the brother of president obama. we meet him fresh off a meeting with his famous siblg in china, plus, what's at stake for our national security as the president now lands in south korea. your eyes popped when you saw the latest airline prices. well, keep those eyes opened. airlines are saying they are going to keep the special holiday surcharges past the holidays. and then, why that's quite a nice blouse you're wearing there today. sucking up to your boss. does it work? a new study tells us which bosses can smell it when you're putting it on thick and which cannot. all that this hour on "morning express." i'm richard lui. first off, pirates attacked

the "maersk alabama" for the second time. pirates fired automatic weapons at the ship this morning. private security guards on the ship fired back and turned them away. now, "maersk alabama" probably sounds familiar to you, because it was hijacked in april. in april, pirates took captain richard phillips hostage five days before the navy freed him. these hijackings are increasing. 29 successful hijackings this year and 114 attempted attacks. just 111 attacks last year at this moment we have now surpassed the number of attacks from 2008, and we're not even at the end of the year. hearing from police about the death of 5-year-old shaniya davis live. new details and a new 911 call are shedding some light on what happened to her. her body found off a road in north carolina positively identified. her mother is accused of

prostituting the girl and we now have antoinette davis' 911 call to police. take a listen -- >> all right. authorities now say since shaniya's body has been i.d.'d, more charges are on the way. another suspect, mario mcneill harks been charged with kidnapping and, of course, we'll continue to watch this briefing that's ongoing right now coming from wtvd. we're listening in and when we have more details we'll have it for you right here in the coming hour. president obama left china this morning for south korea. his last stop. a lot on his plate as he visit seoul. north korea's nuclear program a

big concern for the united states and other allied asian powers. a big priority is getting north korea back to the negotiating table in those six-way talks before leaving china. the president took a little stroll. not an easy stroll, on the great wall. climbed part of it and called the wall absolutely spectacular. right now live, attorney general eric holder testifying before the senate judiciary committee. he's going to be asked tough questions. he's going to be talking about his decision to put the professed september 11th mastermind and four our suspects on trial in new york city. critics have said the move will give khaled sheikh mohammed a stake and saying they can control unruly defendants. were we'll listen to that and get you highlights. stay with us in the next hour. holiday travel already more expensive, if you've been watching because the surcharges. the airline have added those on during the busiest days. the surcharges aren't going

anywhere, even after the holidays end. jennifer westhoven is looking out for you and i know is a little frustrated for all of us. >> yeah. thank you, richard. people still bought plenty of fares even with the charges so airlines are saying we'll keep charging. it's going to cost you more during the busiest days. three airlines, delta, northwest and united states are now adding holiday surcharges on to the many busy travel days through memorial day. for example, want to fly on the day after the super bowl? maybe you're not interested in the super bowl. it's still going to cost $50 more for that one-way ticket and added a lot of charges around spring break and easter break. we'll see, though, richard. congress may be looking into this. not that they think it's unfair four, but because when the airlines add these surcharges, instead of raising the fare, they don't necessarily have to pay as much in taxes. >> ah! an economic move on their part, is what you're saying. >> one way to fight the charges. >> not buy tickets?

>> don't fly on an air line that charges them. find another air lone. those are only three. >> back in ten minutes with more. on to the 12 soldier whose died in the ft. hood attack. they could be awarded the purple heart. house lawmakers introduced a bill yesterday that would make them eligible for that honor, and the civilian victim to get the medal for the defense of freedom. this bill would also give anyone killed or wounded in this same attack the same legal status as soldiers killed in combat. what that basically does is guarantees their families the maximum life insurance benefit. >> we can never repay or give back what mr. hasan took from them, but this is a first step towards a healing process that the military can step up to the plate and make them whole again. >> more than 60 lawmakers have already signed on to this bill we're talking about. new this morning, we just learned that hillary clinton is on a surprise visit to afghanistan. it's her first visit there as secretary of state. this is the eve of president

hamid karzai's inauguration. she's having dinner with him tonight and will attend the inauguration happening tomorrow. clinton is expected to deliver a tough message that karzai has to clean up government corruption. we have surveillance video that will make your jaw drop. everything was quiet at the utah oil fee rhinery and suddenly, whamo. a huge explosion. the fireball soared more than 100 feet knocking a nearby home off of its foundation and damaging almost 100 other homes. amazingly here, no one was hurt. two weeks later, this is still being investigated. the plant has shut down voluntarily. bob, i know ice was supposed to -- a refinery before, you kind of get used to these things. you don't want it to happen but explosions happen. a lot of explosive teerms around. >> i used to live next to an arsenal in jersey. same thing. go off all the time. then after a while -- no big deal. >> ah, don't worry.

>> that was huge. >> a 40 ton bomb went off. that's all. >> that was huge. >> you're watching the northwest? >> watching it again. one storm come ashore, richard, just a couple days ago but it dropped a lot of rain from seattle down through portland. another one is on the horizon. if you look out to the west, look at this bright batch of cloud cover. that's the storm itself. it is powering eastward right now. it gets to the region overnight tonight through tomorrow. it's going to bring a lot of wind and a lot of rain with this, and that's really going to last through the weekend. so getting underneath the clouds. most of rain on the light side now. it's the wind directly off the pacific. getting light showers around portland. snow for higher elevations. really not that big of a deal. the portland radar is picking up light showers and flash flood watches to the north. look how much rain over the next two days. key. one batch tomorrow, another batch friday and saturday. the purple shaded area right by the olympic mountains west of seattle, about set to ten inches of rain. poor that reason, the flash flood watches out there. watch for that later today.

rain comes in overnight tonight, so does the wind. away from there, south further, light snow across the sierra nevada range. and upper level low stacked vertically on top of the surchs low. all the way down to the deep southeast. rain is in there for chicago. probably get air traffic delays out of that. tell you all about that in about 20 minutes. richard? >> a good size, midwest to the east? >> huge storm. getting here tomorrow. >> slow mover. you really may not want a lego of your eggo, you'll be hard-pressed to find these frozen delights. well into next year. plus, it may be president obama's most memorable closed door meeting during his asia trip. what his half brother said about their reunion in china.

new this morning, two people in ski masks broke into a store last night and held several

hostages. the sheriff's office says she used dogs but have not found the suspects. in this local media report a 16-year-old girl was hurt when shoved to the ground. police dragged her out on a blanket, as you see there yshgs brace yourselves for a waffle shortage. ain't joking here. kellogg's says eggos will be in short supply until next june. the company says the eggo plant in atlanta was flooded back in september, and there was a lot of rain, flooding, too. now there are equipment problems at their largest waffle bakery in tennessee. >> the horror. >> well, all the waffles were soaking up the water, i guess. >> i'm glad they're making waffles here. >> if you want some, run down the road in atlanta? >> glad they're making waffles in the united states. that's good. >> oh, a good point. you've been following all the stories, manufacturing abroad. we've told you how the detroit automakers are struggling. huge news this morning.

jennifer westhoven joins us. talking about things produced abroad. a home product. >> a big win for ford. talked quality ratings had gone up this year. really all of detroit hurting for some good news. this really is some for ford and for detroit's morale. the fusion was named the motor trend car of the year. the magazine says ford did a great job of redesigning and upgrading. they gave every version of the ford fusion kudos and said you should consider it right on par with the toyota camry and honda accord. took me by surprise. not bad, not high praise, richard, but it's okay. >> when it comes to some of the make, sometimes that is not bad. >> i still think that's a great win for ford. the big thing is ford has been pulling ahead of the pack. they gn need to borrow taxpayer money. really the deal is how will gm and chrysler do? still, right a good sign in

detroit. we'll take it. here's other good news in a bad economy. one of the biggest problems in the job market, as we know, that small businesses can't get loans. and this sounds simple, but simplistic, but it's true. if the start-ups can't start up, you can't get a lot of job growth. most of the job growth in recoveries comes from small companies. help on the way from several quarters. first, goldman-sachs under criticism for other things like bonuses. they and warren buffett will invest $500 million to help 10,000 small businesses across the country. so that's one action point. second action point, the urban league also stepping in. they really give loans in, really, urban areas. for very small companies like barber shops, dry cleaners, also doctors' offices as well. those two action points. one talking point. today's president obama's economic team will meet on the same issue. >> very important as you told us before. small businesses comprise a majority, if not close to

majority of our economy. we've got to get them going. thanks, jen. president obama had a rare reyoon you yin with his half brother. in his new book, hi claims their father physically abused them, but would not say if the subject came up when they met briefly in the president's hotel. >> we just had a big hug, and my wife and he had a big, big hug, and it was very, very powerful. very intense, because he's my big brother. >> big brother. president obama says she has not read his half brother's book but says it's no secret their father was trouble. a texas cop, just trying to do his job, but then this little kitty by his leg, giving him a little trouble, would not let that get in his way. another group wants priority protection from the h1n1 virus. santas.

