cigarettes and stayed there for a few years. >> he was the first agent to get to kennedy's car. he broke into a sprint. he says if he could relive those moments. if he could jump on the back maybe two seconds earlier. >> without a question, i would be taking a bullet for the president and be dead. >> do you think that would be a happier ending? >> for the country and for everybody. >> how do you feel about that? that's a tough thing to live with for a number of years. >> well it's one of the things you do live with and accept the fact that you had a certain responsibility and you failed in that responsibility. so you just have to accept exit live with it the best you can. >> hill says he still goes through periods where he is almost unable to talk about the assassination. he brushes it off when people call him a hero.

heroes are people who are able to do extraordinary things and unfortunately i was not able to do that. we continue right now with kate baldwin. good to see you. >> nice to see you, too. thanks. i am kate baldwin with you for the next two hours. more americans will be on the road for the holidays but the weather may not cooperate. we will have that for you. and the surprising news. syphilis rates are way up. we will find out why. and the goal is always to get out and stay out of credit card debt. we have some help for you in this hour. but first, some breaking news. more than nine years after she disappeared, some justice for chan dra levy.

guandique faces life in prison without the possibility of parole. levy's body was not found for more than a year. and another big story right now also involving a young woman's disappearance. five years of question may end tomorrow for the family of natalee holloway. test results on a jawbone are set to be released tomorrow. holloway disappeared on a high school trip to the island. we all know this story so well. she is presumed dead but no remains were ever found. her mom said, "there is no good answer whether it is or isn't but no answer at all is most unbearab unbearable." . you can only imagine. if you are planning or packing for thanksgiving, if you are not doing that you are probably hosting people who are

traveling. more americans will travel than at any other time of the year. for all of the fus we have been hearing about flying and tsa screening in particular, the vast majority of travelers will get to grandmother's house by road. and the roads, you can probably guess the answer, the roads will be crowded. aaa expects 42.2 million people will eat turkey more than 50 miles away that from their own home. due mainly to a stronger economy. some good news. 42 million is roughly equal to the populations of california and colorado combined. those folks are spending $425 per trip on travel alone. and look at this. only 4%, only 4% are giving that money to an airline. 94% of thanks giving travelers are driving. 2% are taking trains or buss. and that is a who lot of gas. and the price of that is on the

rise. aaa says the average price is $2.87 a gallon, up 23 cents from last thanksgiving. if you live out west or in the northeast, you are paying north of three bucks a gallon. the states in green have the cheapest gas, $2.73 or lower. and then there is the weather. >> and then there is the time you spend idling in the mountains trying to get through the pass. come on in. >> tell me, tell me. >> we are looking at a big trough in the west which means no pressure which means snow flakes. lots of them. look at billings. 1. >> that should be an error. >> please be centigrade. can we go to the me trick system now? look, 78 in dallas. you can't have that clash without thunderstorms as well. so we have it all today. let's just go the first place

that's a problem. anywhere along i-90, i-5. anywhere through the passes as you go east to west through the northern plains and rockies will be snow covered. today, tomorrow, wednesday. not going away. >> oh know. >> yes. so you -- oh no is right. you said the whole state of california is leaving and going to colorado? >> no, no. >> that was the theory. if the whole state of california is trying to go anywhere, washington, oregon, idaho, montana, and i know the drivers there know how to deal with it but this will be the first big snow of the year. you don't think about putting the chains on the car but you need to think about the winter driving skills. >> which i lack completely. >> you do lack those? >> yes. >> you are not the only one. we have pictures. the thing you can't do is keep your foot on the brake the entire time. i have dramatic pictures.

>> i can see. >> i don't like to see crashes in nascar either. >> i don't libke to see this. >> 5,400 airplanes in the sky. at least they are not that big. a few of them are delayed. so far only 15 to 30 minute delays going into chicago. >> chad, the bearer of good news. >> or just a bear. >> or just a bear. we will talk to you in a little bit. if you run into nasty weather on the road we want you to upload your stories and put your pictures on ireport. today's sound effect, rather, is a lesson in the art of the back handed compliment. larry king sat down with former president george h.w. bush and

barbara bush and conversation turned to the current state of politics and politicians. take a listen. >> do you read about sarah palin? >> i sat next to her once. thought she was beautiful. i think she is very happy in alaska. i hope she stays there. >> she is fooisy. you can see that whole interview tonight on "larry king live" only on cnn. we have heard some seriously horrible stories and seen viral videos still the tsa says it won't be changing procedures any time soon. mostly been about those new personal enhanced pat downs. but the tsa points out you don't get those unless you refuse or opt out of the high-tech body imaging or you are randomly selected. take a look at this. 81% are agreeing that airports

should use full body x-ray machines. there you have it. a federal judge has given oklahoma clearance to substitute one of the drugs in its lethal injection cocktail. very interesting. a nationwide shortage of an approved anesthetic has had states scrambling. oklahoma rewrote the protocol to allow the use of a similar drug commonly used by vets to unitize animals. two death row inmates full-timed challenges saying the use of a drug unproven in capital punishment was cruel and unusual. the judge disagreed and refused to delay their execution. also an alarming std trend. syphilis rates are rising after it was nearly eliminated 10 years ago. 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 that we use in our vehicles, and to do this at a large enough scale to someday help meet the world's energy demands. i graduated from west point, then i did a tour of duty in iraq. when i was transitioning from active duty, i went to a military officer hiring conference. it was kind of like speed dating. there were 12 companies that i was pre-matched with, but walmart turned out to be the best for me. sam walton was in the military, and he understood the importance of developing your people. it's an honor to be in a position of leadership at walmart. i'm captain tracey lloyd, and i work at walmart. ♪ [ but aleve can last 12 hours. tylenol 8 hour lasts 8 hours. i'm captain tracey lloyd, and i work at walmart. and aleve was proven to work better on pain than tylenol 8 hour.

