Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Typhoon Death Toll Could Hit 1,200; Verdict in MacNeill Murder Trial; FDA Targets Trans Fats; Trans Fat Ban could Change Pastries; Elections Offer Political Lessons for 2016; Martin To Tell His Side Of The Story; Incognito Flies To Los Angeles; Louisville Star Returns After Injury; Michael Jordan's Mansion Up For Auction; Anthony Bourdain Visits Detroit; Kerry Doubts Oswald Acted Alone; Investors React To October Jobs Report; Twitter Shares Soar On IPO; Tom Cruise Defends Actions As Father; NFL Star Tony Dorset Has CTE Signs

Aired November 09, 2013 - 11:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: All right. It's the 11:00 Eastern hour and the NEWSROOM starts right now.

Hello, everyone.

More than 1,000 people are believed dead after a super typhoon tears through the Philippines with three and a half times the force of Hurricane Katrina -- a live report from the storm zone just moments away.

And here in the U.S., a verdict in the trial of a prominent doctor accused of murdering his wife -- the jury's decision coming up.

And Dr. Sanjay Gupta takes a closer look at the dangers of trans fats. Find out what they can do to your heart that has the FDA so worried.

First up: the tragedy that's unfolding right now in the Philippines from a massive storm that could end up being the strongest to ever hit land. The Red Cross estimates as many as 1,200 people have been killed by Super Typhoon Haiyan. A thousand of those deaths are in one coastal town, the city of Tacloban. Homes and buildings there are leveled from the storm's ferocious 195-mile-an-hour winds. Trees are blocking the roads and communication lines, of course, are down. Torrential rains plus the storm surge have put entire towns under water -- extraordinary images.

And many of the people who died are believed to have drowned. Neighbors helped neighbors evacuate to safety when they could, as the floodwaters rose even higher, as you see right there, in some instances. Here are some of the incredible images of ordinary citizens carrying out courageous rescues trying to help out one another.

As high as the death toll is now, it could get even worse as crews reach hard-hit areas cut off from the storm. Ivan Watson joins us live now from Manila. So, Ivan, what are officials telling you about when they'll be able to reach some of the people in these devastated areas? IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's very tough. There are no telecommunications right now. There's no electricity on this island of Leyte in the provincial capital of Tacloban which we believe is one of the hardest-hit areas, and the officials are not mincing words. Take a listen to the interior minister speaking about the scale of the damage.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAR ROXAS, PHILIPPINES INTERIOR SECRETARY: The devastation is -- it's -- I don't have the words for it. It's really horrific. It's a great human tragedy. There's no power. No light. By the time the sun sets, it's dark and you know, you're just going to have to make your way to -- to where you can find some shelter.

We're opening as many stores as we can, so that the people can have access to food. There is some looting that is going on, and we've deployed army and the PNP as much as we can and trying to secure power and water which are the basics.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON: So can you imagine that, Fredricka? It's more than 24 hours since the super typhoon hit and all that the interior minister can really say is as the sun sets, you've just have got to find your way to some kind of shelter. And that's because it's so difficult for the authorities to even get to this area.

The main airport there is believed to have been heavily damaged. We've had teams on the ground in that town of Tacloban who were staying in a hotel more than two blocks away from the coast, from the beach, and the storm surge brought the level of water in their hotel rooms to four and a half nearly five feet if I can just give you a sense.

Some people reporting seeing bodies in the streets of that town, and we still don't know what's happened in other coastal communities in that area, as well. The Filipino authorities very much still trying to get a sense of the scale of the damage more than a day after the super typhoon struck -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: What people envision as shelter is very different there in the Philippines, especially in these remote islands than what a lot of folks might envision here in the U.S. But for people who were able to seek higher ground or seek some area of safety because they've been displaced -- what about food and clean water? Because we know oftentimes with flooding, there are going to be some, you know, water- borne illnesses that could crop up.

So what do people do about, you know, surviving, and what kind of sustenance might they get in that flood-ravaged area?

WATSON: Well, these are some of the biggest challenges. And our own reporters on the ground are staying at a hotel where they're basically being given some bread and some pasta that people in the town, they report seeing basically going through stores to try to scavenge, some may argue, loot, for supplies just to get through the next day or so. The humanitarian organizations are putting out appeals -- they are trying to get aid to the stricken area.

But of course, connections are quite difficult right now. We're supposed to go out on a flight at dawn tomorrow with the government aviation service to get a sense of the scale of the damage to the landing strips and the airports on this stricken island of Leyte.

