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Pacific Pummeling; Immigration Hits Home; In The War Zone; Credit Card Rates Rise

Aired December 05, 2007 - 10:00   ET

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

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): The president flying around campaigning.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Having my friend Candy Crawley pass a virus around and . . .

MOOS: The president says CNN's Candy Crowley gave him a respiratory infection. She says to substantiate that would require a national intelligence estimate. As we watched the president fielding questions . . .

BUSH: Psychology 101 ain't working.

MOOS: We noticed a seating chart on his podium to help him identify reporters and what seemed to be an x over the seat occupied by Helen Thomas. Though she kept her hand up, the president never called on her. So we called Helen, asking what she would have asked. She said now that we know accusations about WMD in Iraq and Iran are wrong, isn't it time to give everyone a Christmas present and bring the troops home from Iraq? No wonder the president . . .

BUSH: Nuclear . . .

MOOS: Treats Helen as if she's radioactive.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Once again we want to bring you back to President Bush, as you see him there, now on the ground in Omaha, Nebraska. We are told he is there to make some comments about his former agriculture secretary, Mike Johanns. He is now running for U.S. Senate. That seat being vacated by Senator Chuck Hagel.

We are also expecting that very shortly he will be making some more comments and remarks on Iran and the National Intelligence Estimate that was released a bit ago and now yesterday we heard him take those questions that you saw a few moments ago in Jeanne Moos' piece. So we will get to that just as soon as he approaches the podium.

Meanwhile, good morning, everybody, once again. I'm Heidi Collins. And you are in the CNN NEWSROOM. You can stay informed all day long right here. Here's what's on the run down now.

Mitt Romney fires his landscaper. Will illegal immigration clip his presidential bid? Live to the campaign trail.

Burned by plastic. Your fixed credit card interest rate can soar even if you pay on time. Personal finance editor Gerri Willis will be stopping by.

And a Texas man pulls the trigger. A community takes sides. Vigilante or good citizen. I'll ask the man who wrote the law this Wednesday, December 5th. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Want to take you directly back to Omaha, Nebraska, now where President Bush is approaching the microphones. Let's go ahead and listen in.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Back in Nebraska.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Welcome back.

BUSH: I do want to say a couple of words about Iran before I talk about my friend, Mike Johanns.

On the way out here, I spoke with my team, who gave me a report on conversations that the secretary of state and our National Security adviser have had over the last couple of days with their counterparts in the United Kingdom, in Germany, in France, and Russia. These countries understand that the Iranian nuclear issue is a problem and continues to be a problem that must be addressed by the international community. A number of them have said so publicly, and I appreciate their comments.

I appreciate the work of our intelligence community in helping us better understand Iran's past and present nuclear activities. Their information is critical in increasing our understanding and helping us develop a sound policy. It is clear from the latest NIE that the Iranian government has more to explain about its nuclear intentions and past actions, especially the covert nuclear weapons program pursued into the fall of 2003 which the Iranian regime has yet to acknowledge.

Iranians have a strategic choice to make. They can come clean with the international community about the scope of their nuclear activities and fully accept a long-standing offer to suspend their enrichment program and come to the table and negotiate or they can continue on a path of isolation that is not in the best interests of the Iranian people. The choice is up to the Iranian regime.

I'm here also to talk about my friend, Mike Johanns. I have gotten to know him well. And there's no doubt in my mind he'll make a great United States senator from the state of Nebraska.

He's an honorable, decent man.

COLLINS: As those comments continue regarding Mike Johanns there. He will be running for the U.S. Senate seat that has been vacated by Senator Chuck Hagel. That is why the president is in Omaha, Nebraska, today, but we were bringing you those comments that we were expecting to hear about Iran. And I'm sure you heard him say that the Iranian nuclear situation "is a problem and will continue to be a problem. Also making some comments about the National Intelligence Estimate that he also spoke about yesterday.

So there you have it. President Bush in Omaha, Nebraska, today.

Saw a little bit of snow flying there in Omaha, Nebraska, but the situation here waking up to a flood nightmare. Boats are picking up stranded homeowners. The other residents are trying to figure out what's worth saving and what is ruined. At least five people are dead in the Northwest. The governors of Oregon and Washington have also declared states of energy. Katharine Barrett is outside Seattle in the town of Burien.

And, Katharine, what kind of damage are you actually seeing when you look around you now?

