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Who Killed Sean Taylor?; Giving Peace A Chance; Hunter's Bad Shot; The Image Game; You Asked, They Answered; Suburban Nightmare; Gerri's Top Tips
Aired November 28, 2007 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: From Miami to Washington, grief and questions today over the shooting death of NFL star Sean Taylor. Redskins teammates and fans plan memorials. Florida police search for his killer. CNN's Alina Cho now with the latest.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it doesn't appear as though Miami police have any strong leads at this point. But what they are saying is that this is clearly a homicide investigation and there are clear signs of a break-in at the home. Police are also looking into whether this latest shooting incident is somehow connected or related to another break-in at the home eight days earlier. And some new details also are out about what may have happened on the night Taylor was shot. A teammate who spoke with Taylor's girlfriend talked to CNN last night.
CLINTON PORTIS, WASHINGTON REDSKINS: I think she's pretty -- holding up pretty well considering the conditions. She really didn't say a lot. He told her and the baby just stay still and stay in their room and he went out and checked and I don't think he ever came back in.
CHO: Taylor's girlfriend, Jackie Garcia, happens to be the niece of actor Andy Garcia. Taylor himself, interestingly enough, spoke out in 2005 about another shooting incident and about how life can be fragile.
SEAN TAYLOR: We've seen a couple players in the last couple of weeks, you know, be subject to shootings. And it's just a life- changing thing with one shot of a bullet or whatever the case is, you know. It changes lives. So it's just basically just staying away from those type of things and staying out of harm's danger -- harm's way.
CHO: The Washington Redskins will resume practice today. They'll play at home on Sunday against Buffalo. The Redskins will also remember Taylor this weekend by wearing patches on their jerseys and his number, 21, on their helmets. Around the NFL, there will be moments of silence. And going forward, the big question is, was this a random act of violence or premeditated murder? If they know, police are not yet commenting.
Alina Cho, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Pakistan's leader steps down as army chief one day before his swearing in as a civilian president. General Pervez Musharraf giving one, final salute to his troops before handing over the ceremonial baton to his successor. The opposition had demanded the change and is still calling for an end to the state of emergency in Pakistan. That began earlier this month. The opposition sees it as a move to stop free and fair elections.
A calmer day in the Pairs suburb. Rioting seems to have quieted down. This was the scene this morning after a third night of violence. Last night police quickly rounded up the troublemakers. Some of them had tossed molotov cocktails and set cars on fire. The violence was sparked by the deaths of two teens. Their scooter had collided with a police car in a blue collar area. French President Sarkozy met with their families this morning.
COLLINS: The path to peace in the Middle East cuts through the White House today. President Bush hosting Israeli and Palestinian leaders in a follow-up to yesterday's break through agreement. We want to go live now to CNN White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux.
And, Suzanne, yes, yesterday seemed to be a much bigger day than we had anticipated.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It really was a big day and it was a break through for all the leaders. President Bush today is going to meet separately with both Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, as well as Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, separately and then together. In the Rose Garden they'll make a joint statement here.
Obviously yesterday was a big moment, that joint declaration when they talked about launching immediate negotiations and trying to get a peace deal by the end of next year. A very ambitious goal. The hard work, however, really begins today. And what is going to take place.
Well, Dana Perino, the press secretary, was asked what do today's meetings actually accomplish. She said, well, after the big event, it's really kind of like an after party here.
Now Palestinian, some of those in the delegation that I spoke with, including Guy Thalamari (ph). He's the legal advisor to President Mahmoud Abbas, said about this declaration here, not taking it all that seriously from yesterday. He said it was somewhat of a PR tool. Even a gimmick. Something that he said had a shelf life of some two days because all things could change.
So what are they putting their faith in? Well, curiously enough, many in the Palestinian delegation are saying they're putting their faith in President Bush because they believe that now he's committed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: President Abbas and Prime Minister Olmert, I pledge to devote my effort during my time as president to do all I can to help you achieve this ambitious goal. I give you my personal commitment to support your work with the resources and resolve of the American government.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Guy Thalamari, as well as others in the Palestinian delegation, said they share this kind of sense of commitment and faith from President Bush because they essentially say that both publicly and privately he has told them that it's in U.S. interests to move forward at this time, that they believe that they need this coalition to counter Iran's influence when it comes to Hamas. They believe that President Bush will actually move forward in this in the next 14 months.