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a new report out reveals syphilis rates are soaring. just a decade ago doctors said the disease was on the verge of elimination. what is going on? the study released today said that syphilis rays have increased by 39% six. please explain this. what is behind these numbers? >> really it is pretty simple. men having sex with men behind these numbers. you don't see this increase across every area. men having sex with men account for 62% of the syphilis cases in this country. if you drill down deeper, black

men ages 15-24, that syphilis rate tripled. so that is -- that is kind of where you are seeing the increases. >> it is skyrocketed again. how do we solve it? >> one thing they need to do is better screening. men having sex with men are supposed to have annual screenings. first let's talk about the diseases. syphilis, gonorrhea and hiv. one of the reason that the screening doesn't happen is not all men who have sex with men identify themselves as being gay. if they don't identify as a man who has sex with men, the doctor doesn't know to screen. >> to screen for them? >> because they will not be telling their doctor. >> some men are very open about it but the men who are not are really doing themselveses a disservice. >> exactly. >> so along with this clearly bad news there is good news as

well? >> there are. several diseases are stable. gonorrhea is at an all time low. syphilis among women is not going up. this is a disease that women can give to their babies so it is good for moms and their babies that that rate is not going up. >> so the take away is the same thing we say all the time. you have to be completely transparent with your doctor. >> you should be aware of what you, given your sexual habits need to be screened for on a regular basis. >> thanks so much. so coming up, three simple ways to help dig yourself out of $13,000 worth of debt? we have got the tips on the other side. [ female announcer ] the healing power of touch just got more powerful. introducing precise pain relieving cream.

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my theme song for the day. $13,000 in credit card debt is quite overwhelming so how do you get out of the whole? christine romans looks at three simple ways to pry ortize that debt. >> you have got rent or mortgage. got a car loan. got groceries. got a student loan. and you can't -- you just lost your job. how do you pry ortize the basics? student loan you get a deferment

sth. >> you want to look and say where is there assistance? student loan companies will typically help with hardships. >> usually at lower interest rates. >> they usually do. so petting them into deferment or fore bearance can help. >> tighten up on the groceries. >> on the rent or mortgage, is the situation, do you see it changing? >> you might need to downsize. >> yes. downsizing an apartment, people don't want to do that but sometimes it needs to be done if their situation is a long term situation. >> $13,000 of credit card bills, debt, at 29% interest if you paid only the minimum would take 35 years to pay off. >> most people don't know that. >> they just don't know it. that's a lifetime. >> if you can afford to make the minimum payments where you can pay it off sooner, great. but if you can't afford the

minimum payment, that interest rate is a lot. seeking credit counseling will help to try to get the pams manageable and get the interest rate down to maybe a 10% interest rate or 6%, something manageable so you can pay off that debt without shelling out, you know, a ton of extra money. >> david says one of the toughest parts is getting started. realizing what that number, the balance is. he says once you come to terms with it, start paying down your debt in manageable chunks little by little. little by little is how most people get themselves into debt to begin with. >> and your money, saturdays at 1:00 p.m. eastern. you don't want to miss it. christine romans is also the author of "smart is the new rich" on bookshelves now. so the jury shorthanded down a guilty verdict in chandr

levy's murder trial. ingmar guandaique was already doing time for other assaults. and a look at some other top stories we are following. planning on driving for thanks giving? get ready to pay a little bit more. gas is 23 cents more than it was last year. and also the head of the marines will fully cooperate with the repeal of the don't ask don't tell policy barring openly gay and leez beeian soldiers. james amos has been an opponent of repealing don't ask is don't tell but the charmt of the joint chief's of staff -- this is as i am told, chandra levy's mother speaking outside following the verdict. >> we make a difference. do the prosecutors, defense, the

jury, the police, the public, and individual citizens as well as the media both the directed media and visual media, we all make a difference. police officers as well as judges in the courtrooms are going to remember what difference does this make. it makes a difference to find the right person who is responsible for my daughter's death. or for anybody else's death. in makes a difference when reporters observe a mother's emotions and what might seem a lack of sensitivity and not truly understanding the wounding of victims across the country. as some of us who have gone through trauma do not always show their emotions outward. they do it in private.

we are told often not to express our emotions and cry and not to look upset in the process for finding the truth in courtrooms. a lack of emotion does not mean one loves a child less. and people could learn more about the sensitivity of woundedness as i mentioned before. i sometimes understand why my daughter may have given up her press pass. enough with that. i want to thank elaine and ron -- excuse me. they are the founders of the national coalition of victims alliance out of this -- i got this mixed up. out of atlanta. they have been helpful for me to

find the maryland d.c. crime victims group. the d.c. american victims resource center, which is primarily based in maryland, but now because of my case, there is an extension in d.c. here. which i hope that pauline, jane roper, who founded the crime center, and also danny tillery who has been my lawyer here representing me, that they can continue on in a very cohesive way with the u.s. prosecutors and their team and including yvonne bryant that we could continue having other very good victims advocacy and support for other unfortunate individuals like myself who have lost loved

ones through horrific crimes. i thank you to both prosecutors and defense teams and judge fisher. and also for the u.s. marshalls. and to all of you who have been consider rate of giving me my time and space. there are many who have come to a conclusion. sorry. i am emotional here. no matter what my family has here, the results of the verdict may be guilty but i have a lifetime sentence of a lost limb missing from our family tree. it's painful. i live with it every day so does my son, my mother and other family members. crime affects more than one person. when you have a crime, if

someone has died of homicide, which there are too many in america, it afeks probably 100 other people and their surroundings. it's a lifetime of a broken heart. leaving memories of good times that i did share with my daughter as a family. what difference does it make? you, all of us in america need to wake up and stop the violence and make a difference. i would finally like to finish this. i saw this about two blocks from the courthouse. it was written by a poet of washington d.c. her name is delores hendricks. we are struggling within a linear life towards one hea heartbeat that forges a sacred space. evidence of fragile dreams that

rise upon a muscle of memory and whim. holidays are coming and i really appreciate that you give my family, the levy family, some time for being together. give me a little time to find out a new normal. this is very difficult. i am a trauma person. and so is my family. [ inaudible question ] i don't know. there is always going to be a feeling of saddens. i like the word that you use, a sense of peace. i have never heard too many people say that. i am proud to be here and to have followed up on what happened to my daughter no matter how hard it has been for me personally. i am not sure if the sense of peace, but i could certainly tell you it ain't closure.

there is only closure for buildings and for stores that are not working any more. but i have a feeling that my daughter is with me and i can speak her voice because i say what difference does it make. thank you. [ inaudible question ] >> susan levy following the guilty verdict of the man accused of killing her 24-year-old daughter. more news after the break. [ male announcer ] if you've had a heart attack caused by a completely blocked artery,

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including aspirin, may increase bleeding risk, so tell your doctor when planning surgery. tell your doctor all medicines you take, including aspirin, especially if you've had a stroke. if fever, unexplained weakness or confusion develops, tell your doctor promptly. these may be signs of ttp, a rare but potentially life-threatening condition, reported sometimes less than 2 weeks after starting plavix. other rare but serious side effects may occur. half past the hour and that means time for your headlines. thanksgiving travelers, you know who you are. you are starting to hit the roads and get to the airport. some 2 million people are expected to travel tomorrow and another 2 million on wednesday.

