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Gibbs Holds White House Briefing; Twelve Arrested In UK Terror Raids; Nike Treaty Down To The Wire; West Coast Slammed By Storms; Kroger Company Cat/Dog Food Recall; The FBI Crunches 2010 Crime Numbers; Death Of Don't Ask, Don't Tell; A Major Crisis On The Korean Peninsula; More Money For You In 2011; Contaminated Water in 31 Cities
Aired December 20, 2010 - 13:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ALI VELSHI, CNN ANCHOR: Take a look at this. You're looking at live pictures of the White House briefing. Where Robert Gibbs is holding its daily celebration with the media. Boy, it has been a busy weekend on Capitol Hill. Don't Ask, Don't Tell, the S.T.A.R.T. treaty, these events in North Korea -- those military events that South Korea was conducting and bill Richardson in North Korea.
We are covering it all. We're also monitoring this briefing. And we want to talk to you about what is going on in that room in just a couple minutes.
First, Christmas less than a week away. Major anti- terrorism raid carried out today in Britain. Twelve suspects are now in custody. You'll recall Christmas Day last year, the so-called underwear bomber was prevented from blowing up a jet liner as it landed in Detroit. Today's raids targeted of and three cities in the UK. Five of the suspects were arrested in Cardiff, in Wales, four in Stoke which is in central England and three in London.
A security source says their ages range from 17 to 28. All are said to be of Pakistani descent. The suspects are being held in police stations in London, the northwest, and the west mid-lands. Officials say the threat level in Britain is severe, meaning that a terrorist attack is highly likely.
Dan Rivers joins me now. He's at our London bureau. He's been following this very, very closely. Dan, tell us what we know about this situation, how likely this -- these people who have been arrested were to actually conduct an attack, and what we know until now -- Dan.
DAN RIVERS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're been told, by one source, that these were, perhaps, more aspirational alleged terrorists than operationally ready, and no sign, yes, of any explosives or weapons having been found that we've been told of. But they are still searching several properties. We're being told that the arrests in Stoke are more significant than those in Cardiff. But here's what John Yates, the assistant commissioner, number three, if you like, in the British police force. Here's what he had to say, Ali. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN YATES, ASSISTANT POLICE COMMISSIONER, LONDON: What I would say is this. With current threat over the UK at severe and with the information we had, I believe that today's arrests were absolutely necessary in order to keep the public safe.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RIVERS: We're being told that there is no link, at the moment, that they have uncovered with those attacks in Sweden earlier this month and this is not -- they don't think that this is a Mumbai attack in the making. A bunch of gunmen going in and attacking at a shopping center or something with automatic weapons. What we don't know, at the moment, is what the suspected target was and what the method that these alleged terrorists suspects were going to use. So, a lot of questions still to answer as the police continue to question these 12 men.
VELSHI: Dan, I mentioned, just before bringing you in, that the threat level in the UK is severe. Is that a change or has it been at that level for some time?
RIVERS: No, that's been like that for some time. I think that's the second highest threat level, which means an attack is highly likely. It hasn't changed in light of these either before or afterwards. I mean, clearly, in the run up to Christmas, the great concern here will -- is that Assell (sp) would do something.
And a little bit more information on the nationalities of these men. They're still trying to identify them. The initial briefing we got is that they were all of Pakistani descent. Now, there's some suggestion that some may be from Bangladesh. But we're still trying to find that out and the police are still trying to confirm that for us.
VELSHI: OK. Then we will hold off on Reporting that they are all of Pakistan descent until we're sure that's the case. Dan, thanks very much. Appreciate your reporting on this. And we'll stay tuned with you. Dan Rivers in London.
Other stories we're watching right now, the fate of the new S.T.A.R.T. Treaty going down to the wire on Capitol Hill as senators discuss it behind closed doors today. President Obama signed the nuclear arms deal with Russia in April. It needs to be ratified. It reinstates mutual inspections of US and Russian arsenals and cuts the number of deployed weapons that each side can have. The White House has wanted it ratified by the end of the year, so Senate Democrats have been pushing it as this Lame Duck session winds down. They believe they've got the votes, but, over the weekend, GOP leaders started to back away adding fresh doubts about a vote happening this week.
And a week before Christmas looks white and wet for swaths of the west coast. We're talking sow is piling up over your head in the California mountains and the Sierras and flooding and mudslides fears down in its valleys. Reynolds Wolf, over at the severe weather center, joins us now for this. And Chad warned us about it last week, but, boy, it looks like there's real snow.
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Oh, no question about it. You were talking about how high some of the snowfall totals were. Take a look at this. These were some of the latest readings. Mammoth Lakes, 108 inches of snowfall. We're talking in excess of eight feet, up to nine feet there. And still the snow is going to come piling down. In Alpine Meadows, 53 inches of snow. Kirkwood -- 52. Mount Rose, over in Nevada, basically, still very impressive totals there -- you see 50 in June Lake, California and then we've got another round of storms coming in on Tuesday and Wednesday. So, we're not done just yet.
