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Car Bomb Foiled in Portland; Korean Peninsula Crisis; Retail: - David Vs. Goliath

Aired November 27, 2010 - 19:00   ET

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

JOE JOHNS, CNN ANCHOR: A terror plot designed to kill hundreds as they celebrate the beginning of the Christmas season. The suspect -- a college student and naturalized U.S. citizen. Former homeland security adviser Fran Townsend joins us live to talk about how this tragedy was averted.

Protests in South Korea over that country's lack of response to a deadly attack this weekend by North Korea. These aren't students expressing their frustrations. They are former members of the country's military.

And your spouse, your kids, your friends, and family, having a gift for each of them to unwrap on Christmas morning might bring joy, but it could also bring a strain on your wallet. This hour, advice to help you avoid bowing to the pressure to spend.

I'm Joe Johns with the CNN world headquarters. Don Lemon has the night off. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

In Portland, Oregon, a college student faces terrorism charges for allegedly trying to blow up a car bomb last night at a crowded tree- lighting ceremony. Authorities knew of the alleged plot and arrested 19-year-old Mohamed Osman Mohamud, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Somali.

CNN's Paul Vercammen joins us by phone from Portland.

Paul, the FBI says the public was never in danger. What do they mean? And how did they know that.

PAUL VERCAMMEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Well, a couple of things here, Joe. First off, they knew exactly the whereabouts of the suspect because they had been tracing him and following him for more than a year. What they did is they basically had set him up near Pioneer Square, the very place where he said he was going to detonate a bomb. What happened is, once the feds interceded, they knew that they had an inert bomb, a fake bomb, whatever, they planted that on him. He had the cell phone.

So, just about 20 minutes before this tree lighting ceremony was going to go off a few blocks away, he dialed the phone number and then was subsequently arrested. I have talked to dozens of people around Pioneer Square. None of them had any idea that there was this arrest and a terrorism threat was going on at the time, Joe. JOHNS: So, they were watching this guy every step of the way. What else do we know about him? When did he come to the United States, for example?

VERCAMMEN: What we know is that he's a naturalized Somali. We understand he went to high school in this area, possibly Beaverton. It's about 2009 -- in August of 2009, they intercepted an e-mail and thus began a chain of events. Among other things that the federal investigators have is they have the fact that he mailed passport photos, he was going to use a phony name, a (INAUDIBLE) to get out.

He provided the FBI with a thumb drive that has all of these detailed directions and bomb locations. Of course, as we said, he had targeted Pioneer Square. And after the preponderance of all of this, the U.S. attorney arrested him on an attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction.

And I talked to the U.S. attorney earlier today. Let's hear what he has to say.

JOHNS: All right. Now, according to the affidavit, the Justice Department prosecutor's affidavit, there was even a rehearsal. Let's talk a little bit more about rehearsal using a real bomb.

VERCAMMEN: Well, what they did was, again, he's working with the undercover agents. They told him, we need to test your bomb and your plan. So they took him out to a remote part of Lincoln County and on November 4th, he thinking that this was, you know, a legitimate test and worked this whole thing out for this thing to go off, he detonated a bomb out there and he thought he was on his way.

And, of course, he had said very, very strong things about, basically -- you know, he's glad to hear that there were going to be families out there and he thought that Oregon would be a great place for this to happen because nobody ever thinks about it.

And what was kind of bone-chilling to the prosecutors was when he said, you remember when 9/11 happened and those people were jumping from the skyscrapers -- that was, quote, "awesome."

JOHNS: Bone-chilling indeed. Paul, thank you so much for your great reporting. Stay on top of that story. We will be checking back in with you.

With us now from Washington: CNN national security contributor Fran Townsend. She was former homeland security advisor to President Bush.

And, Fran, the shoe bomber, the underwear bomber, the failed car bomb at Times Square, bombs disguised as printers. Now, we have this thing. Are we going to essentially feel better because this didn't work, or should we be worried because these people just won't seem to give up?

FRAN TOWNSEND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CONTRIBUTOR: Well, I think that they don't give up and how persistent they are is the first thing we ought to take away from it. But, quickly behind that, Joe, let's remember, the FBI got on to this in 2009. Clearly, they intercepted communications from him. They then launched an investigation. They inserted an undercover agent. They stayed on top of him. And they thwarted this thing.

