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Flight Attendant Tells of TSA Search; Four in Ten Say Marriage is Becoming Obsolete; Doctor Turns Tragedy into a Positive; News You May Have Missed During the Week
Aired November 20, 2010 - 17:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone, I'm Don Lemon. Thanks for joining us. It is the top of the hour and we want to be safe in the air, all of us, we want to be safe on board on airline but at what price is the question today? Because we're heading into a busy travel week, and there's a lot of talk this weekend about the newly aggressive pat-down searches at the nation's airports. They're being called embarrassing, they're being called invasive. And one incident in particular makes you wonder if the whole airport security thing has gone too far. It happened to a flight attendant just a couple of months ago and she's now taken her story public and it's adding fuel to the growing public outrage here.
Here's Molly Grantham of our Charlotte Affiliate, WBTV.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CATHI BOSSI, FLIGHT ATTENDANT: It's no reason to have somebody's hands touching your body parts.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MOLLY GRANTHAM, WBTV (voice-over): In early August, Cathi Bossi was asked to go through a body scanner on her way to work. They were just being rolled out in Charlotte. From there, she was told to go into a private room with two female TSA agents. When one of them started touching her, Cathy asked why she, a U.S. airways flight attendant just trying to get to work, was being given such treatment.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BOSSI: They told me that they had gotten a memo from the TSA saying that flight crew members were the most obvious potential terrorists out there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRANTHAM: Thursday night, Cathi told her story to WBTV. She says when the agent got to her right breast, the one where she had breast cancer surgery, she was told to show it to them.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BOSSI: So, that's when I had to pull it out and show her the prosthesis which was very embarrassing and very degrading.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: That was Molly Grantham from our show on WBTV and I want to say, we did reach out to Cathi Bossi. She's the woman who alleged that she had to remove her prosthetic breast. We have reached out to her, she may be appearing on CNN later this evening and if she does, make sure you tune in here. In the meantime, let's turn to our Jacqui Jeras here. Jacqui is our meteorologist but she's also been following our travel desk here. Jacqui, you've heard what people are saying, you've been in the airports. Can you imagine this poor lady and maybe others like her who have gone through similar circumstances?
JACQUI JERAS, METEOROLOGIST: And imagine, it would be a tough thing to go through. And if you look at TSA's Web site, it will tell you that you shouldn't remove your prosthetic. So, this is what happens to her that is against the rules. And imagine that she would feel very uncomfortable and my mom is a breast cancer survivor and it's a very difficult thing to go through and it's tough to be reminded of that after, you know, you have healed. So to go through something like this where women can tend to feel very violated as it, it's very unfortunate.
LEMON: You offered a good suggestion about there are lists for people who have certain devices and maybe this should be one of them.
JERAS: Yes. I believe that if you have, you know, some people have metal devices in their body like a knee replacement or hip replacement or something like that. Maybe if we could come up with some type of a policy with a card that says, hey, you know, I've been identified as having a prosthetic and maybe they would be a little more understanding in that type of situation.
LEMON: Thank you for providing some personal perspective on this, Jacqui Jeras and some advice again, Jacqui is manning our travel desk today, which we'll have throughout the holidays specially since her new role is just going into effect. Jacqui Jeras, thank you.
We want to go now to our Kate Bolduan. She is at Washington's Reagan National Airport and she says the TSA is aware of this woman's complaint Kate, so what is their explanation?
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: The TSA released a short statement, Don, and said in their statement, quote, "We will review the matter and take appropriate action, if necessary." TSA also pointed us to their procedures and policies regarding screening -- screening of prosthetic devices which say very clearly that the screening officers will need to see and touch the devices. But it also says very clearly that the officers will not ask nor require that you remove the devices.
So, it seems very clear that it's not policy to ask someone to remove the device. But we should know that this did happen a couple months ago, this is obviously then moments before this new pat-down procedures were put into place which is the first of this year. So, those are necessarily connected, Don.
LEMON: Kate Bolduan at Washington's Reagan National Airport. Thank you very much for that, Kate.
We want to go to Wendy Walsh, she is here and she is a psychologist and a blogger for momlogic.com. So, Wendy, tell me, what is going on here? Have we traded really all of our privacy for the promise of safety and security? Does it have to go this far?
WENDY WALSH, PSYCHOLOGIST/BLOGGER: Sad to say, it does, Don. I mean, we've now reached the sort of level of personal fear that the rest of the world has had to endure for many, many decades. We lived in a place in America here, thinking that we were untouchable until 9/11. You know, I happen to -- speaking of these pat-downs, I have been traveling internationally last year when the Christmas Day bombing attempt happened and they said everybody, every international flight is getting a full pat-down, including my baby. They were searching babies' diapers, they patted down my children. But there's another piece here we have to consider. Do you know how many TSA employees didn't think they signed up for this?
LEMON: Right.
WALSH: The woman was apologizing. As she -- I'm so sorry when I heard I had to do this today, I didn't want to come to work but I have to.
