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Teen Terror Suspect in Court; Big Week for "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"; Bears Fan Dies at Soldier Field; Farewell Frank Drebin; Turning Back the Clock; Your Paycheck on the Line; Hillary Clinton's Remarks about Leaked Documents
Aired November 29, 2010 - 12:59 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Ali and his team always cooking up the next hot thing. Are you ready for this? CNN NEWSROOM continues right now with Ali Velshi.
ALI VELSHI, CNN ANCHOR: Move a chair into position here. We've got -- we're doing things a little differently here.
HARRIS: You (INAUDIBLE). Wait, wait a minute. I'm walking back.
VELSHI: Things are working a little differently today, Tony.
HARRIS: Do you need anything?
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CO-HOST: We're trying something new today.
HARRIS: OK.
VELSHI: You know my friend Kate.
You have a great afternoon.
HARRIS: Rock it. Rock it.
All right, you too.
VELSHI: You just tell me which camera to talk to.
Kate, have a seat.
BOLDUAN: Are we sitting on the same chair? All right.
VELSHI: Yes, no, well, you sit first and then I'll sit.
All right. I'm Ali Velshi. Kate Bolduan is here with you for the next couple of hours. Here's what we've got on the rundown.
Forget the fountain of youth. The key to fighting the clock could be trapped in a little mouse.
BOLDUAN: Yes, he did not misspeak either.
Plus, trapped in a vicious economic cycle. Aren't we all? Your paycheck may be the next victim on Capitol Hill this week. That's what Congress is doing right now.
VELSHI: And in this season of overeating, Weight Watchers is making a very big change.
Now, if you've ever tried to pass a note in sixth grade only to have the teacher intercept it and read it in front of the class, you understand the drama that is surrounding this latest batch of U.S. diplomatic documents revealed by WikiLeaks.
Now, to be sure, the stakes are high, and the subjects deadly serious and a public erring in the words of the white house secretary is reckless and dangerous. Here's what we're talking about, just over a quarter million cables, or confidential communications, among U.S. diplomats from December of 1966 to February of this year, 2010. So far, WikiLeaks has published only a couple hundred, but it says it will parcel out the rest over time.
It says the majority of them, 53 percent, are not even classified - that's a distinction that we will talk about in a little bit. 41 percent are just confidential, 6 percent are merely secret. What do they say? Well, one cable from 2008 reflects the Arab world's fears of a nuclear Iran. The Saudi Arabian ambassador to Washington quotes the Saudi king as urging the U.S., and I'm quoting from the cable now, to cut the head off the snake, referring to Iran.
Similar advice comes from Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, and Bahrain. There are a number of cables from the state department ordering U.S. diplomats to gather quote "biographic and biometric information on other diplomats". Now that could include credit card numbers, computer passwords, fingerprints, even DNA sample, frequent flyer information, and from January of this year a cable that reports a meeting between the president of Yemen and U.S. General David Petraeus.
Yemen wouldn't let U.S. troops go after Al Qaeda on Yemeni soil, but the president did agree to cover up U.S. military strikes on Al Qaeda strongholds. Quoting that cable, "we'll continue saying the bombs are ours, not yours".
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Our Sound Effect today is from a country technically at war and preparing for more. South Korea is holding maritime maneuvers with a U.S. aircraft carrier strike group in the Yellow Sea not far from the disputed island that North Korea bombarded last week. These drills were planned before that attack, which killed two South Koreans marines and two civilians, but now the world is watching and the North is fuming.
South Korea's president addressed his nation today and said the time for patience has passed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEE MYUNG-BAK, SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENT (through translator): At long last we came to a realization that it no longer makes sense for us to anticipate that the North would abandon to nuclear program or its policy of brinkmanship on its own. The South Korean people now unequivocally understand the prolonged endurance and tolerance will spur nothing but more serious provocations.
Those who have so far supported the North Korean regime might now see it's true colors. Only courage that defies retreat under any threat or provocation will bring about genuine peace. If the North commits any additional provocations against the South, we will make sure it pays a dear price without fail.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BOLDUAN: As you may know the Koreas never officially concluded their three-year war back in the 1950s. Apart from the latest war games, the South is beefing up its firepower on the bombed out island, but reportedly has postponed a new round of live fire military exercises.
VELSHI: And there is some fear that this is escalating into a bit of a proxy war,
BOLDUAN: Right
VELSHI: Because China, who is really the closest big power to North Korea, hasn't intervened the way the U.S. would like them to do. They actually seem to be shying away from criticizing North Korea.
BOLDUAN: You always hear that term "saber rattling" and your normal, it has a lot of people concerned and talking.
