what a great monday this was. thanks for joining us. tony harris, four more days to go. >> what a rocking show you had. >> you're all juiced up today. >> i feel good. it's that sports segment we do.

live from studio 7 and cnn world headquarters, the news and information you need for monday, november 15th. revolt at the airport. are you watching this from the airport now? passengers like you sounding off about new enhanced body patdowns. one says the procedure amounts to a sexual assault. >> i turned to him and looked him in the eye be said if you touch my junk, i'll have you arrested. kobe, japan rising from a disaster, hoping to make itself disaster proof. >> this is just a simulation. that's what you need to do as a individual. given that so many people live in urban centers around the world, how do you recover from an earthquake like that one? 200,000 buildings gone. >> we are going to show you the day's best videos, a deer, spoping spree turns a

supermarket's produce department into tossed salad. i'm tony harris. those stories and comments right now in the cnn newsroom. airport security striking a nerve with a lot of you. as we approach the busiest travel time of the year, we want to bring you the growing backlash over body scans and patdowns. janet napolitano is going to have a press conference and expected to highlight the campaign if you see something, say something, but that's not what many of you are talking about today when it comes to airline security. just how much airport screeners see is part of the backlash. case in point, a california man who got into a dispute after refusing to undergo a body scan at the san diego airport. >> i don't think that needs to be a condition for people to fly. giving up that level of privacy

is not something i'm prepared to do. >> okay, so john tyner says he was told he could have a patdown instead, and he told them quote if you touch my junk, i'll have you arrested. nice line, not likely. it is important to remember how we got here and why the government put the additional security measures in place. the head of the security administration says it's about keeping you safe while balancing privacy concerns. >> two things. one, security on the one hand and partnerships on the other hand. so the question is -- how do we best address those issues that people have raised while providing the best possible security? we know that everybody on every flight wants to ensure that everybody around them has been properly screened so there is not a group of box cutters or liquid explosives or underwear bombs or shoe bombs or whatever it may be. so we have to find that area that we can provide the best

possible security to address those issues. >> but a point that opponents of the body scanners make is if you are looking for underwear bombs, the current advanced imaging technology would not have found the bomb that abdulmutallab secreted in his underwear. >> people disagree with that and we say, yes, it would be identified in an advanced imaging technology machine. obviously, you have to rely on the expertise of the security officer who is reviewing that image. we are also looking at automated targeted imaging, one that looks at ail go rhythms and puts a box on that part of the body that needs additional security screening. something else you may not like at the airport, having to pay baggage fees. the airlines are literally cashes in on it. the top 20 companies collected

more than $1.6 billion in the first quarter of this year, according to the bureau of transportation statistics. dealt that leads the list. ed lame duck congress returns today. look at this long list of things to do. boy, the type is so small, can you really make that out? that many items on the to-do list. we're going to focus on tax cuts, the budget and medicare. let's bring in dana bash. good to see you. one of the major issues has to do with the so-called bush tax cuts. what can we expect? >> reporter: that is the -- i don't know what you want to say, $250,000 question or more or less. look, the bottom line is as our viewers probably know right now, the divide that has existed between most democrats and nearly all republicans is that republicans say, let's just

extend all bush era tax cuts for all income levels permanently. democrats say we agree on that part for families making $250,000 or less but not for the wealthiest americans. so what we have going on is there has got to be a compromise, and if there isn't, these tax cuts could expire and will expire at the end of the year. we have heard a lot of different talk, different hints, if you will, from republicans and democrats, including the president. what i am still told is potentially the most likely compromise, tony, is across the board, doing an extension on all income levels, maybe temporarily two or three years, but really it is very early. these discussions have not yet started in ernest, and this is going to be the thing that takes up all of the oxygen in this lame duck session. it is you politically potent and important for literally every american in this country. >> you are right.

next hour, let's take a look at the spending bills needed to keep the country running. if you could, give us a quick preview. >> it's congress' number one function, basic function, keeping the government running. it's one of the things they have to deal with and we'll tell you why it's got ton a crisis level. representative charlie rangel tries to delay his ethics hearing, but his colleagues say no. host: could switching to really save you fifteen percent or m insurance

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liktty split. homelandsecuritydirecterjan netnappolltanknowanswerswch. now not to evolve our technology, to match the changing threat environment that we inhibit. so, this technology was developed a while ago, and like i said, we piloted it. there were public surveys in the public, and by overwhelming numbers, during the pilots, we

were in favor of the aits. they in no way resemble electronic strip searches. all they do is ping in a private area away from the gate with an image that is not transmitted. we built privacy concerns into the procedures when they were deployed, and now we're deploying them across the united states as the next really generation of technology to use to keep our passengers safe and so that's -- we don't have the authority. the authority is to keep the traveling public safe and to make sure that we are not just being responsive to threats that the public knows about now, but threats that may occur in the future as part of our layered security approach. i don't know, john, if you want to say anything else, but that's

really the way it is. >> there's been a lot of questions from passengers questioning the nature of the patdown requirements. there have been surveys that show that some 50,000 people will try to go through alternative means of transportation rather than go through a search. where do you draw the line given the concern of the travellers about the nature of the scans? >> defending is -- i don't think it's the right way. there's a process. you can go through an ait. if nothing pings -- you know, you're done. in terms of time spent, they're about the same time as anything else. if there is a ping, this tells

an officer where they need to search, where something does not pass through the screens that are set. if you refuse the ait machine altogether, then you can go to a separate area for a same gender patdown, which is conducted as a law enforcement patdown should be, in a very professional way, again, same gender, and, if there are adjustments we need to make to these procedures as we move forward, we have an open ear. we will listen, but it's all being done as part of our joint security effort. look, everybody has a role to play. that's what see something, say something is about. it's all about security. it's all about everybody recognizing their role and if people don't want to play that role, if they want to travel in some other -- by some other means, of course that's their

