Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
Friends and Family Mourn Sean Taylor; Obama and Huckabee Surging in Presidential Race
Aired December 03, 2007 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Bombshell on Iran: U.S. intelligence rethinks Iran's determination to build a nuclear bomb.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: We're live at the White House with a stunning new assessment of Iranian motives, means and opportunities. We will also get an exclusive live report from Tehran this hour.
Hello, everyone. I'm Kyra Phillips at CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.
LEMON: And I'm Don lemon. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
PHILLIPS: If you're skeptical of Western claims that Iran is scrambling to build a nuclear bomb, a new U.S. intelligence report agrees.
If you believe the West needs to keep up the pressure so Iran won't build a new nuclear bomb, a new U.S. intelligence report agrees.
New developments in a long-running standoff.
Let's getting straight to Barbara Starr at the Pentagon -- Barbara.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, a national intelligence estimate, which is a classified report by the intelligence community, parts of it made public today by the Bush administration, with that bombshell indeed, coming to the conclusion that Iran stopped key portions of a nuclear weapons development program back in 2003, now just coming to light, however.
Officials, doing one of those famous Washington background sessions with reporters, say that information has really come to light in the last few months. Based on intelligence that they have gathered, they believe Iran stopped its weaponization.
What does that mean? Stopped working on actually making the warhead, making some of the key components for a nuclear bomb, for a nuclear weapon. What about the fuel, though, that nuclear enrichment? You know, Iran has long said it has 3,000 centrifuges, those high-tech devices used to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons.
Some of that is also, according to the report, running into deep trouble. The Iranians are having a lot of technical difficulty making all of that work. What's the Iranian motivation? Well, very interestingly, this report says that they believe now the Iranians are less determined -- words from the report -- because they are more vulnerable to the influence of the international community over the last several years.
The report's very heavy on saying that the Iranians are vulnerable to that kind of influence. It remains to be seen how that kind of language, of course, goes over in Tehran.
The report goes on to say, in fact, that the Iranian decision was guided by cost-benefit, if you will, in other words, not worth their time and trouble, given the international sanctions against them and all of that, and then therefore they made the decision not to rush towards a weapon.
This all broke, of course, very late in the day in Washington in terms of the time frames in Tehran. It remains to be seen what the full response is, of course, from the government of Iran -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right. And we are supposed to hear from National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley at the end of the hour.
Barbara Starr, thanks so much.
And CNN's Aneesh Raman is the only Western TV reporter in Tehran. we are going to speak to him straight ahead in the NEWSROOM.
LEMON: And, Kyra, we have some developing news coming out of California, new video in of an overturned crane. Take a look at this.
This is I-5, just north of L.A. And according to investigators there, an injury, they're calling it, an injury accident involving an overturned crane today. It blocked all the southbound lanes of the southbound Golden State. That is the 5 freeway. It's in Mission Hills. That's where this accident is happening.
It was reported about 11:15 a.m., which is their time, local time, out there, south of Renaldi (ph) Street. And that was according to an investigator there. One man suffered an injury that not life- threatening. One man suffered an injury that not life-threatening. And we're being told the circumstances of the accident are under investigation. Not exactly sure what caused it, but, man, it sure looks pretty horrific, and, of course, traffic blocked for miles and miles, one of busiest freeways there in the Los Angeles area.
He has been the most prominent figure in the Jena Six case. Now we're hearing Mychal Bell could be close to a deal that would let him plead guilty to a misdemeanor and avoid trial on battery and conspiracy charges. The 17-year-old Bell is the last of the six African-American teens charged in the case still in jail. They're accused of beating up a white classmate at Jena High School about a year ago. Cases again the five others on battery charges are still pending -- Kyra.
(WEATHER UPDATE) PHILLIPS: Well, some played alongside him. Others cheered for him. All loved him. Thousands of people packed an arena in Miami this afternoon for Sean Taylor funeral. It comes a week after the Washington Redskins player was shot in his own home in an apparent burglary gone wrong.
Past and present coaches, past and present teammates, family, friends, teammates, they all came. Police, meantime, have arrested four men in Taylor's death. The lawyer for one says a fifth suspect is yet to be arrested, but police won't confirm it.
LEMON: Well, Sean Taylor had more than a team. He had a family, his girlfriend, Jackie Garcia, and their 18-month-old daughter. They both were in the house when Taylor was fatally shot and they were both after his funeral.
