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FCC to Consider In-Flight Cellphone Calls; Obama Approval Rating Sinks to New Low; Nation Remembering JFK's Assassination; Stabbed Virginia Politician Leaves Hospital; Police: Women Held Captive for 30 Years; The Dow Opens at Record Highs

Aired November 22, 2013 - 09:00   ET

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

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: But first a 22-year ban now getting a second look and that means talking on the cell phone while flying just might become a reality.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: This goes in the worst idea ever file. Whether you consider this idea annoying or if you're the one person on earth who thinks it's convenient, the FCC will consider a proposal at its next meeting in December to allow fliers to make voice calls in flight.

ROMANS: OK. Back in 2004 the FCC considered lifting the ban but changed their minds after a lot of opposition and uncertainty over the technical details.

CNN's Alexandra Field is live outside LaGuardia Airport in New York.

And my personal unscientific polling this morning is that no one thinks this is a good idea and everyone thinks it's a way for someone to make money. What is going on here?

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, at the same time, though, Christine, we've long heard travelers who are grumbling about whether or not it's really unsafe to use their cell phone in the air, right? That's been the big complaint from people for a long time now.

The FCC is finally saying that there is technology that can make it perfectly safe to use your phone in flight. Airplanes just need to be equipped with an antenna that would eliminate the possibility of dangerous interference in cellular networks on the ground.

But, Christine, John, as you do point out, passengers are very much worried about another kind of interference, that guy sitting next to you talking loudly on the flight from, say, New York to L.A., that's the problem that a lot of people here have. At the same time we know there are plenty of business travelers out here, they say that they don't want to be forced to disconnect, so this is something that has people a little bit split.

And most people think that they'd like to use their phone, they do it courteously, they're worried about the person next to them. So here's what travelers are saying at LaGuardia this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would allow the phone call as long as it's short and to the point.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It would be fine if I could talk but the problem is that you might want to talk, and you might want to talk the entire flight in a loud voice about every single problem you have in your family, blah, blah, blah, right?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FIELD: A lot to consider here. But we do know that the Flight Attendants Union is coming out. They're speaking loudly on this one saying that they don't think it's a good idea.

Here's -- the situation that is loud, divisive and possibly disruptive is not only unwelcome but also unsafe. That's how the Flight Attendants Union is weighing in and again a lot of travelers this morning speaking their minds about this, too -- Christine, John.

BERMAN: Yes. You know, that's the Flight Attendants Union. I'll speak on behalf of the people who want to sleep on a flight union.

(LAUGHTER)

You know, I'm not sure it's a great idea and it makes me wonder if this is really all about money. I have to believe that the airlines are going to find some way to make some money on this.

ROMANS: Yes. $19 extra for a quiet seat in the back of the plane. I mean, can you imagine that?

FIELD: I mean, it's something that we've seen before on people who take the Amtrak, they can sit in the quiet car. There's no additional charge to sit in the quiet car but we do know that car fills up pretty quickly, people who just don't want to hear what other people have to say -- Christine, John.

ROMANS: We'll have to see how it technically will work, Alexandra Field, if, for example, roaming charges would apply, like when you're on a cruise, for example, I mean, how would that work.

Alexandra Field at LaGuardia Airport, thank you.

BERMAN: All right. We'll keep on that.

Meanwhile, President Obama waking up this morning with a new low in his approval ratings, just 41 percent of people in our polling say they like the way he's handling his job. That is the lowest it has ever been in the CNN/ORC polling.

ROMANS: Well, look at this. The biggest drop came in June from 53 percent in May to 45 percent. That was during new reports of the NSA spying and the IRS targeting conservative groups. So Obamacare may not be the biggest factor in these -- in these falling poll numbers.

BERMAN: Yes, the timing there really interesting. ROMANS: Yes.

BERMAN: I want to bring in CNN's chief political correspondent Candy Crowley who's joining us now live from Washington.

Candy, I want to shift gears a bit because today it is 50 years since the death of President John F. Kennedy. We're just talking about President Obama's poll numbers. But let's look at President Kennedy's numbers 50 years after his death, 90 percent, 90 percent of the people in our polling say they approve of his handling of the job. Just 7 percent disapprove.

Is this all at this point just a function of nostalgia?

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, that and the fact, this is a man who was not president even for three years. I think it was like November two years 10 months basically, had he been president. So you know, in four years people can sour but in general I also think that history has a way of softening things. You look back, this was you know, was billed very shortly after his death, there's Camelot and that time of hope and, you know, innocence in America.

