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CNN Saturday Morning News
Kansas City NFL Player Involved in Alleged Murder-Suicide; McAfee Emerges from Hiding; Terror Plot Foiled; Egypt Gets New Constitution; 31 Days Until the Fiscal Cliff; Four Female Vets Challenge Pentagon; Online Training From EDX Helps Students and Job Seekers; Internet, Phone Lines Down In Syria; The Fiscal Cliff and Housing; 100 Places to Eat Like A Local: London, England; Last American Bellmaker Fights On
Aired December 01, 2012 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to the next hour of CNN SATURDAY MORNING. And we begin this hour with breaking news.
Our Kansas City affiliate KCTV reports a player on the Kansas City Chiefs football team allegedly shot and killed his girlfriend, then drove to the practice facility at the team's Arrowhead Stadium and shot and killed himself. So far the identity of that player isn't known. We'll keep you updated on this breaking story as it develops and we get more information in.
Also breaking news out of Florida right now, there's been a deadly bus crash at the Miami International Airport. Our affiliate WPLG says a bus crashed into an overpass at the arrivals terminal. 32 people were actually onboard that bus. One person was killed; 31 suffered injuries, two of them were air lifted to a nearby hospital. We'll update you on details of this accident as they become available to us.
The bizarre saga of Internet tycoon turned fugitive John McAfee takes another turn. This time it is involving one of our own reporters. As you may know, McAfee has been on the run, eluding police in Belize who are seeking to question him in the killing of a neighbor. In the past three weeks, no one has seen McAfee until last night when he met exclusively and in secret with CNN's Martin Savidge and here is just a bit of that conversation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Are you afraid?
JOHN MCAFEE, INTERNET ANTIVIRUS PIONEER: Wouldn't you be, sir?
SAVIDGE: And what have these weeks has been like? It's been three weeks now.
MCAFEE: It hasn't been a lot of fun. I miss my prior life. Much of it has been deprivation. No bus, no -- well, poor food, at least. Here we're in bliss. Hot showers. A stove, so we're fairly happy right now.
SAVIDGE: How is this going to end? How do you see this coming to an end? MCAFEE: I don't have a crystal ball. I'm going to continue to fight until something changes.
SAVIDGE: You won't turn yourself in?
MCAFEE: I will not.
SAVIDGE: So it will either be that somehow you get away or the authorities come and get you.
MCAFEE: One of those two. Or get away doesn't mean leave the country. It means that number one they will find the murderer of Mr. Faull. Number two, the people of this country who are by and large terrified to speak out will start speaking out and something will change.
But I will certainly not turn myself in and I will not quit fighting. I'm not going to stop my blog, by the way, WhoisMcAfee.com.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Martin Savidge says the interview was one of the most bizarre of his television career. Before seeing McAfee, he said that he had to utter secret pass words, jump into different vehicles and people were in disguise. Martin will talk more about their meeting at the top of the next hour here on CNN.
Frightening details are emerging in the arrests of two terror suspects in south Florida. Two brothers of Pakistani descent were arrested Thursday in Fort Lauderdale, prosecutor allege the men were conspiring to use weapons of mass destruction right here in the U.S., as well as providing support including money, housing and transportation to terrorists. The third brother says the charges are baseless.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I know my brothers are innocent. They never did anything wrong. We live together. We try to make a life here every day.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: The suspects were order held until their next hearing, which is set for Friday.
North Korea's young leader Kim Jong-un plans to launch a long-range rocket within days. The U.S. says the launch would be a highly provocative act that threatens peace and security in the region. The move could also raise tensions between Pyongyang and South Korea. North Korea says the rocket will put a satellite into orbit, but Washington and Seoul think the rocket launch are really cover for ballistic missile tests.
We're looking now at pictures from Cairo University in Egypt where thousands of the Egyptians are chanting slogans in support of the president. Mohamed Morsi is being given the country's new Constitution today, a day after it was approved in a hurry. But it will have to be approved by the people in a vote two weeks from now.
And not everyone is happy about the new Constitution. Angry crowds are protesting against President Morsi and the new Constitution in Tahrir Square right now.
Our Reza Sayah joins us live from there. Reza, so there are so many people camping out there in the Square. What is their reaction to President Morsi accepting the Constitution today as he did a short time ago?