right. of course they have that right. but, again, this is all being done as a process to make sure that the traveling public is safe, that you're safe, that your fellow passengers are safe, your families are safe, your kids are safe and so forth. yes, sir. >> why does the magnetometer not accomplish the same thing and therefore we need these other means? >> well, first of all, first of all, there are privacy screens built into the aits. there are privacy protections bill in. the person who sees the image is not at the gate where you go through. so let's not presume that the aits are not themselves protective of privacy. there are different mechanisms at different gates. this is something the traveling public will see but i think as

the traveling public recognizes, we mode toe keep unauthorized liquids, powders and gels off the aircraft just as we need to keep unauthorized metal off the aircraft. we're doing this. airports in europe are doing this. this is just the next generation of travel security. there are other mechanisms in place, and we can use those as well. but, again, in terms of systemically looking at what's best, how can we best protect security and protect privacy and keep those passenger lines moving, all of which are valuing expressed to us by the traveling public, moving with the ait process has been the preferable way. >> one other concern -- [ inaudible question ] >> these things, yeah, they have been examined six ways to

sunday. the fda, jonhns hopkins, and thy have all measured the radiation involved in an a.i.t. it is almost immeasurable. you are skpeesed to radiation when you fly in a plane, anyway. so these things are really minuscule. now, the pilots have raised some objections part because they have to go through so many times. it's not about radiation so much as -- >> let's see if we can put a handle on this story. we're talking about a lot of concern being expressed by passengers at airports around the country over securities put in place by the tsa, and there's a lot of concern being expressed about these enhanced body patdowns. so what we're going to do is try to explain it as best we can

what your options are when you go through security at the airport. josh levs is working on that bit of it for us, and you just heard the secretary of homeland security saying that these measures are being put in place to respond to threats that are known, and to threats that are unknown, and that there are security cautions in privacy precautions put in place with these body scanning machines, but we continue to hear complaints about them so we'll look at the issue in some detail with josh right here in the cnn newsroom. let's get a look at the markets 90 minutes into the trading day. okay, we have a good day going. up 45 points. the nasdaq is up 3. we will follow the numbers for you throughout the morning in the newsroom. lights out at the meadowlands, and for antonio marge greet toe. ryan stuart, my man, co-host of

the two live stews. this man and his brother dougie fresh rocking it. [piano keys banging] [scraping] [horns honking] with deposits in your engine, it can feel like something's holding your car back. let me guess, 16. [laughing] yeeah. that's why there's castrol gtx... with our most powerful deposit fighting ingredient ever. castrol gtx exceeds the toughest new industry standard. don't let deposits hold your car back. get castrol gtx. it's more than just oil. it's liquid engineering.

got to tell you. here's the question of the morning for us, ryan. can anyone stop manny pacquiao?

you were there. >> i was there. i was funky fresh in the flesh. >> you are liking tight. air tight butter fresh. >> i got to do my due diligence. >> where do you get your gear? i want that. then we're going to talk about cam newton. this kid with all of the pressure on the world, what he did, what he didn't do, i don't know. this is ryan stewart, co-host of the two live stews, the number one rated sports radio talk show. the two live stews with your brother dougie. you and your brother were there in dallas for of the fight? >> yes. >> this guy, tell everybody why he is the top draw in boxing today. there is no bigger draw in boxing than this guy 5'2". what is this? >> he won his eighth

championship in eight weight classes and beat a guy five inches taller than him and 15 pounds heavier, and his dismantled him, collected on 34% and connected on 50% of his power punches. he is a beast in the ring. >> the fight that everybody wants is the fight that you think may not happen. >> right. >> it's manny pacquiao taking on floyd may weather. tell me why this won't happen? >> maysoweather is my favorite fighter but he insisted on terms that manny agreed to all of them at one point in time per jim lampley. but he still declined the fight. he's running from this guy. >> he's not running from him. >> i love floyd but when you got a guy this size throws this many power punches and will throw 1,000 punches in a fight, i

don't think floyd wants to get this blemish on his record. >> i know manny is fast but i hear folks saying floyd may be faster. >> there is no one in the world in the square ring that's faster than floyd but manny is just as fast and even more powerful in my eyes. >> really? how much money is on the table for this fight, and how do you walk away from a payday that says you don't have to do anything for the rest of your life? >> i don't think any of them have to do anything for the rest of their lives right now. but i'm estimated 75 to $100 million in purse money for the two fighters. >> are you kidding me? >> i'm not. >> couple of playing from the nfl. you were a star d back for the detroit lions and set reports? >> no, not really. >> let's look at d play on display from the weekend. the jacksonville jaguars game. did you see it? >> i did. >> the db does everything he's

supposed to do. hail mary. all yohave to do is what? >> knock it down. >> what happens here? >> he knocks into the receive's hand. this is a rebound. however, he jumps up and knocks the ball straight down into the offensive players hands and not the ground. >> the smallest player on the ground for jacksonville right there, money, right place, right time. take the helmet off and take your bows. >> mike thomas' third touchdown in his career, and it's the fourth time that a play ends in the national football league after a 50-yard touchdown pass with no time left on the clock. >> let's get to the dallas game and the giants. the giants are going in for a score here and look what happens here. forget about the fact that the folks didn't pay their coned bill. here you go, a pass, and you had a ton of these in your playing

career? >> not really. >> excuse me. >> his is outstanding brian mccann, a rookie, steps up for the secondary, hasn't played well for the dallas cowboys and goes for a 101 return, a team record. >> dude, we are done. have a great show. i'll be listening on the way home. ryan stewart, the two live stews. still to come in the cnn newsroom, we're going to to talk about retail sales in a second. do you know which nfl franchise sells the most merchandise? [ female announcer ] in the grip of arthritis, back, or back joint pain?

