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Feds Announce Massive Drug Bust; President Obama Hurt in Basketball Game; Koreas on Brink of War?; "Honeymoon Killer" Brought Back To Home State Of Alabama; Boy Overcomes Brain Cancer To Play High School Football; Royal Wedding May Be Shot In 3D; Black Eyed Peas To Play Super Bowl Half Time Show; Presidential Historian Notes How Past Presidents And Families Celebrated Christmas

Aired November 26, 2010 - 15:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Brianna Keilar.

And just a heads-up first. We're awaiting a live conference on what the feds are calling one of the biggest drug busts in U.S. history. And at the center of it all, a secret smuggling tunnel stretching from Mexico to California. We're told they will be showing video of it, as well as what they found inside. And we will have a live report from San Diego ahead.

But, first -- and this is if you're just joining us -- I want to bring you up to date on President Obama. The White House tells us he got elbowed playing basketball today and that he needed 12 stitches on his lip.

So, let's bring in senior White House correspondent Ed Henry.

And I think the question then, Ed, is, who threw that elbow?

(LAUGHTER)

ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brianna, I -- I can assure you we're digging furiously to get the answer to that. That's a question everybody wants to know. Who threw the elbow?

I can tell you that a senior administration official has already told me it was not Reggie Love, one of the president's -- he's his personal assistant, travels everywhere with him. And they play basketball frequently because Reggie Love, of course, played for Duke University.

But, on the serious part of this, the president did get 12 stitches. You could see there he had some gauze on his lower lip earlier this morning. The basketball game took place at Fort McNair, a military base near here. He typically will play at a place like that for -- for safety and security reasons, obviously.

The president trying to work off maybe some Thanksgiving calories. The White House menu yesterday had some six different pies on the dessert menu for the first family. And so he -- he was there trying to work out, caught an errant elbow from an opposing player, according to Robert Gibbs, so far, unidentified opposing player. He got a local anesthetic here when he returned to the White House. The White House medical unit patched him up. We're told they used a smaller filament than usual. And the reason they did that is, it requires more stitches when you have a smaller filament, but you have end up probably with a smaller South Carolina, obviously, want to make sure they -- they take care of that.

And, in fact, a short while ago, we saw the president in a second- story residence window looking down on the first lady and his daughters as they welcomed the White House Christmas Tree. And he still had the gauze on his lower lip. So, here we are a few hours after that sort of mid-morning -- you can see in the pictures there, he had the gauze -- some sort of gauze or ice or something on his lower lip.

So, here he is hours later and he's still dealing with it. So, it's not something to take lightly, but he certainly seems like he's doing better, and -- and he's got a lot on his plate next week for sure. He's got, on Tuesday, as you know better than anyone, congressional leaders coming over here for a -- a big, big agenda, as they try to get that lame-duck session of Congress going -- Brianna.

KEILAR: That's right. OK. Well, keep digging and tell us, Ed, when you find out...

(LAUGHTER)

KEILAR: ... who threw that elbow.

HENRY: Everyone wants to know.

(LAUGHTER)

HENRY: Who threw the elbow?

KEILAR: Of course. Ed, thank you for that.

HENRY: Thanks, Brianna.

KEILAR: Lost, written off as dead, and, really, it's a mystery that they're not. Three boys, teenage cousins, they set off in a leaky boat from their South Pacific island home and they vanished. Today, they're back on dry land, picked up by a fishing boat.

Routine rescue operation, right? Well, no, that's wrong. Those three boys floated on the ocean for 50 days. That's 5-0 days, seven weeks. And, yet, somehow they survived. And wait until you hear how far they bobbed and floated in this just 12-foot-long aluminum boat in the South Pacific.

As you can imagine, it's celebration time now in their hometown, an amazed celebration shared by people all over the world. And just listen to this, one of the boys' mothers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TAGI SINI, MOTHER OF RESCUED TEEN: The village was -- we have to go and give thanks to God in the church. That's the -- that's the first thing the village is going to do, I think. And then we will celebrate and have a big feast.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Now, that they survived is astonishing enough, but consider this. The fishing boat that picked them up was not even supposed to be in the area. Their story is one of colliding coincidences and just pure dumb luck.

Listen now to a crewman from the boat that found them.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TAI FREDERICSEN, FIRST MATE OF FISHING VESSEL: First impression seeing them physically was just devastating. Your heart really, you know, dropped...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh.

FREDERICSEN: ... at the state they were in physically.