REZA SAYAH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well obviously the protesters behind us in Tahrir Square, they don't like the process by which the draft of this Constitution was made. They feel that they've been squeezed out of the process. The groups behind us are Egypt's liberals, the modernists, the secularist, the women's rights groups and they are very concerned that Islamists down the road could use this Constitution and sideline them, squeeze them out and deny them the right.
That's why they're here protesting. It's been more than a week now since they've been camped out here. Many of them say they're going to stay here until Mr. Morsi annuls the draft of the constitution or steps down -- Randi.
KAYE: And how much of an impact do you think the protests might have on -- on the ratification of this constitution?
SAYAH: Well, so far, President Morsi, the Muslim Brotherhood, his supporters, they're not backing down from their position. What's remarkable is if you drive about ten minutes from Tahrir Square, where we are -- there's a demonstration in support of President Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood. And it's a huge turnout. It's tough to guess how many people were out there, but some estimates say more than 100,000 people have shown up there.
And that really shows you that this is not a nationwide uprising against President Morsi. He has significant support. Remember the Muslim Brotherhood -- His movement has widespread support throughout Egypt. Of course, Egypt, there's many devout the Muslims here and what you really have in a nutshell here is a fight for Egypt's identity.
The people here in Tahrir Square, the opposition factions they have one vision. Then you have the Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamists, the president's supporters. They have their own vision. And the big question moving forward is whose vision is going to win out, Randi. Just some remarkable events happening in Cairo.
KAYE: And we talked about the -- the sweeping powers that the President has taken on in the so called power grab. What happens to that power -- what happens to that once the new constitution takes effect?
SAYAH: Well here's his position. He's basically saying if the Egyptians don't like this Constitution, in about 15 days they can go out in a nationwide referendum and vote "no". And he says if they approve it, all those controversial decrees that gave him additional powers, they're going to be annulled -- cancelled immediately.
He hopes that's going to calm down the outrage in the opposition factions. But so far, there are many people here protesting the process -- Randi.
KAYE: Reza Sayah for us in Cairo. Reza, thank you.
Global leaders are asking Israel not to build any new settlements in the West Bank. The U.S., France and U.K. say it will set back efforts toward a two-state solution. The decisions to start construction is being seen as a retaliatory move after the U.N. gave Palestinians non- member observer state status.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not publicly acknowledged approval of the new construction but a senior government official says he has signed off on those plans.
In Washington, the calendar is coming ever closer to that fiscal cliff. We'll hear where each side stands and if we are any closer to a deal today.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Priority number one right now for President Obama is reaching a deal on the fiscal cliff. Just 31 days left until we hit those automatic spending cuts and tax increases, if negotiations break down. Here is what President Obama had to say in his weekly radio address.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Both parties say we should keep middle class taxes low. The Senate has already passed a bill to keep income taxes from going up on middle class families. Democrats in the House are ready to do the same thing. If we can just get a few House Republicans onboard, I'll sign this bill as soon as Congress sends it my way.
But it's unacceptable for some Republicans in Congress to hold middle class tax cuts hostage simply because they refuse to let tax rates go up on the wealthiest Americans.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: In the Republican response, Senator Orrin Hatch takes that hostage metaphor one step further and brings to mind a memorable movie scene.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. ORRIN HATCH (R), UTAH: Unfortunately, some on the other side of the aisle are advocating a disastrous "Thelma and Louise" strategy that would take us over the cliff, putting millions of middle class families, small businesses and our already weak economy in further jeopardy.
(END VIDEO CLIP) KAYE: President Obama has said he wants to get a deal done by Christmas, but both Republicans and Democrats will have to come together of course to make that happen.
Chief White House correspondent Jessica Yellin has more on where each side stands.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JESSICA YELLIN, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Just when you thought campaign season was over --
OBAMA: If Congress does nothing, every family in America will see their income taxes automatically go up on January 1st.
YELLIN: President Obama is back on the stump pressing Republicans to cut a deal averting the fiscal cliff.
OBAMA: That's sort of like the lump of coal you get for Christmas. That's a Scrooge Christmas.
YELLIN: Republicans say they want their Christmas too and blame the President for the deadlock.
REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-OH), HOUSE SPEAKER: There's a stalemate. Let's not kid ourselves. I'm not trying to make this more difficult.