Heidi.
COLLINS: We all will be watching very closely. All right, CNN's Suzanne Malveaux from the White House this morning.
Thank you, Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: Sure.
COLLINS: Hear what President Bush had to say about the Mideast peace process. He will be sitting down with CNN's Wolf Blitzer to talk about it today. That's in "The Situation Room," 6:00 Eastern right here on CNN.
HARRIS: The American Red Cross has a new interim leader this morning. This a day after Mark Everson was ousted as president and CEO. The Red Cross board says Everson had a personal relationship with a subordinate and the board calls that poor judgment. Red Cross general counsel Mary Elcano has been named interim president. The charity has had five leaders in the past six years.
O.J. Simpson back in a Las Vegas courtroom today. Simpson and two co-defendants are accused of kidnapping and robbing two sports memorabilia dealers. They are expected to plead not guilty today. A trial date will then be set. Simpson has said he just wanted back items that were stolen from him. He and other men went to a hotel room to get them. Simpson says he didn't know anyone had guns.
COLLINS: Scary wake-up call. A hunter's bullet rips through a girl's pillow. Jeffrey DeMars from affiliate KARE reports.
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JEFFREY DEMARS, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): From the side of County Road 44 in Stearns County, deer stands can be spotted less than a mile from neighborhoods.
TONY STUDER, FATHER: To me, it was just a regular shot. It was close. Real close. It came from that general direction over there.
DEMARS: Around noon Sunday, a half inch reminder it's still deer hunting season around here, hit Tony Studer's home.
STUDER: And I see that hole in the wall and I -- my heart just sinks. I'm like, this can't be what I think it is.
DEMARS: A closer look showed the muzzleloader shot fired into his daughter's bedroom.
STUDER: Entrance hole. Exit hole.
DEMARS: The bullet comes to a stop after going through Johanna Armstrong's (ph) pillow where she had been sleeping just an hour earlier.
STUDER: We actually found the slug wrapped up in the covers at the bottom of the bed right here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She's pretty lucky that she wasn't laying in the bed with her head on that pillow.
DEMARS: The rifle slug is now evidence in part of an ongoing investigation with the Stearns County Sheriff's Department. Investigators say they have interviewed neighbors and are going through muzzleloader gun records to see if anyone is registered in the area. A day later, feathers from Johanna's pillow still line the entrance of her home as a reminder.
STUDER: Every one of those feathers is a guardian angel. And she needed every one of them that day.
DEMARS: And the half inch hole stands as a reminder of the deer stands nearby and how careful hunters must be.
Jeffrey DeMars, KARE 11 News.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Team in a rebuilding year? What Republicans say they need to do to win in 2008.
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HARRIS: Looking to rebuild after a losing season in 2006. Republicans working on a game plan for 2008. Here is CNN's John King, part of the best political team on television.
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TONY DIMATTEO, PINELLAS COUNTY GOP CHAIR: OK. So we got the double order for the tables.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): Tony Dimatteo prefers to worry about the next election, not dwell on the 2006 national Republican drubbing.
DIMATTEO: We got bogged down in the war. We got it handed to us, but there was external reasons beyond our control. Hopefully the national party will remedy this. KING: Dimatteo is the GOP chairman in Pinellas County, Florida, and thinks his state could serve as a national model.
DIMATTEO: It's a moderate Republican county. I think, in general, Florida is a moderate state.
RUDY GIULIANI, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Listen (ph), I hope you can get (ph) a vote for me. OK.
DIMATTEO: So I think that's why people like Giuliani are doing very well, for instance, because he's, you know, generally in a lot of social issues he's considered a moderate.
KING: But one Republican's solution is another's nightmare. Richard Viguerie among the veteran activists who view Giuliani as a threat to the party's social conservative brand.
RICHARD VIGUERIE, VETERAN CONSERVATIVE ACTIVIST: There is a major, even massive amount of anger, frustration, unrest, feeling of betrayal. Rudy Giuliani is a major focus of this concern right now, but it's far beyond just Giuliani.
KING: The debate over Giuliani is one symptom of a broader Republican identity crisis.
