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Federal Pay Freeze; Cyber Monday Shopping; Diplomatic Secrets Revealed; Leslie Nielsen Dead at 84/RNC Chair Steele Has a New Opponent/Student Waits for Dream Act

Aired November 29, 2010 - 11:00   ET

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

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone.

Live from Studio 7 at CNN world headquarters, the news and information you need for this Monday, November 29th.

It is Cyber Monday. Has anyone mentioned that in, oh, the last 10 minutes? They raided stores all week, and today millions of shoppers point and click their way to holiday bargains.

Memo to federal workers: Get ready to tighten your belt. President Obama announcing a pay freeze this hour.

And we remember the man, Leslie Nielsen's long Hollywood career. A serious actor for decades, he earned star status by making us laugh in movies like "Airplane" and " The Naked Gun."

And you're one or the other. You're either an "Airplane" guy or gal or a "Naked Gun" guy or gal.

Good morning, everyone. I'm Tony Harris.

Those stories and your comments right here, right now in the CNN NEWSROOM.

If you work for the federal government -- and that is more than two million of you -- President Obama has an announcement shortly that will hit you squarely in the paycheck.

Senior White House Correspondent Ed Henry here now.

Ed, what's the president going to say?

ED HENRY, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're learning some new information, that the president is going to announce a federal pay freeze in just about 35 minutes from now, here at the White House. A big deal, because it's going to affect millions of federal employees across the board, whether you work at the Pentagon, the Commerce Department, the Federal Aviation Administration, you name it.

This is going to be across the board, it's going to mean some big money in terms of federal dollars for the government. Bottom line is, according to administration estimates, this will save about $2 billion for the remainder of this current fiscal year, 2011, $28 billion over the next five years, about $60 billion over the next decade. So, in the grand scheme of the federal budget, which is over $1 trillion in the red, it's a small amount of money, but I think the president, when you talk to administration officials, is going to try to sell this as a big first step, an important symbolic move, perhaps, but also with some real dollars.

Why is he doing this? Well, you already have some Republican leaders on Capitol Hill who called for such a federal pay freeze. And John Boehner, the incoming Speaker, will be here tomorrow for that so- called "Slurpee Summit" with Democratic and Republican leaders with the president. We have been waiting for that to happen for a couple of weeks.

The president trying to get ahead of that, perhaps. But also, you will remember some of the leaders of his fiscal commission which is coming out with a big report in a couple of weeks. They came out with some preliminary findings a couple of weeks back. A lot of people in Washington and in both parties were angered about possible tax increases, spending cuts, changes to Social Security, et cetera. But one of the things they talked about was how a federal pay freeze would be a good, important first step.

So, the president appears to be getting ahead of both his commission, and trying to get ahead of Republicans on the Hill who have some new power, to try and say, look, we are starting to cut some of the fat in the federal government -- Tony.

HARRIS: So, Ed, kind of low-hanging fruit when you think about the austerity world that we are going to be heading into in the next few years?

HENRY: Absolutely. I think this is really, frankly, a warning shot to federal employees who have gotten good benefits over the years, that all of a sudden, federal pay may be frozen. And who knows what else might be affected in coming years as the federal government grapples with what is a huge, huge problem?

You're right, low-hanging fruit, in the sense that in the grand scheme of things, it's not going to change the federal budget, it's not going to all of a sudden get us in the black. But you have to start somewhere.

It's like a individual family trying to get out of credit card debt. You pay off a $2,000 credit card bill. Maybe that's the smallest one you have, but you're starting somewhere.

The president might make that kind of case today, first of all. But, I think, secondly, this is going to be a warning across the board, not just federal employees, but to agencies and departments, you've got to shape up, because there's going to be a lot of cuts coming.

The big big-ticket items will be things like at the Pentagon and some Social Security, Medicare, the big-ticket items that a lot of people in Washington don't want to change. But I've got news for you, there's going to be some change coming. HARRIS: Well, and aren't go going to get a real look at what some of those big-ticket items are going to be, those big-ticket items, as you mentioned, that need to be cut later this week, when the president's commission on the deficit issues its report?

HENRY: Yes. We're going to see that just coming the end of this week, beginning of next week. We'll be getting details.

It was all along planned that it would be at the beginning of December. And, you know, a couple of weeks ago, Alan Simpson, the Republican co-chair, Erskine Bowles, the Democratic co-chair, tried to sort of preempt the fact that it appears that behind closed doors, they're having a hard time coming up with a bipartisan agreement.

