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Amber Alert in Florida; Obama Foreign Policy; Campaign Cash

Aired October 02, 2007 - 11:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: You're with CNN. You're informed.
Hi, everybody. I'm Heidi Collins.

Developments keep coming in to the CNN NEWSROOM on Tuesday, October 2nd.

Here's what's on the rundown.

Leader of the presidential pack. Senator Hillary Clinton outpaces her Democratic rivals in third quarter cash.

Amber Alert in Florida. Police fear this teenager may be with a registered sex offender. An urgent search under way right now.

New York Knicks coach Isiah Thomas facing judgment. A jury gets ready to make the call.

Sexual harassment case, in the NEWSROOM.

Happening right now, a desperate search for a missing Florida teen. Police believe she is with a registered sex offender.

An Amber Alert has been issued for 15-year-old Alyssa Frank. Authorities say she was last seen in Bartow wearing a pink or black Tinkerbell shirt and jeans. Authorities believe she is with William Joe Mitchell, a 46-year-old sex offender from the Jacksonville area.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERIFF GRADY JUDD, POLK COUNTY, FLORIDA: He met her on MySpace. Subsequently, he created a relationship with her. And she fell in love with him, someone she had never seen. He lured her away and now he's got her. And we've got to have her back, safely.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: The pair may be traveling in a black 2000 model Chevrolet Lumina. The Florida tag number that we have is G025EL. And police are asking for your help in this.

If you have any information, call the Polk County Sheriff's Office at the number at the bottom of the screen there: 863-533-0344, or you can always dial 911. You can also call 1-800-226-TIPS.

We want to, in fact, speak directly with Sheriff Grady Judd of Polk County -- you just saw him on the screen moments ago at that press conference -- and get the very latest.

Sheriff, if you can hear me, tell me what you know if anything new in this case right now. I know you're getting a lot of phone calls and information from the public.

JUDD: Heidi, we literally have dozens of detectives working on this case right now. We need information from the community.

We truly believe that the people who solve this and return this young girl to her family will not necessarily directly be law enforcement officers, but it will be someone in the community that sees these folks together. That's why we are issuing this impassioned plea for folks to take the time to look. We know he's classified as a high-risk sex offender.

He groomed this young lady. He's a predator. He's a pedophile. He groomed this young lady. She ran away thinking she was going to be with a 24-year-old man.

COLLINS: Sheriff, do me a favor and take us back just in case people may have missed your press conference, which was a very powerful one, and how this young lady, Alyssa Frank, met the man we're looking at now on the screen.

JUDD: She had a MySpace account. We have every reason to believe at this point that that's where the relationship initially began, but they ended up in a chat room on the Internet.

He began to groom her. He's a predator. He's a pedophile. He's a high-risk offender.

He began to groom her and she actually talked to some of her friends and said she was going to run away. When they asked her why, she said for love.

According to the information we can develop early in this investigation, she thought he was 24 years of age. In reality, he's a 46-year-old sexual offender. They met at about 3:00 yesterday morning, which would have been Monday morning, and have not been seen or heard from since. She left the house.

COLLINS: In fact, she snuck out of her -- pardon me. She snuck out of her house, correct?

JUDD: Yes, absolutely. She snuck out of her house.

Her parents didn't know she was gone for about three hours. When they awoke to find that she was missing on Monday morning, they called us. We immediately began our investigation.

We called in the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. I've talked to the sheriff's staff in St. John's County and the sheriff in Duval County because that's the area he's from.

He's very dangerous. She may have left for love, but he took her because he is a predator and they -- he wanted to prey on young girls. COLLINS: You know, Sheriff, when we were listening to your press conference which we carried here live, I notice that you did refer to him as "Billy Mitch". His name, William Joe Mitchell. It sounds like sort of a nickname, obviously.

Authorities know him well. I think you said -- weren't there something like 14 arrests?

JUDD: That's correct. He has had 14 arrests for robbery, smuggling hacksaw blades, bomb threats, threatening to place or discharge a destructive device.

He's a very violent person, as well as lewd and lascivious behavior and engaging to commit lewdness. So he's dangerous. She is a young girl who was lured away with the promise of a young man, and now she is a young girl in distress.