Now, if you can believe it, in this very region, it was hit by a deadly earthquake just last month, a nearby island of Bohol, scores of people killed by a seven-plus magnitude earthquake. And if anything, we're hearing that perhaps that island was not hit as hard. Because people had been forced out of their homes by the earthquake, they then were much quicker to assemble at areas, at shelters that were believed to have been safer. And we don't know what happened in this stricken town of Tacloban with a population of more than 200,000 people that was also hit by apparently a storm surge, as well. We're still trying to get information from the storm-stricken area -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right keep us posted when you do get that. Thanks so much, Ivan Watson there in Manila.

So to give you an idea of just how big this typhoon is, this is what it looks like from space. Astronaut Karen Nyberg tweeted this picture of the typhoon today from the International Space Station.

Alexandra Steele is tracking the storm from the CNN Weather Center. So -- well that is a monster of a storm. It's hard to believe that that's considered one big system.

ALEXANDRA STEELE, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Oh 1,000 miles at one point, so giving perspective all the way from Canada to Florida for us. So here's another satellite perspective. But this super typhoon is super no more, thank goodness.

Super typhoon means maximum sustained winds of 150 miles per hour -- 150. They are down dramatically now. And at one point, when it raked over the Philippines, it had maximum sustained winds of 190, gusts to 235.

So right now, it is right here in the South China Sea, heading towards Vietnam. And it will just cruise the coast of Vietnam. But look at these stats and how dramatically weakened this has been. I mean this all relative. But maximum sustained winds down from 190 to 115, gusts to 145.

So here's the timeline on it, Da Nang of course a major port city and then moving towards Hanoi, of course, the capital. It'll move out as a Cat 3, cruise the coast. Now it looks as though the winds not the biggest factor, Fred. Maybe the rainfall will be, as you can see by Monday, 40-mile-an-hour winds.

So from 40, from 190 so dramatically different, dramatically weakened, thank goodness, but still it will be quite a player here.

WHITFIELD: Wow that's incredible. So fragments from a European satellite are expected to fall from space. That's yet another issue, yes, that people are thinking about, or worried about or thinking about the images they've seen from movies.

STEELE: Right. All right. The former worse than the latter, ok?

WHITFIELD: Yes.

STEELE: The typhoon certainly a bigger issue than this guy. All right what goes up must come down, isn't that so the case? All right the satellite up in space with the European Satellite Agency, it's falling from space, it ran out of gas. The timeline tomorrow afternoon into Monday afternoon. Now, it's most likely to hit water, because, well, the planet's mostly water. So that's most likely what will happen.

This is the size of it. It's the size of about a Chevy, a large Chevy Suburban. Just for the record, never have in known history has space debris likely hit anyone.

But you know, you can keep your eye out there as we head tomorrow afternoon into Monday. But most likely we're all safe. It will break into pieces most likely over the ocean. Hopefully, we find a little fragment or two. It will be interesting.

WHITFIELD: It could be interesting as long as it does hit all of that water --

STEELE: Right.

WHITFIELD: -- that encompasses earth. All right thanks so much, keeping an eye on both the breaking up of a satellite as well as the remnants now of this typhoon.

So back to the talk of that typhoon. Aid agencies are mobilizing to help the victims of the typhoon. To find out how you can help, you can go to CNN.com/impact. And there's a lot of guidance there.

All right now back here in the U.S., an emotional outburst in court when the verdict came down after midnight in the Martin MacNeill trial.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The State of Utah versus Martin Joseph MacNeill, we, the jury, having reviewed the evidence and testimony in the case find the defendant as to count one, murder, guilty.

As to count two --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Outbursts in the courtroom hardly any emotion from the doctor himself. That cry coming from MacNeill's family, including his daughters who testified against him. MacNeill's team had argued that his wife, Michelle, died of natural causes, but in the end, jurors decided MacNeill drugged and drowned his wife.

Ted Rowlands is joining me now from Utah. So Ted, clearly these jurors said, "We want to work through the night," they deliberated and they came up with this verdict in the middle of the night. Explain what that was like.

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well I tell you it was very emotional in that courtroom, Fredricka, as you can imagine. You hear the outbursts there, beforehand they were weeping these -- not only the sisters of Michelle MacNeill, but her daughters, and you alluded to them.

This was a very difficult case for the prosecution. They didn't have any direct evidence leading -- hooking the Doctor up to the actual murder, but they had all of this circumstantial evidence and a lot of their case surrounded the testimony of his daughters.