new york city police raided the office, some high profile newspapers as part of a corruption probe. officers searched the circulation and delivery offices of the "new york times," the "new york post," the "daily news" yesterday. local media reports the raids are part of a probe into the newspaper and mail deliverers' union. the union is not commenting on this so far. check out this police dash cam video. it's funny and good to watch. see the police officer at a routine traffic stop in texas. a black cat by his left leg. lower part of the screen. check out the cat climbing all

over the officer. this kitsy quite a distraction. on his shoulder. the officer stayed on the job, still scribbling away. >> i love that the officer does not even make any adjustment at all. >> you know he has a cat. he's used to that. finally, you're pulling on my hair and scratching me right now. the cat's owner says the cat has always been friendly. >> one expensive ticket. >> a distraction i think. trying to give that ticket. >> perhaps. a young pitcher overcame anxiety and depression to win the most prestigious award for his position. >> reporter: richard, it's really, it's an amazing comeback story in various ways. a royal comeback, if will you. zack greinke had a lot of hype when he came into the league. but he struggled. so much soap he left the team in february 2006 and got a lot of flak for it. during that time, diagnosed with social anxiety disorder and depression. seven months later worked with

way back to the majors and just won the cry young award, to the bech pitcher in the league. did it on a losing team, which is very rare. and this weekend marries his high school sweetheart. >> getting a lot done. and former chiefs running back larry johnson run out of town after several incidents including using gay slurs and attacking his coach on twitter. signed by cincinnati. interesting, because cincinnati has kind of become the city of second chances. the bengals signed chicago castoff cedric benson, arrested for allegedly voting while intoxicated and benson is now one of the best runbacks in the league. perhaps you can reinvent yourself in cincinnati. and tv star tila tequila wants $1.5 million in damages from chargers' linebacker shawne merriman. remember this story? the star of mtv, a shot at love accused merriman in september of battery and false imprisonment after leaving a party at his

house. the district attorney chose not to press charges. you've got to see this video. if you like seeing stuff get torn down, the former home of the dallas mavericks reunion arena. watch it collapse like a blanket. sorry. i just find that so cool. the 29-year-old building collapses inwards, get this. workers didn't use explosives, as we show it to you one more time. but hammered away at two supporting columns to get it to fall. kind of frightening. >> two columns holding up all of that. domino effect. >> and nobody was hurted. otherwise that would be a sad story. >> you know there were people on the streets going -- >> there were, actually. a lot of people stopped to lock. >> something that takes years to come up comes down in a matter of seconds. something about that. thanks, rafer. starting to get colder outside. we decided to go beyond the surface to find out if what mom used to say was actually true. do you really need to wear a hat to stay warm and avoid catching a cold?

unfortunately, mom was not exactly right about losing heat through your head. you lose some body heat through whatever part of your body is exposed. the real ski what's uncovered and how much surface area it is. there's nothing special about the head. if you walk around with just a hat and no pants or shorts, you're going to lose just as muches your body hat through that, and people might think you're a little more crazy. people will often hear if they go out into the cold or wet weather or they go out with wet hair that that's going to make them sick. but it's just not true. the weather has nothing to do with whether or not you get sick. what makes you sick are usually viruses. sometimes bacteria. scientists have done great studies looking at this one. it's just not true. >> hmm. a dramatic rescue with possibly

seconds to spare. the quick thinking strangers who did not hesitate to help when a pregnant woman fell into the path of a subway train.

president obama climbed the great wall. in seoul, south korea getting a couple zs hopefully. later he'll meet at osan air base. somali pirates attacking a u.s. flag cargo ship the "maersk alabama." remembers they name? it's the second time it happened. the naval force says private security guards on the ship fired back and turned the pirates away this morning. pirates took the ship's captain,

richard phillips, for five days in april before navy sharpshooters freed him. and wildfires in southern california expected to be surrounded this afternoon. it's now 95% contained in orange county, and the captain says it's burned 145 acres since monday. that's down from earlier estimates. the fire injured three people, but it did not damage any homes. those are some offed stories we're watching on this wednesday. hopefully you're having a good middle of the week. no additional charges announced in the death of 5-year-old shaniya davis. about 30 minutes ago, police officers said several jurisdictions are involved in the case and the district attorneys are still determining possible additional charges. the girl's body found off a road in north carolina has been positively identified. her mother is accused of prostituting the girl. another suspect, mario mcneill, charged with kidnapping. that's the latest we know based on that news conference we were watching about 30 minutes ago. new dames about what may have motivated the accused ft.

hood shooter. media reports say major nidal hasan thought some of his patients were war criminals. one of his psychiatry colleagues says hasan thought some of his patients confessed to war crimes during their sessions. if that is true, hasan would have been obligated to ignore doctor/patient confidentiality and report them. here's what one military attorney told our sister network cnn about this. >> possible suspected or alleged violations of the law of war do have to be reported. so it looks like there's at least a plausible argument that he was under an obligation to report. >> we don't know what hasan reported but his superiors repeatedly ignored requests to have the soldiers charged. the last e-mails exchanged were just a few days before that attack. a pregnant woman doesn't know who to thank for pulling her from the path of a subway train in brooklyn. she told affiliate wabc she was waiting for the train when she got light-headed, passed out and

fell on to the tracks. a witness says two strangers then jumped on to the tracks to get her back. >> they were like superman. they took off their suit jackets, jumped in, lifted her and we all helped her get back on because we weren't sure a train was coming. >> god was really watching out for me and watching out for the baby. >> the woman bruised her face, as you saw there, but she snd the baby are reportedly okay now. over to bob van dillen watching the weather for us mid-week. you're concerned about the northwest earlier. now we move 209 east. >> looking at the east coast right now. in the middle of the country, too, the midwest. what's happening here. two areas of low pressure. one at the surface, one in the upper levels, vertically stacked, right on top of each other. had that happens the storm systems don't move very fast. the jet stream down south push it away. another one up north. the split flow with the el nino-type pattern. the rain is out there specifically now north of chicago in the just south of

milwaukee. look at the reds and yellows indication of very heavy rain by the illinois/wisconsin state line. what it looks like here. pull the picture away farther and again we're watching this new storm developing right up the coast of the pacific northwest. it's a quick mover, making a bee line towards washington and the oregon coastline. right now, it's just a weakling off the ocean. looking at right rain out there around portland towards olympia and seattle. light showers for the day. a breather right now. later tonight all the action begins to move onshore. heavy winds. winds gusting easily 50, 60 miles per hour. the washington coast through the oregon coast too. here's that portland radar. scattered showers around now. watch the next two days. watches rain build up. one round tonight. another one comes in tomorrow afternoon. purple shaded areas right around the olympic mountains, talking about, ooh, probably as much as eight to ten inches of rain. more on that coming up again tomorrow, richard. >> our friends in texas, they're kind of enjoying it?

>> finally drying out. breezy for dallas. upper level low north of them, surface winter at about 25 miles per hour. >> not a bad place to be? >> bumpy for the ride. that's about it. >> thanks, bob. should you suck up to your boss? these are tough times, after all. "usa today" asked 22 current and former ceos what they think about sucking up. most said, it never helped their careers, although 20 said it's okay to complement the boss, if you are sincere. the november issue of psychological science says people who do not suck up risk inheriting a bully for a boss. one ceo says people gush over her as a joke. gags and rubs noses by the way. bob, great work, by the way. fantastic. right now, attorney general eric holder is testifying before the senate judiciary committee. talking about putting the september 11th mastermind and four our suspects on trial in new york. this is what was said a moment ago.

>> -- both essential tools in our fight against terrorism. therefore, at the outset of my review of these cases i had no preconceived notions as to the merits of either venue and in fact on the same day that i sent these five defendants to federal court i referred five others to be tried in military commissions. i am a prosecutor, and as a prosecutor my top priority was simply to select the venue where the government will have the greatest opportunity to present the strongest case in the best forum. >> okay. some lawmakers liking what he said. some not. critics said the move would give khaled sheikh mohammed a stage. others say they can control unruly defendants, though. using a taser on a 10-year-old girl. get this. the department and even the girl's mother are standing by him.

new this morning, president obama saying, we should not be afraid of putting 9/11 suspects on trial. he talked to ed henry of our sister network cnn. the is spected 9/11 mastermind and four others will be tried in new york, as we've been telling you this morning. many republican oes pose it saying it puts the city in danger. >> i think this notion that somehow we have to be fearful that these terrorists possess some special powers that prevent us from presenting evidence against them, locking them up and, you know, exacting swift justice -- i think that has been a fundamental mistake. >> new york mayor michael

bloomberg said the city can handle that, and, of course, we're listening to attorney general eric holder live on the hill answering the very same tough questions about this case. an arkansas father is outraged that a police officer used a taser on his 10-year-old daughter. the police report says the girl's mother called them because her daughter was out of control. the officer says she gave him permission to taser the girl after she kicked him in the groin. >> in the situation where he was at, he had no other choice. he had to get the child under control. >> and a taser? the father says he wants custody of the girl. the mayor asked the police chief to investigate, but so far the department has not taken any action against this officer. you know, we are getting some early word on some of the bargains you'll be seeing on black friday. we got like a couple weeks, jen westhoven? our money expert? >> always leaks. websites that specialize in publishing the leaks out there.

in inn some cases looking at the coupon books. walmart is confirming some of the deals they'll von the day after thanksgiving. one is a blue rey for $7. a lot of experts, including our clark howard, who said that you would see them for under $100 for some of the door buster specials. also a 50-inch plasma high def tv. tore $700. is that a good deal? >> a pretty good deal. >> i don't know about the tvs. kids pjs for $3. also seen leaks unconfirmed about apple having big sale, too, on black friday. maybe even 25% off macs. we'll watch that one. >> no? >> yeah. it's a leak. so -- but that's the leak. >> alleged leak. >> alleged leak. we know how apple is about leaks. maybe there's less reason to believe that one. this is the annual, the insurance industry. they want to know the safest cars on the road. they go out and buy every model of all the newest car, 2010 cars

and smash them to see how safe they are. well, 19 cars and i believe eight suvs did well in the tests. subaru got awards, volvo as well. basically, though, this year the list really shrank. went from say, roughly, 100 to 25. the point is they said we're finally going to measure roof safety, because a lot of people, a lot of american drivers, want to be higher up in their seats and the started including the roof safety test. a big factor in the rollovers. the latest reading on the prices you pay, at the gas station everywhere, consumer price index up a little bit. most prices held steady. there were a few hot spots. you know them. gas prices. they ticked up a little bit. and dairy prices were also higher. the good news is, that meats, vegetables and fruits went down. back to you. >> but all said, no too bad in terms of prices going up.