COLLINS: You also mentioned in the press conference that she had never run away before. How is her family doing? Have you had a chance to speak with them?

JUDD: Her family is exceptionally upset and concerned about her well-being, as is all of us. I will meet with her family this afternoon at 2:30.

She's been -- the family has been with our detectives yesterday and through this morning. So we will be sending further information out to you as it's developed because we know she is in trouble. And unfortunately, she probably knows she is in trouble by this time.

COLLINS: Yes, I imagine she does.

All right. Well, we're going to do the best that we can to get that information out.

Sheriff, we certainly appreciate your time.

Sheriff Grady Judd.

The Polk County Sheriff's Office there in Florida working very diligently on this case of Alyssa Frank.

And just again, one more time, want to let you know that the pair may be traveling in this black 2000 model Chevrolet Lumina that we have been hearing about. We do have a tag number to look out for -- G025EL.

And police are asking for your help. If you have any information, a lot of phone numbers to share with you. On the bottom of your screen, you can call the Polk county Sheriff's Office: 863- 533-0344, or you could always dial 911. You can also call 1-800-226- TIPS.

A noose around the neck of an elementary school student. Punishment now for a teacher. It happened at a Grambling State University-run elementary school. A lesson on racism in the wake of the so-called Jena 6 case.

The president of the university talking about it in the NEWSROOM just a few moments ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HORACE JUDSON, PRESIDENT, GRAMBLING STATE UNIVERSITY: The act itself was totally unacceptable and was very egregious. And so we have done quite a bit of investigation and we're completing that.

One of the teachers has been put on leave. There may be other personnel actions. We've communicated with the parents to express our regrets and to assure them that we're taking measures to make sure such an activity would not occur again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: The university is still investigating the incident. Other teachers may also face punishment.

Barack Obama on foreign policy. His focus, Iraq.

CNN Senior Political Correspondent Candy Crowley is live in Chicago this morning.

Good morning to you there, Candy. Tell us a little bit more about the significance of today and his speech.

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SR. POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, look at the calendar and I think you'd pretty much get the significance of this. Time's a wasting for Barack Obama to show some movement on the ground.

He's been very good about raising money. He's raised a lot of money, outpacing Hillary Clinton up until this quarter.

He also brings big crowds to his speeches. But it hasn't really been seen in the poles nationally.

He does look competitive in Iowa, but nationally and in other of the early states, he is not. Hillary Clinton leads by double digits.

So this is another attempt by the campaign to say, listen, Barack Obama has judgment. He was against the Iraq war before it began. He gave a speech in Chicago about it.

This is a chance to say, there's a different kind of experience, because I tell you, when you go through some of these places and you talk to people who are politically involved at this point in Iowa and New Hampshire, and you talk to them about Barack Obama, they say, you know, I really like this guy, he's full of hope. I love the way he has a positive approach, but I wonder about this experience.

In a post-9/11 world, it seems that voters are looking for experience. So what Obama has to do at this point is say, I have experience and, by the way, I have the judgment because I was against the war before a lot of people were.

So that's sort of the intention of this speech.

COLLINS: OK, Candy. Got it. What else can we expect from the senator though a little bit later this week?

CROWLEY: Well, where else do you go but Iowa? I mean, you know, previously, Michelle Obama has said, you know, if he doesn't win in Iowa, then that's -- you know, then there's no dream, words to that effect.

The campaign has said, look, we have money to go on to other states, but Iowa is so important. You have to come in first or second in that state, make a good showing in order to move on.

So we will see him in Iowa, giving much the same speech as he will give here in Chicago today -- Heidi.

COLLINS: All right. Very good.

Candy Crowley.

Thanks so much, Candy. Nice to see you.

Also want to let everybody know that you can watch Obama's speech live on CNN.com. Just go there and you can check it out if you are interested in that.

Meanwhile, the numbers are in. Third quarter fund-raising numbers, that is. Is Barack Obama still on top of the money pile, or did Hillary Clinton take back the lead?

CNN Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider is part of the best political team on television.