Five daughters in all took the stand against him and afterwards, the jury said that they thought those daughters were absolutely credible and crucial to this case.

Alexis Somers, his daughter who is now a physician herself, was key in this -- in this case. She took the stand and jurors said they thought she made the difference. Take a listen to her reaction after the verdict.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALEXIS SOMERS, MICHELLE'S DAUGHTER: I'm so happy he can't hurt anyone else. We miss our mom. We'll never get her back. But that courtroom was full of so many people who loved -- loved her. I looked around and it was full of everyone who loved my mom. And I can't believe this has finally happened. We're so -- we're so grateful.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROWLANDS: She really made the difference, Fredricka. After Michelle MacNeill died, the case was closed, ruled an accident. The daughters pushed for investigators to open up this case and they got this guilty verdict last night.

WHITFIELD: Wow. How emotional, indeed, for the family. So meantime, you know, for MacNeill, what is next?

ROWLANDS: Sentencing -- he's looking at 15 years to life. Likely he'll spend the rest of his life in prison. His sentencing date is set for early January.

WHITFIELD: All right. Ted Rowlands, thank you so much for bringing that to us.

All right. The government wants to eliminate a substance found in some of your favorite foods. Find out why the move could actually improve your health.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) WHITFIELD: All right. Just in time for lunchtime, the FDA is taking a major step to remove trans fats from the food that you eat. The target -- processed food. Some of the biggest culprits -- frozen pizzas, desserts, even microwave popcorn. CNN's chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta shows us why trans fats are so bad for you.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's an ingredient in a lot of our favorite foods -- microwave popcorn, cookies, cakes, frozen pizza and much more -- trans fats. They increase shelf life and they add flavor to processed foods. But the FDA is now saying they are not safe and wants to ban them. It's a move they say would save thousands of lives.

MICHAEL TAYLOR, DEPUTY COMMISSIONER, FDA: We think it's time to address and really phase out the remaining uses of trans fat in the diet, so that we can reduce the incidence of heart disease and deaths resulting from heart attack.

GUPTA: You see, trans fats lower good cholesterol and they raise bad cholesterol.

What we're trying to avoid is this -- LDL or bad cholesterol building up as plaque in the blood vessel walls, because that plaque buildup is what can cause heart attacks.

The CDC says ditching trans fats would prevent up to 20,000 heart attacks a year and as many as 7,000 more deaths from heart disease. New York City banned trans fats from restaurants in 2007. And many companies and popular chains around the country have already phased them out.

The Grocery Manufacturers Association says that it looks forward to working with the FDA to better understand their concerns and how the industry can better serve consumers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GUPTA: Now, Fred, if there is some good news in this, if you look back at 2003, we ate over four grams of trans fats a day on average as Americans, and now it's closer to a gram a day. And a lot of those changes have just happened voluntarily, and because of people paying attention to labels and things like that. So we've made a lot of progress on our own.

But I think this decision by the FDA could eliminate those trans fats nearly entirely, and that's their goal. Right now, there's a 60-day period where people can relay their questions and concerns about this. But it is expected to actually go through, because, again, even industry has been largely supportive of this.

The big question going forward, Fred -- what are they going to replace those trans fats with? We might see some saturated fats coming back in smaller amounts, and that might be one of the replacements. A lot of scientists are working on other alternatives, as well. Fred -- back to you.

All right. Thank you so much, Sanjay. So a trans fat ban might be felt the most, actually, at mom-and-pop bakeries. CNN's Alexandra Field shows us how it could change the way your favorite doughnuts and pastries taste.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fred, despite recent efforts to curb the use of trans fats, they can still be found in a number of processed foods and baked goods. So a ban on trans fats would send some bakers back to the kitchen to try and rework recipes to make the things that taste really good a little better for all of us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

THOMAS GENCARELLI, BROTHERS QUALITY BAKERY: We haven't changed recipes in 40 years. Everything's all old school, old-fashioned.

FIELD (voice over): New federal regulations could soon force Thomas Gencarelli to change the way he's always made the doughnuts at Brothers Quality Bakery in Kearny, New Jersey.

(on camera): This is how you make the doughnuts?

GENCARELLI: This is where we fry the doughnuts inside this oil.

FIELD: That oil is all-purpose vegetable shortening. It contains artificial trans fat which the Food and Drug Administration is now taking steps to ban. The American Medical Association called that a lifesaving move that can help keep the public healthy.

