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American Morning
America's Best Value Colleges; Talking With Dennis Miller
Aired April 21, 2005 - 09:29 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Here's the opening bell on Wall Street right now, and it will be another critical day. We started our broadcast earlier today. I was talking with Andy Serwer about the pressures on the market. Off 115 points in trading yesterday. 10,012 is the opening mark, which really is drastically different from where we were just even a month and a half ago, when so where were considering Dow 11,000 at that point. We're seeing that we start today with the Dow 30, also 1,913 for the Nasdaq, off of that 18 points in trading yesterday. So the pressures continue there, as well. Who do you got there, Carol?
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Who is that there? I can't see that far.
HEMMER: Is it Leslie? Lisa Leslie?
COSTELLO: Valerie Morris with her finger on it.
HEMMER: Who's she playing for?
VALERIE MORRIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, she's their girl.
HEMMER: She is their girl in the WNBA?
MORRIS: The ladies, absolutely. Called the Sparks. But Lisa Leslie is fabulous. I mean, her history is so great.
HEMMER: Yes, she is. Absolutely.
MORRIS: She is a story unto herself and not just in sports.
HEMMER: Well, we'll see what she can do with that Nasdaq today, too.
MORRIS: That would be a good one. Meantime, let's do get this check of the headlines "Now in the News."
President Bush is praising his nomination as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton. The president is making the comments, and he did just in just moments ago, during an address in Washington.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Take John Bolton. He's a good man I nominated to represent our country at the United Nations. John's distinguished career and service to our nation demonstrates that he is the right man at the right time for this important assignment. I urge the Senate to put aside politics and confirm John Bolton the to the United Nations.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MORRIS: Bolton's nomination has been delayed until at least next month.
And violence in Iraq. A civilian helicopter crashed today. Military sources tell CNN that it may have been shot down. Nine people were killed. And two more people died today from a roadside bombing on the way to Baghdad Airport.
And yet another car bomb on Wednesday night and it was an attempt to assassinate interim prime minister Ayad Allawi. An al Qaeda message on the Web claims responsibility.
And a roadside bomb injured an Israeli soldier today near a Gaza border crossing. Sources say it was activated remotely by Palestinians.
Meanwhile, Israel's pull-out from Gaza could be delayed for three weeks. The defense minister wants to wait for the end of a religious observance in mid-August.
An amber alert is out for a 16-year-old girl in Kentucky. Janet Betanzos Quijano of Thompkinsville disappeared while waiting for her school bus Wednesday. The sheriff's department says she was taken by five Hispanic men in a red minivan or SUV.
And finally, we spoke about this yesterday, but Amtrak is continuing to fight for survival. The passenger railway is going before a Senate panel in the next hour. Lawmakers are considering whether to reauthorize the railway. This as Amtrak is scrambling to fix its schedule. The Acela high-speed fleet will be sidelined until at least this summer, due to brake problems. And that's the very latest news.
HEMMER: And that's the kind of news they did not want to get, either.
MORRIS: Absolutely not.
COSTELLO: Oh, you know, a lot of people think they should privatize Amtrak and let it be run like a business, a competitive business and see what happens.
MORRIS: Exactly, and...
COSTELLO: Yet it's never been fully funded by the federal government.
MORRIS: Right. And a lot of people so depend on that, because trains rather than planes. A good mode of transportation. So let's hope this one gets fixed.
HEMMER: Thanks, Valerie.
Michael Jackson's child molestation trial now. Prosecutors getting ready to rest their case next week. When Jackson's lawyers start their case, a celebrity witness may come to the pop star's defense.
And here's Ted Rowlands outside the courtroom in Santa Maria, California, with more on that. What's happening, Ted? Good morning.
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill. Macaulay Culkin's name has been on the witness list. Since the beginning of this trial, there have been different reports as to whether or not he would take the stand. It now appears as though he will testify in Michael Jackson's defense.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROWLANDS (voice-over): CNN has learned from a source close to the case that actor Macaulay Culkin is planning to testify on Michael Jackson's behalf. Culkin, who as a boy spent considerable time with Jackson, is expected to refute the testimony of two former Jackson employees, who say they saw Michael Jackson grope Macaulay Culkin at Neverland Ranch.
JIM MORET, POOL REPORTER: It's very powerful when somebody says you're saying I'm the victim, I'm telling you nothing happened. Who are you going to believe, me, the person that it supposedly happened to or somebody who says something happened to me?
ROWLANDS: In court yesterday, a former Jackson guard testified that he and other Neverland security employees were instructed not to allow the accuser in the current case to leave Neverland. The former guard, Brian Barron (ph), said those instructions were posted on a security office message board for a week in early 2003.
ANNE BREMNER, LEGAL ANALYST: I think that's very key because we haven't had anything definitive about directives to security, very organized and well-run security, mind you, to keep these children, especially the accuser, on that property.
