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CNN Saturday Morning News
First Senate Vote Looms on Health Legislation; 'Unfriend' Selected as 'Word of the Year'; Orphanage Caters to Abandoned Pachyderms
Aired November 21, 2009 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RICHARD LUI, CNN ANCHOR: From CNN Center, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING. It is November the 21st. Good morning. I'm Richard Lui, in for T.J. Holmes. He's probably having a good day off.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Yes. Hey, good to see you, Richard. Yes.
LUI: You as well.
NGUYEN: Taking a little much-deserved time off, that T.J. Holmes. He'll be back next week.
And hello, everybody. I'm Betty Nguyen. Thanks so much for starting your day with us.
All right. Let's get right to it. The Senate going over into overtime right now, working on a Saturday -- but so are we.
(LAUGHTER)
NGUYEN: They though are beginning to battle over a new health- care bill. But here's the deal: The debate may be cut off before it even gets started. We're going to explain.
LUI: Yes, lots of details there.
And the prestigious Oxford Dictionary is unveiling its new "word of the year."
NGUYEN: Uh oh.
LUI: And here's one that did not make it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "Sexting."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not sure. I've -- I've heard the word, but I couldn't' define it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "Sexting"? I would think it's a form of texting.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "Sexting."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Uh, yes, it's a form of texting.
(LAUGHTER)
NGUYEN: So what word won? Well, you know, that may be a little preview. "Sexting" -- you've heard that, right?
LUI: I have heard of it. A lot of stories on that.
NGUYEN: Are you going to define it?
LUI: A lot of -- we will later.
(LAUGHTER)
NGUYEN: "We," he says.
LUI: We. Of course (ph).
NGUYEN: All right. We'll get to that. And we're going to be talking about your Facebook enemies as well. Not going to be surprised at some of this.
Facebook enemies? Aren't they all your friends on Facebook?
LUI: Well, once you hear that word, hopefully it's never happened to you.
NGUYEN: Oh.
LUI: Probably not. You more get the other part of that (INAUDIBLE).
NGUYEN: Now you got me worried.
OK, let's get to the top stories, shall we?
We've been following this overnight for you. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(SHOUTING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Yes, protests erupting, of all places, the campus of UC- Berkley. Dozens of demonstrators swarmed an administration building yesterday. And here's what they're protesting: a 32 percent increase in tuition over two years. At least 41 people were cited for trespassing. Police in Italy say they have arrested two men with ties to last year's deadly attacks in Mumbai, India. One hundred sixty people died in those attacks, which was carried out about a year ago next week. Investigators say the two Pakistani men under arrest transferred money that was used to activate Internet phone lines for the hackers.
LUI: And a rescue mission is under way right now in northern China after a coal-mine explosion there. At least 42 people were killed. Some 66 others are believed to be trapped below at this moment. A state-run news agency says the blast was caused by a gas buildup there.
And then in a rare move, a hearing for the Fort Hood shooting suspect is scheduled to take place today right in his hospital room. Major Nidal Hasan has been placed in pre-trial confinement at Brook Army Medical Center in San Antonio. Today's hearing will determine if that confinement is appropriate.
Hasan is accused of killing 13 people at Fort Hood on November the 5th.
So, Betty, the Senate opens a rare Saturday session...
NGUYEN: Yes.
LUI: ...about three and a -- in about three and a half hours from now, leading to a critical vote tonight.
NGUYEN: Absolutely. OK, so the vote will determine whether debate will go forward on a Democratic health-care bill. And Democratic leaders -- well, they are working hard to be sure that they have enough votes to head off a filibuster.
CNN's Dana Bash explains it all.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DANA BASH, CNN SR. CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Betty and Richard, one previously undeclared Democratic senator, Ben Nelson of Nebraska, says despite his deep concerns about his party's health-care bill, he will give them his vote to start debate tonight. So the president can cross Ben Nelson off his list of potential Democratic senators who will put the brakes on his top priority.
But a couple of others are still being publicly coy.
(voice-over): Behind the scenes it's a Democratic scramble to secure 60 votes needed to start the Senate health-care debate.
SEN. RICHARD DURBIN (D-IL), MAJORITY WHIP: We're not assuming a thing. We're working hard to bring all Democrats together for the 60 votes necessary to proceed to this historic debate.
BASH: And all eyes are on one of the last Democratic holdouts, the senator inside this office, Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Senator Blanche Lincoln's office.
BASH: Phones are ringing off the hook, constituents trying to get through to influence her vote.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, ma'am, I'm sorry about that.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK, I can let her know that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, we're getting a lot of people calling.
BASH: Lincoln holds the power to stop President Obama's top priority in its tracks or let it proceed. She's got a tough re- election battle next year in a state Obama lost in 2008 by 20 points. And conservative voters now worry that health-care bill spends too much and gives too much power to the government.
Democratic leaders are well aware of her political pickle, but try to pressure her with this argument:
DURBIN: I would say to Senator Lincoln that I believe most of the people in Arkansas will be relieved and happy to see health-care reform. I think the failure to pass a bill is not good for America; it isn't good for any of us in Congress or those standing for re- election.
BASH: Another Democratic senator who hasn't formerly announced her vote is Mary Landrieu of Louisiana. Aides released these photos to CNN, showing her working with staff, going through the 2,000-plus page health-care bill.
One thing she'll find is this: a sweetener Democratic leaders added to help persuade Landrieu, $100 million in Medicaid assistance she's been trying to get for her home state of Louisiana still struggling from Katrina.
(on camera): Senator Landrieu says she's concerned about the cost of her party's health-care bill, and the fact that it includes a government-run health-insurance option, which she opposes. Still, she seems to be leaning towards voting for starting debate.
That is perhaps why Democratic leadership sources are moving from cautious optimism to confidence that they will get the 60 votes needed to start debate on their health-care bill -- Richard and Betty.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LUI: There's some wrinkles buried in the Senate bill. It's a five percent tax on cosmetic surgeries. That would presumably include Botox injections and breast implants.
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons argues that it's a discriminatory tax against women, who account for 86 percent of all cosmetic procedures. Now, Senate Democrats say the new tax would bring in nearly $6 billion over the next 10 years.
NGUYEN: All right. So it is the day after Oprah Winfrey's announcement. You know that she is...
LUI: Yes.
NGUYEN: ...moving on. And so many people still kind of shocked by the fact that her show is coming to an end in 2011.
LUI: So many millions absolutely identify with her...
NGUYEN: Yes.
LUI: ...no doubt. And the so-called "queen of daytime talk," Betty, will end her syndicated show on September the 9th, 2011, closing a quarter-century run.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OPRAH WINFREY, TALK-SHOW HOST: Over this holiday break, my team and I will be brainstorming new ways that we can entertain you and inform you and uplift you when we return here in January. And then, Season 25. We are going to knock your socks off.
So the countdown to the end of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" starts now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: You know, she says, "We're going to knock your socks off." I have no doubt. Because before -- what? -- she's given away cars, a home. I mean, there's almost nothing this woman can (ph) do. And now there is speculation that Winfrey will have a talk show, in fact, on the Oprah Winfrey Network, OWN as it's called, which premieres January 2011.
So, yes, I mean, a lot of people...
LUI: She's got a lot ahead of her.