ANTHONY: It should have happened already.

FIELD: Anthony Calandra (ph) says there are no trans fats in most of his baked goods and for the health benefits he supports a trans fat ban, even if it means changing some of the recipes in his bakery, even if it means getting rid of a top-selling Italian pastry.

ANTHONY: Without it, you're not going to get this type of flakiness in the dough.

FIELD: Trans fat is found in processed foods made with partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. It's been linked to heart disease, and for years now, it's been under attack. In 2007, New York City banned restaurants from using artificial trans fats. And in recent years, more and more fast-food chains and food manufacturers voluntarily made the switch to healthier oil.

DAN GLICKMAN, FORMER AGRICULTURE SECRETARY: I don't think it's really a taste issue. It was cheaper for the food companies to do this over the years, but now most of science says we ought to get it out of the food supplies.

FIELD: Not everyone agrees. In New Jersey, Gencarelli says every year he uses 15,000 pounds of shortening with trans fat in order to get time-tested recipes just right.

GENCARELLI: It's going to change the taste of the doughnuts. It's going the change the quality of the doughnuts. And it's going to change the texture of the doughnut.

FIELD: Gencarelli believes there's no need for new regulations, it's always been up to consumers to practice moderation.

GENCARELLI: I believe it's not going to kill you, as long as you don't eat a pan of doughnuts, you know?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FIELD: As for moving a ban forward, the FDA has opened up a 60-day comment period. After that, the agency could start talking to food manufacturers about how to phase out trans fats -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, thank you so much, Alexandra.

All right. Let's talk politics straight ahead. Hillary Clinton and Chris Christie under the 2016 presidential election spotlight. So, what are the tea leaves saying about a potential run for either? We'll ask our political experts to weigh in right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right.

Hillary Clinton is spending a very busy weekend in California, hitting five events in just two days. Even though some events are not open to the media, this is one of the busiest weeks that she's actually had publicly since stepping down as Secretary of State.

Let me bring in Will Cain, a CNN commentator and columnist for "The Blaze" -- good to see you Will.

WILL CAIN, CNN COMMENTATOR: Good morning.

WHITFIELD: Ad Donna Brazile, also a CNN political commentator and a democratic strategist. And good to see you, as well, Donna.

DONNA BRAZILE, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Good morning.

WHITFIELD: Donna, let me begin with you.

You know, here we are three years away from the presidential election day, and, you know, this really could be a kiss of death, right, if you get too much attention or publicity about your possible presidency? So how is Hillary Clinton playing this? Is that what she has in mind as to why so many of her events are closed to the media?

BRAZILE: Look, there's no question that after four and a half years of serving as our Secretary of State, not involved in the day-to-day combat that we often see in politics, Mrs. Clinton is free to go about her way and trying to get her message out. I think what she's doing this weekend, and not just, you know, giving some good, strong policy speeches to private organizations, but, also, raising money for the Clinton Foundation, look, she's probably doing a test run on some of the ideas that she could possibly use if she decides to run for president.

She's a very electrifying individual and a dynamic. She understands public policy. I wish I could be there in San Francisco to hear her today.

WHITFIELD: Will, you see this kind of as a test run, as she put it?

CAIN: Oh, I don't know if it's a test run. I think it's the beginning of the campaign. I mean look, are we all going to sit around and pretend like Hillary Clinton is not going to run for president a few years from now? No, she is, right. And this is the beginning.

And we've seen it actually happen on the Republican side, just as well. I guess, Fredricka, here we are, what did you say, we're three years out?

BRAZILE: Yes.

CAIN: It's already begun.

WHITFIELD: Oh, my goodness. And you know, some of Clinton's events this weekend, in fact, are sponsored -- or at least attended by a number of high-powered Hollywood type, reminiscent of the Bill Clinton campaign years. Donna you know that very well. But during Barack Obama's presidency a lot of that segment of Hollywood's support went to him. So now are we seeing that, you know, these Hollywood supporters who were backing Obama are now going to be backing Hillary Clinton? Why is this deja vu, Donna?

BRAZILE: Look, they want to back a winner. But more importantly, these celebrities or individuals, they want to stand with someone who believes in climate change and believes that we have to do something. They want to stand with someone who understands a woman's right to choose, who believes in education, and wants to work to create jobs in this economy.

So I'm sure that they're standing with Hillary Clinton because they're standing with a champion of equality and somebody who would do a good job in leading this country if she decides to run. I still believe it's an if question, Will. We don't know yet.