>> that's right. >> we'll take that. thank you, jen. good econ stat. your views. we received a lot of your comments on the story we told you about yesterday. richelle carey is here with the afternoon "your views" question. one army mom in a difficult situation. >> she. we started getting so much response yesterday and will continue to follow the story and thought we'd make it the "your views" question of the day. 21-year-old specialist alexis hutchinson, a 10-month-old child. the problem. she was supposed to deloy to afghanistan had made child care arrangements with her mother. that didn't work out. she said she's not going to afghanistan if i don't have someone to take care of my child. she says her superiors said you better report to deploy, and maybe your child needs to go into foster care. the army says that's not really how this went down. we gave you an extension to try to work this out. regardless, you should have showed up for deployment and we would have worked something out. she didn't show up.

instead showed up the day after to turn herself in, because now she may face disciplinary action for not showing up to report to deploy to afghanistan. now, they're saying the option all along could have been an honorable discharge for parents in this situation. >> you can have either? >> could have had either. now she appears to be in trouble. the question we're asking is, should a single parent in the military ever have to deploy overseas, regardless what the child care situation is? or do they know what they're signing up for when they become a part of the armed services? tell us what you think about this. call, e-mail or text us or always comment on my facebook page. give me two seconds to get it posted to richelle carey at hln. i came in earlier to look at the report. she was so good. give me a few minutes to get it posted on my page and we can keep talking about this. >> tough issue. >> it is. >> starting soon with her. and learned an important

skill 30 years ago. how he saved his granddaughter's life.

all right. check out this high-speed chase with a suspected bank robber in north carolina. police say he tossed money outed window. a truck eventually helped box him in. the cops caught up with him, you can see here. officers say at times he was going up to 120 miles an hour. police in denver used a controversial strategy to arrest a man suspected of breaking into cars. the d.a.'s office says blood at two crime scenes did not match. they checked to city it was a catch to anyone, they led them to his brother. critics say it's an invasion of privacy to look for family dna matches. we now have an update on that brawl that broke out at a high school girl's soccer game. we cannot forget the video in this story, rafer. >> the high school game, richard. i mean, just -- to see kids

doing this stuff. i mean, it was very, very jarring. you may remember it. now the rhode island interscholastic league brought down the hammer suspending nine players for this fight that broke out in the last minute of the state championship. brutal stuff. now, their season's over but the suspensions range from up to two game tossup to a year next year. the coaches from both teams penalized. and you remember the fight carried over into the stands which cancelled the awards ceremony. the kids and coaches were not specifically named but look at those faces. more shame for the tennessee football program. police say another player, nyshier oliver was arrested for allegedly trying to shoplift a $110 shirt. this alleged incident happened november 7th. well, last week you remember three other freshmen were arrested for attempted armed robbery. two of those players were kicked off team. this is new video of those players being arrested. in between both of these incidents, head coach lane kiffin bragged about his team having no arrests.

a sad tale in the nba. in new jersey, the nets in a desperate attempt to bring in fans and cheer the team to help them snap their ten-game losing streak gave away two free tickets to season ticket holders, and still they did not come. only 11,000 showed up and the nets lost, and they are the only winless team in the league. hopefully they can turn it around. and it cost $55 million to build, but the silverdome stadium in michigan sold for the price of a one bedroom manhattan apartment. the former home of the ryans sold at auction, $583,000 to a canadian real estate group that wants to use it for sporting events, but the dome was to be fair costing the city $1.5 million a year. desperate to get rid of it but thought they would get at least around $3 million. comes to about $7 a seat. >> wow. a beautiful stadium, from these picture, at least. >> super bowls and so there you go. >> the whole nine yards there. thanks, rafer. new this morning, thousands

of people who got ripped off by bernie madoff are closer to getting some of their money back. an auction of madoff's boats in florida that raised more than $1 million. a both of madoff's sold for $700,000, all the money raised goes to victims of madoff's ponzi scheme. he is serving a 150-year prison sentence. a new jersey woman has found a unique partnership between two unlikely bed fellows. robin meade has the story of an effort helping those in need this week's "leaders with heart." a natural disaster inspired mary to help others. >> my sister lives in galveston, texas. her house was eight feet of water. everything was destroyed. >> while gathering what she could she reached out to hotels after a friend told her that they throw out old linens. >> when i drove up there were 10

bags of bedding, more than my sister needed. >> that sparked her to start green recoverings, a donation program that connects hotels with shelters. >> i contact hotels which could be in my area or all over the country, and see if they are interested in donating their usable discards to organizations that have people in need. >> so far it has helped more than 20 shelters and she challenges others to join in the effort. >> we live in our bubbles and don't realize there's a lot of needy people out there. now i'm aware of it. >> thank you so much. >> and i get a lot of satisfaction out of helping them. >> these days if you are trying to disappear it's not just the cops who might find you. what one man learned when he set out to prove you can run but you cannot hide in today's hyper networked world.

what is the most provocative entertainment news on television? it is "showbiz tonight." it's next so stay tuned. and then tomorrow morning be sure to watch morning express with me, robin meade. right now on "showbiz tonight," sarah palin's brand new bombshells today. if you thought you heard it all on oprah, wait until you hear what she told barbara walters. the startling new swipes revealed today. target david letterman, target, tina fey. no one is safe. >> did her impersonation of her harm you? >> look out levi. sarah's not done with you as "showbiz tonight" dares to ask, sarah, or levi? who do you think is winning the

war of words? >> brooke shields' shocking suicide confession. why brooke has just revealed she wanted to die after her daughter was born. tonight, "showbiz tonight" with brooke's startling and heart breaking revelation. plus, the congressman who says disgraced former beauty queen carrie prejean could have what it takes to become a big time politician. tv's most provocative entertainment news show starts right now. hello. i'm a.j. hammer broadcasting tonight and every night from new york city. >> hi there, everyone, i'm brooke anderson, coming to you from hollywood. and tonight, the brand-new sarah palin bombshells breaking today. >> yeah. if you thought what sarah told oprah winfrey was explosive, wait until you hear what she told barbara walters. barbara revealed her interview with palin today, and look out,

tina fey and david letterman, she's not happy with you guys one bit. but wait, there's more. palin is also really ticked off at a picture of her that is everywhere today, posing in running shorts. palin's also addressing all of the buzz that she could be getting her own talk show. and "showbiz tonight" can now reveal that it all made for big news breaking today. >> reporter: you may have thought sarah palin was done dropping bombs after her big sit-down with oprah on monday. now "showbiz tonight" can tell you palin was just getting warmed up. >> oh, there's so much bullcrap out there. >> reporter: palin pulled no punches in her new interview with barbara walters that was revealed this morning. on "good morning america." and palin's new book called "going rogue" is now going off on almost everyone that's crossed her lately. >> he doesn't have anything on me. >> reporter: "showbiz tonight" can tell you, palin-a-palooza is in full swing. in today's interview with walters, palin takes on two

people who have made second careers out of making fun of her, tina fey and david letterman. >> first off i want to say how excited i am to be in front of both the liberal elite media as well as the liberal regular media. >> reporter: tina fey savaged sarah palin last year with a wicked impersonation of her on "saturday night live." in the new interview today, palin told barbara walters, she has a bit of a bone to pick with tina. >> i can see russia from my house. >> of course, i've never said that. and yet the line was blurred and i think people, because it was repeated so often, perhaps, believed that i had said such a thing. >> reporter: but palin did manage to say something nice about tina fey. >> i think she was funny, though, and i think she was very talented and spot-on. >> reporter: palin isn't as nice to david letterman. he earned the wrath of palin for this joke about a palin family trip to a yankee game back in june. >> during the seventh inning, her daughter was knocked up by alex rodriguez. >> reporter: letterman later

apologized for the joke after learning it was palin's 14-year-old daughter, willow, who was in the stands, not the older teen daughter bristol, who just had a baby. but as walters showed palin today, letterman's not quite done with the palin punch lines. >> that brings us to a little segment called, things more fun than reading the sarah palin memoir. things more fun than reading -- here, take a look. watch this. >> number 14, driving into a tree. >> can you just shrug this kind of thing off? >> well, i can't, because those aren't even funny. >> reporter: ouch. and if you think that was frosty, wait until you hear what palin said about the possibility of appearing on letterman's show. >> i don't want to boost his ratings, but i want to sell my book. >> reporter: but palin feuded with 19-year-old levi johnston,

the father of bristol's son. he's been all over the airwaves, dishing palin dirt, including this wile claim about sarah palin's baby son who has downs syndrome. >> coming home from work, and she'd be like, where's my retarded baby. >> reporter: in her talk with walters today, palin denied ever saying that. >> levi has said that you called trig "the retarded baby." >> that's heartbreaking to know that he would say such a thing, and that's not true. >> reporter: levi johnston's also claiming that the palins are making it hard for him to see his son and he's threatening to take them to court. this morning, palin told him to bring it. >> it will be nice to see in, i guess, even in legal proceedings, a desire to be a part of the baby's life. that's a good sign. >> reporter: and with even more palin interviews scheduled in the coming days, it looks like palin-a-palooza could roll on for the rest of the year. tina, letterman, and levi, consider yourselves warned.

