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CNN Live Today

Summit in Santiago; Buried in Budget Bill; Avoiding Holiday Weight Gain

Aired November 22, 2004 - 11:31   ET

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

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


RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to CNN LIVE TODAY. I'm Rick Sanchez.
And here's what's happening right "Now in the News."

The penalty phase gets under way in about 30 minutes in the Scott Peterson murder trial. A jury convicted him 10 days ago for killing his wife and unborn son. Now, the same panel will decide whether Peterson is sentenced to life in prison or get the death penalty instead.

In Texas, a small plane crashes and burns on approach to Houston's Hobby Airport this morning. All three people on board were killed. Haze and fog may have hampered the pilot's efforts.

Also, today's "Washington Post" is reporting that U.S. commanders in Iraq may ask for additional troops to help put down the insurgency. Officers estimate 3,000 to 5,000 more personnel may be needed before January's election. One reason: a substantial number of Marines and soldiers will be tied up in Falluja for weeks. And it's hard to deal with all of the other problems around the country.

Meanwhile, Iran's foreign minister exclusively telling CNN this hour it stopped uranium enrichment today as required by last week's agreement with European nations. The U.N. nuclear inspectors confirmed the suspension. The U.S. and Europe threatened Iran with U.N. sanctions unless it halted all nuclear activity.

Keeping you informed, CNN, the most trusted name in news.

And we should tell you that President Bush is due in Colombia in just a couple of minutes after wrapping up the summit of Pacific Rim nations in Chile.

CNN White House correspondent Dana Bash is traveling with President Bush.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice over): President Bush chose the world stage to make a commitment that will test the political capital he says he earned in re-election: Reviving immigration reform despite opposition in his own party.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's not an amnesty program. It's a worker program. If somebody wants to become a citizen in the United States, they can get in line with the people who have done so legally.

BASH: Here in Santiago, Mr. Bush promised Mexican President Vicente Fox to push the measure next year.

PRES. VICENTE FOX, MEXICO: He is willing to leave and to conduct ahead with the operable political timing.

BASH: The president wants to give temporary legal status to millions of illegals in the U.S., but has not pushed it because conservatives critical to his re-election vehemently oppose the idea.

REP. TOM TANCREDO (R), COLORADO: You are all suckers. That's the message we send when we give people who have broken the law the same advantage we give people who have done it the right way.

BUSH: I'm going to find supporters on the Hill and move it.

BASH: That could put Mr. Bush on a collision course with congressional Republicans, the same emboldened group that stalled the White House-backed intelligence reform bill because of immigration issues. On that, the president said he was disappointed but still determined.

BUSH: I thought it was going to pass up until the last minute. And so, I look forward to going back to Washington to work with the interested parties to get it passed.

BASH: Earlier, the APEC summit closed with fresh promises to strengthen free trade and fight terrorism. Indigenous garb is a class-photo tradition. Chilean ponchos this year for a summit clouded a bit by security disputes.

Here, the president personally shoved aside Chilean guards to pull his Secret Service agent through the door. A final dinner with Chile's president was scaled back because the U.S. wasn't allowed to screen guests with metal detectors.

(on camera): The president's focus on immigration, North Korea's nuclear program and Iran here at the APEC summit, his first post- election trip abroad, suggests he's quickly trying to turn attention back to international issues that may have lost prominence in his first term because of 9/11 and the Iraq war.

Dana Bash, CNN, Santiago, Chile.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: Later this afternoon, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge will unveil new guidelines for dealing with terrorist attacks and other emergencies.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mom, shouldn't we pick a place to meet?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you're not home, should we go to the neighbors?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Should I pick up Sophia?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: They're going to come in the form of these new PSAs -- public service announcements. There's an emphasis on developing a family plan and making sure that children know exactly what to do if things go wrong.

Mr. Ridge spoke about the new ready plan earlier this morning right here on CNN's AMERICAN MORNING.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM RIDGE, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: We were hoping that by using the children, the parents would take the time -- it doesn't take much time, and it could make a difference -- to say, who do you call in case something happens? It could be an emergency. It doesn't necessarily have to be a terrorist attack.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: The Department of Homeland Security rolls out those ads sometime later today.