CAIN: Do you?

WHITFIELD: Yes, Will is like, no, I don't think so. It's definitely going to happen, yes. So you know, we're trying to read these tea leaves as it pertains to Hillary Clinton, in other things, all things politics.

Will, former Alaska governor, Sarah Palin. She's in Iowa tonight. What is she up to? Is it your feeling that she is positioning herself for a potential run? Or, you know, does she even have any political clout to back anybody else up?

CAIN: Well, I mean, with as much certainty I gave you that Hillary Clinton will be running, I will match that certainty that Sarah Palin will not be running. Sarah Palin is a -- is a political advocate. She's a figure on the right for the conservative cause, and she shows up in places like Iowa because she has a role in the movement. And it's a role for her and a role for the movement. It's mutually beneficial. That doesn't mean she's going to run for president, I'm fairly certain of that fact.

WHITFIELD: Chris Christie. Let's throw another name in the equation.

CAIN: I'm certain he will.

WHITFIELD: You're certain he will.

CAIN: Right.

WHITFIELD: Donna, are you certain he will? He says he loves, you know, the frenzy over a presidential run. It's very flattering. But he says, you know what, I have a job to do. I'm focusing on being governor. We all know he'll be crisscrossing the country, leading the American governors' group, so he's constantly going to be evaluated, right, as to whether he's behaving himself in a presidential manner.

BRAZILE: Look, I agree with Will on Sarah Palin. I think if there are lights and cameras, Sarah Palin wants to be among them. But look, with regard to Governor Chris Christie, there's no question, as chair -- the incoming chair of the Republican Governors Association, he's going to get a taste, a sample of the wonderful meals in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Florida, all of these states where you have gubernatorial elections in 2014. Chris Christie will have a quote/unquote "reason or purpose to go" and sort of get a taste of the voters there.

I don't know if he'll sell in 2016, but I do know coming off his victory on Tuesday, this is a governor who has a purpose, one purpose in mind, and that is to rebrand the Republican Party in his image. And we don't know how that will go over.

WHITFIELD: Ok. Donna Brazile, Will Cain -- good to see you all this Saturday. Thanks so much.

CAIN: Thanks, Fred.

BRAZILE: Good to see you.

WHITFIELD: Let's --

BRAZILE: Hey, Fred?

WHITFIELD: Yes.

BRAZILE: Go Tigers. LSU.

WHITFIELD: All right. You get it in there -- BRAZILE: I had to say that.

WHITFIELD: -- best you can.

BRAZILE: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: That explains the purple there. And I was thinking --

BRAZILE: Go Tigers.

WHITFIELD: -- it's bipartisan, you know, kind of thing. All right. Go Tigers.

BRAZILE: Go tigers.

WHITFIELD: All right. Very good. Good to see you guys.

All right. So we're talking about politics. Soon we're going to talk about the culture of the NFL.

First, Jonathan Martin detailed through his attorney how he was allegedly bullied by his teammates on the Miami Dolphins. Now, he's taking it a step further. That's next in the "Bleacher Report."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, the Miami Dolphins' player at the center of the bullying scandal will soon tell his side of the story. Joe Carter has more in the "Bleacher Report" update, can't wait.

JOE CARTER, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Well, he is going to tell his side of the story, and Jonathan Martin, the one bullied, or alleged to have been bullied, he is going to meet with an independent investigator. The NFL obviously hired a prominent law firm to investigate the case from bottom up, and that person has flown to Los Angeles where Martin is currently. So they're going to talk this week and they are obviously going to discuss the allegations. But meantime, the accused bully is also --

WHITFIELD: Coincidentally?

CARTER: Yes, in L.A. as well. He was on the move Friday morning. He flew from Miami to Los Angeles, and it's not known if Incognito is going to meet Martin in L.A., but he was met at the gate by a group of reporters. He did not comment, because he said, quote, "It was not the time or the place." But some of Incognito's teammates, some of his friends say he's been blindsided by the accusations and he feels shocked or betrayed by the whole thing.

WHITFIELD: If ever Incognito no muss.

CARTER: Yes, and how ironic is it that that his name Incognito?

WHITFIELD: It is.

CARTER: It is so strange. All right, so tonight, college football, Donna Brazile just mentioned, a huge game. Number one Alabama and number 13, LSU, obviously the Crimson Tide are on pace to win that third national championship, which has never happened in the modern era, three in a row. LSU, they can't win the national championship, because they have two losses, but they can knock the other guy out of contention.