VELSHI: Yeah, saber rattling when nuclear weapons are involved is a little tough.
BOLDUAN: Right
VELSHI: Some other big stories developing right now, the Oregon teenager arrested in a terror sting heads to court today. Mohamed Osman Muhamud allegedly tried to detonate what he thought were explosives at a holiday tree lighting ceremony Friday in Portland. Instead, it was a dummy bomb supplied by undercover FBI agents.
Muhamud was an engineering student at Oregon State University until he dropped out last month. According to court documents he started thinking about attacking Americans while he was still in high school. He faces life in prison if convicted.
BOLDUAN: And "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is back on the table this week. The Pentagon's 10-month review of its ban on openly gay troops comes out tomorrow. A big part of that, a poll is of service members, some of those findings were leaked earlier this month to the Washington Post, and they suggest a majority of troops, at least 70 percent feel gays serving openly would not have all that big effect on the military.
Thursday and Friday, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Joint Chiefs Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen head to Capitol Hill to testify about the survey before the Senate Armed Forces Committee.
VELSHI: And a week after a little boy fell to his death at the L.A. Lakers' stadium, an Illinois man at a Chicago Bears' game somehow man somehow plunged to his death. Police say the 23-year-old fell from an upper level ledge down to a roof on the outside of Soldier Field. Rescue crews had to use a ladder and basket setup to reach him. An investigation is underway, but right now, police say it looks like a tragic accident.
And farewell Frank Drebin.
(VIDEO CLIP OF "THE NAKED GUN", PARAMOUNT PICTURES)
VELSHI: Actor Leslie Nielsen has passed away at the age of 84. He of course starred in the "Police Squad" series which led to all the "Naked Gun" movies and of course there was the classic "Airplane" back in 1980. Before all that though, he was a serious leading man appearing with big names like Debbie Reynolds, Shirley McClain, and June Allison. Nielsen's family says he died of complications of pneumonia. And is originally Canadian.
BOLDUAN: Oh, we should point that out.
VELSHI: Yes.
BOLDUAN: A fellow Canadian
VELSHI: And we can use the show -- one of the things about the show is anything that you do, that has anything to do with where you came from or anywhere you ever lived, feel free to point that out.
BOLDUAN: Do you - does that mean you get to now sing "O' Canada?"
VELSHI: I could do that. Or we could talk about Indiana; it's been in the news a lot lately.
BOLDUAN: There's not as good of a song.
VELSHI: Alright. Well, 5 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer's.
BOLDUAN: They sure do, but have scientists found a way to actually turn back the clock finally? Well some research results you do not want to miss.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VELSHI: Alright, we were just talking about this earlier in the show, this new research on mice promises really interesting therapy for humans whether it is Alzheimer's or other effects of aging. I that's -- this could be the fountain of youth.
BOLDUAN: It could be big. And it all falls on the shoulders of mice.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: That is right.
BOLDUAN: Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen, please, tell us what we are talking about --
COHEN: Well I'll tell you, if I were a mouse, I would be jumping up and down today. I'd be getting on the next bus to Boston to go to Dana Farber to get this treatment, because old mice can become new. It is really incredible, and let me show you why this is true. A tiny and fascinating science lesson here on CNN.
Take a look at this, these are - this is a chromosome basically. What we're going to see in a second is a chromosome. You see those red tips? Those are called telomeres and that's a nice, young chromosome and those red tips are big and vibrant and really doing their job. As we age, those tips dwindle down to nearly nothing and when they dwindle down, that signals our brains to shrink, it signals our organs to atrophy, it signals our fertility to go away, all of those things that come with aging.
So what they did at Dana Farber is they went in and they kind of monkeyed around with that mice DNA to make the telomeres stay basically.
BOLDUAN: So what does the tests -- what have they shown so far?
COHEN: Well, what they've shown is that these mice who were old and infertile with atrophied organs and tissue that was degenerating, they pretty much reversed it.
VELSHI: Wow.
COHEN: So things that happened in Dana Farber is they monkeyed around with the mice DNA to make the telomeres stay.
BOLDUAN: So things that happen to all of us as we age is reversing?
COHEN: Right. Not right now at this moment, because you are looking great, but yeah -- BOLDUAN: It is makeup.
COHEN: But in the years to come that is what happens. So let's take a look at the mice. The mouse on the right is old. You see he's got gray and he is balding and if you could see his organs you'd see that they are shrunken and not working real well. The one on the left receives this genetic treatment do that he is young again.
VELSHI: Are they the same age?
COHEN: Yes they are approximately the same age. So one with treatment and one without.
VELSHI: Alright, where are we in the continuum of when this might reach us?
COHEN: Right, that's always the question. Yes, you should not don't get on a bus right now, if you're a person to go get this procedure.