Garcia mourned in silence today, but spoke at a vigil yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JACKIE GARCIA, GIRLFRIEND OF SEAN TAYLOR: I just wanted to thank everybody at U.M., and thank you so much for letting him have so many special memories, and giving him so many opportunities.
And he was planning to come back and attend school in January. It was his dream to graduate.
Just thank you for all your prayers. I really appreciate it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Well, Taylor's teammates say the 24-year-old grew up a lot after the birth of his daughter.
PHILLIPS: Back to our top story now, Iran and its nuclear program. Are Iranian leaders feeling pressure from within, as well as without?
CNN's Aneesh Raman, the only Western television reporter in Tehran, let's get straight to him for an exclusive report -- Aneesh.
ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Kyra.
You know, this report hasn't gotten any official reaction yet. It's just past 11:30 here, but I can all but guarantee tomorrow Iran will welcome it, will feel further emboldened in its no-compromise strategy over its nuclear program.
Keep in mind, just on Friday, Iran's new chief nuclear negotiator said essentially this: We will not negotiate with the U.N. Security Council. We will instead deal directly and only with the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog, the IAEA.
The key question for the U.S. isn't really what Tehran says tomorrow, but what do Moscow and Beijing say? The reason is that the U.S. along with Western nations is pushing for a third round of sanctions over Iran's continued nuclear defiance of the U.N. resolution now 18 months ago.
Russia and China are key votes to make that happen. The key argument that the U.S. and Western nations have used in terms of ratcheting up significantly these sanctions is urgency. The time is now to stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
Well, now, Russia and China, both, by the way, who have strong trade ties with Iran, may feel more reason for pause. That could complicate those sanctions debates. Some officials just yesterday said we could see those sanctions come by the end of the year.
What will be most interesting is how this report plays out in those two countries and how that affects any potential third round of sanctions -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right, Aneesh Raman, appreciate it -- Don.
LEMON: Well, some of the best minds in the world are looking for ways to put an end to this, preventing a meltdown and protecting the planet. We will tell you how -- straight ahead in the NEWSROOM.
PHILLIPS: He's the secret weapon for one of college football's best teams, but he's never made a touchdown. We are going to introduce you to the little man at the heart of University of Southern California football team.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Three thirteen Eastern time. Here's three of the stories we're working on in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Held on half-a-million dollars bond -- the man accused of taking hostages at a Hillary Clinton campaign office in New Hampshire appeared in court just a short time ago. In addition to setting bond for Leeland Eisenberg, the judge also ordered a mental evaluation.
Crews are now working to urgently to rescue a man buried up to neck in a trench. He's been trapped for hours now at a construction site near Los Angeles. No word on his identity or how he got stuck.
After more than three hours of mourning, the funeral ended last hour for Sean Taylor in Miami. The NFL star was shot at his home last Monday in an apparent robbery gone wrong. The lawyer for one of the four men arrested in Taylor's death says there's a fifth suspect, but police haven't confirmed that.
LEMON: Time to find out what is cooking on the CNN Political Ticker, for one thing, Mike Huckabee's Iowa poll numbers. That's what cooking. What a difference two months can make. The latest "Des Moines Register" poll shows the former Arkansas governor leading the GOP pack with 29 percent of would-be Republican caucus voters.
Two months ago, Huckabee was third. Mitt Romney comes in second in the new poll, with 24 percent, followed by Rudy Giuliani at 13 percent. PHILLIPS: That same "Des Moines Register" polls shows that Barack Obama is moving ahead of Hillary Clinton among Democrats. The Illinois senator gets 28 percent, followed by Clinton at 25, and John Edwards with 23.
But a new poll by the Pew Research Center and the Associated Press still has Clinton ahead with 31 percent to Obama's 26 and Edwards' 19. The Iowa caucuses are a month from today.
Call it Mitt Romney's JFK moment. This Thursday, the Republican candidate will give a speech about his Mormon faith and the role of religion in politics. He is going to speak at the Bush Presidential Library in College Station, Texas. It's reminiscent of JFK's speech in Houston 47 years ago, when he assured Southern Baptist leaders that the Catholic Church did not speak for him on public matters.
LEMON: Well, something different on the campaign trail. A few months ago, Iraq was the dominant issue. Today, the economy is just as pressing.