Bill, the latest numbers show -- I already know the answer, but I won't give it away.

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: The latest numbers show that for the third quarter, the last three months, Hillary Clinton has pulled ahead of Barack Obama in fund-raising. She raised $27 million in the third quarter. Obama, $20 million. Still a very healthy pile of cash. Edwards, $7 million.

Now, this is the first quarter this year in which Clinton has pulled ahead, has raised more money in individual contributions than Barack Obama. They were just about tied in the first quarter. He out-raised her in the second quarter.

Now this quarter, his fund-raising has slowed -- $33 million last quarter, $20 million this quarter. Hers has held up -- $27 million last quarter, $27 million this quarter.

So, bottom line, the two candidates are now just about equal in the total amount of money they have raised for this campaign. And it's a lot of money and a lot more than the Republican candidates have raised.

COLLINS: But what sort of impact will this have as the candidates move forward with their campaigns? I mean, obviously the more money you have, the better the campaign could possibly go for you.

SCHNEIDER: Both candidates are going to be competitive. They're roughly equal in the total amount they have.

Obama has actually raised a bit more money for the primaries, money specifically contributed for the primary races. She has a total of about $63 million in contributions. He has $75 million.

But look, that's plenty. They can both compete in the primaries. They both have enough money for a very, very tough and hot race.

Both well financed candidates. Way ahead of the other Democrats and way ahead of the Republicans, as well.

COLLINS: So everybody's numbers are out? All these campaign fund-raising numbers are out at this time?

SCHNEIDER: I'm not sure everyone's are out. But most of the candidates have either released numbers or released estimates.

For instance, Giuliani and Romney, I believe they have come out with estimates of about $10 million each in fund-raising. Fred Thompson, about $8 million.

Those are all healthy numbers. In any other year that would be considered very good fund-raising. It just is a lot less than Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have raised.

COLLINS: All right. CNN's political analyst, Bill Schneider.

Bill, thanks so much.

SCHNEIDER: Sure.

COLLINS: You did it once. Now it's time for history to repeat itself.

Go to cnn.com/youtubedebates and post your questions for the Republican presidential candidates. That debate is set for Wednesday, November 28th.

Your voice will be heard only on CNN, your home for politics.

Still ahead in the NEWSROOM, college students go back to class. Police continue to look for a killer. The latest on the University of Memphis shooting.

Also, a rare moment in history. The leaders of North and South Korea try to find common ground for their divided nations.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: I'm Barbara Starr at the Pentagon.

Blackwater is on Capitol Hill today defending its record. Cowboys or security guards in Iraq?

That's next in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Accountability in a war zone. The FBI now investigating a deadly shooting last month involving private military contractor Blackwater USA. That incident under scrutiny right now on Capitol Hill.

We want to go live to our Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr.

Barbara, the criminal investigation is affecting the hearings now, obviously.

STARR: Well, it's all getting very tangled up, Heidi, as you say.

The House Government Oversight Committee opened the hearing this morning waiting to hear from Blackwater chief Erik Prince about what happened. And you see that live hearing still under way now. Mr. Prince still testifying.

What happened on September 16th in Baghdad when that shooting incident broke out.? But chairman Henry Waxman announced at the very beginning of the hearing that, because the FBI is now involved, because there is a criminal investigation under way, they were asking Blackwater not to discuss the details of the September 16th incident, even though Mr. Prince had already spelled it out in his written testimony to the committee. So this hearing has taken now a bit of a turn because the FBI has made it clear it does not want the incident publicly discussed while the criminal investigation is under way.

Be that as it may, Mr. Prince's testimony indicates that a Blackwater team in Baghdad was in the vicinity of an IED explosion on September 16th. When they were being rescued from that, they came under fire. Another Blackwater team came under fire. And basically shooting broke out.

The Iraqis say civilians were killed. Blackwater says it was defending itself.