weather could be an issue for folks in the northwest. tsa security back-ups have the potential to cause sop delays. have fun out there. another big story. salvadora immigrant is con vicked of killing chandra levy. ingmar guandique faces life in prison without approximate possibility of parole. researchers have found that gonorrhea has dropped to a record low across the country. 301,000 cases across the country. cla mid ya hit a record high with syphilis cases also on the rise. and here is a question for you. what country has the world's largest statue of jesus? the vatican? brazil? po land? italy? think about it.

we will have the answer after the break.

time for globe trekking. the chilean miners left for home after a whirlwind visit to the u.s. they touched down in atlanta, receiving a water cannon salute. their experience here a far cry from their struggle to survive underground. >> i don't feel like a rock star but of course my life has changed. i am going back to chile with

one of the best impressions of the united states. the men, their families and five of the rescuers were in la this weekend. the miners were special guests at the cnn heroes all star tribute. you can see a little bit of that. a star-studded tribute. a salute and honor and standing ovation. that is great to see. return now to take a look at another mine rescue, this one in southwest china. 29 miners have been rescued from a flooded mine today. they have been trapped for more than 30 hours but it took rescuers less than an hour to pull them all out. mining accidents are quite common in china. in april the country launched a campaign to reexamine safety regulations there. and a teen from the u.s. state department rushed to

seoul, south korea after an urgent need. a new uranium enriched facility in north korea. the team met with south korean foreign minister as well as chinese and japanese diplomats. he hopes to revive the talks to end north korea's nuclear program. going now to burr lyn where there are concerns over a possible terrorist threat. it specifically affects the parliamentary building. the popular glas dome and rooftop terrace are closed to the public. this weekend the german police denied reports that terrorists might be planning an attack on the building. but now police acknowledge they are looking for two men in connection with planning attacks on german attractions. next up, ireland, the final

details of its bailout are being hammered out right now. the international monetary fund and europe are deciding on the exact amount of the rescue package. they are expected to make an official announcement this week but the bailout is esmated to be up to 100 billion euros. now the answer to that question about the largest statue of jesus. the answer? what did you think? it's poland. a tiny town unveiled this 172 foot tall statue of jesus christ. it is claimed to be taller than brazil's christ redeemer and named one of the new seven wonders of the world in 2007. there you have it. the annual list of the most dangerous u.s. cities is out. do you live there? here is another pop quiz for you. who do you think took the top spot? detroit? compton, california?

mull it over we will have it when we come back.

okay. so we asked you before the break which of these places tops the latest list of the most dangerous cities in the u.s.? detroit? cam den, new jersey, st. louis? compton, california? maybe a few surprises. st. louis edged out repeat number one on the list, camden, new jersey.

there you go. camden was runner up at number two. rounding out the top five? detroit, flint, and oakland, california. a study released over the weekend in the uk says the global economic slow down has led to a reduction of carbon dioxide emissions around the globe. usa today reported the drop in 2008 and 2009 was the first decline since the late 1990s. the study's author says a drop in emissions of 1.3% is directly related to the economic crisis. pretty fascinating. this is a sad story. the cincinnati zoo is mourning the death of a 3-year-old giraffe. she was just fine at feeding time on saturday but 90 minutes later her keepers found her dead. her horns got caught in netting and the shock of that caused

cardiovascular collapse. that zoo is home to three giraffes but she was everyone's favorite. what else are we looking at today? people get away with murder all the time. in today's big i, new technology to help catch the bad guys. our. and we're learning that what happens in one part of it affects all of us. we're chevrolet. and with the all-new plug-in volt and other energy-saving vehicles, like the brand-new cruze, we're helping reduce emissions in the air we all breathe. and we're not stopping there. starting today, when you buy a chevrolet, we'll invest in renewable-energy, energy-efficiency, and tree-planting programs across america. over the next few years, these initiatives will reduce carbon emissions by up to eight million metric tons. that's like planting a forest the size of yellowstone. is it enough? no, but it's a start.

because a true conservationist knows that the world is not given to us by our fathers and mothers. it is borrowed from our children. it's why today, tomorrow, and on into a better future we can proudly say: "chevy runs deep." ♪ but i knew that i was going to need a day job. we actually have a lot of scientists that play music. the creativity, the innovation, there's definitely a tie there. one thing our scientists are working on is carbon capture and storage, which could prevent co2 from entering the atmosphere. we've just built a new plant to demonstrate how we can safely freeze out the co2 from natural gas. it looks like snow. it's one way that we're helping provide energy with fewer emissions.

the patterns tell a story. you see this big pond of blood right there? the male victim was found right here when the killer put his knife into the shoulder, severing the artery. notice the long thick heavy

drips? >> that was the emmy award winning show time series about a serial killer that also works as a blood splatter expert. today's big i segment is all about new technology that would have dexter shaking in his boots. when blood is spilled, criminals try to wash it away. it never completely washes away. a new bloodstain camera of all things. university of carolina professor. thank you for joining me. what is this all about? >> well, this is basic research to design a pro toe type device for detection of visualization in crime seens. you may be familiar with what is sprayed around and reacts with the blood and produces a light that is visible. our device is designed to be

non-destructive. it doesn't touch the crime scene or the blood but you can visualize the blood from a distance. >> that's what i was going to ask you. what does this camera offer that the technology and chemicals available today do not? >> well, luminal has some difficulties. it does exhibit false positives to many household chemicals like bleach, coffee and cherry soda. and if f there is only a little bit of blood present, it may not detect it. ours works under all conditions and is good to very low levels. we are not likely to replace luminal as the crime seen gold standard but we have applications. >> how does the camera actually work? clearly this is not your typical camera that you are going around taking pictures of bloodstains.

how does the technology actually work? >> well, i understand you have a slide or two to show? are you showing that? >> i think we have been showing a couple of those. keep going. >> the first slide actually shows a set up of the camera. at the bottom left there is a light source about a thousand watts and it puts out pulses of lights. the light is reflecked back to the infrared camera which is a commercially available camera much like what might be used for night vision. and the -- if you average the signal from the camera over time, you would simply get an image like -- well, you would get an image that is just without distinction, without contrast. by pulsing the camera and only looking at the light during the time sit being pulsed, we are able to inmix the signal from

thermal reignition of the surface where the chemical stain is and detect infrared light. >> in layman's terms and i am one of the people who don't understand the science. the advantage of the technology is you are not actually touching or interacting with the bloodstain. it is almost in its purest form which has to be an asset when looking at a crime scene? >> right. in the figure i showed there is about a one meter distance. you can imagine a portable device that is hand held, connected to a laptop with a laser pointer so when an area is identified with suggested blood, an investigator can go directly to that spot and take a sample. >> is this camera commercially available now or where are you in the process?