Our senior political analyst, Bill Schneider, takes a look at the shift and what it means to the candidates.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST (voice-over): We keep hearing that the United States is making military progress in Iraq.
JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: ... continue this surge which is succeeding, and we are winning the war in Iraq.
SCHNEIDER: But public opposition to the war has not diminished. Still, something has changed.
Back in June, Iraq dominated the agenda. Now the economy has become an equally big issue. Who does that help in each party?
We asked New Hampshire Democrats which candidate would do the best job handling Iraq. They give Hillary Clinton a slight edge over Barack Obama. But Iraq is not Clinton's best issue.
The New York senator has a much bigger lead on the economy. Why? Possibly because of her husband.
SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D-NY), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: When my husband became president, he inherited a lot of economic problems. As someone said the other day, there seems to be a pattern here. It takes a Clinton to clean up after a Bush.
SCHNEIDER: On the Republican side, the advantage on Iraq goes to John McCain. But Iraq is not a top issue to Republicans.
Which Republican leads on the economy? Romney, the business executive. MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I have spent 25 years in the business world running a small business that became a large one.
SCHNEIDER: Suppose Romney and Clinton win their party's nominations. we have heard the argument Romney will make against Clinton.
ROMNEY: She hasn't run a corner store. She hasn't run a state. She hasn't run a city. She has never run anything.
SCHNEIDER: While Clinton will argue it's all about what's happened in this country under President Bush.
CLINTON: The average family has lost $1,000 in income in the last six years.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
We keep hearing the United States is making military process in Iraq.
Continue the surge that is succeeding, and we are winning the war in Iraq. But public opposition has not diminished. Still, something has changed. Because in June, Iraq dominated the agenda. Who does that help in each party. Iraq is not Clinton as best issue. The New York senator has a much bigger lead on the economy. Why? Possibly because of her husband.
When my husband became president, he inherited a lot of economic problems. As someone said the other day, there seems to be a pattern here, it takes a Clinton to clean up after a Bush.
On the Republican side, the advantage on Iraq goes to John McCain, but Iraq is not a top issue to Republicans. Which Republican leads on the economy? Romney, the business executive.
SCHNEIDER: After getting burned so badly in 2006, some Republicans may welcome the fact that Iraq no longer monopolizes the agenda. But, if the agenda shifts to domestic issues, there's not much good news there either for the party in power.
Bill Schneider, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: The funeral for NFL player Sean Taylor just wrapped up. We're live from Florida with some of his teammates and closest friends, next.
You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Some played alongside him. Others cheered him. Today, they all mourned him. This was the scene last hour at a university arena in Miami at the funeral of murdered NFL star Sean Taylor. The service ended just a short time ago, but the grief and the questions go on.
CNN's Rick Sanchez hosting a special "OUT IN THE OPEN" tonight on Taylor's death.
He joins us now from Florida International University -- Rick?
RICK SANCHEZ, HOST, "OUT IN THE OPEN": Yes, we're doing a couple of different things. We have moved over here to the Orange Bowl now.
The Orange Bowl is where Sean Taylor became a superstar, a young man who probably would have gone on to become a member of the Hall of Fame if he had continued playing the way he was.
We're going to do a couple of things, Kyra. The first thing we're going to do is, we're going to try and drill down on what's going on with this specific crime.
Over the weekend, four people were picked up by police down here, four different suspects. I think we have got some pictures we can show you of some of these suspects. You know, part of what's so amazing about this story is how young these suspects are.
One of them is 17 years old. That's Eric Rivera. And, according to police, he may actually be the triggerman in this crime. He's the one that they seem to be intimating right now was the one who had the gun.
Obviously, one shot killed him, shot him in the leg. And it's kind of interesting for someone to die after being shot only in the leg, but police have explained what happened there. Basically, he just bled out.
Family members are saying at this point that Sean Taylor did not -- did not bring this on in any way, shape or form. They say he had really become quite a man since the birth of his daughter. We had a chance to talk to a lot of people today at this funeral.
The entire Washington Redskins football team came down. I mean, Andy Garcia, O.J. Simpson, the Reverend Jesse Jackson, I mean, I could go on and on. It went on about two hours. There really wasn't a dry eye in the house.
And we were able to get ahold of some of the family members. Here now, you are going to hear from Sean's cousin, who how he describes he had had a conversation with him the night before Sean met his doom.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: But he was not a guy who was out looking for trouble, was he?
