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Senate to Vote on Repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"; Financial Experts Give Advice; Tensions Rise on Korean Peninsula; Italian Judge Agrees to Reexamine Evidence Knox Murder Case; Woman Who Criticized President During Town Hall Meeting Looking For Work; New Laser May Be Used to Blind Attackers; Handbag Used in Attempt to Thwart School Board Shooter May Be Sold on eBay
Aired December 18, 2010 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN ANCHOR: The Senate taking up the hot button of gays serving openly in the military. We're live on Capitol Hill this hour.
Also, a fresh blast of winter weather in Europe. It's in a deep freeze, blizzard conditions, add it's causing travel problems.
In out 3:00 hour Josh Levs has the latest on a cool iPhone app. It's for international travelers. You know those signs you can't read? Well, say no more.
And, hey, Yogi and Boo Boo make a return trip to Jellystone Park. We're going to have the weekend box office in our 4:00 eastern hour.
This is CNN Newsroom. I'm Drew Griffin. Fredricka Whitfield is off today.
First, it's a possible history making vote in the Senate. An hour from now the Senate expected to take a final vote now on repealing the Pentagon's controversial "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy on gays in the military.
Let's go live to our CNN congressional correspondent Brianna Keilar who's on Capitol Hill and watched as we saw the first historic vote of the day -- Brianna.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right. We really are expecting this to be historic, this vote going to be at 3:00 p.m. eastern. This is the vote that's going to be sending this bill to president Obama's desk, a repeal of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy, which says that openly gay servicemen and women cannot serve in the military.
You really can't overstate, though, just how important this vote was that we saw earlier today. That's because the vote threshold was 60 votes. It passed 63-33. The vote we're going to be seeing at 3:00 p.m. eastern only requires a simple majority.
Make no mistake, this is an issue that is still very controversial. Just listen to what Senator Joe Lieberman said on the floor as well as what Senator Lindsey Graham who opposes the repeal said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOE LIEBERMAN, (I) CONNECTICUT: In our time, we will guarantee as a matter of law that no one will be denied equal opportunity based on their sexual orientation. They'll be judged by the way they live and the way they perform their jobs.
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM, (R) SOUTH CAROLINA: The Marine Corps commandant has said he believes that changing this policy this way would cause distraction among the Marine Corps to the point that he is worried about increased casualties.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: Now, all of the opposition to this vote, this key procedural vote, that will lead to the vote at 3:00 p.m., which will actually be the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" after President Obama signs this bill into law, all of the opposition was Republican opposition, but there were six GOP senators who joined all of the Democrats who were voting to push this over that 60-vote threshold.
The next step, Drew, it's not as if when the president signs this, oh, there it is. It's going to take a process. The military is going to have to go through a logistical process, review process, before there is made official.
GRIFFIN: Brianna, 17 years in the making, I guess we wait a little longer. A win for the president obviously, but there was a loss for the president and Democrats today on this so-called DREAM act. When what was happening there?
KEILAR: Another contentious issue, illegal immigration. This was a bill that would have provided a path to citizenship for children whose parents brought them here as illegal immigrants. It did fail. What you heard from some Republicans and there were with some who voted for it, they felt there was too much that was just kind of being rub rubbed through the Congress in the final days before the holiday, before the new congress, and they just fell five votes shy of actually being able to push that bill over this key procedural hurdle.
GRIFFIN: Brianna Keilar, they've still got work to do. We haven't talked about the START treaty yet. We'll continue as we go through the afternoon. Thanks, Brianna.
There's been tough talk from both Koreas. South Korea is preparing for live-fire exercises. They were set to start today on the same island that North Korea shelled last month. But all that's on hold for now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: South Korea's joint chiefs of staff says that the planned live-fire drills on Yeonpyeong Island will not take place this weekend, not due to political considerations but simply because of weather. Weather on the island is unfavorable for the live-fire naval drills, but they're still planned. The mindset hasn't changed. They'll simply push them back to Monday or Tuesday.
Yeonpyeong Island is the island that on November 23rd was shelled by North Korea. Two south Korean marines and two civilians killed. North Korean area has said if these live-fire naval drills, they do plan on carrying out a retaliatory attack of "deadlier firepower."