LEMON: Well, Dr., let's talk about your thing, your expertise in this, and that's psychology. What does this do to our psyche, what does this do to the woman, Ms. Bossi, who has to go through this? Are there people who say, they feel about they have been really sexually molested or touched improperly when they go through the airport, what does this do to us?
WALSH: You know, for part of our population, who are suffering from some kind of post-traumatic stress disorder from an earlier sexual molestation, a rape, any kind of sexual abuse that could have happened anywhere along the life span, having someone touch them in this intimate way can bring up feelings that are not comfortable by any means and can bring all kinds of anxiety and also panic attacks and fear. It's sad to say that we have to make these decisions for the whole population. I happen to like the pat-downs, I'm fine with them touching by junk or anyone else's junk if their junk next to it, they could hurt my children.
LEMON: All right. Wendy, listen, we get it. Thank you so much. We appreciate you joining us. Wendy, stick around, because we're going to be relying on you just a little bit because we're talking about marriage. Is it obsolete? Another fascinating story, OK?
WALSH: Yes.
LEMON: So, the days of growing up, meeting that special someone, right? Is that gone? Gone away? Having a fairy tale, well, those days are happening much, much less now. More people think marriage is becoming obsolete. What's going on? Is it a potential for cheating? We're having a conversation here.
And the pope and the condom and condom use. The words from the pontiff that may signal a change in the Catholic Church's stance on birth control. We want you to be part of the conversation and make sure you join us on twitter or Facebook or check out our blog. CNN.com/Don. We also have our own page on Foursquare. Foursquare.com/DonLemonCNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: The dress, we love to do that, the flowers, it's supposed to be the most romantic day of a new life together, you and your partner. But many people just aren't buying that anymore. Here's what a new poll from a few research now that it shows that nearly four in 10 people think marriage is becoming obsolete. But that same study shows 67 percent say they're still optimistic about the future of marriage and family in America. What does that mean? So, what's with these conflicting views on time here?
So, let's bring back our Dr. Wendy Walsh, she's a psychologist and a relationship expert. Now, we bring in Shanae Hall, Shanae is a former NFL wife, that's what she called herself, a former NFL wife and she's the author of the book, it's called, "Why do I have to Think Like a Man, How to Think Like a Lady and Still Get the Man." So, let's start with Wendy Walsh. Wendy, let's start with this four in 10 number, is it a sign of the times here?
WALSH: It is a sign of the times. I think the traditional marriage is slowly becoming extinct but it's giving way to something else. A lot of choices. I mean, the silver lining...
LEMON: Wait. Hold on, Wendy.
WALSH: Go ahead.
LEMON: Hold on Dr.
WALSH: Yes.
LEMON: You said slowly becoming extinct. Do you mean that one day people going to go, I don't want to do it anymore?
WALSH: Well, I think we're actually going back to really something much more natural. I've blog about this all the time, you know, our hundred gather ancestors lived in communities where people were biologically or non-biologically connected and many generations helped raise children in almost a small tribe. And many people had an interest in keeping those children healthy. The idea of taking a nuclear family, one man, one woman, having one be the provider and one the caregiver and fitting them in a home in the suburbs and leaving her isolated, usually her isolated with the bunch of kids is not really normal for our species.
LEMON: Well, I'm watching Shanae, you're there, you're shaking your head as I see you listening to Dr. Wendy. Do you agree with that? SHANAE HALL, AUTHOR, "WHY DO I HAVE TO THINK LIKE A MAN: I do, I do. I definitely think that just because of our foundation, our moral grounds that we're building our families on is unstable. We're building families on quick sand, as I like to say, and it's not the same mentality if you marry this person and we enter into a luck and a bond, and we stay this way forever. People change. Marriages and spouses like they do underwear every single day. So, it's not going to have the same meaning that it does in 2010 than it did in 1950.
LEMON: OK. Listen, you're going to hear the tradition, you're going to hear the religious folks saying, marriage, you know, marriage between a man and woman, she got married, you have to have the nuclear family, you're here to procreate. You're guys are going against conventional wisdom here, Shanae.
HALL: We are, but being a realist, I'm not making the rules, I'm not setting the rules, I'm just following what is going on in today's society. And at the end of the day, no matter what scenario we look at, celebrity or not celebrity, marriages are ending in divorce, whether for adultery or financial reasons or whatever. It just doesn't have that same luck and bond as it used to have.
LEMON: OK. So, Dr. Wendy, I want to go through a couple of these. I want to ask Wendy about, Shanae, after this Shanae, I'm going to ask you about Eva Longoria Parker. But let's talk about this. When you talk about potential reasons. Some people say, it's economy, could be social media, you have the preacher who are telling people to get off Facebook because they're getting in touch with old flames from high school and college. There's a high divorce rate, easy access to pornography and it's like dating and sex takeout these days, so there's no room to even have a real relationship here. Dr. Wendy?