Exasperated lawmakers expressed anger and frustration after the House failed to pass the intelligence reform bill this weekend. Even phone calls from President Bush could not budge his opponents, many Republicans. And fingers are being pointed at conservative lawmakers and the Pentagon for resisting the overhaul.

Senator John McCain told NBC's "Meet the Press" the real battle comes down to turf wars and who gets control over intelligence and budgets.

Earlier today, members of the 9/11 Commission sounded bitter.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN LEHMAN, 9/11 COMMISSION MEMBER: This is the classic confrontation you see in Washington that they can sell tickets for, because the president now has been challenged, directly, by the leadership of the Congress and by the lobbyists and by the bureaucracy. Now, he's got to show who's in charge. And this -- there's no doubt he can pass this. He can get it passed if he chooses to use his political capital and to hold accountable any members that obstruct this passage.

TIMOTHY ROEMER, 9/11 COMMISSION MEMBER: This is not new. Many commissions have made these same recommendations for years, a decade. It's been three years since we've been attacked. We've lost more people in America in the war on terror, 3,000, than we have our brave soldiers in Iraq, where we've lost 1,200 people. It is time for the White House and the Congress to protect the American people, update their security systems before we're hit again. (END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: So, the obvious question is: What happens now? Congress could still pass the intelligence bill in December, but many lawmakers agree that that would require pressure, direct pressure, from the president and the White House.

Well, lawmakers are trying to explain a mystery provision found hidden in a giant omnibus spending bill. It would have allowed two committee chairmen access to the tax returns of you and me and every other American. CNN's Kathleen Koch has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I hesitate to lift it. I think it's an OSHA violation.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): House lawmakers had less than 12 hours to look over the $388 billion spending bill.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Have you read this document?

KOCH: So few did. Senators were stunned to discover a provision giving two committee chairmen broad access to income tax returns.

SEN. CHARLES GRASSLEY (R), IOWA: UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a very troubling position that will potentially take away American taxpayers' rights to privacy.

SEN. LARRY CRAIG (R), IDAHO: I would suggest that we can talk a great deal about this section, but it will never become law.

KOCH: A top house Democrat implied the measure was Nixonian, calling it a -- quote -- "Saturday night massacre on the privacy of American taxpayers." The Senate Appropriations Committee chairman denied responsibility.

SEN. TED STEVENS (R-AK), APPROPRIATIONS CHAIRMAN: It came strictly from a staff request. You're right, it's absolutely a mistake. I apologize to the Senate.

KOCH: Senators voted to drop the provision and dilation in the bill to the president until the House deletes it as well. But some doubt this was an accident.

SEN. DIANNE FEINSTEIN (D), CALIFORNIA: This is somebody's innovative thinking of how they could get their minions into taxes of individuals who might be political opponents or who might come up against them in some way.

KOCH: Some lawmakers were also angered by another unexpected measure: making it easier for health care providers to decline to provide abortion services or referrals.

REP. NANCY PELOSI, (D-CA) MINORITY LEADER: An extraordinary sneak attack on women's rights in a disgraceful display of ideology over health.

REP. CURT WELDON (R), PENNSYLVANIA: This provision is meant to protect health care entities from discrimination because they choose not to provide abortion services.

KOCH: Senate leaders agreed to schedule a vote soon to re- examine the abortion measure. Many lawmakers, including Republicans, worry what the tax return incident says about how Congress works.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R) ARIZONA: If there's ever a graphic example of the broken system that we now have that certainly has to be it.

KOCH: While Democrats look at both measures and worry about the coming session.

SEN. CHARLES SCHUMER (D), NEW YORK: The real question is: Are we going to govern in a bipartisan way? Or is a small group, mainly in the House of Representatives, on the hard right going to call the shots?

KOCH (on camera): Since the spending bill is on hold, Congress had to rush a stopgap measure all the way to Santiago, Chile, for President Bush to sign. Otherwise, the government would have run out of money to operate at midnight.

Kathleen Koch, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: CNN's Kathleen Koch filing that story.

Well, it's that time of year again. The holidays are here, and that means you'll wind up packing on the pounds again, right? Wrong. Up next, find out what you can do to keep the food coming while keeping your figure at the same time.

And then from holiday eating to holiday travel, hitting the road and taking to the skies this week. We'll show you how to keep your sanity as well.

