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To Extend or Not Extend Bush-Era Tax Cuts?; CNN Equals Politics Update; Global Search On For Julian Assange; World AIDS Day Quilts Displayed Around the Country; Atheist vs. Catholic Billboard War

Aired December 01, 2010 - 10:00   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: And we are on time. 10:00 a.m. on the East Coast. 7:00 a.m. out west. Here's some of the stories that had us talking this morning everybody. Right now millions of people facing a storm system that caused widespread damage across the south and it's heading up the East Coast.

Time has run out for two million Americans who are unemployed. The Senate fails to pass an extension on jobless benefits. Americans about to get their last unemployment check.

And today is World Aids Day in Atlanta. Crews are rolling out the sobering reminder of loss and hope. This is the AIDS quilt. It's stored here and it memorialized those who died from the disease. Today, it's embrace by people who are living reminders of the progress that's being made.

Let's get back to that dangerous storm system that's on the move. Up and down on the East Coast and it's powerful. Already spawning several suspected twisters. This is what is left of an Atlanta suburb after the storm swept through. Louisiana didn't escape the destruction either at Winn Parish. That's the path of damage that stretched as far as the eye can see in Louisiana.

And one much our i-reporters sent this in from Yazoo City, Mississippi. These folks are looking at a lot of cleanup. Homes flattened, windows blown out. Some debris not recognizable and at least four tornadoes have been confirmed statewide. But there's back - let's get back to that one hard hit neighborhood that we were showing you here in Atlanta. Just northeast of Atlanta, in Buford. Jacqui Jeras is there to tell us about the conditions now. Jacqui.

JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Kyra, it's incredible. In fact, I literally just got back from deeper in this neighborhood where one home is just literally knocked over. There's nothing left other than just the roof. So this damage actually looks minor compared to that. About 56 homes have received damage. This one you can see the whole wall has come out.

This is the couch that you can see over here. Here's a lamp. There's a rug all wadded up, so certainly not liveable. A very devastating situation. And based on the things that I've been seeing inside of the neighborhood and the way that some of these trees are laying down, I think this was likely a tornado. We'll find out that official word from the National Weather Service later today after they get out here and assess some of the damage.

As you can see, all these two by fours are just knocked right over, some of them have been split in half. And temperatures here this morning are just incredibly cold. It's down into the 20s. Winds have been blowing and they've been helping to pull some of this stuff off that still didn't make it all the way down.

So sad situation. The neighborhoods also by the way, Kyra, is buzzing with people who are coming back to their homes at this hour. Contractors are trying to come in and start the work. Already, you can hear the helicopters above me from the local affiliates taking video in this neighborhood, as well. Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Well, where are the storms headed next, Jacqui?

JERAS: Well, we've been seeing some problems from North Carolina all the way up to Maryland where tornado watches have been in effect throughout much of the morning. We think at the top of the hour those all should expire and that severe weather threat will be diminishing then throughout the rest of the day.

But one of the other big issues that we'll be dealing with is that the winds with the storm are very, very strong. There are wind advisories in effect across all of the northeast and winds may gust as much as 50 miles per hour. And that in and of itself certainly could cause some problems and some power outages and bring down some trees.

Major delays at the airport. Take a look at that. That is just ugly, Newark a ground stop, more than 2 1/2 hours at La Guardia, JFK almost there, two hours at Teterboro, Baltimore 45 minutes, Philadelphia 50 minute ground delays. And those are for people trying to take off from other airports and get into those cities, by the way, Washington Dulles looking at delays as well as White Plains.

There you can see the big picture. Very Temperatures at least 20 degrees colder behind this front. And we will see some calmer weather finally making its way into the northeast by the middle of the week. In the meantime, it's just going to be an ugly mess of trying to clean up and figure out exactly what happened here in this suburb of Atlanta. Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. Jacqui Jeras, thanks.

We got a developing story this hour on Capitol Hill. Just minutes ago, the Senate Republicans fired a new round in the deepening stalemate over the Bush era tax cuts. As you know, the president's bipartisan meeting at the White House failed to forge a compromise yesterday, so now Senate Republicans say they're going to block every other issue in this lame duck session until the debate is resolved.