>> i have to say, there was clearly a big difference between palin's interview with oprah and the bombshells we heard her drop with barbara walters today. joining me tonight in new york is lauren lake, she's an attorney and the author of this great book, "girl, let me tell you." also in new york tonight, kim serafin, the senior editor at "in touch weekly." lauren, kim, what really surprised me was just how hard hitting this seemed compared to the interview with oprah. lauren, what surprised you the most about this new interview with barbara walters? >> barbara really had her on the ropes. you know, the oprah interview was softer, more human interest. and i actually sat there and said, you know what, this lady, i could have a cup of coffee with her. but after barbara got her on the ropes she got defensive, i started seeing that kind of air. i turned off a bit. a lot of the questions that she had to answer, she just wasn't authentic. and that's what i want to see from her. i want her to take responsibility for some of the ridiculous things she's said and

some of the outrageous things that are going on in her family life that i don't think she needs to be discussing. >> kim, do you agree with lauren that she seemed defensive? because to me she seemed more self-assured this time around. >> i didn't see the defensiveness. i saw that in previous interviews but on one hand obviously the oprah interview was more pop cultury. she got a reaction from the audience. she knew when to go further with things like calling levi ricky hollywood. this was maybe more news based, policy based. she wept into specifics but i did not see her being defensive. i thought she seemed confident, self assured and sure about everything she was saying, talking about the campaign, her family, everything. >> in today's walters interview we're heard sarah palin talk more about being made fun of in the tina fey skits. and trying to explain the i can

see russia from my house. >> i think there was a blurred line between what tina fey was parrotting and saying and what i ever said, let's take, for instance, she is saying i can see russia from my house, pretending that she was me. of course i never said that. and yet, the line was blurred and i think people because it was repeated so often perhaps believed that i had said such a thing. >> it almost seems that even after all of this time palin still seems a tad bit irritated about how tina made her look bad. you think she is being thin skinned or trying to explain herself? >> see, this is the defensiveness that i see. instead of saying you know, i made an odd, off the cuff comment that was a little ridiculous, in turn people made parodies of it and interpreted it more and it turned into a joke. instead of just giving those campaign answers that frankly, people who keep it real like me, we don't buy. >> okay. she was trying to provide

clarification. obviously it was not misinterpresented that way by a lot of people. as we know palin is out there now, because she's trying to sell her new tell-all book. so, it certainly is understandable why david letterman is also getting under her skin. he's been brutal on her and now her new book. watch. >> that brings us to a segment we call things more fun than reading the sarah palin memoir. things more fun than reading -- here, take a look. >> would you like to go on the david letterman show? >> i don't think i would want to boost his ratings. i do want him to sell my book, though, so i hope he keeps it up. >> i have to say that was a good dig by palin, almost like saying hey, dave, you need me more than i need you. >> right. i think that was keeping it real. she put him in his place. she has helped him in the past, the feud she had with him helped his rating. but if she went on his show she would probably help him more than her. and he is helping her.

her book was coming out i found out because of that segment things more fun than reading sarah palin's minimum woyr. he is plugging her book. i think everyone would love to see that interview. i hope she does it. she didn't hold back. >> david letterman does not need sarah palin. >> you disagree. >> david letterman does not need sarah palin for ratings. that's a joke. he's got his own scandals to deal with. we're already watching him. >> good point. we'll end it there. lauren lake, kim serafin, thank you, ladies. >> now we want to hear you take sides in the sarah palin/levi johnston smackdown. that's our showbiz question of the day. who is winning the war of words? so will sarah palin become a reality star? >> have you been offered your own talk show? >> there have been lots and lots of offers in these last couple

of months especially coming our way. some bizarre things. reality shows. >> palin has been offered reality shows. what would that look like? the big question, will she do it? brooke shields' suicide confession. why brooke has revealed that she wanted to die after her daughter was born. and carrie prejean, a politician? why a congressman says the disgraced former beauty queen could have what it takes for a future in politics. you are locked in to shobz. you got to keep on watching the bottom of the screen for more

nonstop compelling and provocative news from "showbiz tonight."

welcome back to "showbiz

tonight." i'm a.j. hammer in new york with brooke anderson in hollywood. tonight, janet jackson is silent no more. just in today, janet jackson speaking out for the very first time this morning on "good morning america" about michael jackson's death. and she says the doctor who was with michael when he died should be blamed for his death. joining me tonight from hollywood, leslie marshall, host of the syndicated radio program, "the leslie marshall show." also tonight in hollywood, carlos diaz, a correspondent for "extra." since michael died in june, a lot of his family members have publicly blamed dr. murray for michael's death. some have been credible, some not so much. but hearing from janet on "good morning america" about how she feels about dr. murray, i just found it so chilling. watch this. >> do you hold him responsible for michael's death? >> he was the one that was administering, i think he is responsible. >> carlos, off to you. did you see this, like me, that this was janet's public

declaration that she will move heaven and earth to see this guy, dr. murray, behind bars? >> exactly, a.j. and you have to keep in mind that no one in the world was closer to michael jackson than janet jackson. he was her protector growing up. they were the two closest out of anyone in the family. and the fact that the way she said it, he was the administrator, he is responsible. that she was very clear with her points. i think that that is just another nail in the coffin for dr. conrad murray. >> and i think she knew she was going to be asked that question, so it was very intentional. it should be noted, dr. murray hasn't been charged with anything yet. but in this interview on "good morning america," janet said in the very least, he shouldn't be a doctor anymore. >> what would you like to see happen to him? do you think he should be practicing? >> no, i don't. not at all. so this could happen to someone else? another family?

>> i'm guessing janet doesn't have anything to worry about here. leslie, are you with me that dr. murray is done as a doctor? >> he said as himself he has had to close his practice. he was willing to treat the celebrity for a very hefty price tag. when he says he didn't do anything wrong, it is propofol, that is in a sense what may have killed michael when the investigation is completely finished, and this is a guy that took an oath to heal. i don't understand how that drug would heal anyone and should be administered to anyone in their home and not an operating room. >> on the same day that we're hearing from janet we learn that daddy joe jackson a new fight to throw out michael jackson's will. joe wasn't named in the will. a court ruled that joe can't challenge it, quickly carlos, it seems to me that all joe is doing is continuing to inflict

pain on michael jackson in death. of course that's what michael had said that joe had done to him in life. >> yeah. continuing to live off of michael jackson which is what he did most of his life. i can't imagine joe jackson needing money. he's promoting artists left and right as we remember michael jackson. why aren't they making money. >> a strange thing. got to end it there. thanks so much. brooke, as we move on, the idea of a sarah palin talk show really has got our "showbiz tonight" viewers talking. >> it does, a.j., after oprah asked, the lines lit up. we've got more operators now than there are moose in alaska. got a call in to showbiz on call who says you bet when it comes to a palin talk show. >> i think sarah palin will make a very nice talk show host. she is a great presentation, her style is great and she looks great when she walks out. her voice is annoying but she'd

be fine like oprah winfrey. she'll be okay. >> thank you for your call. >> glenda thinks that sarah palin and kate gosselin have something in common and that's not a good thing. >> caller: sarah palin is a lot like kate gosselin, a little goes a long way. no talk shows, please. >> thank you. you can call us, tell us what's on your mind about anything at all. >> the showbiz on call lines are always open. give us a ring. well, if sarah palin doesn't get a talk show, how about a reality show? >> have you been offered your own talk show? >> there have been lots and lots of offers in these last couple of month especially coming our way, some bizarre things, some funny. reality shows. >> the unbelievable tv offers palin revealed today to barbara walters, somehow i don't see sarah eating bugs or anything like that, so what kind of

reality show are we talking here? if sarah decides to run for office how about carrie prejean as a running mate? tonight, the stunning suggestion by a congressman that carrie could have what it takes to be a politician. well, carrie's got a sex tape scandal so maybe she's perfect. big news about the cindy crawford alleged blackmail case. have police got the guy they say threatened to release photos of cindy's daughter bound and gagged. >> more stories from the "showbiz tonight" newsroom making news right now. right now keep on watching the bottom of the screen for more nonstop compelling and provocative news from "showbiz tonight." y8

have you been offered your own talk show? >> there have been lots and lots of offers in these last couple of months, especially, coming our way. some bizarre things, some funny things. >> like? >> reality shows. >> right now on "showbiz tonight," big news breaking. sarah palin, reality star? tonight, brand-new bombshells from sarah palin. the absolutely unbelievable offers she's getting. will sarah do a reality show? brooke shields' startling suicidal thoughts. just in today, brooke's brand-new revelations that she thought about killing herself after giving birth. and carrie for congress? the congressman who says carrie prejean could have what it takes to become a big-time politician. really?

