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Elections in 2012 for President; JFK Assassination; Iran Delays Hikers' Trial; North Korea's Nukes
Aired November 21, 2010 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Slipping and sliding, a real travel nightmare. We'll tell you where the bad weather is now and where it's going and how your holiday plans could be affected.
And Iran makes a decision on the trial of two American hikers detained there for more than a year.
Plus, new riveting details about the assassination of President Kennedy, told by two secret service agents haunted by the tragedy. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.
Getting home for the holidays might be snarled because of bad weather in some parts of the nation. It's already started in midwestern and western states. In the Sierra Nevada, drivers are chaining up for an early winter storm that's already dumped two feet of snow. In Minnesota, freezing rain and ice are making roads downright impassable. Hundreds of spinouts and accidents have already been reported on what's turning out to be a very icy Sunday.
I talked with Eric Roeske of the Minnesota State Patrol earlier about these icy conditions.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ERIC ROESKE, MINNESOTA STATE PATROL (ON THE PHONE): The situation's greatly improved from overnight. Temperatures warming now and the ice has been melted by chemical on the roadway. However, from about 10:00 p.m. tonight or last night, I should say, until early this morning, it was very treacherous road conditions.
WHITFIELD: So what are you telling people as they set of to hit the road to visit their loved ones this holiday season?
ROESKE: Well, between the snow last weekend and the ice last night, I think most Minnesotans are probably in that winter driving mode. But we want to remind people to take extra time, check the weather forecast and the road conditions before they head out.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: All right. Jacqui Jeras now in the weather center. This is your neck of the woods, Minnesota. It's nasty, but isn't this supposed to happen this time of year?
JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It is. WHITFIELD: Around Thanksgiving?
JERAS: Well, yes, you do get wintry weather, but the problem is this was freezing rain. So it comes down as liquid, it freezes on contact with the roadways, and even a small amount, and that's all it was, just about 0.1 of an inch in most areas, but it just makes the roadways into a glaze of ice and it's really impossible to drive on. Even by seasoned drivers who are used to winter-type weather.
Now, the good news is most of that moisture is pulling out of here. So improved conditions. Temperatures have gone above the freezing mark in the twin cities. So the roadways have been fine the last couple of hours. But now as that sun goes down, we're going to watch things freeze up again. So the secondary roads, especially ones that haven't been treated, are going to be icy. So watch out along i-35, watch out along i-94 and i-90 even into parts of Wisconsin as we're looking at some of that moisture out there.
The huge weather story of what's going on in terms a major winter storm, a series of them, actually, has been what's happening across parts of the west. Look at all of those snow on the map. We're talking about snow north of Seattle, stretching all the way down into the mountains, possibly even into Los Angeles County. It's been extremely heavy in the Sierras, as well as into the Wasatch into the Rocky Mountains.
Look at that little tiny red area right down here in southern Colorado. That's a blizzard warning. So you add in the winds along with the heavy snow and it really makes for extremely hazardous travel conditions. Take a look at some of the snowfall totals that we've seen so far. Truckee, California, 45 inches. 45 inches of snow! How many feet is that? It's over three feet. Tahoe City, 36, 30 Prosser Creek, Mammoth lakes, 24 inches. South Lake Tahoe, also two feet of snow. And you know, that's good news for the skiers, if you can get there.
Take a look at this i-report that we have. This is from Jason Lynch from Winnemucca, Nevada. There you can see the parking lot there and the cars just covered in snow and you can see it adding up on the railways as well. I guess you guys are going to be doing a little shoveling the next couple of days. OK. If you're not traveling by the roadway and you're traveling by the airway, so far things have been pretty good at most of the major airports.
The one problem area has been here. Chicago O'Hare, we now have a ground stop in effect there. You've got low clouds, you don't even have a lot of heavy weather, but you get those low ceilings, all the airplanes have to shoot their approach, the instrument approach, so they take a little longer to line up and get in there. And that's only getting to Chicago, by the way. If you're in Chicago and you're trying to get somewhere, you should be OK because of that.
All right. Here's your forecast for tomorrow, showing you the heavy rain and heavy snow continuing out west. Interstates like i-80 have been really bad across parts of California and into Nevada. I-70, we've had plenty of trouble as well, and much of the pacific northwest.
