Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
Mexican University Exodus; Techie Tips to Help Your Travels; NFL "Concussion Crisis"; Hundreds Killed in Stampede
Aired November 22, 2010 - 13:59 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Again, I am Kate Bolduan in for Ali Velshi. For the next hour -- you only have to deal with me one more hour, everyone. Here's what's on "The Rundown" for today.
More Americans will be on the road for the Thanksgiving Holiday, but they'll face higher gas prices and challenging weather conditions. Why, oh, why?
Also, Pope Benedict XVI talks about condom. Is the Church shifting its position?
And football players know that hard-hitting action is part of the game. But are they paying a price that's just too high? Dr. Sanjay Gupta will look at what the NFL is doing to try to stem an epidemic of concussions.
If you're not planning, pricing or packing for the Thanksgiving holiday, you're probably hosting people who are, right? Between now and next weekend, more Americans will travel than at any other time of the year. And guess what? For all of the fuss about flying and TSA screenings in particular, we found this interesting. The vast majority of travelers will get to grandmother's house or wherever they're going to go by road. And the roads, not surprisingly, will be crowded. Here's why.
AAA expects 42.2 million people will eat turkey, or whatever they're going to eat -- cranberry sauce -- more than 50 miles away from their homes. That's 11 percent more than last year, due mainly to a stronger economy. Some good news. Forty-two million, by the way, is roughly equal to the populations of California and Colorado combined. Those folks are spending on average $425 per trip on travel alone.
And look at this. Only four percent are giving that money to an airline -- four percent. Ninety-four percent of Thanksgiving travelers are driving. Two percent are taking trains or buses.
So I thought that was quite interesting. And that's a whole lot of gas. And the price of gas is on the rise.
AAA says the average price of self-serve regular is $2.87 a gallon. That's up 23 cents from last Thanksgiving.
If you live out West or in the Northeast, sorry, guys. You're paying north of three bucks a gallon. And the states in the green you're seeing right there has the cheapest gas at $2.73 or lower.
(WEATHER REPORT)
BOLDUAN: And we've heard some horror stories from Chad and other places and seen some viral videos. Still the TSA -- we're talking about now -- says it won't be changing its airport security procedures anytime soon.
The hubbub heading into this holiday week has mostly been about those new, more personal pat-downs. But the TSA points out you don't get those unless you refuse or opt out of that high-tech body imaging scanner, or you're randomly selected.
And according to a recent CBS poll, the vast majority of people are fine with it. Eighty-one percent agreeing that airports should use full-body x-ray machines. Fifteen percent say no.
So while you are traveling this holiday season, keep iReport in mind. If you have run into nasty weather on the road, in the air, or anywhere else, get yourself out safely, of course, and then upload your stories and pictures to help us out. Click the tab on our home page, or go directly to iReport.CNN.com.
Travel safe, everybody.
This we couldn't get enough of. Today's "Sound Effect" is a lesson in the art of backhanded compliment. CNN's own Larry King sat down with the former president George H. W. Bush and the former first lady Barbara Bush. And naturally, the conversation turned to the current state of politics and politicians.
Listen here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LARRY KING, HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": What's your read about Sarah Palin?
BARBARA BUSH, FMR. FIRST LADY: Well, I sat next to her once, thought she was beautiful. And I think she's very happy in Alaska. And I hope she'll stay there.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BOLDUAN: All you could do is laugh. I love that. She is so feisty.
You can see that whole interview tonight on "LARRY KING LIVE," 9:00 p.m. Eastern, only here on CNN.
Now let's get to some of the day's other news that we're following.
More than nine years after she disappeared, some justice for Chandra Levy. A jury has just handed down a guilty verdict in the Washington intern's murder trial. Ingmar Guandique faces life without parole. He's already doing time for attacks on two other women.
Levy was 24 when she went missing in May of 2001. Her body wasn't found for more than a year.
Another story making news also involving a young woman's disappearance. Five years of questions may end tomorrow for the family of Natalee Holloway.
Dutch forensic experts are set to announce test results on a jawbone found last week on this Aruba beach. Holloway disappeared on a high school trip to the island back in 2005. She's presumed dead, but no remains were ever found.