KATHARINE BARRETT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Heidi, this is just one small snapshot of the kind of damage that this storm has wrought all over the state and in the state of Oregon. It shows what four, five, 10 inches of rain can do in a 24-hour period. The ground so sodden here that an entire hillside, the neighboring home lost 20 feet of his backyard, swept right down into the house behind me, taking out this carport and, in fact, pushing a brand new car right up to the front door of this house. Then again, the mudslide barreling through the living room wall, shattering glass windows, knocking this wall down, all while the homeowner here was speaking on the phone to her cousin.

She was safe and got out in time and feels very thankful that she wasn't badly hurt. But, again, she said it happened in an instant, less than a minute. It sounded like a bomb had gone off in the house. So the swiftness, the fury of this storm, and there are mud slides all over the state like this. Some have blocked train tracks, even swept trains from the tracks, blocked roads, which remain blocked at this hour.

Heidi.

COLLINS: Boy, awfully powerful, that's for sure. Katharine Barrett live this morning from Burien, Washington.

Katharine, thank you.

And this hour, the storm is now plowing eastward and creating treacherous driving conditions in much of the nation's mid section. In fact, this Greyhound bus spun out of control north of Indianapolis. Nineteen people were injured. Much of the region is being buried under a blanket of snow now. Some areas could see nine inches.

As the storm barrels east, it's hitting a dividing line of temperatures, too. Cold temperatures in the northern mid Atlantic will mean snow. South of there it will mean rain.

Reynolds Wolf is standing by now to show us some more pictures I believe. And did you see a little bit of light snow coming down when we saw the president there in Omaha, Nebraska? So it's indicative of what we're reporting here for sure.

(WEATHER REPORT)

And we want to remind everybody, when weather does becomes the news, you can see it right here on CNN. In fact, if it's happening outside your window, send us your videos or photos if you can. Just go to cnn.com and click on i-Report or type ireport@cnn.com right into your cell phone.

Well, the peace and quiet of a Boston neighborhood suddenly shattered by this massive fire. Police say a tanker truck overturned and burst into flames around 1:30 this morning. The taker was hauling about 9,000 gallons of gas. The fire chief says it is a miracle no one was seriously hurt. At least three buildings and 40 cars up in flames. The Red Cross says about 200 people had to be evacuated, including about 80 elderly residents.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There was a big pop. At first I thought it was a transformer. Then I look out the window and I saw all the brightness and I called it in.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just thought it was shooting. Somebody was banging up the cars. And I woke my husband up. I says, get up, we've got to get out of here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Police are investigating whether the tanker driver was going too fast. The driver was not injured in the accident.

A consumer alert to tell you about today. Check your microwave. General Electric is recalling more than 90,000 combination wall and microwave ovens. GE says the door switch in the microwave can overheat and then possibly start a fire. The Consumer Products Safety Commission says there have been at least 35 fires that damaged homes. No injuries to report, but the ovens were sold between January 2000 and December 2003 under the brand names GE, GE Profile, and Kenmore. GE is offering a free repair kit or a rebate toward a new unit. If you have any questions, you should call GE. That number is 1-888-240- 2745.

Probation violation. You may remember Debra Lafave, the former Tampa middle school teacher who was convicted two years ago of having sex with a student. Well, she was arrested Tuesday for what the sheriff's office calls inappropriate but nonsexual contact. The corrections department says Lafave talked about her personal life and other stuff, including sexual issues with a 17-year-old waitress at a Tampa restaurant where they both worked. Lafave's probation officer ordered her to quit that job and then had her arrested. Lafave's attorney calls the probation violation insignificant and says the whole thing was nothing more than a workplace friendship. The shooting death of NFL star Sean Taylor. A grand jury says it was the youngest suspect who pulled the trigger. This morning, 17- year-old Eric Rivera is due to make his first court appearance. He and three other young men are charged with murder, armed burglary and home invasion. Taylor, of the Washington Redskins, died one day after being shot in his Miami home. Police say the 24-year-old was the victim of a botched burglary.

A presidential candidate fires back in the immigration debate by firing his landscaping company. Republican Mitt Romney says he let the company go for employing illegal immigrants. He and Rudy Giuliani battled over the issue during the CNN/YouTube debate just last week.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MITT ROMNEY, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: When the Welfare Reform Act, that President Clinton brought forward, said that they were going to end the sanctuary policy of New York City, the mayor actually brought a suit to maintain its sanctuary city status.