The U.S. State Department has said that these drills are not meant to be threatening or provocative but certainly there has been a lot of discussion about exactly what kind of message this does send to Pyongyang. According to a late tweet from the leader of south Korea's large of the opposition political party, he says he for one is breathing a sigh of relief that the drills will be delayed due to weather, that he does not feel that the lives of the people on the peninsula and peace on the peninsula should be put at risk simply to teach North Korea a lesson.
Kyung Lah, CNN, Seoul.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GRIFFIN: Meanwhile, former U.N. ambassador bill Richardson is in North Korea hoping to ease tensions on the peninsula. He has been there since Thursday urging restraint at every turn.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. BILL RICHARDSON (D), NEW MEXICO (via telephone): I'm concerned because there's a potential for a miscalculation I've raised with the North Koreans the importance of being extremely restrained, to cool down, to not overreact.
I am concerned because these routine exercises of the South Koreans could cause a miscalculation. My sense from talking to the North Koreans is they want to tamp things down a bit.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRIFFIN: The only television correspondent traveling with Richardson is our own Wolf Blitzer. And here's what Wolf told us about the high-level meetings taking place there.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WOLF BLITZER, HOST, "THE SITUATION ROOM" (via telephone): Earlier today, he met with the chief nuclear negotiator and those meetings are going to continue. Sunday morning local time he's going to meet with the top military official in charge of the DMZ and armistice and that's going to be a critically important meeting because Richardson is aggressively pushing for some serious restraint on the part of the North Koreans.
I know they're going to be very happy that the weather has delayed any South Korean military maneuvers at this point.
(END VIDEO CLIP) GRIFFIN: And while all of this is going on, take a look at this happening in the waters off South Korea. It involved one of South Korea's vessels and Chinese fishing boat. The news ago agency says those aboard the boat was poaching. One fisherman is dead and the others missing. Four coast guard officers were reportedly injured when they tried to arrest the fishing boat's crew.
(WEATHER BREAK)
GRIFFIN: And we have got some tax tips for you, 2010 tax tips. The Dolans will be with us. There they are getting ready, tips for reducing the taxes you pay for 2010. There's still time. They're going to tell us how.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GRIFFIN: I hate to remind you of this, but we're getting near the end of the year, and that means time for the year-end tax tips. Our personal finance experts Ken and Daria Dolan are here to help us catch a break on our taxes. Good to see you both. I guess one of the number one things you can do is finish out that 401(k) if you haven't done that already, right?
KEN DOLAN, FINANCIAL EXPERT: Drew, why do we get all the good segments at the end of the year? People don't want to talk about taxes!
GRIFFIN: I know they don't. But it's the only time we ever care about taxes.
KEN DOLAN: Yes. No kidding.
DARIA DOLAN, FINANCIAL EXPERT: Exactly. You know, there still is time to do a couple things. Max out the 401(k), max out your 403b, your 457 plans. For example, if you have a 401(k), depending on where you fall in the pecking order of earners in your company, you could be as high as $16,500 for calendar 2010, and if you're 50 years of age or older, it could be as high as $22,000.
KEN DOLAN: Drew, we're not saying everybody in this tight money era everybody this much, we're just saying prosecute the end of the year get into one of those qualified plans what you can. Because it comes right off the top from a tax standpoint and you'll benefit in years ahead.
GRIFFIN: Let me ask you a question that I don't know the answer to. But let's say I look into my plan and I'm at, like, 12,000, right? And I know that I've got four grand I've saved somewhere else. Will my employer allow me to put that four grand in there?
KEN DOLAN: As long as it's before the end of the year.
DARIA DOLAN: And it's also determinate upon what other people in your company earn, because there are earnings limits. High earners can get limited in the amount they can if there are many lower wage people in the company. KEN DOLAN: If you qualify, the answer is yes.
GRIFFIN: I should ask.
DARIA DOLAN: Oh, always. By all means.
GRIFFIN: Very good. And self-employed? If I'm self-employed?
DARIA DOLAN: If you're self-employed and you don't have a simplified employee plan or a keel plan, solo 401(k), you're missing a great opportunity to shelter income and prepare for your retirement down the road when who knows if anybody will see Social Security?