They went public with some preliminary findings that sort of tried to shock the system. They did that on purpose to get everybody talking about it as we are now, and get everyone thinking about the fact that you can't just do a federal pay freeze. That might be one step. There's a whole lot more that needs to be done. It's going to be painful, but these changes are going to come if there's going to be real reform in terms of trying to get this federal budget in balance.

HARRIS: I am really anxious to see the details in that report later this week and next week.

Our Senior White House Correspondent, Ed Henry, for us.

Ed, great to see you, as always. Thank you.

HENRY: Good to see you.

HARRIS: We are watching the markets and the Web this hour. Stocks are down, but retailers are hoping Internet sales will be up on this Cyber Monday.

So, if you are getting online to check out some of the hot deals, we have got you covered. Alison Kosik is on the floor of New York Stock Exchange.

Alison, good morning. What are you following?

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Tony.

You know, I'm following the Cyber Monday shopping as well. You know, I did a little browsing of my own for research purposes only, of course. But, you know, it's not going to be tough to find these deals, because the National Retail Federation says 88 percent of retailers today are going to be offering some sort of deal for you.

And this is really a growing trend. I want to show you something.

Over the past several years, these wonderful deals that we find online, they have been growing because the fact of the matter is, people like to shop online. So, no doubt about it, on this Cyber Monday, Tony, ,people are going to be mixing a little shopping with their workday -- Tony.

HARRIS: Yes. So, deals for online shoppers, is that new? Is that a result of the recession?

KOSIK: You know, it really is. It's kind of like that recession hangover.

I mean, these stores are still struggling, at least a little bit, if not a lot. So they know that they have to really offer these deals to bring people in.

So, people are going online to shop. Also, the fact of the matter is, people like to shop online. They don't like to battle the crowds. And why not get -- not battle the crowds and still get a deal? And that's how people are approaching Cyber Monday.

And just a factoid for you, Tony. More men are going to be shopping online today than women.

Will you be one of those men?

HARRIS: Yes. I hate those stores. I hate those malls. If I can sort of click and charge and click and shop, yes. Heck, yes. I hate those things -- yes.

KOSIK: Exactly. And you're not alone in thinking that.

HARRIS: If I could, can I trouble you for one more quick thing, a market check?

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

(NEWSBREAK)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Backroom bargaining, diplomatic deal-making, confidential conversations by and about world leaders, it is the kind of stuff you tell your closest friends that you don't want repeated. Information from secret documents released by the Web site WikiLeaks causing an uproar in the United States and around the world.

Among the highlights from more than 250,000 pages of documents, Arab states urging the United States to stop Iran's nuclear program. According to "The Guardian" newspaper, Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah implored the U.S. to "cut the head of the snake."

Bargaining with governments to empty the Guantanamo Bay prison, "The New York Times" says one island nation was offered incentives worth millions. And Slovenia was told to take a prisoner if it wanted a meeting with President Obama.

Diplomats acting as spies. A cable from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton appears to direct diplomats to gather intelligence from credit card numbers, to fingerprints, to biometric data. A State Department spokesman denies diplomats were working as spies. So, how did WikiLeaks get the information? And how damaging is it to U.S. efforts around the world?

Let's bring in Pentagon Correspondent Chris Lawrence.

Chris, what do we know about the source of these latest documents?

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, we know there is one person, Tony, who has been accused of leaking documents and material in the past, and that's a young private named Bradley Manning. On the surface, young private Army intelligence analyst who was working at a base just outside Baghdad until he was arrested earlier this year, and now is accused of, as I said, leaking some previous documents and previous material.

But under the surface, he's a young man who was born in a small town in Oklahoma. His parents divorced when he was a teenager, and then he moved to the U.K., where he went to high school.

We actually spoke to some of this classmates there who said this was a kid who was doing hard coding, some of the hardest computer technical stuff at the age of 14 or 15, a very, very bright young man. Then we spoke with a man here in Washington, D.C. He didn't want to be identified, but what he told us was he met Bradley Manning before he enlisted.

Now, this man had already been in the Army, and he was gay. And he said that Bradley Manning was gay as well.

And this man talked to Bradley Manning about the Army and said he had had a very positive experience about being gay in the Army. He said, "I was treated OK. I learned a lot. It was a great experience." Bradley Manning then went on to enlist in the Army, but this man says as he kept in touch with him over the years, he said his experience was very, very different, that he felt persecuted, picked on.

