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House GOP Reacts to Resignation of Deputy Whip; Wisconsin School Shooting; Overpass Collapse in Canada; Sexual Assault Face Female Enlistees; Transfat Content to Appear on Nutritional Information Labels
Aired September 30, 2006 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello. I'm Fredricka Whitfield at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.
This is the CNN NEWSROOM, where we're following new developments in the scandal on Capitol Hill over e-mails and instant messages. It's a scandal that brought down a congressman.
Plus, their job is to recruit young men and women to serve in the military. But now some recruiters are accused of rape. It's a story you will only see on CNN.
First to these other top stories.
A highway overpass collapses near Montreal. At least five people are injured. Three critically. We'll have more from Montreal a little later.
Brazilian officials say a Boeing airliner may have clipped a corporate jet before crashing into the Amazon jungle. Recovery teams are struggling to reach the crash site. They don't expect survivors among the 155 passengers and crew.
The House Republican leadership dogged by questions about former Deputy Whip Mark Foley. Foley resigned yesterday amid concerns about his e-mail contacts with teenage pages. And suggestions that Republican leaders were aware of possible improprieties.
More on this story in a moment.
The streets of Baghdad virtually empty thanks to a tough weekend curfew. It comes amid spiraling violence and reports of a bomb plot against the city's Green Zone.
First this hour, the ethics scandal that brought down a senior House Republican. Deputy Whip Mark Foley resigned his seat yesterday with breathtaking speed, and now suggestions that the House Republican leadership knew about his contacts with underage pages but failed to take appropriate action.
The Republican lawmaker who oversees pages says Foley reassured him after questions surfaced late last year, but this weekend John Shimkus released this statement, saying, "I only now have learned that Congressman Foley was not honest about his conduct." The matter has been referred to the House Ethics Committee.
We get more on this story and the possible repercussions from CNN's Dana Bash.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DANA BASH, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Congressman Mark Foley's resignation was abrupt. "I am deeply sorry and I apologize for letting down my family and the people of Florida I have had the privilege to represent," said Foley in a short written statement.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For what purpose does the gentleman from Florida rise?
BASH: The six-term Republican and member of the GOP leadership made no mention of his e-mails with a former male congressional page or concerns, according to GOP sources close to Foley, that devastating information was about to become public. Hours later, it did.
ABC News reported a number of sexually graphic instant messages between Foley and male congressional pages, using his personal screen name, Maf54.
"What are you wearing?" he asked in one. "T-shirt and shorts," the teen replied. "Love to slip them off you," Foley allegedly said.
And in another, Foley asked, "Do I make you a little horny?" "A little," said the teen. "Cool," replied Foley.
A GOP leadership aide tells CNN as soon as ABC confronted Foley's office with the explicit messages, he knew he had to quit. There was no immediate response from Foley's office to those alleged messages. But a spokesman confirmed to CNN that Foley did have five e-mail exchanges last year with a 16-year-old page, asking him, "How old are you?" in one. And in another, he asks the young man to "send me a pic of you as well."
The young man forwarded that e-mail, according to a government watchdog group that posted it online, to a congressional staffer, writing the word "sick" 13 times. The group's director sent it to the House Ethics Committee and the FBI.
MELANIE SLOAN, ETHICS WATCHDOG: Because Representative Foley was using a personal e-mail account to send the page e-mails -- the former page e-mails, and the young man was clearly made very uncomfortable by the e-mails, we thought it was a matter appropriate for the House Ethics Committee to investigate.
BASH: Law enforcement sources won't comment, but there is no indication at this point of any criminal probe. And it is unclear how the House Ethics Committee proceeded.
Foley's resignation sent shock waves through the Capitol. House Speaker Dennis Hastert was visibly angry. HASTERT: I've asked John Shimkus, who is head of the page board, to look into this issue regarding Congressman Foley. We want to make sure that all our pages are safe and the page system is safe.
QUESTION: How disturbing is this?
HASTERT: Well, none of us are very happy about it.
BASH: Yet at least one member of the GOP leadership and the Congressional Page Board knew almost a year ago about Foley's e-mail asking the teenager for his picture. According to Congressman John Shimkus, the head of the board, they confronted Foley, who insisted that "Nothing inappropriate had occurred."
The board ordered Foley to cease all contact with the former page, then dropped the matter.
(on camera): What makes this all the more troubling that Congressman Foley was co-chair of the Missing and Exploited Children Caucus and was responsible for writing the most recent legislation to crack down on Internet predators.