KEN DOLAN: And the IRS has something great, Drew, that anybody who is self-employed or has self-employment income, maybe part time. It's publication 334, tax guide for small business. It's one of the very best pieces that the IRS has, publication 334.
DARIA DOLAN: And you can almost understand it, too, unlike most of their stuff.
GRIFFIN: Almost.
KEN DOLAN: Almost.
GRIFFIN: IRAs, IRAs -- that's an easy one.
KEN DOLAN: That's an easy one.
DARIA DOLAN: It is, but you know people wait until now if they do it at all. This is sort of like our tax tip for the end of the year if you haven't done it, but also first thing at the beginning of next year. Start putting money in that IRA, $5,000 if you're under the age of 50 for 2010, and $6,000 if you're 50 or older for 2010.
KEN DOLAN: I'm not yet.
DARIA DOLAN: The sooner you do it in the course of the year, I'm talking looking into the beginning of 2011, the better time you have to get that tax deferral working in your favor and not Uncle Sam's.
KEN DOLAN: When I'm 50, I'm going to put in that extra I'm telling you right now.
(LAUGHTER)
GRIFFIN: Ken, I'm not letting you get away with that, buddy. I think you're a $6,000 man. I just want to lay that out there.
KEN DOLAN: Easy, Drew.
GRIFFIN: I just want to lay that out.
DARIA DOLAN: They're making a new limit for his age group.
GRIFFIN: There's no limit here. KEN DOLAN: Thank you, Drew.
GRIFFIN: What else can we do? Quickly, there's a lot of people who want to reduce taxes. Obviously contributions to charities, any limits there?
KEN DOLAN: Hey, a quick one, Drew, GSA, flexible spending account. Many people put money aside by the end of the year sometimes for eyewear, depends on your plan. Many plans don't have a grace year. Many have put money aside or there's a credit for you to spend that money, spend it by the end of the year. Many plans have a Grace period into the new year, many do not.
DARIA DOLAN: If you don't need it for medical purposes, since in our daughter's case, her flexible spending, she's already been alerted for 2011, certain things she can't buy, like aspirin, without a doctor's prescription.
KEN DOLAN: Next year.
DARIA DOLAN: So she's going to stock up on all sorts of things like that this year while she can still do it.
KEN DOLAN: Now's the time to do it.
DARIA DOLAN: Charitable giving, yes, yes, yes, but you've got to get that check in the mail -- it's got to be post marked before the 31st of December.
KEN DOLAN: In the mail by the 31st.
DARIA DOLAN: It's got to be out of your control by the end of the year. Otherwise you'll have take the charitable deduction in the following year.
GRIFFIN: Just so I understand it, it doesn't have to be in the charitable bank account. It just has to be in the mailbox.
DARIA DOLAN: Out of your control.
KEN DOLAN: Absolutely, Drew. It has to be out of your control by the 31st. Very good. Good point, Drew.
GRIFFIN: All right, guys. And you have this all on a web with site, right?
KEN DOLAN: That's right. Dolans.com. We have more tax tips there if people want exciting year-end reading.
(LAUGHTER)
DARIA DOLAN: Well, you know, you can read it with us where you can understand it or read it from the IRS.
KEN DOLAN: And it's 18,000 pages, Drew.
DARIA DOLAN: You can start your new year's eve drinking early.
GRIFFIN: Ken, thanks a lot. I'm looking forward to that 50th birthday party. See you guys down the road.
KEN DOLAN: Very funny, Drew.
(LAUGHTER)
GRIFFIN: Take care. We'll be back right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GRIFFIN: We've been getting a lot of questions on the Dolans' tax tips, and we'll have them back to answer those question. But first we want to check headlines now.
There's been a huge prison break across the Rio Grande from Laredo, Texas. Mexican news agencies are reporting 140 inmates just walked away from that prison. Public officials say the inmates probably got help from prison employees. The prison director, missing.
Five years after cracking up audiences as an electronics store clerk in the movie "40-Year-Old Virgin" actor Shelley Malil was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Nothing to laugh about here. Malil convicted in California of repeatedly stabbing his former girlfriend. During the trial, he claimed it was the knife that stabbed her, not him.