Her mom Beth talked about the bones and the discovery saying, "There is no good answer whether it is Natalee or whether it isn't, but no answer at all is most unbearable."
We can only imagine.
Now listen to this. A federal judge has given Oklahoma clearance to substitute one of the drugs it's used in its lethal injection cocktail. A nationwide shortage of an approved anesthetic has had several states scrambling. Oklahoma rewrote its protocol to allow the use of a similar drug called pentobarbital. It's commonly used by vets to euthanize animals and in doctor-assisted suicides.
Well, two death row inmates filed challenges saying the use of a drug unproven in capital punishment was cruel and unusual. The judge disagreed and refused to delay their executions.
Also, the FBI has just released its latest stats on hate crimes. According to the bureau, the number of incidents reported in 2009 dropped from the year before.
In 2009, there were just over 6,000 incidents. In 2008, nearly 7,800.
When we take a closer look at last year's numbers, and break the crimes down, 49 percent were motivated by racial bias. The vast majority of the attacks aimed at African-Americans. Twenty percent were motivated by religious bias. The majority here, Jewish targets. Nineteen percent were motivated by anti-gay bias, and 12 percent by bias against ethnicity or national origin.
Students fearing for their lives, fleeing from their own universities. Higher education, the latest casualty in Mexico's drug wars.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BOLDUAN: In today's "Chalk Talk," an exodus out of some of Mexico's top universities. Frightened students are fleeing their schools in Monterrey, a town shattered by drug-filled shootings and kidnappings. CNN's Thelma Gutierrez has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Monterrey is 150 miles south of the Texas border. It's the latest city to fall victim to the lawlessness and violence that's spreading like cancer throughout Mexico.
Recent grenade attacks, kidnappings and gunfights seen here on YouTube prompted the State Department to issue a travel warning and to ban the children of the U.S. government's employees from living in Monterrey. This was the city we were about to enter.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's Tracy (ph). I just want to let you know the L.A. crew has arrived in Monterrey, Mexico.
GUTIERREZ: We had heard the escalating violence and fears fueling an exodus from universities across Mexico, so we came to Monterrey to meet with some students.
(on camera): Monterrey is the third largest city in Mexico. It's also the center of commerce for the country, so it's tragic to think that just five years ago, it was named the safest city in all of Latin America. Now it has become a battleground for warring cartels.
"VIVIANNE," AMERICAN FOREIGN EXCHANGE STUDENT: Three of my friends got kidnapped in the past three months.
GUTIERREZ (voice-over): We'll call her "Vivianne." She's 22, the daughter of a prominent Mexican businessman. She doesn't want anyone to know who she is. Her American mother Francesca worries she could be next.
(on camera): Why would anybody target these students?
"FRANCESCA," VIVIANNE'S MOTHER: Because they know have some parents that are rich. This state and this city is for students of the rich.
GUTIERREZ (voice-over): It's the reason why Vivianne lives here, behind tall steel gates protected by security and cameras.
"VIVIANNE": It is scary, because, you know, driving from here to my school, I always feel threatened. I'm always in fear.
GUTIERREZ: Vivianne is a student at one of the most prestigious universities in the country, the Tecnologico de Monterrey, often called the MIT of Mexico. In March, right in front of the university gates, gunfire erupted between federal police and alleged cartel gunmen. A video capturing the gun battle was posted on YouTube. Two graduate students were killed in the crossfire.
"FRANCESCA": I don't want her to be here.
GUTIERREZ: Francesca told us she came to Mexico to get her daughter out.
"FRANCESCA": My daughter has been in college two years, and she has built up all these credits. And now I have to take her out, take her out of the city she loves. All her friends are here.
GUTIERREZ (on camera): Do you have friends who have left the university?
"VIVIANNE": Yes, a lot of them.
GUTIERREZ (voice-over): A top university official, Dr. Alberto Bustani Adem, even told us more than 100 American students did not return to Monterrey this semester.
(on camera): How has the State Department's travel warning impacted enrollment here at this university?
DR. ALBERTO BUSTANI ADEM, TECHNOLOGICO DE MONTERREY: We practically didn't receive any American students, but we still receive students from Germany, from France, from all over the West.