WALSH: I think all these relate, Don, to the biggest issue, is that mix matched expectations and the belief that what we see on TV and in Hollywood movies is how marriage should be. First of all, news flash to married people. Sex doesn't stay totally hot for years and years on end while you're tired and raising small children. News flash. But at the same time, as religion and the law are becoming less instrumental in bringing people, in keeping people together, we have to learn to self-regulate. Because, in a recent study in psychology today, the number one indicator of whether a couple will stay together or not is intellectual commitment.
LEMON: Right. It's intellectual commitment, it's not the sex, it's not how hot somebody is. It's not any of that. Listen, OK, Shanae and Dr., let's play, we have Tony Parker talking about his marriage and staying focused. This was before they announced that they were getting a divorce, they filed. Go ahead.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TONY PARKER, SPLITTING WITH WIFE EVA LONGORIA: I'm having great support from my teammates, you know, and my coaches, and focus, you know, 100 percent on the spurs and try to win basketball games.
(END VIDEO CLIP) LEMON: OK. So that was about team work. I think it's about marriage. Do we have -- I don't know, do we have anything about him talking about marriage? So, we may have different thing here. So, what do you think, you hear about this, Shanae, I want to ask you about this because you're former NFL wife. They have so many distractions. They have women throwing themselves at them. You don't have to be in the NFL to do that. You can have, you know, I see my friends when we go out and people, women are like throwing themselves. It's so easy nowadays.
HALL: It is, it is. But that's what we were talking about earlier. It's like, if you go into the NBA or NFL or whatever job you may have, if you don't have any moral backing, if you don't say, you know, I'm not going to cheat on this person because I love her and because I made this commitment to her, then you're just entering into basically a verbal agreement that you're saying, OK, when I get tired of you or when this chick who looks better than you comes along, then I'm out or I'm going to have sex with her, and we can still play husband and wife in the public eye. And we'd like to make it just strictly athlete and it's not. I interviewed guys that work at Taco Bell, in Costco, that cheat on their wives. So it's just in the environment. That's the way we live right now.
LEMON: That's going to have to be the last word. But I wonder if marriage, if that is going to change with, you know, all these ladies who are seeing Prince William getting married and they like, oh my gosh. It's fantasy, it's really fantasy.
HALL: Whatever.
(LAUGHTER)
WALSH: That's a wedding, not a marriage.
HALL: Whatever.
LEMON: Oh, you guys are so cynical. Besides, the wedding is for the lady anyway. So, it's not the man, I don't even know why he's there. It should just be her and her girlfriends taking pictures. Thank you, guys. I appreciate it.
HALL: Exactly. Thank you.
WALSH: Thanks, Don.
LEMON: Up next, a young girl who went through absolute hell. We're talking about Elizabeth Smart kidnapped, presumed by many to be dead only to be found months later with her capture. Now on trial, what is coming out about this story that you never knew before? We're going to tell you, Martin Savidge is here.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Boy, it's hard to believe it's been almost eight years since this happened. In Salt Lake City, the sensational trial over the kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart has transfixed much of the country. The level of abuse she endured for nine years with the hands of her alleged capture was beyond horrifying, it is really unspeakable. The Elizabeth Smart's incredible story is the subject of a special presentation tonight at 10 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN.
Here's CNN's Martin Savidge to take us back to the dramatic day when the young girl, many people assumed was dead turned up alive.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): It had been nine months since Elizabeth Smart disappeared from her home, when police finally got a break.
(on camera) Just days after Brian Mitchell's photos appeared on "America's Most Wanted," police received two 911 calls. The callers said they had seen Mitchell on this street, just outside Salt Lake City and he had been walking with a woman and a girl.
(voice-over) Police found Mitchell and his wife, and a girl wearing a gray wig and sunglasses. At first she denied her identity, but police knew it was Elizabeth.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOM SMART, ELIZABETH'S UNCLE: And Everett calls me right after that and says Tom, they've told me and asked me to come out to Sunday, to the police station, and he's in the car driving out there as fast as he can. And I told him, I said Ed, I think you're going to go see your daughter. And then Edward calls me, and says -- and he's just in tears, and he says, it's her, Don. You know, thank you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAVIDGE: It was the moment they had hoped for all those months. But never knew would come.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: And I'm so grateful for the prayers and the help and the eyes out there. It is just absolutely wonderful.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAVIDGE: Ed called John Walsh and asked him to come to Utah.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN WALSH, HOST, "AMERICA'S MOST WANTED": All the brothers were there and all the kids and when she walked down those stairs, that was incredible. That was probably the best day I've spent on this show.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SAVIDGE: We all know what he went through.
LEMON: And that's why you -- on "America's Most Wanted."
SAVIDGE: Right.
LEMON: Before I'll ask you a question about the case. Can you imagine as a parent what those people went through? I know she suffered, the entire family.
SAVIDGE: Well, and that's part of the reason why we begin with the day that she was abducted.
LEMON: Yes.