RUDY GIULIANI, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It's unfortunate but Mitt generally criticizes people in a situation in which he's had far the worst record. For example, in his case there were six sanctuary cities. He did nothing about them. There was even a sanctuary mansion. At his own home, illegal immigrants were being employed. So I would say he had sanctuary mansion, not just sanctuary city.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Some pretty contentious moments there on that debate. Happened right off the top, too. Dana Bash has been following this story for us from Des Moines, Iowa, and she joins us now.

Dana, is this embarrassing for Mitt Romney or how do they know exactly what happened here and how much he had to do with the hiring of that landscaping company?

DANA BASH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, Heidi, it really is a stunning egg on your face moment for Mitt Romney because it turns out that last year when Mitt Romney found out that illegal immigrants were working at his house, he did not fire the landscaping company that was responsible for that. In fact, what we are told now is that his son, Tagg, went to the owner of the company, who is a family friend of the Romneys, and got assurances apparently that they would stop using illegal immigrants at the Romney home in Belmont, Massachusetts.

Well, it turns out that, in fact, they did still have illegal immigrants working there. In fact, the morning after that YouTube debate, our YouTube debate last week, "Boston Globe" reporters who were investigating this went to his home and talked to two illegal immigrants who were working at his home. Well, when confronted with this information, Mitt Romney decided to finally fire this landscaping company and released a statement late yesterday telling reporters that he did just that, Heidi. Now, this is really important and possibly problematic for Mitt Romney for two reasons. Number one, because of the issue of immigration, of course. It is a red hot issue in the Republican race, particularly here in the state of Iowa where he is actually losing ground despite the fact that he is campaigning hard on issues like immigration. And also because this really is a soft spot for Mitt Romney. This whole idea of flip-flopping and perhaps not being earnest in his positions and his past. This is something that his rivals have tried to exploit and this just feeds right into it, Heidi.

COLLINS: Well, you know, we're less than a month out before the Iowa voters actually head to the polls, Dana, obviously, and it's been getting pretty ugly. Voters are getting some phone calls that has Romney's campaign now up in arms. What more do you know about that?

BASH: Well, this is a controversial tactic known as push polling. And it's been going on here in Iowa since Sunday night. It is an outside group that supports Mike Huckabee. They're making phone calls that seem like surveys or polls to Iowa voters and they end up saying negative things about Mike Huckabee's rivals and they try to promote his campaign.

It has really gotten Iowa voters quite upset. Mike Huckabee himself has insisted he has nothing to do with it and has asked that these -- that this outside group actually stop doing this on his behalf. But the Romney campaign, they say they're not buying it. They say that he is simply saying (ph) ignorance on it. And they're also, Heidi, asking the attorney general here in Iowa to investigate whether a law here in Iowa is being violated by doing this.

COLLINS: All right. Yes, because of the timing I guess. All right. CNN's Dana Bash reporting live from Des Moines, Iowa.

Thank you, Dana.

If you want the most up to the minute political news anywhere available, just go to cnnpolitics.com. It's your one-stop shop. It is the Internet's premiere destination for political news, cnnpolitics.com.

A neighbor armed, two burglary suspects dead. And the shooter says he may have the law on his side. We'll talk to the lawmaker who wrote the law.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Welcome back, everyone. I'm Heidi Collins. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Of interest to anyone with a credit card, jacked up rates, ticked off lawmakers. What they're doing to help your wallet.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: To the war zone now. Defense Secretary Robert Gates on the ground in Iraq. We want to go live to CNN's Michael Ware in Baghdad.

Michael, have you had an opportunity to hear what Secretary Gates is saying about the situation there?

MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, he's just given the briefest of brief press conferences where the defense secretary, not surprisingly, told us nothing new. He played his cards very close to his chest. This is his sixth visit here to Iraq, and according to those traveling with him, the reports are that he's here to assess the nature of Iran's involvement here in Iraq and to see whether the military gains and the downturn in violence can be sustained.

Now, in the course of that, that's involved a number of meetings obviously with U.S. commanders and top Iraqi leaders. And during his briefest of brief press conferences, this is what he had to say about his meeting with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT GATES, DEFENSE SECRETARY: The prime minister and I had a productive discussion on a range of issues effecting the future of Iraq. As you know, there has been recent months of dramatic change in the security situation across the nation. A decline in violence to levels not seen since the Samarra mosque bombing nearly two years ago.

