cried for a while. staff sergeant, you are way better than me. congratulations on your modal of honor. using my beautiful bald head as magic eight ball, here's what i see coming down the pike as the next big thing pu know, it's the holidays. "what the week" is taken a hiatus until 2011. it's that time of year for family reunions. overcooked birds, parades on tv, arguments with your drunk uncle and full body pat-downs. hopefully not all at the same time. looking forward to seeing you soon. keep checking the facts and thinking for yourself. i'm pete dominick and we will see you in 2011. chef, author, tv star. we catch up with the wel well-traveled anthony. touring america talking about his book "medium raw" coming up

later on in the hour. at 4:00 p.m., harry potter is back. the new installment out this week, "harry potter and the deathly deathly hallows." you're in the "newsroom," this saturday, november 20th. i'm fredricka whitfield. cnn is your holiday travel headquarters. getting you caught up on the major travel stories heading into this busy holiday season. airport screen ing serious and your weather travel forecast. so what can you expect in terms of security procedures once you get to it airport this holiday season? body scanners, pat doups, which? our cakate bolduan, one of the airports using full body scanners as well. kate what can we expect? >> reporter: hey there,

fredricka. we're told there are going to be about 24 million people flying this holiday season. as always, it's going to be a very busy time. leading up to that very busy holiday travel season that starts this week, we're hearing criticisms from private group, civil rights groups, pilots and passengers saying the full body scanners as well as enhanced pat-downs put into place as of november 1st are too intrusive and invasive, but tsa is defending the procedures saying they safe and necessary. we spoke with some people traveling on today to get their thoughts on the new procedures. here's what they had to say. >> well, i already feel like it's too much to go through security, and get patted down by people you don't know. the last time i traveled to greensboro and came through this airport i was wearing yoga pants and a sweatshirt and on crutches. they felt it was necessary to pat me down and do all that, and

i already think that's going too far. >> yeah. i always believe there's a balance in everything that has to be struck, and i think that being safe on a plane is important, and i think, again, i think having the electronic or using the technology as a scanning mechanism rather than having somebody actually doing a pat do-down on su a way to keep that balance. >> reporter: and to her point a recent cbs news poll suggests that 81% of americans that they poll actually support the uses of these full-body scanners even though criticisms from many saying they're too invasive. it's like a virtual strip search some have called it. four and five people support the body scanners. what can you expect when you come to the airport? answers to offer viewers to know what to expect when you get there. you may or may not come across one of these full body scanners as there are 400 of these machines installed in about 69 airports. you mentioned, fredricka, that's

about 12% of all the commercial airportses in the u.s. so there is a possibility that many people won't even come across these full body scanners. if do you, you have the option of opting out. if you do not want to go in the full body scanner. if do you so you're going to be subjected to one of these enhanced pat-downs we've seen these, some would say, a bit startling photographs and video of what it actually means, but not everyone is going to be subjected to one of these pat-downs. you'll be subjected to these pat-downs, if, as i mentioned, you opt out of the full body scan or go through the full body scanner or metal detector and set off an alarm, needing secondary screening and lected, randomlyly selected people subjected to pat-downs. almost as an understanding, what a big debate is going on across the country. president obama just today he himself talked about these new security procedures and in portugal as press conference.

asked about it, understands the frustration of fliers and says it's a tough situation for both tsa and the flying public. fredricka? >> thanks. kate bolduan at reagan national airport. appreciate it. what else is happening out there as you either hit the road, hit the skies. jacqui jeras is watching all the potential travel delays. any particular troublesome areas? >> yeah. we're watching things out west. that's where we'll have the greatest problems in terms of travel today, because we have very windy conditions, and a lot of heavy snow. a lot of people this time of the year, fredricka, like to go skiing. the ski resorts are happy because you're getting good snow. difficult to get there from time to time. there you can see the snow coming down from the sierras into the wasatch range. wind gusts up to 60 miles per hour. look at a live picture in salt lake city. mostly cloudy conditions. you see shaking on the camera because of strong winds. under a high-wind warning. gusts as high as 60 miles per hour an the snow starts later on. may start at rain an change over