But the upsides were their mentality. Their -- their willpower was just incredible. They had smiles when they -- we did get them on board. We were taking a route that we actually never would take. It was just pure by chance, miracle. You can be the judge. But, yes, after two -- two days of us steaming towards New Zealand these boys were directly on our bow.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: And I want to go ahead now and bring in Tai Fredericsen live. He was, as we said, part of this rescue.

Tai, what -- when you first saw these boys in the water, I mean, what were you thinking? How surprised were you?

FREDERICSEN: Just totally astonished, Brianna, just amazed that -- yes, I still don't have the words for it, but, yes, it's just amazement.

KEILAR: So, what was the -- what was the sight like? What were they doing when they saw you?

FREDERICSEN: Well, you can imagine that, when we did (AUDIO GAP) beside them and launch our rescue boat, you could see there was a smile and relief -- definitely relief -- there.

Our rescue boat driver, Carlos Butra (ph) from Turlock, California, he was actually the first to communicate with the boys. And the boy we know as Samu asked him straight up, "Please help." And Carlos returned with an easy smile. "Son, we're taking you home.

But, yes, just total relief and just -- yes. (CROSSTALK)

FREDERICSEN: ... willpower, as I...

(CROSSTALK)

KEILAR: Tai, were they -- were they yelling? I mean, how did they get the attention of your vessel?

FREDERICSEN: Honestly, you know, we didn't even have (AUDIO GAP) our attention. As I say, the vessel had already been steaming two days towards New Zealand. And, that afternoon, they just appeared on our bow, straight on our bow. We didn't even have to turn the vessel. Our vessel went directly to them.

KEILAR: And what kind of shape were they? I mean, we're seeing pictures of them. They have IV.s. Were they terribly weak?

FREDERICSEN: Definitely. Definitely.

As you can imagine, they -- you know that they were very dehydrated. Their muscles had depleted completely. And when we took them on board, it was just like looking at skeletons. And -- yes. But, again, they were just so strong-minded, they weren't giving up.

KEILAR: And it's really the coincidence of this whole matter that, really, you weren't necessarily supposed to be where you were. How are you making sense of this, that you were there to rescue them?

(LAUGHTER)

FREDERICSEN: Well, this -- well, it's a miracle. Yes, you know, it's -- sure, it's (AUDIO GAP) coincidences and, yes, sort of dumb luck and whatever. But, yes, we -- we know what it is, a miracle. It's -- just -- just everything adds up. It's -- something has to explain it.

KEILAR: No, it really is a miracle. And the families of these boys had already held a vigil for them, we understand, afraid that they were gone forever. And it's really quite amazing that they were found 50 days after they set out.

Tai Fredericsen, thanks so much for joining us there.

And let's check in now with Chad Myers, CNN meteorologist.

How did this happen? I mean, this is an -- an immense amount...

(CROSSTALK)

KEILAR: ... of ocean that they covered.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: You don't really realize how big the Pacific Ocean is, until you grab a globe and you look at the one side of the globe, and you don't see any land.

(LAUGHTER) MYERS: You literally don't see any land, because America is over here and, like, Asia is over here.

So...

(LAUGHTER)

MYERS: ... here's Hawaii. There would be Fiji. And here's Australia, all the way over here. And this is the entire other side. This is the Pacific Ocean. So, they left their little island. They were supposed to go on a three-mile tour around. They lost power or whatever.

And the boat floated for 50 days back toward Fiji, getting closer and closer to Fiji. And this is where that little fishing boat did pick them up. But it's the same distance as if you were in a boat -- and I'm just going to grab this one and make this a little bit bigger -- if you were in a boat, and you left Key West, and you just happened to kind of float along the Gulf Stream, but then you kind of broke off and you went by (INAUDIBLE) bank, you kept floating all along and just to the north of Cuba, kept floating, kept floating, and then landing at Port-au-Prince.

That's the exact distance that these men went. And if you look at them -- there are some pictures on CNN.com. They don't look like they're 13. They look like they're 30-year-old men, because they have been beaten by the sun for 50 days and literally no food, nothing to drink either.

They have some -- some -- I don't want to say growing up to do. They have some growing down to do to get back to being 13 years old.

KEILAR: Definitely.

MYERS: Yes.

KEILAR: Amazing. And those families are just ecstatic.

MYERS: Yes, they are.

KEILAR: I mean, it really is a miracle, really amazing.

Chad, thanks for that.

MYERS: Sure. Yes.

