are more -- these are more pieces that are reminiscent of princess pieces. They are by Maria Lana (ph). They're very ornate. They sit at an angle and have that crown effect on them. So, these are more in line of what we were thinking that she would wear with the gown with the blusher over. Right, Monte?
DURHAM: Totally. And with the blusher and the veiling and Europe is usually 100 percent silk. Well, here, we were synthetic blend with our blushers and our veils so they stand out a little more. You'll see that the veils are heavy and lay flat against the face.
BALDWIN: Which one do I get to try on? They're sparkly.
DURHAM: Yes, yes, yes. We're going to get you prepared. So --
BALDWIN: So, yes.
DURHAM: And it truly is, it can be worn a myriad of ways.
ALLEN: You look gorgeous. There you go.
BALDWIN: What do you think?
DURHAM: Look at that. Done. Done.
BALDWIN: Thumbs up in my ears, getting thumbs up. Just need my dress next.
DURHAM: You just got jacked up.
BALDWIN: I got some bling on my head. Guys, thank you so much. Lori and Monte, thank you.
DURHAM: Our pleasure. Thank you.
BALDWIN: We'll be right back. I feel like I should curtsey.
DURHAM: Yes, there you go.
ALLEN: That was (INAUDIBLE).
BALDWIN: Thank you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: We could learn any time really if that jawbone and that molar that a tourist found along the beach in Aruba recently if it belongs to Natalee Holloway. We will take you live to Aruba for a report, latest in the testings.
And also, does a thought of a pat-down from the TSA make you want to say, forget about it, when it comes to flying? What if the screener was not a TSA employee? That's a thought.
Today's latest wrinkle in the air travel controversy -- I will talk to the man who used to be in charge of security at Tel Aviv's airport. They do it differently there. Stay tuned.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: Natalee Holloway -- did part of her body wash up on the beach in Aruba? That is what we are still sitting here waiting to learn.
You know, it's been five long years of emotional up and downs for her family. Imagine if you're her parents. You know, every optimistic turn has led to a dead end in a quest to learn just what happened to her the night she vanished.
I want to go to live to Aruba now with Jean Casarez. She's a correspondent with truTV's "In Session."
And, Jean, we know it was a jawbone and also a tooth, a molar that some tourists found in the sand. And if it's human and those teeth, if they're human here, how might -- how close might we be in learning if they are, indeed, Natalee Holloway's?
JEAN CASAREZ, CORRESPONDENT, "IN SESSION" ON TRUTV: Well, you know, Brooke, we should be very close because you can compare dental records, and we do know CNN's Susan Candiotti confirmed that the dental records are at The Hague. And so -- but everybody is waiting here on the island of Aruba.
Right behind me is the public minister's office. That's the prosecutor's office, and they are the ones that actually helped investigators take what is believed to be that jawbone and that tooth attached to The Hague. They're using DNA because they have the biological mother and father of Natalee Holloway and those dental records.
But as I talked to the prosecutor's office today through the day, they say that they are calling The Hague on a constant basis to see if there are any updates, and The Hague is responding, their forensic institute, that, no, they are not ready to discuss their findings.
BALDWIN: I imagine here, the parents, you just ultimately really want closure, and especially with the mother, Beth Twitty. I know she went all the way to Peru, as have you, to try to get that closure from the suspect here in the disappearance, Joran Van Der Sloot.
Jean, do we -- do we know whatever came of that meeting?
CASAREZ: We know that they met at Castro Castro, one of the maximum security prisons of the world. They met in a small room that was off of where Joran Van Der Sloot's cell was. It was all videotaped, and now, his attorney is saying that there were bribes involved for them to get in there, and there is an investigation under way with everyone, from the director of the prison to the prison guards.
But on the other side, it was told to us by the Dutch journalist that got them in that there were no bribes at all, that they were told they couldn't discuss the Stephany Flores case which they did not. It was all above board.
But the fact is, they met, they spoke, but she got no answers from Joran Van Der Sloot.
BALDWIN: And I think it's just worth reminding everyone that Joran Van Der Sloot, although he is very much so linked with the Stephany Flores murder, he's never been formally charged with regard to Natalee Holloway.
CASAREZ: No, he has not. And you know, when I got on the island yesterday, I wanted to talk to everybody I could find about their thoughts about this case, and they all are waiting for this jawbone. They all want to know if it is Natalee Holloway.
They also say that with Joran Van Der Sloot, that they never knew one way or the other about his involvement, allegedly, with Natalee Holloway's disappearance. But they were fixated on our coverage in Peru with Joran Van Der Sloot, because this is where he grew up, and they really said that now they have grave concerns about any link between he and Natalee Holloway because of Lima, Peru, and the first- degree murder charges he's facing there.
BALDWIN: Final question, Jean, just real quickly. If this is Natalee Holloway's jawbone, what would be the next step, legally speaking?