plus, more stories breaking from the "showbiz news ticker,". tv's most provocative entertainment news show continues right now! welcome back to "showbiz tonight." it is 30 minutes past the hour. i'm a.j. hammer, broadcasting tonight and every night from new york city. >> and i'm brooke anderson, coming to you tonight from hollywood. tonight, sarah's brand-new bombshells. if you thought you heard everything sarah palin had to say on oprah, think again. and it made for big news breaking today. in her new interview with barbara walters seen today, sarah opens up about hosting her own talk show and she revealed today the kinds of outrageous tv offers she's been getting. you are not going to believe what sarah's got to say about that. and for the very first time today, sarah had something to say about that outrageous "newsweek" cover just out that

shows her in running shorts. even the ladies of "the view" had something to say about that today. >> this cover of "newsweek" -- >> which we also talked about. >> -- is so disrespectful to sarah palin. >> but not all the ladies agreed on this one today and neither do you. we have your fired up facebook comments you've been posting all day. joining me tonight in new york, laron lake, an attorney and author of the book "girl, let me tell you." also in new york, kim serafin, a senior editor for "in touch weekly." i want to get to this first bombshell, brand-new today that sarah palin dropped on barbara walters on whether or not she wants to do her own talk show. watch this. >> i would probably rather write than talk. >> have you been offered your own talk show? >> there have been lots and lots of offers in these last couple of months, especially, coming our way. some bizarre things, some funny things. >> like? >> reality shows. >> you say no to that? >> absolutely not.

i would never, i would -- no, i would not ever want to put my kids through such a thing. shoot, our life has become kind of a reality show. >> she's got that right. her life has become a reality show, of sorts. but the first thing i want to tackle is the possibility of sarah palin doing her own talk show. lauren, off to you first. she never really says no there. why do you think she kind of dodged the question in that palinesque way that she did and not give an emphatic no? >> the lawyered question. i love how she didn't say yes, she didn't say no. because you know what, she's entertaining all offers and all possibilities right now. we don't know where this book is going to lead her. and the way people are all up in arms, trying to get their hands on this book, i would not be surprised if we saw miss palin having her own talk show one day in the near future. >> i think she's definitely leaving her options open, certainly, by the way she's answering the questions. kim, what do you think? >> definitely. i think she would make a great talk show host. look at the way people are talking about her this week. she's the lead story on every single show because she's doing a few interviews.

no matter what she does, whether she twitters something about death panels or says something about levi, people gravitate towards everything that she says. a talk show would be a great idea. reality show, not so much. >> no, not so much. i've got to tell you that sarah palin's revelation about getting offered reality shows in her interview with barbara walters that was seen today has already been making some big headlines. so we posted palin's reality show revelation today on our "showbiz tonight" facebook page. we had to ask our fans if palin should do a reality show, why not? andrea e. wrote on our facebook wall today, "sarah is a reality show, but i guess people want to pay her to see it" we heard from sharon s. writing on our wall earlier today, "i like sarah, but she shouldn't do a reality show. it would take away any credibility she is trying so hard to do damage control on and the attention she has already gotten has already made her life a joke. she needs to stay out of the limelight and do her homework so she can be a serious contender." lauren, do you agree with our

fan, sharon, there that palin should steer clear from anything that even smells like a reality show? >> absolutely. it would be a three-ring circus. and hasn't she had enough? hasn't she seen what all of this can lead to? we still got levi johnston to contend, we've got her teenage daughter having a baby. do you know how this stuff would be blown up on a reality show. and she already can't stand the liberal media, and who do you think is going to report on her reality show? >> i think you've got that right. palin may have laughed over the idea of this reality show offer, but one thing she is not laughing about today is the cover of this week's brand-new "newsweek" magazine. look at this. this picture of sarah in her running shorts was actually taken for a profile interview she did with "runner's world" magazine. that maybe makes more sense in that context. and in a brand-new bombshell seen today, barbara walters asked sarah palin what she thought about the fact that "newsweek" made it their cover. take a look at this. >> i think it is so cheesy. had i known then that a picture

of me in shorts would end up on the cover of "newsweek," i would not have allowed "runner's world" to profile me. i think that that's -- for me, personally, it's a wee bit degrading. "newsweek" should be more policy oriented, more substance oriented than showing some gal in shorts on the cover. >> lauren -- let me throw this to you, kim, actually. do you think palin has every right to be ticked off at "newsweek" for putting this cover on and thinking it's degrading to her? >> i think it is a bit sexist and i don't think you would see this done to a man. granted, she should have realized, she's in the public eye and if she takes a picture like that, it can be taken out of context and put on the cover of "newsweek." her looks are always growing to be an issue. ask hillary clinton, ask nancy pelosi, ask michelle obama with the sleeveless shirts. so if looks are going to be an issue anyway, no matter what she does, they would have used a picture from her beauty pageant 25 years ago.

they'll find a way to use that picture anyway. but it's sexist, it would never have been done to a man, and she has every right to be upset. >> the ladies of "the view" also shared their views about this "newsweek" cover. they got in a hot debate this morning, not all agreeing. take a look. >> i think to show her in this light is very disrespectful to her. >> why? she looks great? what's the problem with it? >> because this is a woman who is -- has very serious views, whether you agree with them or do not agree with them, but you don't put her on the cover with little shorts on. they don't do -- they wouldn't put a man on -- i don't think, put a man on in his speedo. >> if we had barack obama with his shirt off on the cover of "newsweek" -- >> they are describing -- they are describing her and her role in the republican party, they're not describing her as a chick. >> yeah, i think that's probably a good distinction to make, lauren. although she's not technically in politics right now. she does not have a government job. so as you saw, a lot of differing opinions there on "the

view." what's your take? is it sexist to put her on the cover this way? >> i do believe it was. and i look whoopi's point, if she had asked sarah palin, which picture you would like us to put on the cover, that would not have been it. or most women, that would not have been it. but when you're in the public eye, you've got to have that foresight -- you've got to know, why am i taking pictures with shorts on. you can run in jogging pants. and president obama probably didn't want the picture with his shirt off. but it is what it is. >> she seems to understand that, at least when it comes to the idea that if she's getting offers for these reality shows, she shouldn't do a reality show for the very reasons you're talking about there, lauren and kim, her saying, or you guys saying, this is going to wind up everywhere. >> no "dancing with the stars" with those costumes on. >> i have a feeling, obviously, that this photo winding up on the "newsweek" cover, a big wake-up call for her. we're obviously going to be seeing a whole lot more of palin on tv this week, not in running

shorts, but fully clothed. kim, on a scale of one to five, five being the best mark, how do you think palin's doing so far with her little book tour? >> i think she's doing great. again, i mean, she's the lead story everywhere. plus, she's coming across really confident in all of these interviews. it's not the crazy sarah palin we're seeing, it's not the deer in the headlights kind of sarah palin. she looks really confident about what she's talking about and i think she's coming across really likable and relatable and personable. and that's what she wants to sell books, whether it makes her presidential, that's another thing. but people are going to buy her book. >> lauren, what about you? how's she doing? >> i'm going to give it about a three. i want to see a little bit more authenticity. barbara walters kind of had her on the ropes and i got that same defensive, ditzy arrogance i saw in the campaign and i'm not feeling it. >> fair enough. lauren lake, kim serafin, thank you both for joining me tonight. and our "showbiz tonight" question of the day, it is this, sarah versus levi, who is

winning the war of words? you may continue to vote by going to cnn.com/showbiztonight. if you want to e-mail us your thoughts, this is the address, showbiztonight@cnn.com. just in today, brooke shields' shocking suicide confessions. tonight, for the very first time, brooke reveals that her depression after giving birth was so bad, she actually thought of killing herself. also in today, big developments in the cindy crawford alleged blackmail case. have police finally got the guy that was allegedly going to sell pictures of cindy's daughter bound and gagged? and carrie for congress? tonight, why one congressman is saying carrie may have what it takes to be a big-time politician. really?! this is "showbiz tonight" on hln. it is time now to roll out the "showbiz news ticker." these are more stories from the "showbiz tonight" newsroom, they are making news right now.

right now i want you to keep on watching the bottom of your screen for more nonstop compelling and provocative news from "showbiz tonight."

we welcome you back to

"showbiz tonight." i'm brooke anderson in hollywood with a.j. hammer in new york. tonight, brooke shields' shocking suicide confession, admitting she once considered killing herself. "showbiz tonight" learned today that brooke considered ending her life after giving birth to her first daughter. you will hear her in her own words. more breaking news just in today about the man who tried to blackmail cindy crawford with a revealing photo of their then 7-year-old daughter bound and gagged. is cindy's nightmare really over? also, just in today, a big-time u.s. congressman is saying carrie prejean has what it takes to be a politician, despite that nasty sex tape situation. joining me tonight in hollywood is leslie marshall, the host of the leslie marshall radio show. also tonight in hollywood, carlos diaz, a correspondent for "extra." leslie, carlos, i want to begin with brooke shields. she got an advocacy award for her work on depression awareness, and in her acceptance speech, talked about what happened six years ago after giving birth to her first daughter.