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so before the break, we asked which nfl franchise sells the most merchandise? and the winner is? i'm not saying america's team. i'm not saying that. the dallas cowboys. so on wall street investors have new retail sales numbers to digest, and they're not too bad. they show that merps are willing to spend a little money. alison kosic is at the new york stock exchange with details. this has positive implications for the overall economy. >> it really did. people are out there spending again. it's a sign that this is really gaining traction because it's actually the fourth month in a row that sales have increased. we found out today retail sales rose 1.2% in october. it's a positive sign for economic groenl as a whole because consumer sending is really the lion's share of economic activity and a good

sign for corporate earnings as well. >> why are people buying? >> would you believe they're buying cars. that's the big driver we saw last month. we are back to where we were when there was that cash for clunkers deal going on when people got incentives to buy automobiles. people are shopping at home, books and music stores. they are not buying furniture or electronics or filing into department stores as much as people would like. get ready for black friday. the deals will be rolled out early. there is even black thursday. >> black thursday, black friday, cybermonday. >> so you can work off your turkey. >> how is wall street taking this news in this report? >> they seem to be -- investors seem to be pleased. shares of home depot, lowes, overall, a sign of confidence

and a positive for the mashlgs, especially that the companies are taking money off the sidelines and putting it into other companies. >> terrific. see you next hour. thank you. >> okay. how about this, a deer on a shopping spree in niagra falls.

let's get you caught up on top stories now, the freed chinese activist vows to keep working toward restoring democracy in myanmar despite spending 15 of the last 21 years under house arrest. she says she is not concerned about being detained again. >> we have to work together.

that is the main message. those inside the country have to work together, and also those of us supporters outside. about 1.8 million muslims are gathering right now in the holy city of mecca, the first day of the hajj, the pilgrimage that all muslims are expected to perform at least once.

cholera death tol in haiti is rising. ivan watson is in port-au-prince. ivan good to see you. it's hard to believe this number. 900 dead as a result of this outbreak? >> reporte okay. i don't think we have him but we'll check back with ivan in a moment. let's sweep the country a little bit and check the views from our tower cams. first, pictures from capitol hill. number members of congress going through orientation right now while the old congress begins its lame duck session with a lengthy to-do list. first significant snow of the season has fallen across ports of the upper midwest. you are looking at pictures of minneapolis. rob marciano up in a couple

minutes here. in dallas, former president george w. bush and former vice president dick cheney are reuniting today ahead of the ground breaking of the bush presidential library. do we have ivan back? okay. let's get to ivan watson now in port-au-prince. ivan, a moment ago, in tossing to you, i was just trying to digest this number here, the official government death toll of 900 dead from this outbreak. >> reporter: that's right, and the outbreak is less than a month old here, and, tony, it only hit port-au-prince less than two weeks ago, and already the haitian government saying some 27 people killed here in port-au-prince alone. this is a nightmare scenario that aid workers have been warning about. why? take a look over my shoulder.

ten months after the earthquake you have hundreds of thousands of homeless haitians living in make shift shelters like this, sprawling, tightly congested camps like this, and the fear that aid workers were warning about months ago is that a highly contagious disease could rip through these vulnerable communities, and that's what we're starting to see right now. the united nations did not anticipate that cholera could be a threat because it hasn't been in haiti for more than 50 years. you don't have the -- people are not aware of how to deal with this highly contagious disease, which in the worst cases, tony, can kill somebody win a matter of hours as a result of acute dire rewhere and nausea and dehydrating people. they literally dry out to death in front of your eyes. we have just seen going through camps cases of people left and right laying in the dirt

infected with this disease and trying to get over there in absolutely abject conditions, tony. >> here's my concern now. you're talking about camps in many cases with 10,000 people, 15,000 people, 20,000 people. what happens if you get an outbreak in one of these camps? what can you do? >> reporter: a good question. there's an awareness campaign out here. you've got the government who was on the air for four hours yesterday. the aid organizations are trying to teach people how to prevent the spread, and what's tragic here is it's very simple. you need to wash your hands. you need hygiene, sanitation. you need to drink clean water. but look at the conditions people are living in here. they're living on top of each other. there are ditches running with basically sewage water in between the shelters and shacks

that people have erected and now are living in ten months after the earthquake. some of the steps people can take and they say they're doing is keeping drops of clorox in the water they're trying to drink. trying to wash their clothes as well. the conditions are as hard as they can be. sanitation, hygiene, two basic services, facts that are hard to come by in the poorest country in the western hemisphere in a steer that 1.3 million people were made homeless in a matter of seconds when the earth shook here last january. >> ivan watson in port-au-prince, haiti. winter arriving early in parts of the upper midwest. the twin cities digging out of almost a foot of snow in the dark. [ commentator ] lindsey vonn! she stays tough!

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you are playing? >> no wp come over and we'll play. oh, hi. tomorrow at 12:30, nasa is going to make an announcement that there's something close to earth. >> i thought that was today. >> yeah, today. that could be anything. >> is it the contrail thing?

talk about the changing seasons. in minnesota on friday, people

walking around in t-shirts, and then the snow fell and it is up to a foot in some places. we are looking at spigpictures eric knudsen. he says he couldn't get enough of it. parts of colorado saw a lot of snow, which means rob will be making the trip, soon. not quite as much, though, as minnesota. matt culver says only three inches deep in his yard, and our i-reporter thunder ray shows this picture from her front yard of the first snow in hibbing, minnesota. you need a foot, right? >> this early in the season, a couple inches is fine to get a feel for it. you know what they do every year in minnesota at this time of

year among other things, they have a cycle cross. it's a combination between mountain biking and street raci racing, and they had this during the snowstorm. >> no, no, cycle cross goes on no matter what the weather is, rain or snow or shine. it's called the hardest hour in cycling. there's a reason for that. >> they mean that. they have this during the fall and winter so they can get some nasty weathers. at times they have to get off the bike and carry it over obstacles. >> that's extreme. >> i love it. i'm not going to do it but i love it. hats off. 14 inches of snow in places like iowa, and wisconsin got into it as well. it moved off into canada and weakened. we are talking about a different storm system that's going to affect the east coast. bringing heavy rain across parts of the southeast, new orleans to