Well, stay with us. Stay is CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Well, we're back to CNN LIVE TODAY. I'm Rick Sanchez.

The holiday season means family, fun and food. It can also mean packing on some extra pounds, as if I needed to tell you. "Prevention" magazine offers some advice on enjoying the holidays while avoiding the weight gain.

"Prevention's" Amy O'Connor is with us from New York with some tips on eating smart this season.

And I saw the first one on the list. This is interesting. Look for the shrimp cocktail, huh? AMY O'CONNOR, "PREVENTION" MAGAZINE: Right. When you go to those holiday parties, avoid the dips. Those dips are full of fat and calories. But one thing that's kind of safe to eat is shrimp cocktail.

And another thing I want to mention is, this time of year people don't pack on as many pounds as they think they're going to. It's really one pound. But the reason why that's a problem is you're very unlikely to lose that pound, because you're eating so much and you're so sedentary this time of year because you're stressed out and because the weather is bad outside.

SANCHEZ: Well, that goes to the next point. Switch out of the holiday mode, right?

O'CONNOR: Right. Switch out of the holiday mode. Please, if you're exercising, don't stop exercising this time of year. And don't just eat all of the things that you normally wouldn't eat the rest of the year. Try and stick with your regular diet even on Thanksgiving night. If you can switch dark meat for light meat and you can just eat the regular pumpkin pie instead of the pecan pie, you're going to be saving a lot of calories.

SANCHEZ: In other words, if you eat a lot on the 26th, or if you eat on Thanksgiving Day, it doesn't mean the next day you have a pass to continue doing so, right?

O'CONNOR: Exactly.

SANCHEZ: Also, you say you can save some calories.

O'CONNOR: You can save some calories. Again, if you switch to white meat instead of dark meat and you eat pumpkin pie instead of pecan pie or one of the other more fattening pies, you're going to save up to 500 calories.

Also, really watch those liquid calories. They add up, and they're a big problem, because they won't actually make you feel full.

SANCHEZ: We're going to go through some of these. You say keep busy. You also say indulge. But I'm interested in your sixth one, because this is a problem for some people during the holidays. It's OK to have a drinky-pooh (ph), but don't have three, four, five. In other words, alternate them somehow. What do you mean by that?

O'CONNOR: Right. Alternate them with water or something non- caloric, because not only does alcohol have a lot of calories in and of itself, it's going to lower your inhibitions and it's going to make you probably want to overeat more than you would otherwise, which is a big problem.

SANCHEZ: You say destroy your plate on tip No. 7. What does that mean?

O'CONNOR: That's an odd tip, but it really works. Once you're done eating and you feel full, put lots of salt and pepper all over your plate so you're not tempted to keep picking.

Another great tip is if you can become the designated person in your family who's taking the photographs, that's going to keep your hands busy and away from the food.

SANCHEZ: That's good information. Going on from eight -- I like nine. Don't arrive starving.

O'CONNOR: Right. A big mistake people make is they come to a party or they come to a holiday meal starving. So they really pig out once they get there. Instead, it's a great idea to have a handful of nuts, a glass of tomato juice or even some plain yogurt before you go, so you're less tempted to overeat.

SANCHEZ: Amy O'Connor from "Prevention" magazine. Great information. We'll be sure and use it, and maybe it will help. Or maybe I, too, like the rest of Americans, will end up with that extra one pound, right?

O'CONNOR: Right.

SANCHEZ: Thanks a lot.

O'CONNOR: Thank you.

SANCHEZ: Well, what do Atlanta and Detroit and Camden, New Jersey all have in common? One thing they probably all wish they didn't have in common, the list no city wants to make is out again. We'll tell what you it is. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Here's a live picture that you're looking at. This is Cartagena, Colombia. This is where the president of the United States will soon disembark. It's really the last leg of his first trip abroad for the president since being re-elected.

He will be meeting, of course, with Alvaro Uribe. Alvaro Uribe is the president of Spain, an interesting character, who, by the way, had his own father shot by rebel militia. He has been really at war. He's one of the sternest presidents in Colombia in some time. Past administrations in Columbia had tried to deal with the FARC or the rebel militia. This is a president who says, no, I'm simply going to do battle with them.

President Bush has assisted in many ways. In fact, the U.S. continues to provide military aid for the Alvaro Uribe in his battle with the FARC and the rebel militia in the southern part of the country.