The chairman of the committee, Henry Waxman, Democrat of California, spelled out some of the broader concerns that the committee has.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. HENRY WAXMAN (D-CA), OVERSIGHT & REFORM CHAIRMAN: We will seek to answer basic questions. Is Blackwater a private -- is Blackwater, a private military contractor, helping or hurting our efforts in Iraq? Is the government doing enough to hold Blackwater accountable for alleged misconduct? And what are the costs to the federal taxpayers?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STARR: What this is really doing, Heidi, is taking the veil off some of the operations that many Americans don't really know about, about these security contractors who operate in Iraq. Thousands of them are there working for dozens of companies. They provide security for key Iraqi government officials, for top U.S. State Department officials, for reconstruction efforts, all of that.

That is not something that the U.S. military does by tradition. These are really personal security operatives. Many of them are ex- military, are ex-Special Forces, and there is a good deal of controversy now about whether this all is an appropriate way ahead in Iraq -- Heidi.

COLLINS: All right. CNN's Barbara Starr for us at the Pentagon today.

Barbara, we know you're going to continue to monitor those hearings for us as we bring some more information on another story that we have been following here for you. This now just in.

CNN is confirming there has been a guilty verdict against Isiah Thomas. You may remember nine counts against him. He's been found guilty on eight of those nine counts.

Let me take you back for just a moment here.

The jury has decided that the Knicks coach, Isiah Thomas, is guilty of sexual harassment of a former marketing executive. Again, eight of those nine counts he's been found guilty of.

This is a case regarding Browne Sanders, a 44-year-old woman who was fired in February of 2006 from her position as the Knicks' vice president for marketing and business operations. She said that firing was in retaliation for her sexual harassment complaint she had filed against him.

So there you have it. Right now, we are understanding, CNN is confirming that the jury has found Knicks coach Isiah Thomas guilty, eight of nine of those counts.

We will continue to follow that. You see there a $10 million sexual harassment suit against him. We will find out more about that very soon. And we are going to bring that information to you just as soon as we can.

Want to give you a little bit of background in the meantime, though. Want to go ahead and take a look at this piece from our Jim Acosta with the history.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): For years, Hall of Fame pro basketball player Isiah Thomas had always maintained a squeaky clean image throughout a stellar NBA career. But then came the $10 million sexual harassment lawsuit against him and the owners of the New York Knicks.

Thomas, now the Knicks head coach and president, was accused of verbally abusing and basically coming on to a subordinate female employee. His accuser, 44-year-old Anucha Browne Sanders, a former college basketball star herself, claims she was fired from her job with the Knicks after she complained about Thomas' behavior.

ANUCHA BROWNE SANDERS, ALLEGES SEXUAL HARASSMENT: No woman, regardless of the industry she works for, should have to endure the type of abuse that I've endured on this job. Everyone has the right to expect that they're not going to be sexually harassed.

ACOSTA: Thomas denied harassing Browne Sanders but did make this comment in a videotaped deposition...

ISIAH THOMAS, NEW YORK KNICKS COACH: A white male calling a black female a (EXPLETIVE DELETED) is highly offensive to me.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Would you find it also offensive for a black male to call a black woman a (EXPLETIVE DELETED)?

THOMAS: Not as much.

ACOSTA: Thomas recently backed away from that comment.

THOMAS: Please don't mischaracterize the video that was shown in court today. I don't think it's right for any man to ever call a woman a (EXPLETIVE DELETED). I didn't do it and I wouldn't do it.

ACOSTA: But during closing arguments, Browne Sanders lawyer accused Thomas of subjecting her client to locker room behavior. That may be OK at Madison Square Garden, but not in the workplace. Attorneys for the Knicks organization say Browne Sanders was fired for poor job performance.

(on camera): The remaining question left unresolved by jurors deals with punitive damages, an indication that perhaps they are leaning towards a verdict against Isiah Thomas. His accuser walked out of court on Monday with a smile on her face. The jury resumes its deliberations Tuesday morning.

Jim Acosta, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: And just quickly, to repeat the information that we do have here at CNN, is that there has been guilt found on eight of the nine counts here in his case, but the question still remains, which of those counts are against Isiah Thomas himself and which goes directly against his employer, Madison Square Garden?

So obviously those are the two named in this suit. So we will continue to follow that and try to get more information. Just coming in here now. We will have clarification on that very shortly for you. The dogs found on Michael Vick's property, can they be saved? Experts are making their recommendations. We'll have them for you shortly.