YELLIN: Things got tense after Treasury Secretary Geithner visited Capitol Hill Thursday to present what Republicans are calling an unreasonable proposal. It includes $1.6 trillion in new taxes, in part through raising rates on the top two percent and limiting loopholes and deductions, $50 billion in stimulus next year and $400 billion in Medicare and other entitlement savings to be worked out.
REP. ERIC CANTOR (R), MAJORITY LEADER: I think that the proposal that was delivered here by Secretary Geithner to the Speaker and me yesterday was not a serious proposal.
BOEHNER: They want to have this extra spending that's actually greater than the amount they're willing to cut.
YELLIN: The Democrats say it was just a starting point and one Republicans should counter.
OBAMA: There's going to be some prolonged negotiations. And all of us are going to have to get out of our comfort zones to make that happen.
YELLIN: CNN has learned last week the Republicans gave the White House their own starting position, which Democrats consider unbalanced extending all Bush-era tax rates, including for people making $250,000 and up, raising revenue through tax reform and cutting Medicare in part by increasing the eligibility age.
(on camera): Bottom line, Democrats say tax rates have to rise or there is no deal. Republicans say any negotiation must start with spending cuts. This is a case of who budges first and both sides are playing for leverage against the clock.
Jessica Yellin, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: We want to get back to that breaking news we shared at the top of the hour here.
Word that police are investigating two deadly shootings on Saturday morning. A Kansas City Chiefs player, we are told by police, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound Saturday morning. This comes from a release from the NFL. It happened at the team's training facility. And that is from police spokesperson. The shooting occurred apparently just before 8:00 a.m. local time at the team's facility near the Arrowhead Stadium.
Now police have also said that another shooting offsite was linked to this shooting. We can't confirm independently who that shooting involved, but we are told by our affiliate that it may have been the player's girlfriend.
The Kansas City Chiefs have released this statement in regard to the incident. "We can confirm that there was an incident at Arrowhead earlier this morning. We are cooperating with authorities in their investigation."
So we will continue to follow this story. Once again, confirmation that a Kansas City Chiefs player has died.
Some women in the military are engaged in a different kind of fight. They are battling for the right to be treated like equals and that includes the right to fight alongside men in combat.
And if you're leaving the house right now, just a reminder, you can continue watching CNN from your mobile phone. You can also watch CNN live from your laptop. Just go to CNN.com/TV.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: It is a long standing U.S. military policy and tradition -- no women in combat. But four female vets are taking the Pentagon to court to change that policy, saying among other things, it restricts their ability to move up in rank.
Other nations already use women in combat, among them Israel. Earlier I talked with one of those plaintiffs, Marine Corps Reserve Captain Zoe Bedell about that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ZOE BEDELL, MARINE CORPS RESERVE CAPTAIN: Women have performed extremely well in those environments, so I think even within our own country, there's plenty of evidence suggesting that women are very capable of handling these jobs.
KAYE: You know the military's official policy towards service women goes back to 1994; that's when this rule was put in place. Why do you think it hasn't been looked at? I mean what more needs to be done.
BEDELL: Well, you know, for a number of years there, we weren't really actively at war. So people weren't really looking at it. And then while we were at war, people have been very concerned about just fighting the fight and getting the job done.
But personally, I'm a little surprised that since we have been at war for ten years, people haven't looked more closely at this. Haven't looked at the reality of what is going on, on the grounds in Iraq and Afghanistan and how they've been making more steps to move this away.
So I think we're headed there now. So better late than never, I suppose. But we need to see this happen here soon.
KAYE: In getting ready for this segment with you, we contacted the Department of Defense to get their comment on the lawsuit. They say they don't comment on pending litigation.
But I'm curious why Leon Panetta -- clearly these guidelines barring women from advancing to certain positions in the military were in place well before he was appointed Secretary of Defense. He's the one who actually ordered the 14,000 positions to be opened up to women. So why him?
BEDELL: Well, that's just in his position as Secretary of Defense. We certainly have nothing personal against Leon Panetta himself.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Once again, my conversation there about women in combat.
Many workers are looking for additional training to advance their careers or just hold on to their jobs. We'll show you why the training method they are choosing is creating a revolution in higher education.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: The struggling jobs market is getting a much-needed boost from holiday hiring. The National Retail Federation predicts about 600,000 people will find work this season.