and four to eight inches expected by monday morning. the sooner you travel the better off you'll be. tomorrow look at what you can expect for your forecast. if you happen to be traveling, what the weather will be like, continue to see heavy snow and blustery conditions out west and see this area of low pressure developing across the midwest. snow up into northern minnesota. icy conditions into minneapolis and turning to rain ahead of the system and wednesday, of course, the biggest tral of the year, places like dallas, up towards nashville into detroit seeing wet weather and snowy conditions across parts of the upper midwest. looks okay across the northeast and west. watch that change as we head into thursday. >> we'll look forward to that. thanks, jacqui. president barack obama is touting success at the nato summit in lisbon, portugal this weekend. he discussed a new joint u.s. nato missile defense plan and added that russia has agreed to cooperate with it. and the president repeated his pledge to start withdrawing u.s. troops from afghanistan next year. >> we have come together leer in

lisbon to take action in four areas that are critical to the future of the alliance. first, we aligned our approach on the way forward in afghanistan. particularly on a transition to full afghan lead, and that will begin in early 2011 and will conclude in 2014. it is important for the american people to remember that afghanistan is not just an american battle. we are joined by a nato-led coalition made up of 48 nations with over 40,000 troops from allied and partnered countries, and we honor the service and sacrifice of every single one. [ chanting ] >> meantime, the war in afghanistan is also the focus of protests in london today. thousands of demonstrators want british troops to come home saying the financial burd sn too high and no longer justified.

no doubt fueling their comment is the rising death toll as well. yesterday marked the 100th british combat troop death in afghanistan this year. face to face with russell simmons this hour. he tells me about his latest fashion venture and explains why he decided to become a designer in the first place. called the humana walmart-. it's a new plan that covers both brand ans and has the lowest-pricednatioy of only $14.80 per month and in-store copays as . when you could save over, you can focus on the things . ♪ go to walmart.com for details.

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finding a niche market. breaking ground in the early '8 os co-founding def jam records and a year later, a multimillion dollar clothing company. now out with a new culture, see it on his any reality tv show "running russell simmons." face to face i asked him what inspired him to get into fashion. >> so in the were you cher, where did this come from? >> i'm not dead. >> you're not dead, no. >> new stuff. >> this is cotton. the colors, that would look great. >> the urban graduate.

i can't design young men's clothes. i grew up late, but designing men's clothes was fun. an expression, honest expression and argyle is that. >> this is hot. i want this in the photo shoot. >> why you always got to three on the floor? >> you're able to pick up the phone. you know, call folks. we see that in "running russell simmons." are you able to convince tyce ton get back into modeling. he's saying, i'm 39, got back into modeling. >> you are the most perfect example of what i want to do. >> hmm. so you're asking me to come back then, huh? >> yeah, man. come on back. >> you know i don't really do the fashion thing anymore. >> you allow him, convince him, to be the face this argyle culture. why is that so important? >> he spoke the language. he was the face of the early urban companies. he grew up, became the face of polo. really kind of speaks to this community. the kind of growth everyone wants and buys into.

remember, fashion brand, especially my, inspirational. you want someone that speaks that inspiration, and he is. the perfect face, and i'm lucky enough to get him to do it, and it was fun exercise. >> i love, something you wrote about, you talked about the inspiration how you got into fashion. you were in music about 20 years and then all of a sudden you're in a fashion show. you're seeing some of these fashions that are influenced by the very music you're helping to craft, and you say, wait a minute. why am i not doing this? why do i not have a hand in this? >> i felt tommy hilfiger a dear friend. a $30 million, and snoop and these guys decided they like it, a multibillion dollar business. because they picked certain styles from that designer and with the collection, it speaks that language. that was the intention. whether it in fashion that is in

communities i speak to and how do i bring it together and make it into the collection, make it speshg unique and that's fun. that's why die. >> russell simmons, while he's made a lot of money he's given back a whole lot and spearheaded several fill than tlopic organizations including one bridging a religious divide. that conversation, face-to-face, coming up in the next hour of the "cnn newsroom." next week face-to-face with fredricka and salman rushdie, after spending nearly a decade in hiding, a death threat for writing the satanic verses back in 189. rushdie pend a new children's book. it's his second. this one about a dangerous journey into the world of magic. he wrote the book for his young son. something he did for his older sn years ago as well.

