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Severe Storms Tear Across South; WikiLeaks Founder Wanted; Pentagon Releases Study on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"; New Report on Labor Market is Wall Street Focus Today; Ditching Credit Cards; CNN Equals Politics Update; Freed Hiker Shroud Releases Song; Drew Brees, S.I. Sportsman of the Year
Aired December 01, 2010 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, guys. Good morning. It's 9:00 a.m. on the East Coast, 6:00 a.m. out West. Here's some of the stories that had us talking this morning.
Right now, millions of people facing a storm system that's caused widespread damage across the south. The storm's whipped up several tornadoes, one apparent twister damaged more than 50,000 homes in Atlanta's suburb.
Time has run out for two million Americans who are unemployed. The Senate fails to pass an extension of jobless benefits. Americans about to get their last unemployment check.
A huge red ribbon adorns the White House this morning, a show of support for World AIDS Day. The overall number of new HIV infections has dropped but there's been a huge increase in the number of kids across Asia.
ANNOUNCER: You're watching CNN. Your severe weather headquarters.
PHILLIPS: And we do begin with a dangerous storm system on the move up and down the East Coast and it's powerful. Already spawning several suspected twisters.
This is what's left in an Atlanta suburb after a storm swept through this area. Louisiana didn't escape the destruction either. And Wind Parish, the path of damage actually stretches as far as the eye can see.
And one of our iReporters sent this in from Mississippi. These folks are looking at a lot of cleanup, at least four tornadoes have been confirmed statewide.
But let's get back to one of the hardest hit neighborhoods, and that's just northeast of Atlanta.
Jacqui Jeras is actually out there for us.
Jacqui, how bad is it?
JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It's pretty bad, Kyra. We haven't been in to see some of the other homes from what I understand that are basically destroyed. But look at how bad this one is. It's certainly not livable. And we're seeing a lot of damage here.
This whole thing -- this is a whole wall, the whole side of the house just came down. You can see picture that are still hanging on the wall here. Insulation all over the place. And you know, the winds are really gusty this morning.
I know if you can hear it on microphone, but this is just creaking. So the winds are kind of adding insult to injury already and bringing down some things that weren't already.
About 56 homes in this area had been destroyed. Twelve of -- I'm sorry, have been damaged. Twelve of them have been destroyed. No power in the area still so with temperatures down into the 20s, we know that, you know, people aren't staying in the houses at this time because of it.
This is a 2x4 that was just thrown into the bush. And take a look at the top of this thing. You know this was just snapped off, so the damage very extensive. Not sure at this time if it was a tornado or not.
The National Weather Service will be out later this morning to determine if it was that or straight-line winds or possibly even a microburst.
There was a watch in effect at the time, Kyra. Tornado watch. But no warning was issued so residents say they were very surprised.
There was also a lot of flooding across the Atlanta metro area. 2.11 inches, record rainfall yesterday. Flooding on the interstates and this all happened just before the drive home so a lot of issues with all that congestion.
They say that that's one of the reasons probably why there were no injuries in this case as this happened at 3:30 in the afternoon when a lot of these residents here were at work.
PHILLIPS: All right. Jacqui Jeras, now where are the storms headed next?
JERAS: Well, we're dealing with issues with the same system, Kyra. There's a threat of tornadoes at this hour from North Carolina stretching all the way up to Maryland. Those watches should expire, though, at the top of the hour so watch for improving conditions later in the day.
(WEATHER REPORT)
PHILLIPS: Got it. Jacqui Jeras, thanks so much.
For the last few days the whistle-blowing Web site WikiLeaks has made Washington squirm. It's been releasing piles of secret and embarrassing diplomatic messages from U.S. embassies around the world, but today it's the founder of WikiLeaks who faces serious questions.
The global police agency Interpol has placed Julian Assange on its most wanted list.
CNN's Atika Shubert in London with more on this developing story.
But, Atika, first, he's still continuing to swing at world leaders even within this latest news. Tell us first about his Hillary Clinton comments.
ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. It's interesting to note that he's actually kept a really low profile, no press conferences like previous releases but he has been giving out the rare interview. And he did give one out to "TIME" magazine and he specifically said that Hillary Clinton should resign.