Tom Foreman shows us how additional training can help in today's "Building Up America" report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: At Johns Hopkins University, Professor Roger Peng was hoping for a few extra students in his statistics course. So he signed up for a new program to put his lectures online.
ROGER PENG, JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY: I was expecting, you know, maybe a few thousand -- tops.
FOREMAN: What did you get?
PENG: So, in the end I had 54,000 students enrolled, and about -- FOREMAN: Fifty-four thousand students are in your course?
PENG: That's right.
FOREMAN: Such is the rapidly exploding power of online learning, an old concept that is being newly embraced by dozens of the nation's top schools which want to reach more students, expand their influence, and enhance their worldwide reputations at very little cost.
They're all offering classes online for free through companies like Coursera and the non-profit EDX, the joint venture of MIT and Harvard, and the response is astonishing.
ANANT AGARWAL, PRESIDENT, EDX: We had 10,000 students sign up in the first few hours that we opened enrolment and this was at midnight U.S. time and then the numbers went all the way up to 155,000 in a short amount of time. It was completely insane.
FOREMAN: Students are connecting from all over the world for all sorts of reasons. In Chicago, Dawn Smith wanted to improve her job skills with a free course in pharmacology from the University of Pennsylvania. She loved the convenience, the quality and the cost.
DAWN SMITH, STUDENT: I have about another 19 years of payments on my master's degree, so I didn't necessarily want to add to the cost of that, which was a big factor.
FOREMAN: Some educators point out that the immersive experience of attending a college can hardly be replicated by logging on to a laptop and that contact with professors is hugely limited online. But even critics admit this trend could open up education to hundreds of millions of people.
PENG: I've already taught more students than I ever could have hoped to teach, you know, in my entire career.
FOREMAN: And there is still a lot to learn.
Tom Foreman, CNN, Baltimore.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: As bombs drop over Syria, we'll tell you what Aleppo's residents are doing to try and get back to normal.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: This is what Syrians wake up to every morning waiting for the violence to end soon. But it is getting worse, actually, every day. Today, the Syrian air strikes hit rebel targets near Damascus airport, and bombs rain down on other rebel held areas in the city.
For the last two days, Syrians have also been cut off from the outside world with almost no internet or telephone. The next step for the rebels is the friends of Syria meeting in Morocco. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will be there and might announce if the U.S. will formally recognize the opposition as a representative of Syrians.
As Damascus is pounded by President Bashar Al-Assad's forces, in Aleppo protesters are rallying against the regime and voicing their hopes for a better future. Arwa Damon has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): To the tune of "Jingle Bells," a chant in Aleppo with original lyrics. Hand in hand, we are all hand in hand, they sing, until we get rid of Bashar, the bulk of the crowd here, pro-democracy, but also some carrying black flags, the Islamist.
(Inaudible), let's agree that each has a right to their perspective, a show of unity, but later Islamists groups take up their own chant. The people want an Islamic state. When we say we want an Islamic state, it means that every citizen will have their rights. Islam respects the rights of others, but according to their own interpretation.
One of the Islamists says that I should cover my hair. The 25-year- old Hussein says the Islamists are being nurtured by outside forces, but he's not worried they will take over the country. Syria is beautiful, a nation of many colors, he says whether they like it or not.
What we just witnessed s a microcosm of a larger dynamic in Syria and the country's future challenges. Amidst the fall of the regime, criticism of some rebel units. This affects the revolution. We can't have fees in the army for freedom, he adds.
In streets that were once deserted, families kicked their way through rubble. Traffic increased in front of the hospital, the main field hospital for the wounded here, bombed last week.
(on camera): There used to be a government check point down the road. This is one of the first neighborhoods that saw fierce clashes between rebel fighters and government forces.
And is also we're being told the first neighborhood to fall to the Free Syrian Army. And around three weeks ago, residents began to feel confident enough to return. And now in the streets we're seeing a fair amount of activity and we are naturally drawing a quite a bit of people's curiosity.
(voice-over): But real safety, that's still a long way off. This week a regime air strike took out a water main, cutting off supplies to some homes. Children gather, among them, 14-year-old Hamsa with his container. He says he was wounded in the village that his family fled to for safety.