montgomery, alabama, getting into atlanta as well. we could use the rain here. here is what's going to happen over the next 24 to 48 hours as this wave develops along this front. it's going to bring the rain up towards the northeast as well where the ground isn't quite as dry as it was here. you might see localized flooding from that. those are a couple of things we are watching. speaking of snow, what's going on in colorado. breckenridge, they were cutting tracks during opening day. what is this thing doing, going away from the snow. stop that. salt lake city getting into as well. these areas could see 18 inches of fresh snow tonight and tomorrow as we well. we are getting excited about it. i was excited to have 65, 70 degree temperatures. >> did you get out and hit swings? >> i did, i commandeered a slice

on the fairway. >> we have great video. do you want to see the deer? >> give me the deer. look at this, check it out. video coming to us from niagra falls. bambi not waiting around to be anyone's dinner. got to go. a shopping appointment, right? wanted to the store to himself, chasing everyone out. and there you go. >> that dude was running for his life. >> yeah. can i show you the picture from the gators. >> gators and kitties getting together. >> look at this. the world is upside down. the kitty is saying, i'm not having this. >> i love it. that is one scared gator. you talk about scaredy cats, definitely a role reversal.

>> what does he do, he goes in the water and comes out with a buddy. we'll take you on. >> that's how i fight. >> and the cat chases both of the gators back to the pond. there you go. >> there are two pieces of video of animals that we think are cute and dudly, and are the most violent, vicious things on morning television. [ male announcer ] they've been tested, built and driven like no other. and now they're being offered like no other. come to the winter event and get an exceptional offer on the mercedes-benz of your dreams. it's our way of showing a little holiday spirit. but hurry -- the offer ends soon. ♪ [ male announcer ] what does it take to excel in today's business world? our professors know. because they've been there. and they work closely with business leaders

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top stories now.

some travellers along with airline crews are bulking at full-body scans at security checkpoints. here's what the head of homeland security said just moments ago. >> they in no way resemble electronic strip searches. all they do is ping in a private area away from the gate with an image that is neither retained nor transportation mitted. the justice department is offering $20,000 to help investigators find out who has been shooting at military installations in virginia. they all took place in the early night and early morning hours. the shots all came from the same weapon. i-reporter carl lou captured this picture of a high rice fire. shanghai reports at least 42 people dead and more than 90 others injured. open enrollment season is officially under way, and a lot of people thought their health

care insurance costs would be going down with the passage of health care reform but stephanie elam says the reality couldn't be much more different. >> that's absolutely right. most rate increases were put into place before health care reform, meaning costs were already going up. the average family increase for 2011 will be about 14% or $4,000 for the year, versus just a 3% rise in the total bill meaning you, not your employer are footing the majority of the jump. what can you do to lower your cost. choose the right family for your family. ppos allow you to go out of network but with higher costs than hmos that restrict you to only innetwork doctors. if seeing a doctor out of network is important, make sure you understand your cost, including deductibles and co-pays. younger people may want to consider a high dediktible plan.

they are less expensive but if you get sick, you are responsible for the full cost up to the high amount. see if your employer offers any plans to stay healthy. this could mean big savings on your health care premiums. for goodness sake, don't waste money. many employers offer flexible spending accounts, which are smart ways to put away money for tax free health care, and also, negotiate, negotiate, negotiate. your doctor has unlimited flexibility on services and coverage. >> appreciate it. thank you. you love california, but you do not love the earthquakes. big city rise. kobe, japan hoping to make itself disaster proof. >> cover your hands, cover your face, under a table, if you have to.

holiday gift gives are gearing up for the shopping spree. black friday is just 11 days away. top tips to help you shop. great to see you. okay. retailers really, really want to get their hands on our hard-earned dollars this year, don't they? it seems that they are off to a good start, too. >> yeah, tony. they want your money and they really want your money and they know that your hands are deep in your pockets. automobi online retailers ramping up to get that money from you. they are banking on 15% over last year. these are the online retailers. 85% of them already started holiday promotions two weeks ago. they are offering free shipping at some point this season. this is according to the

national federation retailer. if you want to save your hard-earned money, there is no reason to pay shipping at all, tony. >> that's where they get you. you come across that goch you moment where a deal looks really great and then the shipping, right? it jacks up the price. you're saying never pay shipping? >> never pay shipping. i said this last year, too. i'm very confident in this statement. never pay shipping. walmart is not going to charge for shipping for 60,000 products through december 20th. 800,000 items at target when you spend $50 or more. there are restrictions, of course, but if you take a look at the other retailers, individual retailers on their web sides, sign up for their e-mail promotions and they will send you free shipping codes. it might be worth it. you can also google the name of

the retailer and free shipping to see what coupon codes are posted. and retailmenot. or it pays to wait. on december 17th, 1,000 stores are going to offer free shipping on december 17th, tony. >> can we talk about the two r's, the restocking fees and return policies. what should we know about those two r's? >> if you saved on shipping, you get nailed on return fees. be careful. keep all of your receipts, confirmation numbers. a growing number of stores won't let you return online items to a store. they can charge you 10 to 25% restocking fees and these are not nice stockings. especially for electronics. negotiate a lower price if you can refuse to pay it at if it's

defective. they've charged you 15, 25%. let's take a break and when we come back, let's talk about lay away programs. we're back in a moment with christine romance, the author of smart is rich.

we're going to talk too christine romans about holiday shopping programs. lay aways, is that the smart way to go? >> they are back. it's back to the future. be careful. it means you don't have the cash to pay for something in full or paying your credit card off in full every month. this year, 11% of shoppers say that they will use that program.

now, it is an option for people who don't want to or can't use credit cards or don't have access to credit or people who are simply trying to teach themselves how to live within their means. remember, you're giving somebody your money and you're not given anything in return for it until you pay it off. i don't know. i don't know if i want them to have my money. also, make sure that you can get a lower price down the road if the item goes on sale. be careful. >> we'll get to the next of the top of the hour. you're in the cnn "newsroom." ♪