GOV. MARK SANFORD, (R) SOUTH CAROLINA: It takes time to damage a brand. It takes even longer to rebuild it.
KING: The president, who took office imaging a lasting Republican majority, is now unpopular, and all but ignored by the candidates looking to replace him. And the party's image is tattered. One reason, two dozen Republicans in Congress are retiring. Only 25 percent of Americans identify themselves a Republicans. And just 40 percent in a recent Pew Research Center study had a favorable view of the GOP. South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford says voters no longer trust that pulling the Republican lever means less spending and lower taxes. Not the legacy Mr. Bush had hoped for.
SANFORD: He's not the only one to blame. I don't want to suggest that. In as much as the presidency, if you're the party in power, is that sort of (INAUDIBLE) head of the Republican Party, certainly some of the buck stops there.
KING: Picking a new leader is one step in the rebuilding process. A consensus on a winning agenda is just as important.
WHIT AYERS, REPUBLICAN POLLSTER: Well, the real challenge for the Republican Party is figuring out how to keep the base happy while at the same time reaching out to the independents who voted Democrat in 2006.
KING: Pinellas County is a case study. Since Mr. Bush was elected in 2000, Republican registration in the county is down slightly. Democratic registration up a little. And the number of independents, way up.
DIMATTEO: So that tells me we just have a lot more work to do to get registered Republicans involved in the process.
KING: Plenty of work for Dimatteo and others here at the county level.
DIMATTEO: I'm worried (ph) about the national party chairman because I think it is a puzzle.
KING: While the national party tries to find its way.
John King, CNN, Clearwater, Florida.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: The race is up for grabs, the stakes are high and the questions coming from you, the voters. So what can we expect at tonight's CNN/YouTube Republican debate? With us from Washington for a debate preview now, Cheri Jacobus, a Republican strategist.
Hello there to you.
CHERI JACOBUS, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Good morning.
COLLINS: And Jamal Simmons. He is a Democratic strategist.
JAMAL SIMMONS, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Hi.
COLLINS: So we want to go ahead and get started and give equal time, of course, as we like to do here.
Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney at the top of the polls. Are they going to be the ones to watch tonight, Cheri?
JACOBUS: Oh, well, I definitely think they will be. But let's not forget, we've got five Republicans that in some polls are pulling ahead of Hillary Clinton in a head-to-head match-up. So I think tonight really presents an opportunity and a challenge for all of the Republican candidates. I think the dynamic has sort of changed overall. So we could have a lot of interesting surprises tonight. This will be a debate to watch.
COLLINS: Jamal, do you think they're going to get down and dirty?
SIMMONS: Well, I think they have to. What's so interesting about the Republican competition -- and unlike Cheri I'm not convinced Hillary Clinton is the nominee yet, though she is certainly a strong candidate.
COLLINS: Really?
SIMMONS: Oh, yes.
COLLINS: We'll get back to that in a minute.
SIMMONS: Have you seen the polls in Iowa lately?
COLLINS: Yes, I know.
SIMMONS: But the one thing about the Republican contest is that there's something different that happens every week in the Republican contest. You know, you thought Fred Thompson was going to be a big deal. He fell apart. Ron Paul raised $5 million. Huckabee now is in second or third place depending on which polls you look at in early states. So everybody's got to find a place for themselves and to really bring down who they think is their number one opponent right now.
COLLINS: Yes, it is interesting how some of these players had first come in and everybody thought they were going to be the guy and then not so much the guy. Fred Thompson, my theory is, he's always been running for VP. But more on that later. Though Cheri's -- no, no.
What about John McCain? Where has he been, Cheri?
JACOBUS: Look, you know, John McCain has -- I think is now re- emerging as someone to really look at because this race is, I think on the Republican side, has a lot to do with electability. And I no longer necessarily am 100 percent that Hillary Clinton will be the nominee. I was before. But you see Barack Obama emerging. And the two Republican candidates that seemed to be doing the best on the national head-to-head polls against Barack Obama are John McCain and Rudy Giuliani. So in the piece leading up to us coming on the air here you were talking about the huge number of independents out there. I think both of these candidates have a strong appeal to independents.
