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White House Nears Obamacare Site Deadline; Monty Python Returns to the Stage; Chris Christie takes National Stage as Head of Republican Governors Group; Early Blockbuster Baseball Trade; Shopping on Thanksgiving
Aired November 21, 2013 - 09:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Who are having the trouble because men got clobbered during the recession. They had huge job losses in those male dominated fields, like manufacturing and construction, so they're having a harder time finding jobs. They've got a lot more ground to make up and it hasn't happened. Many of those jobs that they used to have they never came back. I want to show you this chart.
I want to show you this chart. I want to show you the blue line. Men have only recovered 70 percent of the jobs that they lost. But look at the pink line, that's a milestone for women. Let's give women a hand. You know, we're gained back all the jobs that were lost during the recession. Women lost 2.8 million jobs, women gained back 2.9 million.
Now women wind up working in sectors that are growing much faster like education, health care, leisure and hospitality, so that has a lot to do with the fact that women were able to be more resilient -- Christine.
ROMANS: Yes, you've got about a million men, I think, in manufacturing and construction who have just sort of disappeared since the end of the recession.
KOSIK: Exactly.
ROMANS: Those jobs just disappeared as a labor market.
(CROSSTALK)
KOSIK: Or they kind of gone back to school.
ROMANS: Yes.
KOSIK: Yes.
ROMANS: All right. Thanks so much, Alison Kosik at the New York Stock Exchange for us.
KOSIK: Sure.
ROMANS: Thank you.
KOSIK: Yes.
BERMAN: Let's take a look now at some of our top stories.
A U.S. security deal with Afghanistan is now in the hands of more than 2,000 of that nation's tribal leaders. Secretary of State John Kerry and Afghan president Hamid Karzai have agreed to have U.S. forces stay in Afghanistan after the combat mission ends next year.
Under this plan, U.S. forces would play a support role until 2024. Karzai says he will respect the elders' decision. Afghanistan's parliament must also weigh in on this.
ROMANS: It's back to the bargaining table in Geneva today over Iran's nuclear program. Some parties say they think a preliminary agreement could be reached this week and Secretary John Kerry ready to jump into the negotiations if significant progress is made. He said he think that's the world's quote best chance in a decade to make a deal.
BERMAN: A huge cargo jet stranded at a tinny tiny airport in Wichita, Kansas. It will attempt a takeoff today at 1:00 p.m. Eastern. The Atlas Air 747 Dream Lifter was supposed to land at McConnell Air Force Base. Instead it landed at the much smaller Jabara Airport which is about 10 miles away. The FAA is investigating how the airport mix-up even happened.
Another air mix-up to tell you about. A JetBlue flight headed from Ft. Myers, Florida, to Boston, was forced to land in Orlando after the emergency slide partially deployed inside the plane. The pilot managed to land safely, luckily no one was hurt.
Sounds like a bad thing to have go on. It is still not clear why the chute did open up.
And as the White House nears a self-imposed deadline to get the Obamacare Web site up and running for a majority of users, there are some signs of progress. This does come as the Obama administration continues to deal with the fallout from the site's rather brutal launch.
Senior White House correspondent Jim Acosta explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIM ACOSTA, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Just as Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius was touring an Obamacare signup center in Florida this week and chatting with volunteers about healthcare.gov the Web site crashed.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The screen says, "I'm sorry, your system is temporarily down."
KATHLEEN SEBELIUS, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SECRETARY: That's OK, it will come back. You know, that happens every day.
ACOSTA: As it turns out the struggling Web site is exactly the scenario administration officials quietly feared, as more e-mails released by House Republicans reveal top HHS official Henry Chao was warning dozens of his colleagues the White House worried the site was not ready one week before its October 1st launch. Referring to White House chief technology officer Todd Park, Chao wrote, "One of the things Todd conveyed was this fear the White House has about healthcare.gov being unavailable."
Chao even e-mailed out a screen grab of the site when it was down.
HENRY CHAO, DEP. CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER, HHS: Right now it's about focusing on fixing the problem.
ACOSTA: As Chao told lawmakers this week, healthcare.gov is getting better every day.
CHAO: The error rate of people experiencing some level of difficulty with moving from stage to stage in their online application, that has been reduced and improved.
ACOSTA: What's also improving, enrollment. More than 133,000 people have now signed up for Obamacare on the state health exchanges. And the White House released an economic report that notes the nation's health care costs are shrinking under Obamacare, a trend officials say could translate into more than a quarter million jobs by the end of the decade.
It's a storyline that could attract more attention where it not for all the questions about healthcare.gov. The Web site the White House says will be ready for the vast majority of users by November 30th.
JAY CARNEY, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: We're working to have as many options for Americans to enroll as possible, to help meet the pent-up demand that we've seen.
ACOSTA: It's a White House mission to rescue the policy from the punchlines.