NGUYEN: ...speculating that either this is a very good business move or she's...
LUI: Lucrative, shall we say?
NGUYEN: Yes. Pretty...
LUI: Yes.
NGUYEN: I mean, for -- what? -- 25 years, once that comes to an end. For 23 consecutive seasons, she was the highest-rate talk show out there.
LUI: Amazing.
NGUYEN: Yes, it truly is.
LUI: Amazing. NGUYEN: All right. So what is your favorite Oprah moment? Was it the Tom Cruise one, where he jumped on the couch? Was -- I mean, there's so many. What was your favorite?
Hit me up on Facebook or Twitter. You can also go to the blogs. Let us know. We're going to be reading those replies on the air, going down Memory Lane with Oprah Winfrey.
So a big holiday-travel week ahead, folks. We all know that. Boy, it's going to be a mess at some of these airports.
Reynolds Wolf is keeping an eye on the conditions. You are going to be a busy man.
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Oh absolutely. You know, we're talking about people who are not just going to be going to the airport and taking off, but people in the minivans, people in the station wagons making that drive to Grandma's house, their aunt's house, wherever. I mean, they got to go from Point A to Point B. And with that, you have to an idea of what to expect weather-wise.
Well, coming up in a few moments, we're going to let you know about storms in parts of the Pacific Northwest, heavy rainfall in the Southeast and let you know what you can expect out at the airport. That's coming up in just a few moments. So sit tight.
NGUYEN: All right. Well, you need to sit tight, because this is a real interesting story that we have coming up.
LUI: The Oxford Dictionary. Some words that you may be familiar with here, Reynolds. It's out with its new "word of the year."
NGUYEN: "Word of the year." I can only imagine what this is going to be.
LUI: Yes, well, people are very good at creating new words.
NGUYEN: Oh yes.
LUI: We do that sometimes on air.
(LAUGHTER)
LUI: I'm guilty of it, i.e....
NGUYEN: We can make them up every now and then.
LUI: Yes, i.e., mispronunciations.
NGUYEN: Yes.
(LAUGHTER)
LUI: But do you have any guesses here -- if you're a Facebooker...
NGUYEN: Uh oh.
LUI: ...you may already know it, unfortunately. We'll spell it out.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC, LENNY KRAVITZ, "FLY AWAY")
NGUYEN: Well, folks will be flying away for the holiday. People getting prepared this weekend for that Thanksgiving travel.
How's the weather going to cooperate?
(WEATHER REPORT)
LUI: You can't look at this without saying, "aww."
NGUYEN: "Aww."
LUI: They're just babies.
NGUYEN: So cute.
LUI: They're going to be big soon. But they're in danger. And they need your help.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC, CAMEO, "WORD UP")
NGUYEN: I was warned about this music. Perfect! "Word Up," by Cameo. Haven't heard of Cameo in a long time.
LUI: Yes, a long time. But it's the perfect song.
NGUYEN: It is, because we are talking words today. Every year, the New Oxford American Dictionary takes the -- the "word of the year." And the word has to have cultural significance and staying power.
LUI: And last year's one, you might remember this, "hypermiling." You know, trying to get the most gas -- the most -- the best economy...
NGUYEN: OK.
LUI: ...you can out of your car.
NGUYEN: Got you.
LUI: By doing things like taking out of drive.
NGUYEN: I don't ever say this. Have you ever said "hypermiling" in your life, besides just now?
LUI: I -- well, on air we've had to talk about hypermiling. NGUYEN: Point taken.
LUI: But since then, no.
NGUYEN: Yes.
LUI: But it's sort of indicative, as you said, of where our culture's going, right?
NGUYEN: Yes.
LUI: And so, evidently, when we take a look at this year's winner, it's familiar to Facebookers out there.
NGUYEN: Uh huh.
LUI: All right? Some of them. And -- but not everybody knows it, and lots of people confused by the other contenders for "word of the year."
Take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "Sexting."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not sure. I've -- I've heard the word, but I couldn't define it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "Sexting"? I would think it's a form of texting.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "Sexting." Yes, that's -- I've learned that's where people are taking pictures or putting kind of obscene terms in their -- in their text.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, we know what it means.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was pretty close. "The sending of sexually explicit texts and pictures by cell phone." (END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "Teabagger"?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have no idea what that means.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "Teabagger." I have no idea -- do you know what a "teabagger" is?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All I can think is, like, taking tea bags out of teacups.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "Teabagger." I've heard the term, but I do not know what it means.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't have a clue.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "A person who" -- oh -- "who protests President Obama's tax policies and stimulus package, often through local demonstrations known as 'tea-party protests.'
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come to think of it, yes, that makes sense.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "Brown state." UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A state that's brown.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have no idea. A state that's brown.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "A U.S. state that does not have strict environmental regulations."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "Tramp stamp."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What do you think that is?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A "tramp stamp." Obviously, someone who's being a little trashy and it's probably, you know...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "Tramp stamp." I had never heard this term until the other day.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, I know what that is.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "Tramp stamp."
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's a tattoo right above your butt.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "Tramp stamp."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What do you think that means? Anybody know?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Tattoo on the lower back?
(CROSSTALK)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Definition is -- oh, "a tattoo on the lower back, usually on a woman."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "A tattoo on" -- oh!
(CROSSTALK)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do I win money?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But you get to continue talking to me if that's...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I thought it was $100 a question.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "Unfriend." Somebody that's not a friend?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "Unfriend"?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What do you think that means?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not cool. Like, not nice. Not friendly.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "To remove someone as a friend on a social- networking site, such as Facebook.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LUI: Oh, I'm surprised some of those kids didn't get it.
NGUYEN: What, the "unfriend"?
LUI: Yes.
NGUYEN: Oh, there's some other ones that I'm surprised that they didn't get.
LUI: Well, and sometimes you're glad they didn't get them.
NGUYEN: Yes.
LUI: So, "tramp stamp" and that others (ph).
NGUYEN: And some of those you just don't yell out loud.
LUI: No. No. Don't say out loud. You can think about it.
(LAUGHTER)
LUI: That last word, by the way, Betty, "unfriend." ...
NGUYEN: Uh huh.
LUI: ...that is, in fact, the "word of the year."
NGUYEN: Really?
LUI: So, I mean, I think we're going to use that in our vernacular a lot. Maybe not "hypermiling."
NGUYEN: So in that case, in -- in celebration, shall we go and unfriend everybody?
LUI: No. No, don't do that.
NGUYEN: I'm kidding. I'm kidding. We're all your friends, right?
LUI: Yes.
NGUYEN: All because of Facebook. Isn't that amazing?
LUI: It...
NGUYEN: Social media, the impact that it's had.
LUI: And that's really the point, right?
NGUYEN: Yes.
LUI: What it's meant to the way we network together nowadays, so -- there's been some debate about whether the proper word is "unfriend" or "defriend." And we go through that with a lot of works, I think, that we use. But an Oxford Dictionary spokesman saying that researchers found that "unfriend" was actually used more often.
NGUYEN: I am so glad we got that cleared up.
(LAUGHTER)
LUI: (INAUDIBLE), I like to "friend" people more.
NGUYEN: Exactly. LUI: Yes.
NGUYEN: I will not unfriend you, Richard.