Here's what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JULIAN ASSANGE, WIKILEAKS FOUNDER: I don't think it'd make a lot of difference either way. She should resign if it can be shown that she was responsible for ordering U.S. diplomatic figures to engage in espionage activities at the United Nations in violation of the international covenants to which the U.S. is signed up.
Yes, she should resign.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
SHUBERT: You can see from that interview it's audio only conducted over Skype or some other mechanism like that from an undisclosed location. He is keeping a very low profile now.
PHILLIPS: All right. Now, back to Interpol. Looking for him on rape charges. Now, we heard about these accusations months back and then it sort of went away and now it's resurfaced again.
SHUBERT: Yes. This whole case really has been botched from the very beginning when Swedish prosecutors basically said they wanted him on suspicion of a rape charge and a molestation charge which is really more like harassment.
And then days later they dropped the charges and then weeks later brought them back up again so no one's quite sure what's going on with the Swedish prosecutor's office. But just a few weeks ago the Swedish prosecutor's office did issue an arrest warrant and said it would -- they would put it on the Interpol list.
That's exactly what happened late last night. Interpol issued a red notice for Julian Assange which is similar to an arrest warrant but basically says that if any of the 188 countries that are participating with Interpol know where he might be located or have any information on him, then they are requesting that information with a view to possibly arresting and deporting him. Now that doesn't mean there's going to SWAT teams looking for Assange any time soon. It just means that they're looking for information on him. In the meantime, Julian Assange's lawyer, Mark Stephens, here in London has basically said that this is more of a persecution than a prosecution, saying that the Swedish case against him really just doesn't add up.
In fact, he sent us a statement saying, it was highly irregular and unusual for the Swedish authorities to issue a red notice in the teeth of the undisputed fact that Mr. Assange has agreed to meet voluntarily in answer to the prosecutor's questions, so a lot of confusion as to what exactly is going on with these charges.
PHILLIPS: Well, he definitely didn't want to answer your questions. You actually interviewed Julian Assange and asked him about these charges. Here's what happened.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ASSANGE: Contaminate us revealing the deaths of 104,000 people with attacks against my person.
SHUBERT: I'm not. What I'm asking is if you feel that it's an attack on WikiLeaks.
ASSANGE: OK. Sorry.
SHUBERT: Julian, I'm happy to go on to that route. And listen. I have to ask that question, Julian.
ASSANGE: It's obvious. Come on.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Clearly, Atika, he didn't want to address your question.
SHUBERT: No. He does not like answering questions on this topic, in particular. He has said in the past that he does feel it's an attack on WikiLeaks. And interestingly he walked out right after telling us that he sees himself as a lightning rod to attract these kinds of attacks against WikiLeaks but he does take these kind of questions very personally.
He was very personally upset at "The New York Times" article that profiled him, for example. So he's a mercurial character and we'll have to see whether or not this latest Interpol red note and how he's personally going to react to that.
PHILLIPS: Atika Shubert, thanks.
President Obama's press secretary weighed in on the WikiLeaks scandal. Robert Gibbs scoffed at Assange's suggestion that Hillary Clinton should resign.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) ROBERT GIBBS, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: I think that statement is ridiculous and absurd. The president has great confidence in and admires the work that Secretary Clinton has done to further our interests in the world and to keep this country and our region a safer place to live in.
I think that -- I'm not entirely sure why we care about the opinion of one guy with one Web site. Our foreign policy and the interest of this country are far stronger than his one Web site.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Now later today, the House Intelligence Committee meets behind closed doors to talk about the leaked diplomatic cables.
Your taxes, still caught in the tug of war between the White House and Republicans. President Obama saying that his meeting with congressional leaders didn't lead to any agreement on extending the Bush-era tax cuts yesterday.
As you know Democrats want the extension just for the middle class while Republicans believe wealthy Americans should also keep their tax cuts. Negotiations are now being brought in to hammer out -- trying to -- or negotiators, rather, are being brought in to try and hammer out a compromise. And as you know the clock is ticking. The cuts are due to expire at the end of the month.
Well, our men in women in uniform weigh in on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." We're going behind the stats on the Pentagon's new study in just minutes. Hear what our troops are saying about the ban on gays serving openly and you're going to get answers from the men in charge of that study.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Allowing gay troops to serve openly poses only a low risk of disruption. That's according to the Pentagon's new "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" survey. The most comprehensive personnel survey that the Defense Department has ever conducted.