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a devastating quake in japan, it's about as earthquake-proof as modern engineering allows. here's dr. sanjay gupta. >> would you even know what to do if you found yourself in the middle of that? we're experiencing a 6.9 magnitude earthquake. go into the corner of the room, which is the most sound, stay away from glass as much as possible. cover your hands, your face, get under the table if you have to. this is a simulation. given that so many people live in urban areas across the world, how do you rebuild after something like that? that's exactly the question that they are asking themselves in kobe, japan, in 1995.

a 6.9 earthquake just like that one, 20 seconds in length, 200 buildings gone and thousands of lives lost. kobe did it in less than ten years and they serve as a model for the rest of the world. a lot of lessons have been learned. for example, don't put all of your disaster resources in one particular area. also, try and engage the suffer vifrs of the earthquake as much as possible in the rebuilding process. finally, hospitals. they have to be able to stay open and function even after an earthquake. of course, there are the buildings, the awful images like. this 200,000 went down. this was one of them. take a look at what it looks like now. it's rebuilt quickly after the earthquake. what did they do specifically? they used materials to try and isolate this building from the ground and the shaking that accompanies an earthquake. they use metal plates to allow the building to move as well as materials that sort of allow

this material to sway if the ground is shaking. it's by no means perfect. 80% of the city is now rebuilt. there are some problems still. narrow thoroughfares are tough to navigate eight buildings could come down into the streets making rescues much more difficult. but the balance is always there. trying to maintain which japan has been for hundreds of years, in the middle of all of this reconstruction. hello again. i'm tony harris, top of the hour at the cnn "newsroom." a girl tied up in a basement, searchers are looking for her mother and brother and a family friend. and how to ease your money fears. how a couple became debt-free in three years. the lame-duck congress returns today to a full plate. actually, a full platter of unresolved issues. take a look at this long list behind me.

this long to-do list. we are focusing on three of these. tax cuts, medicare, and the budget. last hour i spoke with dana bush about the so-called bush tax cuts and what to expect. here's what she said about that. >> reporter: what i am told, likely the most compromised, tony, is across the board doing an extension on all income levels, maybe temporarily, two or three years. but really it is very early. these discussions have not yet started in earnest and this really is going to be the thing that takes up all of the oxygen in this lame-duck session, trying to figure out how to do this. it's politically potent and incredibly important for every american in this country. >> okay. this hour we focus on the spending bills. what can we expect to happen with this area? >> reporter: the thing to remember is not one of the dozen spending bills that congress is supposed to pass and send to the

president's desk was done. not one of them. congress has been passing what's called continuing resolutions to keep the government running for months and months and months. the latest is going to run out on december 3rd. they have to deal with that soon. very soon. republicans are saying, let's do that. but let's go lower than what democrats are saying. that is not going to happen. there is a chance that democrats are going to come to some compromise in the next couple of weeks to keep everything in the government running, tony. >> dana, they are called lame-duck sessions for a reason. they don't traditionally get much done because there's a lack of intensives. you've got gop members. they will have much more power right to get what they want in the next congress a lot more

power and when they get the majority, here in the house, especially, what we're seeing today is a flood of newly elected members. i spoke to one of them on this subject. he's a classic member of the new class of republicans. his name is billy long, an auction near, he has never not only been elected to government office but he's never been to the capitol before. i asked him what his priorities are. listen to this. >> i'm 55 years old. i don't have a long political future ahead of me. i'm going to do the right thing for every reason that i'm here. i'm not going to push politely but i'm going to come up here and dot things that the people elected know do and that is to get this out of control spending under control. >> tony, billy long is not alone. we've taked to several members of the newly elected republican class who said that they were either elected with a lot of tea party support or their own convictions. they say that this time, now that they have -- or they are

going to have the majority, they are going to have to do what they say and that's to reduce the spending. how they are going to do that is going to be one of the big questions, one of the first questions that we are going to look for them to answer. >> i cannot wait to hear what they decide they want to take on and how they go about reducing the spending. i just can't wait to see the choices that they make. good to see you. >> thank you. you, too. >> one item congress is not expected to approve during the lame-duck session, extending job benefits. it expires at the end of the month unless congress acts. about two million people will lose their federal unemployment benefits in december. also, a house panel is holding an ethics hearing and charlie rangel. rangel showed up to say that he wants more time and then he walked out. more time for what? >> reporter: i mean, can we say

drama? he wants more time to get a lawyer and also, most importantly, most significantly, to raise money to pay for his legal fees. he told the committee that he spent about two million in legal fees so far and about a month or so ago he basically told his lawyers they were talking about the case, his lawyers let him know it could cost a million more dollars to take him through this process. when he said he couldn't guarantee that he could pay it, they withdrew from representing him and now he's telling the committee that this is unfair, he's being deprived of a fair trial and this is what he said. >> since i don't have counsel to represent me, i have no idea what this man has put together over two years and i just hope

that the history of this committee in terms of fairness would be judged for what it is. so no matter how awkward it is for this committee, as colleagues and someone who would like to present reserve, the right of members to be judged by their peers with counsel, i respectfully remove myself. >> this was quite the surprise. after this, the committee, this ethics subcommittee went behind closed doors, talked about what they were going to do and came out and said that really they are going to continue with this hearing and they went ahead and continued it. they hid the law firm that was representing charlie rangel. the committee did say, we've given charlie rangel advice on basically paying for legal fees or how he can do that on several

occasions. we've also given him the evidence. he's had it for a long time. so they kind of seem to be pushing back on that as well. and then what you saw was the lawyers for the committee. really the prosecution here starting to poke holes in rangel's story. they actually used his own words from the floor speech in august to make their case that he violated some of these house rules. >> brianna, maybe we can attempt to bottom line this. what is it that charlie rangel wants, if we can figure that out. does he want the proceeding delayed until the republicans take over? >> reporter: that would make you wonder. it's unclear what he wants. he's been begging and screaming and saying that he wants to get this done quickly and now he's saying that he wants a delay. it's really unclear. we haven't had a chance to talk to him again and really get that sense. but certainly he's saying that he doesn't feel equipped to be handling this on his own. he is a lawyer but he was working with a team of lawyers and he doesn't have that now.