Take a listen to sort of how he described it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

"TIM," FRIEND OF PFC BRADLEY MANNING: In my opinion, I feel that sexuality, his own sexuality, and what had happened to him in the military, coupled with the policy of the military, played a significant role in the reason as to why he did what he did.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAWRENCE: At one point on his Facebook page, Manning posted "Bradley Manning is not a piece of equipment." He said that he's downloaded some of this classified material onto CDs while pretending to play Lady Gaga tunes -- Tony.

HARRIS: Oh boy.

So, the White House says the release of the documents puts lives at risk. How damaging is all of this?

LAWRENCE: It could be extremely damaging. I mean, this is one of those things where you might not even know the extent of the damage today or tomorrow. You might have to wait weeks, months, perhaps even years, to see how this changes relationships around the world.

But as far as this happening again, the Pentagon has really had to go back now and start taking steps to make sure it can't happen like that. Now you can't just write classified material to a recordable device, as Bradley Manning was able to do. It takes two people now to move something from a classified to unclassified system.

So, things like that are in place to make sure it can't happen again. The damage that's already been done, well, it's already out there -- Tony.

HARRIS: Chris Lawrence at the Pentagon for us.

Chris, appreciate it. Thank you.

And you can find much more on the diplomatic documents on our Web site. Also, what is WikiLeaks, and why is it releasing confidential information? All that and much more at CNN.com.

And we have a special guest in the NEWSROOM. Michael Oren is the Israeli ambassador to the United States. He joins me next hour with reaction to the WikiLeaks release. That is at 12:15 Eastern Time.

(NEWSBREAK)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: OK. Time to head "Cross Country" now for a look at stories our affiliates are covering.

We start in Greeley, Colorado, where an off-duty state trooper risked his life to save a 10-year-old boy from an icy pond. The boy's mother calls Trooper Dan Haley (ph) "our angel" for jumping in and pulling her son to safety.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There was a kid out there. I've got a daughter. I would want the same for my daughter if someone saw that happen.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you is not even enough, but I don't know what else to say.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Next stop, Boston, Massachusetts, where a novel new liquor product is popping up. Cream (ph) is whipped cream with 15 percent alcohol, about three times the amount in most beers. Massachusetts recently banned the sale of alcoholic drinks with caffeine. We end in Miami, where this beauty is literally soaking up the sun. This is the largest solar-powered boat ever built. The Swiss- German-built boat is 102 feet long and cost $17.5 million. It is sailing around the world to encourage people to use solar power.

Ready or not, the holiday season is here. And between the shopping and parties, you are certain to encounter sticky money situations.

CNN's Christine Romans is in New York with top tips for us.

And Christine, if you would -- first of all, good to see you.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Tony.

HARRIS: If you would, give us one particularly sticky money situation.

ROMANS: Tony, the season of giving, and you have to spend less. You have to spend less because you either can't afford it or you've decided you've had enough of this retail hype and you have to spend less. How do you get yourself out of that situation?

First, start with a budget. Make a list or a spreadsheet. Put everyone on it that you need to take care of -- family, friends, everybody you need to tip, the doorman, the mailman. Get your budget number in mind, stick to it. But buy only what you can afford and you can pay off either now or pay off in three months.

I prefer only buying what you can pay off now, but I get it if you've got kids, you want to make sure -- maybe you can't afford it right now, but you think you can pay it off in three months. And that's all right.

Also, see if your family might be into buying only for kids. Consider doing a Secret Santa.

Tony, this is a (INAUDIBLE) for Secret Santa, so you only need to buy for one person instead of 10.

HARRIS: Right.

ROMANS: This is my favorite tip, Tony -- get rid of the guilt. There is no reason to feel guilty.

Your friends and your family, if they love you, they do not want you to go broke. And they understand that if you need to trim your budget, then that's fine. You don't need to go broke to buy your grandma a present.

If you're one of 15 million currently unemployed, you don't have another choice, so get creative. Give a homemade gift. Do what you've got to do.

Personal finance author Carmen Wong Ulrich told me, Tony -- she said, "Write a sincere note to someone that you can't give to, explain your situation briefly, and that you appreciate their friendship or service, but maybe next year."

HARRIS: Right. Yes. Yes.

And I think that last tip feeds into this next question of mine. You tell us to think beyond your gift budget. What does that mean?

ROMANS: Well, a lot of people think, OK, well, I'm going to spend $300 or $400 on gifts, and that's in my budget, and I'm ready for that. But you spend a lot of money on other things -- travel, shipping, cards, postage, party supplies, food, decoration, holiday clothes, you buy stuff for yourself, the impulse purchase. So be honest about what your budget is going to be, and make sure you put aside enough money so that you can use it for these types of situations.