GUTIERREZ (voice-over): He says foreign exchange students are critical to the school. More than 600 are enrolled here. And he pointed out additional security measures to put parents at ease like a gated campus where you need I.D. to get in and out, and armed school police.
RAFFAEL HIRT, STUDENT: I guess I am a little concerned, but it's not like I'm having any plans of going home early or anything like that.
JULIAN COOK, STUDENT: When you walk into school, you don't see someone getting beheaded. Like, you don't see a grenade being thrown. Right? It's just those things that make the news that kind of throw the spotlight on Monterrey, but it's really a cool city.
GUTIERREZ: But Francesca worries about Vivianne living in a city where three of her friends were kidnapped, one after another, brutalized, and held for ransom.
"FRANCESCA": What comes with drug cartels is -- comes a climate of extortion and a climate of danger. We don't know anymore who the enemy is. We're not sure. It could be my neighbor. It could be a security guard.
GUTIERREZ: So she's packing up Vivianne and moving her back to the United States.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BOLDUAN: Thelma Gutierrez joins us live from our L.A. bureau.
What a stunning -- that's an amazing story, Thelma. Obviously, my first question, did Francesca -- was she able to get her daughter out? GUTIERREZ: Kate, Francesca is still hoping to get her daughter out, but there are several things that they have to do before they're actually able to leave Mexico. She has to get her transcript so that she can enroll in a university here in the United States. And then they have to get rid of all the furniture, all that kind of stuff. So she's hoping to get her out within the next week or so.
BOLDUAN: But it's already been -- you know, there's been significant time that she's been still trying to work to get her daughter out. She must be terrified in leaving her behind.
GUTIERREZ: Absolutely, Kate. In fact, just yesterday her mother was telling me that there was this shootout 200 meters from the nearest dorms on campus between gunmen and the police there, and three people were killed. So, you can imagine. She says how that feels, to know all of this is going on, and you're just a week away from getting your daughter out of the country, she says it just couldn't happen fast enough for her comfort zone.
BOLDUAN: You hear from Francesca and her daughter. You also heard from a couple of other students, one saying Monterrey is still really a beautiful city. But that shooting that you just talked about, and all the violence, is that affecting student life or how they are living in Monterrey right now?
GUTIERREZ: Kate, it's absolutely affecting student life. You know we were talking to some of the people there, and we said, "OK, you're not afraid. You say that it's not happening every day. But how has this actually changed the way you guys behave here on campus?"
They say they don't go to nightclubs anymore, they don't go to restaurants. If there's a party to be had, it's at someone's private residence.
And we even talked to the spokesperson of the university, who said that she goes straight from work to home, does not go out. So it's having a devastating impact on the local economy as well.
BOLDUAN: Wow. That's some great reporting. Thanks so much, Thelma. Thanks for your time.
GUTIERREZ: Thank you.
BOLDUAN: Here's another story for you. Pope Benedict talks about condoms. Is the church changing its policy? We'll take a look.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BOLDUAN: Now a look at the latest stories breaking today.
A jury has just handed down a guilty verdict in Chandra Levy's murder trial. Ingmar Guandique faces life without parole. He's already doing time for attacks on two other women.
Levy was a 24-year-old Washington intern who disappeared while out on a jog in May, 2001. Her body wasn't found for more than a year.
And a look at other top stories.
Planning on driving this week for Thanksgiving? Well, get ready to pay a little more. Gas is 23 cents more than it was this time last year.
And the head of the Marines will fully cooperate with the repeal of the Pentagon's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy barring openly gay and lesbian soldiers if there is a repeal. General James has Amos has been an opponent of repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," but Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen told CNN Amos would implement the changes if Congress passes the repeal measure.
And take a look at this little guy. The poor guy got his antlers in quite a tangle.
This mule deer buck got wrapped up in Christmas lights in Estes Park, Colorado. It's the time of year when male deer practice sparring with pretty much anything that moves, and this is what happened to the poor guy.
So, will the lights be coming off? The Colorado Division of Wildlife says unfortunately, no, they'll stay there until the little guy loses his antlers in the spring.
So you may be able to see him.