So, you know, anything can happen in this race. I like the fact that on the Republican side we don't have a coronation. We don't have an incumbent vice president running. This is wide open. It's very interesting. And while a lot of the focus has been on this Barack Obama/Hillary Clinton contest and with Oprah getting into the game and what not, I think folks now are really going to be starting to look at the excitement on the Republican side. And that's very, very good for the race, for our candidates, and for the party.
COLLINS: Yes, and you know . . .
SIMMONS: What's so great about John McCain is that this man will not go down. Everybody has been predicting his demise for a long time. But I've always thought John McCain had real advantages. He's the one candidate on the Republican side who has been in the right place on all the social issue. Immigration is a tough thing for him. I mean Huckabee has now sort of come up and he's there. So McCain is in second or third place in a lot of early states. And I think that just -- that really shows the strength of his candidacy.
JACOBUS: He's also tempered his immigration position somewhat too where he could appeal to a lot more Republicans if they become convinced that he's someone they can work with on this. So, you know, don't -- I agree with Jamal, don't rule John McCain out.
COLLINS: No, definitely not. What about Ron Paul, too? I mean, Jamal, some people are saying that if it weren't for his stand on the war, he would really be the guy.
SIMMONS: Yes, he's sort of like Dennis Kucinich with money. You know, he can really make an impact on this race because he can air ads against opponents and really hold their feet to the fire on issue that really cut across partisan lines like all the government intrusion into our lives that have occurred since 9/11. And so I think a lot of people are really interested in Ron Paul because of his libertarian views when it comes to things like government control.
COLLINS: All right, Cheri, quickly, your thoughts?
JACOBUS: I think that he adds something to the debate, but I don't think that he's a serious candidate. But, you know, again he makes things interesting.
COLLINS: OK. So call it. Cheri, you first. Who's going to be the president?
JACOBUS: Well, I think it will be . . .
COLLINS: Come on.
JACOBUS: It will be a Republican, I think.
COLLINS: Really?
JACOBUS: Yes, I do.
COLLINS: I'm shocked.
JACOBUS: Yes, I do.
COLLINS: Jamal.
SIMMONS: It will be a Democrat I am sure.
COLLINS: Oh, my. This is stunning television. I just -- I cannot believe it.
Cheri Jacobus . . .
SIMMONS: We're taking risks here this morning.
JACOBUS: We're out on that limb.
COLLINS: Cheri Jacobus, our Republican strategist, and Jamal Simmons, our Democratic strategist.
Thanks, guys.
JACOBUS: Thanks.
SIMMONS: Thank you. JACOBUS: Bye.
HARRIS: OK. More bad news today for the slumping U.S. housing market. Home prices fell 4.5 percent in the third quarter. That is the sharpest drop in 20 years according to Standard & Poor's. Our Rusty Dornin is at a new suburban Atlanta neighborhood where nearly half of the homes have been auctioned off due to foreclosure. So hitting that community really hard.
Rusty.
RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, and, Tony, much to the surprise of the folks who live here, right in this house here, Melissa and John Scores (ph). They bought it in September. Felt like they were getting a really good deal. The houses here running about $200,000 to $300,000.
And they noticed that their -- of course there were some empty lots in the neighborhood, but those were going to be built. Well, it turns out a couple weeks ago the builder was foreclosed on. So these empty lots you see were sold along with, let's see, 16 other pieces of property. You can see across the street they're looking at another unfinished house. The for sale signs. You see an empty lot right here. And then, once again, right across the street from the Scores' house, you have an unfinished home.
Now the Scores, along with several other people who bought here in the last couple of months, including Scott Allen (ph), are very concerned.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCOTT ALLEN: My major concern is that I wish that they build as nice a homes as are already in here so it doesn't bring the values of the existing homes in there.
DORNIN: Does it make you nervous?
ALLEN: Yes, it does. It's unsettling.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DORNIN: And a lot of the homeowners here are having a hard time getting any of their questions answered. The bank that took over -- had the construction loans to begin with, they have declined to call us back. We had a few questions for them.
Some of the homeowners here are looking at it positively though. This area you see here, they're hoping maybe they can convince everyone here to put in some money and buy the lots and actually build a swimming pool here. They're very nervous, of course, as you heard, that a builder could come here and build less quality homes than what they bought in the first place. So they're wondering if their home values are going down the tubes.