But take a look at something else that we have in terms of the power of the storm. We've shown you the precipitation. The wind gusts equivalent of a major hurricane. Look at this. Mammoth Lakes had a gust reported of 164 miles per hour. Alpine Meadows -- 155. And, then, when you get to Alpine Meadows Summit, 152. South Lake Tahoe, certainly, nothing to sneeze at with 60 mile-per-hour gusts there in that area.
And then the reason why we're seeing it, very quickly. Area of low pressure forming up in the Gulf of Alaska. We've got the Pineapple Express. Just a nonstop -- seemingly nonstop stream of moisture moving into the state. Heavy rain expected in San Juan Keen (ph) Valley. In southern California, mudslides are a possibility. And then farther up to the north up into the Sierra, Nevada it's all going to be snow and, still, we expect it to last through midweek. That's a quick snapshot of what is happening out west. More weather is coming up in just a few moments -- Ali.
VELSHI: All Right, Reynolds, thanks very much for that. We've got a pet food recall that we want to flag for you. The brands are Pet Pride, Old Yeller, and Kroger Value. Can and dog dry foods. Kroger stores in 17 states are involved. Source of outlets run by the Kroger Company under different names -- Dillons, Bakers, Food for Less, among others. Now, the problem is aflitoxin contamination. It's a fungus that can hit corn and other crops.
Here's what you need to do. If you're worried about what you're feeding your dog, first -- or your cat, first, head to Kroger.com for details on specific stores, states, and sell-by dates. If you've feeding your pet this recall food, stop. If your cat or dog is lethargic, doesn't want to eat, maybe looks gaundice, call your vet ASAP and let them know that you heard about this recall so that they can be thinking about the same thing.
And some good that was a bit of a surprise, even to the FBI. After crunching the numbers after the first half of 2010, the bureau found overall violent crime was down more than 6 percent compared to the same time last year. Reported homicides dropped more than 7 percent. All regions of the country seeing improvement, except the northeast, well, there was improvement, generally, by a little bit in the northeast, but homicides, themselves, in the northeast were up nearly 6 percent.
Generally, the law enforcement community expects more violent crime when money and jobs are tight, like we have in this economy. The FBI report doesn't analyze the reasons for the drop. It just reports that we've got it.
And for the longest time, the fate of Don't Ask, Don't Tell was up in the air. It's settled now. Some Pentagon brass are unsettled over how, exactly, they are going to integrate openly gay troops. We'll have a live update. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VELSHI: Can't figure out what that scene was on TV. Don't Ask, Don't Tell got more than 14,000 troops booted out of the military. Seventeen years later, it is dead, or it will be, as soon as President Obama signs the bill that Congress just passed and Congress figures out how to integrate it with military precision. And even once President Obama signs it, which could on Wednesday, I understand, Barbara will know more about this, doesn't mean they start integrating immediately. Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr joins us now to look ahead a little bit and how this is actually going to happen. Barbara, what do you think?
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, Ali, you're right. Burocracy, first, in Washington in all cases, isn't it? It is going to take some period of time. Defense Secretary Gates says he doesn't know how long. They have to look at all the regulations, policies, review everything, decide what regulations might need be to changed. This could be weeks. It could be months.
Once they do all of that, then they certify to Congress that they're good to go, that it won't harm the readiness or the effectiveness of the US military. Then 60 days later, it goes into effect. Don't Ask, Don't Tell gone once and for all. But there is an implementation plan on the books, and we took a look through some of it earlier today and found out the clues about how the Pentagon plans to proceed on some key points.
For example, they are saying, one of the things that came up, should there be separate living or bathing facilities for openly gay or lesbian service members? Absolutely not. The Pentagon says, it will not do that. No separate but equal type of phraseology these days.
What about benefits for same-sex partners of those in the military? Well, the Pentagon says there will be no married benefits for same-sex partners because under the defense and marriage act, marriage is defined between and man and a woman, not of the same sex. So, they have to obey federal law on things like that.
For those who oppose this, and think they want to get out of the military now, think again. No early outs for those who are in opposition. People must fulfill their enlistment contract and their military obligations. So, some of these things now are beginning to sort out. It's going to be a while before it all happens, still. And gay and lesbian service members are still being warned. At this point, don't come out publicly, just yet -- Ali. VELSHI: Barbara, let me just ask you this. Obviously, this has been on the table for a long time. Has there been no preparation, by the military? I know Secretary Gates said we will -- we have to have an integration plan but is most of this already worked out?
STARR: Well, some of it, in fact, is. You'll recall that for much of the last year, there's been a working group, here in the Pentagon, that has been serving the troops saying, what do you think about all of this. And writing this implementation, if not planned, at least a road map about how to go forward.