Let's get the latest now from senior congressional correspondent Dana Bash. So Dana, what are you tell us right now?

DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right. Well, all 42 Republicans I'm told signed on to this letter and it really is playing hard ball saying - putting pen to paper and making really clear what Senate Republicans have been saying for some time, that they're not going to go forward with anything.

And I'll read you this quote. This is from this letter. It says "We will not agree to invoke closure on the motion to proceed to any legislative item until the Senate has acted to fund the government and we have presented the tax increase that is awaiting all taxpayers." Pretty tough stuff now that the Senate majority leader to whom this was addressed, spoke about it on the Senate floor just moments ago.

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SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV), MAJORITY LEADER: With this letter they have simply put this writing the political strategy that the Republicans have pursued this entire Congress. Namely obstruct, delay, obstruct, delay action on critical matters and then blame the Democrats for not addressing the needs of the American people. Very cynical, but very obvious, very transparent.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: So, Kyra, what does this mean in practical terms? It means that things that have been on the Democrats' agenda, repealing the "don't ask, don't tell" measure from the military, the Dream Act, the immigration measure, even unemployment benefits, those things Republicans now say they have enough votes to block Democrats from putting any of that on the floor until these tax cuts and until funding the government gets done.

Now, practically what they're also trying to do, Kyra, is put pressure on negotiations that are actually starting at this hour that were set up in this White House meeting yesterday with White House officials as well as Republicans and Democrats to try to come together on some agreement on this issue of the Bush tax cuts which are expiring at the end of the year.

PHILLIPS: All right. Dana, so the bipartisan group set out of yesterday's meeting gathering for the first time on the Capitol, what can we expect?

BASH: Well, you know, it will be interesting to see if this move by Republicans really squeezes them and pressures them to move more quickly. As I think many people who have been following this know, the issue has been that Republicans believe that all of these Bush era tax cuts for all tax rates should be extended permanently.

Democrats, however, think that only those for what they call the middle class, $250,000 or less, should be extended permanently. So what they're trying to do is come together on some agreement which they've been talking about for a long time. It's much more urgent now because they expire at the end of the year.

I'm told that the most likely scenario still is possibly to extend all of these tax cuts for all tax rates probably temporarily two or three years. It's not something that Democrats really want to do, but, again, this letter saying that they're going to hold up everything on the Senate floor might pressure the Democrats to at least go ahead with this in the next few days. PHILLIPS: All right. Keep us posted, Dana. Thanks.

BASH: We will.

PHILLIPS: And for the last few days, the whistle-blowing web site Wikileakss has made Washington squirm. It's been releasing piles of secret and embarrassing diplomatic messages from U.S. embassies around the world and today it's the founder of WikiLeaks who faces serious questions.

Global police agency, Interpol, has placed Julian Assange on its most wanted list. He's suspected of rape, sexual molestation and illegal use of force. Assange calls the accusations a smear campaign, but it's still swinging - he is still swinging at world leaders. He says that secretary of state Hillary Clinton should resign. It's approach that she encouraged U.S. diplomats to also gather intelligence. The White House is scoffing at this suggestion.

(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 interest 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 interests of this country are far stronger than his one web site.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: The House intelligence committee is meeting behind closed doors to talk about the leaked diplomatic cables.

So get ready for another chapter in the Michael Jackson story. Father Joe now going after Michael's doctor, his medical clinics and a pharmacy. A.J. Hammer has our "Showbiz Update."

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 tied from the disease. The quilt had one name back in 1987. Today 91,000. The guilt uses more than 51 miles worth of fabric and we're talking about it later this hour.

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PHILLIPS: Well, you don't see this very often. British singing sensation Susan Boyle didn't really play her best game. She seemed to have a little frog in her throat while performing on "The View" yesterday. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC PLAYING) PHILLIPS: She still sings better than any of us. She later taped a full performance of "Oh, holy night" for the West Coast broadcast of the show.

Well, caught red handed. Uma Thurman's stalker arrested literally as he was Googling the actress. "Showbiz Tonight" host A.J. Hammer has got that story for us. A.J.

A.J. HAMMER, "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" HOST: Yes, the scary part of celebrity right here, Kyra. Uma Thurman's stalker is back in jail again for continuing to harass the actress and for violating an order of protection.