>> all right. i want to wrap but i'm not going to wrap with you. i want to sort of maybe paint the fuller picture here. we're talking about 13 et things charges against rangel. remind us, if you would, of the most serious allegations, brianna. >> one of the most serious ones has to do with not paying taxes on a rental -- on income from a rental property in the dominican republic. it's such a big deal. rangel has admitted to this and although his indication is that it is sloppiness. remember, tony, he was the chairman of a very powerful ways and means committee, the tax writing in the house. a lot of people have said, are you kidding me? you didn't pay taxes and you're the guy in charge of this committee for tax writing. >> okay. brianna keilar on capitol hill for us. good to see you. a search resumed in ohio for three people. we have live pick you are of the search in mt. vernon. 32-year-old tina herrmanne. her

10 yoerld kody and her friend stephanie sprang haven't been seen since sunday but her 13-year-old daughter sarah maynard was bound and gagged in a home. >> reporter: residents in mt. vernon ohio are wondering how such a crime could happen in their neighborhood. >> they found my girl tied in a basement. what would do that to a kid? she's only 13. it's really sad. really particular people. >> reporter: sarah maynard was discovered in a s.w.a.t. team raid on the home of matthew hoff fan. >> she was being held against her will. she's in good condition and was taken to the hospital for evaluation. >> reporter: she had been missing since thursday along with her mother, brother, and family friend. blood has been found in their home in a nearby town. >> we have no one that we're aware of who is deceased so it continues as a missing person's

investigation. >> reporter: hoffman is facing one count of kidnapping and so far he has not cooperated. he's served prison time for arson and neighbors say he didn't quite fit in. >> he was a weirdo. he really was a weirdo. there's a ham mock where he would sit and watch people. he's just different. >> reporter: relatives and friends plan to resume the search for those still missing. >> facebook is taking a giant step. it's a random moment in 90 seconds and this is pretty random. ♪

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with announcement like these, the company with 500 million friends, that's a big number, making a foret into the e-mail market. would you explain this? >> what we're talking about would shake up the entire world of e-mail. i really could. project tighten internally in facebook, they are calling it the g mail killer. right now you can only use facebook's inbox feature to write other people on facebook. the question s. why would you go anywhere else? i'll show you right now, the reality is that internet choosers are picky and if it's not up to par, people will stick with their other e-mail accounts. here, tony, is the breakdown for web-based e-mail traffic in the united states.

almost half of it is yahoo!. 44% of web-based e-mail is yahoo!. over here, 30% is hot mail and 15% is gmail, which is google. this is from compete.com. all of these companies keeping a close eye on this announcement. aol did this. in advance of the facebook announcement, they announced a big change, what they are calling project phoenix. they are revolutionizing their e-mail. 1:00 p.m. eastern, we're following it very closely. we're following this online as well. go to facebook and twitter. everything we get we are facebooking and tweeting. we have a twitter account for cnn tech that is getting all of the details inside. we really could have repercussions for years to come. >> yahoo! is number one. i didn't know that. >> yeah. >> yahoo! is number one when it

comes to e-mails. >> yahoo! established a system with e-mail users and since then they came along and managed to get a chunk of the market given how much later they start. >> rob marciano put it in the last hour, it's plain yucky. he said that. went on the chilly side, too. what do you do in this kind of weather? stick around. you wouldn't believe it.

it's snowing and coming down. do you call off the races? >> no. cycle cross goes on no matter what. it's rain or snow or shine. >> i think this is absolutely epic. it's been a whole season of mellow, sunny, wimpy weather and this is perfect. no word yet on who crossed first. retail sales may be bouncing back. new numbers coming ou today that americans are doing shopping. and that is just what the economy needs. alison is at the new york stock exchange. good to see you again. alison? >> hi, tony. you can tell that investors like these numbers. we saw futures pop immediately after the report came out. merger activity today also

helping stocks today on wall street. the fact remains, retail sales rose more than 1% in october. it's the biggest gains since march. >> how big are the retail sales numbers? >> we are close to where we were at before the recession began. spending climbed during 2005, 2007. these were kind of the good times where money was cheap. we had easy money. of course, spending fell off a cliff in 2008, 2009. that was during the recession. now here's where we are at. americans spent $373 billion last month. that's about where we were in october 2007. that was before the recession so we are taking those baby steps forward. tony? >> good stuff. alison, we're having a good day

so far. let's hope the numberses continue to go in the positive direction. appreciate it. >> exactly. top stories, the haitian government announced since the cholera outbreak has killed 917 people and spread to port-au-prince. overwhelming horrific crash. a car and motorcycle crash, five people died, second after the honda passed the motorcycle. another car swerved to miss the honda and plowed into the biker. in arizona, after counting all of the ballots, voters have approved the sale of medical marijuana. 14 other states already allow the sale of pot for medicinal purposes. a revolt at the airport.

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okay. as we approach the busiest time of year, case in point a. man who refused to under go a body scan at the san diego airport, he was told that he could have a pat down instead.

he recorded the confrontation on his cell phone. >> do you have anything in your pockets? >> i don't think so. >> no belt? >> no, no belt, nothing. >> do you have any external or internal implants that i need to be aware of. >> no. >> they are going to be doing a standard pat down using my hands going like this. >> all right. >> also, we're going to do a groin check. that means i'm going to place my hand on your hip and inner think and slowly go up and slide down. we do that two times in the front and two times in the back. >> all right. >> and if you'd like a private screening we can make that available to you. >> if you touch my junk, i'm going to have you arrested. >> actually, we are going to have a supervisor here because of your statement. >> if you touch my junk, i'm going to have you arrested. okay. the screener is just doing his job. let's talk about this. josh, this guy says they are

threatening him with a $10,000 fine. i guess the first question is, can they do that? >> that caught us all off guard. what is so interesting, it's a big question, as a result of this, can the government fine you if you leave during a security check at an airport. we actually all want to know this now. take a look. >> well, there are a number of possibilities. the bottom line is, if somebody doesn't go through proper security screening, they are not going to get on the flight. that's what it comes down to. >> yeah, but the question still is, can the government come along and fine you? we're asking, can you actually come up with a fine? tony, this is where the actual language that is in our laws comes to matters so much. i want to read a quote from the tsa. it says, anyone who refuses to complete the screening process will be denied access to the secure area, obviously, and also