CONAN O'BRIEN, HOST, "CONAN": Yesterday President Obama urged Americans not to be put off by the Obamacare Web site. And he offered alternative ways to enroll such as using the mail. Yes. Then the president got back on his horse and rode off to spread the news to the next town. Let's go.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ACOSTA: Now just one example of how Republicans in the House would like to keep those punchlines coming, CNN has obtained, John, the House Republican playbook, "Because of Obamacare I lost my insurance." We just obtained this in the last hour. It was actually first reported by "Roll Call" and the "New York Times," but if you flip through it, John, it basically gives examples and samples to House Republican lawmakers of talking points, social media, sample op-eds, you name it, in the battle against Obamacare -- John.
BERMAN: Yes. I'm sure that book is not in the White House happy reading list, Jim.
ACOSTA: It is not. Yes.
BERMAN: There are really two systems in place here right now. There's the healthcare.gov site run by the federal government but there are also all these state exchanges. And I know you've been doing a lot of work looking into what's going on in the states.
ACOSTA: Yes. And -- as you notice in that piece, John, there is some good news happening out in the states. Some of the states that have gone out put up their own exchanges and their own Web sites linking to those exchanges, they're seeing some good results and in contrast to what's happening with healthcare.gov, in many cases they're doing a lot better.
But one note of caution not all of those states are doing a good job, just yesterday, yesterday evening, John, out in the state of Oregon, lawmakers there were having a very contentious meeting trying to get to the bottom of that state's online exchange issues.
Get this, John, in the state of Oregon they have not enrolled one person online because of that Web site's issues out there. It's just one of the many examples as to why this rollout has not gone as planned for this White House -- John.
BERMAN: Yes. Zero, a tough number to digest in Oregon.
Thank you so much, Jim Acosta, at the White House for us this morning. Thanks so much.
ROMANS: I've been looking at the rollout of Social Security and Medicare, you know, both were wildly unpopular at the time. But Medicare actually, they had a huge -- almost like a war-like effort to implement it, then it went smoothly and that's where I think this White House has had a real problem. They didn't implement it.
It could have been very unpopular like Medicare and Social Security at the time but now people take those for granted, right?
BERMAN: Yes. Smooth is not a word I've heard a lot the last month or so.
ROMANS: Smooth -- not, not. Not a good word.
All right. Now take a look at this. I want to show you this. This is what 180 miles an hour looks and sounds like.
BERMAN: And this is what it looks like when the Hasport Hondata Insight tries to turn at that speed. Oh, that is not pretty.
ROMANS: Hundred and eighty miles and then trying to turn.
BERMAN: Wow. Now the good news is the safety equipment saved the life of driver Brian Gillespie who escaped with only minor injuries. Wow. This happened at the El Mirage Dry Lakes Meet earlier this month.
You've got to take that turn gradually, at 180 miles an hour. ROMANS: Gees.
BERMAN: Wow. All right.
Still to come for us, an old classic making a comeback.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know I'll wake it up. Hello, Polly, I got a nice fish when you wake up, Polly parrot.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, it moved.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, he didn't. That was you pushing it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Returning to the stage, we'll tell you where you can catch up with them right after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BERMAN: All right. We have some good news for you. Make it great news. Monty Python fans rejoice, the British comedy troupe making a comeback.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go and tell your master that we have been charged by god with a sacred quest. If he will give us food and shelter for the night, he can join us in our quest for the holy grail.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I'll ask him but I don't think he'd be very keen. He's already got one, you see?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: How could you not love "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," the group reuniting for the first time in more than 30 years.
CNN's Max Foster is live in London where the cast just announced the date of its next performance.
Berman is already over there trying to book a flight. What are they planning? Are you excited?
MAX FOSTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I am excited. I mean these are sort of legends in Britain, and around the world. I think they define Britishness, in a way, don't they? That weird sense of humor that we have. But it does sort of translates. They haven't been on stage now for 30 years and they're all in their 70s. They had a combined age of more than 300 they pointed out. So it was a really fun press conference.
But it's interesting because you speak -- I have spoken to all of them since and they are really nervous. They're not really sure who watches or why they watch. And they said -- someone asked them what they were doing, and they all say well, all we did was a few sketches and they sort of came together eventually to turn them into some films so they don't really know what they're doing, but it was fun and they're organizing basically a massive live show at the O2 Arena here in London. It's a one-off but if it goes well, Christine, there will be more. Possibly in America.
BERMAN: That'd be great. Come back to the Hollywood bowl here.
ROMANS: Yes.
BERMAN: Max, I knew you were more of a Monty Python guy than a Benny Hill guy when it comes to defining exactly what is this Britishness thing that you're talking about.
The question is, why are they all doing this now? They have all had long and successful careers. What's getting them back on the stage?