>> so now with your children as you think about them as you were writing this, did you find this was a cathartic experience, because you're thinking about a different audience. similar to other books, kind of that magical realism. >> i thought about cathartic, i don't know. but it was fun. a bit like letting your hair down. such hair as remains. but it's -- yeah. very enjoyable of an experience and sometimes writing adult fiction is a little bess less enjoyable. i hope would happen with this, the response from readers. what you get back from younger readers is wonderful, because they're very originally truthful. >> salman rushdie of the satanic verses of fame. face-to-face now with rushdie next weekend right here in the "cnn newsroom." and coming up, we look forward to this, all week, your chance to join us for the viral

video rewind. oh, yeah. here we go, josh. >> oh, yeah. >> we look forward to this all the time. what do you have for us? >> first, what's behind that flying lawn mower you mentionederer. >> bizarre. >> it's real, yes, you can get one. plus, an adorable animal video that rises to the top. and check this out. you'll find out. nothing -- that you're seeing here -- none of it -- actually exists. >> huh? >> it's unbelievable. literally. none of it exists. i'll explain to you. we value this place girl with basketball skills, got the world talking. all of that coming up. >> i love that. a mix of uh-huh and sports and -- surrealism. >> that's why we're goal viral. >> thank you very much. very bad economic times. so that is no laughing matter, and in a new york institution known for clowning around, they found itself in serious financial trouble.

in this week's "turnaround" cnn's stephanie elam explains why the future is looking better for the big apple circus. >> reporter: life isn't always a circus. especially if you are the big apple circus. >> we've gone from $23 million to $17 million over the past couple of years. that's a pretty big cutback. >> reporter: a severe budget cut meant layoffs and furloughs but the show had to go on. >> what happens here in the ring is everything. we make sure to protect that portion of the budget and made cuts we needed to. >> reporter: cutting the budget without cutting the quality of the performance. >> we have acts that are careful and are aware of choices that i made to contribute to the overall savings, but we have not cut corner in the product and the artistry that we deliver and i think there is a lot to be said about that. >> reporter: and precision paid off. ticket sales are up and the circus raised over $1 million at

its annual benefit gail la. >> beginning to see positive trends. clearly we need to build on that and continue to do the work we do. we're beginning to see signs that the audiences are coming back, and that's exciting to see. >> reporter: exciting signs for a company walking a financial tightrope. >> is this a turnaround season? i hope so. the thing about the business, though, it's not all happening in one second. we have a long season. our performers know how to pace themselves, because it is a long season and i think that's what we have to do as a business. pace ourselves and build ourselves back. don't expect a silver bullet, but just keep working, doing good work and i know people will support us. >> reporter: stephanie elam, cnn, new york. we've been in business for 60 years and our greatest asset has always been our people. we use the plum card from american express open to purchase everything we can and with the savings from the early pay discount, we were able to invest back into our business by hiring more great people

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all right. this is the part that gets us jazzed and a lot of people jazzed because people love the viral videos. josh always combing through tons of it. there's always a lot. >> so many all week. we save them for today to tell you about them. start with the one you're talking about, everyone's talking about, teased it earlier. look at this thing pap flying lawn mower. >> of course, i ask, why? but okay. >> a flying lawn mower. there's a company called flying things dotcom. i was e-mailing with a guy who runs it, he told me it's a one-man operation. makes funky things that fly. the music, "cotton eye joe." i asked why a flying lawn mower? he said they turn heads. you go down to the airfield, everyone has flying airplanes and helicopter, no one has a

flying lawn mower. look at this. nothing graps the audience attention like seeing a lawn mower soar through the sky. it's brelient. i love it. >> what revs your engine. >> i really kind of want one. >> you do? >> i kind of want one. i don't have a place to fly it, though. >> if you get one, you'll have a to do a video demonstration. it will go more viral than that, because it's josh levs. >> yes. when i crash it into something. speaking of things that fly. a new one of these. look at this. i've shown you this kind of thing before. people go flying in amazing ways. wind suit proximity jumping. >> i would want to do that. >> i wouldn't. you're a skier? >> yes. i would like that. flying over sweden. >> that would be me the whole time. screaming. i would do that. over the lawn mower, yeah.