His name is Jack Jordan. This guy was convicted of stalking him back in 2008. He was given five years probation back then. And now he allegedly violated a restraining order by continuing to call Uma's office and cell phone. This according to the "New York Post." The paper is quoting law enforcement officials in Maryland as saying he was literally googling her name as the cops stormed his mother's Maryland home to arrest him last week.

Apparently he had typed Uma Thurman into the search box but he was in cuffs before he could actually push the Enter button. Jordan is in custody in Maryland facing possible extradition to New York and Uma Thurman's representatives tell "Showbiz Tonight," they have no comment on his new arrest. But, Kyra, how scary for Uma that she still has to worry about this guy and today on "Showbiz Tonight," we're going to be talking about the fact that, you know, isn't it outrageous that this guy is still running around out there or has been up until this arrest. And this is something that actually began back in 2005.

So very scary for her.

PHILLIPS: That's a whole another discussion about the laws not being stringent enough.

Well, what is this about another wrongful suit against Michael Jackson's doctor, Conrad Murray?

HAMMER: Yes, this one's coming from Michael Jackson's dad, Joe Jackson, who is not giving up on the lawsuits blaming his son's doctor for Michael's death. Joe Jackson's attorneys have just filed another wrongful death suit. This one is in the California state court system. The new suit once again claims Dr. Conrad Murray wrongfully provided that anesthetic, propofol, and other drugs to Michael before his death.

Now this suit also names the pharmacy. A similar law suit that was filed in Murray in federal court, which did not include the pharmacy, was thrown out of federal court in early December. Joe Jackson's new suit asks for unspecified damages and court costs and it names Michael's mother, Katherine, and his three children as "nominal plaintiff parties."

Murray is charged with involuntary manslaughter in Jackson's death, back in June of 2009. The Los Angeles county coroner, of course, ruled that it was from an overdose of that drug, propofol, the powerful anesthetic used to put surgical patients to sleep. But Kyra, these lawsuits will be going on for years to come. It's almost - it's about a year and a half now since Michael passed away and I think we'll be talking about this for years and years.

PHILLIPS: I think this is just the beginning. A.J., thanks.

Well, if you want information on everything breaking in the entertainment world, that's why A.J. is here. Every evening, "Showbiz Tonight" 5:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. on Headlines News or HLN.

Well, should women start getting annual mammograms at 40 or 50? A new study adds to the debate that's been raging for years and we're waiting the advice on when women should start regular breast cancer screenings. That's coming up in just a few minutes.

And who knew that a big pizza spatula could be so versatile? A would be robber knows now.

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PHILLIPS: Let's take a look across country. It's the three ingredients. Butter, pizza and meth. Why don't we start with the meth.

Police outside Atlanta say they actually found 933 pounds of it in this house. The street value? More than $44 million. They don't think anyone even lived there. It was just devoted to making the drugs. A meth lab with hardwood floors. One person is in custody apparently.

Now that pizza owner with the itchy spatula finger. A guy tries to rob the pizza joint in Maryland. The shop owner just comes out of nowhere with that spatula and boom, knocks the gun right out of the man's hand. He chases him out. Police arrested that would be bandit and another person just a few blocks away.

And Bethlehem meets butter in Iowa. Yes, Jesus, Mary and Joseph made out of real butter. What do you say to that, delicious? A sculpture carved this nativity scene to raise money for a family shelter.

All right. Get a mammogram, don't get a mammogram. Woman in their 40s have gotten a lot of conflicting advice about breast cancer screening. Just last year, you'll remember, there was that huge brouhaha when a federal panel told 40 somethings that they didn't need the annual test.

Now yet another study says that that decision was wrong. Senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen here joining us. Another jab at a very - I guess you could say, unpopular recommendation. And it's interesting because there were so many people that came forward and said this is ridiculous. There's just no way to support this. ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Right. And now here's science saying, yes, it really was ridiculous. Let me tell you what the study said.

They looked at women who got mammograms in their 40s and then got cancer and they found that because they had had the mammogram, they were able to treat them without taking off their breasts. So they spared the breasts which of course is a better situation. The women who didn't get mammograms in their 40s, when they did get breast cancer, they were much more likely to need a mastectomy. So, again, when they did a mammogram, less likely to need a mastectomy when they did get cancer. When they didn't have a mammogram, more likely to need a mastectomy when they got cancer.