Once again, a story that we'll follow for you throughout the day. The president, once again, in Cartagena, Colombia.

Well, whether you're gassing up for a road trip or flying off on a plane for this Thanksgiving, some words to the wise: Leave early and bring extra money. A record number of travelers are expected to pack the runways and the roadways.

Once again, CNN's Jason Carroll is live at New York's LaGuardia Airport with a preview of what's expected to happen.

Not long ago, you and I were sitting shoulder to shoulder doing that same live shot on the same day just about a year ago, wasn't it, Jason?

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, just about. You know, if you are actually going to travel, though, Rick, now actually would have been a pretty good time to do it. There are few lines here, a few waits. Of course, a few days from now, it will be much different.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CARROLL (voice over): The holiday travel season is always busy. But this year, expect the skies, roads and railways to be even more crowded. And expect some costs to be more, too. The Frost family found that out when planning their vacation to Honolulu.

CHERYL FROST, THANKSGIVING TRAVELER: We shopped on the Internet, and we tried to get good prices and did comparison shopping.

CARROLL (on camera): You found that it was easier to fly just a little bit before Thanksgiving?

FROST: Right. And coming home a little bit later.

CARROLL (voice over): The Boscos found competitive prices to Orlando, but still a little steep for their budget.

NICK BOSCO, THANKSGIVING TRAVELER: I thank God that I have frequent flyer mileage and stuff like that. So, I've put all of our tickets on (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

CARROLL: AAA estimates 37.2 million Americans will travel during the holidays, 3 percent more than last year. And for the first time since 9/11, slightly more than those who traveled in 2000, a record year. One reason? Blame the calendar.

AMY ZIFF, TRAVELOCITY WORKER: The holidays, the way they fall both on a weekend, essentially it's not fabulous for travelers, because that's going to do the same thing to Christmas that happens on Thanksgiving, which is people want to fly and take those two weekends.

CARROLL: Travel experts say another reason for the increase is families feel more confident about security. Add to the equation, airlines cutting some prices to remain competitive.

But if you're driving, gas prices are much higher than last year; same with hotel prices. Heading to a top five destination -- New York, Los Angeles, Orlando, Denver or Chicago -- it may cost more to get there and stay there than last year. Even so, customers keep coming.

GREG SAUNDERS, CHICAGO HYATT MANAGING DIRECTOR: We'll run the highest occupancy that we've run in the history of the hotel this year.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CARROLL: A note to those who haven't traveled in a while, Rick. Once you're heading through security, you'll probably have to remove your outerwear. That means a coat, a jacket, even a bulky sweater.

In terms of where the security lines might be longest, travel experts are going to be keeping their eye on Miami International, Orlando and Cleveland, Ohio -- Rick.

SANCHEZ: All right, thanks a lot, Jason. No shoes, no belt, no coat.

Well, there's a man who does get to keep his coat when he travels, the president of the United States, along with the first lady. They're arriving in Cartagena. This is where they are going to have some meetings with Alvaro Uribe, the president of Colombia.

As we had mentioned before, the president of Colombia has been doing battle with the rebel militia there. No appeasement at all, unlike some of his previous administrations. The president will no doubt have discussions on that and the military aid that has been given to Colombia in recent years, so they can try and battle the rebel militia to the south.

We will follow that throughout the day. As a matter of fact, the president, I understand, will have several meetings with not only Mr. Uribe, but others in his administration.

The president has made this an important trip for himself, first, as you know, starting in Chile, where the reception was not all that warm. Just last night, the president of the United States was boycotted by some 200 members of an audience that was supposed to come and see the president speak. The reason? U.S. officials had insisted that all of those officials go through metal detectors.

And maybe it was a cultural difference, according to many who have studied the situation, but these officials decided if we have to go through metal detectors, in one term it was put, if we have to go through "gringo" metal detectors we simply won't go. And that's exactly what they did.

So, there have been some rough edges to this trip. Also just yesterday, as you might recall, the president was in a situation where he had to come to the aid of some of his own security detail, because the Chilean detail wanted to take over for him. So, we will certainly continue to follow that story.