GARRELL WILDS, COUSIN OF SEAN TAYLOR: No, Sean wasn't looking for trouble. Sean was a totally different person on and off the field. He was very aggressive on the field. Off the field, he was very friendly.
SANCHEZ: And he didn't really have any problems to speak of, right?
WILDS: No, sir, he didn't.
SANCHEZ: Not of late, anyway, right?
WILDS: No. No. He really turned his life around from what people thought were some problems that he had, which were just some unfortunate run-ins that he had.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: You know what is amazing? It does appear, Kyra, from everything that we could look at in this case up to now that really Sean Taylor was, as we would say, minding his own business.
He was in his own home with his fiancee. He was with his child. Sure, there are some questionable things about what happened in the past with the gun-brandishing incident. Some people would say, well, why did she have a machete under his bed? Was he expecting some kind of trouble? But it doesn't appear, at this point, that he would have brought this one.
So, the question tonight -- and this is something that has been getting a lot of ink, as you probably know, all over the country and on all the sports shows and many of the news shows as well -- are professional athletes, like Sean Taylor, now being targeted, because they have so much money, or are they inviting it? Are they inviting it because of their lifestyle, too many athletes staying up to the wee hours of the night partying, having so many babies out of the wedlock, not locking their lives down, so to speak, flashing, the term for guys who even go on some shows and show just how much money they have and let everybody see it?
So, it's an interesting question. It's something that needs to be analyzed. We're going to be asking you. So, the question is, are athletes being targeted, as many would suspect, or are they bringing it on themselves? Are they inviting this kind of trouble?
In fact, go to CNN.com/Rick. We want to know what you think. We have got the question up. Answer it for us. We are going to be drilling down on that as well tonight, and a lot of interesting opinions on this tonight right here at 8:00. We will be coming live from the famed Orange Bowl -- Kyra, back to you.
PHILLIPS: We will be watching.
Rick Sanchez, thanks so much.
You can join Rick tonight for the special "OUT IN THE OPEN" he just mentioned, "Murder in Miami: Saying Goodbye," live at 8:00 Eastern, only on CNN. LEMON: He is back. Radio and TV talk show host Don Imus got back behind the mike today. He again expressed remorse for his controversial cracks about the Rutgers women's basketball team, cracks that got him fired from CBS and MSNBC.
Imus now works for Citadel Broadcasting on WABC AM Radio and RFD- TV.
In addition to his apology today, Imus made a promise to the Rutgers team.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
DON IMUS, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: I will never say anything in my lifetime that will make any of these young women at Rutgers regret or feel foolish that they accepted my apology and forgave me.
And no one else will say anything on my program that will make anybody think that I didn't deserve a second chance.
(APPLAUSE)
(END AUDIO CLIP)
LEMON: Well, his new bosses say Imus has listened from his mistake and is ready to move on.
And how do you feel about Don Imus' second chance? That's the discussion on CNN's "LARRY KING LIVE" tonight. Comedian and co-host of "The View" Joy Behar, she will guest host. The show begins tonight at 9:00 Eastern right here on CNN.
(BUSINESS REPORT)
PHILLIPS: Straight ahead: roaming the sidelines.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETE CARROLL, USC HEAD COACH: He's a wonderful kid that brings a spirit and an energy about this program that -- you know, that's unique.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Small man, big heart, Southern Cal's campus giant.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: You're going to love this story. It doesn't necessarily take physical strength or amazing abilities to have a huge impact in college sports.
CNN's Kara Finnstrom caught up with a young man who's proving that a big smile and an even bigger heart can lift team spirits until they soar.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KARA FINNSTROM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: At a school known for football legends, a story of triumph is no surprise. But this story isn't about the NFL stars in the making. In their shadows, we found a 4'8" giant.
STAFON JOHNSON, SOUTHERN CAL TAILBACK: He's a small guy with a big heart. He's bringing happiness to the field.
FINNSTROM: Eighteen-year-old Ricky Rosas is a cancer survivor with a learning disability. Two years ago at a public practice, he met Coach Pete Carol.
PETE CARROLL, SOUTHERN CAL COACH: Hey, how are you doing?
He hung around for a little bit afterward and I told him to come on back and sure enough, he came back.
FINNSTROM: And kept coming. Before long, Ricky was on the field alongside the coaches five days a week.
RICKY ROSAS, SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO USC COACH: I go get the coaches food and then I shred the papers and I'm there whenever they need me.