"i finally had a healthy, beautiful baby girl and i couldn't look at her. i couldn't hold her and i couldn't sing to her and i couldn't smile at her, all i wanted to do was disappear and die." leslie, it took an unbelievable amount of courage to reveal this. i can only imagine that this is really going to help others who have been in similar situations. >> oh, absolutely. brooke, it's funny, you and i were just talking about motherhood in the makeup room and how much we love it. i didn't suffer from postpartum, but so many women do. and those of us who don't, and especially men can't, don't understand. but for the women that have suffered from this or did feel the exact same way, they know now they're not alone. they have not only a role model, but somebody that's willing to speak out about it. and the first month after having a child for me was very tough, even without postpartum depression. so i think it's great, courageous, and admirable that brooke spoke so candidly about this. >> i'm right there with you. the first month is hard. those hormonal fluctuations are no joke. it is very real, what brooke

went through, and what was really chilling is that brooke is also revealing that she stopped taking depression medication and said this -- "that was the week i almost did not resist driving my car straight into a wall on the side of the freeway. my baby was in the backseat and that even pissed me off, because i thought she's even ruining this for me. i just wanted to drive into the wall and my friend stayed on the phone with me and made me safely get home." carlos, we've heard a lot about brooke's depression. were you as taken aback as i was about how serious this actually got for her. she was close. >> i mean, it's unbelievable to hear these words. and i think the greatest quote that was just said was that men don't understand this. and we don't. i mean, we don't understand that. and when somebody has the courage to come forth and to admit things like that, not only will that help women come forward with their own stories,

but it might help men realize that this is a very, very serious issue that affects a lot of different women. >> yeah. >> yeah. it was very brave of her to talk about this. and hopefully it will just show women that it does happen and it is okay to get help. good for brooke shields. okay. this also just in today, the german man suspected of trying to extort $100,000 from cindy crawford has just surrendered. this is the guy who police say tried to blackmail cindy and her husband with a photo of their then 7-year-old daughter in revealing clothes and bound and gagged. 26-year-old edis kayalar walked into a police station in germany and gave himself up. and i would have to think that cindy is really relieved about this tonight. and hey, a.j., there's also some more news just in today about carrie prejean. >> yes, and thank goodness for that, brooke. a big-time u.s. congressman says carrie prejean has what it takes to run for office, even after that leaked sex tape.

republican utah congressman jason chaffetz says that carrie may be a political contender. carlos diaz and leslie, i want you to listen to what this congressman, congressman chaffetz tells tmz about the disgraced beauty queen. he says, "carrie has the ability to draw crowds, and if she has a strong message with that, who knows what she can do? she has star power that can open doors. leslie, do you agree with the concept? >> i'm getting a little ill just hearing this. if our political races are becoming just popularity contest or beauty contests, i mean, the congressman did talk about it being a long stretch between the vice presidency and the white house and winning a beauty pageant for donald trump. yeah, she's a pretty girl and her name is known, but she has no experience. and i think we're all experiencing, in some places in this country, what politicians who lack experience can result in on a state or federal level. so this is absolutely

ridiculous. those who are popular and beautiful shouldn't be running for office. they should be somebody who has a political background behind them. >> i think it was a pretty goofy thing to say. and you've got to wonder, what about the little sex tape situation? that solo sex tape that carrie admits she made. here's what congressman chaffetz says. we've all made mistakes when we were 17, the sex tape will be an impediment, but people are excited about her convictions and her beliefs. a sex tape an impediment? are you kidding me? carlos, do you approve this message? >> i have to say carrie prejean tapes are much more than nixon's tapes. although watergate, prejeangate, two very different things. and i'll be quiet now. >> carlos, stranger things have happened. we've been at this a long time and we've seen the weirdest of the weird. leslie, let me ask you this. can you possibly see this now, i've come up with an idea for a platform that perhaps carrie prejean could run on, i've made my notes here, how about the

anti-opposite marriage and pro-sex tape video reform platform, heh? how do you like that? >> how about, i had breast implants and asked to give them back platform. carlos, did you do a sex tape at 17? i know i didn't. we're all crazy at 17 but we didn't all do sex tapes, especially sex tapes alone. a.j., i think this is exactly what we're proving america would do, which is laugh at this. except for some extremely anti-gay groups in america that would latch on. i don't think she has a chance at all. now, unless she were to go into politics in the future. >> i've always disagreed with the idea that any publicity is a good publicity. tonight, a big update in the sarah jessica parker surrogate snooping case. police are on trial for allegedly plotting to break into the house of the woman who carried twins for s.j.p. and her hubby matthew broderick. and one of the cops was going sell the woman's ultrasound?

time now for the "showbiz" news ticker. this is "showbiz tonight" on hln. and keep on watching the bottom of your screen for more non-stop compelling and provocative news from "showbiz tonight."     e

the investigation into the death of 5-year-old shaniya hits a delay. why prosecutors aren't filing new charges against the little girl's mother. the alleged mastermind of 9/11 will be coming to the united states. while the attorney general says he, you, rather, have nothing to fear. also, before you book your next flight, oh, we have got to tell you about new fees the airlines are imposing. hln money expert clark howard will help you navigate the rising cost of flying. he'll be with us live, so to speak. i hope that you're having a good wednesday. happy hump day to you. i'm christi paul. let's talk about what's going on in north carolina with prosecutors right now, because they're not filing any new

charges against the mother of 5-year-old shaniya davis. at least not yet, we should point out. she is charged with human trafficking and child prosecution. a man caught on a hotel surveillance video carrying the girl, mcneill, this man, faces kidnapping charges but neither will be charged with murder, at least not until police determine where the little girl died. her body was found in lee county, north carolina, but she disappeared from her home in neighboring cumberland county. >> several of the details we got in the investigation have a direct impact on which county will assume jurisdiction and prosecute this case. as you may be aware of, the district attorneys from the involved jurisdictions are discussing the matter and ultimately will make that decision. until that time, no further charges will be forthcoming

until the jurisdiction has been determined. >> the little girl's body was found almost a week after her mother reported her missing. the cause of her death hasn't been determined yet. she spent most of her short life with her father and his other children. just last month lockhart agreed to let shaniya spend time with her mother. his son appeared last night on hln's "nancy grace." >> how is your father doing tonight? i mean, he is just heartbroken when we have seen him. >> yeah. my father, he's taking it real hard. i mean, yeah, it's just really hard on our family. i mean, it's just a tough time. this is actually our second time going through another death in our family. my mom passed away when i was 10 years old. >> when, do you know, are they going to release her body? have they told anybody what was the cause of death, byron? >> actually, i haven't heard anything. i don't think my father has, either.

we're not really sure too much yet. we're still trying to figure it out now. >> and there is your dad right there. >> yes, ma'am. >> there's your dad. >> i really do want to thank everybody for the support and prayers. it really does mean a lot. you know, the reason everyone is staying strong, we're trying to. i know it's hard, but for the mothers out there, please don't let this happen to your child. >> if you could pass on to your father that, you know, i thought as a crime victim myself, i knew what pain was, but when i saw him when he learned about shaniya crying, i don't think there's anything worse that could be worse than losing your child. would you just pass on to him that we are praying for him so much? >> yes, ma'am. >> and breaking news tonight,

the search for shaniya's killer. that's "nancy grace" tonight. authorities in florida are search for suspects in more than three-hour hostage standoff at a clothing store. two masked gunmen went into the t.j. maxx at closing time last night and tied up about ten customers and employees. some of them escaped over the course of the long ordeal. just after midnight a s.w.a.t. team went in and released the remaining hostages. the gunmen were gone. it's not clear if the men were out to rob the place but workers say the store would have had about $12,000 on hand at that time of night. the space shuttle "atlantis" just dock we'd the international space station a couple minutes ago. just before linking up it did a back flip so the cameras could scan it for possible damage. nasa says a previous laser scan of the craft showed no damage. the crew will be at the

international space station for a week, including thanksgiving. they're delivering some pretty large spare parts to the station there. but from that vantage point, all looks good. at least to our eyes. live pictures coming to you right now as attorney general eric holder is telling a senate committee why he ordered five suspects from september 11th attacks to be prosecuted in federal court. the suspects include the mastermind of the attacks, californcal khalid shaikh mohammed. critics of the plan, including republican leaders in congress claim the trials will give him an platform for airing anti-american views. but holder says that doesn't concern him. >> and if khalid shaikh mohammed makes the same statements in his military proceedings, i have every confidence the nation and the world will see him for the coward that he is. i'm not scared by what khalid

shaikh mohammed has to say at trial. and no one else needs to be afraid, either. >> holder says terrorism cases have been tried in federal courts for many years. there he is live again now making his case. and goes on to say that there are more than 300 convicted terrorists in federal prisons as we speak. a u.s. soldier says she was forced to make a choice between serving her country or caring for her infant child. she chose her son, and is refusing to deploy to afghanistan. so we want your views on this case. stay close.