Our cold front moves into the nation's midsection, just some light showers here. Not too big of a deal, but you could have airport delays again in Chicago and stretching on up towards Detroit. The East Coast looks fantastic. Tomorrow is your day to travel if you can do it. Of course, Wednesday, the busiest travel day of the year. Usually the Wednesday before and the Sunday after Thanksgiving are the worst.
And this is what we're expecting in terms of wet weather. So Dallas up towards say Nashville into Raleigh Durham, Washington, D.C., Pittsburgh into Cincinnati, we think Detroit, Chicago, Milwaukee all will have some wet weather. Cold conditions on the backside. So this is snow for you again into the upper midwest. And Thanksgiving day itself, everything stays on the East Coast, so hopefully you don't have to travel, because the East Coast gets socked in and that's where we have delays all across the country. But things look very good across parts of the west.
Now, I just want to show you a graphic here. We want you to become part of the CNN Holiday Travel Weather team. Yes, you can be on TV if you want. Send us your stuff. OK. First of all, cnn.com/holidaytravel. That's the web site you go to on cnn.com. We've got all kinds of information. I did a bunch of packages, Fredricka, how to pack your bag, how to get through security, things like that.
Are you on twitter? If you're not, you should be. You can tweet us or you can follow our tweets at CNN Travel, and then, of course, send us the i-reports just like Jason Lynch did. He got on TV today. Thank you, Jason, very much. That's i-report.cnn.com.
WHITFIELD: All right. Lots of great information. I'm looking at those snowflakes, the poor northeast, a snowy Thanksgiving.
JERAS: Yes, a good day to stay inside and eat food.
WHITFIELD: Yes. Well, that's true, too. Staying a little longer at your loved one's houses.
JERAS: Perhaps.
WHITFIELD: All right. Jacqui, thank you so much. Appreciate that. Remember the case of the two Americans that are being held against their will in Iran? Well, now apparently Iran has postponed the trial date for them. Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal were arrested for espionage 16 months ago after hiking from Iraq. Their companion, Bauer's fiancee, Sarah Shourd, she was released back in September, if you remember that.
Bauer and Fattal were supposed to be tried this month, but their lawyer says Iranian officials have rescheduled the trial for February 6th. That's a big disappointment for the family members here in the states who hope a trial will lead ultimately to their release.
And there are new concerns today about North Korea's nuclear program. A Stanford University professor toured that country's main nuclear research site this month. The professor says he saw 2,000 centrifuges, that's many more than expected. He says the equipment was apparently designed to generate power, but could easily be converted to make bombs. A U.S. envoy arrived in South Korea today to discuss restarting six-party talks with the North.
A U.S. military review of the war in Afghanistan is due next month, but already the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman says it should not result in any major strategy changes. Admiral Mike Mullen credits the deployment of additional troops with helping to keep Afghanistan from becoming a safe haven for international terrorists.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ADMIRAL MIKE MULLEN, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF CHAIRMAN: Really, from my perspective, have fought Afghanistan for years from an economy of force standpoint. And I have said for a long time that we didn't have enough forces there. Didn't have enough U.S. forces, and we didn't have enough NATO forces. That was, from my perspective, because we have - we were heavily focused on Iraq, and I was literally looking at the resources that were headed in both directions.
And so as we have changed the strategy, focused, and gotten the resources right over the course of the last year, this is the first time we really are where we need to be in terms of executing a comprehensive strategy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Still, Mullen describes the progress in Afghanistan as fragile.
We could soon learn if a jawbone discovered on an Aruba beach belongs to Natalee Holloway. The Alabama teenager went missing more than five years ago in a mystery that continues to this day. Jean Casarez has the latest on the investigation from Aruba.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We are learning that Aruban prosecutor Peter Blanken will be back in the office here in Aruba early this next week. He has been on vacation in Aruba for the last 10 days. At the very same time that the jawbone with a tooth is being analyzed at the Netherlands Forensic Institute in the Hague.
In other news, we have learned that here on the island, they do not have forensic experts, per se, but do have specialized dentists that can look at a jawbone, look at a tooth to determine whether or not it would be a human tooth. We have been told the results from the Hague should be announced, most likely, this week. It cannot be determined if it will be early in the week or later in the week, but we are standing by in Aruba.
On the beach, I'm Jean Casarez.