Here's some of the most eye-opening stats that we learned. Sixty-nine percent of service members say that they've already been serving with someone who is gay. And 92 percent of those troops say they were able to work together.
Now, as a whole, about 70 percent of active duty and reserve forces saw little or no problem with ending "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." And tucked inside the 267-page study there's a dozen pages where we get to hear the voices of our warriors and their candid opinions about the policy.
Here's what we one said. Quote, "I love America for its tolerance. I'm willing to be killed in action because I think America values equality and civil liberties. It would be great if the institution I served in mirrored exactly these ideals." Joining me now, the co-chairs of the group that wrote the report, General Carter Ham and DOD General Counsel Jeh Johnson. Good to see you both.
CARTER HAM, COMMANDING GENERAL, US ARMY EUROPE: Good morning, Kyra.
JEH JOHNSON, GENERAL COUNSEL, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE: Good morning.
PHILLIPS: I'll tell you what, General, I want to start with you. That was a pretty powerful statement, this one trooper saying that they would be killed in action to just support the civil liberties granted the forces. But as we know, you addressed the least supportive groups in this survey, as well.
We found that the Army, the Marine Corps, and chaplains are not in support of this. One person even being quoted as saying, "There are a percentage of Marines who have a religious basis for being against homosexuality, and you cannot ask or force people to go against something that they have been taught."
So, General, you talk about new education and training, but you can't really change someone's moral code, right?
HAM: Well, Kyra, first of all, I would note that every serviceman or woman in the armed forces today abides by that same oath. And every one of them has chosen to serve America, and that ought to make all of us very, very proud.
We do see in this matter, there are some service members who have very strongly-held religious and moral beliefs. We've -- Mr. Johnson and I have concluded that if the Congress repeals the law, we can accommodate that by addressing behaviors without trying to change attitudes that are deeply seated.
PHILLIPS: OK. So, Jeh, let me ask you then. What do you do if you're a chaplain? Do you change your beliefs or do you quit the military?
JOHNSON: No. Absolutely not. You don't -- this -- our recommendations do not require that a chaplain or anyone else in the military change their personal religious beliefs or their moral beliefs. What we found in the course of our study, obviously, among chaplains is that there was a wide divergence of views. There were sharp differences of opinions.
But we also found that within the regulations and the guidelines that already exist for the chaplain community, there is -- there are regulations that say that a chaplain cannot be required to preach something in particular. He should follow his own religious teachings in the pulpit, but that the chaplains in general have a duty to care for all.
So, in other words, if someone comes to a chaplain to seek guidance or counseling and that chaplain for his own religious reasons can't do that, he is -- he should refer that service member to another person.
PHILLIPS: OK.
JOHNSON: And we know that in our military, there are sharply divided views and religions already.
PHILLIPS: Yes. That's been interesting to read about the chaplains in particular in this survey. And General, I'm curious, when we look at the different branches of the military, why are Marines more opposed to this than anyone else?
HAM: Well, I don't really know the answer to that, but we did see in the survey that -- and perhaps unsurprisingly, in the Marine Corps and Army combat arms units, those that are involved in principally in ground combat, report the least actual experience of having served in units with gay service members. And we did see a very stark difference between those who had served with, and those who have not served with gay service members.
PHILLIPS: Speaking of the education, the training that both of you have mentioned, we read this response from a trooper about AIDS that really caught our attention. It said, quote, "If you are in an infantry company in a fire fight, and you have an open homosexual who gets wounded, who's going to want to treat him for the fear of HIV and other stuff?" General, Jeh, I don't know what wants to respond to that, but how do you deal with that?
JOHNSON: First of all, if you -- service members are tested regularly. They are tested before they deploy. And if you test HIV positive, you don't deploy. Period. That's it.
PHILLIPS: OK. End of story. We're going to continue this discussion. Gentlemen, please stay with me. A lot of concerns about ending "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" center around logistics. Will there ever be gay barracks, gay bathrooms, showers? Stay with us. We're talking about that next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: We're continuing our discussion with the co-chairs of the group that wrote the Pentagon's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" report, General Carter Ham and DOD General Counsel Jeh Johnson.