FINNSTROM: The team began saving him a chair at the training table -- suiting him up in S.C. Garb.
R. ROSAS: This sweatshirt was given to me by Jared Blank and the shoes were given to me by (INAUDIBLE).
FINNSTROM: Even taking him on the SC jet to an away game and bestowing an unofficial title.
CARROLL: Well, Ricky is the special assistant to the head coach. So he's -- he's very close to me.
JARED BLANK, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOOTBALL OPERATIONS: Whenever he is asked to do something, he goes to his maximum level to get it done. And no one can ask anything more of the kid and it's cool to see.
FINNSTROM: But it's not the odd jobs that make unassuming Ricky such an asset. It's the smile, the hugs -- the pure joy Ricky takes in being here. It spreads.
R. ROSAS: I just want to give them a big thanks for letting me be around them for so long.
CARROLL: He's a wonderful kid that brings a spirit and energy about this program that, you know, that's unique. And once we sensed it, you know, we just needed him around us.
FINNSTROM: Ricky's family always knew he would make his mark.
NICKY ROSAS, RICKY'S SISTER: I'm really proud of him because he's really recognized.
FINNSTROM: He lives in East L.A. With his sister -- who suffers from a disability that destroyed her leg -- and his mother. They say the boy who overcame cancer at age one has been undaunted by hardship ever since.
N. ROSAS: It shows us that we could do things, you know, like just because we may have like disabilities in our way, that we still could do these things, you know?
FINNSTROM: Ricky, who doesn't have a driver's license, spends an hour and a half on two buses to get to practice every day and games every weekend. All this not to be paid in dollars...
(on camera): What does it feel like being out here?
R. ROSAS: Well, I mean it feels so good, all the fans.
FINNSTROM (voice-over): But to simply live a dream.
CARROLL: And he's got a little bit of a heartthrob about him that keeps us all going.
FINNSTROM: And to remind all those around him that's exactly what they're doing, too.
Kara Finnstrom for CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Now in the interests of full disclosure, both Kara and I are proud USC grads and we're both proud of Ricky Rosas, who joins me now live from Los Angeles.
Ricky, you're famous now.
How are you handling all this fame?
ROSAS: I'm just trying to sink it all in at this time right now.
PHILLIPS: I can just imagine. Well, you're doing a very good job.
Now, Coach Carroll calls you his special assistant. So tell me, you know, what is the most important role you see yourself as doing as a part of that job?
ROSAS: Well, I just get to -- I just get to help Coach Carroll out in whatever he wants, whatever he needs me to do it's just -- I just love doing it.
PHILLIPS: Well, now you mentioned that you are in charge of shredding the papers.
Are you actually shredding the old plays from the games so the other teams don't ever find out what USC is doing?
ROSAS: Yes.
PHILLIPS: So you're in charge of making sure that the other teams don't get Coach Carroll's secrets?
ROSAS: Yes.
PHILLIPS: That's a pretty -- that's an intense responsibility.
How do you handle that?
ROSAS: I just handle it with everything that I can do and I love doing it.
PHILLIPS: Oh.
Now, your sister says that she's so proud of you because you are such an example and a role model for other young men and women who have various disabilities.
Do you even see yourself as different compared to other young men and women your age?
ROSAS: No, I don't.
PHILLIPS: Tell me why.
ROSAS: I'm just a normal -- I'm just a normal kid my age. I'm 18. I'm normal. There's nothing really -- there's nothing really wrong with me.
PHILLIPS: Oh, Ricky.
You have classes in the morning, right?
You're going to school?
ROSAS: Right now, no, I'm not. I am going to attend in like -- in January for spring classes.
PHILLIPS: Oh, OK.
So you're going to start up in January?
ROSAS: Yes.
PHILLIPS: OK.
And are you -- you must be pretty popular among the students?
ROSAS: Yes, I am.
PHILLIPS: Yes.
Are they asking you for autographs?
ROSAS: Not yet.
PHILLIPS: Will you sign them if they ask you?
(LAUGHTER)
ROSAS: Yes.
PHILLIPS: Outstanding. You better get an agent, Ricky.
(LAUGHTER)
Tell me who has been an inspiration for you, Ricky?
Has it been your mom, your sister?
Has it been somebody else?
Who is that person that's been special in your life, telling you you can do whatever you want.
ROSAS: Well, just my whole family.