LUI: No, not as of today, hopefully.
NGUYEN: Yes.
LUI: Maybe after.
NGUYEN: Well, you know, some in the Senate not feeling very friendly right now because they're working on a Saturday, something they don't usually do. What are they working to accomplish this weekend? Well, that is one of our top stories, and we're going to take a look at that in just three minutes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LUI: If you're just joining us this morning, your top stories this hour:
The Senate is in session this morning leading up to a critical health-care vote tonight. Senators will vote on whether debate on the Democrats' plan will go forward or not. Democratic leaders are working to get 60 votes to prevent a filibuster. And if they are successful here, debate would begin after Thanksgiving recess.
NGUYEN: Well, nearly 100 protesters arrested over the last two days at the University of California campuses. Students and others had been protesting a 32 percent tuition hike. Groups took over parts of buildings like Wheeler Hall at UC-Berkley. And police arrested 41 people there for trespassing.
Now, university officials say they need higher tuition to avoid even deeper cuts.
LUI: First, she was allegedly raped by four older boys in July. Now, the story of an 8-year-old girl in Arizona is back in the headlines. Police arrested her mom and dad on seven counts of child abuse for incidents allegedly dating back to 2005. Her parents, Liberian refugees, blamed her for being victimized.
Their faces are blurred to avoid identifying their daughter.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LUI: It's a haven for babies left alone in the world -- some very big babies.
NGUYEN: Yes.
LUI: An orphanage in Kenya, specializing, sheltering and protecting Africa's elephants.
NGUYEN: You got to see this, especially if you're an animal lover, an elephant lover. But, you know, these elephants have to earn their keep. Our David McKenzie explains from Nairobi, Kenya.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They grow up to be one of Africa's giants. But like all creatures, they start off pretty small.
Dwarfed by their keepers, each orphaned elephant at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust has a tragic tale.
(on camera): This is Sala (ph). She's six weeks old. They say her mother died because of starvation in the Kenyan drought. The person who found her gave her cow's milk, which is extremely harmful to elephants because of the fat.
(voice-over): Sala (ph) wandered into a tourist camp in Kenya's Sava (ph) National Park, alone and confused.
The orphanage scrambled a plane to rescue her.
Carefully strapped in and traumatized, they evacuated Sala (ph) to Nairobi. For weeks, she was too sick to stand. Three days ago, she started walking again.
If she makes it, she won't be alone. Drought, poaching and shrinking habitats have decimated elephant herds across east Africa.
And the orphanage is fuller than it's been in 30 years. Still, Dame Daphne Sheldrick will take more.
DAME DAPHNE SHELDRICK, DAVID SHELDRICK WILDLIFE TRUST: You know, if a human child came in, in need of care, you wouldn't put a bullet in it or turn it away.
Elephants are the same. Whatever comes in, we have to make space.
MCKENZIE: It takes years to rehabilitate and reintroduce the orphans into the wild. For the keepers, it's not just a 9-to-5 job.
EDWIN LUSICHI, CHIEF KEEPER: But after working with these elephants, it's no longer just a job. It is from inside your heart, the love that you have for these animals.
MCKENZIE: Every three hours, day and night, the keepers mix fortified soy milk for the elephants. It costs $900 a month to care for each orphan, so the elephants have to earn their keep.
With a slap of sunscreen to protect their sensitive skin, the babies go on parade. They slush and slide for the throngs of tourists who see the fun, but not the heartbreak.
For every baby elephant saved this year, another has died.
SHELDRICK: It's a trauma. We grieve; we bury it. We turn the page and then get on with the living. That's all you can do.
MCKENZIE: So they hope to lead these infants through their most fragile stage. It could take years before Sala (ph) joins a family of wild elephants. In the care of her human family, she just might make it.
David McKenzie, CNN, Nairobi, Kenya.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LUI: Oh, quite a story there, Betty.
NGUYEN: I hope she makes it.
LUI: Absolutely. Many of them.
If you want to help the baby elephants that you saw in this story from David McKenzie, you can go to Sheldrickwildlifetrust.org. We also have the story posted on CNN.com. You can click on the "World News" link there.
NGUYEN: Well, it all started with cutting in line. And now, it's built up to accusations of racism.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kennett is -- is -- is a town where -- where it's just like anywhere else in the United States. This is -- this is not an -- a racist environment, as I said in closing argument.
(CROSSTALK)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LUI: Oh yes. Yes, you can hear the tension right there. So how did this case get so big? She nearly got jail time.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Well, good morning, everybody. On this Saturday, thanks for Joining us. I'm Betty Nguyen.
LUI: Very good morning to you. I'm Richard Lui sitting in for T.J. Holmes on this morning. Thanks for starting your day with us so far.
NGUYEN: Let's get to it. A hearing for the Fort Hood shooting suspect is scheduled to take place today. Where? In his hospital room. Yes, Major Nidal Hasan has been placed in pre-trial confinement at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio. Today's hearing will determine if that confinement is appropriate. Hasan is accused of killing 13 people at Fort Hood on November 5.
LUI: And we have just learned the federal prosecutors have decided to drop charges against one of the Blackwater security guards involved in a shooting that killed 17 Iraqi civilians. No word on why. Four other U.S. contractors are still facing manslaughter charges from the 2007 incident in Baghdad.
NGUYEN: All eyes are on Capitol Hill for a rare Saturday session. Senators will vote tonight on whether to move forward a debate on a Democratic health care plan, or kill the bill. If the vote is successful, debate will continue after the Thanksgiving holiday and could go on for weeks.
You know, the house has passed a version of health care reform. So let's compare that bill with the one the Senate would debate. Here goes.
They both would create health insurance exchanges. They would expand Medicaid. Subsidize insurance for low- and some middle-income families. Cap out-of-pocket medical expenses and require insurance companies to provide insurance for pre-existing conditions.
LUI: And the difference in the two bills, now. The Senate has a public option plan in it, in which the states can opt out. Now, there is no opt-out clause in the House plan. The Senate would pay for its bill with a tax on high-cost, so-called Cadillac health insurance plans.
And the House would place a tax on individuals making more than $500,000 a year, and couples making more than $1 million.
And then on the issue of illegal immigrants, the Senate bill would ban them from buying health insurance. The House measure says illegal immigrants could purchase insurance with private, not federal funds. Of course, we will have more on that story throughout this morning for you.
A question of courtesy that turned into a debate over race. It all started with one woman cutting in line at Wal-Mart. And now a plea deal has ended that trial in Kennett, Missouri. But as David Mattingly tells us this case still has many riled up.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): And 11th hour plea deal helped Heather Ellis avoid serious jail time and a permanent felony record.
But the attention generated by allegations of racial bias surrounding the case means Kennett, Missouri may have a more long-term problem.
MORELY SWINGLE, PROSECUTOR: Kennett is a town where it's just like anywhere else in the United States. This is not a racist environment. As I said in closing arguments ...
(CROWD JEERS, SHOUTS)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Boo!
MATTINGLY (On camera): Clearly people around, in this crowd, supporters of her that do not believe that. SWINGLE: Well, I think a lot of the people are not residents of this area. And they came here from other parts of the country hoping to find racism that wasn't here.