ROWLANDS: On the way out of court yesterday, Jackson did not comment about the case, but told reporters his back is still bothering him.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: On a scale of one to ten, how are you feeling?
MICHAEL JACKSON, ENTERTAINER: Pretty bad, sorry.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Eight or nine?
JACKSON: Seven.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Seven.
(END VIDEOTAPE) ROWLANDS: And that former security guard is still on the stand and will be when court resumes here in about two hours. Prosecutors yesterday told the judge in the case that they plan to wrap up their case by the end of next week -- Bill?
HEMMER: Ted, if that's the case, have you been able, since you've been in the courtroom throughout this ordeal here -- how the jury's reacting to their case so far?
ROWLANDS: Well, it's a very attentive jury. Clearly, these people realize what they are charged with, to make a very difficult decision her. And, you know, it's all there for them, if they want to go either way. It really depends on the believability of the witnesses. We're talking about a child molestation allegation. If they believe the child, if they don't believe the child, I think will be the key here. And with the defense still ready to go, it could be a long way before they get to that decision-making process.
HEMMER: Ted, thanks. Ted Rowlands watching that in California -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Spring has arrived and with it, something else is arriving, those much anticipated college acceptance letters. And with the ever-increasing tuition fees, how do you find a college that delivers the goods without breaking the bank? The Princeton Review has just published its "America's Best Value Colleges" 2006 edition.
Robert Franek edited the book and he is vice president of publishing for the Princeton Review. And he joins us now. Welcome, Robert.
ROBERT FRANEK, THE PRINCETON REVIEW: Thanks, Carol.
COSTELLO: OK. Tops on the list is Bates College. $39,000. How is that a bargain?
FRANEK: Well, one, it has a really high sticker price, $39,000. However, the average aid package that they give out to most students is $21,000. So I think the mistake that most kids and families make is crossing a really expensive school off their list of schools to consider. But not the case with Bates.
COSTELLO: OK, this school is located in Maine. And oftentimes schools like that want to attract minority students and the only way they can do it is to offer these incentives to go there.
FRANEK: Very true. And schools are very aggressive. Bates is a good example for at attracting lots of first generation college students, Latino students, African-American students. And they reach out to those groups very aggressively to try to package them.
COSTELLO: OK, let's go down the top five. New Mexico Tech. Why is that a good bargain?
FRANEK: New Mexico Tech is a wonderful school. Has a 19 percent Latino population. So again, reaching out to that first generation Latino base. It's an unapologetically engineering school, it's a research school, but it's a wonderful bargain, about $9,000 in tuition.
COSTELLO: $9,000 a year. That's just incredible to me. Brigham Young University. This one surprised me.
FRANEK: Yes, Brigham Young. It's an interesting school. It's a huge school. 30,000 students. There is -- it is subsidized by the Mormon Church. It has a heavy Mormon population and compulsory religious study for most students, but it's a wonderful value, both for a Mormon and a non-Mormon church member.
COSTELLO: How much?
FRANEK: It's about $4,000 for a Mormon member and about $5,400 for a non-Mormon.
COSTELLO: So would you feel comfortable there if you're not Mormon?
FRANEK: It's a good question and I think (AUDIO GAP) research. And really, I think that's what we focus on in the book. Not only is it a good financial value, but is it good academic value? And what is the social life at these schools?
COSTELLO: OK. Hendrix College in Arkansas.
FRANEK: Yes. Hendrix -- it's about 1,100 kids. It's in Conway, Arkansas. It's a quintessential liberal arts school, but it's kind of in the middle of a really small town in Arkansas. It's a wonderful liberal town and it's a really cool place.
COSTELLO: How much?
FRANEK: It's $28,000 sticker price. However, they give out -- it is certainly expensive, but they're giving out a great deal of money, between $19,000 and $20,000 for most incoming students.
COSTELLO: OK. UCLA.
FRANEK: UCLA. I mean, wonderful place in ideal community. Again, a really big school, about 28,000 students, but great access to the city of Los Angeles, wonderful study abroad programs. So it has a great campus, but great experiential learning opportunities for students, as well.
COSTELLO: OK, how much per year for that one.
FRANEK: Well, for a California resident, it's about $10,000 and then about $15,000 for a non-resident. So a wonderful value.
COSTELLO: Talk about the book for just a second. You interviewed what, hundreds of students, as well as other people to compile this list. Why did you interview the students?
FRANEK: Well, one, we think it's of great value to reach out to whom we would consider college experts, kids in the trenches. So, are their professors good teachers? What is their experience like in the classroom? But what sort of financial aid value are they getting for that experience, as well?
COSTELLO: OK. Let me put this by you, because I've heard this from a lot of college administrators, that parents are more interested in what's available structure-wise on campus than classes. For instance, if they have a spa for the kids or a great dorm room, that's tops on the list. But should it be?