says could be subject to a civil penalty. then you get into the question, why can the government fine you if you just say i want to leave the airport? well, they point to a decision left by the ninth circuit court of appeals, in this era, it doesn't let someone start and then leave, maybe they got something. maybe all of a sudden they think somebody is going to catch on to them and they keep leaving and coming back. such a rule would afford terrorists multiple terrorists to penetrate airport security by electing not to fly on the cusp of detection. the tsa points to that. they don't want people leaving and coming back. on the flip side, don't you have the right to leave? we still want to know, what are the penalties? a $10,000 fine? they are not telling us now. >> can you explain why we're seeing these new rules? >> the government is trying to keep out the threat of terrorism and because of failed christmas

day bomber. we're coming up not too far now on the year anniversary of when that happened. what we have is a government basically dealing with the eternal tussle between security and freedom. trying to do everything that you can to make sure that you don't have anything on the airplane that you shouldn't have and still protecting your security. a lot has been going on ever since that failed underwear bombing attempt. >> clearly the story raises a lot of questions about your rights. and the efforts being taken now by the tsa to protect all of us. let's get to some of those questions in a moment. in two minutes. you're in the cnn "newsroom." la. since i've been with the company, i've been promoted ten times over the span of 11 years. today, i'm a divisional learning and development manager. we can actually help people develop in their own careers. my job allows me to make a difference in the lives of almost 100,000 associates in the northeast. if you think about it, that's almost 8 times the size of my hometown.

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all right. we are back with josh. a lot of people are watching us from airports across the country. let's talk more about these airport scans. >> more airports are getting more machines. we have video of typical screenings. the tsa encourages everyone to do the basics off the top. coats and shoes off, know the rules on the liquids. that can help speed up the process and decrease the likelihood of facing more of the likely things. they are using this advanced imaging technologies.

not in every airports but they are deploying at lot more. some people are uncomfortable of being subjected. the officer who looks at that is in another area somewhere and doesn't see the passengers, just the image. and the government says that helps protect your security. also, those images are not retained and can help people stay safe. a question about the patdowns, who is subject to those. i have something here that should make it simple about who is getting hit by the patdowns. a lot of people don't want to experience it. if you set off an alarm at the metal detector and if you have an anomaly during screening, which is a broad term. also, if you opt out of what we're showing you, the advanced imaging technology, they get to you do this pat down. it's supposed to be done by someone of the same gender. you have a right to a private

screening and have a traveling companion there while the screening is done for you, if you want a witness. that doesn't solve all of the problems. a lot of people say it's too invasive for them and makes them very uncomfortable. that debate continues. >> i think i heard the secretary general, januar janet napolitan that the tsa is open to feedback in this area. maybe this is where we are now but we may not be here forever. right? >> right. >> thank you shall josh. you will hear from the california man who recorded his confrontation with the tsa. something else you may not like at the airport, having to pay baggage fees. the airlines are cashing in. raking it in. the top 20 companies ranked by baggage fee revenue collected more than $1.6 billion in the

first two quarters of this year. that's according to the bureau of transportation statistics. delta airlines tops the list followed by american airlines and us airways. job and steep in debt, one couple decided to take charge of their finances. how they went from down in the dumps to debt-free.

live within your means. how many times have you heard that in the past few years? mama probably told you that, too.

christine romans found a story who climbed out from a mountain of debt. >> reporter: there are more than a dozen accounts here that you had to close up? >> oh, yeah. >> reporter: three years ago they were $88,000 in debt. today, they are debt free. >> it's not like we said, let's go buy a maserati. all it takes is one little pickup to start this snowball effect going downhill. >> reporter: they spent every penny and then some on credit cards, gas cards, medical bills, even though they had health insurance. then, don lost his job. >> reporter: you were literally near a nervous breakdown. >> when you can't sleep, it gets to you. >> yeah. >> and that was the straw that broke the camel's back. i stopped sleeping. >> reporter: they did not want to file for bankruptcy. >> we made the debt. we should pay for it. >> reporter: a nonprofit credit counselor put the carols on a five-year payment plan.

they finished in just over three. >> i think if there is a silver lining to the recession, it is that it has refocused people's attention on their own personal finances. i think they are ready to move back over into the driver's seat. >> reporter: so how did they do it? >> you just have to get organized. i don't know if you really call it having less. it's just not having it immediately. you learn to live with what you need, not with what you want. >> what is your message for people who might see your story and think, wow, i have 40, 50, $60,000 in credit card debt. i will never get out from under this? >> never say never. >> it is totally fixable. but you have to -- you have to take the steps to say, i need help. >> reporter: christine romans joining us from new york. that's great but i want to know specifically what they d how did

the carrolls do this? >> they had to find the number. they didn't even know. this number was hidden for a long time. you kind of rack up interest and fees and you don't know how much you owe. first they found out how much they owed when they couldn't sleep at night anymore. then they went to a nonprofit credit counselor that put him on a payment plan. they used every single penny of their income to pay off what they had already spent. they cut out broadway shows, dinner with friends. they did not get takeout food. anything nonessential. bottom line is, they only bought something it if they absolutely needed it. needs versus wants. they planned to do this for five years. they got done in less than four. a little over three years, tony. >> that is terrific. >> reporter: $88,000 is a lot of money. i couldn't believe -- and you can't point to one thing, tony, that really racked up all of that debt.

it was a couple of hip replacements and then somebody was out of work for a little bit, ordering in all the time. they were afraid to sort of tell their friends what kind of financial trouble they were in and they went out with friends until they said, we have to stop. now, ironically, their credit score is so good now from paying off all of that debt that all of the credit issuers are dying to get them as customers again. sending them all of this stuff. they said, we will not do it again. because it's a slippery slope. >> well, that last bit is really encouraging. you can be in a mountain of debt and with a bad score to go along with that and you can get out of it and get your credit score restored in a few years. >> tony, a lot of people don't know that. if you pay off your debt quickly and aggressively, your credit score will be almost perfect. it will skyrocket. and then they want you to borrow more money again because you're a great candidate to borrow more money. but isn't that what got you in trouble in the first place? >> absolutely.