In Europe, holiday travelers facing a weather nightmare -- deep snow, ice, temperatures hovering near zero are causing airport delays and cancellations. In some cases entire airports have been shut down. From Ireland to Bulgaria, people are being warned don't travel unless you have to. Meteorologists warn that more snow is on the way.
You know, I said good-bye to you guys but you're back. As promised.
KEN DOLAN: Hello, drew. You missed the party.
GRIFFIN: I missed the cue. Our Josh Levs is also here. He's been taking a look at the questions.
KEN DOLAN: Oh, no, not Josh!
(LAUGHTER)
GRIFFIN: Yes. So now it's time to put you guys to the test.
JOSH LEVS, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Dynamic Dolan duo, you ready to do this?
DARIA DOLAN: Josh, can I just interrupt with one -- no, I won't. Go ahead.
LEVS: I know what you're going to say. Here's the headline, right? We have more time to worry about taxes this year. Is that not right?
DARIA DOLAN: Yes. That's sort of like a holiday gift for the procrastinators of the world unite. Because of a holiday on April 15th in Washington, D.C., you don't have to -- you can procrastinate for three more days, and that includes those of you who are procrastinating by filing extensions.
KEN DOLAN: April 18th.
LEVS: We've got a bunch of questions from viewers. Let's go to the first one. What we do is we reach out on Facebook, Twitter. This is from Toby. "I'm a 24-year-old college student. I make roughly $1,500 a month. I have a little over $41,000 in debt. Is bankruptcy a good option?" Dolans, do your thing.
KEN DOLAN: Well, if Toby is making 1,500 a month and probably netting let's say $1,000 --
DARIA DOLAN: No, no. He'd be getting more than that.
KEN DOLAN: Well, $1,200, pick a number. At $1,200 a month into $41,000 is the better part of three years to make it up. That's a tough one. At 24 years old, you don't want a ten-year problem with a bankruptcy, but that's a tough one, Daria.
DARIA DOLAN: First off what I would with do is see if there's one way to work with the lenders on student loans --
KEN DOLAN: Sound like student loans.
DARIA DOLAN: -- and the federal government and see what you can do to get forbearance on that loan. At all costs, if at 24 years of age you could avoid a bankruptcy this early in your career, please try and do it.
KEN DOLAN: Toby, nfcc.org, national foundation for credit counseling. Take a peek at that site. Maybe you can get free help in your area.
LEVS: Let's get to the next one. As I was sway saying, we tell everyone, the Dolans are going to be with us. What are your questions? We reach out on twitter and Facebook. This one is from Andrew -- "What is the most important financial savings tip you can give to holiday shoppers this time of year?" Guys, choose one. What would it be?
KEN DOLAN: That's a good question. You give yours, I'll give mine.
DARIA DOLAN: My all-time favorite, unless you are giving something to somebody that they absolutely need, if you can't afford it, you can make gifts, you can do family things together, you can sort of have a little get-together with your friends. Please don't spend money you do not have. That's the best financial information I can give you. It's just not worth it to pay for it for the next few years. KEN DOLAN: All those must-have gifts that you gave last year and you went into debt, there are 13 million people still paying on their credit card for last Christmas. A lot of those gifts are now on eBay.
LEVS: Listen to all those millions. That's interesting.
You know, we're running out of time. One more, this is from max. "Can I boost my credit score higher by paying off the balance each month?" Now, I thought the obvious answer is yes. You would think it's yes. But you guys tell me if you pay down your credit each month, does that boost your score? And how soon does it boost your score?
GRIFFIN: Paying it down to no balance.
LEVS: Exactly.
KEN DOLAN: There's a difference in paying it on time with a balance left or paying it down to zero with no balance.
DARIA DOLAN: There are so many stupid things that go into giving you a credit score. I can't begin to elucidate all of them. Paying your balance in full every month really is no different, for the most part, than paying the fixed amount that you can pay --
KEN DOLAN: Or the minimum.
DARIA DOLAN: -- or the minimum month after month in a timely fashion. The balance versus no balance --
KEN DOLAN: Pay it off!