FRANEK: Well, I don't think it should be. And I think that academics is always going to be a first consideration for kids and for parents. But then, if we're looking at schools that are the same academically, then you're going look at the other things. What is the food service like? Is there great quality of life for a student outside of the classroom? So I think those sort of secondary niceties start to come to the top.
COSTELLO: Robert Franek, thank you very much. "America's Best Value Colleges" on book stands now -- Bill.
HEMMER: Carol, thanks.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Fried isn't a dirty word anymore for one fast food chain. Andy Explains in "Minding Your Business."
HEMMER: Also, next hear, Emmy Award-winning comedian Dennis Miller live in our studios talking about, well, the headlines, and whatever else is on his mind. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Welcome back, everyone.
Dennis Miller likes to go on a rant, and he certainly can with his resume -- six years as "SNL's" weekend update anchor, five Emmys for his long-running HBO show and a celebrated turn on "Monday Night Football." You like this, don't you?
Dennis Miller, good morning to you.
DENNIS MILLER, COMEDIAN/TALK SHOW HOST: Well, the first time I've ever heard "celebrated" attached to "Monday Night Football," but thank you nonetheless.
(CROSSTALK)
MILLER: I'm just listening to your last guest there. I know that's what I'm looking for in an institution of higher learning, budgetary considerations. You want the good value there.
HEMMER: I'm telling you.
Let's talk about a few things. What do you make of the new pope? What do you make of that procedure, burning the ballots inside the Sistine Chapel?
MILLER: Well, you know, quite frankly, I didn't have to watch that smokestack, because the Catholic Church has been blowing smoke at us for the last few years. I went to confession last week, and I said, you first, pal. This is the first pope I've seen with a part in his hair, I will say that.
But one thing he's got to guarantee is he's got to get in there and, listen, the basic tenet of the organization has to be protect the innocents. That's what a church is about, sanctuary. This guy should issue an edict tomorrow, saying, you touch a kid, not only are you excommunicated, we pay to prosecute you and we try to send you to hell. That's what you need of a pope. You don't need a guy out there talking about all of this other stuff. I don't need him to hip the church up. I don't need him to stage dive off that balcony. I just need him to put the word out, you touch a kid, you're gone.
HEMMER: How about the endorsement his brother gave him? Hid did you read that? He said, I'm really surprised he got elected because he's in very poor health. That was from his family.
MILLER: It's like Wal-Mart, they like to hire them late in life so they don't have to pick up their benefits.
HEMMER: I always thought the gig to get in the Vatican was if you could blog from inside Sistine Chapel. That would be a hell of a job.
MILLER: Yes, sure just there and what you overhear. College of Cardinals, God, they look like all the guys from "Footloose." Did you see that ceremony? The town elders, they got the one old guy holding the Phil Donahue microphone and the other old guys reading off the lunch menu from Labernadan (ph). I don't know what the hell that was about.
HEMMER: When was the last time you were in church?
MILLER: I'd say a week ago, I took my son to Catholic Church. I've got an 11-year-old, and I tell him that right now the Catholic Church is corrupted, but to go in and humble yourself before God is a good thing. So I take my son to church, but I also tell him if a priest comes near you, I want a Road Runner cloud heading off into the distance.
HEMMER: You first, huh?
MILLER: Well, listen, it's not me. I'm not making it up.
HEMMER: Another topic, Michael Jackson. Are you following that when you're out in California?
MILLER: Well, listen, He's up there watching cartoons with the kids. One can only assume that he's watching Spongebob no-pants. But the deal here is, Michael Jackson, even if he's not guilty of pedophilia -- you see how this permeates the world for God's sakes -- but even if he's not guilty of that, the simple fact is, you're in you're 40s, you don't get into bed with young kids. He's got to get it together. Somebody's got to grab him and go, hey, forget the uniforms, forger the parasol guy carrying it next to you. Wake up, put on a pair of jeans and T-shirt and get your head together..
HEMMER: Put down the umbrella.
MILLER: Yes, it's just crazy.
HEMMER: You're a guy on TV. Do you kind of wish this trial were on TV?
MILLER: No, I could care less. I find it sad. I think Michael Jackson should be a reminder to all those kids that you can seek celebrity that you can get the biggest chunk of celebrity in the history of the world, and I would venture guess that next to Muhammad Ali, a couple of other people, that guy might be the most famous cat in the history of the world. And guess what, you have nothing if you don't have your head together. The guy has it all, and he has nothing. That's the Michael Jackson story kids should take away from this.
HEMMER: Another topic. Let's get away from all of this stuff. You spent a season in the NFL booth. How rich is this league? And what are they doing right that hockey can't figure out?
MILLER: They share the wealth, you know that. It's easy. They split it up so at least every team, these 32 cities, each year, think they have a chance to win the Super Bowl. And, you know, quite frankly, in baseball, they're going to have a team every two out of 10 years from Minnesota or somewhere that's going win, and they'll point to that and say, see, anybody can win. But I'm talking on a yearly basis, the NFL, you can go in there and think you can win this year. That's genius, because they split the money up.