CASAREZ: Well, I think prosecutors in the building behind me are really going to have to look at the evidence they have, and they're going to have to say -- first of all, number one, forensically speaking, we have our first evidence that purports to show that Natalee Holloway is deceased, because we never had any evidence that she is deceased. This would be that.
And then, number two, what would this corroborate with everything else they had, interviews of Joran Van Der Sloot.
BALDWIN: Right.
CASAREZ: Audiotape confessions he's given to media outlets around the world, allegedly for money. But they always said they haven't brought charges because they couldn't corroborate Joran Van Der Sloot's stories.
BALDWIN: We will just have to wait and see. We will have to wait and see. And I know you're waiting there right in front of the prosecutor's office to see if, in fact, the jawbone -- whose it might be.
Jean Casarez, we'll be checking back in with you, live for us from Aruba. Thank you.
Michael Steele, that's a name you know, and he is very much on the defensive yet again. So, who is attacking his leadership now? It is just one of the stories in our Political Ticker. Wolf Blitzer all over it -- next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: CNN has all your latest political news with the Best Team on Television. "CNN Equals Politics," and Wolf Blitzer is, as always, at the CNNPolitics.com desk.
And, Wolf, let's talk about Michael Steele. He is back on the new defensive, defending his record as head of the RNC. What is he saying?
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Well, he's saying that he's done an incredible job over the past two years. And if you look at the results, it's very, very impressive. Going back to those special elections in Virginia and New Jersey, even in Massachusetts, Republicans won, and more recently in the midterm elections, Republicans did great, capturing a whole bunch of seats in the House and in the Senate, gubernatorial races. And if you look at the state legislatures around the country, hundreds of pick-ups for the Republicans.
So, by all accounts, if you're the chairman of the Republican National Committee and you've got a record like that, you think you're doing a great job. He says this: "I am happy to report that our efforts were an overwhelming success. Because of the surge in grassroots support for the GOP, over 44 million voters turned out to cast ballots for Republican candidates in 2010."
Now, he wrote this memo in the face of criticism he's getting from some other Republican big-shots, including Haley Barbour, a former chairman of the RNC, the governor of Mississippi, who's saying he didn't necessarily deliver as far as fundraising is concerned. Some other Republican insiders don't like the way he's been dealing with fundraising and they've made it clear they'd like him to step aside.
It looks like he's interested in continuing for another two years. The election for the chairmanship is at the end of January. We'll see if he succeeds or fails to stay on as chairman of the Republican Party.
Another story we're following, the CNN poll of polls. It's an average of the major polls on how the president is doing. Right now in our poll of polls, overall, 47 percent of Americans approve of the job the president is doing, 48 percent disapprove. About half the country likes the way he's operating, half doesn't like the way he's operating. Those numbers have been pretty consistent.
Having said that, the Democrats did not do well in the midterm elections. So, it's obviously a problem right now.
Some of the other interesting poll numbers we're going to discuss in "THE SITUATION ROOM" at 5:00 p.m. Eastern, Brooke. You'll be interested on whether the country is moving in the right direction, wrong direction, do they expect the economy to be better a year from now as opposed to right now.
James Carville is going to be joining us in "THE SITUATION ROOM." He's made some controversial comments about President Obama in the last few days. We'll press him on that.
And one final thing, Brooke, and I think you're going to like this. I think a lot of our viewers will like this.
BALDWIN: Yes.
BLITZER: Brooke, are you listening? Are you listening to me?
BALDWIN: I'm with you, Wolf Blitzer.
BLITZER: Do you know who do you who Doug E. Fresh is?
BALDWIN: A guy -- your -- your pal who you did the -- Doug E. after the Soul Train Awards.
BLITZER: Guess where he's going to be today. Guess where Doug E. Fresh is going to be.
BALDWIN: In "THE SITUATION ROOM."
BLITZER: That is correct.
(LAUGHTER)
BLITZER: Doug E. Fresh will be in THE SITUATION ROOM with me. The Soul Train will come to "THE SITUATION ROOM" on this day. I want everyone to start getting excited and to think of the possibilities.
BALDWIN: Because, when we think Soul Train, we think --
BLITZER: Wolf Blitzer, right. BALDWIN: -- Wolf Blitzer.
BLITZER: Obviously, and Doug E. Fresh.
(LAUGHTER)
BALDWIN: And Doug E. Fresh. We will all be watching. I can promise you that, Wolf. Thank you.
How do I go on from there?
Another CNN equals politics update in about 30 minutes. You can also get the latest political news online. Go to CNNPolitics.com or go to Twitter at @PoliticalTicker.
Final check here. Let's get a check of the billboard as it is all closing down for the day, the Dow up 24 points, just about, 11202, not too bad. Pretty big day yesterday. GM finally going public.
Quick reminder, you can always get the latest numbers. Go to CNNMoney.com.