PHILLIPS: All right. So this federal task force for us that told us last year don't need the mammogram, now this, you know, new study is coming out, are they changing their tune?

COHEN: You know, we call them and we pointed the study out to them and they said, "you know what, that is interesting and that is important and next time we do these guidelines, we will take it into consideration. They're not changing their recommendations. Right now, they still standby what they said last year. But it was interesting they didn't just say, oh, forget it, another study. They said, yes, this study matters.

PHILLIPS: OK. So what do you do if you're in your 40s? Obviously in your 50s you get one, but in your 40s, do you go or not?

COHEN: You know, doctors I've talked to are following what the American Cancer Society says. The American Cancer Society could not be more clear. They say women in their 40s should get annual mammograms, period, end of sentence. That's it and the doctors I've talked to, they're listening at the American Cancer Society, they are not listening to the federal government.

PHILLIPS: Got it. All right. And you know, it's the American Cancer Society, you think that they would know this.

COHEN: It's a bunch of other groups, too. So when cancer group after cancer group after cancer group says start at 40, doctors, listen to that.

PHILLIPS: Yes.

COHEN: Thanks, Elizabeth.

Well, on this World Aids Day, they're getting ready to roll out that giant AIDS quilt right here in Atlanta. It's actually dedicated to the memory of people who died from the disease. That quilt had one name in 1987. Do you know how many it has today? 91,000. Coming up, we're going to talk to a woman who is making a new panel for that quilt. She's had HIV for 21 years.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) PHILLIPS: All right. Stock market, opening bell rang about an hour ago. The numbers, Dow industrials up 190 points. Taking the edge off flying hassles. Beginning today, American Airlines is offering happy hour on some of its flights. Now let's get the down low from Stephanie Elam, who I don't know, do you throw back a few when you fly, Steph?

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Actually, I don't, because I hate being dehydrated. Most of the time, I'm on the plane like a cross country hall, it's not a good feeling for me.

PHILLIPS: You don't want the headache and you to be hydrated. No, and also it doesn't look too good it if you're throwing them back and you've got an infant on your lap. So, no, I don't do a lot of this, but I have a feeling that there's a lot of people out there who may see me and my baby getting on the plane and then worry if there's going to be a crying baby and they may want a beverage.

Well, American Airlines is going to make that a little bit easier for folks who book a flight, domestic flight, if you're going to Canada, or Mexico or the Caribbean, anytime between 5:00 p.m. and 5:59 p.m. That's it. You got to be within that hour. In which case you can get the little promotion there and it's basically cocktails, beer and wine, all of them selling for five bucks. That's a little bit of a discount there to get people through the month of December. So just for the month of December when everyone's tired of the pushing, the shoving, the extra crowds at the airport. American Airlines saying they're just trying to get people have a little fun on board.

Hopefully no one gets too much fun and doesn't think too crazy up there in the sky, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Well, we also know some people are going to get crazy, and a lot of people might be happy about the new happy hour but travelers really seem to love right now is Southwest, right? You've a new survey?

ELAM: That is true. And you know, Southwest Airlines, it trades at the New York stock exchange under the symbol LUV, which is love, right?. Well, apparently that's the right one for Southwest because according to the survey, people love this airline. They say it's the best value for the domestic carriers.

They're saying it also the best luggage policy. In fact, you can check two bags on Southwest without being charged. That's like the best out there right now. Jet blue you can check one without getting charged. They're also saying it has the best check-in policy and also that it has got consumer on-time estimates that are really the best ones out there and they say it's the most ecofriendly.

So overall Southwest says hey, we love our jobs, customer service is at the core of what we do and if you have fun while you're doing it, then your passengers are very happy people. And if you've been on a southwest plane, people tend to be pretty happy on there. They do a lot of happy things on there. I haven't been on one in a while, but people singing, cheer, slapping. PHILLIPS: They tell jokes. Yes, they get on that - I remember when we first started doing that, OK, they're inexpensive and they're pretty darn funny. They make it a good experience.