DARIA DOLAN: -- it's how much debt you're carrying, number one with. If you're closing credit card accounts you've had open for a long time, that will count against you. It's many, many things. Just going to zero balance every single month is not going to make a difference unless, in fact, you've reached a plateau with your credit card allowance.
KEN DOLAN: Pay it off, pay of the bill!
LEVS: Let me show everyone where to send their questions. Keep them coming. We have my Facebook and Twitter and the blog there.
KEN DOLAN: We love your picture there, Josh.
LEVS: Thanks, guys. The dynamic Dolan duo, great to have you.
DARIA DOLAN: Merry Christmas and happy holidays.
KEN DOLAN: Happy holidays, Josh.
LEVS: Happy holidays to you guys.
KEN DOLAN: Buy, Drew!
GRIFFIN: Bye! Don't forget about my invite for later.
KEN DOLAN: Don't forget the party.
GRIFFIN: I won't.
Ferocious wintry weather. That's a pack of lies. He's over 50. Don't you think?
LEVS: Is he?
GRIFFIN: Of course he is. Across the parts of the U.S. and Europe. And what do you do if this happens to you at home? More on these big storms straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GRIFFIN: In "Your Health," some women who can't breastfeed are turning to the internet and buying breast milk from other women. But the FDA says that might not be such a great idea. In this week's "Health for Her," senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen explains the government's warning.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Breastfeeding is supposed to come naturally to new mothers, but the reality is that it doesn't always work. Some women have great difficulty breastfeeding, and then they turn to formula.
But some women are saying, hmm, maybe we can get breast milk from other women with. For example, meet Jen Connell. Jen Connell was diagnosed with breast cancer and she lost both of her breasts, so she developed a website called feedmybaby.com, and 35 women donated milk to her child. You can see her here giving that donated breast milk to her child in a bottle.
But recently the FDA has come out saying that women and Jen are doing the wrong thing. Here's what they say. They say when human milk is obtained directly from another individual through the Internet, the donor is unlikely to have been adequately screened for diseases or contamination risk.
Also, it's not likely that the human milk has been collected, processed and stored in a way that reduces possible safety risks to the baby.
Now, we spoke to women who are buying and selling milk on the internet, and they said it doesn't change anything for them. They say despite the FDA's warning, they're going to continue to buy and sell milk on the internet. The moms we talked to who are buying milk say they trust these other mothers. They also were giving the milk to their own babies. They would never hurt their own babies and they trust the women to do it the proper way.
The FDA says they'll continue to talk about this issue of breast milk over the Internet. Drew?
GRIFFIN: Elizabeth Cohen, thanks. There's more snow and ice in parts of U.S., and winter still three days away. Right now storms that blew in from the pacific are spreading this frigid weather across the west coast. It's slow going especially in Reno. Also heavy snow in heavy parts in California.
Check out this scene, something you definitely don't have to deal with. Strong blizzard winds pushed the door open to this Iowa house, letting in all kinds of snow. The homeowners were out when this happened. A relative was checking on their house when they discovered all the snow. Luckily no damage once they shovel it out.
It's been a treacherous blizzard paralyzing much of Europe with major airports snowed in. Travel chaos across the continent. That's the scene at London's Heathrow.
CNN's Nina Dos Santos is with us from the British capital. It looks like at least there's no snow coming down on you.
NINA DOS SANTOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Drew.
The good news for the moment is we haven't had snow in the past five hours. As you can see behind me, a lot of what was snow has turned to slush and water on the roads. Therein lies the problem because roads are set to become treacherous across much of the United Kingdom and Europe tonight. What's water now will freeze to ice overnight.
As you were saying, Drew, it is air passengers who are feeling the brunt of this cold, icy weather with. Rice across continental Europe and the U.K., here in London we had airports closed for much of the day. It's reopen and a number of flights will be very delayed taking off and landing tentatively there.
Heathrow still seems to be closed. It was supposed to open 45 minutes to an hour ago. We haven't heard any more. A number of carriers canceling flights, delaying passengers across the continent. Thousands of people were stranded in Frankfurt overnight in Bulgaria. They've been buffeted with freezing temperatures, paralyzing their transport networks. The worst is it seems the cold snap is going to persist into the new year.