Tony. HARRIS: Boy, that is it in the neighborhood affecting real people right now. We clearly have not bottomed out. Rusty Dornin for us this morning.
Rusty, appreciate it. Thank you.
Let's check the numbers. The New York Stock Exchange. Now the big board. Talk about a bounce back. How about this? Sure, sure, sure, sure. Early in the trading day. About an hour or so in. Not even. But the Dow on a nice run right now. The Dow up 181 points. Couple that with what happened yesterday and the Dow closing up 215 points. A nice run right now. The Nasdaq up 46 points as well.
The gloomy, gloomy housing market gets, OK, gloomier. But there are ways to protect yourself and your biggest investment. Here is CNN personal finance editor Gerri Willis.
Gerri, let's first deal with a little more gloom here. New numbers just out.
GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right.
HARRIS: From the National Association of Realtors. All right. Tell us about those numbers.
WILLIS: Well, here's what we've got. They say sales of existing home sales -- sales of existing homes, that is, fell further last month. Even more homes came on the market. Now this means --and this is a critical number here -- that the supply of homes on the market is at a 22-year high. It would take 10.8 months to sell those off.
Now this morning sales dropped 1.2 percent to a 4.97 million seasonally adjusted annualized pace in October. The sales pace is the lowest since 1999.
Tony.
HARRIS: Oh, boy.
WILLIS: Yes.
HARRIS: All right. Let's talk about some of the numbers from yesterday, and particularly home values down as well.
WILLIS: Right.
HARRIS: Help us break those numbers down, Gerri.
WILLIS: All right. First off, the S&P Case-Shiller Index indicates home values fell 4.5 percent this quarter from a year before. Their numbers are deeply respected by most economists, I should say. Now this is the biggest drop in nearly two decades. Add to that a projection from the U.S. conference of mayors on how foreclosure crisis is unrolling in cities across the country. They say half a million jobs, 524,000 jobs will not be created next year. Homeowners will see property values decline by $1.2 trillion in 2008 and states will lose revenue, tax revenue. New York will lose $10.4 billion in 2008. L.A., about $8 billion. Dallas and Washington about $4 billion each.
Tony.
HARRIS: Whoa, whoa, whoa. OK. So help us as homeowners here. What can we do to sort of protect our prized investment, our homes?
WILLIS: Well, you want to protect that equity, right, and not spend it. So maybe this is not the year you do the great big kitchen reno. OK. Look, home prices, remember this, have increased about 51 percent in the past five years, according to the government. But now is not the time to do that ultimate kitchen upgrade. Homeowners won't recoup as much as of that value as they have in past years.
Look, two years ago most projects returned at least 85 cents on the dollar. Today only less than a quarter of those projects return the same amount. Look, middle of the road renovations will be your best payoffs since now is probably one of the best times to hire a contractor.
HARRIS: Yes. Yes. You know, Rusty Dornin was just in a neighborhood outside of Atlanta where the builder has gone bankrupt and now you've got some folks in homes and now you've got empty lots and unfinished homes next to them. And it makes me think, is there anything that we can do to protect the value of our home with all of that kind of chaos going around you?
WILLIS: Well, the real thing to watch out for are foreclosures in your neighborhood because your home value decreases about 1 percent for every foreclosure in your neighborhood. Now if this happens to you, you have to take matters into your own hands, Tony. Join a neighborhood watch program or form one if you don't already have one so that you can spot these properties that are beginning to decay. And that means you're going to have to pull some weeds, plant some flowers, mow the lawn.
I mean you've really got to get involved. Get people in your area into the process. Look, if they're having trouble paying their mortgage or even if you're afraid you're going to go into foreclosure, get help now. Contact the Homeownership Preservation Foundation at 888-995-HOPE. The Department of Housing And Urban Development can help too. They can set you up with a counselor. Call 800-569-4287 to get help right where you live in your community.
HARRIS: Yes. That's great, Gerri.
And one more question here. What is the best advice for folks who might be in the market for a home right now?