Gentlemen, let's talk privacy concerns. A lot of comments in this study about showers, sleeping quarters. One trooper even saying, quote, "Well, tell him if he hits on me, I'll kick his ass." End of quote. Now, taking all of this into account, General, will there ever be bathrooms, showers, just for gays, gay barracks? Is that a reality?
HAM: Kyra, as we traveled around the force and talked with many thousands of service members, privacy concerns was near the top of the issues that we heard about. Having studied this and looked at it, our recommendation is that the Department of Defense should not establish separate facilities. We think doing so would be divisive and it would be prohibitively expensive. We do think that there are already authorities and mechanisms in place so that if a service member is uncomfortable in a barrack situation, or aboard ship, or any other environment with some other service member, there are means already for the non-commissioned officer leaders and for commanders to deal with those situations.
PHILLIPS: Got it. And Jeh, if Congress does not come to an agreement on this, will "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" be removed by litigation?
JOHNSON: Well, that's a very real possibility, Kyra. We've already had one district court declare the law unconstitutional, and on October 12th, issued an injunction barring enforcement of the law worldwide. That decision has been appealed but it's not over yet.
And I anticipate that there's going to be other litigation like that, and it's significant to note that just within the last year, the federal courts have struck down the Defense of Marriage Act, there's been this ruling on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and on California's gay marriage law.
And so, we're seeing increasing activity in the area of gay rights, and that's something that the Congress needs to pay attention to.
PHILLIPS: Well, and here's what's interesting, too. Because the concern among gay members of the military, Jeh, is that they still could be discharged throughout this whole process waiting for certification. However, it looks like for 40 days, now, there haven't been any discharges. So, will it stay that way until "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is officially out?
JOHNSON: Well, as you may know, in October, we elevated the authority to separate under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" to the three service secretaries and, in consultation with the Undersecretary for Personnel and Readiness and myself. And I would anticipate that, with that elevation of authority, the process will receive additional scrutiny.
And right now, the law is still in effect. Unless and until the Congress repeals it.
PHILLIPS: OK, but --
JOHNSON: We have an obligation to faithfully implement the law.
PHILLIPS: So -- but the fact that there haven't been any discharges in 40 days, I know the law is still in effect, but there haven't been any discharges. So, will you limit discharges until this is worked out?
JOHNSON: I would not draw any inferences from the fact that we haven't acted on any particular cases in the last couple of weeks. I suspect that sooner or later we will have a few.
PHILLIPS: All right. Still, there's no timetable. But it was interesting, Robert Gibbs, the president's adviser, had this to say this morning on "American Morning" about implementation of this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT GIBBS, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Nobody's going to have a transition period. One day the policy's going to be "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," and the next day, the policy's going to be changed. And there's going to be an implementation on the fly.
And what Secretary Gates was very eloquent in saying yesterday was, we have an opportunity to figure out that transition period and do this in an orderly way, and that's why he has called on Congress to change this law.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: OK, General Ham, he says it's going to happen "on the fly." Yet, there sounds like there still has to be a lot of training and education going on. So what does that mean, "it will happen on the fly"?
HAM: Kyra, I don't know. In our report, we've recommended a phased approach to implementation should the law be repealed. And we think that's the best way to approach it. Methodically. Give leaders the opportunity to understand the changes that are coming, conduct the necessary training and education, so when the repeal of the law becomes effective, the force is well-prepared to manage it.
PHILLIPS: Final question, and it goes to you, General. Reports came out yesterday, you actually told members of Congress you were against homosexuality. How did you conduct this study objectively?
HAM: Well, every one of us senior military officers makes a pledge that if asked our personal opinions by a member of Congress in a duly constituted session, we'll provide that personal opinion. And I'd prefer for my personal opinion to stay just that. Personal.
What we did ask was for every member of our working group to check their personal views and opinions at the door and deal with this matter methodically and objectively. And I'm confident that each member of the working group, to include Mr. Johnson and myself, were able to do just that.
PHILLIPS: I think it's --
JOHNSON: I can testify to that. I actually did not know his personal opinion until just a couple of days ago, and we'd been working on this for almost ten months.
PHILLIPS: Interesting. Jeh, are you against or for homosexuality?