FOSTER: Yes, well that was interesting, and they basically admitted that they're pretty much doing it for the money.
(LAUGHTER)
They want to see how it goes. They all talked about how they've lost wives, their wives are taking half their money so they want to earn some money and it's their last chance.
(LAUGHTER)
Now that they're in their 70s. So they're not even hiding it. And I asked John Clees about what are these rumors that you didn't get on, and you were arguing? You know, my hard-hitting questions. He goes, we never get on, we always argue. What's new?
(LAUGHTER)
ROMANS: I love that British practicality. We need more money.
(LAUGHTER)
And we don't know why we're funny. That's what makes them so funny.
Max Foster in London, thank you so much.
BERMAN: Thanks, Max.
Still to come for us, for Chris Christie that 2016 talk show is no sign of winning. Not at all.
ROMANS: And the New Jersey governor's newest job will likely only increase the speculation. We'll tell you what he's doing after this quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROMANS: Welcome back. Taking a look at "Top Stories", a university in Cyprus (ph) says it will soon accept bit coins. Students will be able use the digital currency when they pay for tuition and other fees. This will be the first ever school to accept bit coins as payment. The school also plans to offer a degree in the currency, which you can study for on campus and, of course, online.
BERMAN: Big box retailer Costco apologizing after some bibles at one of its California stores were labeled as "fiction".
CNN affiliate KTLA reports a pastor shopping at the store saw the bibles and tweeted a picture to his congregation. Costco blamed the mistake on a distributor. Store officials say the bibles are being relabeled.
ROMANS: In weather when a volcano erupts on land it destroys things but when it erupts underwater it actually creates something, case in point, the growth of a new island south of Tokyo. A volcano's eruption beneath the ocean's surface created the island that's about 600 feet in diameter. Scientists say you know it might erode, but there's a pretty good chance it could stay.
BERMAN: It's cool to look at, too.
All right. Fresh after his big re-election as New Jersey Governor Chris Christie now embracing a new role -- Chairman of the Republican Governor's Association. The job will give even more prominence to this politician who many say could be a presidential contender in 2016. For his part Christie says his focus is on the task at hand, getting more Republicans elected at the state level.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE (R), NEW JERSEY: I'm getting great responses from donors and from -- and from my fellow governors. So I'm looking forward to it. And it's going to be -- it's going to be a great year, 36 races, it will be fun.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BERMAN: CNN national political reporter Peter Hamby --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTIE: Well Miss Kelly on 2014, no one even mentions anything else. Just you know who is the best candidate in 2014 governor and that's it so everyone has been wonderful.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BERMAN: All right. Joining us now for real, CNN national political reporter Peter Hamby, Peter is nearby where the RGA is handling its -- holding its annual meeting. And Peter we're not making this up. The chairmanship of the RGA is traditionally a launch pad to something bigger -- has been for many a chairman.
PETER HAMBY, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL REPORTER: Yes that's right, John. This is a big deal. I mean when you talk about the invisible primary or the behind-the-scene stuff that these potential candidates do behind the scenes, really line of support the RGA is a really plum job. And the reason is that it will allow Christie to travel the country next year. There are 36 governors' races, be on TV screens around the country.
It's a really, it's a powerhouse fundraising committee. They have about $150 million political budget that Christie is going to be able to control next year.
So basically this gives him a way to get out of New Jersey, travel the country, meet voters, meet donors, meet reporters, you know, under the guise of campaigning for other governors.
But it allows him to lay groundwork for a potential presidential bid behind the scenes. And his staff is here behind me in the hotel and they're already meeting with donors and the like to make all those kinds of connections that will be valuable in just a few years -- John.
BERMAN: Yes very valuable no doubt, right. Peter Hamby, behind the scenes, where he likes to operate, in Phoenix. Thanks so much Peter.
ROMANS: All right still to come this morning a blockbuster trade in baseball.
BERMAN: The Tigers deal slugger Prince Fielder to Texas. We will tell you who they got in return and how much they're saving. We'll have the details coming up next in the "Bleacher Report".
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BERMAN: All right we don't see this often rarely do you see two playoff teams making such a blockbuster trade in baseball. But that's just what's going down between the Texas Rangers and the Detroit Tigers.
ROMANS: And Andy Scholes joining us now with more on this morning's "Bleacher Report". Good morning, Andy.
ANDY SCHOLES, BLEACHER REPORT: Hey good morning, guys. Well you know this is a huge trade. Texas is sending all-star second baseman Ian Kinsler to Detroit in exchange for slugger Prince Fielder. Now the Rangers are looking for a big left-handed bat. They got it with Fielder. They also get his monster contract. Fielder is owed $168 million over the next seven seasons. Well according to reports, the Tigers are going to pay for $30 million of that by trading Kinsler. This is very interesting, some think the Rangers will now also go after Yankees free agent second baseman Robinson Cano.