KEILAR: Well, he's referring to an -- actually, we're going to tell you a little bit more about the story -- maybe you have heard about it -- the honeymoon killer. His wife died during a scuba dive. He's an Alabama man. And after serving time in an Australia prison, her husband was arrested in Los Angeles -- his fate ahead.

Plus, tensions on high alert in both Koreas, after a deadly shelling. The North says it's on the brink of war with the South. The U.S. and South Korea preparing for a military drill this weekend. So, what's ultimately at stake? We will have that next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: North and South Korea are closer to the brink of war -- that's the warning from North Korea. The entire region has been on edge since Tuesday. That's when North Korea rained down an artillery attack on a South Korean island, an attack that killed four and wounded 15.

CNN's Stan Grant is in Seoul, South Korea, with an update on this situation.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STAN GRANT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Tensions are rising on the Korean Peninsula, and all eyes are on these planned military exercises between the United States and South Korea due to begin on Sunday.

The USS George Washington is heading to the Yellow Sea for these exercises, North Korea saying it will take the region to the brink of war. Now, these exercises were some time in the planning. They were meant to be defensive, but, of course, taking on a whole new meaning, after these clashes between North and South Korea at the Yeonpyeong Island.

Now, North Korea also saying that, as far as it's concerned, this is a provocation by what it calls the puppet group, the puppet regime of South Korea, a puppet of the United States. Now, South Korea announcing a new defense minister at the same time, after the former defense minister resigned.

And rising tension on the streets of Seoul, veterans of the first -- of the Korean War 60 years ago saying that they want to see Kim Jong Il dead. Younger South Koreans that we spoke to say they are tired of -- quote -- "being slapped around" by North Korea and would rather see an all-out war, until someone loses.

Also had the chance to speak to some close observers of North Korea, who are offering some sort of a clue as to why we're seeing these tensions at the moment. They say it's all to do with leadership. Kim Jong Il has been unwell for some time and planning the handover to his son Kim Jong-un.

What we're seeing here could be an attempt by the younger Kim to establish his leadership credentials as someone who would stand up to South Korea and the United States.

Stan Grant, Seoul.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR: And joining me now from the Pentagon is Chris Lawrence.

And, Chris, we're just days away now from the joint U.S./South Korea military exercises. I mean, what are we expecting here?

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Yes, basically, Brianna, the USS George Washington, which is a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, is steaming to that area right now. On board, all told, with a small fleet of ship that surround it, you're talking in the neighborhood of about 7,000 American sailors, 75 fighter jets on board.

This is going to be a combination of air and sea. And, again, we're told that that ship is on the way. Those exercises will start Sunday, last for about four days. And, so, that's when we will have to start really keeping an eye on what North Korea's response will be when those training exercises start.

KEILAR: Well, and, already, Chris, we have seen a bit of a -- this has provoked a bit of a response from North Korea, right?

LAWRENCE: Yes, exactly.

They called both the U.S. and South Korea trigger-happy, said these -- exercising, as Stan mentioned, are pushing the region to the brink of war. And, today, what we saw was puffs of smoke, the -- the sound of artillery fire coming from the North Korean mainland. As the -- the U.S. military commander was touring that area of South Korea where the damage hit, a lot of those could be heard off in the background.

So, apparently, North Korea was testing its own artillery, again, another sort of provocative action coming ahead of these exercises.

KEILAR: And there's a lot of moving parts going on right now, Chris. The South Korean defense minister has resigned. Do we know exactly why?

LAWRENCE: Yes, for the same reason that a defense secretary would resign here in the U.S. People thought the response was too weak and too slow, thought they missed a -- a very -- a chance to sort of respond more strongly to North Korea, and that chance has now passed for now.

But everything now has completely changed. When you look at it, they had a plan to cut the size of the marine corps. That plan has been scrapped. Instead, they're going to reinforce a lot of the ground troops on -- on some of these outlying islands. And probably most importantly, they're going back and completely revising their rules of engagement to give themselves options for a more aggressive response down the road.

So, the next time North Korea fires artillery, it may be a very, very different response from South Korea.

KEILAR: And, Chris, one of the angles here that the U.S. is working is, they're talking to China. They're asking them to put pressure on North Korea. But is it realistic to expect China to defuse this situation?

LAWRENCE: Yes, China has some influence, but apparently not enough influence.