So, there is some clues in all of this. They don't really think that they are going to have to write a lot of new regulations because the under lying theme in all of these, the underlying message, is already in the military. Everyone is supposed to be treated with dignity and respect. That should not change and, in the US military, of course, the very strict standards about personal conduct in uniform, things like public displays of affection between a husband and wife in the military or boyfriend and girlfriend in uniform, already heavily regulated. So, this is a population where there's already rules of the road, and they don't think they're going to have to change it very much -- Ali.
VELSHI: All right, Barbara. We will, of course, be talking about this many more times. And it will be, actually, interesting for people. There are great specifics that you're talking about, that the military is going to have to deal with. We'll keep talking to you about that. Barbara starr at the pentagon on this story.
A major crisis on the Korean peninsula. Unlike recent days, the rhetoric has been turned down several notches today, "after warning of brutal consequences beyond imagination." That's a quote, by the way. North Korea is playing the improbable role of peace maker. This, after South Korea carried out live fire drills today, from the same island shelled by North Korea last month. The drill lasted just under two hours. All of the shells landed in disputed waters off the island.
The island in question, by the way, is only a few miles off the coast of North Korea, even though it's a South Korean Island. All of this began reaching the boiling point over the weekend. The government of North Korea leader, Kim Jong-Il (sp), warned of possible war if the south went ahead with the drills. This triggered widespread concern, if not outright fear, in South Korea.
Many of the residents of the island headed for bomb shelters and the South Korean military was put on high alert. The residents were allowed to leave the shelters today. And while the South Korean guns were firing, Joint Chiefs Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen was at the Pentagon monitoring the events. He had direct communications with the South Korean military in the event that the North had (ph) launched an attack.
Now, while all of that is going on, North -- sorry, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson was on the front lines. He was in North Korea while all this was playing out. He was in the North on an unofficial trip holding talks with government officials. They had invited him in. The head of North Korea's nuclear program had invited him in. Today he said that his talks might have had some impact on the North's restraint.
Well, what happens next? We'll find out what this all means. We're going to talk with an expert who's traveled extensively to the North. That's coming up in "Globe Trekking (ph)" about 20 minutes from now.
And you're set to take home more cash next year now that this tax bill has gone through. How much more will you get and what should you do with it? We'll tell you in a minute.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VELSHI: All right, whatever the new year holds, one thing we know, our income tax rates won't be going up and our payroll tax will be going down. Christine Romans joins me from New York with some specifics about how much more money you can expect to have.
But, Christine, is this going to be like a tax refund where you get it or you just don't pay it?
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: You don't pay it, right. But what that means is that your paycheck is going to be bigger. It's going to be bigger because the government will be taking less money out of your paycheck next year. So if you're out there thinking about a New Year's resolution, Ali, here's one that's pretty easy for you. You're going to have a few hundred bucks extra next year to do something, to invest in your future, to pay down your debt.
Here's how much. If you make $40,000 a year, you're going to have $800 more in your paycheck by the end of the year. $800 by the end of the year. Not all at once, but by the end of the year, that's how much more will have gone into your paycheck, how much less the government will have taken out. If you make $80,000, it's $1,600. That's serious money, Ali. And if you make $100,000, it's $2,200 more for the year in your paycheck.
VELSHI: So if you know that, if you --
ROMANS: That's the payroll holiday that some people were talking about.
VELSHI: If you know -- no one can say they don't know because you're not only telling me this, but you've told other people this today and you're going to say it a lot. If you know this money is coming, then the single best thing you can do with it is what, pay down debt, save it pre-emotively or what?
ROMANS: Yes. The single best thing you can do is if you have high interest rate credit card debt, this is money that should go to that immediately.
VELSHI: Right. ROMANS: I mean you do not want that burden around your neck. You cannot grow for the future if you're still paying off the past. So that would be my first piece of advice, the first thing to do would be that.
Then I would say you should consider maxing out your 401(k) contributions, if you aren't already.
VELSHI: Yes.
ROMANS: If you think that, oh, I can't take more out of my paycheck because I need the financial flexibility, well, look, you're going to have a little bit extra in your paycheck.
VELSHI: Right.
ROMANS: So consider putting that into your 401(k).
VELSHI: And some companies -- many companies still match your 401(k) contribution to a certain percentage.
ROMANS: Yes.
VELSHI: That's free money.
ROMANS: And it's free money and Ned Riley, from Riley Asset Management, on your show this weekend, on "Your Money" this weekend, he said he thinks stocks are still going up.
VELSHI: Yes.
ROMANS: A lot of people have been telling us that this is not the time to be too cautious. So if you've got a little bit of extra money, that's a place to put it. You can start a 529 college plan for your grandkids, hint, hint grandma and grandpa. You can also build up your cash cushion, Ali.
VELSHI: Yes.