(END VIDEOTAPE) WHITFIELD: They are everyday heroes who are changing the world. Meet CNN's hero of the year, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: A star-studded gala, including movie and music stars, plus the rescued Chilean miners greeted the 2010 CNN Hero of the Year. Our Brooke Anderson was on hand last night as the winner was announced among the 10 very amazing finalists.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Chilean miners, the most inspiring story of the year, kicked of an evening dedicated to the people from around the world who are changing the world.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: They are warriors against injustice, doing battle for all of us.
ANDERSON: CNN's 2010 top 10 heroes include a Cambodian man, dedicated to clearing the land mines he was forced to plant as a child soldier and a Scotsman, whose program feeds hundreds of thousands of children in 15 countries.
MAGNUS MACFARLANE-BARROW, TOP 10 CNN HERO: Every child in the world should be able to receive at least one good meal every day.
ANDERSON: An ex-con and former drug addict who helps other women just out of prison stay out and stay clean. And a 74-year-old grandmother, whose hospital in Juarez, Mexico, is an oasis in that violent city.
GUADALUPE ARIZPE DE LA VEGA, TOP 10 CNN HERO: Do not be afraid and never, never, never give up.
RENEE ZELLWEGER, ACTRESS: Seeing it through, that commitment, with no fear.
ANDERSON: A host of celebrities were on hand to pay tribute to each hero.
AARON ECKHART, ACTOR: It is inspiring for our young children and for me and for all those people out there who want to do good for the world.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
ANDERSON: Sugarland, John Legend, featuring (INAUDIBLE) Fiona and Bon Jovi provided the music, and nearly two million online votes provided the hero of the year.
COOPER: To Anuradha Koirala.
ANDERSON: Anuradha was awarded an additional $100,000 for her work in Nepal, rescuing thousands of girls from sexual slavery.
ANURADHA KOIRALA, CNN HERO OF THE YEAR: We need to do this for all our daughters.
ANDERSON: All 10 heroes received $25,000 each, but the examples they set are priceless.
Brooke Anderson, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: And, of course, you want to watch the whole thing. You can catch that CNN Heroes special in its entirety Thanksgiving night. The "CNN Heroes All-star Tribute" with Anderson Cooper begins Thursday, 8:00 p.m. Eastern, right here on CNN.
Beyonce's heat perfume ad, it's apparently too hot for British TV. We'll tell you why in the "Chat Room," next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Beyonce, too hot for British daytime television. "Chat Room" is coming up straight ahead.
But first, a look at the headlines. Some nasty storms could cause problems for your holiday travel plans. Bad weather is snarling air and ground traffic in some parts of the nation, mainly in Minnesota and in the mountains out west. The main culprits are snow, freezing rain, and ice.
And Utah police have found a rifle, backpack, and a bloody shirt believed to belong to the man who allegedly shot a park ranger multiple times. Ranger Brody Young is in stable condition. Police say the suspect is wounded and is on foot.
And Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah is heading to the U.S. tomorrow to take care of some health problems. That country's health minister says the 86-year-old monarch is seeking treatment for a herniated spinal disc and a blood clot, causing him great back pain.
All right. This is one of our favorite times on Sundays, when the NEWSROOM becomes the "Chat Room." Jacqui and I sitting here on the sofa, getting a little chat therapy. How you doing?
JERAS: I'm good. How are you?
WHITFIELD: A lot of interesting things on radar here, beginning with a very heroic and brave kitty cat.
JERAS: This cracks me up.
WHITFIELD: Taking no mess from a gator.
JERAS: Have you seen the video?
WHITFIELD: No. I'm ready to se it now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's interesting. Look at that!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Go, kitty!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: And that's not a trained gator, right?
JERAS: No, I don't think so. The cat literally stares down the gator and scares it back.
WHITFIELD: That kitty cat could have been a snack. That cat had no fear that it could have been an appetizer. This taking place in Louisiana. And apparently this kitty cat has done this before.
JERAS: Yes, twice, apparently.
WHITFIELD: Which is why I guess they had the camera rolling. They - you know, perhaps they'd seen it happen before and they said, OK, here we go again. We're going to be rolling on this one.
JERAS: The question is, would you run and snatch your cat? You hear so many stories about people who lose their cats, who lose their small dogs because of gators.
WHITFIELD: Oh, yes, and what people don't realize is gators are very fast. They're faster on land than anyone might suspect. I wish I could recall how many miles per hour they go on land, but you can't outrun a gator. When you think you can, no, you cannot.
JERAS: They run zig zag, because they can't -
WHITFIELD: Yes, in fantasy land.