Up the road, a desperate crowd clamors for bread. Prices have doubled at this bakery. In other parts of the city, it costs even more if available at all. This woman waited for three hours, her husband was wounded and he has three children to feed. What can I do? Say I am afraid. Are my children not going to eat, she says? Amid all the destruction and the threat of more, efforts to start repairs, with winter closing in, these people gambled the relative safety of escape for the promise of shelter and came back to their homes, a different landscape, but the same lottery of survival. Arwa Damon, CNN, Aleppo.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: We continue to keep an eye this morning on former President George H.W. Bush who in stable condition at Houston's Methodist Hospital. He was admitted eight days ago and is being treated for bronchitis. His office says the former president is expected to be released in the next few days. Bush, by the way, is 88 years old, the oldest living former president.
The fiscal cliff is looming. We'll weigh through differences among lawmakers and see what sticking points are threatening to stall our economy.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Remember, Sunday night is our live broadcast of "CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute." It salutes the top ten CNN Heroes that you voted on and of course, we named the "CNN Hero of The Year" that night as well.
Now we take a look at how several past CNN Heroes are coming together to help each other's efforts and to make a difference.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Marie De Silva was a nanny in the U.S. when she started a school for orphans in her native Malawi. Honored as a Top Ten CNN Hero in 2008, she's now joined forces with two other honorees. Magnus Barrow was recognized in 2010 for his work feeding school children around the globe.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He started his organization in Malawi so I just asked him to consider us.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was very struck by her. I felt we were people who could work together.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is the stove.
COOPER: Today, Magnus' organization, Mary's meals, provides free porridge daily to all 400 of Marie's students.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: His support means the children will always have something to eat. He is a saint to me.
COOPER: The 2010 honoree Evans Wodongo makes solar lanterns for rural African communities. Evans visited Marie's school and recently his team taught students to build their own lamps. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: For the family, it cuts the costs and for the children, it's helping them to study. Evans really motivated our kids to be inventors. They have come up with their own little models.
COOPER: Now, Marie's students plan to supply lamps to their community. With creativity and compassion, these CNN Heroes are helping each other to change even more lives.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: CNN Heroes coming together to work together. It's a family. How sweet is that?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: And a programming note, tune in Sunday for our pre-show special "Sharing the Spotlight" at 8:00 p.m. Eastern before the main event, "CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute" at 9:00 p.m. hosted by Anderson Cooper.
Just 31 days until the U.S. goes over the so called fiscal cliff and on both sides of the aisle, lawmakers are playing the blame game. But the president has drawn a red line. No tax increases on the wealthy means no deal from the White House.
I spoke with Bloomberg TV anchor, Trish Regan, and asked her if the president will balk at the Republicans' position.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TRISH REGAN, ANCHOR, BLOOMBERG TV: He won the election, and as the former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers told me just this week, he won the election based on this, that there should be higher taxes on the wealthy.
So he's really dug in his heels and he has, as he would say, the public support behind him. He's taken this message on the campaign trail. He's continuing to speak all around America right now about this very issue.
And so unless the Republicans are willing to allow tax rates to go up on the wealthy, it could be very difficult to get a deal done.
KAYE: It is certainly a campaign style push going out there with his pen in hand ready to go, telling people he's ready to sign it. What do these tax increases mean for families? There's been some confusion about which parts will be taxed at a higher level and certainly not all of it, right? Can you clear that up?
REGAN: You're correct. So for example, Randi, suppose you made $69,000 a year. Well, $59,000 would actually be taxed at 15 percent so normal, but it's that extra $10,000 that would be taxed at 28 percent. So part of your income would be taxed at a higher rate.
But let's not forget, even though it may just be part of your income, that's income that you don't have then to spend on other things. And so when we're talking about any that's in a pretty fragile state as this one is right now. If people don't have as much money to spend, that's going to be hurtful. That's going to be hurtful to retail sales, to restaurants, to movie theatres, to everything that keeps this economy going.
KAYE: One thing that has also been discussed is taking away the mortgage interest deduction. Certainly that's a big bonus of homeownership for a whole lot of folks. Do you think it's a risky move considering how fragile the housing recovery is right now? I mean, would that mean possibly that people won't buy homes?
REGAN: It very well could. I mean, it's fascinating, right, Randi? I mean, you think about homeownership, the American dream and part of that is the tax incentive that this country offers. Now you can argue whether that's right or wrong.
You look at Canada, for example, they haven't quite had the housing debacle mess that we have and they don't offer that tax deduction. But nonetheless, it's become part of American psychology. If I buy a home, I'm going to get a break on my taxes. So there's an incentive to do that.