These two teams, we know, are storied programs. They have combined to win five of the last ten BCS national championships. Last spring, a great story, Louisville cutting down the nets, won the national championship, dedicated the national championship win to Kevin Ware, and wouldn't you know it, Wednesday night, Kevin Ware played his first basketball game since the horrific, horrific leg injury. You remember that.

WHITFIELD: Yes. I didn't look.

CARTER: Such a great night, because he touches the ball, shoots, scores so great. And he's going to be playing today when Louisville plays Charleston -- College of Charleston, college, later today, the home opener.

WHITFIELD: That's nice.

CARTER: And trending on bleacherreport.com this morning. This is a story you want to click on if you like nice homes, Michael Jordan is putting up his Chicago mansion for auction.

WHITFIELD: I'm feeling ill.

CARTER: The pool is the coolest thing.

WHITFIELD: Is that a little green, you can put?

CARTER: Yes, it's like an island oasis. He likes to golf. It's got nine bedrooms, 15 bathrooms and the bidding price starts at $21 million, and they're saying don't expect this one to be an open house. You have to put up $250,000 just to -- just to even put yourself in contention for this mega mansion.

WHITFIELD: -- a real deal.

CARTER: They had problems selling it, because they put it up for $29 million. Got no bites, so now, bringing it down --

WHITFIELD: To 20.

CARTER: Down so common folk can perhaps afford it and live like Mike, as they say, $21 million.

WHITFIELD: Not going to happen common folk like us, no, you have to have 200 grand, right, just to even see it.

CARTER: It's $250,000 to be a part of the bidding process, a part of the auction.

WHITFIELD: I see. All right, well, that's fun. Nice eye candy real estate.

CARTER: Beautiful real estate.

WHITFIELD: Thank you, Joe. Appreciate it.

All right, Anthony Bourdain, he's traveling to the motor city in this Sunday's season finale of "PARTS UNKNOWN." He says Detroit is one of the most magnificent cities in America. Of course, you know, it's facing enormous challenges. I had a chance to talk to Anthony about all of this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANTHONY BOURDAIN, HOST, CNN'S "PARTS UNKNOWN": Detroit's a place I've loved for years. Every time I've passed through, whether on book tour, speaking tour, I've always been -- I've just always felt very connected to the people there. It's a city that's been just really egregiously and profoundly screwed over for years, and yet they have an extraordinary strength, and more importantly perhaps, a sense of humor that I just always felt very connected with.

It's an amazing-looking place. This great American city where all these great American things came from, and yet we've allowed it to basically molder back into the forest, 70,000 abandoned buildings. Policemen who have to use their own cell phones to, you know, call for help, who have to take buses to crime scenes. Forests, essentially, you know, whole neighborhoods overgrown with waist-high -- waist-high grass.

It looks at times like Chernobyl or Ancient Rome and yet it is also this extraordinary, great, important American place that we should b be -- my way of thinking -- preserving, protecting, and celebrating. So I think it's an extraordinary examination of a great American tragedy, but also the strength of the human spirit.

WHITFIELD: And you found hope there, as you spoke with people, and you had meals with folks there?

BOURDAIN: I'd love to give you a happy, fuzzy, warm --

WHITFIELD: That's what I'm looking for.

BOURDAIN: -- that things will get better. I think one of the central questions of the show that I kept asking myself and others was, who will be living, and whatever Detroit looks like in 20 years. And it probably will be a much reconstructed, much better place to live. But it'll also be a much smaller place to live.

And I think the question of who's living there in 20 years, will it be the people who fought so hard to stay, who deserve to live there, deserve to enjoy the good times, will it -- will they be living there, or will it b be -- will it be somebody else?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Provocative thoughts, always provocative questions being asked by Anthony Bourdain. You can see the full visit of Anthony's visit to Detroit tomorrow night at 9:00 p.m. and after Anthony's visit to Detroit, he'll host a live one-hour postseason show called "LAST BITE." That'll happen from Las Vegas, 10:00 p.m. tomorrow night on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: On November 22nd, the country will mark 50 years since the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. There've always been conspiracy theories surrounding JFK's death. Well now, a new doubter reveals himself, none other than U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. He spoke with NBC's Tom Brokaw.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM BROKAW, NBC: Where do you come down on the conspiracy theories?

JOHN KERRY, SECRETARY OF STATE: To this day, I have serious doubts that lee Harvey Oswald acted alone.

BROKAW: Really?