So, AIDS activists and papal supporters across the globe are applauding what is seen as a surprising but positive shift by Pope Benedict on the use of condoms, specifically when it comes to preventing AIDS. A new book, "Light of the World," is set for release tomorrow. The Vatican published excerpts on Saturday that make an exception to the Catholic Church's outright ban on contraception.
In the book, the pope said, "There could be single cases that can be justified. For instance, when a prostitute uses a condom." However, the pontiff does go on to say condoms are not the true and proper way to defeat HIV, in his words. But church officials and Catholics say it sparked a necessary healthy debate on the issue.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's like Merrill Lynch. When he talks, we listen.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't think it's terribly inconsistent. I think it's pretty modern thinking, frankly.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But I'm also very thankful for those comments.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's tackling the social issues of the day. And I think as Catholics, we take them one at a time. It's not going to happen all at once, but it's a process. And I agree with what the pope is doing. (END VIDEO CLIP)
BOLDUAN: While the pope's words are not official Vatican policy, some clergymen say it could be foreshadowing a change in the church's stance.
So, attention all you holiday travelers. We're going to give you the latest weather you should know about coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(WEATHER REPORT)
BOLDUAN: Would you like to go "Off the Radar"?
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I have something amazing.
BOLDUAN: Imagine that.
MYERS: "OTR" today, "Off the Radar," is a --
BOLDUAN: "OTR"?
MYERS: -- new TSA app for your iPad or your iPhone.
BOLDUAN: Chad Myers --
MYERS: Yes?
BOLDUAN: Why would I want a TSA app?
MYERS: Because on the bottom you can type in "Can I bring?" And you won't know. Maybe you can just type it in.
Let's go. Let's type right there. Let's type in "machete." Can I bring a machete? Oh, no, you can only check it. Check only.
And generally, you're prohibited from traveling with sharp objects.
BOLDUAN: By the way, in the break we tested out "camera." I don't know how we got from camera to machete.
(LAUGHTER)
MYERS: Well, I typed in here "turkey" and it didn't have an answer.
BOLDUAN: No?
MYERS: It didn't seem to know whether I could bring a turkey or not. So -- but you have to properly wrap your machete, and it has to go in the bottom of the plane.
BOLDUAN: OK. So you can type in apparently anything.
MYERS: More seriously, you can type in and look for your wait times. You can look for --
BOLDUAN: Nice.
MYERS: -- if in some spots -- not every airport -- you can see whether the long-term, short-term -- or do I have to do the park and ride, whether they're open or not, because a lot of times the closest one gets full. Right?
BOLDUAN: Yes. Of course.
MYERS: This will tell you. And it's just a little TSA app. We love apps here.
BOLDUAN: Exactly. Take as many apps as possible.
MYERS: Or naps.
BOLDUAN: Or naps -- or appetizers, as I like to call them.
MYERS: Are you here tomorrow?
BOLDUAN: If they bring me back. I don't know after this one.
MYERS: They'll bring you back.
BOLDUAN: I'm kidding.
MYERS: All right.
BOLDUAN: Chad Myers --
MYERS: Good to see you.
BOLDUAN: -- good news and apps.
All right. So what else do we have? The annual list of the most dangerous U.S. cities is out.
So who do you think took the top spot: Detroit; Camden, New Jersey, maybe; St. Louis; Compton, California; Atlanta?
We'll have the answer after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BOLDUAN: Half past the hour. And you know what that means. Time for your headlines.
Thanksgiving travelers are starting to hit the roads and taking to the airports. Some two million people expected to travel tomorrow and another two million on Wednesday.
Weather could be an issue though for folks in the Northwest. TSA security backups you've been talking so much about also have the potential to cause some delays. And another story we've been watching, a Salvadoran immigrant has been convicted of killing Washington intern Chandra Levy. She disappeared in 2001 after going out for a jog. Her body found over a year later in D.C.'s Rock Creek Park. Ingmar Guandique faces possible life without parole.
Mixed results in a CDC study on STDs. Researchers found that gonorrhea dropped to a record low across the country. 301,000 cases reported last year. However, some sexually transmitted diseases are continuing to climb. Chlamydia hit a record high and syphilis cases also up.