ROMANS: I think this is really important for people. If you've got 30 weeks of unemployment on average for people who lose their job, then you need to make sure that you have the proper cash cushion for the certainties of next year. But if you're going to get some money --
VELSHI: I love you. I want to reach out and just --
ROMANS: That wasn't there in your budget.
VELSHI: I want to just reach out and hug you for not telling anybody this is a great time to go and buy a flat panel that's deeply discounted right now. You are really very strict about not spending money that you can't afford to spend.
ROMANS: Strict. That makes me sound so mean.
VELSHI: I didn't say mean, I just said strict. That's why we're a great complement to each other. I historically have not been nearly as strict about that sort of thing, but you're the smarter one.
ROMANS: Oh, stop, Ali. You're the cuter one.
VELSHI: Oh, stop.
All right, Christine, good advice. And we will talk more about it.
Be sure to tune in to "Your Bottom Line" every Saturday morning at 9:30 Eastern where Christine gives you excellent, excellent advice that you may not have thought about. Also, watch us on "Your Money." It airs Saturday at 1:00 p.m. Eastern and Sundays at 3:00.
All right, here's some top stories that we're following here on CNN, updating the latest developments.
North Korea is backing off earlier threats against the South, saying it will not retaliate for today's military exercises. South Korea's military carried out live fire exercises from an island just a few miles north -- a few miles off of North Korea's shores. The maneuvers come nearly a month after a similar exercise triggered a response by North Korea that killed two South Korean marines and two civilian construction workers.
In Colorado, police say they've arrested the author of a guide for pedophiles for sending a signed copy of his book to undercover detectives in Florida. Philip Greaves wrote "The Pedophile's Guide to Love and Pleasure." Authorities say he's in court today facing extradition to Florida on charges of distributing obscene material depicting minors.
And here on the screen, 9/11 workers -- rescue workers just days after the World Trade Center attacks in New York. Mayor Michael Bloomberg is joining fire and police officials pushing the U.S. Senate to pass a health care bill for September 11th rescue workers. It would provide free medical coverage for responders and survivors who were exposed to toxins after the attacks. The bill has been in legislative limbo since last week. But on Sunday, the Democrats said they were hopeful they had pulled off, quote, "a Christmas miracle," by trimming the cost of the bill to win Republican support.
All right. What do Lady Gaga's meat dress, Larry King, and the Chilean miners all have to do with Ed Henry and the stakeout? Only Ed can explain this one, so you'll have to stick with me until after the break to find out.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VELSHI: Millions of Americans in at least 31 U.S. cities could be drinking tap water contaminated with a cancer-causing chemical. Our senior medical correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen, is here to explain.
This is creepy.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. VELSHI: I always thought, generally speaking, tap water is OK. It might have stuff in it. I didn't think cancer causing chemicals was one of them.
COHEN: And you thought generally speaking, right. We try to keep carcinogens out of tap water.
VELSHI: Yes. Right.
COHEN: Well, here it is. The environmental working group found it in the 31 cities, which are in 20 something states. And we called them and said, hey, if it's there, is it probably other places, too? And they said, sure, there's no reason to think that it's not there as well.
VELSHI: Right. This is the Erin Brockovich stuff, wasn't it?
COHEN: Right, this is the same thing. But, you know, it's important to remember that we're talking about different amounts.
VELSHI: Right.
COHEN: All right. Sort of what you're exposed to in an occupational setting, you know, when it's your job and, you know, it's different than this situation.
VELSHI: Right. All right. And I also heard that the EPA doesn't monitor for this or call for monitoring for this particular carcinogen.
COHEN: Right. And that actually is important. Let's talk about Norman, Oklahoma, for a minute.
VELSHI: Right. Yes.
COHEN: All right. We spoke to the mayor of Norman, Oklahoma, and we said, hey, you're number one on the list. What's going on here?
VELSHI: Right.
COHEN: And this is what she had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CINDY ROSENTHAL, MAYOR, NORMAN, OKLAHOMA: We have for years tested for total chromium as is required by the U.S. EPA. We've been in complete compliance with those standards and our water does meet all regulated standards. I'm going to reassure our citizens that our water was safe yesterday, it's today, and it's safe tomorrow.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELSHI: OK.
COHEN: OK. So she says we're in compliance with EPA standards. Well, the EPA tells us they basically don't have a legal limit. VELSHI: Right. Right.
COHEN: They don't tell you, you can only have this much (INAUDIBLE).
VELSHI: Right. Right. So they are in compliance, it's just --
COHEN: They're in compliance but there's --
VELSHI: Should the EPA be looking at -- into --
COHEN: They say that they are.
VELSHI: OK.
COHEN: They say that they are and that in 2011 they're going to have some kind of an announcement after they look at this report and other new scientific evidence out there.
VELSHI: I also read that it's not a given that bottled water is not going to have these same carcinogens.
COHEN: Right. A lot of people think, oh, I'll just drink bottled water.