You take that away and it would be quite monumental. As for how it would affect the housing industry, you've got a housing industry that's really on shaky ground skill. We have seen some recovery. We need that recovery to continue.
If you suddenly stripped away the mortgage tax deduction for everyone, I think that would be very, very problematic. What you might likely see is taking that away for the wealthiest of Americans where they're hopeful that it wouldn't have as big an impact, but taking it away for everyone that would be tough for the housing industry.
KAYE: Yes, people are just bracing to see what gets decided, if anything at all in Washington waiting for this to happen. Trish Regan, nice see you and thank you so much for joining us this morning.
REGAN: Thanks, Randi.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: Appetizing or appalling, find out how caviar connoisseurs are reacting to new caviar vending machines. Yes, it's true.
But first, when traveling to other cities and countries, the best way to get a real taste of place is through the local food. CNN iReport has teamed with "Travel and Leisure" magazine to create a global list of 100 places to eat like a local. Here's Noulafar Motamed in London with a sample.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NOULAFAR MOTAMED, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi. Noula Motamed and in London, when I want to eat like a local, I head straight to St. John Bread and Wine. It is the ultimate local experience right in the east end. Paris has its bistros and London has its Bread and Wine. This is a place that I come to and automatically feel at home and kind of reminds me of a neighborhood in Brooklyn. One look at the menu, I know I'm in London. They got blood cake, lamb's tongue, this whole crab right here. That's amazing.
This is lamb's tongue, kale, very classic English. It does what the restaurant does very well, which is all about nose to tail eating, which is the whole animal. There's nothing like a whole crab to tell you that you're in London.
I have the tools of the trade. I'm digging in. Finally, I get dessert. Why not have some cheese? Now that I've shared my favorite place to eat like a local in London, I know you food lovers out there have your favorites, too. Go to cnn.com and post about your favorite place to eat like a local in your hometown.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: Listen up I-Reporters because here is your chance to help us create a food lovers map of the world. You can go to ireport.com/100 places then you just send us a photo of your favorite restaurant and a dish and maybe tell us why it's special, how you discovered it.
The final list of the 100 places to eat like a local will be revealed in March and some I-Reporters will be on that list. It could be you, so stay tuned.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Welcome back. Cookies, potatoes chips, caviar, one of these is not like the other, but don't be surprised to find a variety of fish eggs popping up in a vending machine near you.
CNN's Kyung Lah hit the mall in Southern California to find out whether this food court luxury is really catching on.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At this Los Angeles area shopping mall next to the holiday displays and the Santa's corner kiosk --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Look at this.
LAH: What they're looking at, the world's first vending machine selling caviar.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Seems like can you buy anything out of a machine anymore.
LAH: Not just any caviar. There's the garden variety $12 type to the $500 an ounce Balooga, tightly frozen in a custom built machine from Spain, $50,000 worth of rare merchandise inside three vending machines in Southern California making the debut just in time for the holiday shopping season. The idea came from this cupcake vending machine already a hit in Beverly Hills. Caviar can be just as sweet says a vending machine owner.
(on camera): So it's about making it accessible to people?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is very accessible and very convenient in every price point.
LAH: So it is caviar out of a vending machine in a shopping mall, but some foodies say this just doesn't belong next to Cinnabon.
(voice-over): At the trendy Hungry Cat Seafood Restaurant in Hollywood, he says his caviar is served with a little more flair, not food court fudge.
DAVID LENTZ, THE HUNGRY CAT CHEF AND OWNER: That's the part I don't get. I can see getting it and taking it home to have champagne with it. But just on your lunch break, it really doesn't at up to it.
LAH (on camera): With a soda from the food court?
LENTZ: Exactly.
LAH (voice-over): We found plenty of caviar critics.
(on camera): Would you put $500 in a machine?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Would you buy eggs out of a vending machine, much less fish eggs?
LAH (voice-over): But the Flurries are buying for their daughter this Christmas.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'll buy anything out of a machine.
LAH: A little luxury for the layman, conveniently dispensed just in time for the holidays nothing too fishy about it. Kyung Lah, CNN, Burbank, California.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: CNN "NEWSROOM" starts at the top of the hour. Deb Feyerick is in for Fredricka. I love that story. I feel they need a vending machine for champagne and all the trimmings next to it.