a single mom soldier says the army reneged on its offer of an extension so she could find child care. that's not the army's story. here's what we know. specialist hutchison is refusing deployment orders to afghanistan because she says there is no one to care for her infant son. the army says each soldier must agree to a family care plan when they sign up. hutchison says her child care

plans fell through. the army says she knew for months that her unit would be going overseas. in fact, the army says she was given an extension in august and september to hutchinson's lawyers say she never got that extension. >> her coming in, had indicated that they would give her an extension, and as is normal under the regulations, for a situation when a family care plan fails. however, the day before her unit was supposed to deploy, she was told that she was not getting that extension after all and she would need to be on the plane. and that's when it put her in this horrible situation of having to choose between abandoning her child or disobeying her superiors. >> now, army officials say they're investigating. a new report compiled by the iraq and afghanistan veterans of america says more than 30,000 single mothers have served in those wars. >> i absolutely agree. >> it's going to be a huge story.

so the story is the topic of our views today. richelle, i know that you had, gosh, a bunch of e-mails on this yesterday before we even made it our official question. >> before we put it out there people said i'm going to tell you what i think even though you didn't ask. let's get right down to it. patrick is holding, calling us from louisiana. this has been a he said, she said kind of who you believe. patrick has his own take on this. patrick, you're a little skeptical, aren't you? >> caller: yes, i'm very skeptical. >> you're military, as well? >> caller: yes, i'm retired military. i spent 24 years in the military. >> okay. what's your take on this? >> caller: well, the thing that we have to figure out, the reason the military needs to invest gate it is, is it really because the parent didn't want her deployed and be pulled in, trick to try and get her out of deployment, because you have a

lot of soldiers in the military that wait until the time of deployment and they say, well, we don't have a child care plan. >> so you're skeptical of the fact that she says that she sent her child to her mother. her mother sent the child back because she said that she couldn't handle the child. you think that there's something shady there? you think that maybe this was the fact that the family was in on the fact that they don't want her to go overseas at all? now, we have no evidence of that, but you say that things like that happen sometimes? >> caller: well, not necessarily that she don't want to deploy. the fact that she showed up may show that she want to go, but may not want to go to afghanistan because she has a lot of soldiers that take on a challenge of being in the military, but don't want the challenge of deploying and going to training. so we have that situation in the military a lot where the family care plan. they gave them ample time to

take care of that family care plan situation. so i'm kept a skeptic because ik this is something the mother should understand, how serious this was. >> patrick, bottom line though, you think that she should have to deploy? >> caller: yes. and i think the military ought to also bring disciplinary action on her. >> thank you, patrick. susan took the hln news and views tour here in n. atlanta and gave her comment to our news cam. >> i do feel if she signed a contract, that she should follow through with it and she should follow through with the deployment. maybe what i would like to see as a little bit more support in helping her work out the problem. >> as i said, you've been commenting on this on my facebook page since last night. search richellecarey/hln.

>> people are sympathetic to her being a parent. i've got to be honest, so far the split seems to be in favor of people saying she knew what she signed up for. >> yeah. interesting, because -- i don't know that the split is the same

on my facebook page. it's interesting. but, hey, thank you so much. of course, we want to let people know to continue to keep posting. >> absolutely. >> all righty. thank you. appreciate it. we want your views on the story. again, so should single parent military have to deploy overseas or do they know what they were signing up for when they became a part of the armed services? e-mail us at cnn.com/hln. call us at 1-877-tell. hln. text us at hlntv. or go to our facebook pages. we would love to hear from you, as always. planning to book a flight home for the holidays? well, don't do it until you hear from hln money expert clark howard, because in just a couple of minutes we're talking to him about which airlines are going to be adding some holiday travel surcharges you need to know about.

listen to this. 11-month-old baby found wandering the streets of

indianapolis by herself saturday night. 11 months old! her mom was arrested on child neglect charge on monday. now, police say she told them she left the child at home with a family friend. when she went partying this weekend. but apparently there was no arrangement for anyone to take care of that baby. >> when she left the house, the person she was having take care of her child was outside of the house smoke a cigarette. she left, and when she left she went out and was at some friend's drinking alcohol and smoking crack. and she said she came back eventually to the house about 10:30 that night. and when she came back, the child and the baby sitter, they were both gone. so she desicided to go back out >> okay. so the woman wasn't even aware apparently that her child was missing until police knocked on her door monday morning. that baby is now in foster care. a pregnant woman doesn't know who to thank for pulling her from the path of a subway

train in brooklyn. she told affiliate wabc she was waiting for the train when she got lightheaded, passed owed and fell on to the tracks. she said two strangers jumped on to the tracks to get her. >> they were like superman. didn't hesitate. took off their suit jackets and got her back. we weren't sure the train was coming. >> god was really watching out for me and watching out for the baby. >> the woman bruised her face a bit but she and the baby, thankfully, are okay. so you are planning on flying home for the holidays? oh, you got to hear this one. it's going to cost you more. hln money expert clark howard are on the phone with us right now. he's talking more about the bump in cost. clark, thank you so much for interrupting your lunch, first of all. >> sure. >> secondly, tell us about these new surcharges. how much are we talking? >> well, the surcharges are all over the board. the surcharges for thanksgiving

and christmas are pretty much already baked in the cake. typically at 20 bucks. but the bigger surcharges are the ones coming through the spring and beyond. the airlines are floating trial ball loons of 30 to 50 extra dollar each way on certain days that they designate as peak. >> so what are the surcharges for? are they extra bag surcharges? where will we identify them? where will we see them? >> this is just a breathing charge. this is just for you -- for you showing up and breathing, you're going to pay it if you pick the wrong date on the calendar to fly. and you know, this is all about the fact that the airline -- the full fare airline had been parking planes in the desert for months trying to reduce the number of flights so that they can regain control of pricing. and so now they are feeling pumped up, they feel like they are now in charge instead of you and me.

and that's why everybody is falling all over themselves in the full fare airline raising prices. you know it doesn't matter? >> well, let me task you this. people are listening this to this and thinking, do i have other than not travel? is there anything i can do? >> yes, absolutely. there are five full fare airlines left in the country. they are the ones doing all these increases. it doesn't matter what they do at all. it's like a sideshow in a three-ring circus because the real key is what does southwest do? they fly more passengers in the united states now than anybody else, and what does jetblue and airtran do. because those three airlines now totally control pricing for domestic travel in the u.s. so what i'm going to watch for, and the only thing people need to worry about, is if southwest, jetblue and airtran says, hey, this sounds like a good idea to us, too. if they don't, then this is just a lot of smoke signifying

nothing. >> so they can't hold water, basically, so to speak, the surcharges. but you said, and i want to clarify this, we're talking about going into the holidays here. but you just said this is going to continue into the spring? >> yeah, that's where the big increases are. there's one in february that's a $50 surcharge each way. >> each way? >> each way. and -- yeah. this is real funny, isn't it? it's great money if you can really get away with charging it. that's why i don't take this too seriously because i just don't see this surviving. you know, the airlines over and over again will float these things. because it's illegal for airlines to sit down in a room and say, hey, why don't we raise this fare this much to this market. so they do it by press release, basically. and they're waiting to see if the dust settles with everybody saying, we're in or we're not. but even if they all agree to it, if the public goes on a buying strike, they're not going to get the deal anyway. >> clark howard, thank you so

much for your expertise. always good to hear from you. >> sure. >> appreciate it. have a great lunch. >> thank you.

well, prosecutors are not filing new charges right now against the mother of a 5-year-old girl found dead in north carolina this week. the shaniya davis case is in a holding pattern, it seems, for the moment. affiliate news 14 carolina joins us via phone from fayetteville. so, thank you so much for being with us. what is the hold-up in terms of more charges forthcoming? >> well, you know, what the hold-up is right now is the idea of jurisdiction. until jurisdiction over shaniya davis' case is figured out, police say they will file no new charges in her murder. shaniya davis was reported missing in cumberland county but her body was found monday in lee county.

that's about a 40-minute drive apart. now, a little girl's mother has already been charge with felony child abuse involving prostitution, human trafficking and filing a false police report. another man mcneill is charge with first degree kidnapping president a this time no one has been charged with her murder. the police chief says no more details will be released at this time because, quote, some details have an impact that will determine the jurisdiction. >> several of the details regarding the investigation have a direct impact on which county will assume jurisdiction and prosecuting this case. as you may be aware of, the district attorneys from the involved jurisdictions are discussing the matter and ultimately will make that decision. until that time, no further charges will be forthcoming until the jurisdiction has been determined.

>> he didn't say when that jurisdiction would be decided. >> well, let me ask you this. we know that there are already some charges, as you pointed out, the kidnapping and sex trafficking, and that charges are forthcoming. but do we know if they're searching for anyone else, anybody else who might have been involved? >> you know, that has not been made clear at this time. those are answers we are hoping -- questions we are hoping to get answered today. but have not been able to. >> what about, you know, funeral arrangements, memorials? there's no doubt that this is really touched this community. >> absolutely. it absolutely has. we spoke with shaniya davis' father yesterday. he says they're working on funeral arrangements. that's all they have shared with us so far. >> is there anything about a fund that has been set up? >> there is a fund to go towards -- in honor of shaniya davis. we don't have in details on that at this moment.