VELSHI: Yes. Yes.
COHEN: No, because bottled water often comes from the same source, some tap water.
VELSHI: Right.
COHEN: Or if this stuff -- you know, this stuff is used in industries.
VELSHI: Yes.
COHEN: It's used to make plastics and whatever. And it is, you know, leaking into ground water or leaking into surface water or whatever.
VELSHI: Yes.
COHEN: It's going to be there for the tap water itself (ph).
VELSHI: Will filters help?
COHEN: You know, there might be some home filters you could buy that use reverse osmosis --
VELSHI: Right. Right.
COHEN: That experts tell me they think those will help but it's unclear which exactly are going to really help and they're incredibly expensive and very inefficient.
VELSHI: They are. The reverse osmosis.
COHEN: And very inefficient.
VELSHI: Right.
OK, Elizabeth, thanks very much. Interesting story. Appreciate it.
COHEN: Thanks.
VELSHI: Elizabeth Cohen, our senior medial correspondent.
Hey, Ed Henry is in Honolulu, where you'd think he is because that's where the president is, except the president is not actually in Honolulu. So when we come back, we've got some tough questions for Ed as to why he's there.
Are we taking a break, then we're coming back to Ed? Is that how it's working?
OK, Ed, stay right there and have a good explanation for us when we come back.
ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: I need to defend myself.
VELSHI: Yes, you do.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VELSHI: Central Park, a view of the Upper East Side in New York. Beautiful as it is, we are not in Hawaii, where we are going in just a moment.
First, happening now, there is calm on the Korean Peninsula. After South Korea's military exercise today, after earlier threats retaliate, North Korean military leaders said there is no reason to do so.
British authorities rounded up 12 terror suspects in raids across central England. Police have not said what their possible experts might have been.
And a powerful storm is bringing record rain and snowfall to California. There's been over a foot of rain in some areas of central California. Wind gusts there are 100 miles an hour.
But none of that in Hawaii. It's sunny and warm. Ed Henry on "The Stakeout." I don't think he's at the White House. We just saw pictures of him. Look at him! He just gets into the part when he goes out there.
Sometimes Ed travels with the president, and he doesn't look the part. He'll go to North Carolina but he'll still be in his White House suit. He'll be in Philadelphia, still be in his White House suit. But when you go to Hawaii every year with the president, it's like you own the place. It's like you're the mayor.
HENRY: Well, yes. I kind of am. And I mean, look. The president will go out on the road sometimes, lose the necktie, will say he's in campaign mode. I come out to Hawaii and I'm in aloha mode. And you got to do it.
And I want to correct something you said. Because I know you're going to exaggerate this for the viewers and make it seem like I'm living high on the hog here but look at this headline here, "Deluged." It's been pouring here for over 24 hours. So, now, breaking news. It's now going to rain until Thursday or Friday. Just got that from our affiliate here, Hawaii New Now. This is sort of the remnants of a tropical storm out in the Pacific.
So bottom line is, Robert Gibbs back at the White House says, you know -- said a few moments ago, the president is likely to come out maybe here not until Wednesday or Thursday. Maybe he timed it pretty well. Maybe he got a weather report. Maybe it's not just the storms there on Capitol Hill.
VELSHI: You know, while you're out doing what you're doing -- and by the way, over your shoulder it's quite remarkable. There are guys out there and people getting their surf boards out.
But the president is still working. This lame duck session of Congress has turned out to be quite productive.
HENRY: It's turned out to be pretty strong for him. He was able to sign the tax relief into law. Big victory for him as well as the Republicans that he worked with on that. A lot of liberal Democrats not so happy.
And then over the weekend, he got a victory with "don't ask, don't tell," repealing it. Something that a lot of people in his own party had perhaps given up hope as recent as last week that he would be able to do it. So, all of a sudden, you're going to start seeing these stories out there. "Obama is back."
I think you've got to temper that with the fact that, sure, he's done well with the lake-duck so far. But he also has some leverage. Namely that when "don't ask, don't tell" got stalled in the Senate, what did he do? He turned back to the House. Nancy Pelosi who still speaker for a few more days, and said pass it as a stand-alone and then they got it through the Senate. You know, come early next January, it's going to be John Boehner as speaker, so he's not going to have quite as much leverage.
So, I think the narrative, you've got to be careful about suddenly saying come January this president is going to be racking up victories. It's going to be tough. But maybe he's showing that reaching out to Republicans and forcing them to govern with him, he may do better than a lot of people expected.
VELSHI: All right. Let's talk about the S.T.A.R.T treaty that they are still working on in the Senate. HENRY: Well, that's the last thing this president wants to get done. It's really the major reason why he's staying behind. It suffered a pretty big blow when the Republican leader in the Senate, Mitch McConnell went on "STATE OF THE UNION" with Candy Crowley and announced for the first time that he's against this treaty.