BOLDUAN: You still need to exercise and take care of yourself
COHEN: Exactly, and that's the most -- and all of those things. Because this is not ready for humans in any way, shape or form. Again, great day if you're a mouse, but such an exciting day if you're a human. It's sort of a proof of principal and maybe they will make some drugs that kind of do what they did to the mice. But the doctors cannot go into your DNA and start tweaking it.
You don't want them to do that. So we are talking years and years away from this meaning anything. And you know what? It's possibly it might never mean very much at all to humans. That's possible. But it's also possible that this could in some way help us age better. It's not going to keep us alive to be 300, but help us age better.
BOLDUAN: Anything that gives me any fountain of youth, I want to talk about it.
VELSHI: The idea that it might exist is enough to keep us going for a little bit. Elizabeth, good to see you.
BOLDUAN: Thanks, Elizabeth.
VELSHI: Alright your paycheck has a lot on the line this week.
BOLDUAN: Apparently so, Congress is running out of time to get things done. What is on the docket for your money in a just a minute.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VELSHI: Congress is back from the holidays fat and happy, but they've got a ton of unfinished business before the new guys come in. There is a big push this week to get things done on tax cuts, on unemployment benefits and on next year's budget. I'm going to talk about that in just a moment, but first I want to go to the state department. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton about to comment on the WikiLeaks' published reports. Let's listen in.
HILLARY CLINTON, SECRETARY OF STATE: I want to take a moment to discuss the recent news reports of classified documents that were illegally provided from united states government computers. In my conversations with counter parts from around the world over the past few days, and in my meeting earlier today with Foreign Minister Davutoglu of Turkey, I have had very productive discussions on this issue.
The United States strongly condemns the illegal disclosure of classified information. It puts people's lives in danger, threatens our national security, and undermines our efforts to work with other countries to solve shared problems.
This administration is advancing a robust foreign policy that is focused on advancing America's national interest and leading the world in solving the most complex challenges of our time. From fixing the global economy, to thwarting international terrorism, to stopping the spread of catastrophic weapons, to advancing human rights and universal values. In every country and in every region of the world, we are working with partners to pursue these aims.
So, let's be clear, this disclosure is not just an attack on America's foreign policy interest, it is an attack on the international community. The alliances and partnership, the conversations and negotiations that safeguard global security and advance economic prosperity.
I am confident that the partnerships that the Obama administration has worked so hard to build will withstand this challenge. The president and I have made these partnerships a priority, and we are proud of the progress that they have helped achieve. And they will remain at the center of our efforts.
I will not comment on or confirm what are alleged to be stolen State Department cables. But I can say that the United States deeply regrets the disclosure of any information that was intended to be confidential, including private discussions between counterparts or our diplomats' personal assessments and observations. I want to make clear that our official foreign policy is not set through these messages, but here in Washington. Our policy is a matter of public record as reflected in our statements and our actions around the world.
I would also add that to the American people and to our friends and partners, I want you to know that we are taking aggressive steps to hold responsible those who stole this information. I have directed that specific actions be taken at the State Department in addition to new security safeguards at the Department of Defense and elsewhere to protect State Department information so that this kind of breach cannot and does not ever happen again.
Relations between governments aren't the only concern created by the publication of this material. U.S. diplomats meet with local human rights worker, journalists, religious leaders and others outside of governments who offer their own candid insights. These conversations also depend on trust and confidence.
For example, if an anticorruption activist shares information about official misconduct or a social worker passes along documentation of sexual violence, revealing that person's identity could have serious repercussions, imprisonment, torture and even death. So whatever are the motives in disseminating these documents, it is clear that releasing them poses real risks to real people, and often to the very people who have dedicated their own lives to protecting others.
Now, I'm aware that some may mistakenly applaud those responsible. So I want to set the record straight. There is nothing laudable about endangering innocent people and there is nothing brave about sabotaging the peaceful relations between nations on which our common security depends.
There have been examples in history in which official conduct has been made public in the name of exposing wrongdoings or misdeeds. This is not one of those cases. In contrast, what is being put on display in this cache of documents is the fact that American diplomats are doing the work we expect them to do. They are helping identify and prevent conflicts before they start, they are working hard every day to solve serious practical problems, to secure dangerous materials, to fight international crime, to assist human rights defenders, to restore our alliances, to ensure global, economic stability. This is the role that America plays in the world. This is the role our diplomats play in serving America. And it should make every one of us proud.