Time for a little "Globe Trekking" shall we? The 33 Chilean miners left for home after a whirlwind visit to the U.S. They touched down in Atlanta last night on their way home, receiving a water cannon salute. Their experience here a far cry from their struggle to survive for 69 days underground. Dario Segovia was the last man rescued you'll remember, number 33.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DARIO SEGOVIA, LAST CHILEAN MINER RESUCED (through translator): I'm not feeling like a rock star, but of course my life has changed. And I'm going back to Chile with one of the best in fashions of the United States.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BOLDUAN: The men, their families and five of their rescuers were in L.A. this weekend. The miners were special guests at the "CNN Heroes All-Star Tribute." Saluted and honored with a standing ovation.
We turn to another mine rescue, this time in southwest China. Twenty-nine miners have been rescued from a flooded mine in Sichuan Province today. They've been trapped more than 30 hours but took rescuers less than an hour to pull them all out. Unfortunately, mining accidents are quite common in China. In April, the country launched a campaign to re-examine safety regulations.
A team from the U.S. State Department rushed to Seoul, South Korea, for an urgent visit. Why? The talks coming after a U.S. scientist toured and confirmed the existence of a new uranium-enriched facility in North Korea. Ambassador Stephen Bosworth his team met with South Korea's foreign minister as well as Chinese and Japanese diplomats in Beijing and Tokyo. Bosworth says he hopes to revive the six-nation talks to ends North Korea's nuclear program.
Going now to Berlin where there are concerns over a possible terrorist threat. It specifically affects Berlin's parliamentary building, the building's popular glass dome and rooftop terrace are now indefinitely closed to the public. Approved visitors can still access other parts of the building, including its restaurant. This weekend, the German police denied reports that terrorists might be planning attacks on the building, but now police acknowledge they are looking for two men in connection with planning attacks on German attractions. Next up, Ireland. The final details of its bailout are being hammered out right now. Europe and the International Monetary Fund are deciding on the exact amount of the rescue package announced yesterday. But the British government has just now offered a direct loan to Ireland worth 11.3 billion euros. IMF will make an official announcement in Dublin this week about their terms, but the bailout estimated to be up to 100 billion euros.
Where is the largest statue of Jesus? Maybe not a question that you think about all the time. But as of this weekend, the answer is Poland. A tiny town in western Poland unveiled this 172-foot tall statue of Jesus Christ. Officials claim it's taller than Brazil's famous Christ the Redeemer, named one of the new seven wonders of the world in 2007. That's pretty tall.
OK. So, we asked you before the break which of these places tops the latest list of most dangerous U.S. cities. Detroit; Camden, New Jersey; St. Louis; Compton, California. This may be a bit of a surprise, maybe not. I don't know. St. Louis edged out repeat number one Camden, New Jersey. The Lou, as people are calling it -- I don't call it that, though -- had 2,070 violent crimes per 1,000 residents. Compare that to the national average of 429 per 100,000. Camden was runner-up at number two. Rounding out the top five, Detroit; Flint, Michigan and Oakland, California. Sorry, guys.
So, New Orleans residents no longer have to boil their tap water today. A very good thing. More are than 300,000 people were ordered to boil water all weekend after a power failure at the city's main treatment plant. Officials say the boil water alert was just a precaution. They're still not sure what called the power outage, but they say the water is safe. Good thing.
Take a look at this. This is a contest in Tokyo to finds the best robot. Teams from 25 technical colleges across Japan competed. My robot did not win, sorry. Robots competed to see which could cross the finish line first. One robot had legs with quite a lot of joints and another carried three students. There you have it.
After a break, peace - peas, I'm saying -- on earth. Or at least on millions of holiday dinner plates. That could mean a very happy new year for the neediest among us. That's our "Mission Possible," next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BOLDUAN: Today in "Mission Possible" -- as I've been corrected -- give peas a chance. Many people, especially in the South, wouldn't think of not eating black-eyed peas on New Year's Day. They're supposed to bring luck and prosperity. We can't really confirm that, but we'll believe it, anyway.
But we have found a way to honor tradition and bring some luck and prosperity to folks who need it most. It's called Peas for Prosperity, and it's cooked up by an attorney, of all things, right here in Atlanta. Christy Hannis, what is this all about? What is Peas for Prosperity? Tell me this.