By that, I mean they're -- they're omnipotent, in that, right now, they're the only ones feeding North Korea. They're the only ones giving food and energy and supplies to North Korea. So, they have got a lot of influence in that respect.

But they're impotent in that they can't really, truly play their trump card. If they were to -- able to, say, cut off all aid to North Korea, the regime would most likely collapse, and that would send, you know, hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of refugees just screaming into -- to China.

Also, China has an interest. They don't necessarily want North Korea to collapse, because that could open the way for South Korea to sort of absorb North Korea and have a unified Korea. Then you're talking about a democratic, pro-American democracy, with American troops literally on China's door. Most analysts will tell you that's not in -- exactly in China's interest right now.

KEILAR: And, Chris, whenever North Korea does something, there's always this idea out there that they're sort of crying for attention. And I'm wondering if the Pentagon thinks that this, you know, attack has anything to do with trying to get the U.S. back to talks.

LAWRENCE: It is. But -- but, then again, that -- that puts the president in a tough position, in that, you know, his options are sort of bad and worse. I mean, he could -- he could go so far as to order a naval blockade of North Korea, but that risks all-out war, and -- and you're talking tens of thousands of American troops, fighter jets, ships.

If he agrees to talks with North Korea, he could come off looking weak, like -- like he caved in to the pressure. But, if he doesn't agree to talks, there -- there's no reason to believe North Korea is going to stop these attacks any time soon.

KEILAR: Chris Lawrence at the Pentagon for us -- thanks, Chris.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I do think that people do respect his privacy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: She is talking about privacy for the royal couple, William and Kate. And we have some new details about an island of love that they will call home after they're married. That's right ahead.

And it's officially here. You know what I'm talking about, Black Friday. What better way to work off all of that turkey than some cardio shopping. A live report next with Poppy Harlow on the big shopping deals.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: Here's a number for you. About 138 million Americans will be out there looking for deals this big shopping weekend. And most of them are doing their deal-hunting today, Black Friday.

So, let's take a look now. This is the parking lot at a Best Buy in Memphis. Just look...

(LAUGHTER)

KEILAR: look at that, very long before the store even opened. So that tells you what it was like when it opened.

And let's head now to chilly Seattle, where early-morning shoppers braved a cold snap to get a better spot in the shopping line. And these were the crowds bursting into Macy's at Herald Square in New York in the wee predawn areas.

And let's bring in Poppy Harlow of CNNMoney.com. She's out there among those New York Macy's crowds.

And are you seeing people spending, Poppy?

POPPY HARLOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They're -- they're spending a lot, but, Bri, I have got to tell you, just showing those pictures what it was like here at 4:00 a.m. this morning, it was just incredible. We were here. It was pitch-black. Seven House people lined up from midnight on just trying to get in the doors.

Obviously, the big question is, are consumers going to spend enough to help pull this economy out of the rut that it's in? Of course, our GDP, two-thirds of that is consumer spending. I talked to shoppers all day long here. Some of them, yes, are buying and finding deals. Interestingly, a lot of people from overseas, from Wales, from Ireland, from Asia coming in to New York just to shop.

Other people I talk to were just walking around the store for the novelty of it. But it got so crowded in the middle of the afternoon, Bri, that, literally, I was walking by some people that said, it feels like all of the folks here are just reproducing and creating more people one after the other.

But they were braving the crowds. And we talked to a lot of people what they're buying, if they're staying within their budget, and how much they expect to spend this holiday season.

Take a look then at some of the shoppers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We usually pay with debits, so that we can pay as we go, and then we watch the deals and sales and try to get what we can. But, if we really want it, then we will buy it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm finding some great values. That may be because it's Black Friday, but I'm having an extremely wonderful experience.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just wanted to give the kids a good experience this year. Work has been good for me, so I have been able to spend a little extra this year.

(END VIDEO CLIP) HARLOW: All right, and, Brianna, the expectation this year is, from now until the few days following Christmas, that key holiday shopping season, Americans are going to increase their spending from last year about 2.3 percent.

And I can't believe this number, but they're expected to spend a whopping $447 billion in the next 30 days or so -- Brianna.

KEILAR: Oh, my goodness, that is -- that's a crazy number, Poppy.

(LAUGHTER)

HARLOW: I know.

KEILAR: But, you know, let's talk about jobs.

(LAUGHTER)

KEILAR: Let's talk about jobs...

HARLOW: Yes.

KEILAR: ... because, more shoppers, are we going to see more seasonal hiring?

HARLOW: It's a great question. And it's what we were wondering when we came here this morning.