But it was kind of a humorous response from the Senate Democrats. Harry Reid's office put out a thing, saying that -- because one of the things that Mitch McConnell's saying is that it's being jammed through and rushed --
VELSHI: But it's been around for a while. We've been talking about it for a while.
HENRY: Yes, about eight months or so since the president signed it with the Russian president in Prague, and then, you know, a lot of months for at least the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to look at it. Not the full Senate, in fairness to Mitch McConnell.
But Senator Reid's office put out a thing saying what has happened in those eight months? Well, the Chilean miners were trapped and released, Lady Gaga debuted a new meat dress, Larry King retired -- although he hasn't officially retired, he's just a step down from "LARRY KING LIVE." He's still around, obviously. And then finally a Major Legal Baseball season began and ended. And by the way, that season ended about a month ago.
And so I think it's going to be hard for the Republicans to justify it publicly when you look at the fact, when they say that it hasn't been enough time. When you have former Republican president, George H.W. Bush, you've got Kissinger, George Schultz, you've got Colin Powell, all of these Republican luminaries saying pass this thing, it's going to be hard for them to make this case.
VELSHI: Hey, Ed, I know you're probably staying in some hotel there, fancy digs like you always do. Where is the president staying?
HENRY: The president is going to be -- we've got some video of it in Kailua, which is a much more fancy part of O'ahu. We're on sort of the tourist area of Waikiki Beach, which is wonderful. And by the way, even though, deluged and all with rain, it's actually pretty nice out here. It's still in the 70s. And the president is going to have a good time. And in fact his wife and daughters already came on Saturday, so they're already in Kailua, enjoying what is still nice weather, even though it's been raining a lot. And it's finally stopped raining behind me. But we're expecting rain through Thursday and Friday. It's still in the '70s. So, it's pretty good.
I'm actually thinking that there is bad karma for me. When I first landed on Saturday night -- I don't' know if you noticed this on the Twitter, but the first thing I did was I took a picture of a beautiful sunset and then I said, "Just in, I'm in Hawaii. CC @AliVelshi." I think maybe I got some bad karma, and I feel about taking the picture.
VELSHI: Well, I tell you what, Ed. If you're not following Ed and me on Twitter, this is exactly the time to start doing it. @EdHenryCNN. @AliVelsh. Because stuff happens when he travels, and he tweets it all the time.
HENRY: And there are going to be surprises for you, by the way, right here on "The Stakeout." There may be a surf class. There may be a hula class. We've got all kinds of things.
VELSHI: And bring me one of those flower things. Bring me one of those flower things, will you?
HENRY: OK.
VELSHI: Just bring it. OK, just bring. It. Thank you.
Ed Henry, our senior White House correspondent in Hawaii where he will be for several days.
All right. He was talking about what the president is up to. One of the things that's of concern right now is what's going on in the Koreas. South Korea conducts a live fire military drill despite earlier threats North Korea doesn't retaliate. Does that mean the crisis is over? Not by a long shot. We'll talk to the leading expert about it; give you some sense of what you need to know about the Koreas when we come back.
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VELSHI: Since we didn't get to see Ed at the White House, we figured we'd show you some pictures of it right now while he's basking in that 75-degree weather in Hawaii.
Let's go "Globe Trekking" now with a closer look at one of today's top stories, the Korean crisis. South Korea conducted a 94- minute live-fire military drill today just south of Yeonpyeong Island, where North Korean shelling killed four South Koreans last month.
Look at the picture there. You can see Yeonpyeong Island is very close -- seems closer to North Korea than it does to South Korea. It's just a few miles off the shore. North Korea had earlier threatened to retaliate, but instead, its official news agency issued a statement declaring, quote, "The Revolutionary armed forces did not feel any need to retaliate against every despicable military provocation like the one taking revenge after facing a blow."
Professor Han Park is director of the study for global issues at the University of Georgia. He joins me now, and he's intimately connected with how this is playing out.
Professor, good to see you again. For our viewers who are wondering why this escalation? These two Koreas have not been at peace for decades, but they've come to some arrangement whereby they don't aggravate each other. What happened this year to cause this situation to get so much more heated?
HAN PARK, DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR STUDY OF GLOBAL ISSUES, UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA: What it takes in the inter-Korean relations is not really rational calculation, strategic calculation, but more emotional.
VELSHI: OK.
PARK: The inter-Korean relations that both sides consider to be (INAUDIBLE) the terriotry. So, this particular event leading to this crisis prompted from their (INAUDIBLE) territorial waters boundary. I think that's a legitimate controversy. I'm not siding with either one. North Koreans say that the three nautical miles of the shore is much too close. And they claim that (INAUDIBLE) it's a legitimate international convention. So, I think it's a legitimate controversy that we have to visit.
VELSHI: Is it, however, playing out as a bit of a proxy war? Is it becoming one of these things that the West is using to pressure North Korea?