The work of our diplomats doesn't just benefit Americans, but also billions of others around the globe. In addition to endangering particular individuals, disclosures like these tear at the fabric of the proper function of responsible government. People of good faith understand the need for sensitive diplomatic communications, both to protect the national interests and the global common interests. Every country, including the United States, must be able to have candid conversations about the people and nations with whom they deal. And every country, including the United States, must be able to honest private dialogue with other countries about issues of common concern.
I know that diplomats around the world share this view. But this is not unique to diplomacy. In almost every procession, whether it's law or journalism, finance or medicine, or academia or running a small business, people rely on confidential communications to do their jobs. We count on the space of trust that confidentiality provides. When someone breaches that trust, we are all worse off for it. And so, despite some of the rhetoric we've heard these past few days, confidential communications do not run counter to the public interest, they are fundamental to our ability to serve the public interest.
In America, we welcome genuine debates about pressing questions of public policy. We have elections about them. That is one of the greatest strengths of our democracy. It is part of who we are and it is a priority for this administration. But stealing confidential documents and then releasing them without regard for the consequences does not serve the public good and it is not the way to engage in a healthy debate.
In the past few days, I've spoken with many of my counterparts around the world and we have all agreed that we will continue to focus on the issues and tasks at hand. In that spirit, President Obama and I remain committed to productive cooperation with our partners as we seek to build a better, more prosperous world for all.
Thank you and I'd be glad to take a few questions.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Secretary Clinton, could you tell us how damaging this has been?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Secretary Clinton, (INAUDIBLE) Charlie Wilson of CBS. It is not (INAUDIBLE) covering the State Department.
CLINTON: Where are you going, Charlie?
CHARLIE WILSON, CBS (ph): Well, slightly into the sunset. But let me get to a question.
CLINTON: Yes, sir?
WILSON: Madam Secretary, are you embarrassed by these leaks, personally, professionally? And what harm has it -- have the leaks done to the U.S. so far that you can determine from talking to your colleagues?
CLINTON: Well, Charlie, as I said in my statement and based on the many conversations that I've had with my counterparts, I am confident that the partnerships and relationships that we have built in this administration will withstand this challenge. The president and I have made these partnerships a priority, a real centerpiece of our foreign policy, and we're proud of the progress that we have made over the last 22 months.
You know, every single day, U.S. government representatives from the entire government, not just from the State Department, engage with hundreds if not thousands of government representatives and members of civil society from around the world. They carry out the goals and the interests and the values of the United States. And it is imperative that we have candid reporting from those who are in the field working with their counterparts in order to inform our decision making back here in Washington.
I can tell you that in my conversations, at least one of my counterparts said to me, well, don't worry about it, you should see what we say about you. So I think that this is well understood in the diplomatic community as part of the give and take. And I would hope that we will be able to move beyond this and back to the business of working together on behalf of our common goals.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Secretary Clinton, there is one -- Secretary Clinton --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) with ABC.
CLINTON: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Madam secretary, I was wondering whether you could tell us what you think your upcoming trip is going to look like. Presumably a lot of the people who have been mentioned in those alleged cables are going to have conversations with you. Do you think it's going to cause you discomfort over the coming week as you engage in conversations with those leaders? And I know you don't want to comment on the particulars of the cables, but one issue that has been brought up into the daylight is the debate about Iran. What do you think the impact is going to be of those documents on the debate about Iran in the coming weeks and months?
CLINTON: Well, Kim, you're right. And I don't know if you're going on this trip or not, but we will be seeing dozens of my counterparts in Astana (ph) and then as I go on from Kazakhstan, to Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and then ending up in Bahrain for the Manama Dialogue. And I will continue the conversations that I've started with some in person and over the phone over the last days, and I will seek out others, because I want personally to impress upon them the importance that I place on the kind of open, productive discussions that we have had to date, and my intention to continue working closely with them.
Obviously, this is a matter of great concern because we don't want anyone in any of the countries that could be affected by these alleged leaks here to have any doubts about our intentions and about our commitment. That's why I stressed in my remarks that policy is made in Washington. The president and I have been very clear about our goals and objectives in dealing with the full range of global challenges that we face. And we will continue to be so, and we will continue to look for every opportunity to work with our friends and partners and allies around the world and to deal in a very clear-eyed way with those with whom we have differences, which, of course, brings me to Iran.
I think that it should not be a surprise to anyone that Iran is a source of great concern, not only in the United States. That what comes through in every meeting that I have, anywhere in the world, is a concern about Iranian actions and intentions. So, if anything, any of the comments that are being reported on allegedly from the cables, confirm the fact that Iran poses a very serious threat in the eyes of many of her neighbors and a serious concern far beyond her regions.
That is why the international community came together to pass the strongest possible sanctions against Iran. It did not happen because the United States went out and said, please do this for us. It happened because countries, once they evaluated the evidence concerning Iran's actions and intentions, reached the same conclusions that the United States reached, that we must do whatever we can to muster the international community to take action to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear weapons state.