Dana Bash, CNN, Capitol Hill.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: And now this afternoon, the White House felt compelled to respond to the Foley story. This from a spokesperson, saying, "We're surprised and disappointed. We have confidence that the House of Representatives will address this matter appropriately."
There's more on the Foley story -- much more, in fact -- at our award-winning Web site, CNN.com. Check that out.
Well, now to Bailey, Colorado, and the public memorial for Emily Keyes, the 16-year-old who was killed on Wednesday in a terrifying incident that saw a gunman storm her high school. Today Emily's friends and family are paying tribute to her. They're focusing not on the violence of her death, but the positive way that she lived her life. These emotional words now from the Park County sheriff.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHERIFF FRED WEGENER, PARK COUNTY, COLORADO: This is the hardest thing that I'll ever face. And I want the Keyes family to know, if I could trade places with Emily, I would do it in a heartbeat.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: And even as one community honors a slain student, another in Wisconsin is trying to make sense of its own school shooting. The victim in this case, the school principal.
Our John Roberts has that story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) JOHN ROBERTS, CNN SR. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was supposed to be the start of homecoming weekend for the students of Weston High School in Cazenovia, Wisconsin.
But the annual celebration in this rural town 70 miles northwest of Madison was over before it even began.
CAPTAIN RICHARD MEISTER, SAUK COUNTY, WISCONSIN, SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT: A Weston High School custodian observed a 15-year-old student enter the high school carrying a shotgun.
ROBERTS: It was doing homeroom, just after 8:00 in the morning, that police say ninth-grader Eric Hainstock came down the main corridor.
The custodian saw him, grabbed the shotgun, and, all on his own, wrestled Hainstock to the ground. The custodian got the gun, but Hainstock got away with a concealed pistol. That's when the principal, John Klang, a popular 20-year veteran, confronted him.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I heard about three gun firings happening.
ROBERTS: Hainstock allegedly shot Klang in the head, chest and leg.
TERRY MILFRED, WESTON SCHOOL DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENT: He was injured because he was trying to maintain -- maintain control and protect the students and staff at Weston, all of whom are -- who are grateful and safe as a result of his efforts.
ROBERTS: Hainstock was facing probable suspension for having tobacco at school, according to the criminal complaint filed against him.
But he also told police after the shooting that other students had been bullying and ridiculing him, and said teachers did nothing about it. So, he told police he decided to confront the students and teachers and principals with the guns, and make them listen to him.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But he went there to get their attention.
ROBERTS: It was the second tragedy of the day at this tiny rural school with just about 100 students. Earlier, another student had been killed in a car wreck on the way to school. That was upsetting enough. But the shooting, well, that was something students in this quiet community couldn't even conceive of.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We just can't believe some kid would do that to a teacher or the principal. It was a troubled kid, and he just didn't have a right to do that.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If it wasn't for Mr. Klang, we don't how many people would have been shot.
ROBERTS: Klang gave his life for protecting the students, and for that he is being hailed as a hero. John Roberts, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: And they are supposed to be among the best and brightest the U.S. military has to offer. Coming up, why some military recruiters were being accused of dishonoring their uniform.
Also, find out who is targeted in the latest video released by al Qaeda.
And how you can avoid the dangers of trans fats. Dr. Bill Lloyd joins with us some tips.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: As the House Ethics Committee continues to examine Congressman Mark Foley and his alleged improprieties, just after he has filed his resignation, we're learning more now about who knew what and when.
Dana Bash is on the phone now from Washington -- Dana.
BASH: Hi, Fredricka. Well, that is -- that certainly has been the big question as part of the fallout from what happened, the surprising stunning news of what happened with Congressman Foley.
We knew yesterday that Tom Reynolds, the chairman of the National Republican Campaign Committee, who is in charge of getting Republicans elected this fall, he knew about this matter 10 to 11 months ago. And we have a statement now from Congressman Reynolds where he gives more detail about what he knew and what.
What he says is that Congressman Rodney Alexander, the congressman who sponsored the page in question, the page who had e- mail exchanges with Congressman Foley, that Congressman Alexander brought to the attention of Reynolds the existence of e-mails between Foley and the former page. And according to Reynolds' statement that we just got in, Reynolds says that he knew about the e-mails, he had not seen -- seen the e-mails, but he did tell the speaker of the House that he had this conversation and that he knew about these e-mails. That is what is interesting and noteworthy about this particular piece, this particular development, which is that Tom Reynolds knew about this, but that he also informed the speaker.