As a result, there's been a substantial increase in the number of refugees returning home. International investment in Iraq is on the rise. And more than 70,000 Iraqis have taken it upon themselves to defend their neighborhoods.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WARE: Yes, and what Secretary Gates is summarizing precisely the situation here. Since we've seen America backing first Sunni and now Shia militias to protect their own neighborhoods and deliver the reconciliation that this Iraqi government is not doing. That the prime minister that the secretary met with is not delivering on, there has been huge success.

So this has been one of the great unintended consequences of the surge. And this is what has seen the great improvement here in Iraq is these neighborhoods protecting themselves with U.S.-backed militias. So the secretary has really hit the nail on the head.

Heidi.

COLLINS: All right, CNN's Michael Ware live from Baghdad this morning.

Michael, appreciate that. Thank you.

Want to take a moment now to check out the Dow Jones Industrial averages. Wow. Hey, we were hoping for a plus sign there. Look at that. About up 115 points or so, resting now at 13,363. The Nasdaq also up I believe 31 points or so. So we will be watching those numbers and check in with Stephanie Elam in just a moment. Interest rate rising on your credit card? But you say you've never been late with a payment? What's the deal? Well, it's happening, and lawmakers say it is unfair. In fact, they're cracking down. CNN personal finance editor Gerri Willis explains.

Wow, Gerri, yes, people getting really upset about this.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. Well, you know, Heidi, the U.S. Senate Subcommittee found that some credit card companies automatically increase card holder interest rates even though people were current on their payments. The rate increase was attributed to a drop in their credit score. In one case, a credit card interest rate increased from 8 percent to 23 percent. Subcommittee Chairman Carl Levin is trying to pass a bill that would protect consumers from certain sudden interest rate hikes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CARL LEVIN, (D) MICHIGAN: To me, if a person meets their credit card obligations to a credit card issuer and pays their bills on time, it is simply unfair for that credit card issuer to raise their interest rates.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WILLIS: The Federal Reserve wants to require that consumers get at least 45 days notice before raising interest rates.

Heidi.

COLLINS: Gerri, is there anything that people can do about this? Do they have any recourse?

WILLIS: Well, you bet. You've got to scrutinize your statements. You should receive written notification that your rate is changing. Card issuers have to send a separate notice if there was a change in terms. But you may get the info in your statement, so it's more important now than ever to look at your bills.

COLLINS: All right. Well, if your credit card rate does jump up, because of a credit score, because obviously that sometimes is what the case is, can a person then call the company and negotiate a lower rate?

WILLIS: You bet. Look, if you found out your rate has been raised but you've been making on time payments consistently, call customer service and see if you can get your original rate or even a better one. But, otherwise, take heart here. Look, two major credit card issuers, JP Morgan Chase and Citigroup, have already announced they'll do away with this practice of raising rates based on credit scores. So chances are you'll be able to negotiate if you pit issuer against issuer and threaten to transfer you balance to one of these other cards. I've done it myself. Pick up the telephone.

COLLINS: Yes, they don't like it when they say you're going to switch companies. WILLIS: That's right.

COLLINS: What else can you do, though, besides negotiate with the issuers themselves?

WILLIS: Well, you want to monitor your credit. Look, first you get your free credit score. That website is annualcreditreport.com. Next, make sure you know what some of the biggest credit mistakes are. Look, if you open up a retail score credit card, for example, your credit score is going to drop. And charging up your credit limit will also hurt your score. So to find out what can help or hinder your score, go to myfico.com.

And if you have questions about credit cards or any other personal finance issue, send it to us at toptips@cnn.com. We answer those questions right here every Friday and we love to hear from you.

COLLINS: Yes, we do. All right. CNN's personal finance editor Gerri Willis.

Gerri, thank you.

WILLIS: My pleasure.

COLLINS: Well, is it time to dry out and clean up? That's what the folks in the Northwest are certainly hoping after the storms possibly take a few days off. We'll have an update in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: He gave up his dream to save a child. Now Manuel Cordova is being honored. He's the illegal immigrant who rescued a nine-year-old boy after the child's mom died in the southern Arizona desert. Cordova ended up being sent back to Mexico. Yesterday officials from the U.S. and Mexico met on the border for a ceremony honoring Cordova. An Arizona congressman says he plans to sponsor a bill that would give Cordova a special visa to work in the United States.