And a plan to stay in power. Russia's Vladimir Putin setting a new course, looking to go from president to prime minister.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Want to take a moment here to give you the very latest on the situation that we have been telling you about regarding Isiah Thomas and Madison Square Garden. We have been learning here about the jury and what they have decided.

Guilty on eight of nine counts in this sexual harassment lawsuit. Ideally, we would know exactly how those counts break down and, in specific, which ones are against Isiah Thomas, himself, the coach, and also which ones are against Madison Square Garden, obviously his employer.

But we do know this, that the jury ruled New York Knicks coach Isiah Thomas sexually harassed a top team executive and subjecting this married mother of three to unwanted advances, according to her, and a barrage of verbal insults as well. The jury also found MSG, Madison Square Garden, committed harassment against the woman and ruled they should have to pay her punitive damages.

Now, that same jury is going to begin deciding the amount of damages. So this is what we know at this point.

Again, we're going to try and figure out how everything breaks down, specifically regarding those count against him, Isiah Thomas, and the counts against Madison Square Garden. We'll continue to follow that one for you.

We are expecting a news conference by the way everyone is gathered outside the courtroom there in Manhattan, and possibly from Isiah Thomas himself. We will watch that for you and bring it to you live should it happen.

Meanwhile, classes resume. Tonight's game still on. But are police any closer to finding out who killed this University of Memphis football player?

Miami's first language, it's not English. Making do with one tongue. Needing another to get ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWSBREAK)

COLLINS: I want to bring you this information once again. CNN is confirming a guilty verdict against Isiah Thomas and Madison Square Garden. His employer, of course, the owner of the New York Knicks.

We have Jeffrey Toobin on the line to talk a little bit more about the legality behind all this.

Hey, Jeff, our first question -- we know that there were originally nine counts. The guilt has been found on eight of the nine. But how many are against Isiah Thomas, and then how many against MSG?

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SR. LEGAL ANALYST: I believe only one is against Isiah Thomas. But the point is, the money is what will -- the real money comes from the Knicks. The Knicks are owned by the Dolan family, which also owns Cablevision in New York.

And I can say, Heidi, as a long suffering New York Knicks fan, the Dolan family's ownership of the Knicks and the Rangers hockey team has been a wall-to-wall disaster. The Knicks have had the highest payroll and the worst results in the league for several years, and there's been management chaos. The Dolans are extremely unpopular in New York. And this case will only compound the disastrous record that the Dolans have compiled as running the Knicks.

COLLINS: Yes, and we are talking about sexual harassment here.

TOOBIN: Absolutely. And this case received an enormous amount of publicity in New York. Isiah Thomas was an extremely successful basketball player with the University of Indiana and with the Detroit Pistons, but he has not been a successful basketball executive, and his leadership of the Knicks has been unsuccessful on the court, and now humiliating because of his now -- this verdict in this case where the testimony was not just embarrassing for Thomas and the Knicks but also other players and their involvement with terns for the Knicks. It was really a sordid trial.

COLLINS: OK, so what happens next? Obviously we're going to be talking more about these punitive damages as the days go on.

TOOBIN: Well, the cash register opens up at this point, and the jury gets to decide how much both the Knicks and Isiah Thomas will have to pay, and given how this trial unfolded, both the Knicks as an organization, led by their extremely unpopular chairman, James Dolan, and Thomas himself, gave very unappealing testimony to the jury. So my sense is that the damages are going to be well into the seven figures.

COLLINS: All right, Jeffrey, we will continue to watch this one, and certainly bring you up if we can talk a little bit more about the legality of it more as it develops here.

TOOBIN: And, Heidi, if you'd like to talk about the Knicks chances, as well, this year, I can talk about that, as well.

COLLINS: No, we do not want to talk about that. But thanks anyway. We'll let you know when we do our big sports segment OK. Thank you, Jeff Toobin, our legal analyst here at CNN.