This is something that we're certainly looking into because until now, the speaker of the House and his office had made very clear the speaker was surprised by this news when it all came out yesterday.
WHITFIELD: Right.
BASH: The other thing the statement says, Fredricka, I should mention is that when Congressman Reynolds was informed about this he also was informed that the matter was being taken up by the board, by the Page Board, and that the parents of this boy made clear, apparently, that they didn't want this matter further pursued. WHITFIELD: All right. Dana Bash, thank you so much. Very interesting. And we'll follow up on that, because we know that House Speaker Hastert has made it very clear within the past 24 hours that he has only as of recent learning about Mark Foley and these inappropriate e-mails taking place with teenage pages.
Dana Bash, thanks so much from Washington.
Well, more now on a story we have been following all day. A highway overpass collapsing near Montreal, Canada. Five people seriously hurt. It happened shortly before noon local time in the Montreal suburb of Laval.
Reporter Tanya Birkbeck from the CBS Radio 1 has the latest from the scene right now.
Tanya, what's happening?
TANYA BIRKBECK, CBC RADIO 1: Well, right now, there are a couple of large cranes that are attempting to move some of these huge concrete slabs. It's three lanes of a bridge that have collapsed on to the highway below.
So there's two cranes working right now, trying to remove some of the slabs to the side. However, there is a huge slab. I can still see the lines of the highway, and it has fallen directly down on to the highway below.
And there are at least two vehicles that we know of that have been trapped underneath this huge slab of concrete. And the problem is the emergency workers have not even been able to get in to check on the condition of the people who are in these vehicle because there is concern that the other side of the bridge, the lanes going in the opposite direction, may fall as well.
So police are trying to decide at this moment, along with other officials and engineers, if they should bring the bridge down in a controlled manner to avoid having it fall and injuring more people.
WHITFIELD: Oh, that's interesting. Now, Tanya, we're talking about four hours later now. If there is anyone trapped in any vehicles underneath that concrete, are emergency crews saying anything about whether they can hear anyone in there or if there is any way that they can communicate without actually getting too close to this very fragile concrete?
BIRKBECK: Right. As far as I'm aware, there has been no contact with the people in the vehicles. And of course police are not confirming that at this point, but three hours ago a police officer said to me really the chances of somebody living through this are not very well.
So we have no idea of the conditions of the people that are in the cars trapped underneath. We don't know how many people there are. But we can guess that the scene is probably not very good.
WHITFIELD: Tana Birkbeck of CBC Radio 1.
Thanks so much for that report near Montreal as they continue to try to get to anyone who may be trapped underneath that concrete.
A sign to enlist people for the Marines. He recruited one young woman for sex. This ex-military man's case is not an isolated one.
CNN's Randi Kaye investigates. Her report is a joint project of The Associated Press and "ANDERSON COOPER 360".
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Shedrick Hamilton was a Marine sergeant, a popular and respected recruiter.
JILL GIUNTA, VICTIM: He had that uniform on, and everybody trusted him.
KAYE: Yet, he had a terrible secret.
TRISH GIUNTA, JILL'S MOTHER: I had no idea. I didn't ever think anything happened. I vouched for this man when my husband questioned why, why was calling all the time? It's Hamilton. Everybody -- the kids loved him.
KAYE: Especially Trish Giunta's daughter, Jill, until...
J. GIUNTA: He threw me in the back of the car. And, you know, again, like, I kept saying, no, like, you know, I mean, I didn't want to do it.
KAYE: Sergeant Shedrick Hamilton first raped Jill Giunta on Valentine's Day nearly three years ago. She was just 16 years old. Sergeant Hamilton was 34, married, with two children.
T. GIUNTA: I woke her to go with him.
KAYE (on camera): As a mother, do you feel -- am I seeing guilt? Is that what that is?
T. GIUNTA: There's a lot of guilt. I handed her to him. I signed permission slips for her to go with him. I thought she was safe.
KAYE (voice-over): The sergeant drove Jill to Marine Corps physical training, a program to involve kids in the Marines in hopes they will join. Nearly every week, he picked up Jill at her home in his government car and drove her to this New York recruiting center, until, one day, he made a sharp turn down this deserted road, not even a mile from Jill's home.