(CROSSTALK)
WHITFIELD: Not at all.
JERAS: If I saw that happen, I don't think I'd be filming.
(CROSSTALK)
WHITFIELD: No, tell me what to do! Let's move on across the pond, in the U.K., you know, Beyonce's huge, world star, everyone loves Beyonce no matter where you go. But apparently her ad which kind of precedes her at this point in the U.K. and an ad for a new perfume that she's endorsed, "Heat," apparently it's a little too hot. The ad is.
JERAS: Do we have the ad? The video.
WHITFIELD: No, we can't show it.
JERAS: I look it up on Youtube so I'll know and I watched it, yes, you see a lot. It's a very low-cut top and she touches her body in the video. So apparently this has upset a lot of parents and they said, we don't want our children to see this, so they've banned it until 7:30 at night. WHITFIELD: Right. Banned it for daytime television, Britain's advertising standard authority says it's just too hot to handle, and because of the parents who have complained. They've responded saying, you're right, kids don't need to see these very sultry or in their words, they thought, very sultry kind of ad. Not appropriate for children's eyes.
JERAS: Yes. But does it sell perfume? We'll have to wait and see until after the holidays.
WHITFIELD: Wait a minute, look, I understand we do have clearance to run a portion of it -
JERAS: Yes, let's roll it.
WHITFIELD: So what do you think?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
WHITFIELD: Apparently that's the safe stuff. That's why we're allowed to air it.
JERAS: There's apparently a little more that I saw on Youtube. So if you would like to see it yourself, I invite you to go to Youtube and go ahead and check out, "Heat" is the name of the perfume.
WHITFIELD: Too hot to handle for daytime television in the U.K..
JERAS: What, she's gorgeous.
WHITFIELD: Of course she is. No dispute there. OK. Now what? Roller coasters, do you like?
JERAS: I do like, do you like?
WHITFIELD: I can't say I'm not one to step up right up to the world's fastest, craziest, the stuff that will make you hurl. No.
JERAS: I like the upside down and the loops, but not the falling sensation, necessarily.
WHITFIELD: No. I don't think my stomach likes it.
JERAS: Well, there's a new one out, you know.
WHITFIELD: I know.
JERAS: The world's fastest, you pull what, 4.8 gs on this thing.
WHITFIELD: I love the idea of feeling very Ferrari on this.
JERAS: This is in Abu Dhabi at Ferrari World, which I didn't even know there was a Ferrari World. Hello. It was designed, supposedly like the twister and the technology that they use to propel this thing, it's the same that they use for aircraft carriers to get the airplanes off. So you go from 0 to 150 in like five seconds.
WHITFIELD: I think straight shot, up down, I can handle there.
JERAS: Yes.
WHITFIELD: Yes, I love the whole race car effect. I mean, you get me behind the wheel of any kind of race car, I'm all for it.
JERAS: Yes? Really?!
WHITFIELD: Yes. But going upside down -
JERAS: Not so much.
It doesn't look like this does. Very straight, some curves, maybe.
WHITFIELD: Yes. That I can handle.
JERAS: But you know, like the centrifugal force. If you went upside down and you're going 150 -
(CROSSTALK)
WHITFIELD: No and it's not an issue of worrying I'm going to fall because I know there's been others who have done it before me. I'm not falling out.
JERAS: It's the sensation.
WHITFIELD: It's the sensation of, blah!
JERAS: You get sick? Are you one of the pukers -
WHITFIELD: I haven't done that, no.
JERAS: OK. Good.
WHITFIELD: But I don't like that sensation.
JERAS: Because (INAUDIBLE) to the park together.
WHITFIELD: You don't want to go along with me. No, I haven't had an upchuck, as they say.
JERAS: Good to know. Those people should stay at home.
WHITFIELD: A little too much information right now, but it's that sensation, it's just that stomach -
JERAS: OK. Well, not for everybody. But if that's your thing, I mean, there's roller coast enthusiasts, by the way, who just travel all over the world, just to try these things.
I did the New York, New York in Las Vegas a couple of months ago.
WHITFIELD: Yes? JERAS: And that was the first time I've done a roller coaster for a long time.
WHITFIELD: Would you say it was rather intense?
Was that a loop-da-loop?
JERAS: Yes, there are some loops.
WHITFIELD: Really, yes. I think I've seen that one. I'm having hard time (INAUDIBLE) but I know -
(CROSSTALK)
JERAS: It's on top of the building.