We actually had a chance to speak with the CEO of Macy's this morning and also the CEO of Best Buy, and pretty good news from both of them on the jobs front. Macy's alone has hired 65,000 seasonal workers from October to November.

Of course, they're temporary, part-time jobs, not a lot of benefits, but those are jobs at least. And they said they're planning to hold on to 2,000 to 3,000 of those if they see strong sales this season. In terms of Best Buy, a huge electronics retailer in this country, they hired 20,000 seasonal workers, Brianna.

They are going to try to hang on to a quarter of those jobs across the country, 5,000 jobs. So, add it up. If we see more and more retailers doing that, that's going to mean at -- at least somewhat of -- of an increase in terms of job creation in this country, but, again, the big question is, are people going to spend in a meaningful way?

It's amazing how much our economy relies on people, just like the ones all around me, spending in order to pull -- pull us out of the hole that we're in, but good news on the jobs front, at least -- at least for the seasonal hiring.

And I have to tell you, this is my first Black Friday. I have never gone to the stores for Black Friday. And I -- and I -- I'm not going to dare go inside again. It was -- it was truly an experience, Bri.

KEILAR: Oh, darn. I was going to make a request. No, I'm with you. I don't do Black Friday either.

(LAUGHTER)

KEILAR: I just -- I can't handle the crowds.

HARLOW: No. No.

Cyber Monday, I'm all about that, good deals on Monday.

KEILAR: I agree with you.

Poppy Harlow with CNNMoney.com -- thanks, Poppy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Well, there it is. That is the official Christmas tree arriving -- arriving, rather, at the White House. So, what does that mean? I -- I guess Christmas is on the way. We will be exploring how the first family is going to spend the holidays at the White House. That's ahead.

And for the second time this month, another major drug tunnel is discovered running between Mexico and the U.S.

That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: Got a few news stories moving this hour.

Officials in Saudi Arabia say they busted up several terror cells spread around the kingdom, these here some of the weapons, ammunition, also some cash that had been seized, 149 people, all men, except for one, mostly Saudi, but also suspected al Qaeda members from Yemen, as well as Egypt.

This didn't happen overnight. The kingdom-wide-sweep lasted eight months. And we just heard details about this operation today. A Saudi government spokesman says those arrested were plotting to kill officials and also people who work in the media.

Federal authorities plugged another hole in the U.S. southern border yesterday. They found a tunnel dug beneath the border that connected Tijuana, Mexico, and the inside of a warehouse in a San Diego suburb. The tunnel ran about a half-mile underground. This is not far from another tunnel that was found earlier this month, where feds also seized 30 tons of marijuana. We will be learning a lot more about this newest tunnel in a news conference set for about a half-hour from now.

And check out what pulled up to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue just a few minutes ago. That's a horse and a wagon carrying this year's official White House Christmas Tree. This is an 18-foot Douglas fir. It was selected from a tree farm in Carbon County, Pennsylvania.

And you see the first lady there, as well as the first daughters, Sasha and Malia, coming out to greet the tree's arrival. This is going to be standing in the Blue Room of the White House through the holiday season.

Jim Becker is a die-hard fan of the Green Bay Packers -- seriously. He's been selling his blood for years so that he can cheer for them. And that may have saved his life. You're going to see what I mean ahead.

And an Alabama man fresh out of an Australian prison is arrested in Los Angeles. He's accused in his wife's death during a scuba dive in Australia. What's ahead for the man that some are calling the "honeymoon killer"? That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: A man known as the "honeymoon killer" is back in this country and awaiting extradition to his home state of Alabama. Thirty-three- year-old Gabe Watson has served a prison sentence overseas in connection with the death of his newlywed wife. Now his home state is planning to try him for murder. Deb Feyerick has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Tried, convicted, and imprisoned for killing his newlywed wife in 2003, Gabe Watson was released from prison in Australia early Thursday and flown to Los Angeles. Now he sits behind bars again on charges in the U.S. that he killed his wife.

Watson, coined the "honeymoon killer" by Australian media, served 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to a charge of manslaughter stemming from the death of his wife, Tina. The couple, wed in Alabama, was married only 11 days when Tina died while scuba diving off the Great Barrier Reef on her honeymoon with Watson.

Now seven years later authorities in Alabama say they have their man. Assistant Attorney General Don Valeska says a grand jury returned an indictment against him in October for murder and kidnapping. The indictment was unsealed Thursday.