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN ANCHOR: What do you drink it just seems wrong on so many levels.
KAYE: Exactly.
FEYERICK: So, yes.
KAYE: You have a big day coming up? FEYERICK: We do. One of the reasons that I'm here is because Fred had her little baby.
KAYE: This is so exciting.
FEYERICK: It really is, twins. So we're going to be showing pictures obviously of Fred and the new happy family. That is coming up in the noon hour.
KAYE: That's a good tease.
FEYERICK: It is a good tease. Stay tuned. Also, we're looking at Arrow Head Stadium. Allegedly a member of the Kansas City Chiefs football team shot and killed his girlfriend then he went to the stadium and it appears may have killed himself.
Also, we have other breaking news, Randi. It's out of Florida. This is about a deadly bus crash at the Miami International Airport. It does involve seniors and an overpass. So we're looking into that. There is going to be a lot of news coming in on that.
Also, our legal eagles, you know the great men that break everything down for us on the weekend. They're going to tackle a number of issues including the defense of marriage act, women in the military. Why they can't be combat trained.
Also, we're looking into a very interesting story about a transgender fifth grader and places he wants to be in his school, Randi. So a lots of things coming up.
KAYE: Yes, nice mix of stories there. Check back with you in just a moment. The last American company that makes bells refuses to be silenced. Though fire destroyed the factory, the owners say they want to revive the company's nearly 200-year history.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: A small company in Connecticut represents a big part of American history. It makes bells including those used by Salvation Army ringers. After a fire destroyed the factory, it's owner is fighting to keep a 180-year history alive. Here's Susan Candiotti.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With the clang of a bell, the North Pole Express leaves the station from Essex, Connecticut and a steam engine, destination, North Pole, the trip's highlight, Santa handing each child a tiny keepsake bell.
UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: It's not too big and not too small.
CANDIOTTI: It's one of more than 100 varieties made in America since 1832.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's no other sound as gorgeous as that sound from our bell.
CANDIOTTI: The 180-year-old company is behind those vintage good humor truck chimes. Salvation Army bells and even the one you can't forget from "It's A Wonderful Life."
(on camera): Last May they fell silent an apparent lightning strike burned the factory to the ground.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is what remains of the last bell maker in America.
CANDIOTTI (voice-over): Matt Bevin is the sixth generation owner. An inferno took down the factory that turned out more than a million bells a year.
(on camera): What was it like when you came here and saw what the fire had done?
MATT BEVIN, OWNER, BEVIN BROS. MANUFACTURING: It was like losing a member of the family.
CANDIOTTI (voice-over): A 19th Century family and employees who built the business.
BEVIN: This is the old elevator shaft probably one of the first elevators ever built.
CANDIOTTI: The giant presses are worthless, historic documents gone.
(on camera): Incredibly, the remnants some of bells here.
BEVIN: These are sleigh bells. This is a Kentucky Cow bell.
CANDIOTTI (voice-over): Bells that gave East Hampton, Connecticut, its nickname, Belltown, USA.
BEVIN: I wish you could have seen what was here. I wish you could have seen it. It was beautiful. It was beautiful.
CANDIOTTI: But Matt Bevin is no quitter. Since October, they've been operating out of a temporary site, hiring back nearly all his 26 employees.
(on camera): Why are you continuing this instead just closing it down?
BEVIN: When I look around this place, I see the American dream.
CANDIOTTI (voice-over): A 72-year-old Austin Gardiner is grateful his boss won't give up.
AUSTIN GARDNER, EMPLOYEE, BEVIN BROS. MFG.: This is proving that if you try hard enough and make the right moves, you can manufacture in the states.
BEVIN: For 180 years we've been making bells in Belltown. We're not that far from 200. I'm going to get us to at least 200 years. That has a nice ring to it, don't you think? I think it I really think it does. All pun intended.
CANDIOTTI: That's just fine with Bob Bell who runs the North Pole Express.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's something that just goes with Christmas. It goes with the holidays. I don't know what I would do without them.
CANDIOTTI: And keeping those bells ringing for generations to come. Susan Candiotti, East Hampton, Connecticut.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: And CNN "NEWSROOM" continues for Deb Feyerick who is in for Fredricka. I'm out of here.
FEYERICK: All right, have a great one. We'll see you again tomorrow. Thanks so much.
KAYE: Sure.