These other teams, you know, Steinbrenner, he doesn't want to give up the coin. You can kind of understand that, but they've got to find a way where everybody's on a even playing field.
HEMMER: One more?
MILLER: I'm here to talk.
HEMMER: Nowhere to go, right?
MILLER: Yes.
HEMMER: We're asking the viewers today about what Congress can do for the economy. Are you concerned about the U.S. economy right now? Because you kind of lean politically to the right.
MILLER: Just on the war. You know, I'm a social libertarian on most things. What can you do about the economy? Well, I'll tell you what, America should perk up its ears and notice that when Bush says he wants to give them some of their money, vis-a-vis Social Security, 4 percent of the 12 percent they take, he wants you to have a call- over, and we, more than half of us, go, we don't want that, then we have been ideologically whipped, when people are looking at you and say, I don't want any of my money back, I want to let them do it, you go, are you crazy? Wake up.
HEMMER: Good to see, you man.
MILLER: All right, there you go.
HEMMER: Dennis Miller, good luck to you.
HEMMER: Thanks, guys. Budget colleges.
MILLER: We're out of here, Carol.
COSTELLO: Well, parents care about that.
Forget the fast food trend towards healthy eating. One chain says fried is where the money's at. That's next on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Welcome back, everyone. KFC is going back to its roots, putting the fried back in fried chicken.
That and a check of the Wall Street numbers so far, here's Andy Serwer "Minding Your Business." How are we doing today?
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Doing well. Stocks are rallying this morning on Wall Street. We were up 110 on the Dow; now we're up 86. Let's see if this holds.
Big merger to tell you about. Time Warner, parent to this network, and Comcast are buy Adelphia, that scandal-plagued and bankrupt cable company, $17 billion. I hope it makes sense.
CAFFERTY: I hope it does better than that AOL thing we pulled off two years ago.
SERWER: Yes, we have a history of mergers at this company. Time Warner stock up 2 percent, same with Comcast. Philip Morris and Merck up as well. eBay down a little bit.
Let's talk about KFC, or should I say Kentucky Fried Chicken. It was over a decade ago they tried to down play the Kentucky Fried Chicken. It's fried food, that's fried chicken. They said, well, it's really called KFC. Now they have a new store, new look and they're getting back to fried. That's the new look, Kentucky fried chicken store. In the interior they have a digital jukebox and ottomans. This is going to solve all their problems. They have ottomans. They're featuring ottomans. When I think of fried chicken, I've got to eat it on an ottoman. You can see there the ottomans.
And lastly, they've given -- this is fantastic, a totally new look, a total makeover here.
HEMMER: Who is that on the right?
SERWER: That's Colonel Sanders.
HEMMER: Come on, really?
SERWER: Look at the dramatic differences in the shades of the red and the nuances of the beard and the apron. Carol got the apron. You can see here they spent a lot of time and money, and the ad firm, no doubt, got paid a lot.
HEMMER: And you know what, you need those ottomans, because you get that stuff all over your fingers, you can't...
SERWER: Then you rub it on it on the ottoman.
HEMMER: No, you can't get to the back of the chair to slide...
SERWER: Very clever. I knew there was a reason for the ottomans.
CAFFERTY: Don't you put your feet on an ottoman?
SERWER: Chicken on ottoman.
HEMMER: I love KFC, about three pieces of dark meat with a biscuit?
SERWER: It's Kentucky Fried Chicken.
COSTELLO: Hi, Jack.
HEMMER: Thanks, Andy.
SERWER: You're welcome.
CAFFERTY: Hello, Carol.
Everything all right?
COSTELLO: Everything's fine.
The Question of the Day is this, what should Congress be doing about the economy?
Dave in Michigan says, "If you're a Republican you don't want anything to happen. Bring on the tax cuts, let the illegals pour in, let the jobs be outsourced. Plenty of companies profiting from the war in Iraq. Health care companies making record profits. Energy corporate white-shirts high-fiving, making money hand over fist. If you're in the majority and represent corporate America, everything's fine."
Steve in Illinois writes, "The requirement that all new cars be able to run on E-85 ethanol fuel and that each gas station in the U.S. have at least one E-85 pump available should be passed into law forthwith. An alternative energy source is here today, and it's not being utilized." Peter in Texas, "Congress must set an example. Freeze all government spending for the next year except the war. That includes salaries, pensions, Medicare, Social Security, construction, education. Everyone must suffer or the economy will crash. We hang together, or surely we will hang one by one."
CAFFERTY: Thank you, jack.
HEMMER: Next hour on CNN, a violin worth a million bucks, stolen from a car when the owner went to shop in a grocery store for 10 minutes. Daryn talks to the young musician pleading for its safe return. And that is next hour at CNN LIVE TODAY.