WILLIS: Well, ultimately, they're in a good position. Most experts though, you should know, predict housing prices are likely to drop well into next year. So if you're in the market where prices have just started falling, you may want to wait three to six months to get the best deals. On the other hand, lenders are getting more strict with credit, so it may be harder to qualify for that mortgage. And if you must sell in this market, remember, your pricing is the most important move you can make. Remember, real estate is local, so the areas that have seen double digit growth over the past few years will see the biggest declines. It's estimated, though, that housing prices won't bottom until 2009. The good news is that a recovery is in the cards, even though it's quite a ways away.
And, of course, if you have any questions about this, if you have a story you want to tell us, send us an e-mail to toptips@cnn.com. We love to hear from you. We answer your questions right here every Friday.
HARRIS: Oh, Gerri, great advice, great tips this morning, and thanks for keeping us on top of the latest statistics and the latest reporting.
Gerri Willis for us. Gerri, thanks.
WILLIS: Sure.
COLLINS: The state of the GOP. What is it exactly? Just hours before tonight, the CNN/YouTube debate. We're going to be talking with Dana Bash, give us a little preview live from St. Petersburg, Florida, coming up in just a moment. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: You are in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Heidi Collins.
HARRIS: And good morning again, everyone. I'm Tony Harris.
COLLINS: I want to get you started today with more on Paris. We've been telling you about this story for quite some time now, but it's actually a bit of a calmer day. Rioting seems to have quieted down. And this is the scene this morning after a third night of violence. Last night police quickly rounded up the troublemakers. Some of them had tossed molotov cocktails and set cars on fire. The violence was sparked by the death of two teens. Their scooter had collided with a police car in a blue collar area. French President Nicolas Sarkozy met with their families this is morning.
International outrage over the sentence handed a teenage victim of a gang rape. Now a Saudi court will review the case.
CNN's Paula Hancocks has the story.
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PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Criticism of the treatment of a rape victim in Saudi Arabia has been global. Outrage that a 19-year-old woman was sentenced to 200 lashes and six months in jail for being with a man who was not a relative when both of them were abducted. But many governments have been conspicuous in their silence.
U.S. presidential candidates slammed the verdict. Opposition politicians in Britain followed suit. But those in power have been silent.
VINCENT CABLE, ACTING OPPOSTION LEADER: The British government and the Americans are very deeply involved with the Saudi government, partly for security reasons, partly for commercial reasons, and this has led them to pull their punches on human rights.
NEWTON: Britain and the United States are Saudi Arabia's largest investors. Saudi Arabia is Britain's largest trading partner in the Middle East, with huge defense deals pending.
One member of the ruling Labor Party says money should not be allowed to trump human rights.
JEREMY CORBYN, BRITISH POLITICIAN: If we believe in human rights, if we believe in U.N. conventions, if we believe in U.N. conventions. If we believe in the convention of torture, then it should apply to everybody, whether we like the country, like the leaders, don't like the leaders, do business with them or don't.
NEWTON: A few weeks ago, the red carpet was rolled out in Britain for an official visit by the Saudi king at considerable expense to the British taxpayer. Queen Elizabeth II welcomed King Abdullah, 13 members of the Saudi royal family and more than 200 servants and security personnel. Human rights groups are calling on the king himself to intervene and drop the charges against the rape victim, and reinstate her lawyer, who had his law license revoked for talking to the media.
LAMRI CHIROUF, AMNESTY INTL.: We would hope that countries allied to Saudi Arabia to raise this case, with the king in particular, and to say that this woman is a victim of a horrible crime, and should not be punished further than what has happened to her.
HANCOCKS: Saudi authorities insist the rape victim's sentence was consistent with the kingdom's law.
Paula Hancocks, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(WEATHER REPORT)
(MARKET UPDATE)
HARRIS: Still to come in the NEWSROOM, team in a rebuilding year? What Republicans say they need to do to win in 2008.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BUSINESS HEADLINES)
HARRIS: Well, you know, he raised $4 million in a day, but he may be the candidate you know nothing about.
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HARRIS: He may be the candidate at tonight's CNN/YouTube debate you know the least about, but his support comes from all corners.
CNN's Chris Lawrence, part of the best political team on television.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is Ron Paul's revolution.
REP. RON PAUL (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Thank you.
LAWRENCE: And its soldiers have defected from a lot of different camps.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I voted for Bush twice.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I usually vote Democrat, and I voted for Kerry.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I voted for Bush.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I actually campaigned for Barack Obama until I heard about Ron Paul.