Alabama authorities believe Watson hatched the plot to kill his wife while the couple was living in Alabama because he wanted to cash in on his wife's insurance policy. Tina's father Tommy Thomas speaking to reporters in Alabama is hopeful justice will be served.

TOMMY THOMAS, TINA WATSON'S FATHER: The one thing that we're focused on is seeing justice done by her and for her. And until that day comes, until he actually faces the evidence for the first time in a criminal trial before a jury, there can be no rest or no peace for anyone in our family.

FEYERICK: Watson's attorneys could not be reached for comment by CNN but did release a statement to CNN earlier this month saying, quote, "The state attorney general has manipulated a grand jury to believe that not only can he prove that Gabe murdered his wife of 11 days, but that the crime began in Alabama."

Watson is scheduled to have an extradition hearing in Los Angeles early next week. He could then be back in Alabama in early December, awaiting his first court appearance in his home state.

Deborah Feyerick, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR: We're more than 150 days from what could be the wedding of the decade, and royal watchers are getting creative. Could we see Prince Williams' wedding in 3d perhaps? Brooke Anderson is ahead with that.

But first, cancer can knock most people down but one teenager refuses to let it keep him from leading a normal life on and off the field. Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Seventeen-year- old Zach Lederer is a high school football player in Maryland. He's loved sports for years, but he's no ordinary player. He was just 11 years old when his entire world came crashing down.

ZACH LEDERER, CANCER SURVIVOR: I started experiencing terrible, terrible headaches like nothing I've ever felt -- I had had headaches before, but these were unreal.

GUPTA: Migraines, his parents assumed. But an MRI found a brain tumor the size of a large walnut. Zach was rushed to Johns Hopkins hospital. The diagnosis there was devastating.

CHRISTINE LEDERER, ZACH'S MOTHER: That our son was not going to make it, that he had a very short time and he was going to take a big turn for the worse probably that night.

GUPTA: But Zach hung on. He overcame incredible odds. He had four brain operations in one week, was put in a medically induced coma, and had radiation therapy to shrink the tumor. He then spent three months hospitalized and in rehab.

ZACH LEDERER: Here I am 11 years old wearing diapers and relearning how to walk.

GUPTA: A small piece of the tumor is still there. Doctors think it's dead and slowly disintegrating, but Zach never let any of this stop him from pursuing his dream of playing high school football. After three years as team manager, the coach talked about getting him in for one play. But Zach, now a senior, wanted to play on a regular basis. He's a running back.

ZACH LEDERER: I just wanted to prove to everyone any obstacle is able to be overcome, even something as big as a brain tumor.

GUPTA: His parents agreed to let him play. Now he wears a special helmet with 18 shock absorbers. His parents' main concern is not concussion. It's damaging the shunts still inside his brain. But Zach refuses to live his life in a bubble.

ZACH LEDERER: It's not about never getting knocked down. It's about getting back up. And so the fact that I did get back up and I have become what I am and done everything that I would dream of doing, I think I'm better because of it.

GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: All right, let's get you now to a story unfolding at this moment, a fire destroying an apartment building in Dallas. We are told at least 12 units are burned out or have smoke and water damage, the flames causing part of the roof to collapse.

Firefighters were working on this for two hours to put it out. Good news -- no injuries. And it's not yet clear, though, what sparked this blaze. The Red Cross is now sending teams to help families who have just lost their homes.

And another extensive drug tunnel is found on the U.S./Mexico border. We'll tell you what else investigators found and who was arrested in a live report straight ahead.

And his name is bond, James Bond, and the gun that was used in a publicity poster in "From Russia with Love" fetching an unbelievable amount. We're going to show it to you as part of "Trending," next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: What is trending today? We are all over it. This is what you all are talking about on the blogs and social media sites. Brooke Anderson live and breathes the trending beat and the royal wedding, Brooke. What is this that we're hearing about a high-tech angle to this very old-school ceremony?

BROOKE ANDERSON, HLN HOST, "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT": That's right, Brianna. The times, they are a-changing. I'm talking about the royal wedding potentially in 3D. Wrap your mind around this -- the wedding of the century September for April 29th in London. Prince William and Kate Middleton will tie the knot. And you might have a chance to be closer to that experience than even though at Westminster Abbey.

The British media reporting today that some broadcasters are working out how to carry the ceremony in 3D. Maybe in theaters, maybe other large public venues, of course on television screens around the world.