Back after this on AMERICAN MORNING.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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Aired April 21, 2005 - 09:29 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Here's the opening bell on Wall Street right now, and it will be another critical day. We started our broadcast earlier today. I was talking with Andy Serwer about the pressures on the market. Off 115 points in trading yesterday. 10,012 is the opening mark, which really is drastically different from where we were just even a month and a half ago, when so where were considering Dow 11,000 at that point. We're seeing that we start today with the Dow 30, also 1,913 for the Nasdaq, off of that 18 points in trading yesterday. So the pressures continue there, as well. Who do you got there, Carol?
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Who is that there? I can't see that far.
HEMMER: Is it Leslie? Lisa Leslie?
COSTELLO: Valerie Morris with her finger on it.
HEMMER: Who's she playing for?
VALERIE MORRIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, she's their girl.
HEMMER: She is their girl in the WNBA?
MORRIS: The ladies, absolutely. Called the Sparks. But Lisa Leslie is fabulous. I mean, her history is so great.
HEMMER: Yes, she is. Absolutely.
MORRIS: She is a story unto herself and not just in sports.
HEMMER: Well, we'll see what she can do with that Nasdaq today, too.
MORRIS: That would be a good one. Meantime, let's do get this check of the headlines "Now in the News."
President Bush is praising his nomination as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton. The president is making the comments, and he did just in just moments ago, during an address in Washington.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Take John Bolton. He's a good man I nominated to represent our country at the United Nations. John's distinguished career and service to our nation demonstrates that he is the right man at the right time for this important assignment. I urge the Senate to put aside politics and confirm John Bolton the to the United Nations.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MORRIS: Bolton's nomination has been delayed until at least next month.
And violence in Iraq. A civilian helicopter crashed today. Military sources tell CNN that it may have been shot down. Nine people were killed. And two more people died today from a roadside bombing on the way to Baghdad Airport.
And yet another car bomb on Wednesday night and it was an attempt to assassinate interim prime minister Ayad Allawi. An al Qaeda message on the Web claims responsibility.
And a roadside bomb injured an Israeli soldier today near a Gaza border crossing. Sources say it was activated remotely by Palestinians.
Meanwhile, Israel's pull-out from Gaza could be delayed for three weeks. The defense minister wants to wait for the end of a religious observance in mid-August.
An amber alert is out for a 16-year-old girl in Kentucky. Janet Betanzos Quijano of Thompkinsville disappeared while waiting for her school bus Wednesday. The sheriff's department says she was taken by five Hispanic men in a red minivan or SUV.
And finally, we spoke about this yesterday, but Amtrak is continuing to fight for survival. The passenger railway is going before a Senate panel in the next hour. Lawmakers are considering whether to reauthorize the railway. This as Amtrak is scrambling to fix its schedule. The Acela high-speed fleet will be sidelined until at least this summer, due to brake problems. And that's the very latest news.
HEMMER: And that's the kind of news they did not want to get, either.
MORRIS: Absolutely not.
COSTELLO: Oh, you know, a lot of people think they should privatize Amtrak and let it be run like a business, a competitive business and see what happens.
MORRIS: Exactly, and...
COSTELLO: Yet it's never been fully funded by the federal government.
MORRIS: Right. And a lot of people so depend on that, because trains rather than planes. A good mode of transportation. So let's hope this one gets fixed.
HEMMER: Thanks, Valerie.
Michael Jackson's child molestation trial now. Prosecutors getting ready to rest their case next week. When Jackson's lawyers start their case, a celebrity witness may come to the pop star's defense.
And here's Ted Rowlands outside the courtroom in Santa Maria, California, with more on that. What's happening, Ted? Good morning.
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill. Macaulay Culkin's name has been on the witness list. Since the beginning of this trial, there have been different reports as to whether or not he would take the stand. It now appears as though he will testify in Michael Jackson's defense.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROWLANDS (voice-over): CNN has learned from a source close to the case that actor Macaulay Culkin is planning to testify on Michael Jackson's behalf. Culkin, who as a boy spent considerable time with Jackson, is expected to refute the testimony of two former Jackson employees, who say they saw Michael Jackson grope Macaulay Culkin at Neverland Ranch.
JIM MORET, POOL REPORTER: It's very powerful when somebody says you're saying I'm the victim, I'm telling you nothing happened. Who are you going to believe, me, the person that it supposedly happened to or somebody who says something happened to me?
ROWLANDS: In court yesterday, a former Jackson guard testified that he and other Neverland security employees were instructed not to allow the accuser in the current case to leave Neverland. The former guard, Brian Barron (ph), said those instructions were posted on a security office message board for a week in early 2003.
ANNE BREMNER, LEGAL ANALYST: I think that's very key because we haven't had anything definitive about directives to security, very organized and well-run security, mind you, to keep these children, especially the accuser, on that property.