J. GIUNTA: He just started doing what he wanted to do. And, you know, I would just like sit there and just, like, you know, look off. And tears would just come down my face and stuff like that. And he just would finish up what he wanted to do. KAYE (on camera): Help me understand why, after the first incident, or even the second incident, why didn't you run home and say, "Mom, help me. This guy is attacking me"?
J. GIUNTA: He kept making sure that I knew, that he would repeatedly tell me that nobody would find out about this, nobody would believe me.
KAYE (voice-over): As disturbing as it is, Jill's story is not unique. An investigation by the "Associated Press" found last year at least 35 Army recruiters, 18 Marine Corps recruiters, 18 Navy recruiters and 12 Air Force recruiters were disciplined for sexual misconduct or other inappropriate behavior with potential enlistees.
MARTHA MENDOZA, ASSOCIATED PRESS: In 2005, 80 recruiters were disciplined for sexual misconduct, with more than 100 victims.
KAYE: AP Reporter Martha Mendoza found across all services one out of 200 recruiters, those who deal directly with young people, was disciplined for sexual misconduct. The abuse ranged from inappropriate touching to rape.
In Pennsylvania, an Army recruiter pleaded guilty to having sex with a 14-year-old girl. In Wisconsin, a Marine Corps recruiter was recently charged with sexual assault and false imprisonment of a potential female enlistee. He has pleaded not guilty. In Indiana, a National Guard recruiter was indicted for allegedly assaulting eight different potential recruits outside schools, in cars, and in recruiting stations. He's out on bail, pending trial.
(on camera): Why are there so many cases of sexual misconduct among recruiters? Remember, the No Child Left Behind Act was passed in 2001, in part to help grow the military's ranks.
No Child Left Behind guarantees schools federal funding, as long as they grant recruiters access to students on campus. Unlike the rest of us, who have to show ID, recruiters can walk right in, no questions asked.
J. GIUNTA: I would be sitting in class and then my teacher is like, tapping me on my shoulder saying that -- to go outside the classroom, that somebody needs to speak to me and it was him.
KAYE (voice-over): No Child Left Behind also mandates recruiters be provided with students' home phone numbers and addresses.
J. GIUNTA: I definitely feel like he was stalking me. There were times when he would call the house, and he would tell me to look out my bedroom window. And he would be sitting in the government van right on the corner of the street.
SHEDRICK HAMILTON, FORMER RECRUITER, CONVICTED OF RAPE: I'm sorry.
KAYE: Shedrick Hamilton pleaded guilty. He was convicted of rape and endangering the welfare of a child and sentenced to prison. At sentencing the judge called Hamilton a child molester and a disgrace to his country and his uniform.
Sergeant Hamilton spoke with the "Associated Press" from jail.
HAMILTON: I ended up putting myself into a position to where I sought out comfort in a young lady that I shouldn't have done. I allowed myself to -- to get caught up into the wrong situation at the wrong time and I have no one to blame but myself.
KAYE: The Department of Defense declined our request for an on- camera interview, but issued this statement to CNN. "All military recruiters are briefed in regard to the conduct and ethics required of them and receive training. The Department of Defense has zero tolerance for misconduct by military recruiters."
The Pentagon says it is now monitoring its recruiter and will evaluate whether it needs to change its policy. But that comes only in response to the A.P. report and a Congressional Accountability Office study which found the DOD does not track all allegations of recruiter wrongdoing.
In January, having served two years for rape, Shedrick Hamilton is expected to be released.
T. GIUNTA: This is my child. He hurt my child. So, I'm going to watch him.
KAYE: Jill Giunta, now 19, has decided not to join the military, but to go to college and become a police officer instead. And she's made a promise to herself, when she puts on that police uniform, never to abuse her authority.
Randi Kaye, CNN, Monroe, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Coming up next, to the nation's capital we go. The teenagers who help make Capitol Hill run are now making headlines. We'll look at the life of a page.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Welcome back to the NEWSROOM.
A new tape from al Qaeda's number two, Ayman al-Zawahiri. In the video, he takes plenty of shots at President Bush, the pope, and even U.N. peacekeepers in Darfur.
CNN Justice Correspondent Kelli Arena takes a closer look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's the world according to Ayman al- Zawahiri. In his third taped message this month, al Qaeda's number two seems determined to tell his followers how to interpret world events. BOB GRENIER, FORMER CIA COUNTERTERROR OFFICIAL: It appears that Zawahiri is trying very hard to stay tactically engaged with the faithful and to maintain his leadership of a movement, which by its very nature is becoming more diffuse.