ELAM: And they're wearing shorts. Look at that.

PHILLIPS: Exactly.

ELAM: No uniform.

PHILLIPS: I like those places. Exactly. As long as the captain of the aircraft isn't making any jokes, then I feel comfortable.

ELAM: I don't care what he's wearing, but just make sure know what is he's doing. That's part of my customer service I like.

(LAUGHTER)

PHILLIPS: Thanks, Steph. All right. Cheers.

It's about 7:30 out West, 10:30 in the East. And right now, the story in the east it's about rain and wind, threats of flooding and tornadoes. If you live between Florida and New England, you're probably dealing with this weather system in some way. Parts of metro D.C. under a tornado warning within the last hour. Possible twisters have already caused destruction in the South.

And a political storm brewing in D.C. over the Bush-era tax cuts. Senate Republicans say that they'll block every other issue in this lame-duck session until the debate is resolved. The president's bipartisan meeting yesterday didn't yield a compromise, either.

And the global search is on for the man who founded WikiLeaks. Julian Assange now on an international most wanted list. He's facing rape and molestation charges in Sweden. Assange's lawyer says the warrant is bizarre and reminiscent of the Stalin's secret police.

Well, we've been talking about World AIDS Day. The giant AIDS memorial quilt is being rolled out this morning right here in Atlanta. 91,000 names. And one of the people making a name for that panel in the quilt, Juanita Williams. She is a quilter and she also has HIV. Back in 1989, she was tested for HIV and didn't even know she had it. Didn't even know she was being tested. She had gone for another procedure, and when the results came back positive, the medical community wouldn't even touch her. In fact, they kicked her out of the hospital.

Bonita says that she learned the news on a Friday, and by that Monday, she was an activist. Now, 21 years later, she's both a face and a powerful voice for HIV/AIDS awareness, and she's joining us today in studio.

We're also talking with Julie Rhode of The Names Project. She's basically in charge of the quilt that you'll see in just a second. Actually, you've been seeing it all morning.

And Doug Shipman is the CEO for the National Center for Civil and Human Rights. We'll talk to them in just a second.

Juanita, let's start with you. I just was so -- I guess it didn't shock me, but it did shock me at how the medical community just completely discriminated against you when they found out that you were HIV positive. You go in for an operation, and they basically said we're not going to touch you. Get out.

JUANITA WILLIAMS, HIV-POSITIVE QUILTER/ACTIVST: Yes. And that's exactly what they did. And unfortunately, all of my negative experiences have been with the health care field.

PHILLIPS: What else besides that operation when you first -

WILLIAMS: Just a couple of years ago -

PHILLIPS: found out?

WILLIAMS: Just - I'm sorry - just a couple of years ago, I had a dentist refuse to do dental work because of my HIV status. And then in the early '90s, I also had a GYN that refused to do my pap smear because of my status. So, discrimination and stigma is still alive today.

PHILLIPS: So what do you do if you get in a situation like that? Do you have to keep bumping from doctor to doctor until finally someone embraces you?

WILLIAMS: Well, thank God, you know, there's activists and other people that advocate for you because even though I'm an activist and I advocate for others -- but when it affects you personally, it's kind of hard for you to advocate for yourself. So, I get some support. And then you just go doctor to doctor until you find a doctor that will actually show you some compassion and give you the service that you need.

PHILLIPS: Let's go out to Julie, president and CEO of The Names Project and the memorial quilt. You know, Julie, we have come a long way since what Juanita has been through. But still the discrimination is out there. And you've even gone so far to say that AIDS has become the forgotten epidemic. Why?

JULIE RHOAD, CEO, THE NAMES PROJECT: You know, I can't answer why it's forgotten, but I can tell you it's one of the most stigmatized diseases that this society has ever known. And so as a result, attention to it ebbs and flows. And usually it's people who are the most marginalized who get further marginalized by this kind of activity.

PHILLIPS: And Doug, you're CEO of The National Center for Civil and Human Rights. Why is it so important to recognize this day, to bring attention to something like the AIDS quilt when it comes to our human and civil rights?