So, if anyone reading the stories about these alleged cables thinks carefully, what they will conclude is that the concern about Iran is well-founded, widely shared and will continue to be at the source of the policy that we pursue with like-minded nations to try to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Madam Secretary, just one more --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've got to let madam secretary get to her airplane and get to her trip. Thank you very much.
CLINTON: I will leave you in T.J.'s very good hands. Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Madam Secretary, (INAUDIBLE) anyone in Pakistan or India.
CLINTON: Thank you all.
VELSHI: T.J. Crowley (ph) taking over the press conference now after the secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, who's really the chief diplomat, is trying to diplomatically deal with a bit of a diplomatic nightmare.
BOLDUAN: Absolutely.
VELSHI: The release of these WikiLeaks documents, she was thinking reference --
BOLDUAN: Quarter of a million documents, to be coming.
VELSHI: And the first batch were a bunch of cables between the State Department and embassies and other countries that expose what she calls, very confidential discussions --
BOLDUAN: The underbelly of the -- well, and I think that we heard from Secretary Clinton is something that is not surprising. She's coming out to condemn it.
VELSHI: Right.
BOLDUAN: Clearly, this is not meant to happen.
VELSHI: Right.
BOLDUAN: But also answering the question of, does this go beyond the embarrassing factor for the United States and our allies? She's indicating, yes, saying it's an attack on the international community.
VELSHI: Because if it were just emabarasing it probably doesn't have the weight that a lot of people are putting on it. The Attorney General came out this morning and said there's an active and ongoing criminal investigation into these continuous leaks. But no charges have been laid against anybody yet.
BOLDUAN: Well, and that obviously is part of the continuing investigation. And Secretary Clinton very wonderfully moving on to do exactly what she needed to do, which is say, some of the stuff that you're seeing here, this isn't new, folks. We knew the concerns over Iran were real and founded.
VELSHI: Right. One of the things she referred to, one of the reporters asked her a question about was, are you personally embarrassed because there is one cable that was signed Clinton, that basically directs diplomats to start gather information on other diplomats, including biometic information, things like credit card numbers and frequent flyer numbers.
And P.J. Crowley who's just taken over this press conference said earlier, that's not what diplomats do in this country. Diplomats are diplomats. Intelligence gathering is elsewhere. But this starts to make you wonder, are all our diplomats spies? Or what's what comes up in this discussion.
BOLDUAN: Right. A little clarify I think is needed in that regard, still.
VELSHI: Well, lots to talk about. We also want to find out what the White House is saying. So, let's take a quick break. On the other side, out senior White House correspondent Ed Henry joins us and we'll talk more about it. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VELSHI: Welcome back. My good friend Kate Bolduan is with me for a couple of days because she can be, which is fantastic.
BOLDUAN: I didn't just miss a flight or something.
VELSHI: You didn't just miss a flight. She actually is deliberately here and we love having you here. You're not on our show enough, so I thought if we coopt you for two hours, that makes up for a lot of the time that you're not on.
BOLDUAN: It was basically a kidnapping.
VELSHI: But last week you were helping out while I was off and I saw you on with my other very good friend, Ed Henry, who is in Washington and I felt you guys were bantering, kabitsing it up a bit and I felt a little jealous, Ed.
ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, you've done this with Richard Quest before so now, you know, Kate and I can have a little banter. I hope you're not jealous.
But all I was trying to say was that I think the fashion quotient was just like, jacked up. I mean, the volume was just turned up big time last week when Kate was doing the show.
BOLDUAN: I told you he would bring that up.
HENRY: Now, I don't mean that as a criticism of you, Ali, per se.
VELSHI: Right.
HENRY: But, yes. It's just an observation.
(CROSSTALK)
VELSHI: I think this would be a perfect time to talk about WikiLeaks.
Ed, what is going on? You just heard the Secretary of State. Some embarrassing stuff was released and from my early read of it, more embarrassing than dangerous.
What's the White House got to say?
HENRY: Yes. I mean, they're pushing back here, obciously hard. And they're saying, look, it's not top secret documents so it's not the very most senior level of information. But it is still damaging information.
I think that clearly the Secretary of State was trying to turn this back. There was sort of a light moment in this serious story when she said that in one of her phone calls to a counterpart overseas, that person said, you should see what we say about you behind closed doors, you should see what we say about you in our cables.
And so some of this -- and that needs to be pointed out -- is raw information. And as the Secretary said, these cables do not represent U.S. policy because one official says we don't like that country or that person in that country or that position that leader is taking, say President Mubarak in Egypt, or something. That doesn't mean that's what President Obama and Secretary Clinton believe. It's the raw information and so there is a distinction to be made, number one.