Man with a monkey walks into a convenience store. It's not a joke. Certainly not to the North Carolina clerk who was attacked. A monkey jumped from a customer's shoulder when Brooke Ross reached out to pet it. She was bitten on her cheek. Animal control officers spent several hours trying to track down the animal. Ross was able to pick the monkey out of a photo lineup after authorities showed her several pictures of pet monkeys.

Pacific pummeling. Much of the Northwest reels from a pair of ferocious storms. They're, in fact, blamed for the deaths of five people across two states. This is Coast Guard video now of one Washington neighborhood that's under water. Boats fanned out across that state and Oregon to rescue stranded homeowners.

The front edge of the storm hammered the region with hurricane- force winds. Thousands of trees were knocked down.

Reynolds Wolf is standing by in the weather center now.

And, Reynolds, we've been talking all morning long about maybe a bit of a break in this storm so that people can start cleaning up and clearing out a little bit.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COLLINS: Want to get to this story about Iran. Iran's president declaring victory. What he's saying today about U.S. intelligence and Iran's nuclear program.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Keeping pressure on Iran. President Bush a short time ago calling on Tehran, quote, "to come clean" about its nuclear activities or face diplomatic isolation. Meanwhile, Iran's president is declaring victory today following a U.S. intelligence report on his country's nuclear program. CNN's Aneesh Raman is the only U.S. network correspondent in Iran.

Aneesh, we're wondering, how are the people of Iran reacting now to all of this?

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, hey, Heidi. Good morning. We decided to find out. We hit the streets of Tehran, and on a day like this, we didn't get everything we expected.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RAMAN (voice-over): It's an old Iranian refrain heard time and again over the past two years, that the Islamic republic is pursuing peaceful nuclear energy. But now a twist -- the U.S. intelligence community agrees. Forty-year-old Majed (ph) had just read the news.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): It made me feel American politicians who is want to run the world are betraying everyone. People to people in each country we have no problems with each other.

RAMAN: Iranians, almost as a whole have been steadfast in support of their right to nuclear energy, even as tensions and sanctions have ratcheted up over the past two years.

(on camera): There is in Tehran is clear sense of vindication, and while world is still getting out, news of the report is a headline of virtually every major newspaper.

(voice-over): To make sure nobody misses the point, Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in his first comments on the subject touted the report of victory, and for many here the fact that President Bush Tuesday showed no change in strategy only serves Ahmadinejad.

DR. SADEDGH ZIBAKALAM, TEHRAN UNIV.: George Bush could have been more conciliatory, which he wasn't. Now Ahmadinejad can turn to Iranian people, can turn to Arab people, can turn to the Muslim people, can turn to the world and say that, well, look, this man has something against us.

RAMAN: It's become a battle of dueling presidents, with their people stuck in between. And because of that, even after the latest bout, it prompted a rare call from 65-year-old Madi (ph) , that maybe Iran for the sake of itself should consider suspending its nuclear program.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We also have the right not to insist on some of our rights, and If Iranian politicians left enrichment alone, maybe the economic situation here would improve. The sanctions at least would end.

RAMAN: That is unlikely, but the hope here is that the world will now see Iran not through the eyes of George Bush, but through their own.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RAMAN: You know, Heidi, it was surprising that Madi said that on camera. It was surprising as there wasn't huge rallies, even among the hardliners. There wasn't a sense of real joy on the streets, but rather hope that despite these two presidents, among the people there can be dialogue and some solution to this issue now -- Heidi.

COLLINS: Yes, I'm very curious, I do wonder if this means more genuine support for Ahmadinejad from the people of Iran?

RAMAN: Yes, it's going to be very interesting. There are elections in March for the parliament. At one level, Ahmadinejad loses a bit of the crisis momentum. Bush gave him more of it by not changing his stance. But a part of Ahmadinejad's appeal is we are at a crisis moment, the West is trying to prevent us from having nuclear energy, and the reformists have been trying to challenge Ahmadinejad's strategy.

At the same time he can now with Bush standing firm go out to the people and say, this is why I stood firm. This is why I said what I said. So the next few months are going to be very interesting here to see how the people digest all of this and how they vote come March's parliamentary elections.