because that, i'm seeing the thrill in that. you know? that invigorating feeling of a, going down the mountain fast, but now you don't have to worry about some of the same things you worry -- well, still worry about crashing into things maybe here but a little different taking flight. >> the lawn mower thing i know i'd survive. this thing, i wouldn't. >> maybe not for that. wouldn't be that proficient, but i like that. >> all right. now the next thing is something we both would love to be able to do. maybe could you. you were a track and field star. look at this. this is a new form's exercise i hadn't seen before. >> what is it? >> took a fitness ball. this i could do. put a fitness ball inside, watch. >> wee! >> at the beach. equals great form exercise. a guy named ryan. >> wow. >> blade monkey. they put this to the song, raiders' song "shooting star." taped it. >> wow. >> really cool. isn't it? >> okay. i like that, too. i would do that, too. takes precision to hit the ball

just so in order to take flight. fun. >> wee! >> and a gymnast, know what's he's doing. >> we're splitting your weekly treats. today the adorable. check out the kitties. adorable, often animals, right? look at the sweet kittens taking a nap in a group. >> sweet. >> but there's a surprise you're going to see. hanging out, taking a nap. you wouldn't know what's underneath the kitties that you're seeing there. it gets even more adorable. >> kitties don't know either. >> someone comes along. look what's underneath. another kitty using the other kitty as a blanket. >> look at the paws. sweet. >> oh, yeah. adorable. >> we can end on this one. teased this before the break. this is astounding cgi. >> you said, okay, not seeing what we think we're seeing.

>> nothing in this video exists. this is an ad put together by this guy alex roman. i've linked the whole ad for you. what you're seeing in here is all created on computers. you're not seeing fruits. he created these. from scratch. the people are saying he's one of the most amazing cgi makers in the world. it looks real. >> yes, it does look real. >> a form of art that you can create anything to look that real. >> computer technology is insane. i can't keep up. >> it's beautiful. so this -- >> gave us a little frenzy there. a little zen. just a tad. >> as always, posted on my facebook page. there for you every week. post your favorites tweet them to me also and we'll have some of yofavorites tomorrow in the 4:00 hour. >> breathing exercises. the voice comes down.

josh's. good. tune in for that. thanks, josh. okay. all right. we have other big news coming your way. like this. discrimination lawsuit settled. 11 years ago. remember from the past two months or so, seeing images of this tractor going through downtown washington trying to make a point for the black farmers? guess what? they're a bit closer to receiving their settlement. we'll talk to the black farmers association president after this. ordinary rubs don't always work on my arthritis.

try capzasin-hp. it penetrates deep to block pain signals for hours of relief. capzasin-hp. take the pain out of arthritis. for thousands of african-american farmers it's a payout that has been a long time in coming. the senate has finally approved a multibillion dollar settlement against the agriculture department. as our brianna keilar explains the suit was settled 11 years ago, but funding for the final payment got the go-ahead yesterday.

>> reporter: for years now, john boyd divided his time between growing soybeans and pressuring congress. fighting for tens of hi thousan of black farmers like himself discriminated against by the department of agriculture in the 1980s and '90s. >> it takes almost 380 some odd days to process a black loan application. it takes less than 30 days to process a white loan application. they went through hell. through living hell. we lost land. we lost our livelihoods, our way of life. >> reporter: more than a decade ago, a federal judge ordered them to compensate them. it wasn't until february the obama administration announce add settlement with 70,000 more farmers. it was up to congress to dole out more damages. the senate agreed friday to pay up. >> the bill is passed.