But number two, on the other side of it, I think when she talked about Iran and how well, look, we've got tough sanctions. So while there are real worries that other world leaders have about Iran that are shown in these private documents, look, these private documents maybe hurt the administration on their whole case that there have been tough sanctions against Iran. So that's stunting their efforts to get a nuclear program.
The fact of the matter is that these documents are showing that a lot of the world leaders in the Mideast in particular are saying that the sanctions are not enough. You may have to take military action, you may need more. So, it's sort of a mixed bag.
BOLDUAN: And we, per usual, we have no time. But I want to talk -- there's a big deal, another big announcement today, maybe trying to do some good news on a bad news day for the White House.
What's the backstory of this two-year federal pay freeze for civilian federal employees? What's going on there?
HENRY: Well, I think the big story really is behind the story is that the president is ready for tomorrow. It's not really about today. He's got the Democratic and Republican leaders coming over for that long awaited Slurpee Summit. They put it off. They're finally going to do it tomorrow.
Look, Republicans have some new power on the Hill, as you know. They've gotten behind this freeze. And I think that the president is trying to show, look, with this federal commission coming out soon with cuts on the deficit, that he's ready to cut the spending. It might not be enough to balance the budget, but you go to start somewhere.
VELSHI: Ed, good to see you as always. Thank you so much.
HENRY: Good to see you.
VELSHI: Ed Henry in his new time, by the way, on the stakeout. You were inaugurating it. We're talking to him a little bit earlier than we used to.
You into the Cyber Monday thing?
(CROSSTALK)
BOLDUAN: I'm afraid to say yes and I will warn all of you because we've got a Grinch who stole Cyber Monday for us.
VELSHI: That's right. I'm going to be the Grinch. Point, click, and buy. Apparently we're told that shopping online couldn't be easier and today is the day when consumers avoid work, hit their computers to order online. We're going to take a look at the origins and the oddities of Cyber Monday when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VELSHI: It is half past the hour. Here's the latest information coming into CNN. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton just came out to condemn the latest WikiLeaks release of sensitive diplomatic documents, calling it an attack on the international community. Among the allegations in leaked State Department documents were that Saudi King Abdullah urged the U.S. to attack Iran to halt its nuclear program.
In Portland, Oregon, Somali-American Mohamed Osman Mohamud is due in court later today accused of plotting to set off a van full of explosives at the city's Christmas tree lighting ceremony. Police say a mosque was set on fire Sunday in a possible act of retaliation.
And American scientists say a new gene therapy method can reverse memory loss in mice. They hope the research will eventually lead to new treatments for Alzheimer's and other effects of aging. Their findings were published in the Journal, "Nature" today.
BOLDUAN: So we've heard of this little thing called Cyber Monday, the Monday after Thanksgiving --
(CROSSTALK)
BOLDUAN: First Monday after Thanksgiving. Huge shopping day online. Apparently the idea is, you can't get enough shopping on Black Friday at home, so you're going to do all your shopping online at work, since we clearly have nothing to do.
VELSHI: Not to be a Grinch. But the fact is, Black Friday was traditionally the day that many stores went from being in the red -- not profitable -- to profitable. I don't know how true that is and whether this was a creation of the retail industry. But we have certainly all bought into it, right, on black Friday.
BOLDUAN: Yes, we have.
VELSHI: Stores don't even really need to do that much, in terms of marketing advertising because we'll take care of it for them. And now we've extended that to Cyber Monday. So the feeling is that you got to shop today, you got to spend more money. I'm concerned that in this economy which isn't terrific just yet -- I love that people are spending money. I love that there are sales. But I don't think we need to pump it up too much.
BOLDUAN: So Ali is questioning the origins of Cyber Monday. Hyped or real? And that's why we're going to bring in an expert, not that you're not an expert.
VELSHI: No, no. I'm going to listen.
BOLDUAN: Our very good friend Katie Lindendoll, tech expert in New York, joining us now.
Hi Katie. Please, stop us from fighting and stop our bickering. Tell me, don't tell him, but tell me. Is Cyber Monday real? Are there real cyber Monday specific deals out there today?
KATIE LINDENDOLL, TECHNICAL EXPERT: Kate, I'm so sorry you're dealing with Ali over there. He is like Debbie Downer and I don't know what is going on, but he is totally Scrooging out.
So let me shed some light on this situation, because a lot of people think that Black Friday is the biggest shopping day of the year. It's actually not. The biggest shopping holiday is in the second week in December, and Cyber Monday is the second largest shopping holiday. So, yes.