SAVIDGE: Because I think in the eight years that has transpired since then, people have sort of forgotten how remarkable this story is. It is an amazing story. She's taken in the middle of the night at night point sleeping in her own bed, her little sister next to her. The family is in the same house, she's west away, weeks go by, and then months. Actually, if you're thinking a case like this, 99 percent of the outcomes are very tragic and she's found alive and well. Even the most jaded reporter felt joyful on the day she was found.
LEMON: Yes. And so now, sadly it's good that she's alive but we're learning about what happened to her in captivity and what will you tell us about that?
SAVIDGE: Right. Well, this is also what we bring up in this documentary is that, sure, she was taken. We really didn't know what went on and for many years, the family protected her and she did not speak publicly. Now she is at the trial for the man who was accused of kidnapping her. She is talking of the abuses that she had to suffer on a daily basis. And it is just staggering. The rapes that she went through, how alcohol allegedly was forced upon her. The things that she was made to do. And remember, she was a 14-year-old child.
LEMON: How is she doing?
SAVIDGE: She's doing remarkably well. I think that's perhaps the greatest miracle of this story is to see this young girl that went from such a victim to know with such strength, get up there with such composure on the stand and talk of these unspeakable things. And now she's telling the world, she know what she is, and she's doing it from the point of view that I am going to find justice and I will get it for myself. It's a very moving story.
LEMON: I can't wait to see. And you're great reporter. It's so good to work with you here as you did at NBC. But thank you. Thank you for this and we're watching. Thank you, Martin Savidge. Make sure you tune in this evening tonight at 10:00, our special report "Taken: The Kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart," it airs tonight again at10:00 p.m. Eastern. It's our Martin Savidge, he's going to replays tonight at 10:30 tomorrow night I should say, at 10:30 p.m. Eastern. Tonight at 10:00, tomorrow night at 10:30 p.m. LEMON: Moving on now, a big decision about the future of U.S. troops in Afghanistan. The announcement just made at a NATO meeting in Portugal, that President Obama is attending, that is straight ahead.
Also, our Dr. Sanjay Gupta introduces us to a prominent doctor whose experience as a patient led to him making some big changes with his hospital.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: A cardiologist and a CEO of a major hospital, paralyzed in the prime of his life. As our Dr. Sanjay Gupta shows us now, in his darkest moment, this CEO learned the importance of compassion in caring for patients.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Medicine has always been Dr. Dr. Brad Berk's passion. A cardiologist and CEO of the 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.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. BRAD BERK, CEO, UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER MEDICAL CENTER: I quickly noticed that I couldn't feel my legs, I couldn't feel my left arm and I moved my right arm and then suddenly it couldn't move.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GUPTA: Berk had broken his spine and was paralyzed and then neck down. As paramedics loaded him into the ambulance, he turned to his wife Mary and apologized.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARY BERK, BRAD 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.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
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 staff that made his life worth living. Something as simple as a friendly nurse washing his hair brought him tremendous joy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BERK: I called this 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.
(END VIDEO CLIP) GUPTA: In less than a year, he was able to return to the hospital he loved as CEO. But he was different.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
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.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GUPTA: Berk instituted the Patient and Family Centered Care Initiative, designed to improve patient care and the employee work environment.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BERK: It's about valuing and respecting everyone.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GUPTA: And today, he works with a therapist to help him work, even though he can't feel his steps. He's promised himself to live as normal a life as possible.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
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.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN reporting.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: In the headlines right now, on CNN, the U.S. remains committed to reducing American forces in Afghanistan beginning next July. That word today from President Barack Obama at the NATO summit in Lisbon, Portugal.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA (R), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We adopted the goal of Afghan forces taking the lead for security across the country by the end of 2014. This is a goal that President Karzai has put forward. I've made it clear that even as Americans transition and troop reductions will begin in July, we will also forge a long-term partnership with the Afghan people. And today, NATO has done the same.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: The U.S. says about 100,000 troops in Afghanistan. NATO has a security force of about 40,000 troops from 48 countries. In his new book, the Pope Benedict OKs the use of condoms in certain cases to stop the spread of AIDS. This is seen as a fundamental shift in the Catholic Church's absolute ban on contraception. The pontiff says their use is OK when the sole intention is to reduce the risk infection. The Vatican published excerpts from his book, Light of the World." They did it today, ahead of the book's release on Tuesday.
I'm Don Lemon at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta. Make sure you join us at 7:00 p.m. for a very special show. We'll see you then.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I.D., sir. I.D., sir.
PETE DOMINICK, CNN HOST: I'm Pete Dominick.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who? Who?
DOMINICK: I'm the most of "What the Week." "What the Week."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get against the wall. (INAUDIBLE).
DOMINICK: Oh! You've got to be kidding me. "What the Week" starts in five seconds.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stay there.
ALI VELSHI, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, it's Ali? What? Pete Dominick? Dominick? Full cavity search.
DOMINICK: Velshi!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DOMINICK: It's been five days since we heard a random guy tell the TSA not to grab his junk, three days since Republican Lisa Murkowski -- how do you spell that -- declared victory in that contentious Alaska Senate race, and one day since another TV anchor got suspended for making a political donations, and only 30 seconds since I got violated by a security guard. Buckle up, kids. We're about to tear through all of it.