Just -- you know what I mean? And this is the good news. After all, the underwear bomb got on the plane. The Times Square at least attempted to detonate it. This guy, they actually inserted themselves early on in the investigation and were able to protect Americans. And so, that's the good news story.

The problem here is, that this self radicalization, Americans or naturalized American citizens, especially from Somalia, pose a real challenge to the FBI. When these guys are able to either contact or attempt to contact individuals overseas who had the sort of technical knowledge to help them make a bomb, that's a problem. Now, obviously, it also provided them an opportunity to exploit.

But this is a guy who also made statements to the FBI saying that he, really since he was 15, wanted to join the jihad. And individuals inside the U.S. who self-radicalized are an issue.

JOHNS: Well, that's the next question. This guy has had these feelings since he was 15 years old. What do we know about this motivation? I mean, why has he had these feelings since he was 15 years old?

TOWNSEND: You know, we can't really tell that from the complaint. And the FBI, obviously, and the Justice Department hadn't made any public statements. I'll expect you'll hear more of that as the case unfolds and this guy makes his initial experience. There's bound to be an entrapment defense by his lawyers, although everything we see from the complaint tells us that all of the bad ideas, all of the sort of initial action, if you will, were on the part of the defendant here and not by the FBI.

JOHNS: Now, there may be people out there asking the entrapment question, if you will. Were the authorities, do you think, right and proper to let this continue right up to the moment of the planned attack, or didn't they have enough evidence all along to arrest him before now?

TOWNSEND: You know, Joe, it's interesting, because, of course, everybody may second-guess, didn't they have enough to arrest them sooner. But, of course, as long as they could keep him under surveillance, electronic surveillance, physical surveillance, as long as they had the FBI agent and people were American citizens who weren't really in danger, the longer they let it go, the stronger the case, because, of course, each day that passes, each conversation, each act he takes in furtherance of this terrorist act, it makes for a stronger case against him.

JOHNS: All right. Thank you so much. Fran Townsend in Washington tonight, thank you for coming in on a weekend -- a holiday weekend to talk with us.

TOWNSEND: Sure. Take care.

JOHNS: Some devastating images coming in tonight from Pakistan. CNN's Reza Sayah reports at least eight people have died in a cargo plane crash in Karachi. All eight are believed to be members of the crew. The Russian-made plane headed for Sudan went down shortly after take off, crashing what's called a naval colony, which is a residential area for naval officers. Reports say the houses were not occupied and still under construction.

North Korea issues a warning to the U.S., while protesters jammed the streets in South Korea clashing with the police. A live report from Seoul ahead.

And later, the battle between big business and small business for your holiday dollars.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JOHNS: This Sunday morning in South Korea, where the military has reportedly begun war exercises with U.S. forces. In fact, we are told that the official news agency there is confirming that those exercises have now begun.

Some former military members made it clear they want to see their government do more in the wake of Tuesday's shelling by North Korea. They clashed with riot police in the South Korean capital.

Stan Grant, who's been doing just a great job of reporting for us, is live in Seoul.

Stan, this is a notoriously unstable regime. What do these protesters want the South Korean government to do in this situation?

STAN GRANT, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You know, Joe, there's been a lot of criticism here about South Korea's response after this attack by North Korea last week and a lot of criticism that the government did not hit back hard enough. We've already seen the defense minister hand in his resignation.

Well, yesterday, on the streets, a small group of former special forces troops took to the streets to protest what they see is a weak response by South Korea. We saw riot police move in for about an hour. There was a back and forth. The protesters were charging the police, the police charging the protesters. But it really goes to show how much tension there is in this region right now.

You know, this is a heaviest militarized region in the world. If you look at North Korea, you're talking about a-million-man-plus army. We've had this uneasy truce for almost 60 years and that attack on Yeonpyeong Island just the other day has raised the tensions here. South Korea's marine commander warning of a thousand-fold revenge for that attack and North Korea is saying if there are more provocations by South Korea, they will also up the ante.

And all of this happening as this military exercise now begin. The USS George Washington aircraft carrier group, five battleships, 6,000 troops joining South Korean forces in the Yellow Sea for these exercises. And North Korea watching on and waiting for their response, Joe.

JOHNS: Well, given the unpredictability of the situation, is there any way for you on the ground there to calculate the likelihood that one side or other might try to escalate the conflict while the diplomats are talking about peace?