And I want to give you the stats here, because Ali, the stats don't lie. According to ComScore, last year alone in 2009, 8.7 million people shopped on Cyber Monday, spending a total of $887 million. So, there you go.
BOLDUAN: There you go.
VELSHI: Solved. All right. All right.
BOLDUAN: All problems solved.
VELSHI: But, look, if people are getting a deal, fair enough. Are there good deals out there that are specific to shopping on Cyber Monday?
LINDENDOLL: Very good deals. And the great part about it is this year it's actually up 72 percent. Nine out of ten retailers are offering deals. And what I think is really great is listen, this is a new holiday. It started in 2005. And now with the addition of the popularity --
VELSHI: Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. A new holiday that started in 2005? What you mean to say is that the National Retail Federation, which is the paid lobby for the retail industry decided in 2005, to tell us that this was the day to take some time off work, while you're at work and shop. Not a holiday, really.
LINDENDOLL: It's a great holiday. This is a good day for the economy, Ali. I'm going to battle it out with you right now.
If you can get a good deal, and you know? These retail outlets can make up for the margins and add something interesting so we can all get some savings. Let's see, you get a guarantee in savings, you get a guarantee on product availability. You should all be out shopping right now in your pajamas. You don't have to fight the crowds, you don't have to fight the weather in a few weeks. It's kind of a no-brainer. Why not?
BOLDUAN: I think we should all agree that it's a kind of a chicken and egg kind of situation. No matter if it's created or not, if there is a good deal today, there is a good deal today.
VELSHI: I do do most of my shopping online. I would say the majority of my shopping is done online.
BOLDUAN: Katie Lindendoll, our technical expert in New York for us. Thanks so much, Katie.
LINDENDOLL: Thank you.
VELSHI: All right. Is it a medical emergency? It is a medical emergency. No doctors around, or maybe a pregnant woman in a remote area needs a checkup. There's an app for that, believe it or not.
BOLDUAN: Apparently now there sure it. And it is an ultrasound device that uses your cell phone or Wi-Fi. This is really interesting. And this is our Big I. You'll want to see it.
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BOLDUAN: The ultrasound is a cornerstone of medical diagnostics, and most of us take access to one really for granted. You need an ultrasound, you go see doctor, right?
Well, that is not the way for everyone. Many small clinics cannot afford them or what if you are being treated for an emergency and the hospital is still a ways away? What about a pregnant woman who either can't make it to the clinic or the clinic does not have one?
The answer? Well, it may be a mobile device that can send images to a specialist at another location. A tiny mobile device. That is right. In today's "Big I" segment, an ultrasound device that uses either a mobile phone or wi-fi. And we want to find out how this works. We want to bring in the Sailesh Chutani. He is the CEO of Mobisante.
Thank you so much for joining me. How does this device work?
SAILESH CHUTANI, CEO, MOBISANTE: Thank you. What we have done is taken an off-the-shelf cell phone and off-the-shelf ultrasound transducer and created some very innovative software that puts it all together into a highly portable, easy to use, and very affordable ultrasound system.
And this is what the device looks like. As you can see, it is very compact, and you can put it in the pocket. As you pointed out, it can use the wi-fi all-cellular network available. And we've designed that it is so simple that even nonexperts can learn to operate it and send images remotely for diagnostics or second opinion.
But everything that you have done is in software, and essentially, we have leveraged the billions of dollars of investments that the cell phone industry is making in making these very, very powerful computing devices.
BOLDUAN: Mr. Chutani, where are the everyday ultrasound devices? Where are they lacking? Is it that they're just too clunky? Is that where this can fit into the market?
CHUTANI: There are a couple of things that if you see most of the mainstream ultrasound machines, they tend to be very big. They're cot-based, so they have to be ported to the patient or the patient has to be taken to them. They tend to be very complex to operate. And they're very, very expensive.
And those are some of the problems we are trying to tackle by making very portable so you take the device to the patient rather than taking the patient to the device. Make it very simple to operate so you don't need multiple Ph.Ds to learn to operate 50 different control panels there.
We want to be able to leverage the fact that you may not have the diagnostic expertise where you're acquiring images. So, if you're living in a remote village in Brazil, you may have people trained to acquire good images but they may not be able to recognize what they're seeing. So, having a connected device that can send data remotely enables you to tap into expertise that are typically in urban settings and more specialized hospitals.
BOLDUAN: And it's ability to send it remotely, meaning via wi- fi, that seems to be what's really unique about your device. When we were looking into this, there are other kind of smaller, mobile ultrasound devices out there. But that seems to be what makes your device so unique, correct?