>> this is basic research. there is still many validation tests left to show. i think the second slide, if you have that up right now shows an image in the top right of a stencil that we used to prepare to spray paint an image of the ufc logo on a piece of cloth and you see an image of that. at the bottom left you see a normal thermal image and you see what a normal thermal camera would see. now you see the invisible stain now made visible by our technique. >> we will keep our eye out there i guess this is fascinating. thank you for joining me today. >> thank you. >> all right. let's take a look at some of the other top stories developing right now. the jury handed down a guilty verdict in the levy trial today. ingmar guandique faces life

without patrol. levy disappeared while on a jog in may 2001. her body was not found for more than a year. police are investigating the death of a young boy at the staple center in los angeles. he fell 50 feet from a luxury suite shortly after a laker's basketball. the boy was two or three years old. if you suffered losses in the bp gulf coast oil disaster you have until wednesday to file for a question for compensation. bp set aside $20 billion in a special fund. about $2 billion has been paid to settle 125,000 dollars claims. those who reject settlements can take their cases to court. more than 6600 hate crimes were committed last year.

almost half were motivated by race. the rest were motivated by religion or sexual orientation. 65% of the offenders were white and 19% were black. did you hear what barbara bush had to say? it definitely turned headed and raised eyebrows.

time now for a cnn political update. mark preston, paul steinhauser in washington. the dynamic duo. what's going on, guys? >> hey, kate. you know larry king had the opportunity to sit down with

bush 4 h1, he is president geor w. bush's father. sat down with him and the former first lady barbara bush. let's hear a couple of things of what he had to say specifically about the tea party. larry asked him what do you think about the tea party? and this is what president bush said. said, some of the ideas make a lot of sense. but he goes on to say, i don't really know what it is. and you have to empathize with what the former president says because a lot of people don't know what the tea party is. it's not the political party. it's not the democrat party and not like the republican party. it's really a political movement. when the first lady was asked what do you think about sarah palin? she says, i sat next to her once, thought she was beautiful and she was very happy in alaska and i'll hope she'll stay there. not exactly very encouraging words, kate, from the former first lady to tell sarah palin to run for president. and speaking of running for president, paul has some other 2012 news. >> you got it. never too early to look to the next presidential election.

quinnipiac university, a brand new poll. does president obama deserve to be reelected? 43% say, yes, he deserves another term in office. 49% say, no, he does not. this is the second poll since the midterm elections where around half or more of americans who were polled say that the president does not deserve to be reelected. but mark and i always warn you here polls are a snapshot how americans feel now. 2012 is not right now, is it? >> gentlemen, two questions. how do you feel about charlie sheen? how do you feel about justin bieber? >> justin bieber is a great singer. >> i have no new polls. >> no polls? why do i even come to you? i'm kidding. thank you. you guys are the best. talk to you soon. as i said, more trouble for actor charlie sheen. i know you're dying to hear about this. i'll tell you about it next. we asked people all over america where the best potatoes come from.

the best potatoes? idaho. idaho! idaho. and how do you know you're getting idaho potatoes? well...uh... uhm... heh.. (sighs) not all potatoes come from idaho. so if you want the best, you have to do one important thing. always look for the grown in idaho seal. i knew that. i knew that. look for the grown in idaho seal.

now that is time for a few "odds & ends," people. you might remember charlie sheen's reported meltdown in october. how can we forget? police responded to an emotionally disturbed person at the plaza hotel where they found charlie sheen in a room, adult film star capri anderson was locked in the bathroom. ms. anderson is filing a lawsuit against the actor today. she's made claims that he, quote, put his hands around her neck and that he destroyed her purse. here she is on this morning's "good morning america" giving the details about a phone call between her and mr. sheen. >> i was, i guess, trying to get

through to him like do you realize how severe this all is? but i wasn't getting anywhere, nor did i care to at that point. >> he offered a sum of money. what did he expect in return? >> just not to talk to anybody about it and just go about my business. >> ms. anderson and her lawyer did not have comment on whether she was in fact given money by mr. sheen. another big story. you've got to hear more about this. teen pop sensation, whatever you want to call him justin bieber dominated the american music awards. i'm so excited i can't get it out. he won four trophies including the highest honor artist of the year. fans chose him over eminem, lady gaga andkaty perry. congrats to you. all right. let's take a look at some other stuff, some would say a little

more important that we're watching. get an update of the dow. the dow is down right now as you can see. on the left-hand side of your screen you're seeing white house secretary robert gibbs. keeping an eye on that to see if any news comes from it. if it does, we'll bring it right to you. again, i am kate baldwin in for ali velshi. for the next hour. you only have to deal with me one more hour, everyone. here's what's on the rundown today. more americans on the road for the thanksgiving holiday, but they'll face higher gas prices and challenging weather conditions. why, oh, why? also, pope benedict xvi talks about condom. is the church shifting its position? and football players know that hard-hitting action is part of the game. but are they paying a price that's just too high? dr. sanjay gupta will look at what the nfl is doing to try to stem an epidemic of concussions.

if you're not planning, pricing or packing for the thanksgiving holiday, you're probably hosting people who are, right? between now and next weekend more americans will travel than at any other time of the year. and guess what. for all of the fuss about flying and tsa screenings in particular, we found this interesting. a vast majority of travelers will get to grandmother's house or wherever they're going to go by road. and the roads, not surprisingly, will be crowded. here's why. aaa expect 42.2 million people will eat turkey or whatever they're going to eat more than 50 miles away from their homes. 11% more than last year. 42 million is roughly equal to the populations of california and colorado combined. those folks spending on average

$425 per trip on travel alone. and look at this. only 4% are giving that money to an airline. 4%. 94% of thanksgiving travelers are driving. 2% are taking trains or busses. i thought that was quite interesting. that's a lot of gas. and the price of gas is on the rise. aaa says the average price of self serve regular is $2.87 a gallon. that's up 23 cents from last thanksgiving. if you live out west or in the northeast, sorry, guys, you're paying north of three bucks a gallon. the states in green have the cheapest gas at $2.73 or lower. you have all that as i do a dance move and then there's the weather, chad myers. what are we looking at now? >> "dancing with the stars." >> it's a big room in here. >> it is. seattle i-5 down to portland up in the higher elevations all snow. people don't want to hear about snow. >> is that unusual right now?