And also, here's something else. Tony, the average person -- I don't know if this is you. It certainly will be me this year. Fifteen hours they spend attending holiday parties.

Twenty-four percent of people spend 20 hours or more. So, if you're the host, Carmen Wong Ulrich, the personal author, she told us, "Don't use the word 'potluck' on the invite," but you can ask your guests to bring their favorite bottle of bubbly, their favorite red or white wine, maybe even their favorite dish.

HARRIS: Yes.

ROMANS: You can ask people. If you are having money troubles, you can do that.

If you're attending a party, don't go empty-handed, but bring something as simple home-baked cookies. It's the thought that counts, Tony.

But these are ways to get through that sticky situation of spending less this year.

HARRIS: I love that. Yes. I'm not going to spend much. Yes, that's a great way to approach this.

Christine, let's do this -- I've got a question for you, and the question is, is cash a good gift? But don't answer now.

Let's take a break and we'll come back in a moment with Christine Romans.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: OK. Let's get back to Christine Romans, author of "Smart is the New Rich."

See how I worked that in there for you, Christine?

And she's of course part of our Money team. Christine, so, before the break, I asked you to think about this question: Is cash a good gift? So let me pose it to you properly here. Is cash a good gift, or is it one of those sticky money situations?

ROMANS: It's always a sticky money situation. I mean, it's hard to say, "Grandma, I just want a couple of Bens under the tree." You know? "I don't want you to buy me another sweater."

I mean, it's a little tricky. You've got to do it tactfully. And if you need money, I mean, you really can't use a gift card at The Gap, can you, if you need money?

Fifty-eight percent of people polled, Tony, say they are giving cash as a gift this year. That's more than half. That's up from 44 percent last year, so more people are doing it.

Now, some people see it as tacky. Frankly, just tacky.

A gift is a gift. Money is money. But some of the experts I talk to say it really depends on the situation.

If a relative or a friend asks outright for cash instead of a gift, it could be for a few reasons, either they're in financial trouble or they might not want to tell you they're not a fan of your gift choices and they don't want you to waste your money. But Sarah Humphreys from "Real Simple" magazine warns us, if someone doesn't ask for cash, they don't ask for it, and you give it anyway, it could be interpreted as you're just not bothering to think of a gift for that person -- Tony.

HARRIS: Oh, Grandma, I lover the gifts, and I would love the gift you'd give me this year, but I would rather have the Benjis under the tree. That from Christine Romans.

Good stuff, Christine. Good to see you. Thank you.

OK. So while the stores make a pretty big deal out of Cyber Monday, you, the consumer, you really don't. According to comScore, a company that monitors Internet traffic, shoppers don't buy that much on Cyber Monday, is the truth. Most of the time it doesn't even make the top five biggest days for e-commerce.

We're back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: So everyone is tweeting and Facebooking their memories from "Airplane" and "The Naked Gun" films after the death of Leslie Nielsen, the 84-year-old comedic superstar, right?

Derek Dodge, "Double D," has what's trending right now.

And Derek, at some point will you show us -- oh, there it is. That's the map that shows everyone tweeting from everywhere in the country and around the world probably? DEREK DODGE, CNN DIGITAL PRODUCER: That's right. So it's a sad story.

Most people loved Leslie Nielsen. But he was a comedian, so a lot of comedians and other celebrities are taking to Twitter and remembering the actor.

Now, this is Trendsmap. I've showed you this before. But what we're looking at is all the tweets come in, Trendsmap puts them on the map as to their location.

HARRIS: Yes, let's see that. OK.

DODGE: And the bigger the word, the more it's being tweeted. So, to be honest, this is huge.

Leslie Nielsen has been a trending topic on Twitter since last night, when he passed away. He's been at times eight of the 10 worldwide trending topics. So, definitely the biggest trending story of the day.

Now, like I said, the celebrities are taking to Twitter and paying their condolences.

So, here, comedian and actor Marlon Wayans tweets, "Hollywood and comedy has lost a legend. Leslie Nielsen, thanks for inspiring a family. You will never be forgotten. Peaceful journey, and make God laugh."

Here's another one from comedian Dane Cook. He says, "RIP Leslie Nielsen. Funny man, big heart, and a gifted actor. 'Airplane' and 'Naked Gun' are classics."

He dedicated his show in Canada to him last night.

One more from the actor Russell Brand, who says, "Rest in peace, Leslie Nielsen. Shirley, he will be missed." And that's a line that a lot of people have been tweeting, "Shirley, he will be missed."