GRANT: It really comes down to this northern limit line. This is the disputed border area. Now, South Korea was shelling around that area last week and that's why North Korea says that it launched this action on Yeonpyeong Island. That it only take as miscalculation to spark something else.

We've already seeing the rhetoric flying. We've already heard North Korea talking about a merciless military confrontation. South Korea, as I just said, the marine commander talking about thousand-fold. The president, Lee Myung-bak in South Korea warning South Koreans to except more provocations from the North.

Words are often used as weapons here. The rhetoric is always very, very high pitched. But I think after that attack the other day, the fact that it was on South Korean soil, the fact that civilians were involved, the fact the defense minister here has resigned, there is anger on the streets of Seoul. People are expecting more, tired of being pushed around by North Korea. I think that there's been a steady increase in provocation, a steady increase in rhetoric (ph), and with these exercises going ahead, the risk is of miscalculation that could spark something wider -- Joe.

JOHNS: Stan Grant, the worldwide reach of CNN right there, keeping your eye on the Koreas. Thanks so much for your reporting, Stan.

In an interview with CNN, Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, said the instability in Korea could be very dangerous for all of us. You can see Mullen's entire interview tomorrow on "FAREED ZAKARIA GPS." That's tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. Eastern and again at 1:00 p.m., only on CNN.

The impending WikiLeaks document dump has U.S. government officials very concerned right now. The U.S. and its allies are awaiting the release of sensitive U.S. diplomatic cables in the WikiLeaks Web site. The documents could be made public soon, within the next 48 hours or so. They are expected to contain delicate information, such as negotiating positions of the United States, secret intelligence and other confidential matters.

A former U.S. ambassador tells CNN the documents could damage U.S. diplomatic relations with its allies.

(MUSIC)

JOHNS: Jacqui Jeras is here, working on the Thanksgiving weekend. Jacqui, I got to tell you, I did a little bit of flying this weekend, and I didn't see that many people in the airport at all. So --

JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Really?

JOHNS: So, that's a good thing, right?

JERAS: Smooth sailing, right?

JOHNS: Yes. But I tell you what? This could all change tomorrow when everybody goes back.

JERAS: Yes. You know, tomorrow will definitely be a very busy day. I'd say, overall, today is smooth-sailing on most of the reports. We had a couple of delays, but right now, zero. So, that's the great news, at least with the major reports.

But we do have some troubles on the roadways, especially out west. Take a look at our satellite radar composite here showing you a lot of moisture in the area. Some heavy rain in the valleys, some heavy snow into the higher elevations, I-5 from Seattle, down past San Francisco had some spotty problems.

And even in San Francisco right now, by the way, we've got reports of flooded roads. Yes, this is on I-280 and as well as Highway 101 and 237. So, a couple of lanes are blocked there. You can go eastward on I-80 and you go through the sierras, and that's where you run into the heavy snows.

I've got a picture here from Heavenly Ski Resort, by the way, Tahoe. Take a look at that. It's hard to identify anything, isn't it? There you can see the ski lifts and here are some of the trees in the background. So, it is coming down pretty heavy. The storm system will move eastward and we'll be watching this to move into the Wasatch as well as the Rocky Mountain states for tomorrow.

Out east, we've had a little bit of snow into the Northeastern states due to the lake effect snow and that cold air moves over the warmer lake water. But the winds are changing and a little less favorable for that. So, that's a little bit of good news. But sometimes the winds can cause some delays but looking OK so far.

What can you expect for tomorrow? Well, take a look at this. Everything looks great across the East. So, if you have any flight plans there, things should be good as well as on the interstates. But out west, we'll continue to see the snow.

One of the things in the nation's midsection is something that you don't see and that's the wind. So, the east-west roads in particular are going to be tough, Joe, because those winds are going to be gusting 30, maybe even 40 miles per hour.

JOHNS: Yes, that's the thing I don't like, that wind, you know? It can blow down the trees, make a mess of things.

JERAS: Power outages, move your hair.

JOHNS: Yes, mine, too.

JERAS: Yes, it's usually a problem. (LAUGHTER)

JOHNS: Great. Thanks, Jacqui.

All right. Shoppers beware: you could be getting fake merchandise this holiday season without it. And it's not just sold on the streets. What you need to know to make sure you get what you pay for.