(WEATHER REPORT)

SANCHEZ: And that's it for us. Betty is going to come up in just a little bit, bringing you the very latest. I'm Rick Sanchez. Thanks for being with us. We'll look for you again tomorrow at the same time.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com


Aired November 22, 2004 - 11:31   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to CNN LIVE TODAY. I'm Rick Sanchez.
And here's what's happening right "Now in the News."

The penalty phase gets under way in about 30 minutes in the Scott Peterson murder trial. A jury convicted him 10 days ago for killing his wife and unborn son. Now, the same panel will decide whether Peterson is sentenced to life in prison or get the death penalty instead.

In Texas, a small plane crashes and burns on approach to Houston's Hobby Airport this morning. All three people on board were killed. Haze and fog may have hampered the pilot's efforts.

Also, today's "Washington Post" is reporting that U.S. commanders in Iraq may ask for additional troops to help put down the insurgency. Officers estimate 3,000 to 5,000 more personnel may be needed before January's election. One reason: a substantial number of Marines and soldiers will be tied up in Falluja for weeks. And it's hard to deal with all of the other problems around the country.

Meanwhile, Iran's foreign minister exclusively telling CNN this hour it stopped uranium enrichment today as required by last week's agreement with European nations. The U.N. nuclear inspectors confirmed the suspension. The U.S. and Europe threatened Iran with U.N. sanctions unless it halted all nuclear activity.

Keeping you informed, CNN, the most trusted name in news.

And we should tell you that President Bush is due in Colombia in just a couple of minutes after wrapping up the summit of Pacific Rim nations in Chile.

CNN White House correspondent Dana Bash is traveling with President Bush.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice over): President Bush chose the world stage to make a commitment that will test the political capital he says he earned in re-election: Reviving immigration reform despite opposition in his own party.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's not an amnesty program. It's a worker program. If somebody wants to become a citizen in the United States, they can get in line with the people who have done so legally.

BASH: Here in Santiago, Mr. Bush promised Mexican President Vicente Fox to push the measure next year.

PRES. VICENTE FOX, MEXICO: He is willing to leave and to conduct ahead with the operable political timing.

BASH: The president wants to give temporary legal status to millions of illegals in the U.S., but has not pushed it because conservatives critical to his re-election vehemently oppose the idea.

REP. TOM TANCREDO (R), COLORADO: You are all suckers. That's the message we send when we give people who have broken the law the same advantage we give people who have done it the right way.

BUSH: I'm going to find supporters on the Hill and move it.

BASH: That could put Mr. Bush on a collision course with congressional Republicans, the same emboldened group that stalled the White House-backed intelligence reform bill because of immigration issues. On that, the president said he was disappointed but still determined.

BUSH: I thought it was going to pass up until the last minute. And so, I look forward to going back to Washington to work with the interested parties to get it passed.

BASH: Earlier, the APEC summit closed with fresh promises to strengthen free trade and fight terrorism. Indigenous garb is a class-photo tradition. Chilean ponchos this year for a summit clouded a bit by security disputes.

Here, the president personally shoved aside Chilean guards to pull his Secret Service agent through the door. A final dinner with Chile's president was scaled back because the U.S. wasn't allowed to screen guests with metal detectors.

(on camera): The president's focus on immigration, North Korea's nuclear program and Iran here at the APEC summit, his first post- election trip abroad, suggests he's quickly trying to turn attention back to international issues that may have lost prominence in his first term because of 9/11 and the Iraq war.

Dana Bash, CNN, Santiago, Chile.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: Later this afternoon, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge will unveil new guidelines for dealing with terrorist attacks and other emergencies.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mom, shouldn't we pick a place to meet?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you're not home, should we go to the neighbors?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Should I pick up Sophia?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: They're going to come in the form of these new PSAs -- public service announcements. There's an emphasis on developing a family plan and making sure that children know exactly what to do if things go wrong.

Mr. Ridge spoke about the new ready plan earlier this morning right here on CNN's AMERICAN MORNING.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM RIDGE, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: We were hoping that by using the children, the parents would take the time -- it doesn't take much time, and it could make a difference -- to say, who do you call in case something happens? It could be an emergency. It doesn't necessarily have to be a terrorist attack.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: The Department of Homeland Security rolls out those ads sometime later today.

Exasperated lawmakers expressed anger and frustration after the House failed to pass the intelligence reform bill this weekend. Even phone calls from President Bush could not budge his opponents, many Republicans. And fingers are being pointed at conservative lawmakers and the Pentagon for resisting the overhaul.