MATTINGLY (voice over): Nearly three years after Heather Ellis was accused of cutting in line at the local Wal-Mart, caught on tape, shoving away another customer's items. Questions remain over why the moment escalated into such a high-profile arrest. Ellis pleaded guilty to resisting arrest and disturbing the peace. Charges of assaulting two police officers were dropped.
HEATHER ELLIS, DEFENDANT: I was responsible for my actions. And I was able to say what I did wrong. I think that it is important that everybody else step up to the plate and admit they are wrong, too.
MATTINGLY (on camera): Ellis testified that she was taunted by one police officer who told her to, "Go back to the ghetto." It was the only racially charged moment of the three-day trial. But witnesses from the scene, customers, police, employees, described Ellis as the one who was offensive.
MATTINGLY: So, all the people who testified that you were cursing, that you were abusive, that you were threatening, they were not telling the truth?
ELLIS: They were not telling the truth. When they were cross- examined, they were coming up with things that were not in their reports. There were even -- that they wrote freshly when they had been -- happened three years ago. They had all been schooled on what to say.
MATTINGLY: But in closing arguments the prosecutor told the jury it was Ellis telling a lie. A lie that dug her deeply into a hole when the case attracted so much attention. The plea deal punishment includes probation, four days in county jail, and anger management classes.
David Mattingly, CNN, Kennett, Missouri.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: All right. Well, for your Saturday, some folks in the Southeast, storms headed your way.
I don't know how to put it any better than that, Reynolds.
WOLF: You are absolutely right.
NGUYEN: Unfortunately, it is going to be kind of rainy and yuck?
(WEATHER REPORT)
LUI: An Army sergeant accused of murder, the interrogation all caught on tape.
NGUYEN: Yes, an exclusive interview "AC 360" investigation that you will only see right here on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Well, blogs, Facebook, Twitter or just general conversation, the hot topic this week has been the new mammogram recommendations. According to a new task force report most women should start mammograms at 50, rather than 40, as previously recommended. Now, some women are just outraged. Others, they are confused.
So, join us this morning at 9:00 o'clock Eastern as we devote a half hour to health care and speak live with a doctor who will answer your questions. But you have to send them in. Send me your questions to CNN.com/betty or go to Facebook and Twitter sites. We want to hear from you because we have a doctor in the house to answer your questions.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: All right. Welcome back everybody. Here are some of the other stories we are following today.
Protests erupt on the campus of UC Berkeley. Dozens of demonstrators swarmed an administration building yesterday. They are protesting a 32 percent increase in tuition over two years. At least 41 people were cited for trespassing.
LUI: It's a Saturday, but the Senate opening in rare Saturday session about three hours from now, working on a weekend. A vote is scheduled tonight on whether to move forward with debate on Democrats' health care plan. Now Democratic leaders are trying to woo a couple of key wavering members of their own party to reach 60 votes and prevent a filibuster this day.
NGUYEN: The heads of the Catholic and Anglican churches coming together today. Pope Benedict is meeting with Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams. And tension rising between the two churches. Recently, the Catholic Church said that it would start accepting Anglican clergy men who are unsatisfied with their own church.
And take it to Chicago now. Because a tearful Oprah Winfrey told her audience that she is going to end the program that made her a billionaire. The last broadcast, September 9, 2011.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OPRAH WINFREY, HOST, "THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW": After much prayer and months of careful thought, I have decided next season, season 25, will be the last season of "The Oprah Winfrey Show." These years with you, our viewers, have enriched my life beyond all measure. You all have graciously invited me into your living rooms, into your kitchens, and into your lives.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LUI: So, Betty, you watch the show?
NGUYEN: Yes, I do.
LUI: Twenty-five years long on TV. Amazing for a daily show. It has made Oprah a cultural force and a mega brand. Everybody knows Oprah. CNN's Tom Foreman, for us, takes a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The show became an institution.
WINFREY: I'm Oprah Winfrey and welcome to the first national "Oprah Winfrey Show".
FOREMAN: Its host one of the most influential people. What began on local TV in Chicago grew into a media empire; a phenomenon of empowerment, entertainment, and whole lot more. For the last 23 years, Oprah Winfrey has made news, made history and presided over some of the most famous moments ever broadcast.
It's impossible to list them all here, but we have chosen a few that have made a lasting impression. Like this one, her 1993 interview with Michael Jackson at his Neverland Ranch. She said it was like meeting the Wizard of Oz.
WINFREY: This is the most exciting interview I had ever done, and certainly was going to be the most watched interview I had ever done.
FOREMAN: Oprah's encounter with Jackson friend, Elizabeth Taylor did not fair as well. Oprah called it one of her worst interviews. Right before it began Oprah said the legendary actress asked her not to bring up any her relationships.
Stars flocked to Oprah, to talk, to plug their movies, and in Tom Cruise's case, to get weird.
WINFREY: I've never seen you like this.
FOREMAN: That's the couch jumping incident from 2005. Cruise went overboard expressing his love for then-girlfriend, Katie Holmes. It's a clip that has been seen countless times.
And so has this one: The start of season 19, when to the surprise of everyone Oprah handed out presents to her audience members. Each one of them, the keys to their very own new car. She has we have seen she can be incredibly generous and profoundly moving, breaking down on camera.
Oprah is a self-made success story. "Forbes" ranks her among the wealthiest people on the planet and says she is worth $2.5 billion. She has also donated $40 million to create two girls' schools in South Africa. And dozens of other schools through her Angel Network have been built around the world. The network has also help build or restore hundreds of homes in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. She has also shared personal battles, especially with her weight. In 1988 she wheeled out 67 pounds of fat. It's how much weight she lost back then. Many women followed her lead and went on diets. Since then, she's continued struggling and it is always center stage.
There are a lot of firsts for Oprah. 1996, "Deep End of the Ocean" was chosen as her first Book Club choice. Her Book Club has motivated millions of people to read since and helped sell millions of books. It's also given us another memorable moment when she confronted author James Frye after recommending his book, "A Million Little Pieces", a memoir filled with fiction.
From the big hair to the big interviews to the big heart to the big difference she has made in so many people's lives. Now, Oprah is saying good-bye. In an interview with "60 Minutes," back when it all started, Oprah said what matters isn't longevity.
WINFREY: It will do well.
MORLEY SAFER, CBS ANCHOR, "60 MINUTES: And if it doesn't?
WINFREY: And if it doesn't I will still do well. I will do well, because I am not defined by a show. You know, I think we are defined by the way we treat ourselves and the way we treat other people.
FOREMAN: Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: I love that. I'm not defined by the show, I'm defined by the way we treat our selves ...
LUI: Prophetic, wouldn't you say?
NGUYEN: ...and how we treat other people.
LUI: Yes, absolutely.
NGUYEN: So, we are asking you in this moment. I know you have seen the show. Some of you are probably avid fans of it. What is your favorite Oprah moment? Do you have one? E-mail me. Go to cnn.com/betty on my blog. You can go to my Facebook page, my Twitter page. Lots of ways to reach out to me this morning. I will be reading your responses on the air, but we want your favorite Oprah moment. Send them in today.
LUI: You only have 25 years to pick from.
NGUYEN: Well, not yet, 23, still.
LUI: Oh, 23, OK. That's 24 years to pick from, yes.
NGUYEN: Right, 24 years.