And inside a school that's seeing scores go up all because of something pretty simple: parental involvement.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JOHNS: As many as 138 million Americans are expected to shop this weekend. That's according to the National Retail Federation. Online, it appears, more spending is going on. PayPal, an online payment service, has logged a 27 percent jump in activity yesterday compared to Black Friday last year. Forecasters say retailers could make $41 billion this weekend alone.

Many of you are making your list and checking them twice. But how closely are you checking the items you buy? You may be surprised to learn just how much counterfeit stuff there is out there.

CNN national correspondent Susan Candiotti has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We are in the U.S. Customs facility in Jersey, where, day-in and day-out, they inspect and look for counterfeit goods. All of the boxes that you see over here, inside, everything inside those boxes is fake. Today, yet another shipment has come in.

Robert Perez (ph) is in charge of this operation.

Why has this shipment been singled out?

ROBERT PEREZ, U.S. CUSTOMS: Well, Susan, what we have here is just another example of a shipment where our offices have actually looked at the manifest information and deemed it not to be quite right.

CANDIOTTI: All right. So, we got some shoes in here and that's certainly a Nike logo, isn't it?

PEREZ: From our experience, we're highly confident that these are in fact not the real thing.

CANDIOTTI: Talk about examples, you have a ton of them here.

PEREZ: Yes.

CANDIOTTI: These are all fake?

PEREZ: Yes, indeed. CANDIOTTI: But this one really catches my eye. Tell me about this. Looking at this book, it's marked brand XMX. But it really isn't, right?

PEREZ: Well, when you take a closer look of what actually is in this box, although it looks like alleged XMX nondescript boot, when you actually peel away the bottom of the sole here, you'll see that there is a counterfeit UGG marking.

CANDIOTTI (voice-over): The box that came in also peels away to reveal a fake UGG box. It's attempt to fool the Customs inspector by concealing the knockoff UGGs with generic branding.

Check out these Duracell batteries with -- get this -- an Energizer bunny.

PEREZ: They got a little confuse with the trademark that they were actually trying to ripoff.

CANDIOTTI: Handbags made to look like a Chanel or Burberry.

(on camera): The lining does not feel or look the same.

(voice-over): Fake Christmas lights could be a fire danger. And speaking of dangerous --

(on camera): This looks like a cigarette lighter, right? But if you flip this switch -- the switch blade.

(voice-over): This cell phone, it's also an illegal taser.

(on camera): In the last two years, U.S. Customs seized $400 million worth of counterfeit goods, everything from those fake UGG boots that you saw, to this men's body wash. But what about all of the bogus items that make it past inspection that flood in to the United States each and every day, including clothing and electronics and toys? Well, eventually, you'll find them in stores or on the street.

JOE LAROCCA, NATL. RETAIL FEDERATION: It's a big fight and one that retailers, law enforcement and brand owners are working on worldwide.

CANDIOTTI (voice-over): At stake for industry, billions in lost revenue. Loss prevention experts acknowledge the battle is far from won.

LAROCCA: We're going to continue to play this game of cat and mouse, unfortunately, for some time to come.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JOHNS: Susan Candiotti joins us live right now.

Susan, we saw a warehouse there full of seized goods in that story. So, what happens to all of that stuff?

CANDIOTTI: Yu know, I asked that same question. You know what? A lot of it gets destroyed but the U.S. Custom Service also donates some of it to some needy organizations here in the United States and sometimes overseas as well, Joe.

JOHNS: Got it. Thank you so much.

Also, can we talk just a little bit about the stuff that you have right in front of you there? You have two or three things. I know we have a graphic jumped up there.

Tell me what you got there and let's talk about it in a bit.

CANDIOTTI: Yes. OK. Well, let's start with this direction to the other. OK. We've got two Nike sneakers here. Hopefully you can see that, all right? Joe, you want to guess which one is real and which one is fake? Check out the soles?

JOHNS: Well, I'll guess, they are both fake.

(LAUGHTER)

CANDIOTTI: No, actually, this is the real one. This is the fake one. But I tell you -- until you look at the workmanship, it is very hard to tell the difference. We notice, however, looking inside the shoe, and that's too hard to see, but the fake one has a little sticker that you just pull off. The real Nike brand has the insignia right there where the heel goes. So, that's one way to tell in this case.

JOHNS: Right. OK. What's --

CANDIOTTI: But we have some other things here. For example, a quickie, right. So, here we got Ralph Polo men's cologne. Which one --

JOHNS: Ralph Lauren. Right.