Senator John McCain told NBC's "Meet the Press" the real battle comes down to turf wars and who gets control over intelligence and budgets.

Earlier today, members of the 9/11 Commission sounded bitter.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN LEHMAN, 9/11 COMMISSION MEMBER: This is the classic confrontation you see in Washington that they can sell tickets for, because the president now has been challenged, directly, by the leadership of the Congress and by the lobbyists and by the bureaucracy. Now, he's got to show who's in charge. And this -- there's no doubt he can pass this. He can get it passed if he chooses to use his political capital and to hold accountable any members that obstruct this passage.

TIMOTHY ROEMER, 9/11 COMMISSION MEMBER: This is not new. Many commissions have made these same recommendations for years, a decade. It's been three years since we've been attacked. We've lost more people in America in the war on terror, 3,000, than we have our brave soldiers in Iraq, where we've lost 1,200 people. It is time for the White House and the Congress to protect the American people, update their security systems before we're hit again. (END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: So, the obvious question is: What happens now? Congress could still pass the intelligence bill in December, but many lawmakers agree that that would require pressure, direct pressure, from the president and the White House.

Well, lawmakers are trying to explain a mystery provision found hidden in a giant omnibus spending bill. It would have allowed two committee chairmen access to the tax returns of you and me and every other American. CNN's Kathleen Koch has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I hesitate to lift it. I think it's an OSHA violation.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): House lawmakers had less than 12 hours to look over the $388 billion spending bill.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Have you read this document?

KOCH: So few did. Senators were stunned to discover a provision giving two committee chairmen broad access to income tax returns.

SEN. CHARLES GRASSLEY (R), IOWA: UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a very troubling position that will potentially take away American taxpayers' rights to privacy.

SEN. LARRY CRAIG (R), IDAHO: I would suggest that we can talk a great deal about this section, but it will never become law.

KOCH: A top house Democrat implied the measure was Nixonian, calling it a -- quote -- "Saturday night massacre on the privacy of American taxpayers." The Senate Appropriations Committee chairman denied responsibility.

SEN. TED STEVENS (R-AK), APPROPRIATIONS CHAIRMAN: It came strictly from a staff request. You're right, it's absolutely a mistake. I apologize to the Senate.

KOCH: Senators voted to drop the provision and dilation in the bill to the president until the House deletes it as well. But some doubt this was an accident.

SEN. DIANNE FEINSTEIN (D), CALIFORNIA: This is somebody's innovative thinking of how they could get their minions into taxes of individuals who might be political opponents or who might come up against them in some way.

KOCH: Some lawmakers were also angered by another unexpected measure: making it easier for health care providers to decline to provide abortion services or referrals.

REP. NANCY PELOSI, (D-CA) MINORITY LEADER: An extraordinary sneak attack on women's rights in a disgraceful display of ideology over health.

REP. CURT WELDON (R), PENNSYLVANIA: This provision is meant to protect health care entities from discrimination because they choose not to provide abortion services.

KOCH: Senate leaders agreed to schedule a vote soon to re- examine the abortion measure. Many lawmakers, including Republicans, worry what the tax return incident says about how Congress works.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R) ARIZONA: If there's ever a graphic example of the broken system that we now have that certainly has to be it.

KOCH: While Democrats look at both measures and worry about the coming session.

SEN. CHARLES SCHUMER (D), NEW YORK: The real question is: Are we going to govern in a bipartisan way? Or is a small group, mainly in the House of Representatives, on the hard right going to call the shots?

KOCH (on camera): Since the spending bill is on hold, Congress had to rush a stopgap measure all the way to Santiago, Chile, for President Bush to sign. Otherwise, the government would have run out of money to operate at midnight.

Kathleen Koch, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: CNN's Kathleen Koch filing that story.

Well, it's that time of year again. The holidays are here, and that means you'll wind up packing on the pounds again, right? Wrong. Up next, find out what you can do to keep the food coming while keeping your figure at the same time.

And then from holiday eating to holiday travel, hitting the road and taking to the skies this week. We'll show you how to keep your sanity as well.

Well, stay with us. Stay is CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Well, we're back to CNN LIVE TODAY. I'm Rick Sanchez.