JOHNSON: I am the lawyer for the General -- for the Department of Defense. We've conducted this assessment, and our assessment speaks for itself.
PHILLIPS: So, you are -- you don't have a problem with homosexuality in the military?
JOHNSON: The report speaks for itself. That's what we were asked to look at that issue, and you have our report.
PHILLIPS: OK. So that means you might -- you go with the higher percentage of supporting -- getting rid of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"?
JOHNSON: Well, it's not simply a matter of, does the military support it or not support it. You'll see in the survey, there are some very specific questions about impacts to readiness and so forth.
PHILLIPS: You're a tough counsel. DOD General Counsel Jeh Johnson, General Carter Ham. Gentlemen, I appreciate very much your time today.
HAM: Thanks, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: You bet.
The job market, it's your major concern. and for the rest of the week, it's the big focus on Wall Street, because each day we're going to get a new report on the labor market. Alison Kosik at the New York Stock Exchange. So, do the -- what do the numbers tell us today?
ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, get ready for the bulls to take charge today on Wall Street as we kick off December. We found out that payroll processing firm says that private sector jobs were added in November, 93,000 of them. It's actually the biggest gain in three years. That means we've now added jobs almost every month this year. It compares to job losses that we saw every month last year.
But let's keep it in perspective. Still not enough job gain to bring down the unemployment rate. It is expected to stay above 9 percent into next year. But what this report does, Kyra, it sets up for a positive jobs report from the government that we're getting on Friday -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right. So is this report enough to get the markets going today?
KOSIK: You know what? Even before the bell rang, we saw Dow Futures up over 100 points. Right now, we're seeing the Dow rise up over 100 points, up about 111 points.
This follows movements in Asian and European markets, as well. They're rallying over there. That's after a report out of China showing that manufacturing in that country grew. Also, the European Central Bank says it will go ahead and help struggling countries in the Euro Zone. So, both of those things are easing fear that a global recovery could be in trouble. It could be one of those really good days on Wall Street, Kyra. Back to you.
PHILLIPS: OK. Good news. Alison, thanks.
Holiday shopping season has begun. Millions of Americans hitting the stores a bit lighter in the wallet. They've ditched their credit card and not always by choice. We'll tell you why next.
And on this World AIDS Day, they're getting ready to roll out the giant AIDS quilt right here in Atlanta. It's dedicated to the memory of people who died the disease. The quilt had one name back in 1987. Today, 91,000.
Next hour, we talk to a woman who's making a panel for that quilt. She's had HIV for 21 years.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Just a little after 6:30 on the West Coast, 9:30-ish on the East. And what a raw, wet and nasty morning folks are dealing with right now. Severe weather from Florida on up through New York to New England. Tornado watches in effect from South Carolina to Washington. Heavy winds and flash flood threats further north, as well. Possible twisters from this weather system damaged homes in Georgia.
Global search is on for the man that founded the WikiLeaks Web site, Julian Assange. Now on an international most wanted list, he's facing rape and molestation charges in Sweden. Assange's lawyer says that the warrant is bizarre and reminiscent of Stalin's secret police.
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SARAH SHOURD, FREED HIKER FROM CAPTIVITY IN IRAN: (singing)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: And that's actually Sarah Shroud, the American hiker who was freed from Iran. She's actually singing a song that she wrote, support her fiancee and a friend who are still being held there. The video is on YouTube. Shroud was released in September after more than a year in captivity.
Well, holiday shopping season is here, and for many Americans that means wiping out the plastic and buying with credit.
So, here's a sobering sign of the times. In the past year, more than 8 million consumers have ditched their credit cards. And not all of them by choice. Christian Romans is part of the CNN Money Team, joining us from New York.
So, Christine, why the change in our spending habits?
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: It's a huge consumer debt purge, Kyra. We are digging out of that mountain of debt that we basically were buried under over the past three years. Eight million people ditching their credit cards, and you're right. Some of it is because people are ditching them by choice. Some of it is because the banks ditched them as customers because they can't make any money off of them anymore with new credit card rules.
Cards have been shut down by banks, consumers are not purchasing as much. And people staying down the balances. TransUnion put these numbers together, Kyra, and they tell us it's simply saying it's because more conservative investors, more conservative consumers who have the and have jobs are concerned and playing it more safe. People who are on the lower end of the spectrum, who are the high-risk consumer, those people shown the door by the credit card companies.