GRIFFIN: I was going to ask you about the forecast over the next week or so. Is it more snow or just cold?
DOS SANTOS: For the moment, what seems certain is we'll have cold weather pressing. For the U.K. in particular, we could have another bunch of snow drifts that could show about 25 centimeters falling overnight, which is one of the reasons why we've had so many severe weather conditions across much of Britain, northern Ireland, and Scotland.
When it comes to the temperatures, though, spare a thought living for people living in northern Scotland. Temperatures there overnight plummeted to minus 17 degrees Celsius. In Fahrenheit, that is between two and three degrees, and of course a lot of people saying that this is going to be hitting in particular people who don't have a home, very hard. Just on this street, we saw a gentleman passing us about half an hour ago who is clearly homeless. It's go be to be a very difficult night for him.
GRIFFIN: Thank you for that report from London. Appreciate that.
Coming up, President Obama a message for the U.S. Senate as lawmakers prepare for a historic vote on gays in the military. We'll have that for you right after this.
GRIFFIN: If you've been following the Amanda Knox story, there's been a big development going on. Amanda Knox is the college student from Washington State, the Seattle area, currently in prison in Italy for killing her British roommate.
An Italian appellate judge has agreed to new DNA tests on some evidence used to convict her. On the phone with us from London is Barbie Nadeau, who freelances for "Newsweek." Barbie, the family of Amanda Knox has contested all along that this was evidence that was botched and there's no forensics that show that Amanda was part of this vicious and brutal murder. What evidence are they going to test again?
BARBIE NADEAU, FREELANCE REPORTER, "NEWSWEEK": Well, today in court, the new judge in the appellate court decided to take another look at the bra clasp that has DNA on it and a knife, the supposed murder weapon, that has Amanda Knox's DNA on the blade and Meredith Kercher's, the victim's, DNA on the handle.
The fact this judge is willing to look at this key evidence means he's open to really reexamining this case. And I think that that really is good news for Amanda Knox.
GRIFFIN: And we've also heard that there might be some new witnesses coming forward. Is that correct?
NADEAU: That's right. There was one witness during the criminal trial who testified that he saw Amanda Knox and her boyfriend outside the house with where the murder took place in the hours after the murder based on the time of death of the body. The judge wants to hear witnesses talking basically about this particular witness' testimony.
This witness was a homeless man who lived on a basketball court near the house where Meredith was killed. And he was sort of a questionable witness at the time, but the judge at the time during the criminal trial let everything go. Now the judge in the appellate trial wants to reexamine his testimony because he's the only one that really put Amanda and Raphael at the scene of the crime.
And so these are key developments I think and key indicators that no matter how this appeal comes out, no matter what happens at the end of it, she really is getting a fair look again at the way the criminal trial went.
GRIFFIN: I mean, this is the first good news for Amanda Knox's family for a long time. She was kind of up against the wall facing a very long prison sentence.
NADEAU: That's right. And, you know, the results of this appeal probably won't be heard until next summer. Today the court actually granted a 90-day extension on a June, 2011 deadline. So if she does get good news, it's still going to be quite a while.
But this is really basically the first decision that the judge in this appellate trial has made, and it's gone her way. So after a year -- she's been in prison for three years. After all this time, this is basically the first good news she's heard.
GRIFFIN: News in the Amanda Knox case, the judge is allowing review of the forensic evidence, the DNA testing. The story has been huge especially in the tabloids in London.
Coming up, the story of a former gang member in Chicago trying to knock out treat violence by teaching kids to box.
First, though, a quick check of our headlines.
AAA is saying the northbound of Americans planning trips during the holiday season is jumping three percent. In all, 93 million of us expected to travel at least 50 miles from home by car or by air. AAA advising drivers to use caution, of course, in inclement weather.
Next hour, the Senate expected to vote on overturning the ban on gays and lesbians serving openly in the military. It is the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." It cleared a procedural hurdle earlier today by a vote of 63-33. The House has already passed similar legislation.
If the Senate does repeal the ban, it would represent a big political victory for President Obama. Joining us from the White House, CNN's Kate Bolduan. Kate, what is the president saying about today's action in the Senate?