Meanwhile, I want to get you to the NEWSROOM now. T.J. Holmes is working on something for us. T.J., I'm understanding a pretty bad pileup in California. T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, you can call it the San Gabriel River Freeway is where this happened. Other folks out there know it as the 605, and they know that it's not a place where you want the problem, and we've got a problem. You see a pileup there. Live picture in the middle of the screen is where this is happening. We've been able to notice at least five from looking at the picture, up to six, seven, eight, not sure how many exactly, but at least five vehicles involved in this accident, and one of those vehicles is on its side, a white van that we can see in some of the video.

Now here is a different look at it, a different angle. But that's what I was referring to there, that van in the middle of the screen, on its side. You can see somebody there getting worked on. We don't know the extent of this person's injuries that you're seeing there or everyone else who was involved in the accident. Don't know how many people are involved in the accident. And, again, we're seeing a seven-car crash is what we have on the screen there. We certainly have been counting as we have been looking at the pictures.

But not exactly sure how the thing happened, but it's on the southbound 605 freeway, a crucial freeway out there. You can pretty much call all the freeways out there in Southern California crucial, but certainly an important one that people use out here, the 605. But at one point all the southbound lanes were closed.

From the live picture we just saw a second ago, it looked like traffic might have been able to squeak by there on the side. Or that might be getting off the exit. Not exactly clear. But people are finding a way, at least, to try and get around this thing.

We're keeping an eye on it. We get more details and certainly folks will be curious to know and wanting to know if this thing clears up so they can be able to get around there in Los Angeles. But just a nasty, nasty mess that you certainly don't want anywhere in a major metropolitan area, and certainly not in L.A. and certainly not on the 605 -- Heidi.

HOLMES: All right, T.J. Holmes, thank you.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COLLINS: Senators snipe at Rush Limbaugh over his phony soldiers' comments. The radio hosts reply?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RUSH LIMBAUGH: He's got to be a nut.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: More talk about the Iraq war. We're back in just a minute here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Senator and radio host fired up. Both taking shots over comments about soldiers opposed to the Iraq war.

CNN's Dana Bash reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DANA BASH, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Senate majority leader took the floor and took aim not across the aisle or at the president but at a conservative radio host.

SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV), MAJORITY LEADER: Rush Limbaugh took it upon himself to attack the courage and character of those fighting and dying for him and for all of us. Rush Limbaugh got himself a deferment from serving when he was a young man.

BASH: Harry Reid combined a budding attack on Limbaugh with a demand for an apology for what Democrats call an insulting rant against soldiers who join Democrats in opposing the war. Limbaugh spoke with a caller last week.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They never talk to real soldiers. They like to pull these soldiers that come up out of the blue...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The phony soldiers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The phony soldiers. If you talk to a real soldier, they're proud to serve.

BASH: Limbaugh insists he was only talking about one anti-war soldier, Jesse Macbeth (ph) recently convicted of falsely claiming to have served in Iraq. But Limbaugh's comments are burning up the liberal blogosphere. Watchdog group Media Matters, among the first to blast Limbaugh, says it doesn't buy his explanation. And this new escalation of the Iraq debate has Democrats looking to turn the tables after the controversy over MoveOn.org's attack on the commanding general in Iraq.

REID: If we take the Republicans' side at their word at last week's vote on anther controversial statement related to the war was truly without patriotism, not politics, then I have no doubt that they will stand with us against Limbaugh's comments.

BASH: Limbaugh's response?

RUSH LIMBAUGH: His -- he's got to be a nut. This is -- I cannot believe that they are actually going this far with this.

BASH (on camera): Limbaugh accused Democrats of engaging in McCarthyism, even alluded to a quote used against Senator Joseph McCarthy himself, saying have you no decency left? Have you no shame whatsoever? A spokesman for Senator Reid responded in kind, using a quote from journalist Edward R. Murrow. We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty.

Dana Bash, CNN, Capitol Hill.

(END VIDEOTAPE) In just about 10 minutes or so "YOUR WORLD TODAY" will begin here, top of the hour on CNN.

Hala Gorani will be anchoring the program. Hi there, Hala.

HALA GORANI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello. I think it's interesting to speak to each other through quotes. Maybe we should do that tomorrow.

COLLINS: Let's try that.