That means 78 million people right now are walking around in this nation without a credit card. Unheard of. We have always added cards every year since this thing has been invented.
The balance due right now for the average credit card debt holder, $4,964. Kyra, that's up just a little bit but the good news is down pretty sharply from where it was last year. And more good news also in this report is that the number of delinquencies is down pretty sharply over the past year, as well. There are fewer people late with the credit card bills. That's partly because so people, frankly, defaulted completely on their credit card obligations, and the banks have closed their accounts. But it's also because people are digging out of that pile of debt -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: And just to be clear, it's OK to cut up the credit cards but you don't want to cancel it because that can impact your credit score, right?
ROMANS: Canceling a credit card will impact your credit score but look. For people who are in trouble with too many credit cards, they already have a terrible credit score as it is. Let's be honest. So, if they're in trouble and a credit card open is a temptation and having trouble, a lot of personal finance experts, myself included, we say get rid of the card and close the account if it's going to keep you from racking up debt you can't pay for.
PHILLIPS: Got you. Christine Romans, good advice.
Republicans lining up to challenge party leader Michael Steele. Several are going to be in Washington today. We'll tell you who wants the job.
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JAY LENO, HOST, "THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO": President Obama got elbowed during a basketball game and -- but what about the guy that hit him? We haven't learned anything about that until today.
You see the news story? Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's been a November full of bumps and bruises for the White House. President Obama is sporting 12 stitches in the lip after being hit by an errant elbow in a pickup basketball game. The president was seen in a window with an ice pack on his lip. The man who elbowed him, Ray Deserega, has been unavailable for comment.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
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PHILLIPS: Well, state governments are facing huge budget gaps and that could mean cuts in services for you. Senior political editor Mark Preston talking about that with us at the CNNPolitics.com desk.
Hey, Mark.
MARK PRESTON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL EDITOR: Hey, good morning, Kyra.
We talk about Washington and how they're tightening the belts. Well, it's also happening in the states. In fact, there's a new story on CNNMoney.com that talks exactly about what the budget gap is, $41 billion next year. We expect states to have a budget gap.
That is huge, and it's big because it's going to affect our viewers. You know, when you see these budget gaps, what do you see? You see taxes raised in the states. You see services cut. You also see further spending cuts. So, states are really feeling the brunt of this economic downturn that we continue to be in.
Remember, it's the states and local government, Kyra, that pay for fire and for police and they're the ones that plow the roads and take care of the parks. So, it's really going to affect the states where we are right now in this economic mess. It has been affecting the states, and it's going to affect our viewers.
Here back in Washington, of course, "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is such a very big subject. You had a great conversation of what will happen with that. Well, David Axelrod was on CNN last night and he was adamant about the fact that the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy is going to end. His words, "going to end."
And what Axelrod said is that that the White House will wait for Congress to figure out how to get it done. And, of course, trying to figure it out in the Senate right now about how to get that repeal done. However, Axelrod would not rule out perhaps President Obama issuing an executive order if Congress does not get that done. In fact, he said they're exploring all options so "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" a very hot topic here in Washington -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Well, Mark, Republicans lining to challenge Michael Steele, and several of them gathering in D.C. today.
PRESTON: Yes, they are. And you know, Kyra, we're obviously in this time of year talking about policy, but this is really pure politics and very important, especially when you're talking about 2012 and the future of the Republican Party.
So what we have, Kyra, is we have a couple of candidates coming in. They're going to be fielding questions from conservative Republican National Committee members. There's a group called Freedom Works which helped organize Tea Party events. They're the ones that are going to moderate the forum, and these are folks who want to replace Michael Steele as chairman.
So, a couple of people we expect there today, Anne Wagner, the former Missouri Republican Party chairwoman. (INAUDIBLE), who is the former Michigan Republican party chairman. Who we don't expect to see there, though, Kyra, is Michael Steele who's the current chairman that's not made up his mind.
And remember, the new chairman of the Republican National Committee is going to be charged with raising money because once the Republicans decide who's going to be their presidential nominee, the RNC needs to hand over all of their operations to that nominee.
So, Kyra, will be a very big meeting today.