COLLINS: We are glad that you are there to report on all of it for us. Thanks so much. CNN's Aneesh Raman coming from Tehran, Iran. Thanks, Aneesh.

Is it a case of vigilante justice? A Texas homeowner shoots and kills two men. They are suspected of breaking into his neighbor's home. The case sparked angry protests outside Joe Horn's house in the Houston suburb, Pasadena. Some people support him, others, though, want him prosecuted. Here's Horn's 911 call to police just before the shootings.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

JOE HORN: He's coming out the window right now. I've got to go, buddy. I'm sorry but he's coming out the window. OPERATOR: Don't, don't, don't go out the door. Mr. Horn? Mr. Horn?

HORN: They just stole something. I'm going out the window. I'm sorry. I ain't going to let them get away with this (EXPLETIVE DELETED). They stole something. They've got a bag of something.

OPERATOR: Don't go outside the house.

HORN: I'm doing it.

OPERATOR: Mr. Horn, do not go out the house.

HORN: I'm sorry. This ain't right, buddy.

CALLER: You're going to get yourself shot if you go outside that house with that gun. I don't care what you think. Stay in the house.

HORN: You want to make a bet? I'm gonna kill 'em.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: In that 911 call Joe Horn mentioned a new Texas law had gone into effect. It gives citizens greater leeway in using deadly force. But was it meant to be used in this way? we Want to take a closer look at the law.

Joining us is the author of the so-called Castle Doctrine Bill, state Senator Jeff Wentworth is joining us from New Orleans. Thanks for being with us, Senator.

JEFF WENTWORTH, TEXAS STATE SENATE: Good morning.

COLLINS: As we said, you did author this castle doctrine bill. Tell us exactly, if you could, what it says.

WENTWORTH: Well, it does three things. It gives a presumption that an intruder into your house, or your occupied vehicle or your place of business is there to create serious bodily injury or death. It indicates you don't have a duty to retreat, that you can actually stand and defend yourself or your family, and it gives civil immunity from a lawsuit by either the intruder or the intruder's family if he's killed in the altercation.

COLLINS: OK, so what I hear you saying is to defend your house, your car, and to also be able to do it in your workplace. Does it say anything anywhere about a neighbor's home?

WENTWORTH: I don't believe, based on the facts that you've just laid out, that the castle doctrine applies in that particular situation. There are other statutes in Texas law that do apply in that instance, and I think the prosecuting attorney and the law enforcement will have to look at that.

COLLINS: Even though you obviously -- it sounds like anyway -- did not intend for the castle doctrine bill to defend someone who has gone after an intruder on someone else's property, can you see where there might be some misinterpretation?

WENTWORTH: Well, there's always people that can always misinterpret statutes. That's why we have courts and judges and juries that decide these things, but the castle doctrine was devised principally for you in your occupied home, your own motor vehicle, or your place of business. The facts that you described in the incident in Houston doesn't seem to me to apply because that was a neighbor's property ...

COLLINS: Right.

WENTWORTH: ...on a neighbor's land and the neighbor wasn't even there, as I understand it.

COLLINS: Yes, and I think that you, in speaking with the people who were able to get you to come onto our program today, our bookers, you said something here about whether or not the neighbor had asked Joe Horn to watch over his property. Do you believe that will make a difference in this case in whether or not the bill will apply?

WENTWORTH: It may, but as I say, that's going to be an entirely different statute than the one that I authored, and I'd be hesitant to try to give a legal opinion ...

COLLINS: Sure.

WENTWORTH: ...in that regard. I'm confident that the district attorney and his staff down there are looking at that very carefully, but the castle doctrine doesn't seem to me would apply in this particular case.

COLLINS: I'm sure you've probably heard that 911 phone call before. And it's interesting, he actually makes mention of this new law that went into effect on September 1st. Any idea what you think should happen or what could happen with Joe Horn?

WENTWORTH: Well, my guess is he had not read the law. He'd read maybe news accounts or heard news accounts about it and maybe believed that it would give him some immunity. Actually, if his neighbor had been in the house and the neighbor had repelled the attack, I think this law would definitely have applied to the neighbor.

COLLINS: Sure.

WENTWORTH: But I don't believe it does to Mr. Horn, although there may be other laws in Texas that will exonerate him. As a matter of fact, I think there probably are.