LUI: Hey, later today, someone will own Michael Jackson's famous rhinestone studded glove. Obviously, I don't have that. I'm sticking my hand up.
NGUYEN: Yes, I could tell. Let me tell you how much that piece of iconic pop culture is expected, expected, to sell for at auction.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WOLF: Yeah, that's me on guitar.
LUI: That's what he does every morning. That is how he walks in this place.
WOLF: Exactly, yeah, just hopping on one foot and playing the guitar.
LUI: Red pants.
NGUYEN: And those sparkly shoes, that's great.
WOLF: You can't see the red pants, but yes, I do wear them as often as I possibly can.
NGUYEN: What wackiness do you have for us today?
WOLF: Well, the first one is the one Richard was talking about a while ago. We are talking about Michael Jackson's glove. Today we are talking about a huge auction. Hee-hee, shamaou!
NGUYEN: Oh, my.
WOLF: The pre-auction price is $40,000 to $60,000 ...
NGUYEN: For the glove?
WOLF: That's what I'm talking about.
NGUYEN: Nice.
WOLF: There it is. I mean, who wouldn't want that? A Christmas gift that lasts forever. I mean, isn't it just the most amazing thing?
NGUYEN: That keeps appreciating through time, I imagine.
WOLF: Hee, hee, shamou!
LUI: Yes, I want to hear the shamou, again.
WOLF: It's all good, you know.
LUI: What's this shamou?
WOLF: It happens.
All right, guys, it was first worn back in 1983 at Motown, at the 25th Anniversary Special. It is going to be Julian's (ph) Auction. It is going to be tonight. It is going to be a good thing. Now, over in Chicago, it is going to be time for the International Toy Festival. Not Michael Jackson, but the toy festival, yes, that is what I'm talking about. Toy & Game Vendor of the Year Awards are going to be handed out.
Then as we make our way down toward Texas, in Kingsville, Betsy ...
NGUYEN: Betsy? Wow! You forgot my name and everything.
WOLF: Oh, Betsy -- Betty. See what happens when I do the Michael Jackson thing? The names get ...
NGUYEN: You just lose your mind, don't you?
WOLF: Exactly. Now, Betty have you ever been to Kingsville?
NGUYEN: No.
WOLF: Well, what they are having is an the Ranch Hand Breakfast in Kingsville. And this is an annual event. It is wonderful. They have shows where they have cowboys roping, cooking demonstrations.
NGUYEN: Very cool. How very Texas.
WOLF: With or without Michael Jackson gloves. A lot of story telling also.
Now, in Natchitoches, in Louisiana, they have the Festival of Lights to get you in that nice holiday mood. That is going to be all the way through January 6. There is going to be 170,000 Christmas bulbs to decorate the streets; 72 separate settings along King River Lake.
And also, they have the 63rd Mother Goose Parade over in El Cajon, California on Sunday. I guess it's half a million people expected to be there at the children's parade.
NGUYEN: Really?
WOLF: And last but not least, it is not even on the map, so don't even bother. The Annual Cannabis Cup in Amsterdam.
NGUYEN: Of course, it's in Amsterdam, right?
WOLF: Yes, yes.
NGUYEN: The Cannabis Cup.
LUI: Or Berkley, California.
WOLF: Or Berkley, California. Absolutely. All of these shops are going to be competing for the title of the best marijuana seed store and hemp products. Do with it what you will.
NGUYEN: Lovely. I knew you had some spicy - LUI: Was that on the script? I didn't know that was on the script?
(CROSSTALK)
WOLF: OK, all right. Right here.
(LAUGHTER)
NGUYEN: All right.
WOLF: Good times.
NGUYEN: Want to do the Michael Jackson thing one more time?
WOLF: No.
NGUYEN: See, once you are on the spot, no one ever wants to do it.
WOLF: Can't happen again. It has to be spontaneous.
NGUYEN: OK. All right. You work on it. We'll get back with you.
A rare Saturday session, though, in all seriousness for the Senate. They are working to accomplish a lot this weekend. And we are going to tell you about that and some more of our top stories in three minutes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LUI: A CNN special investigation, "Killings at the Canal: The Army Tapes" premiers tonight at 8:00 Eastern. It's the story about four Iraqi detainees by three decorated Army sergeants at a canal in Baghdad.
Special Investigations Unit Correspondent Abbie Boudreau has a preview for us.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ABBIE BOUDREAU, CNN INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT (on camera): We have obtained 23 and a half hours of Army interrogation videotapes. Tapes you'll only see on CNN. On those tapes, one of the sergeants, Michael Leahy, confesses to the crime. We ask his wife about her reaction to finding out her husband was being charged with murder.
(On camera): Oh, wow. Do you love it?
JAMIE LEAHY, MICHAEL LEAHY'S WIFE: I do. It was the most beautiful thing I had seen. It just looked wonderful on. It's really good to see it again. And it's kind of bittersweet. I don't know what's going to happen.
BOUDREAU (voice over): Life is on hold for Jamie Leahy. LEAHY: I will wear it. I'm determined to wear it someday with him.
BOUDREAU: They were married by a justice of the peace when her husband was between deployments, but she wanted a traditional wedding, the beautiful gown, the big reception, in her grandparents' backyard.
LEAHY: This is exactly where it was going to be. The ceremony over here, with an arch. We were going to have round tables just placed all around.
BOUDREAU (On camera): Did you ever have the ceremony and the reception?
LEAHY: No, we haven't yet. Because our plans were in February, 2008, so -- but, the investigation started in January, so.
(SOBBING)
BOUDREAU (voice over): Her husband, Sergeant Michael Leahy, a Purple Heart recipient, and a medic, was charged with the unthinkable, premeditated murder. He was one of three Army sergeants accused in the execution of four Iraqi detainees and the dumping of their bodies into this canal.
It was a secret he eventually would have to tell his wife. He described that conversation in this Army interrogation tape.
SGT. MICHAEL LEAHY, U.S. ARMY: I told her that, I said, "Honey, I'm going to tell you something and I understand if you don't forgive me, but I'm not a good person because I murdered someone in Iraq." That's not the word I used, "I killed someone in Iraq."
BOUDREAU (on camera): Did you ever think your husband was capable of killing like this?
J. LEAHY: No, I didn't. That's why I am trying to understand what was going on in his head, what was going on around him, that could bring him to something, a situation like that.
BOUDREAU (On camera): Sergeant Leahy's confession is one part of the Army interrogation tapes you will see in our documentary. The tapes also reveal the Army's concern that the fallout from the murders would turn into a public relations nightmare. It's all part of our Special Investigations Unit documentary, "Killings at the Canal: The Army Tapes". Tonight at 8:00 Eastern, right here on CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LUI: Well, CNN tonight, was it murder or battlefield justice. See what CNN uncovered, then decide for yourself. "Killing at the Canal: The Army Tapes,: a CNN special investigation tonight and tomorrow night at 8:00 Eastern, only on CNN.
LUI: From CNN Center, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING. It is November 21st. We're almost to the end of the month, getting close to Thanksgiving.
NGUYEN: Yes.
LUI: Zooming by.
(CROSSTALK)
LUI: But I'm looking forward to the food to be honest.
NGUYEN: Absolutely.