As feared, Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn has reinjured her surgically repaired right knee and is now in jeopardy of missing the Olympics. The latest injury happened during a practice run. A spokesperson for Vonn says she has a partial tear to her right ACL. Vonn is going to rest for a few days then pursue aggressive physical therapy to see if she can compete in the Sochi games in February. The Packers fan Kyle Dryer and his wife Crystal gave birth to a healthy baby boy on Sunday just a few miles away from Lambo Field but there is one minor problem the baby had a broken left collar bone just like quarterback Aaron Rodgers. So the couple took it as sign and they named their son Aaron Rodger Dryer. And dad predicts little Aaron Rodger is going to be a quarterback just like his namesake one day. Probably in about 22 years.
All right turning on BleacherReport.com there is no such thing as routine traffic stop when Jose Canseco is involved. Check it out the former slugger was pulled over by the cops yesterday with goats in his car. Canseco tweeted this picture out as proof. Look closely now one of the goats is wearing a diaper. Now Canseco say the animals are part of a fainting goat adventure documentary that he is currently producing. And I'm not sure what's going to be in it and I'm watching it.
ROMANS: The diaper is brilliant.
BERMAN: I don't even know what those words mean fainting goat documentary adventure.
SCHOLES: Adventure, fainting goat adventure --
BERMAN: -- rural adventure -- with a diaper-wearing goat and it's Jose Canseco. Somehow it makes sense because of that.
Andy Scholes, appreciate it. Thank you so much.
ROMANS: How do you change a diaper on a goat?
SCHOLES: Very carefully.
ROMANS: Very carefully. Thanks.
All right. We want to end the hour with this. For better or worse, Black Friday frenzy has become nearly as much of a Thanksgiving tradition as the holiday itself. Stories about store employees braving post turkey day stampedes now a perennial headline.
Look at this guy. It's no longer enough to show up in the predawn hours on the biggest shopping day of the year, deals are already in motion. People are already lining up right now. That's in Akron, Ohio.
BERMAN: We see this frenzy or, as you like to call it, the frenz-e every year.
ROMANS: I was still on the goat story. Sorry.
BERMAN: But I look at this and why are these people doing it? Do you actually get a better deal if you're first?
ROMANS: So this guy that we were just showing is all camped out for TVs, you know. Is it really worth it? 56 percent of Americans according to (inaudible) say it is worth it -- they think that it's worth it to line up. But there's been this big Christmas creep Berman where now you're getting deals starting right now that are Black Friday deals.
Right now they're Black Friday deals. I'm wondering, is Black Friday dead? You can start shopping for deals now.
BERMAN: Like the week of Black Friday.
ROMANS: It is. It is. Look at this. These are the best deals each day, according to Deal News. Smart phones on Thanksgiving -- remember you can go shopping now on Thanksgiving, Black Friday. HGTV is (inaudible) Black Friday, that's when you're going to get laptops, computers, maybe iPhones, kitchenware. Wait until cyber Monday, which is also a made-up industry. Another day they want you to deep-reach into your pocket and spend money you don't have on clothing and shoes.
BERMAN: They should just call it Black November instead of Black Friday be it's a whole month now.
ROMANS: Well, I kind of wonder, you know, they're so - retailers are trying so hard to get you to spend money that now there's no real Black Friday anymore. It's this whole period -- I'm wondering if they're hurting themselves actually by doing that.
BERMAN: Too much.
ROMANS: Too much.
BERMAN: And is there ever a good deal in all this?
ROMANS: Maybe. I don't know.
BERMAN: Maybe.
ROMANS: But you know, 58 percent of people pay for it by January. If you can't pay for it by January, you have no business going out there and shopping on the holidays.
BERMAN: that is great advice, as usual, from Christine Romans. Thank you so much.
ROMANS: You're welcome.
BERMAN: The next hour of CNN NEWSROOM begins right now.
ROMANS: All right. Good morning. Welcome back. I'm Christine Romans, along with John Berman. Carol Costello has the day off.
Let's begin in Washington today where Senate Democrats frustrated over what some say is the abusive filibuster by the Republican colleagues ready to pull the trigger on the so-called nuclear option.
BERMAN: Sources telling CNN that Majority Leader Harry Reid will likely launch this option today. This is a very big deal, folks -- historic, in fact. It could have an impact on whichever party is in the minority for a long, long time. We want to bring in CNN's chief congressional correspondent Dana Bash live for us on Capitol Hill. Dana -- explain to us exactly the mechanics of how this is going to work today.
DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, first of all, we should say that it looks like it is all but certain that it is going to work. Because this is the senate and because deals are sometimes struck at the last minute or plans change at the last minute, it could change. I was just told before coming on air with you that when the Senate convenes in half an hour that senators were asked to come to the floor to prepare for this vote, which could be an historic vote.