>> it's snowing? seattle. in november, that happened in 1985. >> that's what i need to know. give me the facts. >> it gets cold tonight down to 15 in bellingham. >> really? >> yes. so all of a sudden you have this slop on the rude l. roadway. the sun sets and people are k e skating in their cars. 94% are driving. we do hundreds of hours of travel at airports and 94% of you are actually driving. so i decided to change this segment a little bit and go to navteqtraffic.com. if you go to www.traffic.com you can find your city. little icons. click on that one. icon accident. severe impact. click on icon 4, impact. and it is a crash on the left lane. here's another one right here.

crash. fire department on the scene. >> oh, no. >> right there. you can see -- >> stop doing it. >> this isn't just seattle. this is all across the nation. you can put up here where you're coming from, where you're going and it's going to tell you where you're going in trouble. don't go on i-95 it's building a nine jam factor. all of these weather reporters get it from these sources. >> stop telling your secrets. >> no. you can get it at home. the internet is an amazing thing. i use it all the time. >> really? fascinating. >> i'll be back in 20 minutes. something else going on. >> good news is what we're looking for. >> i'll work on it. >> chad myers. we've heard some horror stories from chad and other places and viral video. the tsa says it won't be changing its airport security procedures any time soon. the hubbub heading into this holiday week has mostly been about the new more personal pat-downs. but the tsa points out you don't

get those unless you refuse or opt out of that high tech body imaging scanner or randomly selected. according to a recent cbs poll the vast majority of people are fine with it. 81% agreeing airports should use full body x-ray machines. 15% say no. while you travel this holiday season keep i-report in minds. if you have run into nasty weather on the road, in the air or anywhere else, get yourself out safely of course an then upload your pictures to help us out. go directly to i-report.cnn.com. travel safe, everybody. this we couldn't get enough of. today's sound effect is a lesson in the art of backhanded compliment. cnn's own larry king sat down with the former president george h.w. bush and first lady barbara bush. naturally it turned to the current state of politics and

politicians. >> what's your read about sarah palin? >> i sat next to her once, thought she was beautiful. and i think she's very happy in alaska. and i hope she'll stay there. >> all you could do is laugh. i love that she is so feisty. see that whole interview tonight on "larry king live" 9:00 p.m. eastern only here on cnn. now let's get to some of the day's other news we're following. more than nine years after she disappeared justice for chandra levy. a jury handed down a guilty verdict. ingmar guandique faces life without parole. he's already doing time for attacks on two other women about levy 24 when she went missing in july of 2001. her body wasn't found for more than a year. another story making news also involving a young woman's disappearance, five years of questions may end tomorrow for the family of natalee holloway.

test results on a jaw bone found on this aruba beach. she disappeared on a trip in 2005. she's presumed dead but no remains were ever found. her mom beth talked about the bones and the discovery saying, quote, there is no good answer whether it is natalee or whether it isn't, but no answer at all is most unbashlt. we can only imagine. now listen to this. a federal judge has given oklahoma clearance to substitute one of the drugs it's used in its lethal injection cocktail. a nationwide shortage of an approved anesthetic had several states scrambling. oklahoma rewrote its protocol to allow the use of a similar drug. it's commonly used by vets to euthanize animals and doctor-aassisted suicides. an inmate filed charges saying the use of this unproven is cruel and unusual. the judge disagreed and refused

to delay their executions. also, the fbi has just released its latest stats on hate crimes. according to the bureau, the number of incidents reported in 2009 dropped from the year before. in 2009, there were just over 6,000 incidents. in 2008 nearly 7800. when we take a closer look at last year's numbers and break the crimes down, 49% were motivated biracial bias. the vast majority of the attacks aimed at african-americans. 20% were motivated by religious bias. the majority here jewish targets. 19% were motivated by anti-gay bias and 12% by bias against ethnicity or national origin. students fearing for their lives fleeing from their own universities. higher education the latest casualty in mexico's drug wars. e from. the best potatoes? idaho.

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in today's "chalk talk" an exodus out of some of mexico's top universities. frightened students are leaving their schools in monterey, shattered by drug fueled shootings and kidnappings. thelma gutierrez has the monte latest city to fall victim to lawlessness and violence. recent grenade attacks, kidnappings and gunfights seen here on youtube prompted the state department to issue a travel warning and to ban the children of u.s. government employees from living in

monterrey. this was the city we were about to enter. >> it's tracy. i just want to let you know the l.a. crew arrived in monterrey, mexi mexico. >> reporter: we heard the escalating violence was fueling an exodus so we came here to meet some students. monterrey is the third largest city in mexico and the center of commerce for the country. so it's tragic to think just five years ago it was named the safest city in all of latin america. now it has become a battleground for warring cartels. >> three of my friends got kidnapped in the past three months. >> reporter: we'll call her vivian. she's 22, the daughter of a prominent mexican businessman. she doesn't want anyone to know who she is. her american mother francheska worries she could be next. why would anybody target these students? >> because they know they have somewhere parents that are rich. this state and this city is for

students of the rich. >> reporter: it's the reason why vivian lives here behind tall steel gates protected by security and cameras. >> it is scary because driving from here to my school, i always feel threatened. i'm always in fear. >> reporter: vivianne is a student at one of the most prestigious universities in the country. often called the m.i.t. of mexico. in march, right in front of the university gates, gunfire erupted between federal police and alleged cartel gunmen. a video capturing the gun battle was posted on youtube. two graduate students were killed in the cross fire. >> i don't want her to be here. >> reporter: francesca told us she came to mexico to get her daughter out. >> my daughter has been in college two years and built up all these credits. now i have to take her out. take her out of the city she loves. all her friends are here.

>> reporter: do you have friends who have left the university? >> yes, a lot of them. >> reporter: a top university official even told us more than 100 american students did not return to monterrey this semester. how is the state department's travel warning impacted enrollment here at this university? >> we practically didn't receive any american students. but we still receive students from germany, france, from all over the west. >> reporter: he says foreign exchange students aren't critical to the school. more than 600 are enrolled here. he pointed out additional security measures to put parents at ease like a gated campus where you need i.d. to get in and out, and armed school police. >> i guess i am a little concerned but it's not like i'm having any plans of going home early or anything like that. >> you walk into school, you don't see someone getting beheaded. like you don't see a grenade being thrown.