CANDIOTTI: Which is real Ralph Lauren?

JOHNS: I go with the one that the label I can see a little better -- that is on my left, you're right.

CANDIOTTI: This one? This one? This one? Oh, this one. OK.

JOHNS: Yes.

CANDIOTTI: The one in the cellophane happens to be the real deal. This one, if you look closely -- and you've got to do that, because this is sold on the streets, sometimes in stores and in flea markets.

JOHNS: OK.

CANDIOTTI: It seems like there's a double image on here.

And finally, I mean, it doesn't have to be expensive stuff. This is Dove body lotion. And you look at these two bottles are very, very similar. Can you tell which one is the fake?

JOHNS: I can't. Yes. Give it to me. Which one?

CANDIOTTI: OK. This is the fake one, this is the real one.

JOHNS: Wow.

CANDIOTTI: This one doesn't tell you how many, for example, fluid ounce, how many ounces are in it. This one does. Coloring is a little different on this one.

It really boils down to this -- you have to sometimes, if you have a question, ask. Ask where it came from. If they start to hem and haw about it, that's one clue certainly because, you know, price is another factor here. As always, you get what you pay for, right? If it's too good to be true, that old line?

JOHNS: Yes, always, especially in this time of year. Thank you so much, Susan Candiotti, in New York.

Checking other stories making headlines:

A bizarre case unfolding in Michigan of a possible abduction of three little boys, ages 5, 7, and 9. There's conflicting information out there about what happened. Affiliate WDIV reports the police say the children may have been abducted and are believed to be in danger.

Another affiliate, WTOL, reports the father may have turned the boys over to a woman named Joanne Taylor (ph) and then try to take his own life. He's now hospitalized, they say. WTOL reports the father believed the woman was the wife of a minister. We're watching that.

In France, police seized 242 pounds of cocaine from a luxury apartment on the outskirts of Paris today. Police told an affiliate there, four people were arrested, too two French, one Iranian and one Venezuelan. The drugs are said to be worth more than $9 million. Cash, luxury items and clothes are also seized.

And some new legal trouble for country music outlaw, singing legend Willie Nelson. He's been arrested on charges of marijuana possession. Details, we're told, are very sketchy, but CNN has confirmed Nelson was arrested by the U.S. Border Patrol in Sierra Blanca, Texas. Nelson's publicist, so far, has not commented on that arrest.

A school in Los Angeles is setting new standards for parent volunteers. CNN education contributor Steve Perry shows us how their involvement is attracting a lot of attention in this edition of "Perry's Principles."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEVE PERRY, CNN EDUCATION CONTRIBUTOR (voice-over): The students at Overland Elementary begin every morning on the right foot. And their parents wouldn't have it any other way. After all, this was their idea.

APRYL KRAKOVSKY, PAREN VOLUNTEER: Their brains are actually ready to learn when they go in the classroom because they've been exercising. So, they were able to take in information.

PERRY: And now, this innovative program has gotten the attention of some powerful people.

LAILA ALI, CALIF. COUNCIL ON PHYSICAL FITNESS & SPORT: We want to commend all of the parents and also the Overland Elementary Parent Association for setting an example for an active lifestyle, for their children.

PERRY: As I saw firsthand, parents involved in almost every facet of running the school.

EVE GELB, CO-PRES. OVERLAND PARENT TEACHERS ASSN.: It starts with an administration that's opened to having parents on campus and lets parents contribute to where they need to contribute instead of setting really strict boundaries about what we're allowed to do and not allowed to do.

We have an arts committee. We have a library committee. We have a safety committee that works hand in hand with our staff to make sure that earthquake supplies are ready.

STEVE HERMAN, CHAIRMAN, FRIENDS OF OVERLAND: The parents fundraise annually to support instruction throughout the school. We fund a science lab coordinator, which is a new program that came on campus.

TEO HUNTER, PARENT VOLUNTEER: I want to be a part of the thing that protected my biggest investment, which was my children. You know, why would I not want to contribute to an organization or a group that was molding my biggest investment?

KRAKOVSKY: The school, the teachers, they can't do everything. They'd like to, but there's just not enough time, money, energy to do it. So, when you have parents who can step in and give that help (INAUDIBLE).