Welcome to "What the Week."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DIANE SAWYER, ABC EVENING NEWS ANCHOR: A modern-day Cinderella marrying into Britain's royal family.
UNIDENTIFIED CORRESPONDENT: Prince William pops the question. He and Kate Middleton will marry next year.
PRINCE HARRY: It's my mother's engagement ring. It's my way of bringing my mother and the past in to today.
UNIDENTIFIED CORRESPONDENT: Just fantastic. And everybody talking about what a romantic he is.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DOMINICK: Whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait, wait, wait, stop. What was that? What was all that? A lot more happened this week than just that royal wedding. Who put this together?
Ed, are you in the control room, Ed?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, Pete, what's up?
DOMINICK: What are you doing? I know everyone is freaking out over the royal engagement. This is ridiculous. Roll the highlights of what people really need to know about or, I swear to god, I'm going to come over there and take that stupid crown off your head and feed it to you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, OK. I've got something. It will be smashing, governor.
DOMINICK: Very, very funny. Go ahead.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED CORRESPONDENT: The lame-duck Congress is now under way.
UNIDENTIFIED CORRESPONDENT: New members of Congress reporting in like new students at college.
UNIDENTIFIED CORRESPONDENT: A growing grassroots movement is calling on passengers to refuse body scans.
WOLF BLITZER, HOST, THE SITUATION ROOM: The confrontation as airport security goes viral.
JOHN TYNER, IN TSA CONFRONTATION: I turned to him, I looked him in the eye and said, if you touch my junk, I'll have you arrested.
UNIDENTIFIED CORRESPONDENT: Charlie Rangel has been convicted of breaking house ethics rules.
BRIAN WILLIAMS, NBC NEWS ANCHOR: Rangel says the verdict was unfair. He walked out of his own hearing yesterday.
UNIDENTIFIED CORRESPONDENT: President Obama presented the Medal of Honor to Army Staff Sergeant Salvatore Giunta for heroism in Afghanistan.
UNIDENTIFIED CORRESPONDENT: An obviously thinner Dick Cheney was all the talk after his public appearance with George Bush.
UNIDENTIFIED CORRESPONDENT: A federal jury in New York finding Ahmed Guildani (ph) not guilty on 284 terror related charges, including murder.
BARBARA WALTERS, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": If you ran for president, could you beat Barack Obama?
SARAH PALIN, FORMER VP CANDIDATE & FORMER ALASKA GOVERNOR: I believe so.
UNIDENTIFIED CORRESPONDENT: The idea from General Motors was the biggest Wall Street has ever seen.
OBAMA: It is a national security imperative that the United States ratify the new START treaty.
UNIDENTIFIED CORRESPONDENT: Republicans have chosen John Boehner to be speaker of the House. Out-going speaker, Nancy Pelosi, will lead the Democrats.
UNIDENTIFIED CORRESPONDENT: President Obama is in Lisbon, Portugal, today, meeting with NATO allies.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DOMINICK: So that was the news. But all my producers want to talk about this whole week was the royal engagement. In fact, it's all a lot of people wanted to talk about. So what, our forefathers fight and die in the Revolutionary War to overthrow the tyrannical reign of the throne just so, 200 years later, we can all go nuts over Prince William's dreamy blue eyes?
This week, I crash your lunch to find out what America's lingering obsession with royalty is all about. Take a look.
DOMINICK: What did you hear, sir?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who? I just heard that junior -- is that his name?
DOMINICK: Junior?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I heard he was getting married.
(LAUGHTER)
DOMINICK: He's been dating her for a while.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
DOMINICK: Why do you know this?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Prince William got engaged to his long-term girlfriend.
DOMINICK: Yes, you know a lot. That's quite a bit.
Did you know that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I knew about it.
DOMINICK: Are you excited? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And when I was 6, Prince Charles and Princess Diana got married. And then William was born, and I was sad because he was going to be younger. And so he wouldn't be my prince.
DOMINICK: The whole thing because you thought you had a shot. Women, they care about this stuff, or am I being sexist.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're being very sexist.
DOMINICK: So you don't care?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't care.
DOMINICK: Am I being sexist when I say women care more about this royal family story?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, you're not wrong.
DOMINICK: I'm not wrong?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No. And actually, I think the younger brother is cuter. So I don't feel bad at all.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, I think Harry is cuter.
DOMINICK: Guess who's single. Are you single?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm single.
DOMINICK: Say hi to Harry. He's watching.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, harry.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Since Prince Charles has so embarrassed the royal family, that Prince William could go in and become king.
DOMINICK: Can we agree that we shouldn't hang out with your buddy anymore?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I know.
DOMINICK: This is ridiculous.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's go.
DOMINICK: Let's get out of here. Let's go. Let's go.
Do you wish we had a royal family here?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think we do. It's --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The Obamas.
DOMINICK: The Obamas are royalty? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Brad and Angelina Jolie.