ARENA: He starts by blasting President Bush and the administration's claims that captured al Qaeda leaders including 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed provided helpful information in interrogations.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): And I tell him you fool hearted charlatan the arrest of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed may God free him has helped you in this so-called war on terror. Why then are your forces retreating in secret from the south and east of Afghanistan and being replaced by the forces of NATO, which are screaming for help?
ARENA: The tape is two messages pieced together with very different backgrounds and wearing different clothes. The second part focuses on the Pope. Zawahiri calls him a charlatan too for his recent comments about Islam. He then moves on to discuss Darfur calling on Muslims to fight against what he calls crusader U.N. troops. Analysts say it is all very much part of a larger al Qaeda strategy.
GRENIER: Al Qaeda has tried very carefully to paint the situation in Darfur as another chapter, another front, if you will, in the war on Islam.
ARENA (on camera): Al Qaeda tapes have been coming fast and furious lately. Analysts say if Zawahiri is trying to remain relevant, he's actually defeating his own purpose. They say the more tapes there are, the less important his message has become.
Kelli Arena, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Well, get this. In the nation's capital, teenagers play a pretty key role in making sure that Capitol Hill runs smoothly, everything from doing clerical work, to helping make appointments. Well, straight ahead, we'll go behind the scenes and show you the life of a page.
And if you like French fries or doughnuts with your coffee -- well, maybe the doughnuts with the coffee, but not the French fries -- be warned. There is stuff in them that could kill you.
You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Half past the hour, here's what's happening right now in the news. Emergency crews are still on the scene in suburban Montreal where a highway overpass partially collapsed about five hours ago now. Rescue crews say there may be fatalities, once they get to the cars that are trapped under the rubble. Five people have been seriously hurt so far.
Anxious moments, no word of any survivors after a Brazilian jetliner crashed in the Amazon rain forest today. One hundred fifty five people were on board. Brazilian officials say the plane may have collided with a smaller jet.
In Bailey, Colorado, thousands of people turned out for a memorial service for slain high school student Emily Keyes (ph). The 16-year-old was killed Wednesday by a gunman who stormed her school and later killed himself after a standoff with police.
The Food and Drug Administration turns over a new leaf on the E. Coli Spinach scare. The FDA says they have traced the outbreak back to one specific California company. One hundred eighty seven cases of E. Coli have been reported in 26 states. One person died; 97 others were hospitalized.
And now back to our top story, the political sex scandal that is sending shock waves well beyond the beltway. A house ethics committee is to investigate allegations that Congressman Mark Foley sent inappropriate e-mails to a congressional page. But as our Gary Nurenberg reports, that may only be the beginning of this story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GARY NURENBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Six term Florida Republican Congressman Mark Foley resigned after ABC News confronted him with sexually explicit electronic messages it says he exchanged with teenage boys, who used to be pages in the House. Among them this exchange, "Do I make you a little horney?" one of the messages asks. The teen responds "A little." "Cool" the writer says.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The nays are zero.
NURENBERG: The House voted Friday night to have the ethics committee investigate.
NANCY PELOSI, HOUSE MINORITY LEADER: Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker.
NURENBERG: House minority leader Nancy Pelosi wants that inquiry to address why Foley's Republican colleagues didn't act more aggressively when they learned last year of e-mail exchanges with at least one 16-year-old.
The chairman of the page board, Representative John Shimkus released a statement Friday night saying, "I took immediate action to investigate the matter. Congressman Foley told me he was simply acting as a mentor to this former House page and that nothing inappropriate had occurred. Congressman Foley was not honest about his conduct."
LUKE MOSES, FORMER PAGE: The first time I ever corresponded with him through e-mail --
NURENBERG: Luke Moses is a former page who keeps in touch through e-mail with Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney, whom he calls a mentor. he calls the relationship appropriate and nice.
MOSES: Sometimes when I see an interesting news article or something, I would forward it to her. You know, she was always interested in how I was doing.
NURENBERG: Pages are 16-years-old when chosen. They run messages and errands for representatives, often on the House floor, are paid less than $400 a week and since two Congressmen were censored with sexual misconduct with pages in 1983, have lived in a Capital Hill dormitory, where they are carefully monitored.
MOSES: You have to go through a metal detector to get into your dorm every day. You are only allowed out with a buddy. There were people we could go to if we felt uncomfortable or had concerns.