PHILLIPS: All right, we'll track it with you. Thanks, Mark.
PRESTON: Thanks, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: We'll have your next political update in just about an hour. Here's a reminder, for all the latest political news you can always go to our Web site, 24/7 CNNPolitics.com.
All right, we've got some great pictures to show you from across the country. None better than this video from a pizza place in Maryland. Check it out, you can actually get a large cheese pizza for about four bucks and a large bruise on your cheesy head for free if you try to rob the place.
The shop owner just comes out of nowhere with that pizza spatula and boom, knocks the gun right out of the man's hand. He chases him out. Police arrested the would-be bandit and another person just a few blocks away.
On to south Florida and the family with a serious pest problem, two million bees in their home. Yes. The home is where the hive is apparently. Beekeepers are on it, they say they are two rival bee colonies in the house and they're at war which means they are more aggressive than normal.
Take a look at this nativity scene in Iowa. Yes, Jesus, Mary and Joseph are made out of real butter. What else is there to say than delicious? Well, the butter sculptor actually carved them to help raise money for a family shelter.
Today's "Flashback" -- music to our ears.
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PHILLIPS: "That Will Be the Day", definitely a classic and it was on this date in 1957, three rock groups, Buddy Holly and the Crickets, Sam Cooke and The Rays made their debut on "The Ed Sullivan Show". (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
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PHILLIPS: Sam Cooke started out as a gospel singer and ended up in rock and roll as you know. He sold more than 10 million albums. And The Rays --
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PHILLIPS: If you remember they actually started out singing on New York street corners and in Harlem clubs in the '50s. "Silhouette" was their biggest hit single.
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PHILLIPS: All right, let's get our "Morning Passport".
Let's start in Iran. That's where three American hikers were imprisoned accused of spying. One of them, Sarah Shourd was freed about two months ago, but while in solitary confinement, she wrote songs. One of them released today to show support for her fiance and their friend who is still locked up in Tehran.
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PHILLIPS: While Shourd and her fiance Shane Bauer and their friend Josh Fattal are being unjustly held in Iran, she and countless others have been fighting for their release.
We're following developments in the next shower of CNN NEWSROOM, a number of them. Let's go ahead and start with Elizabeth Cohen.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning Kyra. Kyra, there is yet another study that shows that women in their 40s should be getting annual mammograms. I'll have details on that study at the top of the hour.
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN BUSINESS NEWS CORRESPONDENT: I'm Stephanie Elam in New York. One airline is taking happy hour to new heights. I'll tell which you one and for how long it's going to be around. That's coming up in the next hour -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right, thanks guys.
And on this World AIDS Day, they're getting ready to roll out the giant AIDS quilt right here in Atlanta. It's dedicated to the memory of people who died from the disease and as far awareness and treatment go, we've come a long way since the 1980s, so why is HIV being called a forgotten epidemic? We're talking about that next hour.
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TONY HARRIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh I love that, who dat -- the dat song, yes that's true.
PHILLIPS: That's perfect.
HARRIS: Hey did you -- did you -- you're a Drew -- you're Drew Brees fan, right?
PHILLIPS: Oh well, I -- I lived and worked in New Orleans. I love Drew. He is one cool dude.
HARRIS: So he is the Sports Illustrated "Sportsman of the Year".
PHILLIPS: He should be.
HARRIS: Can you imagine anyone more deserving?
PHILLIPS: No, not all.
HARRIS: My second opinion is maybe Nadal --
PHILLIPS: He's also a great guy.
HARRIS: He's a great guy.
PHILLIPS: Charitable and he loves his family.
HARRIS: Well, you mentioned the charity, right?
PHILLIPS: Yes.
HARRIS: It is the Brees Dream Foundation.
PHILLIPS: Right.
HARRIS: And the goal here is advancing research in the fight against cancer and providing care, education and opportunities for children in need. Terrific guy.
And remember, five years or so ago, it seemed to be like it was the perfect fit. Right. It's the right time for Drew Brees, because he didn't have a job. He had a terrible arm and he had surgery and --
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PHILLIPS: And then he leads the Saints to a Super Bowl win.