>> the bill is passed. >> i appreciate everyone's cooperation. this has been long, hard -- slow, to get to where we are. >> reporter: the breakthrough follow as partisan log jam's in july the house approved a bill including the former settlement money but the senate failed to pass it. republican senator tom colburn stood in the way because the measure added to the deficit. after democrats found a way to pay for the $1.1 billion black farm settlement and other money to settle for indian-americans, john boehner dropped his stand. he called reid up to tell him he was onboard. as i said before, funding for black farmers had already passed the house. it's not expected to run into problems there. brianna keilar, cnn, capitol hill. john boyd founder of the national black farmers

association join us from washington. an incredible fight for the settlement. it's carried on for a long time as we saw in brianna's piece. >> yes. >> how and when might this, what, $50,000 go to each of the 80,000 black farmers who were part of this suit? when would that be delivered and how? >> well, the vote that took place was a very, very historic vote. fredricka, as you know, that was the tenth time we tried to get that bill done and i'm so happy that we were 'to get done with the leadership of harry reid and the senators to work together to see that this bill happened for tens of thousands of black farmers. we have one more hurd toll work with after the thanksgiving recess in congress. so i'm looking forward to working with leaders there, and then it should take maybe about, up to six months to a year to go through the process, nearly 80,000 black farmers will have

to go through the process. it's not a blanket settlement the way people portrayed it. each farm worry have to have a case heard by an individual arbitrator, but, again, yesterday was very, very historic in nature and i just want to thank the leaders of both parties for working together, leader reid and others and chuck grassley that worked together to bring this justice to our nation's black farmers who have been waiting so very, very long. and many -- >> sorry about that. sounds like while you're feeling great relief it has cleared this hurdle and still there's at least one more step beyond that, at the same time, there is this feeling of people, farm here's have waited for more than ten year s now, still have to wait bit longer. are we saying months more or maybe a few more years before they would actually receive a settlement? after the whole arbitration process et cetera? >> six months to a year, to be

honest. you know, it's just been so very long, because many black farmers have died at the plow, just died at the plow waiting for justice and cnn has covered even some of these funeral services of farmers who have passed recently. so i see it as a huge step in the right direction and the white house has been onboard in the past couple of weeks work on this. so seems everything is moving in the right direction and we just want to get through the house and get the president to sign the bill. also we can just put this in full motion so black farmers can receive payments. >> quickly, john, i'm wondering, once a receipt of that settlement takes place, how might that change the life of a farmer or two that you can think of in particular? how might it make a difference for them to continue to do their business of farming? >> well, it won't put them back into business, but those black farmers that are on the farm right now who need operating money to plant their crops next year, $50,000 would make a huge

difference for that black family in mississippi who's no longer farming and can't pay their light bill and can't pay their real estate taxes, $50,000 will make a difference in their life, but what this settlement does is what i always said is, it brought vindication. it's going to bring vindication and justice. this case was about justice and this case was about bringing america one step closer in civil rights and race relations in this country. america realized that there was a terrible injustice done to our nation's black farmers and sometimes justice doesn't move fast. >> okay. >> but i think this time god has a way of making a way out of no way, and i think that's what happened here in the senate. >> john boyd, congratulations on another hurdle cleared. founder of the national black farmers association. of course, we hope to talk with you again once there's complete resolution and you and others feel like you have reason to thoroughly celebrate. >> yes.

thank you very much. thank you for having me. >> good to see you. all right. this next gentleman i'll be talking to is a chef, author, tv host and a world traveler. he's outspoken and provocative. right now he's in our studio. there he is. look familiar? anthony, you'll meet him. ♪ ♪ ♪

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celebrity chef anthony bourdain joins knee a minute to talk food, travel, people. first top stories. in lisbon today president obama said russia and the u.s. have agreed to cooperate on missile defense and work closely in other areas such as afghanistan and fighting the narcotics trade. the president said "we see russia as a partner not an adversary." the president also said progress has been made in afghanistan, saying, "we are in a better place now than we were a year ago." and during his comments in lisbon today, the president also acknowledged that some air travelers may be experiencing frustration with the new tsa pat-downs and full body scans at airports in the u.s., but he said the enhanced security

measure, needed to keep air travelers in the u.s. safe. and remember all of those safety recalls by toyota? a federal judge is now giving a tentative okay for class action lawsuits against the automaker to go forward. drivers who claim they experienced sudden acceleration in toyota vehicles are bringing the lawsuit. all right. let's talk food now and anthony bourdain. he knows thousand di s how to d. talking about a lot of things, not just food. once known best as chef now recognized as an author, world traveler and host of travel channel's "no reservations." perhaps this strike as bell with you. >> arrive at something really tasty and really special. >> wow. what is this? or do we know? >> these are little birds. >> sparrows. >> wow. adorable. >> tiny whole cooked sparrows seared in but around spices and bafrted with molasses until crispy, meaty and delicious.