The BBC told "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" they are experimenting with 3D TV and that, quote, "It is possible that our experiments may include some events requiring live 3D, but there are no plans to share at present." So, Brianna, they would not comment on the royal wedding, specifically keeping their plans close to the vest.

But regardless, 3D or not, don't you agree millions, hundreds of millions of people are going to be glued to their sets for this? This is going to be unforgettable.

KEILAR: Definitely. I'm definitely going to watch. I might actually go and see that 3D. Is that weird?

ANDERSON: I think I might well. It's going to be a fairy tale and to be that up close and personal, quite a memorable experience.

I have another story for you from the United Kingdom. Some rich guy, presumably a movie buff, has a pretty cool souvenir to play around with now. Christie's Auction House put this pistol, let's take a look, on the block today. It's not a real firearm but an air pistol that you've seen in the movie post for the James Bond flick "From Russia with Love."

Are you ready for this? It went for $437,000. That's ten times what the auction house predicted it would fetch. And Christie's told "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" that it's a world record price for a James Bond gun at an auction. The previous record was about $84,000.

And if that's not bizarre enough, this gun was not even in the movie. Sean Connery just held the thing for the picture that became the poster for the film "From Russia with Love" back in 1963.

So who bought it? Anderson Cooper? I'm kidding.

(LAUGHTER)

We don't know who bought it. That person would like to remain anonymous. It was an anonymous telephone bidder with obviously a lot of disposable income. And we can't show you the poster due to legal issues, clearance challenges. But I'll try to refresh your memory. Sean Connery kind of held the gun next to his cheek with that smoldering, dangerous look on his face he does so well.

(LAUGHTER)

KEILAR: Work it, Brooke Anderson.

Now, you also have a big announcement about the Super bowl. What's this?

ANDERSON: I do. And it's definitely -- for a band, the Super bowl would be the biggest gig, right, the halftime show.

KEILAR: Yes.

ANDERSON: This season's entertainment was named today -- the NFL confirmed to "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" that the Black Eyed Peas will take the stage at Cowboys stadium. So you think people will be watching?

KEILAR: I would watch.

ANDERSON: Around 50 million, yes. A lot of people tune in who aren't even football fans. They just want to watch the halftime show, the Super bowl ads. Brianna, it's a must-see event as we know. I'm sure the Peas will be phenomenal. They know how to put on a show.

And it's a tremendous opportunity for them. Unless they perform at the royal wedding, there's not really an event that's going to match the exposure that a performer gets for themselves and for their music than the Super bowl.

KEILAR: No. They're joining a legion of other very big stars doing that. Brooke Anderson for us with trending. Thanks for that, Brooke.

ANDERSON: Thanks.

KEILAR: As the White House gets its official Christmas tree installed this year, we'll be taking you behind the scenes to talk about how the first family celebrates Christmas.

And if you didn't watch CNN last night, thousands of people came together in Los Angeles to honor ten heroes from around the world. One of the heroes is a woman from Nepal. What made her stand out? We'll tell you, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: Did you catch CNN heroes last night? Pretty inspirational stuff. Nearly 5,000 people coming together in Los Angeles to honor the top ten heroes of the year. One of them is a woman from Nepal. She's helped rescue more 12,000 woman and girls from sex slavery. Anderson Cooper sat down with her.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: You've been named 2010 CNN Hero of the Year. How are you feeling?

ANURADHA KOIRALA, CNN HERO OF THE YEAR: Well, I feel that there are more responsibilities now on me.

COOPER: You feel more people are now looking at you, more people are -- know of you?

KOIRALA: Yes, of course. Now I feel that there will be not only looking at me, but they will know the issue, more issue, the issue which we have taken up, the sex trafficking.

COOPER: You seem like such a quiet lady, you about I know that your neck name is called "the terminator." Why do they call you the terminator?

KOIRALA: If your daughter, doesn't matter whose daughter, everybody's daughter was trafficked and you get hold of the trafficker, you say, oh, how sweet you are. If I have to confront a trafficker, than I can really hit hard. COOPER: When your children see you winning this award tonight, what do you think they will think?

KOIRALA: I want to send a message and I know they would be very happy about it, and I know they would be very happy.

COOPER: This award comes with $100,000 in total, $125,000. What will that money mean to your work, to your mission?

KOIRALA: There is only one woman's hospital in whole of Nepal, and that's in the capital. But what about the other parts of the world where there is poverty, poverty, poverty? I am thinking I will open up a women's and children's hospital with this.