PHILLIPS: Yes?
ROSAS: And the next door neighbor that we live by.
PHILLIPS: Well, tell me what your family says to you and how do they encourage you.
ROSAS: Well, my mom says that I could do whatever I want and just that I know that she -- I know she loves what I'm doing and I know my sister does, too.
PHILLIPS: Oh. I know they're so proud of you.
So, Ricky, do you ever give any of the players any advice when you're on the field?
ROSAS: No.
PHILLIPS: No?
Why not?
ROSAS: Well, because they're the players. I'm just the special assistant to the coaches.
PHILLIPS: Oh. OK.
Well, what about Coach Carroll?
Do you give him advice?
ROSAS: No.
(LAUGHTER)
PHILLIPS: OK. If you could give him advice, what would you tell him?
ROSAS: There would be -- I won't give him any advice. He's running the program just the way that it should be run.
PHILLIPS: Oh, Ricky.
Now, listen, I found some picture of you and the USC song girls. I understand you are quite the ladies' man.
ROSAS: Uh-oh.
(LAUGHTER)
PHILLIPS: One of these gals is possibly a girlfriend, a special somebody?
ROSAS: No.
PHILLIPS: No?
Did you get nervous around them?
ROSAS: No.
PHILLIPS: No?
All right. They thought you were pretty charming. They told me that you're a very handsome young man.
ROSAS: Hmm.
(LAUGHTER)
PHILLIPS: Oh.
Well, finally, your favorite part of the job, what would you say it is?
ROSAS: My favorite part of the job is just whatever they want me to do.
PHILLIPS: Can you tell me who's going to win the Rose Bowl?
ROSAS: USC.
PHILLIPS: Oh, right.
There you go.
Now, Ricky, I understand you've some career goals.
What is it you want to do when you finish school?
ROSAS: I really want to be a sports analyst for like ESPN.
PHILLIPS: Well, guess what?
We've put together this picture for you.
Can you see the monitor right there?
Tell me, what do you think?
We think you look pretty darned good as an ESPN anchor.
(LAUGHTER)
What do you think?
ROSAS: Oh, that's so funny.
(LAUGHTER)
PHILLIPS: You like that?
ROSAS: I love it.
PHILLIPS: OK. Fantastic.
All right, well, I'm going to represent you. I'm going to be your agent. I'm going to be calling Coach Carroll to see what kind of paycheck we can work out and negotiate a deal with you at ESPN.
ROSAS: OK.
PHILLIPS: OK, Ricky. Now you stay in touch with us and you keep cheering on that team.
ROSAS: Can I give a -- can I say thanks to a couple people?
PHILLIPS: Of course, you can. Go ahead.
ROSAS: I would like to thank the university and Coach Carroll and his coaching staff for letting me be with the program for so long. I want to thank my mom and my aunt and uncle -- my other uncle, who I love to death. I want to thank everybody that I know around USC. Just to name a few people, Lazell (ph) and Brian Matthews (ph) from USC.com (ph). And I just want to thank everybody that I know from USC for letting me be -- for letting me be around the team for so long.
PHILLIPS: Ricky, you are a class act, my friend. And you make me, as an alum, very, very proud. And I know you touched Kara Finnstrom, as well, while she got to tell your story.
Thank you so much for joining us live.
ROSAS: Oh, you're welcome. Anytime.
PHILLIPS: And they took care of you, right?
They sent you a car and they're treating you like a king?
ROSAS: Yes, they did.
PHILLIPS: Well, you are the king, Ricky. We'll see you at the next game. ROSAS: OK. See you then.
PHILLIPS: OK.
LEMON: And you know what was funny in all of this, when we were trying to get him to come on, right, he says I know which buses to take. I can get there.
PHILLIPS: That's right.
LEMON: And I'm like come on!
PHILLIPS: He was ready to take the bus...
LEMON: Send him a car.
PHILLIPS: ...from East L.A. We're like no, no, no.
LEMON: No.
PHILLIPS: We're sending you a car, Ricky.
LEMON: No.
PHILLIPS: Isn't he fantastic?
LEMON: Doesn't that make you feel great when you were just talking to him?
PHILLIPS: Yes. I'm getting a little choked up here, with tears in my eyes.
LEMON: Oh.
PHILLIPS: He's a sweetie pie.
LEMON: He was fantastic.
PHILLIPS: That's what it's all about.