LAWRENCE: He's a 10-term congressman who already ran for president once. Even fellow Republicans are wondering how Ron Paul became this maverick, who broke a record and raised more than $4 million online in a single day.
PAUL: It isn't a technique. It isn't a good computer guy that does this.
LAWRENCE: Paul told me it's his message. Return the American dollar to the gold standard, and eliminate personal income tax.
PAUL: Just get the government out of our lives and off our backs and out of our wallets.
LAWRENCE: But the thing his supporters mention most is Paul's position on the war. How he'd pull out American troops and hand over the country to Iraqis, like Muqtada al-Sadr.
PAUL: I mean, he has his pros and cons but he's Iraqi. They'll listen to him, and he has his troops. He has his brigade, and they don't need training.
LAWRENCE: In the Web site like MySpace, Spacebook and Meetup, that messages earned him more supporter than Giuliani, Fred Thompson or Mitt Romney. And word is spreading in unorthodox ways.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have people all around town who is like, who is Ron Paul?
LAWRENCE: He's the candidate underestimated by practically everyone, now outpolling Fred Thompson and Mike Huckabee in New Hampshire.
(on camera): If you didn't get the nomination, would you consider running as an independent?
PAUL: I have no plans to do that. I am running. I've been a Republican congressman for 10 terms, and I think I represent the Republican Party.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Well, be sure to watch tonight, 8:00 Eastern, when your voice will be heard. The Republican/YouTube debate, only on CNN, your home for politics, and if you want the most up-to-the-minute political news anywhere, and a behind-the-scenes look at tonight's debate, CNNpolitics.com is your one-stop shop. It's the Internet's premiere destination for political news, we're proud to say, CNNpolitics.com.
Mideast leaders reaching out for peace, but how will it play on the streets?
CNN's Tom Foreman is keeping them honest.
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TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At stake, the future. What happens between Israelis and Palestinians shapes political, economic and military realities for everyone in the region, even beyond.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The time is right because Palestinians and Israelis have leaders who are determined to achieve peace.
FOREMAN: True. Most Israeli people want no more attacks from Palestinian militants. Most Palestinian people want no more attacks from Israeli troops. But the loudest voices are often from extremists, who are less concerned about peace than they are about land and power.
MUSTAFA BARGHOUTI, PALESTINIAN PARLIAMENT MEMBER: How can we have a state when Israel insists to continue occupation, to continue settlement building, to continue building the apartheid wall?
FOREMAN: Israel was created after World War II by the United Nations, which said Jewish people should have a country in the place they called home.
But many Palestinians lived there, too, and still consider it their homeland. In addition, Israel has long occupied lands taken in wars with neighboring countries. The result? Many groups claim the same turf. And some of the most extreme factions have tried to stake those claims by force, like the Palestinian group Hamas, which was not invited to this conference. That matters, because, even if a peace deal were struck, analysts say those groups could just attack and blow the deal apart.
HAIM MALKA, CENTER FOR STRATEGIC AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES: That's right, because violence ultimately trumps the negotiated path. And those -- those groups have continuously used violence to disrupt any negotiating process.
FOREMAN (on camera): Still, it seems like every modern president eventually gets around to trying for peace in the Middle East, hoping that despite the long odds, he will finally be the one to crack the code.
Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.
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HARRIS: You know, the drive-through guy didn't see this one coming: a carload of angry transvestites.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was fighting with them. I was trying to get -- I was protecting him. I don't understand -- I was trying to get them out, and then he scratched me.
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COLLINS: Hate that.
HARRIS: So obviously, the claws came out. The clothes -- wow. The clothes came off -- at McDonald's?
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HARRIS: OK, we are podcasting a little later today. Do you know what the podcast, it is -- of course you do. It's the No. 1 podcast at CNN.com. Anderson's trying to -- well, he's trying to creep up, but it's all about the CNN daily NEWSROOM podcast. We just put different stuff in there. It's hot, is what it is, it's hot. Yes, absolutely. So catch it today. What you do is you go to CNN.com and you download the CNN daily NEWSROOM podcast available 24/7 to you right there on your iPod.