So there's been a lot of legacy building since his death and at the time he had not yet really had time to build a huge presidential legacy, because two years and 10 months as you know is not a huge, long time in history.

ROMANS: When you talk about the perspective, Candy, George W. Bush hit lows of 25 percent approval in his second term and is at 42 percent today. So in a way once you leave office, sometimes you're remembered differently.

CROWLEY: Oh, yes, absolutely. I mean, unless -- I mean, obviously Nixon numbers, he left office during a scandal, and so I think those numbers probably will stay there. George W. Bush at 42 percent, it is interesting, we'll see how that plays out over time. But he's not yet kind of history. He's still been very present.

ROMANS: Right.

CROWLEY: It's been only five years so yes, I think as the years go by, I mean Jimmy Carter was defeated for a second term and now people talk all the time about Jimmy Carter and how he had a better post- presidency than presidency, so yes, you know, we all know this from our own lives. I mean, history tends to soften the edges and make things look better. You get that kind of gauzy look at history.

BERMAN: Yes. My numbers are way big with people who went to high school with me right now, Candy.

(LAUGHTER)

CROWLEY: Absolutely.

BERMAN: But for President Obama, you know, is there anything he can do to boost his numbers during his second term here or does he only have nostalgia to look forward to? Does he have to leave office before he can get above 41 percent again?

CROWLEY: Oh, no. I think if he had -- if we get past the Web site and if next year you hear more stories about what a great thing Obamacare is, and stories about holy cow sticker shock, holy cow people can't keep their doctors. The cost curve has not been bent.

I mean, his -- to me, when you look at it, certainly next year when you look at midterms, that is the key talking point for Republicans. If Obamacare turns out to do what this administration hopes it will do, says it will do, that's going to turn his numbers around.

BERMAN: All right. Thanks, Candy Crowley, thank you so much.

Of course, everyone, watch "STATE OF THE UNION" on Sunday at 9:00 a.m. Eastern time.

ROMANS: And those Nixon approval ratings, 31 percent, he has a higher approval rating than Congress right now.

BERMAN: Yes.

ROMANS: Richard Nixon.

BERMAN: Amazing.

ROMANS: All right. This afternoon in Dallas the bells will toll in remembrance of President John F. Kennedy 50 years after his death. You're looking at a live shot right now of Dealey Plaza where the exact time of his assassination the city is going to hold a moment of silence. Today's event is the first time Dallas is officially commemorating JFK's death.

BERMAN: And in Washington you're looking right now at the eternal flame as it burns in Arlington National Cemetery. Just moments ago there was a wreath laid in JFK's honor.

Let's go back to Dallas right now. CNN's Ed Lavandera is live there at the scene of where the ceremonies will be today, Ed. What's going on there right now?

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John and Christine. The surrealness of the moment that we will see here later just kind of struck me for the first time as they're going through the preparation here this morning. They're starting to play a slide show of pictures of John F. Kennedy, doing sound checks and this sort of thing, and it has been an incredible slide show of pictures that the crowd here of 5,000 will see later today.

And it's surreal because it is literally some 30 feet away from where JFK was assassinated here 50 years ago today or in the shadows of the sixth floor museum in the School Book Depository from where Lee Harvey Oswald assassinated the president.

In fact that road you see behind me, the banner of JFK, just went up, John, that is Main Street. The presidential motorcade came down that street that day, made a quick right here and then turned down Elm Street, and this is where it all ended. So 5,000 people expected here today, the city organizers say this is the first time that the city of Dallas has hosted an event to honor President Kennedy.

And this is a city that has struggled mightily over the last five decades how to come to terms with what happened here. And so city organizers say what they want to do here today is not focus on how the president died and all the conspiracy theories and the controversy that had surrounded the assassination for five decades but focus on John F. Kennedy, not how he died but how he lived.

BERMAN: All right. Ed Lavandera for us in Dealey Plaza in Dallas.

It's got to be an incredible experience to be there and such a moving place to be on any day and on this day I have to believe it's even more powerful.

ROMANS: And in a city where, as Ed points out, you know, for a long time they've grappled with it was the place where he died and how do you -- you know, how do you come to terms with that as a -- as a city.

Don't forget to set your DVR, of course, for the assassination of President Kennedy. It's a film you'll see on CNN here tonight at 10:00.

BERMAN: All right. Let's take a look at some of the headlines right now in the news for us right now.