The holiday season means family, fun and food. It can also mean packing on some extra pounds, as if I needed to tell you. "Prevention" magazine offers some advice on enjoying the holidays while avoiding the weight gain.

"Prevention's" Amy O'Connor is with us from New York with some tips on eating smart this season.

And I saw the first one on the list. This is interesting. Look for the shrimp cocktail, huh? AMY O'CONNOR, "PREVENTION" MAGAZINE: Right. When you go to those holiday parties, avoid the dips. Those dips are full of fat and calories. But one thing that's kind of safe to eat is shrimp cocktail.

And another thing I want to mention is, this time of year people don't pack on as many pounds as they think they're going to. It's really one pound. But the reason why that's a problem is you're very unlikely to lose that pound, because you're eating so much and you're so sedentary this time of year because you're stressed out and because the weather is bad outside.

SANCHEZ: Well, that goes to the next point. Switch out of the holiday mode, right?

O'CONNOR: Right. Switch out of the holiday mode. Please, if you're exercising, don't stop exercising this time of year. And don't just eat all of the things that you normally wouldn't eat the rest of the year. Try and stick with your regular diet even on Thanksgiving night. If you can switch dark meat for light meat and you can just eat the regular pumpkin pie instead of the pecan pie, you're going to be saving a lot of calories.

SANCHEZ: In other words, if you eat a lot on the 26th, or if you eat on Thanksgiving Day, it doesn't mean the next day you have a pass to continue doing so, right?

O'CONNOR: Exactly.

SANCHEZ: Also, you say you can save some calories.

O'CONNOR: You can save some calories. Again, if you switch to white meat instead of dark meat and you eat pumpkin pie instead of pecan pie or one of the other more fattening pies, you're going to save up to 500 calories.

Also, really watch those liquid calories. They add up, and they're a big problem, because they won't actually make you feel full.

SANCHEZ: We're going to go through some of these. You say keep busy. You also say indulge. But I'm interested in your sixth one, because this is a problem for some people during the holidays. It's OK to have a drinky-pooh (ph), but don't have three, four, five. In other words, alternate them somehow. What do you mean by that?

O'CONNOR: Right. Alternate them with water or something non- caloric, because not only does alcohol have a lot of calories in and of itself, it's going to lower your inhibitions and it's going to make you probably want to overeat more than you would otherwise, which is a big problem.

SANCHEZ: You say destroy your plate on tip No. 7. What does that mean?

O'CONNOR: That's an odd tip, but it really works. Once you're done eating and you feel full, put lots of salt and pepper all over your plate so you're not tempted to keep picking.

Another great tip is if you can become the designated person in your family who's taking the photographs, that's going to keep your hands busy and away from the food.

SANCHEZ: That's good information. Going on from eight -- I like nine. Don't arrive starving.

O'CONNOR: Right. A big mistake people make is they come to a party or they come to a holiday meal starving. So they really pig out once they get there. Instead, it's a great idea to have a handful of nuts, a glass of tomato juice or even some plain yogurt before you go, so you're less tempted to overeat.

SANCHEZ: Amy O'Connor from "Prevention" magazine. Great information. We'll be sure and use it, and maybe it will help. Or maybe I, too, like the rest of Americans, will end up with that extra one pound, right?

O'CONNOR: Right.

SANCHEZ: Thanks a lot.

O'CONNOR: Thank you.

SANCHEZ: Well, what do Atlanta and Detroit and Camden, New Jersey all have in common? One thing they probably all wish they didn't have in common, the list no city wants to make is out again. We'll tell what you it is. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Here's a live picture that you're looking at. This is Cartagena, Colombia. This is where the president of the United States will soon disembark. It's really the last leg of his first trip abroad for the president since being re-elected.

He will be meeting, of course, with Alvaro Uribe. Alvaro Uribe is the president of Spain, an interesting character, who, by the way, had his own father shot by rebel militia. He has been really at war. He's one of the sternest presidents in Colombia in some time. Past administrations in Columbia had tried to deal with the FARC or the rebel militia. This is a president who says, no, I'm simply going to do battle with them.

President Bush has assisted in many ways. In fact, the U.S. continues to provide military aid for the Alvaro Uribe in his battle with the FARC and the rebel militia in the southern part of the country.