DOUG SHIPMAN, CEO, THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR CIVIL AND HUMAN RIGHTS: Well, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which is was written in 1948, includes the right to health care. And so health and human rights are intricately related. In addition, HIV and AIDS leads to other human rights issues, whether it be the number of orphans in Africa or the disproportionate populations that are affected like Julie spoke to. Or the fact that women are now one of the fastest growing groups of AIDS contractors.

These are not single issues, they're interrelated with all kinds of human rights issues. So, talking about them in a greater context and recognizing World AIDS Day is something that's very important.

PHILLIPS: And Juanita, you brought in this scrap book and it's basically your life living with AIDS. And maybe -- Robert, I'll just flip through the pages and have you describe -- you have actually said this has made you a better person. Talk to me about that as I flip through the scrapbook.

WILLIAMS: Yes, it has. Since I've been positive for the 21 years, I have met some fantastic people. I've traveled to various cities, countries, continents. And just doing the work gave me great satisfaction. It's healing for me, as well.

And I take better care of myself. I take better care of the company that I keep. And I pay attention to my health now. As not only mine, but my family and friends, as well. And we keep this conversation on the forefront so we can talk about it and let everyone know that this is a disease that anyone can catch.

PHILLIPS: And I'm just looking through all the photos. All of these, you're smiling, your hugging, you're laughing. You're all the over the world, from Honduras to Africa to you name it. And I mean -- has your entire life become advocacy, would you say?

WILLIAMS: Yes. And you can live with this virus. You know, everyone when they think of HIV and AIDS, they think of death and dying and gloom, and you're somewhere sheltered off. But you can live a fulfilled life. If I didn't share my status with people, people wouldn't know. But I'm quick to say my name is Juanita Williams, and I have HIV. I have no qualms about it, and I want folks to know what HIV really looks like.

PHILLIPS: And are you actually working on a panel. Show us this panel. This is going to be added to the AIDS Quilt. It's mind blowing when you think one name back in the 80s and now there's 91,000 when your panel was done. But tell me about Terry Jackson and why you are making this panel and what the panel represents.

WILLIAMS: Terry is a very -- I say is because cease still dear to my heart. His spirit still lives within me -- a very close friend of mine that passed. I've had several friends to passes from HIV, including my fiance.

But there's something about Terry. He wasn't really public with his status, but the compassion that he showed to other people trying to educate other folks, as well, and he just had that warm loving spirit. And even though I'm a quilter and I've been working with The Names Project for several years, so this is my first panel. And I still haven't completed it because I spend my time helping other people complete their panels because it is a healing process, and going through this process gets kind of painful sometimes. So, I'm there supporting someone to help them through their process. It helps me heal and it helps get another name out there.

PHILLIPS: And, Julie, once -- obviously this panel will be added to the quilt very soon. Julie, where can folks come and see the quilt today and how long will it be on display?

RHOAD: Well, there are a number of sites throughout the country. If you go to our Web site at www.aidsquilt.org, you'll get to see a full list of displays. Here in Atlanta, we're at 20 different sites, including Emory University and here downtown and middle schools and high schools.

But throughout the nation, we are in universities, in schools, in all sorts of other spaces. About 400 displays. And then throughout the year, of course, we're always accessible, and there are displays in your area most days of the week, there's quilt on the display.

PHILLIPS: Final thought, Juanita. What are you hoping that people remember today?

WILLIAMS: That this is a disease that can affect anyone. And with a little compassion and empathy and sympathy and education and prevention, hopefully we can eradicate this disease.

PHILLIPS: You're a strong woman.

WILLIAMS: Thank you. I try to be.

PHILLIPS: Oh, you are. And it's beautiful what you're doing. Juanita, thank you so much. Julie and Dough, thank you so much.

And you can find out how to actually help AIDS victims and their families. All you have to do is just go to CNN.com/impact. We have all kinds of information there for you.

Singing about life behind bars. An American hiker freed from Iran actually releases a song to support her fiance and their friend still locked up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Scanning our "Morning Passport." We begin in Iran where three American hikers were imprisoned, accused of spying. One of them, Sarah Shroud, freed about two months ago, but while in solitary confinement, she wrote songs. One of them just released today to show support for her fiance and their friend still locked up in Iran.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SARAH SHOURD, AMERICAN HIKER FREED FROM IRAN: (singing)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: She says 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.