HARRIS: Yes.

DODGE: A lot of people are, you know, tweeting their favorite quotes from Leslie's movies. So you can go to Showbiz -- CNN.com/showbiz. We have a blog post up there where you can post your favorite quotes at the bottom.

HARRIS: Yes, so serious, and, Don't you call me Shirley. That's classic stuff. All right, Derrick (ph), let's do more of this next hour. Appreciate it. Thank you.

In just a couple of minutes, entertainment broadcaster Egypt Sherrod -- wow -- joining me. Where is Egypt? She's here, isn't she? OK. She will join me in just a couple of minutes, and we will talk more about the career of Leslie Nielsen.

Final touch-ups, a little prince (ph) here and there, and we're ready to rock!

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: We have a live picture of Capitol Hill? We certainly do. The lame duck Congress to wrap things up. Today the Senate is debating new, expanded food safety powers for the FDA. Congress must also decide whether to extend unemployment benefits and Bush-era tax cuts. We will obviously be watching those two debates very closely.

Reynolds, help me out here because I know that you've been following this, as well. Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport here in Atlanta is experiencing a loss of power to concourse B. I think that's the big Delta concourse, isn't it?

REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It is. It is. It is.

HARRIS: Yes. Started about 5:00 AM, and impacting, obviously, a number of flights. I think -- how many gates there on B? A lot, so --

WOLF: There are plenty. I mean, this is the world's busiest airport.

HARRIS: Yes, yes.

WOLF: This is a -- good morning to you.

(CROSSTALK)

HARRIS: Good seeing you, sir.

WOLF: Good seeing you.

HARRIS: So travel troubles here in Atlanta not related to the weather --

WOLF: Right.

HARRIS: -- but some kind of a power hitch. But I know there are probably problems elsewhere in the country.

WOLF: There really will be. Some of the worst places that we expect conditions to really intensify in terms of rough weather is going to really take place out towards the West. Right now, things are pretty quiet when you go to the Pacific Northwest, but things are just going to start ramping up. We've an area of low pressure that's coming in from the Gulf of Alaska. And as it gets closer, it's going to bring in more of that Pacific moisture. And when it interacts with that cold air, we're going to see that snow really begin to pick up. Right now, just some light rain along the coast. But already, we've got watches, warnings and advisories in regard to this possible winter weather already in effect.

Spokane is an interesting situation. It is a place that's had a target on its back for winter weather. Rough stuff. They've had over, let's see, 20.5 inches of snowfall just this month alone. They're expecting another 7 or so in the next 24 hours. That'll break the record all-time.

That's not the only place that we're going to see the winter weather. We've got watches and warnings across parts of the northern Plains, from the Twin Cities clear down to parts of the central Rockies, where some locations this past weekend had over a foot of snowfall. You got the cold air in place. You've got very muggy conditions along the coast, Houston with 80 for an expected high, 86 in Tampa, only 4 degrees shy of 90.

And as we fast forward the forecast, here's what we expect. That storm system is going to pull its way to the east. As it does so, scattered showers and storms across parts of the Southeast and the mid-Mississippi Valley. And then as we fast forward into tomorrow, everything drifts to the eastern third of the country, still some snow back to the Twin Cities and the Pacific Northwest, but possible thunderstorms across the Southeast. So more delays tomorrow, Tony.

HARRIS: So you know, usually, this time, the top videos, we like to show a face plants --

WOLF: Absolutely.

HARRIS: -- because they're funny.

WOLF: It's always a good time.

HARRIS: It's a good time.

WOLF: Not for us, but seeing the misfortune sometimes.

HARRIS: Yes, yes, yes. Terrible for you, funny for us. But you know, we're in a holiday season now. And folks are writing in, Come on, a little less on the face plants during the holidays. So here's what we have for you. Thanksgiving leftovers certainly gone, right? Right. But that means the Christmas lights are going up, so let the light shows commence. What is that group, Steam -- what's the name of the --

WOLF: Mannheim Steamroller?

HARRIS: That's it, Steamroller.

WOLF: There you go.

HARRIS: Yes, yes, yes, yes. That's the music. A beautifully choreographed LED light show. iReporter John Storms from Round Rock, Texas, sent this in to us. There are 14,260 energy-saving LEDs in his masterpiece, 17 dancing trees, seven dancing deer and a Christmas cactus. John is actually transmitting the music through a low-powered FM transmitter. Folks can drive by the house, check this out and tune into their radio to hear the music. He didn't want to blast away his neighbors.