And Coach Carroll, appreciate you for taking him on, as well.
LEMON: Absolutely. Absolutely. All the best to him. All the best to him. We should just go to break with that.
But we're going to tell you something that some of the best things the best minds in the world are looking for -- ways are -- they're trying to put an end to this -- preventing a meltdown and protecting the planet. We'll tell you straight ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.
We should run more of Ricky all day, man.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Well, score one for democracy. Venezuelans hand President Hugo Chavez his first electoral defeat ever -- turning thumbs down on his efforts to steer the country toward full socialism. The measure lost by the slimmest of margins, 51 to 49 percent. Among other things, it would have abolished term limits -- allowing Chavez to stay in office indefinitely, as long as he was reelected. Under current law, he's not allowed to run again when his second term expires in 2005.
PHILLIPS: In Moscow, President Vladimir Putin hails his party's landslide victory as a vote for stability. It pulled in 64 percent of the vote, giving it more than two thirds of the seats in parliament. International observers are crying foul. They call the Kremlin's support for the president's party as an abuse of power. The results could let Putin have a role in government, perhaps as prime minister, after his presidency ends.
LEMON: Australia warms to the U.N. treaty on climate change -- a move by a new prime minister that leaves the U.S. as the only developed country not -- not to ratify the so-called Kyoto Protocol. It comes at the offset of a new U.N. conference to take up where Kyoto leaves off. It's in Bali, Indonesia and our Dan Rivers is there.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAN RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A lively start to a rather technical, dry conference. This song, "Share with the World," was written to strike a note of optimism. But for climate change to be tackled, the people in this room have to take some tough decisions.
YVO DE BOER, UNFCCC: The eyes of the world are upon you. There is a huge responsibility for Bali to deliver.
RIVERS: And many eyes are particularly focused on the U.S. delegation. Their most senior representative arrives later this week. But they're feeling the pressure here -- especially now that this man has formally been sworn in as prime minister of Australia. As Kevin Rudd was signing on for a new job in Canberra, his delegation was making this announcement in Bali.
HOWARD VAMSEY, AUSTRALIAN DELEGATE: I'm pleased to inform the conference that Australia will move to immediately ratify the Kyoto Protocol.
(APPLAUSE)
RIVERS: Warm applause for Australia, but no change of heart from the United States.
DR. HARLAN WATSON, U.S. SENIOR CLIMATE NEGOTIATOR: Obviously, other countries have done that analysis and made that decision. The United States came to a separate conclusion. We respect the decisions that other countries made.
RIVERS: This publicity stunt sums up how many environmentalists feel -- the Earth is slowly cooking, the temperature is rising and the U.S. must act now.
ANGELA ANDERSON, NATIONAL ENVIRONMENT TRUST: The U.S. is really kind of an island now, as the last industrial nation not signing onto the Kyoto Protocol. We believe that there's a lot of changes afoot in the United States. Governors and states are banding together to put their own emissions caps in places.
RIVERS: Others put it even more strongly.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Bush administration is increasingly irrelevant on this issue and many at the conference understand that a year from now, we'll be looking at, you know, likely a much different set of circumstances in the United States.
RIVERS (on camera): And that is, perhaps, the reason for the air of optimism here in Bali. Everyone knows President Bush will soon be out of office. And many here are hoping what happened in Australia will happen in the U.S. and that this process will be transformed as a result.
Dan Rivers, CNN, Bali.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
PHILLIPS: The White House has said Iran was one of the biggest threats to our national security. But now a report that seems to contradict that. National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley speaking right now at the White House.
Our Brianna Keilar is live right there, not far from where he is -- Brianna.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Kyra.
This report cuts both ways for the White House -- it's not all good and it's not all bad. On one hand, this new report shows American intelligence agencies believe that Iran, at this moment, does not have a nuclear weapon and that it's up to five years, if not more, away from having one. It also says something that we didn't know before -- that back in 2003, Iran, while facing intense international scrutiny, actually stopped its movement toward a nuclear weapon.
So, in short, Iran being an imminent nuclear threat, isn't the case. It isn't as imminent of a threat as the Bush administration has been making it sound. But, on the other hand, this report does not say that Iran poses no threat, and that's something that national Security Adviser Stephen Hadley has been seizing upon during his briefing that's going on right now.