ROWLANDS: On the way out of court yesterday, Jackson did not comment about the case, but told reporters his back is still bothering him.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: On a scale of one to ten, how are you feeling?
MICHAEL JACKSON, ENTERTAINER: Pretty bad, sorry.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Eight or nine?
JACKSON: Seven.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Seven.
(END VIDEOTAPE) ROWLANDS: And that former security guard is still on the stand and will be when court resumes here in about two hours. Prosecutors yesterday told the judge in the case that they plan to wrap up their case by the end of next week -- Bill?
HEMMER: Ted, if that's the case, have you been able, since you've been in the courtroom throughout this ordeal here -- how the jury's reacting to their case so far?
ROWLANDS: Well, it's a very attentive jury. Clearly, these people realize what they are charged with, to make a very difficult decision her. And, you know, it's all there for them, if they want to go either way. It really depends on the believability of the witnesses. We're talking about a child molestation allegation. If they believe the child, if they don't believe the child, I think will be the key here. And with the defense still ready to go, it could be a long way before they get to that decision-making process.
HEMMER: Ted, thanks. Ted Rowlands watching that in California -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Spring has arrived and with it, something else is arriving, those much anticipated college acceptance letters. And with the ever-increasing tuition fees, how do you find a college that delivers the goods without breaking the bank? The Princeton Review has just published its "America's Best Value Colleges" 2006 edition.
Robert Franek edited the book and he is vice president of publishing for the Princeton Review. And he joins us now. Welcome, Robert.
ROBERT FRANEK, THE PRINCETON REVIEW: Thanks, Carol.
COSTELLO: OK. Tops on the list is Bates College. $39,000. How is that a bargain?
FRANEK: Well, one, it has a really high sticker price, $39,000. However, the average aid package that they give out to most students is $21,000. So I think the mistake that most kids and families make is crossing a really expensive school off their list of schools to consider. But not the case with Bates.
COSTELLO: OK, this school is located in Maine. And oftentimes schools like that want to attract minority students and the only way they can do it is to offer these incentives to go there.
FRANEK: Very true. And schools are very aggressive. Bates is a good example for at attracting lots of first generation college students, Latino students, African-American students. And they reach out to those groups very aggressively to try to package them.
COSTELLO: OK, let's go down the top five. New Mexico Tech. Why is that a good bargain?
FRANEK: New Mexico Tech is a wonderful school. Has a 19 percent Latino population. So again, reaching out to that first generation Latino base. It's an unapologetically engineering school, it's a research school, but it's a wonderful bargain, about $9,000 in tuition.
COSTELLO: $9,000 a year. That's just incredible to me. Brigham Young University. This one surprised me.
FRANEK: Yes, Brigham Young. It's an interesting school. It's a huge school. 30,000 students. There is -- it is subsidized by the Mormon Church. It has a heavy Mormon population and compulsory religious study for most students, but it's a wonderful value, both for a Mormon and a non-Mormon church member.
COSTELLO: How much?
FRANEK: It's about $4,000 for a Mormon member and about $5,400 for a non-Mormon.
COSTELLO: So would you feel comfortable there if you're not Mormon?
FRANEK: It's a good question and I think (AUDIO GAP) research. And really, I think that's what we focus on in the book. Not only is it a good financial value, but is it good academic value? And what is the social life at these schools?
COSTELLO: OK. Hendrix College in Arkansas.
FRANEK: Yes. Hendrix -- it's about 1,100 kids. It's in Conway, Arkansas. It's a quintessential liberal arts school, but it's kind of in the middle of a really small town in Arkansas. It's a wonderful liberal town and it's a really cool place.
COSTELLO: How much?
FRANEK: It's $28,000 sticker price. However, they give out -- it is certainly expensive, but they're giving out a great deal of money, between $19,000 and $20,000 for most incoming students.
COSTELLO: OK. UCLA.
FRANEK: UCLA. I mean, wonderful place in ideal community. Again, a really big school, about 28,000 students, but great access to the city of Los Angeles, wonderful study abroad programs. So it has a great campus, but great experiential learning opportunities for students, as well.
COSTELLO: OK, how much per year for that one.
FRANEK: Well, for a California resident, it's about $10,000 and then about $15,000 for a non-resident. So a wonderful value.
COSTELLO: Talk about the book for just a second. You interviewed what, hundreds of students, as well as other people to compile this list. Why did you interview the students?
FRANEK: Well, one, we think it's of great value to reach out to whom we would consider college experts, kids in the trenches. So, are their professors good teachers? What is their experience like in the classroom? But what sort of financial aid value are they getting for that experience, as well?
COSTELLO: OK. Let me put this by you, because I've heard this from a lot of college administrators, that parents are more interested in what's available structure-wise on campus than classes. For instance, if they have a spa for the kids or a great dorm room, that's tops on the list. But should it be?