Now an unusual story out of China. What started out as fun and games for a little boy and his mom ended up with some pretty scary moments. The three-year-old actually climbed inside a washing machine during a game of hide and seek and got stuck. Took firefighters two hours to dismantle the washer and pull the boy out.

In South America, heavy rain, flooding, and mudslides have killed more than 20 people in Venezuela. President Hugo Chavez has declared a state of emergency in some places. About 32,000 people are displaced in Falcon State (ph). To make matters worse, more rain is expected over the next few days.

Dick Cheney getting involved in the contest for GOP national committee chairman. He's not running, but he's got a horse in the race.

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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

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.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: When it comes to extending tax cuts for the wealthy, Americans are pretty much split along party lines. Deputy political director Paul Steinhauser joining us from the politics.com desk with the new poll. Hey, Paul.

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: I can never be as funny at that stuff, Kyra. I try.

(LAUGHTER) STEINHAUSER: Hey, you know, earlier this hour, you were talking to Dana Bash about that -- the negotiations getting underway - this hour, in fact, -- between top Democrats and Republican, but they all admitted they're really pretty far apart when it comes to these tax cuts.

Take a look at this. Democrats and Republicans across the country are pretty far apart, as well. A brand new poll out this morning today from "USA Today" and Gallup, and the question, of course, is should the tax cuts be extended to the wealthiest Americans? And look at that. Nearly 6 in 10 say yes, extend the tax cuts for everybody including the wealthiest Americans, but only 4 in 10 independents feel that way and Democrats, not many. So Kyra, definitely no consensus here between Democrats and Republicans in Washington and across the country.

Talking about across the country, a lot of those governors and new governor-elects are coming right here today to Washington, D.C. The Republican governors will be meeting with top Republicans in Congress. And the Democrats are having their own meetings here today. We'll keep a close eye on that and get back to you if there's some big headlines, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. Sounds good. And Dick Cheney weighing in on the battle to control the Republican party.

STEINHAUSER: Yes, you were talking about that last hour with Mark Preston. Will Michael Steele run again for Republican National Committee chairman or not? There's a big event today. But Dick Cheney is already weighing in. The former vice president is supporting one of the people who might run against Michael Steele for the RNC chairmanship. A woman called Maria Tino (ph), who used to work in the Bush White House.

So, Dick Cheney retired, I guess, from politics? Well, maybe publicly, but behind the scenes still very much weighing in, Kyra. That story by our Peter Hamby, by the way.

PHILLIPS: Got it. Thanks, Paul.

And we're going to have your next political update in just about an hour. And here's a reminder. For all the latest political news, go to our Web site 24/7. CNNpolitics.com.

Now, as we've been reporting, the top Pentagon brass throwing support behind the repeal of 'don't ask, don't tell." If the policy is scrubbed, Anthony Woods is ready to return to the military. The former Army captain was honorably discharged after coming out as gay. He spoke on CNN's "PARKER SPITZER" last night.

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ELIOT SPITZER, CO-HOST, "PARKER SPITZER": Based on your experience, is the military ready to take that next step and basically say sexual orientation simply isn't material to somebody's capacity to perform in the military? ANTHONY WOODS, DISCHARGED FROM ARMY DUE TO "DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL": Absolutely. And I made my decision to be honest about who I was after leading soldiers in battle. I realize that had someone's sexual orientation has nothing to do with their ability to accomplish the mission on the battlefield, and if we have a mole city in place that ultimately hurts our military by firing experienced people, people need it stand up against that. I think the military is more than capable and more than professional enough to handle the change that certainly will come.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tony, were you ever discriminated against?

WOODS: I don't believe that I was. I don't believe that I was.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Would you reenlist?

WOODS: I absolutely would. I certainly plan to. I'm looking forward to the day that I am able to put on our nation's uniform and once again say that I am ready and willing to serve anywhere you want to send me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: You can watch "PARKER SPITZER" every night 8:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN.

The safety of your food is an important issue. It chewed up much of the time left in the Senate's lame duck session. Now it turns out the newly passed bill may be headed back to the Senate. Democrats there broke the rules and doomed the measure by overstepping their tax writing authority.