it's just those things that make the news that kind of throw the spotlight on monterrey, but it's really a cool city. >> reporter: but francesca worries about vivianne living in a city where three of her friends were kidnapped one after another, brutalized and held for ransom. >> what comes with drug cartels is a climate of extortion and a climate of danger. we don't know anymore who the enemy is. we're not sure. it could be my neighbor. it could be a security guard. >> reporter: so she's packing up vivianne and moving her back to the united states. >> thelma gutierrez joins us live from our l.a. bureau. what a stunning -- that's an amazing story. obviously my first question, was francesca able to get her daughter out? >> reporter: francesca is still hoping to get her daughter out but there are several things they have to do before they're able to leave mexico. she has to get her transcript so

she can enroll in a university here in the united states. then they have to get rid of all the furniture, all that kinds of stuff. she's hoping to get her out within the next week or so. >> but it's already been -- there's been significant time that she's been still trying to work to get her daughter out. she must be terrified in leaving her behind. >> reporter: absolutely, kate. in fact, just yesterday her mother was telling me that there was this shoot-out 200 meters from the nearest dorms on campus between gunmen and the police there and three people were killed. so you can imagine -- she says -- how that feels to know all this is going on and just a week from getting your daughter out of the country. >> you hear from her and her daughter a couple of students, one saying monterrey is still a beautiful city. but that shooting and all the violence, is that affecting student life or how they are living in monterrey right now? >> kate, it's absolutely

affecting student life. we were talking to some of the people there and said, okay, you're not afraid. you say it's not happening every day. but how has this actually changed the way you guys behave here on campus? they say they don't go to nightclubs anymore, they don't go to restaurants. if there's a party to be had, it's at someone's private residence. we even talked to the spokesperson of the university who says she goes straight from work to home, does not go out. so it's having a devastating impact on the local economy as well. >> that's some great reporting. thanks so much. thanks for your time. here's another story for you. pope benedict talks about condoms. is the church changing its policy? we'll take a look. tdd# 1-800-340 tdd# 1-800-345-2550 but the moment they had my money? nothing. tdd# 1-800-345-2550 no phone calls, no feedback, tdd# 1-800-345-2550 no "here's how your money's doing." tdd# 1-800-345-2550 i mean what about a little sign that you're still interested? tdd# 1-800-345-2550 come on, surprise me! tdd# 1-800-345-2550 [ male announcer ] a go-to person to help you get started.

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a look at the latest stories breaking today. a jury just handed down a guilty verdict in chandra levy's murder trial. ingmar guandique faces life without parole. he's already doing time for attacks on two other women. levy was a 24-year-old washington intern who disappeared while out on a jog in may 2001. her body wasn't found for more than a year. a look at other top stories. planning on driving this week for thanksgiving? get ready to pay a little more. gas is 23 cents more than it was this time last year. and the head of the marines will fully cooperate with the repeal of the pentagon's "don't ask, don't tell" policy barring openly gay and lesbian soldiers if there is an appeal. chairman joint chief of staff

mike mullen said he would implement the changes if it passes the repeal measure. take a look at this poor guy. got his antlers in quite a tangle. wrapped up in lights in colorado. it's the time of year when male deer practice sparring with anything that moves and this is what happens. will the lights be coming off? colorado division of wildlife says unfortunately, no, they'll stay there until the little guy loses his antlers in the spring. maybe you can see him. aids activists and papal supporters across the globe are applauding what is seen as a positive shift by pope benedict on use of condoms specifically when it comes to preventing aids. a new book "light of the world" is set for release tomorrow. the vatican published excerpts on saturday that make an exception to the outright ban on

contraceptives. in the book the pope says there could be single kaltions that can be justified for instance when a prostitute uses a condom. however, the pontiff goes on to say condoms are not the true and proper way to defeat hiv in his words but church officials and catholics say it sparked a necessary healthy debate on the issue. >> he's like merrill lynch. when he talks, we listen. >> i don't think it's inconsistent but modern thinking. >> i'm thankful for the comments. >> tackling the social issues of the day. i think as catholics we take them one at a time. it's not going to happen all at once but it's a process and i agree with what the pope is doing. >> while the pope's words are not official vatican policy some officials say it could foreshadow in a change in the church's stance. attention all you holiday travelers. we're going to give you the latest weather you should know about coming up.

severe weather, well, let's hope not this holiday travel season. what do you have? >> there's your tornado watch. >> a tornado watch? >> ask and you shall receive. yeah, tornado watch, which means that some areas here could have storms that could rotate. a lot of coulds in there. >> i asked you for good news. >> you said severe weather. you just said -- you asked. >> i know. >> i know. we have this. here's the issue. one degree in billings. 70 in atlanta, 74 memphis. when you get this that happens with a front, cold air this way, warm air that way, along that front where severe weather pops up.

>> in general, how is the weather going to be come -- because wednesday is the busiest travel day, i think. >> yeah, big. >> what do you think? >> snow. slow. passes. stephens, 90, all those slow. snoqualmie slow because of the snow and you have to watch maybe even logon t your local tv station because some passes may require chains only for bigger vehicles. some bigger vehicles may not be allowed. i just got an e-mail from lake tahoe, six feet of new snow at some of the ski resorts in tahoe. they are happy in the sierra because of all the snow. it just depends are you just traveling to grandma's to go get turkey or somewhere to ski and play in it because you certainly can play in this as temperatures are cold. the ice is here. the snow is this way and the severe weather is possible there. >> it is not going to stop people, though, getting to thanksgiving turkey. >> 42 million people driving. i would say some maybe slow

down. >> would you like to go "off the radar"? >> i have something amazing. otr is a new app for your ipad or iphone. >> why would i want a tsa app? >> because on the bottom you can type in, can i bring? let's type in m-a-c-h-e-t-e can i bring a machete? no, you have to check it. >> in the break we tested out camera. i don't know how we got from camera to machete. >> i typed in turkey and it didn't have an answer. didn't seem to know whether i could bring a turkey or not. you have to properly wrap your machete and it has to go in the bottom of the plane. >> you can type in apparently anything. >> more seriously you can look for your weight. >> nice. >> not every airport. you can see whether the long term, short term or do i have to

do the park and ride, whether they're open because a lot of times the closest is full. this is a tsa app. we love apps here. >> exactly. take as many apps as possible. >> or naps. >> or appetizers. >> are you here tomorrow? >> if they bring me back. i don't know after this one. chad myers, good news and apps. what else do we have? the annual list of the most dangerous cities is out. who do you think took the top spot? detroit, camden, new jersey, st. louis, compton, california? atlanta? 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 that we use in our vehicles, and to do this at a large enough scale

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half past the hour. you know what that means. time for your headlines.