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is exactly one of the reasons that the president is sticking around, sticking in town, delaying his holiday vacation to Hawaii. Repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" has long been a priority of the president, something he's vowed and promised to do dating agent way back to the campaign trail that seems oh, so long ago at this point.
In a statement the White House released shortly after the procedural vote to move towards the final vote we're looking forward to in the next hour, he released a statement. In part it says, "As commander in chief I am absolutely convinced that making this change, repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," will only underscore the professionalism as our troops as the best led and best trained fighting force the world has ever known."
President Obama then went on to say that it is time to close this chapter in our history, really noting what a historic vote he thinks this will with be, as many have said it will be regardless of how it goes.
From the guidance from the White House pool here, it doesn't sound regardless of how the vote goes, we'll be seeing the president come on camera for any reaction, but we can expect we'll get reaction coming from the White House.
But, in addition to "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," if I can make a little bit of turn, this is one of the priorities that the president had that he wanted the Congress to vote on before leaving for their holiday recess.
Another thing that -- another big priority the president wants to obviously turn his focus to is getting Congress to ratify the new START treaty. In Washington speak, the arms reduction deal with Russia. That's a huge priority of the president, but that's another thing we'll have to keep an eye on in the coming days.
GRIFFIN: Kate, he got one victory. I'm not sure about the rest before he leaves.
BOLDUAN: It could be a big lame duck for him.
GRIFFIN: It could be. Thanks a lot, Kate.
And 15 minutes of fame, a ticket to the unemployment line. That's the hand Velma Hart was dealt, now becoming one of the millions looking for work this holiday season. CNN's Samantha Hayes tagged along during one day of her job search.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SAMANTHA HAYES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: When we met Velma Hart last summer, she was a decade into her work for a veterans service organization, and as a veteran herself shared her concern with CNN about misidentified graves at Arlington National Cemetery.
VELMA HART, LOOKING FOR WORK: Because I have someone buried in Arlington.
HAYES: That was before Velma Hart became a national name, before she stood up in a September town hall meeting and asked the president of the United States the question that made her famous --
HART: I'm exhausted of defending you, defending your administration, defending the mantle of change that I voted for.
HAYES: Hart looks back on that day and all the attention that followed with a sense of amusement.
HART: I think I keep waking up and pinching myself that anyone is interested. I'm thinking I'm just like everybody else.
HAYES: Indeed she is now like millions of other Americans, looking for work. Hart was laid off before thanksgiving.
HART: I don't think I'm reinventing the wheel. I'm doing everything everybody else is. I'm using my friend network, resources that are available to me in the community. HAYES: Just this week the Department of Labor hosted a conference to help unemployed workers find jobs. Experts say the outlook is uncertain, but workers can be proactive.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We can't sit back and tell people to relax and jobs will come. We need to be saying to everybody, get out there and while you're experiencing what we hope will be a short-term dislocation, get re-skilled.
HAYES: For Velma Hart, the job search has just begun. But you won't hear her explain. And as the holiday season draws near, she may be on a more stringent budget, but still considers herself fortunate.
HART: My faith drives me. I have a tremendous church family. I have a loving family at home. I have an extended family of friends who just won't let me quit. And so, you know, not everybody has that resource.
HAYES: Something else you may find surprising about Velma Hart -- even after her tough stance with the president in September, she doesn't blame him or his policies for the loss of her job. In fact, she commends him for the recent tax cut deal.
Samantha Hayes, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GRIFFIN: Coming up, "Edge of Discovery," a new way to stop bad guys with a laser that dazes.
And a crime-fighting purse gets auctioned. We'll have that next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GRIFFIN: Well, in cops versus robbers, what do you think about tasers, handcuffs, batons? There is more than one way to stop a bad guy. Gary Tuchman sheds light on a new crime fighting weapon in this "Edge of Discovery."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In this simulated SWAT team takedown, the bad guy is distracted by a psychedelic green light called a "Dazer Laser."
ROBERT BATTIS, LASER ENERGETICS: It's like a flash. The Dazer Laser is capable of blocking your vision entirely.
TUCHMAN: The laser isn't meant to replace guns or pepper spray. It's intended to give law enforcement more options.