COOPER: Have you ever thought that you're going to give up. have there been days when you thought, I'm going to stop this?

KOIRALA: Never. Never. Never.

COOPER: Congratulations. It's such an honor to meet you.

KOIRALA: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR: It is a fascinating and moving show. Don't miss it this weekend. It airs tomorrow night and Sunday night at 8:00 p.m. eastern.

Christmas at the White House -- we'll be going behind the scenes with the historian to see how first families have celebrated the holidays in the past and what's different in the Obama administration. We'll have that next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: All right, so I think we can say, safely, that the holiday season is now in full swing at the White House. What a season this is, the season, of course, of pageantry, merriment. You have presidential galas, even awe-inspiring beauty.

Just take a look at this gorgeous shot last December when the White House grounds were covered in snow. And here's a bit of history for you. As you can see from this card, the first family celebrated Christmas even during the Depression, the inscription reading, "Merry Christmas from the president and Mrs. Roosevelt."

Joining us now from New York, Presidential Historian Barry H. Landau. He has served with nine president planning historic events. So Barry, let's start with the tree. These have caused first family spats, even fires. Am I right?

BARRY H. LANDAU, PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: Correct. Actually, during the Harrison administration, they snuck in candles to light the White House Christmas tree, and they caught fire. But during president and Mrs. Hoover 1929, there was an unusual electrical fire during the reception and they had to evacuate the White House.

More recently, under President and Mrs. Kennedy, a fire started in the fireplaces, and, again, they had to evacuate.

KEILAR: And talking about presidents who have been pretty big on the holiday, the Reagans were really into Christmas, and I understand that President Reagan would actually hide presidents around the White House. Tell us about that.

LANDAU: Well, as everyone knows, he and Mrs. Reagan were in love with each other tremendously. And he used to hide dozens of presents around the White House so Mrs. Reagan would discover them one by one.

And one of the stories that I loved was when they first got married, he gave her a bag of peanuts and said I wish they were emeralds and years later he gave emeralds and Mrs. Reagan said I wish they were peanuts.

KEILAR: That's very sweet. They were known for being quite the romantic couple. That's a beautiful story.

And also, can you show us? You brought something with you. This is a Christmas card from the Kennedys. And it's got a very interesting back story.

LANDAU: Well, this Christmas card was signed by President and Mrs. Kennedy, and it's dated December 1963. And he actually signed it before he left for Dallas. And, of course, everybody knows the tragedy on November 22nd.

So to have the Christmas card dated December and shortly before Mrs. Kennedy passed away, she called me up to her apartment and asked me if I would like to have it as a memento. So it's one of my most cherished items.

KEILAR: So this is something that they started -- and you have to imagine this goes on in every White House, the amount of Christmas cards that have to be signed. I mean, what are we talking about? How many?

LANDAU: Well, you're up to now several hundred thousand. But of these, there were less than 100. And these are called presentation cards that are given out to heads of state, members of the state and cabinets. These are the most cherished and valued. Today they send out hundreds and thousands of smaller cards.

KEILAR: It's beautiful. You also have a very interesting story involving Jackie Kennedy. It must be hard if you're a member of the first family to go out into town and go on the shopping trip and pick up whatever you need for your family members. So what did she do? How did she do it?

(LAUGHTER)

LANDAU: She actually put on a blond wig and, you know, one of those funny shaped glasses with the eyebrows. And Jackie and her brother and sister and I, we went out to Garfinkel's, it's nonexistent, a department store a couple blocks from the White House. And she had great fun. She buying Christmas presents and nobody knew who she was. We had a collection of Secret Service agents following us, but nevertheless, they didn't know.

KEILAR: That's a pretty amazing story. That's probably one of your more treasured items as well. Barry Landau, thank you for your time. We appreciate it.

LANDAU: Thank you.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ADM. MIKE MULLEN, CHAIRMAN, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: We see the potential that they could go to war.

KEILAR: North Korea is warning we're on the brink of war. Could a showdown with South Korea come in the next 24 hours? I will tell you why President Obama and the U.S. could be caught in the middle of the crisis.

Plus, they call it the royal love island. It's where Prince William and Kate Middleton are expected to live after they are married.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's going to have a very positive effect on property prices.

KEILAR: We will take you there.

Drug smuggling beneath our feet, the feds discovering a secret half- mile tunnel used for trafficking. Wait until you hear what they found and who got arrested.

(END VIDEOTAPE)