CHUTANI: Absolutely. Absolutely. There are handheld portable ultrasound machines out there, but none of them are connected. They can't leverage any network. You have to dock it to a PC, and then you send the data out there. I think that's unique, the fact we can be on a cellular network. And why that's important is 90 percent of the population in the world actually lives within the reach of a cell phone tower. So for all practical purposes, the cellular network is ubiquitous and if you're in a wi-fi environment, you can use that as well. That is very unique for our device.
BOLDUAN: And real quickly. As always, we're running out of time. Where are you in the process of development? Is it available on the commercial market now?
CHUTANI: We are going through the FDA clearance process, so as soon as we get cleared by the FDA, we'll be able to launch and market. We have finished product development, and we are undergoing some beta testing in different clinical sites within the United States and (INAUDIBLE) and community clinics. And also in some of the top academic centers of excellence as well.
BOLDUAN: A fascinating technology and for a very good cause. Good luck with your work. Thanks so much for joining us. Sailese Chutani joining us from Seattle.
CHUTANI: Thank you.
BOLDUAN: Thank you. VELSHI: So fascinated by the idea of cell phones as a diagnostic tool to reach people all over the world where there is no infrastructure.
BOLDUAN: And it's logical. This is a logical device. I was reading about it. One physician was saying it's so much easier if he puts it in his pocket and doesn't take it from one floor to the next in an elevator, on a cart.
VELSHI: Brilliant. I love the innovation of taking two things that exist and making them into something more useful.
All right. We've been talking about this for the whole show. Hundreds of thousands of document released by WikiLeaks, condemned by the White House. What's in those things? Is it good that we know what's in those documents? Or is this endangering lives? We'll talk about it after the break.
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VELSHI: Checking the big stories coming in to CNN right now. Just minutes ago, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton strongly condemned the unauthorized disclosure of classified information. Hundreds of thousands of papers were provided to numerous news organizations by the online whistleblower WikiLeaks. Secretary Clinton denounced the latest leaks as an attack on the U.S. foreign policy interests and the international community. And the Justice Department says it's investigating the incident.
Stay with us. In about four minutes we're diving into the documents.
In Chicago, a man fell to his death during an NFL game between the Chicago Bears and Philadelphia Eagles yesterday. Police say it appears to be an accident. The 23-year-old pronounced dead at the hospital.
And in Afghanistan, NATO says a gunman wearing an Afghan border police uniform killed six NATO troops today. The suspect was also killed. It happened during a training mission in the eastern part of the country. The shooting is being investigated by NATO and Afghan authorities.
Coming up in "Odds & Ends," we'll show you one of the most amazing football plays you will ever see.
And Wolf Blitzer dancing. Stay with us.
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VELSHI: Is that the "Odds & Ends" theme music since I was away?
BOLDUAN: Now.
VELSHI: OK. I didn't know how it fits in, but -
BOLDUAN: I made a few changes -
VELSHI: You were at a football game this weekend?
BOLDUAN: Yes, I was at a football game. Michigan and Ohio state.
VELSHI: That's big, right?
BOLDUAN: It's a very big game. It's a very big rivalry.
VELSHI: I'm only saying that because our executive producer, Kelly Frank, is a buckwheat -- Buckeye. Buckeye.
BOLDUAN: Ali is, I would say, football challenged.
VELSHI: A little football challenged. But I will tell you -- and pen challenged.
BOLDUAN: You're so excited about football.
VELSHI: It's excellent that this is not a live show.
BOLDUAN: I know! Wouldn't it be crazy?
VELSHI: It's going to be live later. So, let me show you this -- the Texans' Andre Johnson and the Titans' Cortland Finnegan got into a fight this weekend, ripping -- look at this! Ripping each other's helmets off.
BOLDUAN: It starts like a normal --
VELSHI: Right. I didn't understand. Not knowing football - I don't understand what happened. They were both standing there and all of a sudden this happened.
BOLDUAN: We don't hear a lot of what is said.
VELSHI: No, but you don't need words for that.
BOLDUAN: You don't need to hear that. Both of them are ejected. I think they both deserve a couple of fines. But we'll see about that. After the game, Johnson apologized. No comment yet from Finnegan. So.
VELSHI: And I want to show you something that might be the best play of the weekend. Again, football challenged though I am, I can see a good play when I see it. Look at this. Oklahoma State's Roderick Brown intercepted a pass going out of bounds by tipping into his teammate. You'll see it again in a second. Didn't help them win. They still lost to Oklahoma.
But check this out. We'll show it to you again. Watch this pass. OK. Watch that.
BOLDUAN: It's like a basketball kickback (ph).
VELSHI: Unbelievable. You don't even need to understand football to know that.
BOLDUAN: It's -- sorry.