PERRY: Steve Perry, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JOHNS: And while you're out spending money at giant retailers this holiday season, there's another group that wants your attention. We'll explain -- next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JOHNS: Today, a small business Saturday. I bet you didn't know that. The day when we're supposed to buy from local shops. It's tough for small businesses to try to hold their own during the holiday season. The competition is like the retail of diversion of "David and Goliath." And so the question is, how can these little store owners survive when giants like Wal-Mart are offering free on-line shipping.

Tonight, two perspectives on how small shops are standing up to the challenge. Maggie Anderson wrote a book about her year trying to buy exclusively from black-owned businesses. That book is called "Our Black Year, A Tale of Buying Black in America's Racially Divided Economy" and Amy Chang is with KBG Deals, a national coupon group buying service. We know about those things. Thanks to both of you for being here.

Now, you're clients essentially are small business folks. So I guess, the question, how do you help them? How do you help them and why is it that people wouldn't use your service to go to the big guys?

AMY CHANG, SALES SPECIALIST, KGBDEALS ATLANTA: Well, with KGB deals, we're a group buying site so we definitely help out all of the smart merchants out here in Atlanta. While we want to definitely build a larger clientele for these businesses. So we bring customers in the door. You know, being featured on KGBDeals, you can reach tens of thousands of individuals within a short period of time, like three days.

JOHNS: Right. And, Maggie, the question for you essentially is, why do this any way? I know your focus in your book is about African- American businesses but there is this larger sort of movement around the country of buy local.

MAGGIE ANDERSON, AUTHOR: Uh-huh.

JOHNS: What is the rationale?

ANDERSON: Well, this for me is not just a one-day thing. As you know, we conducted an economic experiment and for a whole year every penny we spent went to the small, local black-owned businesses. And the point is, these are the businesses that are likely to employ the local community. These are the businesses that provide the role models for local youth.

And in the black community, we need more role models to come from business owners, not just your local gang bangers or drug dealers. So we support the quality black business owners in the local community. We can make a difference in that community by retaining some of the wealth in that community, helping fund the under funded schools and providing more role models for those kids. It's very important to do that.

JOHNS: But that's the thing though, the idea is keeping the money in the community makes the community smaller. And it also applies to other communities, not just African-American communities -

ANDERSON: Absolutely.

JOHNS: - wherever you live.

ANDERSON: Exactly.

JOHNS: Right.

ANDERSON: And the point is, unfortunately, in the black community, that money does not stay there. We have about $1 trillion in buying power and less than five percent of that stays in those communities. So we're hoping this shopping season that we can inspire more consumers to give back and give thanks by buying gifts in the black community, not just in the giving of the gifts.

JOHNS: So Amy, I was talking a little bit at the top there about how hard it is for these companies to survive against the big guys.

CHANG: Oh, yes.

JOHNS: And it's got to be more than just, you know, getting a coupon service to help you out. I mean, how do they survive?

CHANG: Well, you know, being able to reach all these new, you know, customers, definitely drives businesses to the small business owners. So competing with these larger retail giants, you know, they are offering deals on having these large marketing campaigns but with us, we're offering great discounts for holiday gifts to our, you know, subscribers, also.

JOHNS: You also have, you have all kinds of social media, too. I guess you can do Facebook.

CHANG: Oh, yes.

JOHNS: Myspace to some level. And it's the kind of thing where if you just sort of catch it by ear and you can what? Double the companies' profits or whatever.

CHANG: Oh, yes. Most definitely especially during the holiday season. A lot of people don't know that small business owners actually struggle. So you know, having, like (INAUDIBLE) featured on our group buying site, it drives traffic and you know, during the period of time when there wouldn't be that much business going on.

JOHNS: Great. Amy Chang, Maggie Anderson, thank you so much for coming in on the holiday weekend. And we're all watching to see how the economy does as a result of this. So thanks so much.

CHANG: Thank you.

ANDERSON: Thank you.

JOHNS: All right. This is also the time of year when people tend to go into deep debt buying high-ticket items. Next, some ways to stop the over spending if you will this holiday season. Back in a minute.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JOHNS: The holiday season is in full swing right now. The shopping season as well, between now and New Year's, a lot of people are going to rack up big debts buying gifts. It is a trap. Sure, it feels good to make someone happy on Christmas morning but that feeling doesn't last, the bills do. And when it comes due, it can take a deep toll on your mental health.