Oh, music up, please, as we go to break!

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) HARRIS: You were in Baltimore 11 years ago?

EGYPT SHERROD, FOUNDER, EGYPTSAIDSO.COM: Yes, I was. And then I left and went to New York.

HARRIS: Mark (ph) and the guys did the big fat morning show. What station?

SHERROD: Oh!

HARRIS: What was that?

SHERROD: That --

HARRIS: That was a little tremor?

SHERROD: An earthquake (INAUDIBLE)

HARRIS: Was that a tremor? Is it Atlanta or just the camera bumping into the set? What was that? So you were there 11 years ago?

SHERROD: I was there 11 years ago. I was in Baltimore for --

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: What the heck are they doing on -- oh, hi, everyone! Leslie Nielsen's career went from dramatic tough-guy roles to gut- busting really laugh-a-second films like "Airplane" and "The Naked Gun." Here with your showbiz update, Egypt Sherrod, founder of the popular entertainment Web site Egyptsaidso.com. How long has that site been up?

SHERROD: Oh, about two years ago. I'm glad you said it correctly. Some people say "say-ed so."

HARRIS: Yes.

SHERROD: Especially if you're from the South, "say-ed so."

HARRIS: You having some success with that?

SHERROD: I'm having a lot of success.

HARRIS: You rocking it a bit?

SHERROD: You know, when you're doing what you love --

HARRIS: Yes.

SHERROD: -- it all starts to come naturally.

HARRIS: So you're this personal brand now, huh?

SHERROD: Well, I try.

HARRIS: And you're rocking it! SHERROD: You're giving me a little extra publicity here. I do appreciate it.

HARRIS: Yes, yes. We'll do that. So we want to talk about Leslie Nielsen -- a terrific serious dramatic actor really at the start of his career. I'm trying to think of the science fiction film that he starred in that was a big hit for him. And then he made this transition. And Egypt, he's really remembered now for the two franchises, right?

SHERROD: Well, for my generation --

HARRIS: Yes.

SHERROD: -- you know, the younger generation, Tony. We --

(LAUGHTER)

HARRIS: Why do you say that with such joy as you look at me?

SHERROD: My generation -- you know what? We think "Naked Gun," we think "The Creep Show."

HARRIS: Yes, yes.

SHERROD: And what I remember the most about Leslie Nielsen is his way of being so serious --

HARRIS: Right.

SHERROD: -- you know, and oblivious to all of the chaos going on around him. He really was the king of slapstick comedy.

HARRIS: Hey, I'm curious, do we have just a short clip? I just want one. Do we have anything cued up that we can just show folks? It's the number one "Trending" story all around the world, it seems. And you know, a nice, long career. And how do you think -- he's definitely going to be best remembered for his work in these films, in "Airplane" and "The Naked Gun." Let's show everybody just a moment from one of those films.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LESLIE NIELSEN, ACTOR: And don't call me Shirley.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Doctor, I checked everyone. Mr. Striker (ph) is the only one.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What flying experience have you had?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, some single-engine fighters in the Air Force. But this plane had four engines. It's an entirely different kind of flying altogether.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's an entirely different kind of flying.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's an entirely different kind of flying.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: That's it! That's classic stuff. Well written and delivered the deadpan, huh?

SHERROD: You know, I don't think we have anybody today --

HARRIS: No.

SHERROD: -- to compare. Well, maybe, you know --

(CROSSTALK)

SHERROD: -- Robin Williams, Steve Martin still --

HARRIS: Yes, yes.

SHERROD: -- you know, as far as being established timing (ph).

HARRIS: Yes. Yes, yes.

SHERROD: But you know, we can't replace Leslie Nielsen.

HARRIS: No, there's no replacing him. Lindsay Lohan -- is there -- are there new developments with Lindsay?

SHERROD: Well, the latest is she was let out of rehab.

HARRIS: Oh, she's out?

SHERROD: Well, no, no, not for good. They gave her a break. She's out just for Thanksgiving --

HARRIS: What do you mean, they gave her a break?

SHERROD: -- to go shopping -- well, if it were you or i, they would never let us out --

HARRIS: Yes.

SHERROD: -- for a break. But it's Lindsay Lohan we're talking about here. So yes, they decided to give her a break so she could go shopping.

HARRIS: Has anyone ever stopped to consider for a second that maybe the reason that she can't get her life back on track is because she gets these breaks?

SHERROD: Well, you know, it's interesting you say that. I interviewed her father, Michael Lohan, at one point last year, and he seemed extremely distraught --

HARRIS: Yes.