CHRISTY ANNIS, "PEAS FOR PROSPERITY: Peas for Prosperity is we have bags of black-eyed peas that we sell for the Southern tradition of eating black-eyed peas on New Year's for luck and prosperity. But we do it in a little bit of a different way. So, I lost my job last year and I have been on the wrong track. So I said, I've got to do something different and it led me to black-eyed peas.
BOLDUAN: How did you -- back up. You lost your job.
ANNIS: Yes.
BOLDUAN: How did you land into the peas business? how did that all evolve?
ANNIS: It was my own resume builder because when you're searching for a job, everyone knows you have to have a resume. And I had a resume, but it was for my wrong life. So, I said I'll sell a holiday product and I'll show employers what I can do.
So, I had always eaten black-eyed peas on New Year's and decided on that. And then I started researching the story and the history and tradition,and it was all about second chances and that's exactly what I was going through. And that's how I decided on the black-eyed peas.
BOLDUAN: So, how has the organization evolved? Tell me about everything that's involved with what you're doing for the holiday.
ANNIS: Well, it started out with me and my condo, and I brought my mom up from Florida to help tie bags. And then I started forming partnerships with different nonprofits around Atlanta. So, I actually hire people to help me do the work for all the bag and for the peas. So, I pay by the piece, so they help me cut the ribbons and tie the ribbons and do the bags.
So, I really try to help other people that need a second chance. Because I needed my second chance. I got my second chance, and I want to help other people.
BOLDUAN: So, this now is your full-time job?
ANNIS: It is.
BOLDUAN: You seem -- I didn't know you before, but you seem much happier maybe than you were before?
ANNIS: I'm the happiest I've ever been. I'm the poorest I've ever been, but the happiest I've ever been.
BOLDUAN: Where do you hope to see your work and see your organization go? What are you hoping for?
ANNIS: I really hope to -- my biggest goal is to never have to go back to a cubicle. So, that's goal number one. But I really just hope to raise more money. I donate 10 percent of the proceeds to charity. I hope to make it bigger and to be able to raise more money. I really hope to help a lot more people and really spread good luck and prosperity in a gift like this to a lot more.
BOLDUAN: Tell me how can people get involved? How can people -- because it's right now in the Atlanta area and in surrounding counties.
ANNIS: Yes.
BOLDUAN: How can people get involved with this?
ANNIS: I have a Web site. Just go to buypeas.com. You'll get to me. Or www.peasforprosperity.com. I'm looking for people. I also have a holiday pea sales program.
BOLDUAN: I love it!
ANNIS: So, if you've been affected by the recession, you want to sell peas, make some money, come contact me. I'll help you.
BOLDUAN: A very good example of how bad economic times can actually create great generosity, kindness and opportunity.
ANNIS: It can. It can! You have a second chance.
BOLDUAN: Excellent! Christy, thanks so much for joining us.
ANNIS: Thank you!
BOLDUAN: Get some peas, everybody.
ANNIS: Peas!
(LAUGHTER)
BOLDUAN: All right. Other stories that we're following -- got to take a turn here -- a former NFL superstar is opening up about one of the most debated topics in football right now. the pressure to play after a hard hit.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KURT WARNER, FORMER NFL PLAYER: I think for a long time it was felt like, well, if you didn't get up dizzy or with no memory, then you really didn't suffer a concussion.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BOLDUAN: Quarterback Kurt Warner's candid conversation with our Dr. Sanjay Gupta, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BOLDUAN: Another hard-hitting Sunday in NFL football. Another player hurt in a helmet-to-helmet blow. Philadelphia Eagles returner Ellis Hobbs suffered a neck injury when he collided with another player. He was carted off the field in a stretcher and awaiting results of an MRI.
Today, we begin a special series about that called head games looking at what many say is a concussion crisis in pro football.
Chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, had some candid conversations with former football players about the culture of concussions in the game today.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED SPORTSCASTER: Shotgun snap, blitz coming. Warner steps up --
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's a chilling moment in football.
UNIDENTIFIED SPORTSCASTER: And Kurt Warner is hurt. Warner is down.
GUPTA: A player is hit and does not get up.
UNIDENTIFIED SPORTSCASTER: Kurt Warner on his back.