Psychiatrist Mark Goulston is the author of "Just Listen, Discover the Secret to Getting through to absolutely anyone." Great title. This week he wrote on his blog about how to avoid falling into the trap of spending this holiday. Dr. Goulston joins us from Los Angeles right now. And I guess, to start it out, Dr. Goulston, Mark, if I can call you that, why do people overspend?

DR. MARK GOULSTON, PSYCHIATRIST: Sure.

JOHNS: I mean, they've got to know better and they've got to know what they are in for if they do.

GOULSTON: Well, we've become a nation of human buying Instead of human beings. We buy our way out of feeling bad. We buy our way out of feeling bored. We buy our way out of feeling frustrated. We buy our way out of feeling unloved. And when you add deprivation now for two years, with the economic doldrums that we're in, plus a rigorous advertising campaign, great sales, and then the herd mentality, you look around you and say, gee, they are in debt and they are buying.

So if it's good enough for them, it's good enough for me. And I think what happens is once you get a little taste of something that you've been deprived of, it's very easy to go full throttle and not worry about it until the next day.

JOHNS: You mentioned a little bit about on your blog that there are things that people can do that will make them happier but won't cost anything, which would be a great idea. Specifically, I remember you talking about the power thank you. Describe that, will you?

GOULSTON: Well, gratitude is the gift that keeps on giving. You can't feel grateful and feel like there's anything missing in your life and gratitude helps others because it makes them feel valuable and it helps you because you feel full and complete. And the best way to show gratitude is through a power thank you.

A power thank you is three parts. The first part is you thank someone specifically for something that they did. The second thing is, you acknowledge the effort it took for them to do it. How they put themselves out to do it. And then once you share with them, it is what it personally meant to you. So a very quick power thank you from me to CNN, to demonstrate it is, you actually book me, you selected me as an expert. You entrusted your audience to me for this segment. That was not easy to do. You take your audiences seriously.

And what it personally means to me is that you value my ideas and it gives me an opportunity to talk about them. It gives me an opportunity to talk about my recent book and so thank you.

JOHNS: Well, the other half of that, though, as you know, is impulse buying. And that's the idea of just going out and doing something in the moment, if you will. You've suggested that the way to combat that is taking a 24-hour hiatus. Will it really help?

GOULSTON: Well, if you can do it. I think one thing to add to the 24-hour hiatus is to think about the last three things that you bought that are about the same size as the things you're about to buy. And how did that go for you? Did you really enjoy them? Did they satisfy you? Or did you have a Lady Macbeth moment afterwards where you thought to yourself, return darn purchase, return.

And then felt nauseated as you were running back to try to return everything you bought. So think about what your purchases have done to you, not in the moment that you're there buying them but after you buy them.

JOHNS: Great. Dr. Goulston, thank you so much for coming in on a Saturday and talking to us. We'll be back in touch for sure.

Coming up, the body of a missing Pennsylvania college student is found a week after she was reported missing.

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JOHNS: Checking other stories making headlines.

Police in Brazil gave an ultimatum to gangs hiding in a notorious slum in Rio de Janeiro. Surrender or face the consequences? A police spokesman says a military assault on the slum is eminent. A week long battle between gangs and police has left 35 people dead as the government tries to seize control of the slums from criminals.

South Korean veterans protested today in Seoul claiming the government is not doing enough to retaliate for Tuesday's shelling by the north. That attack left two Marines and two civilians dead. North Korea warns of unpredictable consequences if the U.S. goes forward with deployment of an aircraft carrier near the Peninsula. Joint military exercises involving South Korea and the U.S. are reportedly now under way.

A man who had a relationship with missing Pennsylvania college student, Jenny Lynn Watson has been charged with her murder. Authorities found a body that is believed to be Watson's this morning in North Syracuse, New York. She dated the suspect, Stephen Piper, on and off for the past 18 months. Police had interviewed Piper twice. They say he denies involvement. Watson's parents reported her missing eight days ago.

Some of you may have shopped on black Friday and even today. Well, the frenzy is not over. As retailers gear up for cyber Monday. We'll explain next in a live report.

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JOHNS: Well the frenzy of black Friday is already a memory, but there's still plenty of bargains out there. So let's look ahead to cyber Monday, the day we all head back to work and start shopping on- line, as long as our employers don't catch us. Ha, ha.