COLLINS: OK, understood. As you, I'm sure, well know, that he has not been charged yet. So, we are just trying to follow this case and give some more understanding to this new portion that we obviously know that you wrote.

So, we appreciate your time here. Texas state ...

WENTWORTH: Right, sure (ph), thank you. COLLINS: ...Senator Jeff Wentworth. Thanks so much.

And we do want to know what you think. Did Joe Horn do the right thing when he shot and killed the suspects? You can e-mail us. That address is CNNnewsroom@CNN.com. We're going to be sharing some of your comments just a little bit later right here in the NEWSROOM.

Do you work too much? One woman says her husband was worked to death and a court agreed.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: And the winner isn't. The woman crowned Miss California forced to give up the title. Christina Silva was declared the winner at the pageant last month, but organizers say it was an accounting error. They say the second runner up was the real winner.

Silva talked about her disappointment today on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTINA SILVA, DETHRONED MISS CALIFORNIA: Basically, I won Sunday, November 25th at the Orpheum Theater, and my life changed. I was so happy. It was such an accomplishment. You know, I was competing against 90 beautiful, intelligent women, and I achieved a huge goal. You know, Monday came, Tuesday came, Wednesday came, Thursday came, everything was still great. Everyone was excited for me, and Thursday evening, unfortunately, I got the bad news that I wasn't the winner.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: The pageant allowed Silva to keep her crown and sash. She has hired a lawyer and is weighing her legal options.

Well, a new report is raising hopes the Federal Reserve will consider a half point interest rating cut at its December 11 meeting. Stephanie Elam is on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange with the very latest now.

Hi there, Stephanie.

(BUSINESS HEADLINES)

COLLINS: Dads in drag. Men kick up their heels and more. Why, two words: Hannah Montana.

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COLLINS: A sign of the season towering over the streets of New York. That's Senator Chuck Schumer perched inside a cherry picker. He lit the menorah to celebrate the first night of Hanukkah. The Jewish symbol, by the way, is billed as the world's largest menorah.

Long hours, a Japanese woman says her husband was worked to death. Will her victory in court affect your workplace? CNN's Kyung Lah has the details.

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KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Life rarely slows down for Hiroko Uchino, juggling a job and her two kids: nine-year-old Ami (ph) and seven-year-old Uki (ph). The moments she does have to herself, she tries to understand why she's alone.

30-year-old Kanichi Uchino (ph) was just starting his adult life. Newly married with two toddlers, he was working as a middle manager for one of Japan's biggest companies, Toyota Motor Corporation.

"This is where I work," Uchino told his daughter. The hours were demanding and were getting longer.

HIROKO UCHINO, WIFE: Fourteen, 15.

LAH: Hiroko Uchino says her husband worked these hours nearly every single day for six months, logging more than 100 hours of overtime one month alone. So exhausted, she says, that he could barely pick up his children. On February 9th, 2002, at the age of 30, Kanichi Ushino collapsed at work and died of a massive heart attack.

"It happened all of a sudden," says his wife. "He was just 30 years old. I knew he was tired, but I never thought he would die like this."

Uchino filed with the government to declare her husband's death karoshi, which means death from overwork. After a five-year court battle to get worker's compensation, she won.

"There are many people working hard like him," says Uchino. "I hope this case helps those people."

(on camera): The Japanese government says last year, 300 families claimed their loved ones died from karoshi. Of them, about half have officially been acknowledged as karoshi cases. Social service agencies say their numbers are much higher at 10,000 per year and they warn in our high-tech global economy, this is a problem that will not be limited just to Japan.

(voice-over): As companies rely on BlackBerries, cell phones, and laptops at home, the Karoshi Hotline National Network says employers demand more off the clock hours and employees find it harder to shut off the job.

KANAE DOI, KAROSHI HOTLINE NATIONAL NETWORK: Other companies also should pay attention to this judgment and this social phenomenon in Japan because any workers in the world can be affected by overtime or work-related stress.

LAH: Uchino continues to pray nightly for her husband, thankful for her legal victory. Toyota would not comment on Uchino's case, but said in a statement, "We express our condolences. Our company will continue to work on the care of our employees' health conditions." Uchino says her children were so young, they don't remember these moments with their father. What's hard for their mother is that they never will.

Kyung Lah, CNN, Onjo (ph), Japan.

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