WHITFIELD: I'm not doing that one. That's OK.
(CROSSTALK)
JERAS: It was at night, and that was a good thing.
WHITFIELD: Oh my god.
JERAS: Because then you couldn't see the bottom.
WHITFIELD: OK. Very good. Very brave, our Jacqui Jeras.
All right. We're going to see much more of you later, talking some nasty weather.
JERAS: Travel, holidays.
WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks, Jacqui. Appreciate it.
Back to the NEWSROOM after this.
Move over, football. The band is taking to the field. We pay homage to college football's other players, next.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I would say they're the core of the fan base.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right. That holiday spirit is in full swing in Chicago where thousands of people took in the sights and sounds of the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival. Last night's parade rolled down the city's famed Michigan Avenue. The grand marshal, Mickey Mouse, who was also joined by Minnie, as you saw there, they need no introduction. More than one million lights decorate Michigan Avenue during the festival.
Jacqui Jeras, you ever been to that?
JERAS: I haven't. I've been to Chicago, but I haven't been to that festival. How beautiful is that?
WHITFIELD: That looks like a lot of fun.
JERAS: I love a lit up parade. Don't you?
WHITFIELD: Yes, a little cup of hot cocoa and all that.
JERAS: Yes.
WHITFIELD: Maybe that popcorn from Garrett's there on Michigan Avenue.
JERAS: Stop it! It's almost dinnertime. I need that snack. Hey, you know, Chicago, speaking of which, today, it's not a terrible day. It's like 38 degrees right now. It's cloudy. It's cloudy, cloudy, and it's a low overcast. We'll start out there in Chicago and let you know that they have a ground stop in effect right now.
Yes, that means planes they aren't taking off to get into Chicago because we've had a lot of problems with those low ceilings. Now, at least they're not dealing with this, right? Look at all this snow. This is from our affiliate KOMO, in Seattle.
WHITFIELD: It's pretty though.
JERAS: This is kind of gorgeous.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
JERAS: It gets you in a little bit of a holiday spirit.
WHITFIELD: Love it.
JERAS: This is Snoqualmie Pass, where they've had several inches of snow, quite a bit, in fact. We're talking feet of snow in many of the mountains across parts of the west. Two different storm systems arriving this week. And I think by late in the day Wednesday, everybody's going to be clearing out, but you're going to stay very much on the chilly side. It's nice to see, though, that that traffic appears to be moving. How about that?
WHITFIELD: That's why we're able to say, that sure does look pretty.
JERAS: I guess they know how to clear their roads. Chains are required.
WHITFIELD: Have had a little practice.
JERAS: Yes, they have. Chains are required though when there are some passes that they're having trouble with across parts of the west, also in parts of California as well. Some heavy snow across parts of the Wasatch. Look at how much snow we're seeing all across the mountains. We are seeing a little bit of rain into the valley areas and it's going to stay rather intense. And then we're going to get another shot of this we think late Monday into Tuesday, and then by Wednesday afternoon, we're going to start to clear out and the east coast, you'll have your problems.
But look at all the warnings and advisories that we have in place. Almost everything across parts of the west are certainly lit up. How much snow have we seen so far? We've had well over two feet. In fact, three feet in some parts of California. We picked parts of Utah and Montana this hour, look at that 21 inches at Berry Creek, Brighton Crest, 21, 16 at West Yellowstone, West Jordan, 15 and 13 inches at upper Mill Creek.
Let's go ahead and take a look at what kind of forecast we can expect here for tomorrow, are you traveling tomorrow? Are you going back to work tomorrow? What can you expect? Well look at that more rain and snow across parts of the west. It is pretty blustery with this by the way too. Especially those east/west travel roads you're going to have some trouble with. Some spotty rain showers here across the Midwest. This isn't going to be too heavy, but for example Chicago has just low clouds today and that causing problems.
Might have more problems tomorrow into Detroit, Kansas City, kind of so-so and then extending down into parts of Arkansas, the system travels east as we head into Wednesday. Wednesday is the big, big holiday travel day, and we're expecting to have problems in the Midwest, Great Lakes, and Ohio Valley, stretching down into parts of the Deep South, and just kind of getting into the Mid-Atlantic States. So later in the day you get, the worse off you'll be here in the mid- Atlantic. We think the northeast is going to hold off until Thursday.