PARK: Well, I think the Koreans, since the beginning of the partition and the Korean war, has never been a Korean issue only. It is internationally. We have our troops there, 25,000 strong there, on the ground as we speak.
So, it will be an American one. In fact, South Korea doesn't have the authority to move its own military because the United States has the authority.
VELSHI: Right.
PARK: So, here the solution would have to be multilateral. The United States, perhaps China would have to be involved in any kind of (INAUDIBLE).
VELSHI: And there was some discussion when this shelling of this island by North Korea took place a month ago that China didn't sort of step up in the way that it was -- the West was expecting it to. Is China playing the role that it is expected to play? Is that China helping the situation or making it worse?
PARK: I think from our point of view, China may be making it more difficult to lead the situation to dissatisfaction of the Western governments. But China has been consistent in saying that China is not going to intervene in domestic affairs. In fact, the implementation there is the issue with Taiwan, it's a domestic affair.
You don't have to -- so, you know, that is one thing. In fact, China is very reluctant in giving the impression to the world that China is giving into the pressures of the Western world.
VELSHI: Right. So, somebody asks China to do it, they might not do it just to show that they are not.
PARK: And maybe even be counterproductive.
VELSHI: Right.
Well, you're going to be back with me. And what I think we want to know next is, does any of this help? Are we back to where we were before these tensions escalated or is it actually getting better? Let's talk about that in the next hour.
Thank you for being with us. Professor Han Park is a professor of international affairs and director of the Center for Study of Global Issues at the University of Georgia.
OK. In today's "Big I," there is no need for a fake hand on the bionic arm that I'm going to show you. Just wait until you see how it gets a grip. You've got to get a hold of this through the break. Stay with us.
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VELSHI: We're looking at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta. My producer will not get off my case for not having recognized the shot of Atlanta that we showed you a little while ago. We've been showing you different shots of things. I'm relatively new here, and I don't see these things from the air.
So, this is the park. It's right next to CNN's studios. It looks remarkable from the air. I've never seen it from the air. So bear with me as I learn what aerial Atlanta looks like. I know what aerial New York looks like. But that is Centennial Olympic Park. I needed to get that off my chest.
Did you know that right now in the United States two million people are living without limbs? Two million people. That would be like everyone in Manhattan walking around without an arm or a leg. Well, in today's "Big Eye," we have a new twist on a typical prosthetic limb. It's looks more like an alien limb than an actual arm. Over time, we've been looking at prosthetics that look and feel more like the real thing.
But that's different. It curls and grabs more like a tentacle than a hand and with a wrist and fingers. So even if you think this is just a story for amputees, it's more about taking on a problem and thinking outside the box, way outside the box, which is exactly what we like talking about on the "Big Eye." You can see it in the corner of our screen, ideas, innovation, imagination. Every single day, we bring something like this to you. This is fascinating.
Joining us right now is Kaylene Kau, live from Seattle, Washington. She is an industrial designer that developed this prosthetic arm and she is also a recent graduate of the University of Washington's Industrial Design Program.
Kaylene, thank you for being with us. I want to put that picture back up of the prosthetic. Tell me -- this looks like something in an undersea animal would use. Why are you going in a different direction than arms and limbs that look like the arms and limbs that we have?
KAYELENE KAU, INDUSTRIAL DESIGN PROGRAM, UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON: Hi. I went a different direction because that was part of the design brief. A big part of it was our professor wanted us to go outside the current boundaries, which are, you have the Captain Hook prosthetic and then the cosmetic or really the hand that looks like a hand. and why should we explore these options when there's a whole other area to explore and that could possibly solve the problem of a missing arm even better than the -- your current hand.
VELSHI: Well, this is the neat concept here. We normally think that if you're losing -- if you're missing one limb, you put the other limb in a way that compliments it. You've come up with a system that says, if I've got this working limb and I am missing this one, why not make something that does something differently than the other hand. So what does this prosthetic do that I can't do with a normal functioning hand?
KAU: You can grab on to a lot of different objects. You can curl around. And also it's -- the main purpose for having an arm that curls like this is that, what we found through research is that the prosthetic works as an assistant to the dominant hand. So you're not going to need all those super fine motor skills that you have in your hand unless you're going for something very expensive. This is an alternative to that, where it's probably -- it's more low-tech and it's more low priced --
(CROSSTALK)
KAU: -- to something like --
VELSHI: Tell me what the comparison is between the price of a typical prosthetic that has all those fine motor skills versus this, which might let you do other things, but a lot less money.
KAU: This one, I would not -- I don't know quite yet the production costs for this prosthetic, but I do know that a simple prosthetic with just a hook can cost more than a thousand dollars, because it has to be custom fit to the amputee. And something with a lot of -- with microprocessors and everything else inside would cost far, far more.
VELSHI: Kaylene, what a great idea.
Thank you for joining us. We appreciate you coming to talk about this.