FRANEK: Well, I don't think it should be. And I think that academics is always going to be a first consideration for kids and for parents. But then, if we're looking at schools that are the same academically, then you're going look at the other things. What is the food service like? Is there great quality of life for a student outside of the classroom? So I think those sort of secondary niceties start to come to the top.
COSTELLO: Robert Franek, thank you very much. "America's Best Value Colleges" on book stands now -- Bill.
HEMMER: Carol, thanks.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Fried isn't a dirty word anymore for one fast food chain. Andy Explains in "Minding Your Business."
HEMMER: Also, next hear, Emmy Award-winning comedian Dennis Miller live in our studios talking about, well, the headlines, and whatever else is on his mind. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Welcome back, everyone.
Dennis Miller likes to go on a rant, and he certainly can with his resume -- six years as "SNL's" weekend update anchor, five Emmys for his long-running HBO show and a celebrated turn on "Monday Night Football." You like this, don't you?
Dennis Miller, good morning to you.
DENNIS MILLER, COMEDIAN/TALK SHOW HOST: Well, the first time I've ever heard "celebrated" attached to "Monday Night Football," but thank you nonetheless.
(CROSSTALK)
MILLER: I'm just listening to your last guest there. I know that's what I'm looking for in an institution of higher learning, budgetary considerations. You want the good value there.
HEMMER: I'm telling you.
Let's talk about a few things. What do you make of the new pope? What do you make of that procedure, burning the ballots inside the Sistine Chapel?
MILLER: Well, you know, quite frankly, I didn't have to watch that smokestack, because the Catholic Church has been blowing smoke at us for the last few years. I went to confession last week, and I said, you first, pal. This is the first pope I've seen with a part in his hair, I will say that.
But one thing he's got to guarantee is he's got to get in there and, listen, the basic tenet of the organization has to be protect the innocents. That's what a church is about, sanctuary. This guy should issue an edict tomorrow, saying, you touch a kid, not only are you excommunicated, we pay to prosecute you and we try to send you to hell. That's what you need of a pope. You don't need a guy out there talking about all of this other stuff. I don't need him to hip the church up. I don't need him to stage dive off that balcony. I just need him to put the word out, you touch a kid, you're gone.
HEMMER: How about the endorsement his brother gave him? Hid did you read that? He said, I'm really surprised he got elected because he's in very poor health. That was from his family.
MILLER: It's like Wal-Mart, they like to hire them late in life so they don't have to pick up their benefits.
HEMMER: I always thought the gig to get in the Vatican was if you could blog from inside Sistine Chapel. That would be a hell of a job.
MILLER: Yes, sure just there and what you overhear. College of Cardinals, God, they look like all the guys from "Footloose." Did you see that ceremony? The town elders, they got the one old guy holding the Phil Donahue microphone and the other old guys reading off the lunch menu from Labernadan (ph). I don't know what the hell that was about.
HEMMER: When was the last time you were in church?
MILLER: I'd say a week ago, I took my son to Catholic Church. I've got an 11-year-old, and I tell him that right now the Catholic Church is corrupted, but to go in and humble yourself before God is a good thing. So I take my son to church, but I also tell him if a priest comes near you, I want a Road Runner cloud heading off into the distance.
HEMMER: You first, huh?
MILLER: Well, listen, it's not me. I'm not making it up.
HEMMER: Another topic, Michael Jackson. Are you following that when you're out in California?
MILLER: Well, listen, He's up there watching cartoons with the kids. One can only assume that he's watching Spongebob no-pants. But the deal here is, Michael Jackson, even if he's not guilty of pedophilia -- you see how this permeates the world for God's sakes -- but even if he's not guilty of that, the simple fact is, you're in you're 40s, you don't get into bed with young kids. He's got to get it together. Somebody's got to grab him and go, hey, forget the uniforms, forger the parasol guy carrying it next to you. Wake up, put on a pair of jeans and T-shirt and get your head together..
HEMMER: Put down the umbrella.
MILLER: Yes, it's just crazy.
HEMMER: You're a guy on TV. Do you kind of wish this trial were on TV?
MILLER: No, I could care less. I find it sad. I think Michael Jackson should be a reminder to all those kids that you can seek celebrity that you can get the biggest chunk of celebrity in the history of the world, and I would venture guess that next to Muhammad Ali, a couple of other people, that guy might be the most famous cat in the history of the world. And guess what, you have nothing if you don't have your head together. The guy has it all, and he has nothing. That's the Michael Jackson story kids should take away from this.
HEMMER: Another topic. Let's get away from all of this stuff. You spent a season in the NFL booth. How rich is this league? And what are they doing right that hockey can't figure out?
MILLER: They share the wealth, you know that. It's easy. They split it up so at least every team, these 32 cities, each year, think they have a chance to win the Super Bowl. And, you know, quite frankly, in baseball, they're going to have a team every two out of 10 years from Minnesota or somewhere that's going win, and they'll point to that and say, see, anybody can win. But I'm talking on a yearly basis, the NFL, you can go in there and think you can win this year. That's genius, because they split the money up.