All right. We want you to be part of the CNN weather and travel team. We want you to follow us. Here's a couple places where you can go. CNN.com/holidaytravel. Go on to that website. All kinds of information on how to prepare you for your trip. Follow us on twitter @CNNtravel or tweet us and tell us all about your day. What was your security wait time at the airport, or what were the conditions on the interstate, or send us a picture at Ireport.cnn.com. We'll put those on the air. Fredricka, want to do that all the way through the following Thursday. So make sure that -- or following Thursday -- following Sunday, excuse me.
WHITFIELD: Even better, because then people will be returning home.
JERAS: A whole week of this. No matter what day you're traveling, send us your stuff. We'd love to see it.
WHITFIELD: Thanks so much, Jacqui. Appreciate that.
All right. Well right now, we are also in the midst of a college football frenzy. And while there's no question about the athleticism of the players, there are other hard-working, highly trained college students who take to the field each week, the college marching band. Here's a behind the scene look at the University of Alabama million dollar band.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I would say they're the core of the fan base. I mean, everything that you do in the stadium, if you're a fan, you're listening for the band.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's where you get your cheers from, obviously, the cheerleaders are highly involved, but the band and cheerleaders work together, and that's the cadence, that's where it all comes from. We work very hard to make sure that nothing really messes up our synchronization. That's a very large reason of why we spend time at rehearsal.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why the name? Why the million dollar band?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, in history, Chant Pickens, an Alabama alumni, he was interviewed on the sideline and they asked him, you know, what about the football team? What's going on, and he said, we might not have much of a football team, but we've got a million dollar band.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Nice stuff! All right. So just in case you're wondering, the University of Alabama's football team is ranked number nine this week on the AP poll and number 11 by "USA Today." But again, that band, a million dollars.
So we're just minutes away from today's "Viral Video Rewind." You know what that means, Josh Levs! Drum roll!
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You lead into me with some cool music already, Fred. I'm liking that.
WHITFIELD: OK. We get more now?
LEVS: We do, you are going to love this. We have a new entry today in the pantheon of dramatic animals. One of your favorites. This is a new classic.
WHITFIELD: I love those animal categories.
LEVS: You'll love this. Plus, your weekly relaxation video today is going to come from a respected medical institution, Fred.
WHITFIELD: So it will work, for sure!
LEVS: And also going viral online, an app for cats.
WHITFIELD: Huh?
LEVS: I'm going to show you this. It's a phenom leaving felines all aflutter.
WHITFIELD: The fur's flying!
LEVS: Loving this. I've got to tell you what's behind that. We also got an older gentleman with an awesome take of "I can't get no satisfaction." All that coming up, "Viral Video Rewind."
WHITFIELD: I like the music there.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right. Josh Levs and "Viral Videos" in a moment. But first, a look at the top stories.
A court date for two American hikers still being held in Iran. That is being postponed. Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal were supposed to be tried this month, but their lawyer says Iranian officials have rescheduled the trial for February 6th. Iran accuses them of espionage.
And there are new concerns about North Korea's nuclear program. A U.S. scientist says he toured the country's main nuclear facility this month and saw 2,000 centrifuges. He says the equipment was apparently used to generate power, but it could easily be converted to produce nuclear bomb fuel, he says.
And the king of Saudi Arabia will fly to the U.S. for medical treatment tomorrow. A high-level Saudi official says 86-year-old King Abdullah has been suffering with a herniated spinal disc and a blood clot that is causing him back pain.
This is a segment that makes everybody kind of wiggle with the music, all the viral videos that come your way. Josh Levs is here now with a good look at what's on tap.
LEVS: You ready to get dramatic?
WHITFIELD: Yes.
LEVS: Ok. So you'll remember, I've got to set this, by reminding you of a classic called dramatic chipmunk, one of the most viral videos of all time. Take a look at it here, although in actuality, it's actually not -- remember this little guy? The whole -- there he is, with the big turn. Come back to Fred, she has her own version of dramatic chipmunk. Meanwhile, he's not a chipmunk, he's a prairie dog. And I have this takeoff called dramatic Bieber.
WHITFIELD: And his hair did not move. Some serious hair spray. He's so cute, so cute. Look at his eyes.