Kaylene Kau is an industrial designer, a graduate of the University of Washington's Industrial Design Program.
To read more on the prosthetic and to see other projects that Kaylene is working on, head to my blog, CNN.com/ali, and we will link you to them.
Let me bring you up to speed on some of the latest developments in the top story. North Korea is backing off earlier threats against the South, saying it will not retaliate for today's military exercises. South Korea's military carried out live-fire exercises from an island just a few miles from North Korea's shore. The maneuvers come nearly a months after a similar exercise triggered a response from North Korea that killed four South Koreans.
Back in the U.S., the White House has just announced that President Obama will sign the repeal of the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy on Wednesday. But even with congressional passage and the president's signature, it's likely to be a few months at least before gay troops are cleared to serve openly in the armed forces.
Thousands of travelers stranded in European airports are now being told they may not make it home in time for Christmas because of snow and ice at both runways at London Heathrow Airport. They're both open now, but only a third of scheduled flights expected to take off, at least through Wednesday. Nearly a third of all flights out of Paris' two main airports are also canceled today. Mainly regional short-haul flights are being canceled. International flights do seem to be taking off on schedule.
Whose approval rating was higher at the end of the second year of their presidency? President Obama, Reagan or Carter? The answer might surprise you next in our "Political Ticker."
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VELSHI: Both Congress and the White House -- I feel like this is a quiz that they're working on me, by putting these up.
We've talked about the timeline for the president's signing of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" bill. John King, the host of "John King, USA," is at the political desk. Oh, I get it. I get it. Congress and the White House, leading into a conversation with John King, who is at the political desk in Washington with the latest.
It's this new thing we're doing, these live pictures, John. I'm trying to figure out why.
JOHN KING, HOST, "JOHN KING USA": Today's quiz, Ali, how many steps from the White House up Pennsylvania Avenue to the capitol?
(LAUGHTER)
You can guess me an answer by tomorrow.
You mentioned this a bit earlier, a big signing ceremony Wednesday at the White House. The president will sign most likely Wednesday morning the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," the repeal of the ban on gay Americans serving openly. Robert Gibbs was asked how big of an event, the press secretary, he says he doesn't know yet. But a lot of people are interested, so we'll watch for that big historic event Wednesday here in Washington.
Barack Obama, nearing the end of his second year in the presidency, how does he rank compared to the other five presidents in recent times? If you stack it up, George W. Bush had the highest. He was at 63 percent after year two. Remember 9/11, heavily shaped that. His dad was at 63 percent, and George H.W. Bush did not win re- election. Remember that. Barack Obama is near the bottom at 48 percent in our new poll, near the end of his second year in office. Ronald Reagan was at 41. Ali, if you think Barack Obama was in trouble, Ronald Reagan at 41. He went on to win 49 states.
VELSHI: Right.
KING: So too early to say the president can't win reelection. And lastly, the two Democratic Senators from New York, Chuck Schumer and Christian Gillibrand, say they've retooled that 9/11 responders bill to get health care and other benefits to families dealing with 9/11. They say they have retooled how to pay for it. They say they definitely have the 60 votes. The big question now, Ali, can they get it to the floor for a vote before Congress goes home for the holidays.
VELSHI: Under normal circumstances, you would say that sort of thing is in doubt, but as Ed and I discussed, this lame-duck Congress has, all of a sudden, kicked into high gear in the last few days.
KING: They absolutely have. Now, we'll see what happens with START. Ali, if you were a betting man, today I would bet this 9/11 bill comes to the floor and they have the votes to pass it. It depends on the tone and tenor.
VELSHI: Yes.
KING: A little acrimony during the debate, but with all that shouting, they're getting things done.
VELSHI: All right, John, good to see you.
Your next update from the best political team in television is just an hour away. And you can watch John every night at 7:00 eastern on "John King, USA."
The commander in chief and his number two, in puppet form, singing. Stay tuned. You have to see this. "Odds & Ends" up next.
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VELSHI: Time for our daily grab bag of "Odds & Ends." We'll start with a plea for this year to just finish already. The guys over at jibjab.com have posted 2010 in review as seen through the eyes of President Obama and Vice President Biden. Here's a snippet.
(SINGING)
VELSHI: In case you couldn't tell, that tune was a spin on "The Darling Young Man on the Flying Trapeze." This is the site's fifth year in review, by the way. Watch the whole thing over at JibJab.com.
Don't know if Mark Zuckerberg has seen it. The Facebook CEO is off on vacation right now, and he happens to be in China, a country where his Web site is off limits. It sounds like it's kind of a working vacation.
Zuckerberg has been meeting with the head of the biggest Chinese search engine, Baidu, sparking talk among techies of maybe some kind of a deal. After all, Zuckerberg has been studying Mandarin and brushing up on Chinese protocol. Alas, a Baidu bigwig says it was just "two nerds comparing notes."