HARRIS: So we talked about all that particularly this idea of right city, right time. Yesterday, we had him on the program. Have a listen. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DREW BREES, QUARTERBACK, NEW ORLEANS SAINTS: I believe everything happens for a reason and certainly the opportunity to come to New Orleans was really my only opportunity at the time. There were no other teams that were inviting me in and yet New Orleans was. And I think it was at a time coming off my injury where I needed somebody to believe in me. And New Orleans had as much confidence in me as I did in myself.
And it went well beyond the football field though. It wasn't just about coming in and helping to revive an organization and the team. It was about coming in to help rebuild the city and the region.
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HARRIS: Just think about it Kyra. This was a city trying to get it wits about itself after Katrina and here comes Drew and essentially on the white horse. They said he was helping him -- he was getting a chance to revitalize his career again.
And I asked him about that moment. When was the moment when you decide you're not just going to be the quarterback that, you know, gives turkeys out at Thanksgiving and Christmas.
PHILLIPS: Yes, the typical photo op.
HARRIS: Which is fine --
PHILLIPS: Yes.
HARRIS: OK. But you're actually going to invest time, energy, your family's time and energy into rebuilding a city.
PHILLIPS: He's got heart. He's got heart.
HARRIS: Yes. So it is a terrific story.
PHILLIPS: He's a perfectionist too.
HARRIS: And he really is -- I mean this is a guy now who has another shot at getting his team back to the big show. Now, they're 8-3 right now. And as we all know, the Atlanta Falcons are playing terrific ball. They're both in the NFC.
There is a big game in about three weeks, four weeks, Monday Night Football, Atlanta and the Saints. That is going to be terrific stuff. Right?
PHILLIPS: We'll be watching.
HARRIS: Yes.
PHILLIPS: Derek Jeter.
HARRIS: Hey, are you following this Derek Jeter story? PHILLIPS: have you seen the baseball cards.
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HARRIS: Can we show it? Can we show it?
PHILLIPS: In all the different uniforms?
HARRIS: Yes. There's this sports marketing team that's come up with this card because the Yankees and their captain, Derek Jeter, a guy that's helped them to four, five rings, they're at odds over a new contract, right?
PHILLIPS: Please don't tell me he wants more money.
HARRIS: He wants more money.
PHILLIPS: He gets plenty of money.
HARRIS: It was A-Rod and they all get -- he's coming off of a $100 million contract. But they all want more.
PHILLIPS: Why do you need more than that? Please.
HARRIS: Here's the thing. For all the LeBron James haters in Cleveland -- yes, tie this back in to it.
PHILLIPS: You always bring it back to LeBron.
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HARRIS: Yes, I always do. LeBron's going back to Cleveland for his first game since leaving the team.
So for all of you LeBron James haters in Cleveland, all right, understand, take a look at the Jeter situation and know that this is still very much a business. The owners aren't saying, hey, we've got enough money. The owners aren't saying that. So the players are trying to get more and more and more. So keep that in mind as you watch this.
PHILIPS: So you're a bowler?
HARRIS: I'm not much of a bowler. I was for a period of time and then moved on.
PHILLIPS: Oh, yes. That was the thing to do as a kid. Roller skating and bowling. For you roller derby.
HARRIS: It was roller derby.
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HARRIS: So here's what we have, ready? In the 11:00 show, we have got, his name is Mark -- let me get it right -- Matt Latarski (ph). Matt Latarski, he's a Cleveland area bowler. Have you ever bowled anywhere close to a perfect game? Have you ever bowled a 200 score? I've never bowled a 200 score.
PHILLIPS: I've done pretty well. Gotten over 100. That was as a kid. Back in my day.
HARRIS: Back in the day.
PHILLIPS: The eight pound ball.
HARRIS: Exactly. So Matt bowled a perfect series. Hear me out here.
PHILLIPS: Wow. That's like 900, right?
HARRIS: Nine hundred.
PHILLIPS: Oh, my goodness.
HARRIS: He's on the program 11:00 a.m.
PHILLIPS: All right, 11:00 a.m. we're going to see him.
HARRIS: Stop, just stop.
PHILLIPS: How do you like that exit piece.
HARRIS: I love that.
PHILLIPS: Taking you back to the '80s.
HARRIS: Yes, I'm all about that. Back to show prep for me. Have a miss you all.
PHILLIPS: See you.