LEVS: Now I've got a new one for you. Everybody's trying to do dramatic animals and I see them a lot, but rarely do I see one this good. Ladies and gentlemen, it's time to meet dramatic eagle. Here it goes again. The timing is impeccable. What are you doing, looking at me? We put all three together for you, so you can do a comparison. Here's the dramatic three ay. Take a look at this one. So you can kind of watch and pick your favorite. Who would pick one little prairie dog would trigger a worldwide phenom like this? I'm loving it. And next we have Fred with her little head turn and we'll make it a four-way.
WHITFIELD: OK.
LEVS: You showed a clip of this earlier -- moving on. Grandpa rocking the pedestrian zone.
WHITFIELD: I don't remember this one.
LEVS: No? Let's take a look at it here. This is an older gentleman. People always say grandpa, but take a listen to this guy.
WHITFIELD: I definitely do not remember this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I get no satisfaction.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEVS: He's doing a really good job on this song, and people start too really like him, they start to come around. I was looking online, I think I might have found it on youtube, but we don't know who this guy is. Listen to him rock. I want you to see how people get into this, and how he has a repertoire. Skip ahead to the next section and see what he pulls off there.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Shake, rattle and roll shake, rattle and roll shake, rattle and roll.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: He's working it.
LEVS: He's working it. Has become a famous singer and this is one of the things I love about viral videos. People are getting more clicks than would fill Carnegie Hall.
WHITFIELD: I love this.
LEVS: Now, here's something -- OK, I could watch him all day.
WHITFIELD: He's catchy. He's got it.
LEVS: Right before the break, I showed you a clip of this. And it's this new app for cats. I know, it sounds ridiculous --
WHITFIELD: Yes, it's funny.
LEVS: But we talk about this, things with animals go viral, even if they're not doing something. Here they're doing something. The kitten loves to play games on Apple ipod. It's an actual app, and if you watch closely, you can see why kitty cat gets into this. There are some great websites out there that post these great videos. You can skip to the next section on this one.
WHITFIELD: I think he's waiting for the butterfly to get tired so he can pounce on it.
LEVS: We have a second section of this. It has a little mouse that goes across the screen and the cat just kind of, you know, stays interested. Way to keep your cat in one place for a little while, keep him still.
WHITFIELD: That's so cute.
LEVS: Every week I deliver Fred a relaxation video, and today's is a whole different style, a whole different kind of thing. I'm surprised by this. Take a look, Mayo Clinic, the Mayo Clinic has posted a video on its website designed to help people meditate --
WHITFIELD: Because they know how much people need it.
LEVS: I really think it's true. Especially when you're online, sometimes you can be incredibly frenetic, with ten things going at once, so they play this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Need a few minutes to relax? Get comfortable in your chair.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEVS: See, it talks you through all these relaxation techniques, right there on the web. Go ahead and skip to the next section on this one.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFED FEMALE: Need a little coaxing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEVS: You get a little more music.
WHITFIELD: The flame is getting higher.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFED FEMALE: Breathe out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEVS: And it kind of just lets you hang. See? Relaxation. So I'm impressed, the Mayo Clinic --
WHITFIELD: Even our producer is now whispering to us. Only 30 seconds left.
LEVS: Oh, really? They didn't told me. They knew I wouldn't listen. If we're down to that little, we can end on a little bit of a pick me up.
WHITFIELD: Did you hear her?
LEVS: No. WHITFIELD: We must go.
LEVS: We must go. OK. Well, we can leave it on that. All the videos posted for you as always on facebook and twitter. Take a look at the page. And we do this because we want you to see the originals, and because that way you can send me your favorites at facebook and twitter.
WHITFIELD: I'm feeling better already. I can always count on you. I like it. It's a good way to start the week. End the weekend, start the week. Totally relaxed. OK. Josh Levs.
LEVS: That was a rewind.
WHITFIELD: "Viral Video Rewind." Thank you very much.
LEVS: You got it.
WHITFIELD: OK.
LEVS: Now we got to go on with news.
WHITFIELD: I know, I've got to talk politics. Can't whisper about that.
LEVS: Bring it back up.
WHITFIELD: OK. Hillary Clinton, you know she ran for president in 2008, well, now her name being floated around again this time for 2012, what does she say about all that? I have a feeling she likes her job.
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WHITFIELD: It's been three weeks after the 2010 midterm elections. Potential presidential candidates are now looking ahead to 2012. CNN deputy political editor Paul Steinhauser previews the week in politics.
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL EDITOR: Hey, Fred. Mike Huckabee's in the political spotlight today as he headlines a speech in front of a major gathering of social conservatives in Iowa. The former Arkansas governor who ran for the White House in 2008 is considering another bid, this time around for the Republican presidential nomination.