Flooding, violent winds and one dangerous river ride. The rescues and destruction coming up as wild weather stretches across the country.

You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: All right. Welcome back, everyone. Checking top stories.

George Zimmerman's estranged wife Shellie says he has become a monster. That's what she told Katie Couric yesterday.

ROMANS: George Zimmerman was arrested for allegedly abusing his now girlfriend. Shellie says it has made her question everything including the night Trayvon Martin died.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KATIE COURIC, "KATIE": I think when people hear of all these incidents following the trial it does cast further doubt on his actions that night.

SHELLIE ZIMMERMAN, ESTRANGED WIFE OF GEORGE ZIMMERMAN: Sure.

COURIC: Do you feel that way?

ZIMMERMAN: Yes. COURIC: Does it cast further doubt for you?

ZIMMERMAN: Further doubt, yes, absolutely.

COURIC: But yet?

ZIMMERMAN: It casts a lot of doubt, like you said, because like I have said, I don't know the person that I've been married to so, of course, I'm going to have questions and doubts but I wasn't there that night.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: George Zimmerman denies abusing his girlfriend. He's out on bond until his next hearing.

ROMANS: Starbucks baristas must now share their tips with their shift supervisors. A federal appeals court handed down this ruling Thursday saying the supervisors spend most of their time doing the same job as the baristas. An attorney for the baristas says the ruling allows employers, allows Starbucks to subsidize the pay of supervisors with money that should go to lower earning workers.

ROMANS: All right. Take a look at a drug suspect who maybe should have invested in a plunger. Members of the Arizona Narcotics Task Force were searching a home when they found the suspect trying to flush four pounds of marijuana down the toilet. So not surprisingly it didn't work and the man was booked into jail where he's currently being held without bond.

Look at that. Yes, it didn't work too well.

(LAUGHTER)

ROMANS: All right. Some good news for Colorado motorists. The governor's office says the last of the highways damaged by September's massive flooding will reopen on Tuesday, that beats the December 1 deadline for reopening all 27 highways, total of -- wow -- 485 miles of highway damaged or destroyed by all that Colorado flooding.

BERMAN: That is amazing. We have dangerous weather to tell you about going on right now. This time in Riverside, California, where several people had to be rescued from a rushing river.

ROMANS: Firefighters spotted a man clinging to a tree, four other people stranded on an island down river from him. A helicopter was called to pull them to safety.

Indra Petersons is here with more on the crazy weather moving across the country.

Good morning, Indra.

INDRA PETERSONS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, good morning.

It's something we call the pineapple express, there's a reason for this. There's o much moisture fueling into the Southwest, I'm going to zoom you out wide and you can see the source came from Hawaii, hence the name pineapple express.

Never a good thing. It means a lot of rain in a sort period of time. Look at the current rain heading in towards the Phoenix area, that is the concern, the same thing that was out in the high deserts in California and looks like that will be the threat as we go through the weekend as the system sags to the South.

But there are two parts to the system, one is going to be the heavy rain and look at this. They're expecting another three to five, even six inches of rain possible. It may not sound a lot to you but in the desert southwest where the ground is a little bit drier. That is too much rain so flood warnings will be out as we go through the weekend. Also, about two to four inches there around the four corners.

So that's the first side of the system. The other is the heavy amounts of snow from where it is cold. I mean, one to two feet possible to Colorado, even northern portions of New Mexico, even Flagstaff, looking for some flurries in through Arizona. So, pretty impressive system out west.

But there are two systems. The other system is making its way across the country, bringing lighter rain, that's going to be making its way into the Northeast, kind of tailing there out through the gulf over the next 24 hours or so. When I say rain, we're talking about light, maybe only about an inch, possibly two to three inches when you talk about Mississippi or Arkansas today, but that's not why it's going to be a big story. It is the temperatures, look at these 30s, that is going to be spreading into the Northeast, temperatures are going to be good, 20 degrees below normal by Sunday with even a chance of snow.

Pretty impressive weather across the country, guys.

ROMANS: Impressive is one way to look at it.

BERMAN: That's what a meteorologist calls really nasty weather -- impressive.

Indra Petersons, thank you so much.

ROMANS: Happy Friday. Thanks, Indra.

BERMAN: All right. We have some news just in to CNN.

In Virginia, State Senator Creigh Deeds has been released from the hospital. You remember, earlier his week, Deeds was in an altercation with his son. The state senator was stabbed including in the head several times. He was in critical condition after the altercation. His son took his own life with a gun.