Once again, a story that we'll follow for you throughout the day. The president, once again, in Cartagena, Colombia.

Well, whether you're gassing up for a road trip or flying off on a plane for this Thanksgiving, some words to the wise: Leave early and bring extra money. A record number of travelers are expected to pack the runways and the roadways.

Once again, CNN's Jason Carroll is live at New York's LaGuardia Airport with a preview of what's expected to happen.

Not long ago, you and I were sitting shoulder to shoulder doing that same live shot on the same day just about a year ago, wasn't it, Jason?

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, just about. You know, if you are actually going to travel, though, Rick, now actually would have been a pretty good time to do it. There are few lines here, a few waits. Of course, a few days from now, it will be much different.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CARROLL (voice over): The holiday travel season is always busy. But this year, expect the skies, roads and railways to be even more crowded. And expect some costs to be more, too. The Frost family found that out when planning their vacation to Honolulu.

CHERYL FROST, THANKSGIVING TRAVELER: We shopped on the Internet, and we tried to get good prices and did comparison shopping.

CARROLL (on camera): You found that it was easier to fly just a little bit before Thanksgiving?

FROST: Right. And coming home a little bit later.

CARROLL (voice over): The Boscos found competitive prices to Orlando, but still a little steep for their budget.

NICK BOSCO, THANKSGIVING TRAVELER: I thank God that I have frequent flyer mileage and stuff like that. So, I've put all of our tickets on (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

CARROLL: AAA estimates 37.2 million Americans will travel during the holidays, 3 percent more than last year. And for the first time since 9/11, slightly more than those who traveled in 2000, a record year. One reason? Blame the calendar.

AMY ZIFF, TRAVELOCITY WORKER: The holidays, the way they fall both on a weekend, essentially it's not fabulous for travelers, because that's going to do the same thing to Christmas that happens on Thanksgiving, which is people want to fly and take those two weekends.

CARROLL: Travel experts say another reason for the increase is families feel more confident about security. Add to the equation, airlines cutting some prices to remain competitive.

But if you're driving, gas prices are much higher than last year; same with hotel prices. Heading to a top five destination -- New York, Los Angeles, Orlando, Denver or Chicago -- it may cost more to get there and stay there than last year. Even so, customers keep coming.

GREG SAUNDERS, CHICAGO HYATT MANAGING DIRECTOR: We'll run the highest occupancy that we've run in the history of the hotel this year.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CARROLL: A note to those who haven't traveled in a while, Rick. Once you're heading through security, you'll probably have to remove your outerwear. That means a coat, a jacket, even a bulky sweater.

In terms of where the security lines might be longest, travel experts are going to be keeping their eye on Miami International, Orlando and Cleveland, Ohio -- Rick.

SANCHEZ: All right, thanks a lot, Jason. No shoes, no belt, no coat.

Well, there's a man who does get to keep his coat when he travels, the president of the United States, along with the first lady. They're arriving in Cartagena. This is where they are going to have some meetings with Alvaro Uribe, the president of Colombia.

As we had mentioned before, the president of Colombia has been doing battle with the rebel militia there. No appeasement at all, unlike some of his previous administrations. The president will no doubt have discussions on that and the military aid that has been given to Colombia in recent years, so they can try and battle the rebel militia to the south.

We will follow that throughout the day. As a matter of fact, the president, I understand, will have several meetings with not only Mr. Uribe, but others in his administration.

The president has made this an important trip for himself, first, as you know, starting in Chile, where the reception was not all that warm. Just last night, the president of the United States was boycotted by some 200 members of an audience that was supposed to come and see the president speak. The reason? U.S. officials had insisted that all of those officials go through metal detectors.

And maybe it was a cultural difference, according to many who have studied the situation, but these officials decided if we have to go through metal detectors, in one term it was put, if we have to go through "gringo" metal detectors we simply won't go. And that's exactly what they did.

So, there have been some rough edges to this trip. Also just yesterday, as you might recall, the president was in a situation where he had to come to the aid of some of his own security detail, because the Chilean detail wanted to take over for him. So, we will certainly continue to follow that story.

(WEATHER REPORT)

SANCHEZ: And that's it for us. Betty is going to come up in just a little bit, bringing you the very latest. I'm Rick Sanchez. Thanks for being with us. We'll look for you again tomorrow at the same time.

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