thanksgiving travelers are starting to hit the roads and taking to the airports. some 2 million people expected to travel tomorrow and another 2 million on wednesday. weather could be an issue though for folks in the northwest. tsa security back-ups you've been talking so much about also have the potential to cause some delays. and another story we've been watching. a salvadoran immigrant has been convicted of killing washington intern chandra levy. she disappeared in 2001 after going out for a jog. her body found over a year later in d.c.'s park. ingmar guandique faces possible life without parole. mixed results in a cdc study on stds finding gonorrhea dropped to a record low across the country. 301,000 cases reported last year. however some sexually transmitted diseases continuing to climb. chlamydia hit a record high and

syphilis cases also up. time for a little "globetrekking" shall we? the 33 chilean miners left for home after a whirlwind visit to the u.s. they touched down in atlanta last night on their way home receiving a water cannon salute. their experience here a far cry from their struggle to survive for 69 some days underground. dario segovia was the last man rescued you remember, number 33. >> translator: i'm not feeling like a rock star but of course my life has changed and i'm going back to chile with one of the best in fashions of the united states. >> the men, their families and five of their rescuers were in l.a. this weekend. the miners were special guests at the cnn "heroes" all-star tribute saluted and honored with a standing ovation. we turn to another mine rescue, this time in southwest

china. 29 miners have been rescued from a flooded mine in sichuan province. trapped more than 30 hours but took rescuers less than an hour to pull them out. unfortunately mining accidents are common in china. in april the country launched a campaign to re-examine safety regulations. a team from the u.s. state department rushed to seoul, south korea, for an urgent visit. why? the talks coming after a u.s. scientist toured and confirmed the existence of a new uranium enriched facility in north korea. ambassador boss worth and his team met with south korea's foreign minister as well as other diplomats in beijing and tokyo. he says he hopes to revive the six nation talks to ends north korea's nuclear program. going now to berlin where there are concerns over a possible terrorist threat. it specifically affects berlin's parliamentary building. the popular glass dome and

rooftop terrace are now indefinitely closed to the public. approved visitors can still accessory parts of the building including its restaurant. this weekend the german police denied reports that terrorists might be planning an attack on the building but now police acknowledge they are looking for two men in connection with planning attacks on german attractions. next up ireland. the final details of its bailout are being hammered out right now. europe and the international monetary funds are deciding on the exact amount of the rescue package announced yesterday. but the british government has just now offered a direct loan to ireland worth 11.3 billion euros. imf makes an official announcement in dublin this week. the bailout estimated to be up to 1 hundred billion euros. where is the largest statue of jesus? maybe not a question that you think about all the time. but as of this weekend, the answer is poland. a tiny town in western poland

unveiled this 172 foot tall statue of jesus christ. officials claim it's taller than brazil's famous christ the redeemer named one of the new seven wonders of the world in 2007. that's pretty tall. okay. so we asked you before the break which of these places tops the latest list of most dangerous u.s. cities. detroit, camden, new jersey, st. louis, compton, california. this may be a bit of a surprise, maybe not. st. louis edged out repeat number one camden, new jersey. the lou as people call it had 270 violent crimes per 1,000 residents compared to the national average of 429 per 100,000. camden was runner-up at number two. rounding out the top five, detroit, flint, michigan, and oakland, california. sorry, guys. new orleans residents no

longer have to boil their tap water today. a very good thing. who are than 300,000 people were ordered to boil water over the weekend after a power failure at the city's main treatment plant. they say it was just a precaution. they're still not sure what called the power outage but say the water is safe. good thing. take a look at this. this is a contest in tokyo to finds the best robot. teams from 25 technical colleges ascos japan competed. my robot did not win, sorry. robots competed to see which could cross the finish line first. one had legs with a lot of joints and another carried three students. there you have it. after a break, peas on earth. or at least on millions of holiday dinner plates. that could mean a very happy new year for the neediest among us.

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today in "mission possible" as i've been corrected give peas a chance. many people especially in the south wouldn't think of not eating black-eyed peas on new year's day. they're supposed to bring luck and prosperity. we can't really confirm that but we'll believe it anyway. but we have found a way to honor tradition and bring some luck and prosperity to folks who need it most. it's called peas for prosperity and it's cooked up by an attorney of all things right here in atlanta. what is this all about?

what is peas for prosperity? >> peas for prosperity is we have bags of black-eyed peas that we sell for the southern tradition of eating black-eyed peas on new year's for luck and prosperity but we do it in a different way. i lost my job last year and i have been on the wrong track. so i said i've got to do something different and it led me to black eyed peas. >> you lost your job. >> yes. >> how did you land into the peas business? how did that all evolve? >> it was my own resume builder because when you're searching for a job, everyone knows you have to have a resume. i had one but it was for my wrong life. i said i'll sell a holiday product and show employers what i can do. i had always eaten black eyed peas on new year's and decided on that and researched the story and tradition and it was all about second chances and that's exactly what i was going through. that's how i decided on the

black eyed peas. >> how has the organization evolved? tell me about everything that's involved with what you're doing for the holiday. >> it started out with me and my condo and i brought my mom up from florida to help tie bags. then i started forming partnerships with different nonprofits around atlanta. i hire people to help me do the work. i pay by the piece so they help me cut the ribbons and tie the ribbons and do the bags. so riley try to help other people that need a second chance. i needed my second chance. i got my second chance and i want to help other people. >> this is your full-time job? >> it is. >> you seem -- i didn't know you have before but you seem much happier maybe. >> i'm the happiest i've been. i'm the poorest i've ever been but the happiest i've ever been. >> where do you hope to see your work and see your organization go? what are you hoping for? >> i really hope to -- my biggest goal is to never have to

go back to a cubicle. that's goal number one. but i really just hope to raise more money. i donate 10% of the proceeds to charity. i hope to make it bigger and be able to raise more money and help a lot more people and really spread good luck and prosperity in a gift like this to a lot more. >> tell me how can people get involved? how can people -- because it's right now in the atlanta area and surrounding counties. >> yes. >> how can people get involved? >> i have a website. go to buypeas.com. you'll get to me. or www.peas for prosperity.com. i also have a holiday pea sales program. if you've been affected by the recession and want to sell peas, make some money, contact me. >> a good example of how bad economic times can create generosity, kindness and opportunity. >> it can. you have a second chance. >> thanks so much for joining us. get some peas, everybody. >> peas. all right. other stories that we're

following -- got to take a turn here -- a former nfl superstar is opening up about one of the most debated topics in football right now, the pressure to play after a hard hit. >> i think for a long time it was felt like, well, if you didn't get up dizzy or with no memory, then you really didn't suffer a concussion. >> quarterback kurt warner's candid conversation with our dr. sanjay gupta next. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