LUI: Good morning. I'm Richard Lui, in for T.J. Holmes.
NGUYEN: Good morning, everybody. I'm Betty Nguyen. Thanks so much for starting your day with us.
Well, the Senate is in session today. Yes, it's unusual for the weekend. But senators are beginning the battle over a new health care bill. But, that debate may not even happen, if they don't vote to say yes to a debate. We'll explain.
LUI: Yes, a lot of details there.
NGUYEN: Yes.
LUI: If you're looking for a few ways to make a little extra cash during these holiday days, you may want to stick around. We've got five tips that will have you say, ka-ching.
NGUYEN: Ka-ching.
All right. Let's take you to our top stories right now.
Nearly 100 protesters arrested over the last two days at the University of California campuses. Students and others have been protesting a 32 percent tuition hike. Groups took over parts of buildings like Wheeler Hall at U.C. Berkeley. And police arrested 41 people there for trespassing. University officials say they need higher tuition to avoid even deeper cuts.
LUI: Police in Italy say they've arrested two men with ties to last year's deadly attacks in Mumbai, India. A hundred and sixty people died on those attacks. It's carried one year ago next week. Investigators say the two Pakistani men under arrest transferred money that was used to activate Internet phone lines for the attackers.
NGUYEN: In a rare move, a hearing for the Fort Hood shooting suspect is scheduled to take place today, right in his hospital room. Major Nidal Hasan has been placed in pre-trial confinement at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio. Today's hearing will determine if confinement is appropriate. Hasan is accused of killing 13 people at Fort Hood on November 5th.
LUI: So, Betty, as you were saying, the Senate, all right?
NGUYEN: Yes, working today. LUI: That's right -- on a Saturday. They want to feel like we're a part of what we're doing here or vice versa, I don't know. A rare Saturday session starts in less than three hours from now, leading to a critical vote tonight.
NGUYEN: Yes, that vote will determine whether debate will go forward on a Democratic health care bill. Not even to the bill's, you know, details.
LUI: Right.
NGUYEN: But whether they will begin debate on it. And Democratic leaders -- well, they are working hard to make sure they have the votes to head off a filibuster.
CNN's Dana Bash has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BASH: Betty and Richard, one previously undeclared Democratic senator, Ben Nelson of Nebraska, says, despite his deep concerns about his party's health care bill, he will give them his vote to start debate tonight. So, the president can cross Ben Nelson off his list of potential Democratic senators who will put the breaks on his top priority.
But a couple of others are still being publicly coy.
(voice-over): Behind the scenes, it's a Democratic scramble to secure 60 votes needed to start the Senate health care debate.
SEN. RICHARD DURBIN (D-IL), MAJORITY WHIP: We're not assuming a thing. We're working hard to bring all Democrats together for the 60 votes necessary to proceed to this historic debate.
BASH: And all eyes are on one of the last Democratic hold-outs, the senator inside this office, Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Senator Blanche Lincoln's office.
BASH: Phones are ringing off the hook, constituents trying to get through to influence her vote.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, ma'am. I'm sorry about that.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK, I can let her know that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, we are getting lot of people calling.
BASH: Lincoln holds the power to stop President Obama's top priority in its tracks or let it proceed. She's got a tough reelection battle next year in a state Obama lost in 2008 by 20 points. And conservative voters, now, worry the health care spends too much and gives too much power to the government.
Democratic leaders are well-aware of her political pickle but try to pressure her with this argument.
DURBIN: I would say to Senator Lincoln that I believe most of the people in Arkansas will be relieved and happy to see health care reform. I think the failure to pass a bill is not good for America. It isn't good for any of us in Congress or those standing for re- election.
BASH: Another Democratic senator who hasn't formally announced her vote is Mary Landrieu of Louisiana. Aides released these photos to CNN, showing her working with staff, going through the 2,000-plus- page bill.
One thing she'll find is this, a sweetener Democratic leaders added to help persuade Landrieu: $100 million in Medicaid assistance she's been trying to get for her home state of Louisiana still struggling from Katrina.
(on camera): Senator Landrieu says she's concerned about the cost of her party's health care bill and the fact that it includes a government-run health care option which she opposes. Still, she seems to be leaning towards voting for starting debate. And that is perhaps why Democratic leadership sources are moving from cautious optimism to confident that they will get the 60 votes needed to start debate on their health care bill -- Richard and Betty.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Well, you know, it's been hard enough for Senate Democrats to even start the debate. But the battle over health care could only get tougher on the floor. Republicans are using their weekly address to list their objections.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, RNC VIDEO)
SEN. MIKE CRAPO (R), IDAHO: This 2,000-page bill will drive up the cost of health care insurance and medical care, not down, increase taxes by hundreds of billions of dollars, cut Medicare for senior citizens by hundreds of billions of dollars, grow the federal government by over $2.4 trillion in new spending, push the needy uninsured into a failing Medicaid system, impose a damaging unfunded mandate on our struggling states, leave millions of Americans uninsured, and establish a massive governmental intrusion into management into our health care economy.
This is not true health care reform, and it is not what the American people want. This bill will result in higher premiums and higher health care costs for Americans, period.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Well, Crapo goes on to push health care ideas favored by his party, like allowing people to buy insurance across state lines and letting small businesses pool together for discounts.
LUI: President Obama using his weekly address to defend his recent trip to Asia. Critics say he returned home without any concrete results. But the president says the U.S. economy was on his mind the entire time.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I spoke with leaders in every nation I visited about what we can do to sustain this economic recovery and bring back jobs and prosperity for our people -- a task I will continue to focus on relentless in the weeks and months ahead. This recession has taught us that we can't return to a situation where America's economic growth is fueled by consumers who take out more and more debt.
In order to keep growing, we need to spend less, save more, and get our federal deficit under control. We also need to place a greater emphasis on exports that we can build, produce and sell to other nations -- exports that can help create new jobs at home and raise living standards throughout the world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LUI: The president is also promoting a White House job summit next month and he's inviting financial experts, some business leaders to attend that.
You're watching it, aren't you? A big holiday travel week is ahead. We've got five days to go before we break out that turkey.
NGUYEN: Yes.
LUI: Get on the road.
NGUYEN: Some of us are already packing for that trip.
LUI: Yes.
NGUYEN: Reynolds is already looking ahead to the future. Don't need a crystal ball, just a magic wall, apparently.
WOLF: Yes, magic wall that's going to show us the heavy rainfall along parts of the gulf coast. We're talking New Orleans, back over to, say, Houston. Heavy rain right now and we're going to see some delays. The question is, one of the delays may pop out around the nation.
Well, coming up in a few, we'll give you an idea of what you can expect not from -- just for the day, but through Thanksgiving and beyond. That's just moments away.
NGUYEN: All right. Looking forward to that. Thank you.
WOLF: You bet.
NGUYEN: And how can you make money using your home? You don't have to sell it. You don't have to move. But your home will make you some cash. We're going to show you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) (MUSIC)
NGUYEN: Yes, she's worked hard for her money, over a billion to be exact. Well, it is the day after Oprah Winfrey's announcement that she is moving on. And, you know, many people are still in shock about this, especially the fans. The so-called "Queen of Daytime Talk" will end her syndicated show on September 9th, 2011, closing a quarter century run.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WINFREY: Over this holiday break, my team and I will be brainstorming new ways that we can entertain you and inform you and uplift you when we return here in January. And then, season 25. We are going to knock your socks off. So, the countdown to the end of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" starts now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: And I believe she will knock our socks off. I mean, she's done everything from book clubs, to launching careers of other people like Dr. Oz and Dr. Phil. And who can forget, giving away homes and cars. But there is speculation that Winfrey will have a talk show on the Oprah Winfrey Network which does premier January, 2011.