These other teams, you know, Steinbrenner, he doesn't want to give up the coin. You can kind of understand that, but they've got to find a way where everybody's on a even playing field.
HEMMER: One more?
MILLER: I'm here to talk.
HEMMER: Nowhere to go, right?
MILLER: Yes.
HEMMER: We're asking the viewers today about what Congress can do for the economy. Are you concerned about the U.S. economy right now? Because you kind of lean politically to the right.
MILLER: Just on the war. You know, I'm a social libertarian on most things. What can you do about the economy? Well, I'll tell you what, America should perk up its ears and notice that when Bush says he wants to give them some of their money, vis-a-vis Social Security, 4 percent of the 12 percent they take, he wants you to have a call- over, and we, more than half of us, go, we don't want that, then we have been ideologically whipped, when people are looking at you and say, I don't want any of my money back, I want to let them do it, you go, are you crazy? Wake up.
HEMMER: Good to see, you man.
MILLER: All right, there you go.
HEMMER: Dennis Miller, good luck to you.
HEMMER: Thanks, guys. Budget colleges.
MILLER: We're out of here, Carol.
COSTELLO: Well, parents care about that.
Forget the fast food trend towards healthy eating. One chain says fried is where the money's at. That's next on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Welcome back, everyone. KFC is going back to its roots, putting the fried back in fried chicken.
That and a check of the Wall Street numbers so far, here's Andy Serwer "Minding Your Business." How are we doing today?
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Doing well. Stocks are rallying this morning on Wall Street. We were up 110 on the Dow; now we're up 86. Let's see if this holds.
Big merger to tell you about. Time Warner, parent to this network, and Comcast are buy Adelphia, that scandal-plagued and bankrupt cable company, $17 billion. I hope it makes sense.
CAFFERTY: I hope it does better than that AOL thing we pulled off two years ago.
SERWER: Yes, we have a history of mergers at this company. Time Warner stock up 2 percent, same with Comcast. Philip Morris and Merck up as well. eBay down a little bit.
Let's talk about KFC, or should I say Kentucky Fried Chicken. It was over a decade ago they tried to down play the Kentucky Fried Chicken. It's fried food, that's fried chicken. They said, well, it's really called KFC. Now they have a new store, new look and they're getting back to fried. That's the new look, Kentucky fried chicken store. In the interior they have a digital jukebox and ottomans. This is going to solve all their problems. They have ottomans. They're featuring ottomans. When I think of fried chicken, I've got to eat it on an ottoman. You can see there the ottomans.
And lastly, they've given -- this is fantastic, a totally new look, a total makeover here.
HEMMER: Who is that on the right?
SERWER: That's Colonel Sanders.
HEMMER: Come on, really?
SERWER: Look at the dramatic differences in the shades of the red and the nuances of the beard and the apron. Carol got the apron. You can see here they spent a lot of time and money, and the ad firm, no doubt, got paid a lot.
HEMMER: And you know what, you need those ottomans, because you get that stuff all over your fingers, you can't...
SERWER: Then you rub it on it on the ottoman.
HEMMER: No, you can't get to the back of the chair to slide...
SERWER: Very clever. I knew there was a reason for the ottomans.
CAFFERTY: Don't you put your feet on an ottoman?
SERWER: Chicken on ottoman.
HEMMER: I love KFC, about three pieces of dark meat with a biscuit?
SERWER: It's Kentucky Fried Chicken.
COSTELLO: Hi, Jack.
HEMMER: Thanks, Andy.
SERWER: You're welcome.
CAFFERTY: Hello, Carol.
Everything all right?
COSTELLO: Everything's fine.
The Question of the Day is this, what should Congress be doing about the economy?
Dave in Michigan says, "If you're a Republican you don't want anything to happen. Bring on the tax cuts, let the illegals pour in, let the jobs be outsourced. Plenty of companies profiting from the war in Iraq. Health care companies making record profits. Energy corporate white-shirts high-fiving, making money hand over fist. If you're in the majority and represent corporate America, everything's fine."
Steve in Illinois writes, "The requirement that all new cars be able to run on E-85 ethanol fuel and that each gas station in the U.S. have at least one E-85 pump available should be passed into law forthwith. An alternative energy source is here today, and it's not being utilized." Peter in Texas, "Congress must set an example. Freeze all government spending for the next year except the war. That includes salaries, pensions, Medicare, Social Security, construction, education. Everyone must suffer or the economy will crash. We hang together, or surely we will hang one by one."
CAFFERTY: Thank you, jack.
HEMMER: Next hour on CNN, a violin worth a million bucks, stolen from a car when the owner went to shop in a grocery store for 10 minutes. Daryn talks to the young musician pleading for its safe return. And that is next hour at CNN LIVE TODAY.
Back after this on AMERICAN MORNING.
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