>> this is -- mushrooms -- >> i think it might be the gallbladder. >> no. >> reporter: at first i wasn't sure what kind of gut it was. only it was delicious. looked like fried spleen or it turned out to be liver. >> his latest book, medium raw, a blid valentine to put world of food to the people who cook, he's right here in our atlanta studio. good to see you. >> good to see you. >> you have the most admired job on the planet. >> i'm well aware of it. i have a lot of moments i have to pinch myself and realize how lucky i am. i'm having a good time. >> to travel the world and allow your tummy to lead you along the way. you know, what's the most exciting thing about it? >> i get to go anywhere i want. anyplace i ever dreamed of as a kid or saw in a movie. and i think because everybody worldwide seems to feel very

proud of their food and well disposed to a wandering stranger who's interested in what they're eating, gives me degree of access even hard news reporteders might envy. because it's not that resistance. all i want from you when i visit, let's sit down, eat and get drunk together. >> perfect. >> how did this come about? in your book "medium araw" you talk about your feelings, food network, some of the chef whose become famous are on tv and you weren't necessarily that impressed with a lot out there, but this opportunity to be able to travel the world. you kind of created it, but it was happen stans and then you thought, my gosh, you're actually going to buy this, let me do this? >> i still can't believe i'm getting away with it. i sort of had an overnight success with a -- overtestosterone obnoxious

letter in the business. standing next to a deep fryer and next a gig traveling around the world making television any wa i want, anywhere i want living the dream. that said, in this book i really talk about the fact having made the first half of my career making fun of celebrity chefs, i've become part of the problem. >> here you are. do you take all that back? >> no. i was a chef 28 years. i'm somebody who takes food seriously. it hurts me seriously to see somebody abuse food on television or lie about it, or you know, sort of demean the profession. if nothing else, it's fun and funny to make fun of, and if you can't make fun of comedy, it's pretty much dead. >> when you do tour and with the travel channel and you are embarking upon the most obscure places and then some that are just so hugely popular among tourists but you kind of rediscover these cities by your stomach, by the food that's being offered.

do you open yourself up to, you know what? i'm just willing to try anything? is there ever a moment you say, okay. i will go, but so far as it pertains to something raw or something living or -- >> well, i see myself in a tiny -- my own tiny, every american abroad as an ambassador for the culture. people take their food very seriously. i try very hard to not -- well, to about good guest, and to try anything that's offered to me. i've gone out of my way to do everything possible to not be offered cat or dog, and i've managed to avoid those two things. i don't know what i would do if confronted with it at the last minute in front of -- >> want to be polite. >> i want to be a good guest. it reflects on people, they take it seriously. i'm grateful. so i've never said no. >> how honest do you feel like you are when perhaps you are invited into someone's home and you taste something unfamiliar and don't like it. it has to happen. >> i'll do my -- you play it by

ear. you know, you can say, thank you so much. it's interesting. i don't love this so much, or i'll say it's really good, but sometimes it happens i'll say, that's interesting and later in the voice-over say, this is the worst thing i ever ate in my life. i want to kill myself, boil my head in bleach and throw myself off a cliff. >> very severe. >> it's happened. >> i know people ask you things all the tile. you mentioned some of the most popular questions people ask and, of course, one is, what's the strangest thing you've eaten? the most fabulous thing? how do you answer the questions? ho do you remember? >> strange is relative to a rural tie. a cheese, a ranch dressing, the most appalling thing ever. certainly nothing more bizarre than a grand slam breakfast, look tat from people abroad. i have gotten sick but only twice in ten years, and i eat locally. if the locals are eat it from -- the street men are selling food in a dirty stall in mexico, they're making a living feeding

neighbors. not selling business from poisoning neighbors. you're much more likely to become ill eating at your major chain hotel. >> wow. well, sounds like you have a great job. i know you do. this great book. "medium raw." people can delve deeper into what makes anthony bourdain tick. you do cook as well. >> not so much anymore. >> you do. this thanksgiving what's on the menu? >> i'm a traditional guy. i'm upset if i couldn't have turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce. for me it's all about the leftover. >> don't get creative on thanksgiving? your recommendation to others. >> yes. >> happened to me once. i brought lasagna and the family dinner my brother was appalled. what is this? it's thanksgiving. i thought everyone need add departure. stick to the basics. anthony bourdain, thank you. still wish i had that job. if you need a fill-in, a sick day -- i'll travel by my tummy.