Here's the broad features of the measure as it stands right now. It would give the FDA the authority to order food recalls when there's a case of suspected contamination. Under current law, the agency can only recommend recalls. The final decision is left to the manufacturers themselves.

They're on opposite sides of faith, and their messages are on the opposite ends of the Lincoln Tunnel. Atheist and Catholic billboards take on Christmas and each other.

But first, flashback. 1982.

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PHILLIPS: Yes! Red letter jacket, check. White socks, check. Penny loafers, check. Add nine tracks and one of the most revered music videos of all time, and you have Michael Jackson's "Thriller." Epic released the album on this day this 1982. "Thriller" won a record breaking seven Grammy, and to this day remains the bestselling album of all-time.

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PHILLIPS: Everyday at this time, we honor the men and women in uniform who have given their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan for all of us. We call it "Home and Away."

Today we're lifting up First Sergeant Aaron Donald Jagger from Hillsville, Michigan. He was one of three soldiers killed in a roadside bomb attack in Ramadi, Iraq in August of 2006. Aaron's niece wrote in to us and said "He served in the Army for 26 years. He was a dedicated soldier," she said, "and he didn't expect the troops to take any risks that he wasn't willing to take himself."

Well, if you have a loved one you would like us to honor, here's all you have to do. Go to CNN.com/homeandaway, type in your service member's name in the upper right-hand search field, pull up the profile, send us your thoughts, your pictures, and we promise to keep the memory of your hero alive.

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PHILLIPS: Well the sounds of the season are definitely in the air and so are the signs of a heated debate. We want to show you a pair of dueling billboards. One is from atheists, the other from Catholics. And both groups are reaching out to you this holiday season. Jeanne Moos has the details.

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JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There's not just light at the end of this tunnel, there's a battle of the billboards on the Jersey side. The atheist holiday billboard -- "You know it's a myth. This season, celebrate reason."

DAVID SILVERMAN, PRESIDENT, AMERICAN ATHEISTS: Well, we do know it's a myth. We do know that the invisible magic man in the sky is a myth. We do know this.

BILL DONOHUE, PRESIDENT, CATHOLIC LEAGUE: They must be reading too much Wikipedia or something. I don't know where they get these ideas.

MOOS: When the Catholic League saw the atheist billboard --

DONOHUE: Is there anybody to respond. Are we just pinata's that we're just going to accept this kind of thing as a doormat?

MOOS: The Catholic League put up its own billboard on the Manhattan side of the tunnel. "You know it's real. This season, celebrate Jesus."

SILVERMAN: We know God is fake and we know Christianity stole Christmas. We know this.

DONOHUE: So they believe that we came from nothing, the big bang theory. Or is it the King Kong theory. We're all a bunch of apes, we fell down kerplunk one day. I don't know.

If he wants to believe in that fairytale, he has every right to do so.

MOOS: The roads into and out of the Lincoln Tunnel are considered prime billboard space. The atheists say they spent over $20,000 to put up their billboard for a month.

Polls show 15 percent of Americans claim no religion and atheists think a lot more of the folks are what they closet atheists.

SILVERMAN: We need those people to come out of the closet.

MOOS: Forget atheists coming out of the closet. They'll be coming out of the tunnel.

SILVERMAN: God and Santa Claus are the same thing. He sees you when you're sleeping. He knows when you're awake.

DONOHUE: They believe in nothing. They stand for nothing. They think they came from nothing.

MOOS: As for an atheist view of the nativity on the Catholic billboard -- who are these people?

SILVERMAN: I don't know. This guy looks a little like me, actually.

MOOS: This season, instead of just ads for watches and electronics, they're selling religion or the lack thereof.

SILVERMAN: Happy holidays Bill.

DONOHUE: Merry Christmas to the American Atheists.

MOOS: Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Wait a minute, Tony. They missed the headline there. There's no Santa Claus?

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, yes, they did sort of bury the lead, didn't they?

PHILLIPS: Did you know that?

HARRIS: I did not know! My kids don't know it, either!

(LAUGHTER)

PHILLIPS: Sorry about that. (LAUGHTER)

PHILLIPS: Have a great show.

HARRIS: Thank you, Kyra. Have a great day.