BATTIS: If they can take out the vision, take out the criminal. It can do it less violently, safer and more effectually.
TUCHMAN: There are plenty of other options for the device, he says. BATTIS: It can be used for air marshals, in applications of the military, in applications that would even be for park rangers, animal control. It could be used for riots, crowd control, could be used in security applications.
TUCHMAN: The makers say the technology they use is safe and effective from just a few feet away to over a mile away. They say it doesn't cause any permanent dabbling mage to the eye. Dazer Lasers could be in the hands of U.S. law enforcement agencies soon.
Gary Tuchman, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GRIFFIN: A Florida school board member who heroically tried to stop a gunman with her purse put her handbag up for sale. Ginger Littleton auctioned her faux crocodile leather purse on eBay to benefit the Salvage Santa Program. The charity is run by Mike Jones, the security officer who wounded the gunman before the gunman killed himself.
Although the bidding reached $1200 for the purse, eBay had to pull the auction because legal requirements weren't met. We take a look back with CNN's Jeanne Moos.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Ginger Littleton is holding it close, waving it victoriously, pulling mundane like tissue out of it. But this is more than a purse.
GINGER LITTLETON, BOARD MEMBER, BAY DISTRICT SCHOOLS: This a weapon.
MOOS: A hand-me-down that ginger tried to use on the hand of a gunman.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, Ginger, no.
MOOS: He points the gun at my head and says, you stupid (bleep).
MOOS: She says she agrees with the stupid part, that self- defense experts called what she tried to do both stupid and dangerous. Still, she's getting the hero treatment.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You are something!
MOOS: And so is her bag.
LITTLETON: Shall I do my Vanna?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're going to put some bricks in it for her.
MOOS: When the gunman ordered all of the women out of the school board meeting.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You may leave, you may leave.
MOOS: Ginger waited about 30 seconds in a hallway before creeping back and --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hitting him with her purse.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Used her purse.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Waxed Duke defiantly with her purse.
MOOS: The purse was a hand-me-down from Ginger's 89-year-old mother-in-law. Why did her mother-in-law give up such a nice purse?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She said it was too heavy for her.
MOOS: But not heavy enough to knock the gun out of the gunman's hand. This is the kind of thing you saw in "Laugh-In," making it all the more shocking to see it done in desperation. A lot of us carry bags that are heavy enough to use as weapons. What did ginger have inside hers?
LITTLETON: I have a lot of keys that weigh probably two pounds.
MOOS: A nice heavy wallet, a cell phone, a compact.
LITTLETON: Bills I should be paying.
MOOS: We asked if it was a designer bag she used to wallop the gunman.
LITTLETON: Are you kidding me?
MOOS: Turns out it's a Braman, one of their discontinued bag that sold for $385 as part of the toasted almond collection.
LITTLETON: The lovely whatever this creepy stuff is.
MOOS: That would be faux crocodile leather. In "Vogue" magazine, they say they're redefining timeless will style, not to mention redefining improvised weapons. Ginger's daughter was left holding the bag while mom did interviews. Ginger has no plans to retire her bag or to bronze it.
LITTLETON: It's my purse.
MOOS: Jeanne Moos -- I'm happy to meet both you and the purse.
LITTLETON: I'm glad you said me before the purse, though. I appreciate that.
MOOS: CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GRIFFIN: Time for "CNN Equals Politics" update. Here's what crossing the Ticker right now. Republicans and Democrats have approved a temporary spending deal to keep the government running at least until next week. They're still fighting over a $1 trillion spending bill to fund the government through September.
A sweeping food safety bill appears to be dead for this session. This is the bill that Congress actually approved earlier this year but a new vote is necessary because of a procedural mistake. Sources say that new vote unlikely before the current session ends, so it's going to have to be reintroduced next year.
Some bad news for Sarah Palin coming in a new poll from ABC News and "The Washington Post." Nearly 60 percent of Americans say they won't even consider voting for her if she decides to run for president. Only eight percent say she definitely has their vote.
Coming up, a vending machine worth its weight in gold.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think of the vending machine like a coke or candy bar maybe or gum, but gold? It's unbelievable.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRIFFIN: Yep, forget chocolate. This vending machine spitting out something much sweeter.
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