GUPTA: January 16th, 2010, former NFL quarterback Kurt Warner was that player.
UNIDENTIFIED SPORTSCASTER: And the trainers race out --
GUPTA: He got up and later, he returned to the game.
(on camera): Do you feel like now in retrospect you ever stayed in the game or was sort of pushed to stay in the game when you shouldn't have?
KURT WARNER, FORMER NFL QUARTERBACK: Yes. There's no question that's happened. A lot of guys when they get, you know, those hits or those concussions, they think, OK, well, I'm just going to kind of play through it here for the short term and it's going to get better.
UNIDENTIFIED SPORTSCASTER: He was just lifted up --
GUPTA (voice-over): Playing through it is part of football, says Warner, a big part.
WARNER: Probably 100 percent of the guys that play my sport in the NFL have been there. And I think for a long time it was felt like, well, if you didn't get dizzy or if no memory, then you really didn't suffer a concussion.
GUPTA (on camera): What does a concussion feel like?
WARNER: It's like a mental fogginess where you almost seem like you're separated from the situation. You're in it, but you're kind of looking at it from the outside looking in.
GUPTA (voice-over): According to the NFL, there are more than 100 documented concussions every season. After a big hit, doctors on the sidelines test players for signs of concussion, memory problems, confusion, dizziness.
But there is no definitive answer to the most important question: who should continue playing and who should come out of the game?
(on camera): The first Sunday in September 2003, Giants game, you got hit. They were worried about you.
WARNER: Right.
GUPTA: What were you experiencing at that time?
WARNER: I don't know. I didn't think at the time -- I never thought it had anything to do with the hit. But that's exactly what it's like when you get a concussion. I felt like I was fully functional. But in actuality, I wasn't.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How many of you have by show of hands had a concussion?
GUPTA (voice-over): Kevin Guskiewicz, formerly a Pittsburgh Steelers trainer, studies concussion impacts on the brain in high school players --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is showing moderate levels of atrophy.
GUPTA: -- and retired NFL athletes.
In his study players who have had three or more concussions, get MRIs and memory tests --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm going to say three words.
GUPTA: -- and memory tests.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Apple, penny, table. Now you say those words.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Apple penny, table.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What were the three words I asked you to remember earlier?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't remember. Penny. I don't remember.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.
GUPTA: Memory problems are not the only thing they're finding.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The brain has shrunk.
GUPTA: Concussions may be shrinking memory and learning centers in the brain, thwarting its ability to transmit signals.
(on camera): Did you retire because of concussions?
WARNER: No, not because of concussions. But there's no question, you know, as I contemplated the big picture and, you know, thought about life after football, do I want to put myself at risk for another concussion or for a worse concussion?
GUPTA: Many players, of course, decide to play through it.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, Phoenix.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BOLDUAN: We asked the NFL about Kurt Warner's statement that players stay in the game even after they are hurt -- even if they are hurt. The league officially responded by saying this -- quote, "If anything, we" -- "If anything, we are going in the other direction where people sit out until they are totally symptom-free. There are so many protocols now if a guy gets pulled out in a game, he cannot go back until he's cleared by the team doctor."
That statement from one of the co-chairs of the NFL's head, neck and spine medical committee.
We've got some breaking news that we want to tell you about. We've just learned more than 300 people are dead after a stampede in Cambodia. The incident, we're told, happened today during a festival near Cambodia's royal palace. No word yet on what started or sparked this stampede.
The death count -- the death toll is now at 393. That according to the Cambodian minister of information.
We've received several pictures. We actually received quite a bit of video, but we're trying to be a little careful about what we're going to put on TV for you because of the graphic nature of what's coming in.
But again -- once more, 300 people are dead and we're assuming many others injured in a stampede near Cambodia's royal palace. We'll update you as it comes. Obviously, a lot going on over there.
All right. We have more news coming up after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BOLDUAN: Time now for a CNN political update.
CNN senior political director Mark Preston and CNN's deputy political director Paul Steinhauser -- hello, gentlemen.
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Kate, that's a lot of titles. I'm sorry about all that.
BOLDUAN: It's painful.
STEINHAUSER: But my apologies.