DOMINICK: Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are royalty?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Those are the royal families. Yes.
DOMINICK: And you pay a lot of attention to what goes on with their life?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I do.
DOMINICK: You're got to stop hurting yourself in the face.
(LAUGHTER)
Back to you, guys.
Wait, I'm the host of the show. Back to you, Pete.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DOMINICK: Thank you, Pete.
That's what everybody was talking about this week.
Coming up next, I'll tell you the five things from this past week you absolutely need to know about.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
DOMINICK: Sometimes the news just gushes at you like a 5-year-old's lunch after ten minutes on the merry go round. You know what I mean. But you may have missed the five things you need to know.
Number one, the anti-piracy bill gets a committee thumbs up and goes to a full Senate vote soon. The law would give the Justice Department the power to shut down foreign web sites that offer pirated songs, television shows, movies and software, all that stuff. So, yes, you may have to start paying for those black-market Justin Bieber ringtones. You know who you are.
Number two, like a presidential purple nurple to Congress, President Barack Obama is pressuring the Senate to quickly ratify START, the new arms control treaty with Russia. If approved, the treaty would restart mutual inspections and limit the U.S. and Russia to 1,550 warheads apiece. Oh, only 1,550 warheads? I feel so naked.
Number three, scientists at MIT are developing the technology to allow special cameras to see around corners. That could find hidden people in burning buildings or see around corners to prevent car accidents. Or catch my producer, Ed, man handling by prized tabby.
And number four, Afghan President Karzai and General Petraeus did a little fence mending Friday. Earlier in the week, Karzai was bellyaching to the "Washington Post," calling the U.S. military in his country intrusive. Vice President Joe Biden responded to Karzai by saying, Daddy is going to start taking the training wheels off. A metaphor where America is Daddy and making the Afghanistan my 5-year- old's bicycle.
Number five, it's the first, and electric car is named car of the year. The Chevy Volt earned that title from both "Motor Trend" and "Automobile" magazine. This is amazing. An electric car is named car of the year.
And that is the subject of our segment "You Are Here."
So how did we get here? By here, I mean a point in time where almost every major automaker has some kind an electric or plug-in hybrid in the works.
Check out some of the others eclectic rides from this week's Los Angeles auto show. The Chevy Volt will be out next month. Beautiful- looking car. The Nissan Leaf (ph) will be launched by the year's end. And the Honda, of course, has a car. It's an electric version -- called a Fit (ph), out it will be out by 2012.
Now, this is not the first time we've championed the electric car, not by a long shot. In fact, look at this baby. Very aerodynamic. This is the first commercial EV. Hit the road in 1890. But in 1908, that's when Model T.s started shooting off the assembly line. They were cheaper, they were faster, and, of course, they can go farther. Americans need that. This makes Henry Fords Tin Lizzy, with its internal combustion engine a much more practical option. Of course, there were a flurry of attempts to get the EV's back on the road. But with the exception of the Toyota Prius, this is one of the first ones, electric hybrid, unveiled in Japan in 1997. None of them ever really became very popular.
Now, this movie -- you ever hear of this? This came out in 2006. It's called "Who Killed the Electric Car" and there is no sex in it. It's about an electric car that offers a myriad of accusations as to why electric cars never caught on. It is P.G. Get it. In the movie, a star-studded cast blamed everyone from the oil industry to the U.S. government and consumers themselves for not buying into EV technology. Conspiracy or propaganda? Rent it, read up on it and make your own decision about it.
The fact is, EVs have never been cheap. But next month, Chevy will release the Volt. And after the tax rebates, the price end up -- by the way, that's the Volt there. There, you plug it in. The price is going to be about $33,000, depending on what state you live in. That's still not cheap, but neither is gas.
So if we're less worried about costs, what could kill the electric car this time? Range anxiety. Electric vehicles can go between 25 and 100 miles on a full tank, whereas a gas car can go 300 miles or more. But is the recent EV type already running on empty? J.D. Powers and Associates claims by 2020 only 14 percent of Americans will be driving hybrids. And that is where we are at.
Next up, the royal engagement. You're either fascinated, flabbergasted or completely flummoxed. I went lunch crashing to hear what you think of that. It's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Americans are caffeine junkies. It's in our coffee, soda, and lately, it's been showing up in our booze. Have you heard about these energy drinks laced with alcohol with names like Four Loko and Juice? Consumers can get the jolt of two cups of coffee combined with the equivalent of four or five beers in a single can of this stuff. So they're huge with college students, who are not known for having the most responsible drinking habits. Let's be honest.
In October, nine central Washington University students were hospitalized after getting sick on Four Loko. And this week, the FDA warned four companies that their booze-infused energy drinks were unsafe and could be seized under federal law. Four Loko has since promised to remove the caffeine.
So I went out to ask some college students what they think about mixing a buzz with their booze.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DOMINICK: Seems like, on college campuses, a lot of kids are doing the -- drinking the alcohol, caffeine drink, like these --
UNIDENTIFIED STUDENT: Four Loki?