KARA FRANK, FORMER PAGE: There were definitely people on the House floor, especially in the cloak room, that definitely overlooked the interactions between Congressmen and Congresswomen and pages. And they were sort of there to make sure nothing was -- no lines were crossed.
NURENBERG: Former page Kara Frank says Foley was a big supporter of pages.
FRANK: He was one of the biggest supporters of the page program. He was very nice to us. I mean, again, I never got that creepy feeling from him or anything.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NURENBERG: The former pages we talked to today said the page experience was one of the best of their lives. Five weeks before the election, the lasting question is whether this story will have a big political impact. Democrats certainly hope so and have already begun questioning why some of Foley's Republican colleagues didn't do more when they learned of the e-mail messages last year.
Democratic National Committee released one statement today, asking whether there was a cover-up. So it is clear, Fredricka, this is a story that is not ending with Mark Foley's resignation.
WHITFIELD: It is not ending and you can bet a whole lot of parents are starting to wonder, well I don't know if I should encourage my kid to be a page or not, anyway. All right, well, the investigation is still at the beginning. Thanks a lot, Gary.
Well, straight ahead, I'll speak with someone who provides help to those who have been victimized by members of the military.
And when thinking of retirement, most people picture a secure, relaxed lifestyle, right? Well, many women are discovering these years are anything but golden. Valerie Morris explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VALERIE MORRIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Gabrielle Anmari (ph) is having a tough time facing retirement after raising three children and getting divorced, she entered the workforce for the first time at age 41. Today, despite savings and investments, Anmari, now 65, says she can't afford to retire.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's scary to think about it, because every year the cost of living goes higher and higher. I will keep on working until I'm 80 years old.
MORRIS: Anmari is not alone. A recent retirement risk study by the Society of Actuaries finds most women will not be able to support themselves over a lifetime.
CINDY HOUNSELL, WOMEN'S INST. FOR SECURE RETIREMENT: Woman earn less. They spend time out of the workforce for care giving, and then the biggest issue is that they live longer.
MORRIS: Despite those obstacles, experts say women need to take an active approach to saving for retirement.
HOUNSELL: You have to think about this early. Live beneath your means. Save as much as you can. You need to know what you have, which is one of the biggest mistakes is people not knowing whether they have a retirement benefit. I think it's never too late to start.
Social Security pays you eight percent a year when you reach the full retirement age, but you don't take your benefit until age 70. So, that's a great way of getting a lot more income. The most important thing is to not throw your hands up in the air and say, I can't do this.
MORRIS: Valerie Morris, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Earlier our reporter Randy Kaye told us about two investigations and how they've uncovered dozens of accusations that military recruiters raped or sexually assaulted young females who wanted to join the armed forces.
Well, joining us is Christine Hansen, executive director of the Miles Foundation. The group provides services to victims of abuse and violence associated with the military.
Good to see you, Christine.
CHRISTINE HANSEN, EXEC. DIR., MILES FOUNDATION: Thank you for the invitation, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: So what measures are in place now? Perhaps measures that even the military has imposed to make sure this doesn't happen again, that you don't have cases of recruiters who are sexually assaulting recruitees or enlistees?
HANSEN: Regrettably, at this point, Fredricka, we're still in the process of an investigation, trying to establish adequate provisions for the safety of those who may be victimized and to prevent any additional assaults that may occur.
WHITFIELD: Are you satisfied with these measures?
HANSEN: Not to date.
We have some significant issues concerning prevention. And what the real issue is concerning prevention, that of sex offender behavior, and, regrettably, the Department of Defense has not conducted of thorough review of sex offenders behavior to date.
WHITFIELD: So is it your conclusion that perhaps the cases that were profiled in Randy Kaye's piece, for example, are not an anomaly, that there are a number of cases where people are being assaulted by these recruiters, perhaps they're being recorded or perhaps they are all reported?
HANSEN: Regrettable, it is not an anomaly. We've actually seen this over a number of decades. Women that have chosen to serve in the '70s and '80s have reported being sexually assaulted by recruiters. There are some that are currently serving on active duty that were also sexually assaulted by recruiters. And as in the piece, you'll also see young women in the process of becoming enlistees being sexually assaulted.
WHITFIELD: In many of these cases, where it is discovered that, you know, the recruiter is identified as being someone who carried out this assault, are we seeing that most of them are getting jail time?