KERRY: I certainly have doubts that he was -- that he was motivated by himself. I mean, I'm not sure if anybody else was involved. I don't go down that road with respect to the grassy knoll theory and all of that. But I have serious questions about whether they got to the bottom of lee Harvey Oswald's time and influence from Cuba and Russia.

BROKAW: And what about the CIA? There are some who --

KERRY: I've never gone there. No, I don't believe that.

BROKAW: But you think the Russians and the Cubans may have had something to do with it?

KERRY: I think he was inspired somewhere by something, and I don't know what or any -- I can't pin anything down on that, Tom, and I never spent a lot of time --

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Kerry says he met President Kennedy once, in 1962, while working at a volunteer for Ted Kennedy's senatorial campaign.

Next Thursday, CNN puts you on the ground 50 years ago as the shooting of President Kennedy happened. You'll also see how the controversy surrounding the Warren Report unfolded. Watch "The Assassination Of JFK" Thursday night 9:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific here on CNN.

Twitter's IPO hit the markets this week, but it was Friday's jobs report that really got investors' attention. The Dow hit another new high at the close on Friday, just below 15,762. Alison Kosik has a look at "The Week On Wall Street."

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka. This past week on Wall Street brought good news on the economy. The U.S. added 204,000 jobs in October. Wall Street expected fewer because of Washington's shutdown and fears about the debt ceiling. But October was actually the third-best month for job gains this year.

The unemployment rate rose to 7.3 percent, but analysts say it's a temporary blip because of the shutdown. Still, unemployment is high and we haven't gained back all of the jobs lost during the recession. Despite the upbeat reports, stocks ended mixed for the week.

Twitter's little bluebird finally landed at the NYSE. The social media company went public. It was the biggest IPO of the year. Traders cheered when ticker symbol TWTR moved for the first time, and it eventually closed 70 percent higher. Still, Twitter has yet to turn a profit.

Another bad omen for Blackberry, it's abandoning plans to put itself up for sale and the CEO is stepping down. Fairfax financial was expected to buy Blackberry outright, and Wall Street saw Fairfax as a white knight for the struggling company. But now that isn't happening and Blackberry's future is uncertain.

Blockbuster, as we know it, is dead. The store is closing the last of the 300 company-owned stores. A few years ago, Blockbuster Video had 9,000 locations, but it couldn't keep up with Netflix and Red Box, and eventually went bankrupt. A handful of franchise independently owned places will survive.

That's a wrap of "The Week On Wall Street." Fredricka, back to you.

WHITFIELD: All right, thanks so much, Alison.

Tom Cruise says he's a good dad to his daughter, Suri, and he's suing the tabloids that are calling him a bad parent and guess how much he is suing them for. We'll tell you right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Tom Cruise is fed up with what he says are false headlines calling him a bad father. Now he is fighting back, suing the Bauer Publishing Group for $50 million. His lawyer says it is not about the money, but about saving his reputation. Our Michaela Pierera has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAELA PERIERA, ANCHOR, CNN'S "NEW DAY" (voice-over): He is famously known for keeping his mouth wide shut when it comes to his personal life. Now Tom Cruise is defending his actions as a father in a very high profile way. On Tuesday, Cruise filed this document in his $50 million lawsuit against Bauer Publishing, striking back against 2012 cover stories in "Life and Style," and in "Touch" magazines where they claim he abandoned his daughter, Suri.

BRIAN BALTHAZAR, EDITOR, POPGOESTHEWEEK.COM: By filing this $50 million lawsuit, he is taking a stand, saying he is not putting up with headlines that he believes are not only false, but destructive to his reputation.

PEREIRA: In the filing, Cruise says the assertion that I abandoned Suri after my divorce is patently false, I have in no way cut Suri out of my life, whether physically, emotionally, financially or otherwise. Industry insider say for Cruise it is not about the $50 million price tag, it is about the priceless value of his reputation.

BALTHAZAR: He is seen his share of scandalous headlines before, but this brings into the spotlight his parenting and his being a father. And I think for him that was just hitting below the belt and that's where he drew the line.

PEREIRA: In the document, cruise acknowledges he was shooting back to back films at the time that hit the newsstands. He says even during times I was working overseas and was not able to see Suri in person, we were and continue to be extremely close.

BALTHAZAR: I think the general public will sympathize with what he is going through because truly no one really knows what's going on behind closed doors, unless you're Tom, Katie, or Suri.