>> may be something they may be setting up as well. all right. thank you so much. we appreciate it. caitlin cissne there with north carolina. thank you for the update. >> thank you. >> sure. now, shaniya davis, remember, she really spent most of her life with her father and his ott o. there children. he and his family are talking about the child and how her loss is affecting them. >> i ask that everybody makes it a point not to ignore, to look past a situation where a person, a child, or anybody might be in danger. report it. if you're unable to report it or you don't feel like you have the strength to do so, take it to somebody that can. you can't just keep ignoring these type of situations. we need to address them immediate lid and get the people involved to where we don't have another tragedy like shaniya.

>> the last time i saw shaniya was four weeks ago on a friday. i went with her to visit her mother. i packed her two days' worth of clothes. i got her out of the car and i kissed her good-bye. and i told her to be a good girl. she turned back to me and said, i love you, aunt carrie, and see you later. >> it's hard to watch that, isn't it? you can watch for breaking news tonight, the search for shaniya's killer at 8:00 and 10:00 p.m. eastern right here on hln news and views. hard to see that raw emotion there from those folks. now, authorities in florida are search for suspects in a more than three-hour hostage standoff at a clothing store. venice police say two mafrked gunmen went into the t.j. maxx and tied up ten customers and employees. some of them escaped over the course of the long ordeal.

just after midnight a s.w.a.t. team went in and released the rest of the hostages. authorities now say they think the gunmen were gone by the time police arrived. it's not clear whether the men were out to rob the place. the workers say the store would have had about $12,000 on hand at that time of night. the space shuttle "atlantis" arrived this morning. live pictures coming to you. there they are. just before docking at the iss. it did a black flip so cameras on board could scan it for possible damage from liftoff. nasa says a previous laser scan of the craft showed no damage, thankfully. the crew will be at the international space station for about a week, cluding thanksgiving. they're delivering some pretty big spare parts to the station. look at that. all looks good. attorney general eric holder is telling a senate committee why he's ordered five suspects from the september 11th attacks be prosecuted in federal court. here are live pictures coming to you right now through this

heari hearing. the suspects include the mastermind of the attacks, khalid shaikh mohammed and four other men. critics of the plan including republican leaders in congress claim the trial will pose a security threat to new york. holder says the federal courts know how to deal with dangerous defendants. >> there are more than 300 convicted international and domestic terrorists currently in bureau of prisons custody, including those responsible for the 1993 world trade center bombing and the attacks on embassies in africa. our courts have a long history of handling these cases and no district has a longer history than the southern district of new york in manhattan. i have talked to mayor bloomberg of new york and both he and commissioner kelly believe that we can safely hold these trials in new york. >> critics have voiced concern that the trials would give mohammed and other suspects a platform to air anti-american

views. but holder says he isn't scare of anything terror defendants might say. president obama meanwhile is in south korea on the last stop of his asian tour. he scheduled to meet with that country's president tomorrow. the two will discuss a free trade agreement and north korea's nuclear program. yesterday the president was in china where he met with the premier. the white house says china's president has accepted an invitation to visit next year. he also took time yesterday to walk along a section of china's great wall. he called the experience magical. in between the state dinners, close door meetings, sight-seeing, president obama had a rare reunion with his half brother who is in china. mark obama has been living in southern china for the past seven years and made headlines recently because in his new book he claims their father physically abused him. he wouldn't say if that subject came up when they met briefly at the president's hotel. >> we just had a big hug. and my wife and he had a big,

big hug. and it was very, very powerful, very, very intense because he's my big brother. >> president obama says he hasn't read his half brother's book but he says there's no secret his father was troubled. busiest shopping day of the year is nine days away. we've got the scoop on some great deals you're going to want to know about.

police in cleveland are searching for more evidence and potentially more bodies near the home where 11 decomposing bodies were found recently. these are live pictures coming to you as they do their work there in cleveland. they're looking at anthony

sowell's house and yard, focusing on areas of interest flagged by fbi technology, apparently last week. now, authorities found the remains of 11 women inside and outside sowell's home. sowell's a registered sex offender. he faces five counts of aggravated murder, rape, and kid m napping in connection with those deaths. getting early word on the bargains you're going to see on black friday. did you know there are websites that specialize in finding some of the black friday deals and leaking them early? so here's what we know. walmart is confirming some of what it will have on the day after thanksgiving, including one deal, a blu-ray player for 78 bucks. and there's a 50-inch plasma high-def tv for $600. also, kids' pjs for three bucks. just so you know, folks. if you plan to shop online on black monday, watch out. three online companies are accused of scamming millions of customers by tricking them into

signing up for subscription services that they don't want. the senate commerce committee says affinion, vertrue and webloyalty, cash back and other rewards which seem to be connected to the original transaction. but by clicking yes, you unwittingly enter into a financial contract with a club operated by one of those three companies. be aware there. a university of new mexico soccer player says she cannot explain the behavior that made her an internet sensation. i know you remember this video of elizabeth lambert pulling the ponytail, she is punching somebody in the back. pulling the ponytail of an opponent during a semifinal game. lambert calls her actions, quote, indefensible. the hair pulling led to her indefinite suspension from the team. 20-year-old junior says she's seeing a clinical psychologist on campus and hopes to be reinstated this spring. spring, well, yeah, it's

starting to get colder here, right? we decided to go beyond the surface to find out if what mom used to say is actually true. do you really need to wear a hat to stay warm and avoid catching a cold? >> unfortunately, mom was not exactly right about losing heat through your head. you lose some body heat through whatever part of your body is exposed. the real key is what's uncovered and how much surface area it is. there's nothing special about the hat. if you walk around with just a hat and no pants or shorts, you're going to lose just as much of your body heat through that, and people might think you're a little more crazy. people will often hear that if they go out into the cold or wet weather or they go out with wet hair, that that's going to make them sick. but it's just not true. the weather has nothing to do with whether or not you get sick. what makes you sick are usually viruses, sometimes bacteria.

scientists have done great studies looking at this one. it's just not true. >> so now we know. 11-month-old child is found just wandering the streets of her neighborhood. her mom is in jail now. >> why did you leave your baby home alone? >> i didn't leave my baby home alone. >> who was she with? >> what police believe the mother was doing when her kid was found.

a single mom soldier says the army reneged on its offer of an extension so she could find child care. but that is not the army's story. here's what we know. specialist hutchinson is refusing deployment orders to afghanistan because she says there's no one to care for her infant son. the army says each soldier must agree to a family care plan when they sign up.

hutchinson says her child care plans fell through. the army says she knew for months her unit would be going overseas. in fact, the army says she was given an extension in august and september. hutchinson's lawyer says she never got that extension. >> her command had indicated to her that they would give her an extension. and as is normal under the regulations for a situation when a family care plan fails. however, the day before her unit was supposed to deploy, she was told that she was not getting that extension after all, and she would need to be on the plane. and that's when it put her in this horrible situation of having to choose between abandoning her child or disobeying her superiors. >> army officials say they are investigating, but a new report compiled by the iraq and afghanistan veterans of america says more than 30,000 single mothers have served in those wars. keep the discussion going

here with us because we want your view on this story. should single parent military personnel have to deploy overseas or did they know what they were signing up for when they became a part of the armed services? e-mail us at c dnn.com/hln or tt us at hlntv. thank you for doing so. check out our facebook pages as well. arkansas father is outraged that a police officer used a taser on his 10-year-old daughter. the police report says the girl's mother called authorities because her daughter was out of control. the officer says she gave him permission to taser the girl after she kicked him in the groin. >> in a situation where he was at, he had no other choice. he had to get the child under control. >> the father now says he wants custody of the girl. the mayor asked the police chief to investigate. so far the department has not taken any action against that officer. so here's the thing.

11-month-old baby is found wandering the streets of indianapolis by herself. this happened saturday night. her mom was arrested on child neglect charges on monday. police say she told them she left the child at home with a family friend. when she went partying this weekend. apparently there was no arrangement for anyone to take care of the baby girl, so say the police. >> when she left the house, the person she was having take care of her child was outside of the house smoking a cigarette. she left. and when she left, she went out and was at some friend's drinking alcohol and smoking crack. and she said she came back eventually to the house about 10:30 that night, and when she came back the child and the baby sitter, they were both gone. so she decided to go back out. >> the woman wasn't aware her child was missing until police knocked on her door monday morning. that baby is now with a foster family. medical professionals are

down right confused, a lot of us are, by new recommendations that say women should put off getting annual mammograms until age 50 unless there's a family history of breast a family history of breast cancer. the task force report released yesterday says monthly breast exams aren't that hoealthy either. panels such as cnn's chief medical correspondent sanjay gupta are working overtime to clear up the mix messages. he asked a member of the task force this morning what patients should ask doctors about screenings. >> the benefit is small. and so it is a dilemma. it's a democrailemma for us all. >> if i could just say really quick as far as small benefit goes, you're talking about saving one life for every 1,900 mammograms.

i'm not sure why you keep saying small. that's about $190,000 if you have to place a value on it which is what the task force has done placing a value on life. why is that a net benefit that's small? there are about 15% of women out there with breast cancer right now who found their breast cancer on routine mammogram. small seems almost insult iing. >> i'll have to bring you back to the studies that you did we're not saying there's not any value to the life of those women. we put no dollars on it. we did not do cost effectiveness studies. we looked at the data and we said that the increase starting at 50 is certainly moderate in terms of risk and benefit of the screening. >> the american cancer society continues to recommend routine

mammograms for women ages 40 and up. so a texas police officer was trying to do his job but this kitty was not about to let his work get in its way.