Of course this followed a period where he had been evaluated for some psychiatric issues. He was not admitted to the hospital because of a lack of beds in that part of the state. Creigh Deeds has been recovering in the hospital. At first, his condition was critical but obviously officials there now think it is okay for him to leave. He has been released. The news right now from the hospital in Virginia.

ROMANS: Certainly wish him well.

All right. Women held captive for 30 years, how they were inspired to escape after watching a documentary on television. That's coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROMANS: All right. Three women are now free this morning after allegedly spending decades, decades in captivity. London police calling this the worst case of modern day slavery they've ever seen. Police say the three women have been brainwashed emotionally and physically abused, held in a London neighborhood with no real exposure to the outside world.

BERMAN: Except for one thing -- apparently, a documentary by ITV called "Forced to Marry". After seeing it, one of the women called the Freedom Charity and asked for help. The group's president spoke to CNN International.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANEETA PREM, FOUNDER & PRESIDENT, "FREEDOM CHARITY": They called our 24-hour help line. It's manned by professionals and once one of them made the call we took that call seriously. We treat every call at the charity as if it's a last chance someone can call us, and then we started to get involved in very delicate negotiations on how they would be rescued and when that would happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Wow, that rescue then happened yesterday and their two alleged captors were taken into custody but have since been released on bail.

Atika Shubert following the story from London.

Atika, what are investigators saying about this?

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, they're saying this say unique case. They haven't seen anything like that before. They're saying it's not domestic servitude or forced labor, but that there were invisible handcuffs -- and that's the term they've been using -- on these women. That they were under severe emotional control, suffered both emotional and physical abuse.

But they won't say why the women are being held. There doesn't seem motive of sexual exploitation or even of labor at this point.

We simply don't know. The police aren't giving any more details and we don't know even the relationship between the suspects and the victims, except -- and this is pretty remarkable -- the police say that any outside people who encountered them would have thought of them, seen them as a normal family. But apparently inside there was this intense control over the lives of these women and they had these overwhelming fear of the suspects, and this is why police are looking into this as a possible case of slavery, Christine.

BERMAN: The suspects have been released, Atika? Do we know why?

SHUBERT: They were released on bail overnight. They are expected back for questioning by police in January, but they have not been charged. What this allows the police is basically to continue with their investigations. They obviously don't think this couple, a 60- year-old man and 67-year-old woman who are not British citizens, will flee at any point, but they are not back at the house. They're at another location.

So we don't have any more details other than that. Police are continuing to look at the house. They searched there for 12 hours yesterday, got 55 bags of evidence but won't give any other details of what was happening inside.

ROMANS: Fascinating. A mystery, we'll continue to follow.

Atika Shubert in London -- thank you, Atika.

BERMAN: Still to come for us -- two lives lost in a horrific crash.

ROMANS: Yes, the shocking tweets sent by the person accused of causing it, right after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: All right. Welcome back, everyone.

You're looking at live pictures, Arlington National Cemetery. That, of course, is the eternal flame. It was lit to honor the life of President John F. Kennedy.

ROMANS: He was assassinated 50 years ago. We're remembering his life throughout the day here on CNN. It's an emotional place to be on any day, but especially today, 50 years later.

Good morning, everyone. I'm Christine Romans.

BERMAN: And I'm John Berman. We are at the bottom of the hour right now.

ROMANS: All right. Now, another story that we're watching this morning in THE NEWSROOM: the Dow, which is opening above the 16,000 mark for the first time ever this morning. Right now, employees may be looking to go higher with the 41st record of the Dow this year.

Alison Kosik is live on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.

Alison, what are you expecting?

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Yes. We're expecting that, yes, as the bell rings, 16,000 and above, this is the 40th record high of the year. Today could be 41 if the Dow closes higher. You know, stop a minute, stop to consider how amazing this is. I mean, you probably see it in your 401(k) especially with the Dow, the NASDAQ, the S&P up anywhere between 22 percent to 31 percent this year. You look historically a more normal return is about 8 percent, so that's huge, the gap there, and it's broad-based, not just concentrated in a few areas.

You look at the Dow, only two stocks of the 30 are down this year. Only about 50 of the S&P's 500 stocks are down, and investors are loving it. Stimulus is flowing, interest rates are low, inflation is low.

But we all know there's this disconnect. Economic growth is weak. Earnings growth is slow and you're seeing some big CEOs warning about the economy.

And Black Friday, Christine, just a week away, expectations aren't high for consumers getting out there and spending a lot this holiday season.