thanks so much. all right, the donald. can you believe he's considering a run in 2012? do you believe it? you'll have to check out our cnn political update, next. mmmm. you don't love me anymore do you billy? what? i didn't buy this cereal to sweet talk your taste buds it's for my heart health. good speech dad. [ whimper ] [ male announcer ] honey nut cheerios tastes great and its whole grain oats can help lower cholesterol. bee happy. bee healthy. my professor at berkeley asked me if i wanted to change the world. i said "sure." "well, let's grow some algae." and that's what started it. exxonmobil and synthetic genomics have built a new facility to identify the most productive strains of algae. algae are amazing little critters. they secrete oil, which we could turn into biofuels. they also absorb co2. we're hoping to supplement the fuels

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time for a cnn equals politics update. here's what's crossing the ticker right now. the democrats are making a big change in the wake of midterm election losses in the house. they've chosen new york congressman steve israel to the new head of the democratic congressional campaign committee. and he'll have the job of getting the democrats back in control of the house in two years. next week's ethics hearing for maxine waters has been called off because of new information in the case. she allegedly steered bailout money to a bank that her husband has ties to. she denies doing anything wrong. and donald trump says he is being pressured more now than ever to run for president. he says that he is considering a run in 2012, but admits that he'd really rather not. all right, perhaps you have to travel this holiday season.

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all right, let's take a trip across the country. we found some of the most interesting things going on right now. in portland, oregon, for example, brook ritic is known as a fiery pool and you can see why. on thursday, he set a new world record by putting out 34 flaming torches with his mouth in just 30 seconds. and last night in memphis, elvis presley's graceland kicked off a blue christmas with a festive lighting ceremony. the spectacle includes hundreds of holiday lights, including

this oversized replica of the king's guitar. and snow has arrived on washington's mt. hood. already a storm this week dumped more than two feet of snow, just what the skiers and snowboarders were waiting for. okay, so for anyone traveling by plane this holiday, it's understandable that you might be a bit worried about the new screening techniques. just remember, things will go easier if you know what to pack. that's where our organized jacqui jeras comes in to help us out with that. >> there are business travelers out there, people who travel regularly and they're like, it's nothing. but there are a lot of people who only travel over the holidays, and it can be intimidating. so here are a couple of tips to help you get through security a little easier. packing a carry-on back can save you time and money heading

through the airports this holiday season. there's a wealth of information on the web. first thing you need to do is familiarize yourself with the tsa rules and guidelines. don't forget to bring that one quart plastic bag for all your liquids and put that on top so it's easy to get in and out of your bag. if you're going to be giving gifts, make sure you don't wrap them. they may have to be unwrapped if your bag is checked. stacking things on top of each other, that's a no-no. it's easier to go through the screening process if things are separated. food and drink, don't bring it. if you're in doubt, just leave it out. make sure your bag is the proper size, too. the number one mistake that people make when traveling is they overpack. believe it or not, i have five days' worth of clothes and toiletries in this bag. it really can be done. if your bag is overstuffed, it might not fit. how big can it be? that depends on the airline.

so make sure you go to your airline's website to find out what the regulation is for that airline. make sure that you have a bag tag and that you have everything labeled with your name and a contact phone number. if you're bringing electronic devices like your laptop, make sure that those things are labeled, as well. and last but not least, don't leave your bag unattended. that's how things get stolen. and it's also against the rules. it's not quite as intimidating as sometimes it may seem. there is a wealth of information on the web to help you, as well. cnn is your holiday travel headquarters. we want to help you travel through the holiday season and we want to hear from you, as well. follow us on twitter and also you can tweet us. how was your security wait time, how were the interstates? tell us your stories throughout the week ahead and also send us your i-reports.