So, what is your favorite Oprah moment? I know those of you who watch the show have one and there had been plenty of moments. The one that comes to my mind is the Tom Cruise moment. But what are some of your moments? Well, we're going to read some of what you say. But you've got to send them into me, Facebook and Twitter. You can also reach me on the blog and we'll be reading those for you.
(MUSIC)
LUI: OK. You know, 4:00 a.m. in the west right now. And it is a snowy, blistery -- blustery sort of 4:00 a.m. for them.
WOLF: Yes.
LUI: The Pacific Northwest, specifically.
WOLF: Absolutely. I mean, blistery or blustery, either way you put it, it's going to be rough. As we were talking about during the break, (INAUDIBLE) this is the third storm in a row, this one, two, three.
And you see, look at the size of those big snow.
LUI: Yes.
WOLF: I mean, it's just amazing. The snowplows are out there, been working around the clock, trying to do what they can to clear much of the I-5 corridor as dawn passes where they not only have poor visibility, Richard, but at the same time strong wind gusting it's going to keep things really tough, especially for the high profile vehicles, the semi-trucks, the big busses and whatnot. It's going to be tough out there, no question about it.
So, if you're going up there, by all means, please take it easy. You may see similar situations to this in other parts of the Sierra Nevada, perhaps even in Truckee and maybe Lake Tahoe before the weekend runs out.
Meanwhile, along the gulf coast, and it's entirely different situation. Not snow but some heavy rainfall expected along parts of the I-10 corridor, from, say, places like New Orleans, back over to Houston, and a few spots in between.
Now, something else I want to show you. We're not seeing it as of yet, but there's a chance that later on today, we may a few thunderstorms pop up in spots like Atlanta, maybe in Birmingham, which, of course, means that is where we could see some potential delays.
Already, the delays that we see stacking up, places like New Orleans, Houston, of course, Dallas and Atlanta, due to the thunderstorms, the potential rainfall. Then in Seattle and Portland as we also mentioned, the snow, the rain and the winds. So, let's get that out of there.
Heavy rainfall? Yes. Is it going to be flooding situation? Probably not. And thunderstorms, again, although they could be strong, I don't think we're going to see much in terms of tornadic activity.
But the Great Lakes just picture perfect. Take a look at that. We have a powerhouse rich high pressure just building in. With that, a lot of sunshine that can be expected from the outer banks, clear up to parts of New England, just beautiful conditions for you.
And, again, those scattered showers possible in the valleys. But in the higher valleys, up to 18 inches of snowfall and the Sierra Nevada into the Olympic Mountains, and, of course, the Cascades.
That is the latest on your forecast. Let's send it back to you guys at the desk.
NGUYEN: That's a lot. OK. Thank you, Reynolds.
WOLF: You bet, guys.
LUI: Vampires and werewolves and screaming teens and tweens, oh my. You know what that means, Betty, right?
NGUYEN: Absolutely. The blockbuster series, "Twilight: New Moon" is out, we have your iReports.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: All right, listen to this -- I love this story -- you can make money off of your home, you don't have to sell it, and you don't have to move. So, what do you do? Well, housing adviser Clyde Anderson is here in our special segment called "Home School." You're going to be schooling us today...
CLYDE ANDERSON, HOUSING ADVISER: That's it.
NGUYEN: ... in this -- something that we do this every Saturday morning.
So, number one -- let's go straight to it.
ANDERSON: OK.
NGUYEN: I got them in my hand. I'm excited about it. The first one is become a landlord. What?
ANDERSON: Become a landlord, and not in the traditional sense of being a landlord.
NGUYEN: OK.
ANDERSON: But rent out some space in your home. You've got maybe that bachelor area downstairs in the basement. You know, you got an area that maybe it's upstairs in the attic or maybe you have an area over your garage.
NGUYEN: You could put somebody in your attic.
ANDERSON: Hey, you'll never know, you know?
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: You got to be creative now, Betty. That's what the economy calls for.
NGUYEN: How much can that bring in?
ANDERSON: You can get anywhere from, you know, $100 to upwards of $1,000, you know?
NGUYEN: OK.
ANDERSON: So, that's the big one. I mean, you can make additional money help with that mortgage payment.
NGUYEN: I hear. I hear. Another one is maybe put up a parking lot or rent out your garage?
ANDERSON: Right. Exactly. Put up a parking lot. So, maybe, you have a three-car garage and rent out one of those garages maybe for storage -- or maybe, I've seen storage of people that maybe working near a business and they needed that extra space and they went ahead and rent it down.
NGUYEN: What is this parking lot thing?
ANDERSON: It's just a lot. And you may have not even a lot, a spot, rather.
NGUYEN: So, you don't have to be located next to a stadium?
ANDERSON: No, you may have a three-car garage and just rent out that last garage and if you're not using.
NGUYEN: OK.
ANDERSON: Let people put storage, store some mattress or furniture or maybe just park the car.
NGUYEN: And that can get you up to, what, $300 a month.
ANDERSON: You can get $300 a month on something like that. You know, that's additional money.
NGUYEN: That's interesting.
OK, the other one, and you're going to have to explain. Make your property a star.
ANDERSON: Make it a star. And I really like this one.
NGUYEN: How so?
ANDERSON: You can get your property to star in the pictures, motion pictures, commercials, TV shows. You can put out there in the market...
NGUYEN: Really?
ANDERSON: ... and they can pay anywhere from...
NGUYEN: Well, now, it's going to be a pretty good-looking home, right?
ANDERSON: Well, it depends on what they need it for. It depends on what type of movie, depends of what type of show.
NGUYEN: You're going to get an agent for your house. I mean...
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: You can post your house up. There are several agencies that will look for those houses.
NGUYEN: Really? You do have to get like an agent for your house.
ANDERSON: You put it out there and you can list it. You can get from $500 to $5,000 a day for something like that, Betty.
NGUYEN: Are you serious?
ANDERSON: That's huge. I mean, think about it. NGUYEN: But, look, you know, I've covered many stories and I've seen -- when they come in with a movie set, you're not going to be living in that house because they are taking it over.
ANDERSON: They are. You're going to have to find somewhere to live.
NGUYEN: Right.
ANDERSON: You're going to have to find somewhere to go, whether a hotel or stay with family. And think about this, too, that you're going to have trucks and everything in your drive way. So, you got to be prepared for that.
NGUYEN: Oh.
ANDERSON: But, I mean, 5, $000 a day, I mean, I think your house maybe perfect for something like that.
NGUYEN: We'll see. We'll see.
Tap into your equity is another one you're (INAUDIBLE).
ANDERSON: Yes. Now, that's more of a traditional route.
NGUYEN: It is.
ANDERSON: You still get an equity line of credit. I mean, upwards to 75 percent of what the value of the home is. And so, that's key.