>> good to see you, christine. thank you. >> thank you, ton snee. a big announcement from nasa today. they haven't said what it is about. the agency is holding a news conference right now and they've invited journalists from all over the world. where is chad myers? we're going to get him here in just a minute. you're in the cnn "newsroom." [ advisor 1 ] what do you see yourself doing one week, one month, five years after you do retire? ♪ client comes in and they have a box. and inside that box is their financial life. people wake up and realize i better start doing something. we open up that box. we organize it. and we make decisions. we really are here to help you. they look back and think, "wow. i never thought i could do this." but we've actually done it. [ male announcer ] visit ameriprise.com and put a confident retirement more within reach.

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aung san suu told reporters not do give up. she's been under house arrest for 15 out of 21 years. >> i want to see significant progress in the way of democratic activists and human rights. >> now, you are one of many individuals who have been in prison for their political beliefs. what would you like to say to the world to remind people of not just your story but their story as well?

>> it's very simply that what they are having to go through is much, much worse than what i had to go through. life in prison is very different than life inside your own house, if you're under house arrest. it's much, much easier than being in prison. so whatever i went through was nothing compared to what those in prison are going through. so i would like very much everybody all over the world to work for the release of the prisoners. >> okay. top words of 2010, i know you've been waiting for this one. according to global language monitor, here are a few pegged off the news. spill cam. that's from the oil spill in the gulf. refudiate, made famous by former alaska governor sarah palin. that's not even a word. hu. the chinese premier was the name of the year. and one word on the list you probably never heard of before

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vuvuzela. it's listed as one of the top words of 2010. a brand-new cnn research corporation poll mentions the post election decline. paul is joining us from the political desk in washington. paul, if you would, first of all, good to see you. give us some of the new numbers. >> tony, i don't have any vuvuzelas. good to see you. the national poll we conducted this past weekend, the 11th through the 14th, the republican victories retook the house of representatives and is that good or bad for the country, tony? 52% saying it's good for the country. 39%. it's bad for the country. does that mean it's a mandate? well, no. take a look at the next board. will the republicans in the house do a better job? only a third say yes. 1 out of 5, 25% say it makes no

difference. want proof? look at this next one. was this election a mandate for republican policies? 17% say yes. 7 out of 10 say no. stick on that board for a second. that's interesting. similar numbers in 2006 when the democrats reclaimed congress and similar numbers in '94 when the republicans reclaimed congress. it was more of a throw the bums out. and, finally, tony, what about the president, barack obama, his approval rating, look at this. his approval rating is just slightly starting to jump a little bit. it was at an all-time low in september. now it's up to 48% approval. still 50% approve and 50% say they disapprove. you want more on this poll? you know where to go. cnn.com/political. you know where to go when you

want more than i can give you, tony. >> there we go. as we say good-bye to paul, let's cue up the vuvuzelas. for more news, go to cnn.com/poll lit cal. there you go.

so, chad, honestly -- chad myers is here with us. chad, all morning we had these interesting, compelling coming out, big, big, big. what was it? >> have you ever noticed that some people are really, really intelligent? >> yeah. >> and like at a party somebody tells you how to program a computer in unix and take your pc apart and you're like, ah, i got it. >> yeah. >> that's kind of what the broadcast nasa was like today. but they found, they think, this is slightly up here.

they found the youngest black hole known out of super nova out of 79-c. okay, this is 50 million light years away. but they saw it. in 1979 they saw this collapse, they saw this happen and now we're still seeing it 30 years later but all of this energy is being sucked it into a black hole. i spit out everything that they just told me. >> that was it? >> that was it. it was 20 minutes of my brain exploding. the earliest, youngest person known to black hole out there, now we can study the next few years to see what happens to black holes. >> did you get your cup of coffee today? >> i hope we find the near earth planet with water. i can get my brain around that. super nova, something else, n t

neutron stars. >> oh, wow. >> a relief well, at least i know about that. >> okay. we're going to take a break. we're back in a moment. you're with the c nchl n newsroom. if you do the shipp shipping's a hassle. i'll go to the mall. hey. hi. you know, holiday shipping's easy with priority mail flat rate boxes from the postal service. if it fits, it ships anywhere in the country for a low flat rate. yea, i know. oh, you're good. good luck! priority mail flat rate shipping starts at just $4.90 only from the postal service. a simpler way to ship.

you will get a fuller treatment on this in just a couple of minutes. a rival in washington. newly elected house members are at the capital for a fresh orientation. the lame-duck congress is back to discuss tax cuts that expire december 31st. they will also consider $250 checks to social security recipients. a gas blast kills six people south of cancun on the caribbean

coast. it tore through the ground floor of the princess hotel. most of the dead are canadians. 15 people are recovering from their injuries, including two americans. michael jackson's first single since his death, a duet with akon from 2007 is on sale today. have a listen. ♪ you just hold my hand nothing can come between us ♪ ♪ if you just hold my hand >> so the song is "hold my hand." jackson left a handwritten note saying he wanted it to be his next single. all right. time for us to get. cnn "newsroom" continues right now with drew griffin in for ali velshi. >> thank you, tony. that sounded pretty good. >> yes, not bad. >> with you for the next two hours, here's what is on our rundown.

a 40-year career with congress is on the line. why did charlie rangel walk out of the hearing today? and congress returns for a lame-duck session. and saving children's lives with car parts. it's an inknow native way and that's our big idea. we're going to start with showing you a cell phone video that really has gone viral. it was made by a california man who is about to get enhanced pat down at the san diego airport. he has become an instant hero to the people who think airport screening is just going too far.