GORANI: All right, Heidi, well top of the hour, as you mentioned, "YOUR WORLD TODAY," we're going to be taking you to those Blackwater hearings. The U.S. security firm in Iraq testifying there on Congress as the head of Blackwater about the activity of the group in the Iraqi war zone. Are they mercenaries? Or is their role justified in that country? We'll look at that question. Also, we will be taking you to the Korean peninsula, a very symbolic crossover there by the South Korean president, crossing the Demilitarized Zone. We'll tell you about the meeting between the South Korean and North Korean leaders, walking side by side there.

Also, the Diana inquest. It's been more than 10 years since her death, but the official inquest into the car crash that killed her in Paris is just beginning. We'll be going live to London and to our Richard Quest. That and more at the top of the hour. Heidi, back to you.

COLLINS: All right, CNN's Hala Gorani. We'll see you then, Hala. Thank you.

You may know October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. And the American Cancer Society is encouraging all women 40 and older to get mammograms. But many women with family histories aren't waiting. They're having preventive mastectomies to head off what they fear would be inevitable. We're going to be talking to someone who did just that a little bit later in the NEWSROOM. Also talk with a doctor. So if you have questions about breast cancer and heredity, you can e-mail us, at cnnnewsroom@cnn.com. We're going to be reading some of those questions on the air.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: The price you see at a store may not be final and that is a good thing. Susan Lisovicz is at the New York Stock Exchange to tell us how we can do even better.

Susan, this is something my dad does all the time.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes?

COLLINS: Always asking retail prices, is that the best you can do?

(BUSINESS HEADLINES) COLLINS: We've got more details coming up now on Isiah Thomas and Madison Square Garden. We know they've been found guilty on sexual harassment suit, but just how much money is going to be shelled out?

Also, the very latest on the big accident in the California freeway, seven car pileup. We'll have the very latest in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Isiah Thomas has come to the microphones. Let's go ahead and listen in on this sexual harassment lawsuit. Let's listen for just a moment.

ISIAH THOMAS, DEFENDANT: ...very innocent, and I did not do the things that she accused me in this courtroom of doing. I'm extremely disappointed that the jury could not see the facts in this case. I will appeal this. I remain ...

COLLINS: Not quite sure what happened here. That is a live picture we have been watching the courtroom door for quite some time now, waiting for either him or his attorneys to come out.

But let me take you back for just a moment now and let you know what happened here. We know that he's been found guilty along with his employer, Madison Square Garden, on eight of the nine counts against him. Involved in all of this, a person who brought the suit, Anucha Browne Sanders, who says that she was fired in February of 2006 from her position as a Knicks vice president for marketing and business operations. She says that the firing was in retaliation for her sexual harassment complaints.

Again, guilty on eight of the nine counts, Isiah Thomas and Madison Square Garden. The question now, how much money will be shelled out in punitive damages, and you did hear Isiah Thomas there just a moment ago saying that he is absolutely innocent of any of these charges against him.

We will continue to watch those story throughout the day.

Also, watching this story for you out of California. A major freeway pileup. T.J. Holmes is watching the situation for us right now in the news room. T.J.?

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: All right there, Heidi.

This is a -- the wreck out there at the 605 freeway in L.A. Happened about four hours ago, but still got a mess going. Happened around rush hour time, but this is the result. That mess, of course, on the 605, a very important freeway out there.

But we know that at least seven vehicles were involved, and we do know now that there are at least four injuries. Obviously, one of them right there, don't know the extent of the injuries. Not exactly sure how this accident happened, but several vehicles now involved. All the southbound lanes of the freeway still closed that we understand at this point.

We're trying to get more info about exactly what was going on surrounding this accident here, but seven vehicles involved. At some point, one person at least was trapped as well, but something we're keeping an eye on. Always a mess out there any time you got a big wreck like this on one of those important, important freeways, Heidi.

COLLINS: Yes, I hope everybody is OK, too. All right, T.J., thank you.

CNN NEWSROOM continues just one hour from now. "YOUR WORLD TODAY" is coming up next.

Have a great day, everybody. I'm Heidi Collins. See you back tomorrow.

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