One of the stories definitely had to be in the podcast today is this next one. You ready? Come, come, ready? All right, here we go. Drag queen drama at McDonald's. Police say three cross-dressing men started a fight inside a Memphis restaurant. Girlfriend, please. They left behind the stiletto boots, earrings, jackets -- look at the mess.
Workers say it started with a tiff at the drive-through. Then, the men came inside the restaurant. They kicked off their boots, pulled off their jewelry, and game on. One worker scratched, another defended himself with some grease from the fryer. Have some! He was hit in the head with a wet floor sign and had to go to the hospital. Who knew? Police are still looking for the suspects.
COLLINS: Is it still a holiday, because this sounds like holiday news to me.
HARRIS: It -- does it?
COLLINS: I mean, you know.
HARRIS: I don't know what that means, but yes, OK.
COLLINS: All right. We'll tell you about another convenience store drive-in. Take a look at these pictures now. An SUV crashes through the door of the Boston area store. Police say the ...
HARRIS: Whoah.
COLLINS: ...71-year-old driver was parking. She meant to hit the brakes and said she hit the gas. We have heard it before. She was not hurt, thankfully, and the people inside the store were certainly shaken up but also not injured. Good deal.
All right. It looked like an interstate rodeo. Check out this video now. It's a beast of an accident, don't you think? A tractor- trailer carrying some 84 cows overturned on an interstate on ramp in Tennessee. Almost two dozen cows were actually killed in all of this. Many of the other ones escaped. It took hours to round up the animals. That was a nasty one.
HARRIS: Yes, a holiday tradition meets a harsh reality. Volunteers who answer kids' letters to Santa subject to background checks? The story now from Brian New (ph) of San Antonio affiliate KENS.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Dear Santa, it is almost Christmas. I have been a very good girl all year.
BRIAN NEW, KENS REPORTER (voice-over): For nearly 100 years, children have trusted their "Dear Santa" letters to the U.S. Post Office, and through its program, Operation Santa, last year, all 13,000 letters from the San Antonio area were answered.
MARA ANN SALAS, VOLUNTEER SANTA: It's a lot of fun. It's a lot of fun.
NEW: Mara Ann Salas has played Santa for 18 years.
SALAS: We give letters that are very cheerful, beautiful. You want to answer them right away.
NEW: But first, post office lawyers are making all volunteers hand over photo identification and sign a liability waiver. They don't want to risk a child predator playing St. Nick.
CATHY CARMONA, POST OFFICE OFFICIAL: If you have a small child, you would want to know who was receiving your letters with that personal information.
NEW: Last year was the first time they did this, and the inconvenience led to a 70 percent drop-off in volunteers. They're worried this year, there may not be enough help.
SALAS: You want to answer it because I honestly think that we can make a difference.
NEW: It's a difference that's just going to require a little more work.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I will leave you some cookies and milk. Love, Mackinzie.
NEW: Brian New, KENS-5, Eyewitness News.
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HARRIS: And good morning again, everyone. You're with CNN. You're informed. I'm Tony Harris.
COLLINS: Hi there, everybody. I'm Heidi Collins.
Developments keep coming into the CNN NEWSROOM on Wednesday, the 28th of November. Here's what's on the rundown now.
Fans honor number 21, Sean Taylor. Police search for the gunman who killed the NFL pro bowler.
HARRIS: And tonight, the CNN/YouTube debate for Republican candidates. A preview live this hour from St. Petersburg.
COLLINS: A farmer cuts off his own arm, but he kept his head and saved his life. We'll talk with him this hour, life or limb, in the NEWSROOM.
HARRIS: The path to peace in the Middle East cuts through the White House. Today, President Bush hosting Israeli and Palestinian leaders in a follow-up to yesterday's breakthrough agreement.
Live to CNN, White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux for us. Suzanne, great to see you. Explain what we mean or at least what the administration means when it suggests that what happened yesterday represents something of a breakthrough?
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: You know Tony, it's really interesting here because Dana Perino, the press secretary, said it was really a big event that happened yesterday and kind of described what today is more like the after party. We just saw the Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas arriving here at the White House. He will be meeting privately with President Bush and then President Bush will take his turn with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
Yesterday was a breakthrough moment in the sense that they produced this declaration, a joint agreement, essentially saying that they are immediately going to launch these negotiations with the hope that they get a peace deal by the end of next year.
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