HANSEN: Regrettably, that's not the case. We see predominantly administrative disciplinary action within the military, particularly the active duty ranks in addressing sexual assault. Only about two percent to three percent of these cases go to the criminal justice process in the military, that being a court-martial. We are seeing some activity relative to the civilian law enforcement sector in prosecuting these cases.
WHITFIELD: Christine Hansen of the Miles Foundation, thanks so much for your time.
HANSEN: Thank you for the invitation.
WHITFIELD: Well, coming up in the 6:00 hour, a mother who says the No Child Left Behind Act is also posing a problem. She's not happy that the law gives the U.S. military open access to American schools. And they started a group called Leave My Child Alone.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: So much more ahead in the NEWSROOM. Carol Lin will be taking us through the evening.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: We have a couple of really interesting segments. We're going to continue with this whole story around Congressman Mark Foley and these very explicit e-mails he was allegedly sending to teenage pages.
We have got a "Blog Buzz" segment. So, a blogger on the right and a blogger on the left: it is really interesting where they meet in the middle, but have very distinct opinions. And we're also getting more statements from the Democratic National Committee and various planners.
WHITFIELD: All of this suddenly coming out.
LIN: You bet. With a lot to say.
WHITFIELD: And something to say.
LIN: And we're taking e-mails too. We're going to be soliciting e-mails from our viewers and throwing them at the bloggers.
At 6:00 -- I did not know this -- but military recruiters have unfettered access to your children in schools because of the No Child Left Behind Act. So Randy Kaye, I think it actually ran in your show too, but I have a guest to talk about that parents can do. Can you opt out? It is such a serious situation with these military recruiters, that this woman is working on legislation to give parents more rights to protect their children from these aggressive military recruiting tactics.
In Randy Kaye's piece, obviously the recruiter went way too far, attacking that young girl. But it is a fascinating issue. I had no idea.
WHITFIELD: A lot of us learned a thing or two through these segments now.
All right, thanks a lot, Carol.
Well, the fat is in the fire in New York City. We're talking about transfat. The city health department wants to bar restaurants from cooking with transfat, a common ingredient in just about everything, from doughnuts to french fries to pie crusts.
As CNN's senior medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports, transfats are under fire across the country, and some restaurant operators have already cut down.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICALL CORRESPONDENT: With the hiss and sizzle, one fast food company is making unexpected health history. Wendy's has removed the majority of transfats from the oil used to make fries and chicken.
LORI ESTRADA, RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, WENDY'S: This reduction in transfat is part of our ongoing effort to improve the nutritional profile of our food without impacting taste or quality.
GUPTA: So why is this important? Scientists estimate there are over 50,000 premature deaths each year linked to eating transfats. Transfat is bad for your heart because it raises your bad cholesterol and also lowers what doctors call your good cholesterol.
DR. ROBERT EXCKEL, AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION: We know from large numbers of nutrition based studies over daceds now that saturated fats and transfats both tend to raise the bad cholesterol. Now we certainly know that people with higher levels of bad cholesterol appear to have more heart disease and stroke.
So we have no alternative enzymes that we can...
GUPTA: Dr. Exckel says that Americans on average eat about three times as much transfat as recommended. The threat to our health is so serious, the FDA required manufacturers to list transfats on nutrition labels beginning this year.
Food writer Kim Serverson says as soon as the labels changed, processed food makers eliminated transfats from 40 percent of their products. Snacks like Oreos and Frito Lay chips are now marketed as transfat free.
KIM SERVERSON, AUTHOR, "TRANS FAT SOLUTION": The battleground now are restaurants and fast food companies. And that's, I think, where you'll really see the changes coming.
GUPTA: The FDA doesn't require restaurants to tell customers how much transfat they're eating, which might explain why change there is so slow.
Transfat is on the menu at just about all the fast food giants: Burger King, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Arby's, Hardees.
McDonald's tried to lose the transfat. They company announced in 2002 it would reduce transfats, but it hasn't eliminated them, at least not in the United States. In countries like Denmark, where laws severely limit transfat foods, McDonald's fries are transfat-free.
And McDonald's issued this statement in response to CNN's questions about transfat. McDonald's "takes the matter of trans-fatty acids seriously, and we continue to work on diligently ways to reduce the TFA levels in our food. Our test procedures in the United States are taking longer than anticipated."
According to McDonald's Web site, a single large serving of fries has eight grams of transfat. That's four times the amount the FDA says the average American should eat in an entire day.