SHERROD: -- about the road she's traveling on right now. And I do use the word "seemed" distraught --

HARRIS: Right.

SHERROD: -- because I know he catches a lot of flak --

HARRIS: Right.

SHERROD: -- from people who question --

HARRIS: Performing a bit, right, right.

SHERROD: -- his motives. But you know, when we see what this young lady's gone through -- she's spiraling downward.

HARRIS: Right.

SHERROD: She needs some tough love in her life. Maybe, you know, mending fences with both of her parents is a good thing.

HARRIS: That would be -- that would be nice. That would be a nice start. And I guess I'm really slow to this story. Alex Rodriguez is dating Cameron Diaz?

SHERROD: Where have you been?

HARRIS: Where have I been?

(CROSSTALK)

HARRIS: Time to climb out from under. And so this has been going on for a while now?

SHERROD: This has been going on for a good eight months. I would say the public has known about it for about five months.

HARRIS: Right.

SHERROD: Of course, before her it was Kate Hudson. Prior to Kate Hudson --

HARRIS: Right.

SHERROD: -- it was Madonna. But they look to be very serious. They spent Thanksgiving together in Mexico, getting very close --

HARRIS: Really?

SHERROD: -- for comfort.

HARRIS: Do we have any pictures?

SHERROD: I think we do.

HARRIS: Don't we have a picture of the two of them? Oh, we don't? On the beach? With their -- no, we don't. OK. Hey, Egypt, it was great to have you here. SHERROD: Great to be here, Tony. Thank you.

HARRIS: Did you watch the Soul Train Awards?

SHERROD: I did watch the Soul Train Music Awards.

HARRIS: Did you see me? Did you see me?

SHERROD: I didn't get to see you. I saw R. Kelley (ph).

HARRIS: Yes, yes, yes, yes. Yes, Eric Benet (ph), terrific performance.

SHERROD: Oh, it was a fantastic performance.

HARRIS: Did you see Wolf and the dougie?

SHERROD: You know, he was --

HARRIS: That's the moment around here.

SHERROD: -- fantastic. I still don't know how to do the dougie.

HARRIS: I don't, either.

SHERROD: My 13-year-old niece is trying to teach me --

HARRIS: Yes.

SHERROD: -- but I -- you know --

HARRIS: Don't --

SHERROD: My limp leg, I don't know if I can make it happen!

HARRIS: Don't hurt yourself. Don't break anything. We need you back on the program. Good to see you.

SHERROD: Thank you.

HARRIS: Thanks for coming in. If you want information on everything breaking in the entertainment world, watch "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT," 5:00 and 11:00 Eastern right here on HLN.

We are expecting President Obama any moment now. He is going to announce a pay freeze for federal employees. That should be happening shortly. When it does, we'll bring it to you right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Taking a look at top stories now, Cyber Monday is here, the National Retail Federation predicting more than 106 million Americans will shop on line today. An estimated 70 million of those will take advantage of Internet deals on company time at the office. Uh-oh!

South Korea beefing up defenses on the island North Korea shelled last week, adding more long-range artillery and rocket launchers. Today, the South Korean president vowed the North will pay, quote, "a dear price" pay for any further provocation. Military exercises with U.S. warships continue as planned on the Yellow Sea.

And Weight Watchers giving its point system an overhaul. For the last 13 years, points were based on calories, fat and fiber. The new system increases points for fat content and reduces them for fiber and will take into account proteins and carbs, too.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: OK. So moments ago, we told you about some kind of a power outage at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport here in Atlanta that was causing all kinds of travel problems, particularly with one concourse, concourse B, and I believe that's the big Delta concourse. We understand that the power problem has been fixed and flights will be, you know, loading and departing shortly. But I would anticipate some kind of a delay. I would check the Web site to find out how much of a delay your flight may be experiencing because of the power outage. But the problem has been fixed and flights should be under way again shortly from that big Delta concourse, concourse B, at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

Congress returns with a big to-do list. Mark Preston, Part of "The Best Political Team on Television," live from the political desk in Washington. Mark, good to see you again. What's crossing, sir?

MARK PRESTON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL EDITOR: Well, Tony, you know, there used to be a time when Congress would leave back in October. They would never come back into town November, December. This would be very, very quiet, especially on Capitol Hill. Well, guess what? This the past 10 years or so, Congress has come back, and they have had a lot of work to do.