How can you be sure you're getting the very best deal? When Katie Linendoll says so, of course. That's how. Katie is one of our favorites here. She's a tech expert, contributor for CNNet.com. Katie, good to see you. I guess the first question -

KATIE LINENDOLL, TECH EXPERT: Good to see you. JOHNS: Yes. A lot of people will shop online on Monday, I assume, but I assume is there some hype here? You know, we talk about cyber Monday, is cyber Monday a real thing or is it just a little bit of oversell?

LINENDOLL: You know, a lot of people think that black Friday is the biggest shopping day of the year and that's actually not true. The biggest shopping day of the year falls somewhere in that second week of December and the second biggest shopping day of the year is of course cyber Monday. And I got to tell you, a lot of people hear cyber Monday and they're kind of turned off, because they're like, "uh, it's really tacky, I don't need a new modem or a new external hard drive."

That's not the case. It's actually just a day for all retail locations to have those great deals on line. And so much so that in 2009, 8.7 million people shopped on cyber Monday, spending $887 million.

JOHNS: Wow!

LINENDOLL: Of course, in the great American way, 53 percent of those sales originated from work computers. Kudos.

JOHNS: Yes, and it sounds to me like the employer wouldn't be too happy because they're wondering what you're doing with your time if you're online and shopping instead of doing your work. Anyway, that's another conversation. Which web sites have the best deals?

LINENDOLL: OK. This is the best part about it. Just about every retail location will have very hot deals on Monday. And it's actually hard to find them now, it's a little early, believe it or not. But come Monday, sign up for those e-mail lists. Sign up for text lists. There's even apps out there. And all the big retail location, the Wal-Mart, the Target, Best Buy, even CyberMonday.com which is kind of a conglomerate of all the great savings, they'll all have really fantastic deals. If they don't, their on-line marketing manager should be fired immediately.

Also check out their Facebook pages, their Twitter pages. We will be on cyber Monday, all Monday so if you have a really great deal, send me a little note, I might give you a little shout out.

JOHNS: I will definitely look for you. Now, the other thing we have been talking about through the evening here is about security online, do you have any tips for shopping safely? That it's to be a big issue.

LINENDOLL: Yes, up to 40 percent of individuals will make at least one purchase online. So it's a really good question. What can we do to protect ourselves when we're making these online purchases? First things first. And it's kind of fundamental, Listen, is this deal too good to be true? Are you getting $150 off something that costs $200 or $300? Let's think twice about it. Also is this a reputable site. Have you heard of the site before. Also, something I swear, if I had a dollar for every time I told somebody to protect and make better passwords. I have people that have 50 different sites and accounts to manage and they use the same password and typically it's the word password. Use numbers and symbols and of course, don't make a lot of purchases on an unsecure wi-fi hotspot.

If you're out in the public, if you're at Starbucks, think twice about entering that credit card, you would be surprised at how easy a hacker can tap in.

JOHNS: But you know, you're asking people to be organized. Just the idea of keeping up with 10 passwords is almost too much for my brain, especially during the holiday season.

LINENDOLL: I know.

JOHNS: Well, it's hard.

LINENDOLL: I completely realized it. But if you want the deal -

JOHNS: You got it. Yes, you got to play the game. All the best, we'll be in touch. Take care.

LINENDOLL: Ciao.

JOHNS: It looked cute and harmless enough, coming up a close and dangerous encounter with an otter. Stay with us.

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JOHNS: Every weekend we like to bring you interesting news items you may have missed during the week.

You may have been out of the office this Thanksgiving holiday, but many of you remain attached to your work inboxes. A new survey finds 59 percent of Americans check their e-mail on holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. A poll by Harris Interactive for a company called Xobni also found men are more likely to do it at 67 percent compared to 50 percent of women. And while a lot of us are guilty of mixing work and pleasure, may of us do not like it. 41 percent say they're annoyed, frustrated or resentful from receiving work e-mails during the holiday. All right.

JOHNS: This is what it is like to flee a crazed otter. Will Givens was watching the animal swim beside his home in Boca Raton, Florida, when suddenly it charged him nipping at his ankle. The third time, in fact, an otter has attacked someone in the neighborhood.

Animal control is working to trap it, to test it for rabies. And we all want to know what's up with the otters in Boca Raton? Who knows?

All right. I'm Joe Johns at the CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta. I'll see you back here at 10:00 p.m. Eastern. "CNN HEROES, ANDERSON COOPER AN ALL-STAR TRIBUTE" begins right now.