Without federal guidelines, one Chicago politician hopes to force restaurants into trimming the transfat. Alderman Edward Burke introduced a bill which would require all Chicago restaurants with at least $20 million in annual growth sales to eliminate transfat from the menu. It is the first such proposed legislation in the country.
ALD. EDWARD BURKE, CHICAGO 14TH WARD: Just as taxpayers are paying for people's smoking habits, they'll be paying for people's eating habits. And there is a role, I think, for government to play in this whole nationwide crisis.
GUPTA: The Illinois Restaurant Association says a transfat ban is a bad idea.
COLLEEN MCSHANE, ILLINOIS RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION: If you want french fries, or if you want, you know, bread that tastes like paper, well, then support Alderman Burke's arguments. Let the market drive this, supply and demand. Government need not come in, regulate restaurants.
GUPTA: Until more consumers realize how unhealthy transfat really is, the debate about how to lower it is likely to continue.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: So what is this killer known as transfat? And how did it get on to our dinner tables in the first place? For more on that, let's bring in Dr. Bill Lloyd.
So, this gobblydegook isn't good for us, but isn't it the stuff that kind of makes certain foods taste good?
DR. BILL LLOYD, UNIV. OF CALIF.-DAVIS MEDICAL CTR.: The biggest part of it, Fredricka, is not so much flavor, unlike what that woman said in the report, but it's the stability of the product. It is the bottom line for processed food makers.
When you make an oil and add hydrogen to it, it turns into transfat, which increases its shelf life, and it also makes the oil more stable so you can use it again and again and again, like when you get french fries. How much batches have they made? Well, if it's transfats, they're going to make hundreds of batches of french fries with the same oil. So it's a big economic issue.
Many people say you really can't tell the difference in foods prepared with transfats versus other safer forms of fat substitutes.
WHITFIELD: So in Dr. Sanjay Gupta's piece, we learned that each person should not get more than four grams of transfat a day. Boy, that seems like a low number. And is that really possible, considering there are so many foods that we're consuming that are not labeled how many transfats are in it.
LLOYD: Well there is FDA labeling rules. And if you buy a package of food, like cookies or whatever, it will tell you how much transfats there are per portion, so long as there is at least a half a gram of transfat in that. If there is less than half a gram, it doesn't have to be on the label. So you do have to be scrupulous when you're looking at packaged foods or processed foods.
The question in New York, of course, is restaurant foods don't have labels, so you really don't know what you're getting. Yes, it possible to make intelligent choices and eliminate transfats from your diets if you're careful in looking at the things you put in your food, particularly those fat substitutes, like margarines and shortens and things that come in tubs and cans. And be careful about what is in those products, and think about the use of liquid vegetable oils to get rid of transfats from your household cooking items.
WHITFIELD: So the big problem when we go out to eat, so when we buy those processed or packaged foods and they are contained on the label, do we believe in zero transfat? Is that possible?
LLOYD: Well, you know, we're talking about artificial transfats, Fredricka, and there are natural transfats that occur in dairy products and occur in meat, in beef and lamb. So you're still get some transfats anyway.
It is important to know, though, nutritionists say no one has proven that the naturally occurring transfats cause the same kind of heart vessel problems that the artificial ones do. So we're not telling anyone they need to go all vegetarian at this point. But the artificial, the synthetic transfats, we know they're dangerous and there is no safe level of them. The smartest thing you can do, just like smoking, is get it out of your life.
WHITFIELD: All right. And I don't know. If you like french fries like I do, I feel like I've tasted the french fries with transfats and those without and yes, they do taste different.
LLOYD: No, Fredricka, canola oil.
WHITFIELD: Yes, they do.
LLOYD: I cook the french fries in our house, you make them in canola oil and you put lots of salt on them and they taste just great.
WHITFIELD: All right.
Dr. Bill Lloyd, thanks very much.
LLOYD: We'll talk again soon.
WHITFIELD: Good to see you.
So much more ahead on this scandal coming out of Capitol Hill. Congressman Mark Foley resigned abruptly yesterday amid reports he sent sexually explicit messages to congressional pages. Now we're learning some GOP leaders were aware of all of this almost a year ago. So do you think the GOP leadership should have done more to intervene in the Foley matter? E-mail us at weekends@CNN.com. Carol Lin will read some of your responses in the next hour of the NEWSROOM.
I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Have a great evening.
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