NGUYEN: But that, you have to pay back.
ANDERSON: That, you do have to pay back. And you got to have pretty good credit to it right now. But you still can get an equity line.
NGUYEN: And number five on the list is host a student.
ANDERSON: Host a student. You can host an international student, someone that comes in that can be anywhere from 10 years old to 60 years old.
NGUYEN: Really?
ANDERSON: And they're just looking for somewhere to stay while they're here in America, going to school. And you take care of them. You know, give them meals.
NGUYEN: That can get you between $500 and $800 a month.
ANDERSON: Exactly.
NGUYEN: Now, though, a lot of people thinking about that might say, "Well, how can you make sure that, you know, this is a pretty good kid or the house of the child is going to, the student is going to is, you know, a good home?
ANDERSON: Right. And a lot of these programs, they're going to do excessive interviews.
NGUYEN: OK.
ANDERSON: So, make sure. But, you know, of course, you never can know. You're really taking a risk.
NGUYEN: All right. Well, I won't put you on the spot.
ANDERSON: All right.
NGUYEN: Do you do any of these?
ANDERSON: Well, you know what? I'm learning to look and see which one I may want to do. I got a couple in there that I'm going to consider.
NGUYEN: Really?
ANDERSON: Yes.
NGUYEN: Make your property a star?
ANDERSON: I would love that my property be a star.
NGUYEN: How about I park my car at your place?
ANDERSON: There you go. There you go.
NGUYEN: You could -- I'll rent that out.
ANDERSON: And we film something at yours.
NGUYEN: No. No, we're not doing that.
All right. Thank you, Clyde -- Richard.
LUI: All right. Thanks a lot, Betty.
Now, let's take a look at some of our top stories this morning, in case you're just joining us.
Nearly 100 protestors arrested over the last two days, where? At the University of California campuses.
(VIDEO CLIP)
LUI: Students and others have been protesting a 32 percent tuition hike. Groups took over parts of buildings like Wheeler Hall at U.C. Berkeley. Police arrested 41 people there for trespassing. University officials say they need higher tuition to avoid even deeper cuts.
Our iReporter Julie Ellerton asked students how this tuition hike will hit them. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, IREPORT)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Honestly, I mean, we're probably going to be in debt, right? That's the only thing that we have, to make sure to be enrolled. It's going to be the rest of my life. I want to be able to provide my services to low-income people. It's the life that I was given. And I want to be empathetic to those communities. So, when I have thousands of loans to pay back, it's impossible almost for me to live that dream.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LUI: A real sense of what's happening there at those U.C. campuses.
Now, if you got a report on this story or something else you'll like to tell us about, be sure to send them in to us right here at iReport.com.
A rescue mission is under way right now in Northern China after a coal mine explosion there. At least 42 people were killed. Some 66 others are believed to be trapped below. A preliminary investigation indicated the blast may have been caused by a gas build up there.
And then the Senate reconvenes this morning for a very rare Saturday session. With the future of health care reform at stake there, senators plan to vote tonight on whether to continue debate on the Democrats' bill. Now, if the vote passes, debate would resume after the Thanksgiving recess and could go on for weeks.
Like pictures right now of the rotunda -- as they start to get to work this morning.
NGUYEN: Well, the blogs, Facebook, Twitter, are just, you know, general conversation. The hot topic this week has been the new mammogram recommendations. And according to a new task force report, most women should start mammograms at 50 rather than 40 as previously recommended. Well, some women are just outraged by this. And others, plain confused.
So, join us this morning at 9:00 Eastern as we devote a half hour to health care and speak specifically with a doctor who will answer your questions about these new mammogram recommendations. So, in order to do that, though, you got to send in your questions. So, send them to me now. You can go to my blog at CNN.com/Betty or you can go to my Facebook and Twitter sites.
We need your questions so then we can get them answered by a doctor live here on the show, 9:00 a.m. Eastern.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LUI: Well, tragedy struck singer Miley Cyrus' entourage in Virginia. One of the tour buses overturned on Interstate 85, killing the driver and one passenger was hurt in that. NGUYEN: Yes. Well, Miley was not on board, but the Cyrus family did say that it has deeply saddened by the loss.
We're going to shift gears right now and talk about something that's new in theaters everywhere this weekend and that is "New Moon." It seems like we've all heard about this. There's so much hype over it. But if you a teen or tween, you probably already know about it.
LUI: Yes, because of the screams in the house when it came out.
(CROSSTALK)
NGUYEN: For Robert Pattison, is that his name?
LUI: Yes, I don't know but...
NGUYEN: People are crazy over that guy.
LUI: They are crazy over that movie. Or maybe you're also a fan of a brooding supernatural love story that happens in this series, if you will. A lot of our iReporters evidently have some thoughts on it.
Here's what they're saying about the second installment of the "Twilight" saga.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(CHEERING)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, what did you think of the movie?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I thought it was awesome.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Awesome?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Better than the first, actually.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. I kind of thought that. What did you think of the special effects?
(MOVIE CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The special effects were way cool. Better than movies that I have seen in the past. I would say it, on a scale of 1-10, it was a 10.
(CHEERING)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I saw the "New Moon" and it's awesome, much better than the first one. My (INAUDIBLE) but it was really, really good. My favorite part was just, I really like Jacob now. I'm a huge fan of Jacob. I was only (INAUDIBLE) but now, I'm kind of like (INAUDIBLE).
(MOVIE CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not really a "New Moon" fan, but honestly, I enjoyed it. It was entertaining. What did you think about it?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I loved it. More than I thought I would, because gosh, I mean, yes, if anyone who's seen it, Jacob's body. I'm sorry.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: And she said Jacob's body, I'm sorry. Well, he is shirtless in that movie, quite a bit.
(CROSSTALK)
NGUYEN: Yes, it's a teenager movie.
LUI: So, you do know about this movie then.
NGUYEN: OK. We're going to move on from that...
LUI: Yes, move on.
NGUYEN: ... to Oprah Winfrey because while fans are cheering about the "New Moon" series, not series, the new movie, some are very sad about the fact that Oprah Winfrey will have her very last show in 2011. We've been asking you today what's your favorite Oprah moment.
LUI: Right.
NGUYEN: We've gotten plenty of them. Let's go to my Facebook page and let's see.
Kyle Collins (ph) says, "Her interview with Mike Tyson." Yes, who can forget that? Then Ian Patrick Soriano says, "Tom Cruise and the couch scene." Yes, yes. That's one of the ones that I will never ever forget.
And quickly On Twitter. WhitneyPJ says, "Favorite Oprah moment, the first time I saw her "favorite things" show in middle school -- blew my mind. It is a holiday staple."
Canucks501 says, "Yes, giving away all those free cars."
Oprah Winfrey has done so much over the past 24 seasons. And she says this last one is going to knock our socks off. I can't imagine...
(CROSSTALK)
LUI: Exactly.
NGUYEN: ... those what that would be. But we will definitely stay tune d.
LUI: Houses. NGUYEN: She's done that already. She's given away houses. Yes, I mean, I don't know what she's going to do next -- you know, fly off in a spaceship somewhere, who knows?
But we do have some more top stories at the top of the hour right here on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
But, first, "HOUSE CALL" with Dr. Sanjay Gupta starts right now.