Let's listen to some of what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEPHEN HADLEY, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: On balance, the estimate is good news. On one hand, it confirms that we were right to be worried about Iran seeking to develop nuclear weapons. On the other hand, it tells us, that we have made some progress in trying to ensure that that does not happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: This report says that despite Iran halting its move toward a nuclear weapon back in 2003, it continues today to enrich uranium. Uranium obviously a key element of a nuclear weapon. It also, again, it says that Iran could have enough enriched uranium for a nuclear weapon sometime between maybe 2010 and 1015. And, of course, Kyra, that isn't entirely that far off.
PHILLIPS: Well, there was a 2005 report on the Iran threat, as well.
How does this new report compare?
KEILAR: This new report pales in comparison now, predominantly because of that mention of 2003, when Iran, under international pressure, stopped moving toward nuclear weapons, because the 2005 report said there was an anticipation that Iran could just thwart that international pressure and move toward a weapon program.
Now, instead, this shows the international community may have more sway over Iran than previously thought. And this definitely makes the case for diplomacy, which is something that Stephen Hadley has been emphasizing during his briefing. But it also undercuts some very strong language that we've been hearing from the Bush administration. President Bush even recently saying if you want to avoid World War III, then you have to make sure that Iran doesn't have a nuclear weapon -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Brianna Keilar live from the White House.
Thanks, Brianna.
Another twist in the mysterious case of the beauty queen and the pepper spray. As police look for the truth, we're waiting for the consequences.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Well, police are peppering pageant officials with questions after finding no traces -- no traces of pepper spray on items belonging to Miss. Puerto Rico/Universe. Well, Ingrid Marie Rivera said she won the crown despite her clothes and makeup having been spiked by a saboteur. We asked her last week about allegations she herself was behind the whole thing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
INGRID MARIE RIVERA, MISS. PUERTO RICO UNIVERSE: There's no way. It's a beauty pageant.
How would I affect myself burning -- wanting to burn my skin?
It's impossible to conceive that.
LEMON: OK.
Was there some sort of -- I understand beauty pageants, it can be, you know, I hate to say it, it can be catty, am I right?
RIVERA: Based on this experience, yes, they could.
LEMON: OK.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Well as far as these new results go, a forensic spokeswoman did say a delay in submitting Rivera's things for testing could have affected the outcome. Pageants officials are standing by their accounts that Rivera broke out in hives during the show.
PHILLIPS: At 103 years old and just rolling to the auction block -- a little bit of vehicular history up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Time now to check in with CNN's Wolf Blitzer.
PHILLIPS: He's standing by in "THE SIT ROOM" to tell us what's coming up at the top of the hour -- hey, Wolf.
WOLF BLITZER, HOST, "THE SITUATION ROOM": Hi, guys.
Thanks very much.
New information about Iran and nuclear weapons -- a declassified U.S. intelligence report now shows Tehran stopped chasing the bomb four years ago. We're going to have the latest, plus reaction from the White House and beyond.
Also, my one-on-one interview with former Senator Fred Thompson right here in "THE SITUATION ROOM". He's talking about religion, his opponents and what's next in his campaign.
Plus, advice for Barack Obama from a very unlikely source -- what Karl Rove says the Democratic candidate has to do to beat Hillary Clinton to the White House.
That and a lot more coming up right here in "THE SITUATION ROOM" -- back to you.
LEMON: All right, Wolf.
Thanks.
We'll be watching.
PHILLIPS: The closing bell is about to ring on Wall Street.
LEMON: Susan Lisovicz is not here today.
Stephanie Elam is standing by.
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: Yes, I got you. I got you.
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, you did.
LEMON: I got you.
ELAM: You did.
LEMON: Stephanie Elam is standing by with a final look at the trading day.
I knew that was going to get you.
ELAM: Yes, you did, actually.
LEMON: Yes.
ELAM: And I was laughing at you with your pictures from last week with hair and this week with no hair. I like it.
(LAUGHTER)
ELAM: When you go back and forth like that, that's good stuff.
All right, let me tell you about the oldest known surviving Rolls Royce in the world. The 1904 Rolls Royce 10 horsepower two-seater. It was made just two months after Charles Rolls and Frederick Royce began their partnership -- the fourth car to roll off with the Rolls Royce name. It sold for the equivalent of $6.6 million. That's the most ever paid for a car in the veteran class. Just a little bit of history again for you guys, as we wrap up this trading day.
(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.voxant.com