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another hard-hitting sunday in nfl football. another player hurt in a helmet-to-helmet blow. philadelphia eagles returner hobbs suffered a neck injury

when he collided with another player. he was carted off the field in a stretcher and awaiting results of an mri. today we begin a special series about that called head games looking at what many say is a concussion crisis in pro football. chief medical correspondent dr. sanjay gupta had some candid conversations with former football players about the culture of concussions in the game today. >> shotgun snap, blitz coming. >> reporter: it's a chilling moment in football. >> and kurt warner is hurt. warner is down. >> reporter: a player is hit and does not get up. >> kurt warner on his back. >> reporter: january 16, 2010, former nfl quarterback kurt warner was that player. >> and the trainers race out -- >> reporter: he got up and later he returned to the game. do you feel like now in retrospect you ever stayed in the game or was sort of pushed to stay in the game when you shouldn't have? >> yeah. there's no question that's

happened. a lot of guys when they get those hits or those concussions, they think, okay, i'm going to just kind of play through it here for the short term and it's going to get better. >> reporter: playing through it is part of football says warner, a big part. >> probably 100% of the guys that play my sport in the nfl have been there. and i think for a long time it was felt like, well, if you didn't get dizzy or no memory you didn't suffer a concussion. >> reporter: what does it feel like? >> like a mental fogginess where you almost seem like you're separated from the situation. you're in it, but you're kind of looking at it from the outside looking in. >> reporter: according to the nfl, there are more than 100 documented concussions every season. after a big hit, doctors on the sidelines test players for signs of concussion, memory problems, confusion, dizziness. but there is no definitive answer to the most important

question, who should continue playing and who should come out of the game. the first sunday in 2003, giants game, you got hit. they were worried about you. what were you experiencing at that time? >> i don't know. i didn't think at the time -- i never thought it had anything to do with the hit. but that's exactly what it's like when you get a concussion. i felt like i was fully functional. but in actuality, i wasn't. >> how many of you have by show of hands had a concussion? >> reporter: this man formerly a pittsburgh steelers trainer studies concussion impacts on the brain in high school players. >> showing moderate levels of atrophy. >> reporter: and retired nfl athletes. in his study players who have had three or more concussions get mris and memory tests. >> i'm going to say three words. apple, penny, table. now you say those words. >> apple penny, table. >> what were the three words i asked you to remember earlier?

>> i don't remember. penny. i don't remember. >> okay. >> reporter: memory problems are not the only thing they're finding. >> the brain has shrunk. >> reporter: concussions may be shrinking memory and learning centers in the brain, thwarting its ability to transmit signals. did you retire because of concussions? >> no, not because of concussions but there's no question as i contemplated the big picture and thought about life after football, do i want to put myself at risk for another concussion or for a wor worse concussion. >> reporter: many players decide to play through it. dr. sanjay gupta, cnn, phoenix. >> we asked the nfl about kurt warner's statement that players stay in the game even after they are hurt -- even if they are hurt. the league officially responded by saying this. quote, if anything, we are going in the other direction where people sit out until they are totally symptom free.

there are so many protocols now if a guy gets pulled out in a game, he cannot go back until he's cleared by the team doctor. that statement from one of the co-chairs of the nfl's head, neck and spine medical committee. we have got some breaking news that we want to tell you about. we've just learned more than 300 people are dead after a stampede in cambodia. the incident we're told happened today during a festival near cambodia's royal palace. no word yet on what started or sparked this stampede. the death count, the death toll is now at 393. that according to the cambodian minister of information. we've received several pictures. we actually received quite a bit of video but we're trying to be a little careful about what we're going to put on tv because of the graphic nature of what's coming in. again, once more, 300 people are dead and we're assuming many others injured in a stampede

near cambodia's royal palace. we'll update you as it comes. a lot going on over there. [ male announcer ] opportunity

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[ male announcer ] we understand.® you need a partner who delivers convenience. next time use fedex office. time now for a cnn political update. cnn senior political director mark preston and cnn deputy political director paul steinhauser. hello, gentlemen. >> that's a lot of titles. sorry about all that. >> it's painful. >> my apologies. very painful. first thing i want to do is ask our cameraman to zoom in. a new wire up today. it's the battle over who speaks for the tea party movement.

tea party nation, that's the group that put on that first tea party convention in february out with a new letter to the top two republicans in congress, john boehner and mitch mcconnell the top republican in the senate. they call for lower spending and defunding the new health care low and keep taxes low but also calling for republican lawmakers not to repeal "don't ask, don't tell" kind of a pushback against gop proud, which put out their own letter saying republican lawmakers should deal with just fiscal issues and not social issues. a back and forth here. the gop proud is not considered a real tea party group by tea party nation. one other thing, kate, let's zoom ahead to the next battle for the white house. never too early. take a look at brands new numbers from quinnipiac university, a hypothetical matchup between president obama and sarah palin if she decides to win and wins the gop nomination. 48% say they would back president obama. 40% in this survey say sarah

palin. that eight point advantage for obama is similar in our cnn poll about three weeks ago. one thing here remember, it's snapshot. these polls are a snapshot how people feel now. 2012 is a long time from right now. >> paul, you're zooming ahead but i want to zoom back into the past. mark, jimmy carter rabbit attack? what? >> i'll tell you what. talk about political legend. this is one of the great stories that took off out of nowhere. 31 years ago jimmy carter was fishing in plains, georgia, in 1979. and all of a sudden he sees a rabbit come swimming towards his boat. he took his paddle and he fended off that rabbit and it didn't attack him. what exactly happened is in fact the rabbit did come across and swim across to his boat and chased by some hounds. however, the rabbit was trying to swim away. carter shook it off, splashed the water. the rabbit went the other way. turned into a story that 31

years ago he was fending off this crazy rabbit trying to take it down. he told the story yesterday and debunked the myth but it was a political legend. who can't love a killer rabbit, kate? >> a killer rabbit, 2012 politics and a tea party movement. that's a political wrap-up, my friends. thanks, guys. talk to you soon. cnn is committed to keeping you informed, as you can tell, on all of the important political store yifts day. your next update in just about an hour. so what's it like to fly in this era of full body scans and pat-downs? i'll tell you what it was like for me. one word turns innovative design into revolutionary performance. one word makes the difference between defining the mission and accomplishing the mission. one word makes the difference in defending our nation

and the cause of freedom. how... is the word that makes all the difference.

so the "xyz" today. holiday travel inevitably equals talk of airport delays, highway congestions and weather disasters. this year is no different except the added fun of tsa security procedures. the headlines and new catch phrase don't touch my junk you've mobil memorized or tried to forget. let me tell you my experience. i flew this morning and like millions of americans in the coming days did not have to face the dreaded full body scan or too close for comfort pat-down. i faced the good old-fashioned metal detector and several smiling faces from tsa officers. that was at 4:30 this morning. being grabbed and groped, poked and prodded isn't anyone's idea of a dream travel experience but remember this. four in five americans still support the full body scanner and wouldn't you rather be safe than sorry when you board your flight this holiday season? without the new procedures the proverbial travel nightmare could be a wholeot