DOMINICK: Four Loko.
How many of you have had those? You're on one right now.
UNIDENTIFIED STUDENT: No.
(LAUGHTER)
DOMINICK: Have you ever mixed alcohol with caffeine, one of those drinks?
UNIDENTIFIED STUDENT: Yes, I have.
DOMINICK: What was the result?
UNIDENTIFIED STUDENT: It was --
DOMINICK: You didn't jump off a roof in your underwear?
UNIDENTIFIED STUDENT: I didn't jump off the roof or do anything crazy.
DOMINICK: Didn't do anything crazy at all?
UNIDENTIFIED STUDENT: No, I didn't.
DOMINICK: Just sat there and played Xbox or something?
UNIDENTIFIED STUDENT: Yes, pretty much. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's a good way to start off your evening. If you're really settling into some heavy drinking.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sometimes when you're 21 years old, that's just what is going on in your atmosphere at the time. So I don't mind it.
UNIDENTIFIED STUDENT: You never mix stimulants and depressants. It's a chemical lobotomizer.
DOMINICK: But it keeps you awake, so you can keep on drinking. Isn't that a great thing?
UNIDENTIFIED STUDENT: Maybe to some.
UNIDENTIFIED STUDENT: It's awesome.
DOMINICK: You think it's awesome?
UNIDENTIFIED STUDENT: Yes, I miss it. I wish they had -- weren't banning it.
DOMINICK: Do you think you're addicted?
UNIDENTIFIED STUDENT: No, no. No way.
DOMINICK: We're doing an intervention right now.
UNIDENTIFIED STUDENT: Oh, OK. Awesome.
DOMINICK: I want you to know that. I care about you and I want you to stay awake and drink all night.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DOMINICK: Joining me now, two good friends, Judy Gold, stand-up comedian and actress; and comedian, Dean Obeidallah, co-creator of the New York Arab-American Comedy Festival.
All right, guys, which one of you had Four Loko before coming on the air? Be honest.
Judy?
JUDY GOLD, STAND-UP COMEDIAN & ACTRESS: I did.
Judy, what is your caffeine, your energy drink of choice, Judy Gold?
GOLD: What do you mean? I feel great. I don't know what you're talking about.
You know what? I'm a big coffee drinker, but I really -- I don't want to combine the alcohol and the coffee. It's so unhealthy. Who the hell thought of this?
DOMINICK: I don't know. Probably young people and they pitch it to some venture capitalist. Dean, do you think banning these things will stop kids -- you perform at a lot of colleges -- from say chugging an espresso before going on the beer bender? You've heard the vodka and Red Bull. That's a popular drink, right?
DEAN OBEIDALLAH, COMEDIAN: Exactly. It is. Not for me, but it is. You're not going to stop them from doing it. I think maybe ban it from college students. nothing more than the idea of being drunk and fully functional at the same time to get rid of those mundane things, like cutting the lawn and cleaning the gutter out.
(LAUGHTER)
How much fun is doing your taxes when you're drunk. That's what I want to do. So ban it for kids, let adults. Send me a couple of cases. I'm ready to test it out.
(CROSSTALK)
DOMINICK: Judy Gold -- go ahead.
GOLD: Isn't the whole point of getting drunk, passing out on your friend's couch? Isn't that the whole point?
DOMINICK: No. It's apparently staying up, getting as drunk as you possibly can, if you drink these two drinks. I don't know. I never really did that in college. I'm not going to lie. I never really understood it.
Let me ask you guys about the TSA. Everybody's talking about the TSA pat-downs. I'm getting on a plane in a couple hours. I feel I'm about to go on a hot date. I'm hoping somebody touches me. What do you think of the new security measures that they're using at TSA?
Judy Gold, is this too much for you, the touching, the deep petting?
GOLD: It's really a lot. I mean, it's -- look, I can pay for someone to do that to me, and have them do what I want, but this is ridiculous. It's such an invasion of your privacy and your personal space. You know, we should do what Israel does. Have some information about all the passengers --
DOMINICK: They only do like 30 flights a day in Israel. How do you do that in every place?
Dean, let me ask you, Dean, are you afraid of someone touching you, or as they say, you're "junk," apparently?
OBEIDALLAH: No. I tried to solicit that. No one will touch my junk. I'm Arab-American. Welcome to our world at security at the airport. White people, deal with it. You told us, deal with it. Suck it up. Man up. That's our response to you -- deal with it. We all want to be safe on an airplane. I just went through the naked scanner in Amsterdam a week ago. I felt self-conscience. They didn't laugh at me.
GOLD: What did they say?
OBEIDALLAH: They didn't laugh.
GOLD: Did anyone say anything?
OBEIDALLAH: They just said -- no. I think the guy said, next. You look back, you can see the other people naked. So I recommend positioning yourself next to the people you want to see naked because you can see through the screen.
DOMINICK: I went through --
GOLD: Is that true?
DOMINICK: I went through the naked scanner, and the TSA guy goes, excuse me, ma'am, could you come back here. And I go, really? Really, you're talking to me?