BOLDUAN: I love you, guys. It doesn't matter.
STEINHAUSER: It's very painful. First thing, we want to -- thank you. We love you back.
First thing I want to do is ask our cameraman, Zoe Littleton (ph), to zoom right in here to CNN Political Ticker, a new wire up here today. And it's the battle over who speaks for the Tea Party movement.
Tea Party Nation, that's the group that put on that first Tea Party convention back in February, they're out with a new letter to the top two Republicans in Congress, John Boehner, the soon-to-be House speaker, and Mitch McConnell, the top Republican in the senate. They call for lower spending, they call for defunding the new health care low and to keep taxes low. But they're also calling for Republican lawmakers not to repeal "don't ask, don't tell."
And this new letter, Kate, it's kind of a pushback against a group called GOP Proud, which is a gay conservative group, which last week put out their own letter that said Republican lawmakers should deal with just fiscal issues and not with social issues. So, kind of a little bit of a back and forth here. The GOP Proud is not considered a real Tea Party group by Tea Party Nation.
One other thing, Kate, let's zoom right ahead to the next battle for the White House. It is never too early. Take a look at these brands new numbers from Quinnipiac University, a hypothetical matchup between President Barack Obama and Sarah Palin, if she decides to run and if she wins the GOP nomination.
Look at that, 48 percent say they would back President Obama, 40 percent in this survey say they would back Sarah Palin. That eight-point advantage for Obama is similar to what we had in our own CNN poll about three weeks ago.
Kate, one thing here, remember -- it's a snapshot. These polls are a snapshot of how people feel right now. And 2012 is a long time from right now, Kate.
BOLDUAN: So, Paul, you're zooming ahead, but I want to zoom back into the past.
Mark, Jimmy Carter, rabbit attack? What?
MARK PRESTON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL EDITOR: I'll tell you what -- talk about political legend, this is one of those great stories that kind of took off out of nowhere.
Thirty-one years ago, Jimmy Carter was fishing down in Plains, Georgia, in 1979. And all of a sudden, he sees a rabbit come swimming towards his boat. He took his paddle and he fended off that rabbit and it didn't attack him.
What exactly happened, though, is that, in fact, the rabbit did come across and it did swim across towards his boat, he's being chased by some hounds. However, the rabbit was trying to get away. Jimmy Carter kind of shook it off, splashed the water a little bit. The rabbit went the other way.
It turned into one of these stories 31 years ago that President Carter was fending off this crazy rabbit who's trying to take him down. He told CNN's Howie Kurtz yesterday of this story yesterday, kind of debunked the whole myth. But it was really one of these stories, a political legend. And, you know, who can't love a killer rabbit, Kate?
BOLDUAN: A killer rabbit, 2012 politics and a Tea Party movement -- that's a political wrap-up, my friends.
(LAUGHTER)
BOLDUAN: Thanks, guys. Talk to you soon.
CNN is committed to keeping you informed, as you can tell, on all of the important political stories of the day. Your next update in just about an hour.
So, what's it like to fly in this era of full body scans and pat-downs? I'll tell you what it was like for me. It's coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BOLDUAN: So, the "XYZ" today. Holiday travel inevitably equals talk of airport delays, highway congestions and weather disasters. This year is no different except we now have the added fun of new TSA security procedures. The headlines and the new catch phrase "Don't touch my junk" you've probably memorized or at least tried to forget by now.
So, let me tell you my experience. I flew this morning, and like millions of other Americans in the coming days, did not have to face the dreaded full body scan or the "too close for comfort" pat down. I faced the good old-fashioned metal detector and honestly, several smiling faces from TSA officers. And that was at 4:30 this morning.
Being grabbed and groped, poked and prodded isn't anyone's idea of a dream travel experience, but remember this: four in five Americans still support the full body scanner. And wouldn't you rather be safe than sorry when you board your flight this holiday season?
Without the new procedures, the proverbial travel nightmare could be a whole lot worse. So, take a deep breath, travel safe, welcome to the new reality in air travel. And as the catch phrase now has taught us -- please, please don't touch anyone's junk.
That's the "XYZ" of it.
CNN NEWSROOM continues now with Brooke Baldwin. Hey there, Brooke.