PEREIRA: Michaela Pereira, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right, so I say it is time to find out what our legal guys would say about this case, Criminal Defense Attorney Richard Herman in the studio with me, what a special occasion, and Avery, civil rights attorney, in Cleveland. We'll get you here, too, so all of us will be together.

AVERY FRIEDMAN, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: You bet.

WHITFIELD: Richard, you first. What do you think about this Tom Cruise case? Does he have a legitimate shot?

RICHARD HERMAN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: He has no shot I think.

WHITFIELD: None?

HERMAN: No, shot at all. I think he is frustrated with his divorce and frustrated with his schedule, out of the country, I don't think he has spent a lot of time with his daughter apparently, and he's frustrated at the tabloids printing this stuff up. It is embarrassing, so he is trying to stop it.

WHITFIELD: He is going to make a point.

HERMAN: They have to prove malice, a tough element to prove when you're a public figure in a defamation case.

WHITFIELD: Avery, nothing against the law being a working parent that travels a lot, he is saying, however, while he is doing that, his reputation is being scarred. Is it worth 50 million? Will the court see it his way? AVERY FRIEDMAN, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: Well, the Supreme Court answered that question, Fredricka, about 50 years ago, number one, is he a public figure, yes. Number two, is there actual malice? The record shows for five months he saw Suri ten days. He will never get the disclosure of sources. I hate to agree, Richard is exactly right on this. Case dismissed.

WHITFIELD: OK, we like it when you all agree. We know we have to tackle a couple other cases coming up, Avery, Richard, in which you will not be in total agreement. Look forward to seeing you. They'll breakdown the guilty verdict for Utah Dr. Martin Macneill, convicted overnight of murdering his wife, and also tackling the potential legal consequences involving the Miami Dolphins alleged bullying investigation.

Our legal guys, Avery and Richard, will be back breaking down those cases. Richard is here in the house. Avery, you there in Cleveland. That's OK. We're going to feel like we're all together in one room.

HERMAN: There we go. There we go, wonderful.

WHITFIELD: We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Signs of a brain disease that's been found in dead NFL players has now been found in living, retired players. That's the stunning finding in a new study out of UCLA. Hall of fame running back Tony Dorset is one of the players that received that frightening diagnosis. Here is Brian Todd.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This hit in 1984 against the Philadelphia Eagles was the worst one Tony Dorset ever took. Dorset now says hits like that had left him with some menacing symptoms, depression, outbursts of temper and --

TONY DORSETT, FORMER NFL PLAYER: Not remembering. You know, I've been taking my daughters to practice for years and all of a sudden I forget how to get there, have to ask my wife how do you get there?

TODD: Dorsett doesn't know how many concussions he got in his 12-year hall of fame career or during his four seasons in college, but he is one of nine former NFL players that had a new brain scan that may help identify chronic traumatic encephalopathy or CTE, a brain disease caused by head trauma linked to dementia and depression.

Dorsett says he has tested positive for symptoms consistent with CTE. Previously the only way to find out if someone had CTE was after their death with autopsy on the brain. Now --

DR. JULIAN BAILES, NORTHSHORE NEUROLOGICAL INSTITUTE: This test involves a tracer, which is injected into a vein, and it will bind to these abnormal proteins that we see in CTE. So if you have them in your brain, it can diagnose this in a living person. TODD: Neurosurgeon Julian Bails, former physician for the Pittsburgh Steelers is part of the team that devised the new brain scan. Bails acknowledges it is too early to tell if the test is reliable, sample size is too small he says and the results need to be peer reviewed. It is believed CTE played a role in the death of former NFL players Dave Duerson, Junior Sao and others.

But Allen Schwartz that covered many of those stories for "The New York Times" says the NFL brushed aside some key early research.

ALAN SCHWARZ, "NEW YORK TIMES" (via telephone): Each one of those steps from roughly 2005 through 2009 was met with a response from the NFL that the evidence didn't mean anything. One of the doctors on the lead committee called an important study virtually worthless, that's a direct quote.

TODD: The NFL changed, later acknowledged lingering effects from head injuries and recently settled a lawsuit by thousands of players for $765 million.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TODD: Contacted by CNN, an NFL spokesman wouldn't comment on Tony Dorsett's case, but he did say the league will review that new brain scan by Dr. Bails and his team. He says the NFL remains committed to making the games safer for players at all levels. Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Our hearts go out to the Dorsett family. What a pleasure it was for to meet Tony Dorsett just a couple years ago in Pittsburgh. We wish him all the best.