(LAUGHTER)
GOLD: That's so funny, because I went through and they said, sir, we need to have you walk through again.
(CROSSTALK)
DOMINICK: You are a tall, tall, large lady.
GOLD: Yes, I am, and apparently I have a large penis as well.
DOMINICK: Apparently.
OBEIDALLAH: They were so impressed with me, I actually posed for pictures with families in --
(LAUGHTER)
DOMINICK: Listen, guys, one more story. Prince Charming got engaged with -- what's her name, this week. What's with America's obsession --
GOLD: Prince Charming?
DOMINICK: The kid, the royal, the British -- what's with all the obsession with the royal family in the United Kingdom? Call me a sexist. But I see a definite gender split here.
Judy, your reaction to the engagement news? Women care more than men? Yes or no?
GOLD: I'm going to have to agree with you. I really can't stand this kind of stuff, and I find myself sort of looking at the ring and looking at them together, and -- I definitely think it's more of a female centrics kind of -- and it's exciting, kind of.
DOMINICK: Is it exciting?
(CROSSTALK)
DOMINICK: Dean Obeidallah, Dean, what's her name, the woman he's -- what's his name? I don't know. I can't follow this stuff.
OBEIDALLAH: He's Prince Harry Potter and --
GOLD: He's William.
OBEIDALLAH: I think it's Harry -- William. I think it's Harry Potter.
DOMINICK: I think it is Harry Potter.
OBEIDALLAH: I think it's great they're getting together, finally. No. I mean, I'll tell you, I've never been excited this much since "Sex and the City 2" came out. So this is a great day for me. I'm really thrilled about it.
Americans are obsessed with it. We like royalty. We can't help it. The Kennedys -- and I read it's going to pump $1 million in the U.K. tourism through all this. If things are tough enough, Obama might have to marry off some of his
DOMINICK: What will Americans be watching more?
OBEIDALLAH: -- to help the economy.
DOMINICK: -- this royal wedding or Sarah Palin's new reality show. Quickly. Quickly. Judy?
GOLD: The wedding. The wedding. Please, god almighty, the wedding.
DOMINICK: Dean Obeidallah, what will you be watching, "The Sarah Palin Show" or --
OBEIDALLAH: I'll be watching -- only watch Sarah Palin if she's manager of Bed, Bath & Beyond. That's where I want to see the woman.
DOMINICK: Oh, wow.
OBEIDALLAH: If she's working there, I'll go see her. I'm not watching her show. She'd be a great manager.
DOMINICK: Judy Gold, Dean Obeidallah, great comedians.
Deanofcomedy.com for Dean Obeidallah.
Judy Gold, where can our viewers find you?
GOLD: JudyGold.com.
DOMINICK: There you go.
You guys are hilarious. Thanks for joining me and covering some of the week's events. Now, coming up next, I'll tell you about a man who got shot twice, but decided to eat lunch before going to the hospital. Hungry, fellow? We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
DOMINICK: Welcome back to "What the Week." I am Pete Dominick.
Each week people do great things. Sometimes it makes the news, sometimes it doesn't. So I want to give a shout-out to people this week doing things that make them better than me.
This is Michelle King and Seth Reames. This couple founded "We've Got Time to Help," which matches unemployed people who want to lend a hand to community improvement projects. They founded the group after Michelle told Seth to do get out and do some community service after he lost his job. My wife just tells me to get out. You are way better than me. Congratulations Michelle and Seth.
This is Dave Tally. Dave is unfortunately a homeless man but he returned a student's backpack. Amazing part, the bag was filled with $3,300 in cash and a laptop computer. You know, I once found a wallet in my best friend's pants, and I actually bought a pizza with it. Dave, you are way more honest than I am, and way better than me.
Speaking of me, look at me. That is a great shot from my days as a male model. Ah. Moving on.
This next guy is Miguel Soto. Miguel was shot twice, shot twice near the groin, and headed home to polish off a hero sandwich before going to the hospital. I hope he asked for extra napkins. This -- I guess Miguel's better than me, the sandwich -- anyway.
Lastly, you know this guy. This is Army Staff Sergeant Salvatore Giunta. You may have seen him already him in the news this week. A 25-year-old staff sergeant becoming the first living recipient of the Medal of Honor. President Obama says he leaves you absolutely convinced this is what America's all about. You know what? I actually once got hit by a paintball and I cried. Cried for a while. Staff Sergeant, you are way better than me. Congratulations on your medal of honor.
Using my beautiful bald head as magic eight ball, here's what I see coming down the pipe as the next big thing. You know, it's the holidays. "What the Week" is taking a hiatus until 2011. But it's that time of year for family reunions, overcooked birds, parades on TV, arguments with your drunk uncle, and full body pat-downs. Hopefully, not all at the same time.
We're looking forward to seeing you guys soon. Thank you so much for tuning in. Remember -- keep checking the facts and thinking for yourself. I'm Pete Dominick and we will see you in 2011.