Well, this year is no exception. In fact, unemployment benefits expire for two million people tomorrow. It's an issue that Congress is trying to address. Republicans don't want to extend it. Democrats do want to extend it. Also this week, the Medicare payments to doctors are going to be cut by 23 percent by the end of this week, again something else Congress is trying to grapple with.

But there is a whole long list of things to do, and in fact, one of my most favorite features that we have on CNNpolitics.com is done by our friends, by CNNMoney. It's called "The Washington Punch List." They have all of these issues, plus everything else that Congress needs to deal with up on our Web site. It's a great crib sheet to have if you want to kind of figure out what's going on in the next couple weeks here in Washington.

You know, Republicans, Tony, are trying to figure out leadership heading --

HARRIS: Right. PRESTON: -- into 2012. Who's going to be the head of the new Republican National Committee? Who's going to be their presidential nominee? Well, Michael Steele, we expect him to run again, or at least he's seriously contemplating it, for RNC chair. He already has one person who's challenging him, Saul Anujis (ph) of Michigan. Well, today, Ann Wagner of Missouri has decided to jump in. She is the former ambassador to Luxembourg. She's also the former head of the Missouri Republican Party. So Ann Wagner jumping in, throwing her hat in the ring. We expect several other Republicans to challenge Steele if he does decide to run in January, when that election takes place.

And John Bolton, the former ambassador to the United Nations under George Bush -- he's thinking about running for president. He, in fact, told a radio show on WABC in New York that it's important to be able to take him -- and when he said "him," President Obama -- on intellectually and at a policy level in a very direct way, "and that's one of the things I'll be considering." So John Bolton, the former U.N. ambassador, probably one of a dozen candidates right now, Republicans, thinking of seriously challenging Obama -- Tony.

HARRIS: We would welcome an intellectual debate on policy instead of some of the stuff we do get that passes for politics these days. My words, not yours, Mark. Mark Preston -- Mark, good to see you, as always. Thank you. Your next political update in an hour. And for the latest political news, you know where to go, CNNPolitics.com.

Some of the stories we're working on for the next hour CNN NEWSROOM, a 19-year-old accused of planning a bomb attack on a tree- lighting ceremony in Portland, Oregon, makes a court appearance today. We will tell you about the damage he allegedly hoped to do.

Scientists say they have reversed the aging process in mice. What could that mean for humans? Elizabeth Cohen takes a look at the science.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: So today on Capitol Hill, a lame duck Congress returns to work and faces a number of big issues before newly-elected lawmakers take office -- tax cuts, the federal budget, even Medicare will be on the table. But one of the most emotional issues could die with little notice. It is the Dream Act, which would provide citizenship to a select group of illegal immigrants. CNN's Susan Candiotti explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For 19-year-old Joanna Kim, America is home. Her parents moved to New York from South Korea when she was only 8.

JOANNA KIM, COLLEGE STUDENT: My first memory was when I first came here and my dad took me on a ferry here near where the Statue of Liberty is. And we went around, and it was snowing that day so it was extra beautiful. CANDIOTTI: It was 1999. The World Trade Center is seen over her shoulder. But from the time she was little, she was told to keep a secret, her family was here in the U.S. illegally.

KIM: As I grew older, I realized that the reason was that it could put me in danger, like the position that I'm in right now.

CANDIOTTI: The college honor student is now fighting deportation. Her status is tied to her divorced father, who's had no contact with Joanna and her mom since moving back to South Korea years ago.

Her only hope is the Dream Act. Tossed around like a football in Congress for a decade, it would allow students such as Joanna to become permanent residents if they came to the U.S. as a child, attend college or serve in the military, and are of good character.

California congressman Michael Honda supports it.

REP. MICHAEL HONDA (D), CALIFORNIA: They're A students, honor students. They're going to universities and -- or serving in the military. These are the young -- these are the young people that we want in our country.

CANDIOTTI: Joanna Kim's undocumented status prevented her from getting into the Ivy League schools, but she's attending a state university on scholarship.

KIM: I am still working for a career that I want, to go into medicine.

HARRIS: Dream Act opponents are urging defeat in a lame duck Congress.

WILLIAM GHEEN, AMERICANS FOR LEGAL IMMIGRATION: Illegal immigrants aren't supposed to be rewarded with citizenship, voting rights and college educations and financial aid paid for by me and my family and my grandparents. Illegal immigrants are supposed to return home.

CANDIOTTI: For Joanna, becoming a doctor would help America, a way to pay back its generosity.

KIM: I can't imagine myself living anywhere else.

HARRIS: But unless the Dream Act passes, she may have to.

Susan Candiotti, CNN New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)