And Iowa plays a very important role in the road to the White House, as its caucuses kick off the presidential primary calendar. Huckabee scored an upset victory in the caucuses back in 2008. Sarah Palin, another possible White House hopeful, is also in the political spotlight this week. The former Alaska governor's new book, which is titled "America by Heart," comes out. Palin who was John McCain's running mate in the last presidential election kicks off a book tour on Tuesday in Phoenix, and that book tour will take Palin to Iowa and to South Carolina, which is also another important state that votes early in the road to the White House. Fred.
WHITFIELD: All right, thanks so much, Paul.
All right, moving on to the Democrats. Hillary Clinton is laughing off speculation that she might run for president again. Clinton battled President Obama for the 2008 Democratic nomination and there's been some talk that she might challenge him again in 2012. Well, in a television interview today, Clinton denied being interested in any elective office, saying she likes being secretary of state. For the latest political news, go to CNNPOLITICS.com.
All right. Members of JFK's secret service speak out for the first time, telling what happened in the hours following his assassination.
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WHITFIELD: Tomorrow marks the 47th anniversary of the assassination of the President John F. Kennedy. Over the years, there has been no shortage of commissions, reviews, or conspiracy theories questioning what really happened in Dallas, Texas, on November 22nd, 1963. Well, now in a new book, JFK's secret service agents break their silence. CNN's Brian Todd talks with them.
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BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): They're a pair of stoic 78-year-old grandfathers. Gerald Blaine and Clint Hill still carry themselves in that upright tradition; still have that bond that only secret service agents know. And still have vivid memories of that clear, crisp day in November nearly half a century ago.
GERALD BLAINE, FORMER SECRET SERVICE AGENT: We couldn't help it. We felt like we failed. We all had the same mission and it was a terrible feeling.
TODD: Blaine gives riveting new accounts of that period in his just- released book, "The Kennedy Detail." He reveals how less than 24 hours after John Kennedy's assassination, he almost caused another unspeakable tragedy. Blaine stood guard outside Lyndon Johnson's house in the early morning darkness. Exhausted, on edge, he heard approaching footsteps and readied his submachine gun.
BLAINE: Put it to my shoulder and steadied my feet and around the house, I recognized right away, it was President Johnson, by his profile.
TODD: Johnson had just come out to get some air. How close did you come to shooting him?
BLAINE: Well, my finger was on the trigger. I had nightmares about this for months afterwards.
TODD: Johnson, he says, turned white, said nothing, and went back in the house. I spoke with Blaine and Clint Hill just a few feet from John Kennedy's grave. Hill wrote the forward to Blaine's book, but has rarely spoken about that day. You had a tough time there, in those years after the assassination, after your resignation. Can you talk about what you went through?
CLINT HILL, FORMER SECRET SERVICE AGENT: You know, I had nightmares and it seemed like every time I turned around, there was something that reminded me of what had happened. So I just clammed up and went into my basement with some alcohol and some cigarettes and stayed there for a few years.
TODD: Clint Hill was the first secret service agent to get to Kennedy's car in Dallas. He broke into a sprint after the initial shot was fired. He says if he could re-live those moments, if he could jump on the back maybe two second earlier --
HILL: Without a question, I'd be taking a bullet for the president, be dead.
TODD: It would be -- you think that would be a happier ending if you weren't here to talk to us?
HILL: It would be a happier ending for the country and for everybody.
TODD: How do you feel about that? That's a tough thing to live with for a number of years.
HILL: Well, it's just one of those things you do live with it. You have to accept the fact that you had a certain responsibility and you failed in that responsibility. So you just have to accept it and live with it the best you can.
TODD: Hill says he still goes through periods where he's almost unable to talk about the assassination. He brushes it off when people call him a hero. Heroes, he says, are people who are able to do extraordinary things, and quote, unfortunately, I was unable to do that.
Brian Todd, CNN, Arlington, Virginia.
WHITFIELD: Dallas police tomorrow plan to honor an 82-year-old man for his actions on the day JFK was assassinated. Temple Bowly saw a Dallas police officer lying dead near a police vehicle. Bowly immediately got into the police car and radioed for help. He had no idea that the man who had just shot the officer was the same man who had also killed President Kennedy, Lee Harvey Oswald. Officers swept into the area and soon arrested Oswald.
